This is another in the valuable "Concept Series" of books by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Center for Chemical Process Safety. It's purpose is "to assist designers and operators of chemical facilities to understand and reduce potential hazards associated with static electricity." The book succeeds admirably in achieving this purpose for it's target audience. This work is particularly valuable as a supplement to the NFPA and API publications on the control of static electicty, providing a nicely balanced combination of theoretical background and practical example. The extensive References section is a very helpful guide to the literature. The book is well organized and very clearly written.

Highly recommended for practicing engineers who want to improve their understanding of static ignition mechanisms and who need to apply the published standards to real world situations.

Baltimore has gone through many phases, the last of which was a purported "renaissance" that began to be manifested during the reign of Mayor William Donald Schaefer. This book, with chapters written by prime movers and knowledgeable participants, brings together the dynamics of change in the city from about 1955 to 1980, without flinching at the shortcomings of leaders and institutions. The chapters offer needed cautionary perspective to do-gooders and power-brokers alike. Change does not occur quickly; nor does it happen (beyond surface change) without introspection and pain. This is true not just with people, but with cities. Baltimore is now undergoing another re-invention--perhaps it's time for the editors to get busy on a sequel.

This is a handy "little" reference for strengthening your relationship with God, claiming His promises when you are in need and finding answers to prayers uttered in His Word.

I call it "little," because it will fit in your pocket. But, as the subtitle says, it contains 700 Prayers and Promises. Have you ever wondered how God answers The Lord's Prayer? It's in there.

From the introduction: "There are three sections in this booklet, and in each section the verses are in random order, to avoid suggesting that a pattern of thought or teaching is being presented.

"The first section..., 'Your Very Personal Relationship With God' is filled with wonderful truths, truths containing promises that are now yours in Christ.

"'God's Promises When You Are In Need' contains truths that speak to special needs.

"'Your Prayers . . . God's Answers' is filled with prayers uttered by Old and New Testament people and God's answers to their prayers.

Wherever you are in your Christian walk, this book can help you draw nearer to God; claim His promises and believe that He "will be with you always, to the very end of the age."

I was given this book as a child, and have kept it on my shelf ever since. The book is divided into themes such as "Affection", "Love", "Facing Death" and "Home". These are classic poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Oscar Wilde, William Wordsworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and others.

This is definitely a great starter collection that you will read again and again.

In the humble opinion of this auto enthusiast reader, one problem with this little Bugatti book is that no book on Bugatti should be little. Everything about Bugatti was larger than life: the stature of its founder, the aura of its reputation and prestige, and, clearly, many of the cars themselves that bore the name. But the book's dimensions aside, somehow it doesn't convey the magnificence of these automobiles of yore.

Laurence Meredith's "Bugatti" is an appropriate addition, perhaps, to a Bugatti enthusiast's collection of books on the marvellous marque, but it is not a very enlightening overview, which, in fairness, it was most likely not meant to be. Its underlying purpose notwithstanding, the the book's text seemed absent of focus, a bit rambling, and, for this reader, it included too much commentary concerning the Bugatti Owners' Club in Prescott, England, for a book directed to the general public.

There are ample photos, all black and white, which can be refreshing in our technicolor world, but many are of rather amateurish "snapshot" calibre. Some judicious cropping under the eye of an editor with even a modicum of experience would have gone a long way to enhancing many of the images. Of interest to some readers, the photos include a number of close-in views of technical details such as chain-drive mechanisms and a steering box (which the author admits to finding "'sculpturally' interesting"). Presumably included for comparison and contrast, photos of other classic marques, while some are impressive, seem superfluous for a small book entitled simply, "Bugatti". Finally, too many of the photo captions are redundant vis a vis their content; others are bland or even silly.

Credit where it's due, Meredith clearly did his research, collected his photos, mingled with hard-core Bugatti preservationists, then valiantly attempted to portray the marque in about 120 pages. What seems to be missing is the "Wow!" factor that Bugatti so richly deserves. Then, too, maybe that's just a Yank reader's yearning for hyperbole -- to which he's all too accustomed -- in response to a Brit writer's apparent penchant for understatement.

This book, as are all of Mr Yep's books, is beautifully written and wonderfully imaginative. A great way to introduce children to the idea of different perspectives. It's also a very enjoyable read.

I believe that the best lessons in e-commerce can be learned from others. In this selection of case histories by a group of a group of professors from Western Ontario, various aspects of e-commerce stories are covered. Both product and service stories as well as ISPs, payment methods and other categories are a good start on the many good commerce ventures that have broken ground. The cases are covered in a good, logical fashion, well written and well illustrated. I only wish that they had included more about mistakes made, as well as risks and rewards of the business in general

This book provides the reader with important information about history of these weapons, their use, development, classification and effects. Some pictures are terrific, the languaje is easy and the book is read in a single session. If you are interested in non-conventional weapons, no matter why, this book is a must.

An excellent book.I have been teaching clinical pharmacology from this book to paramedics,undrgraduate and postgraduate students without the need to consult bigger textbooks or reference books. It is to the point,giving the clinician/student what he wants without spending long hours in the library. My congratulations to the authors for writing such an excellent book.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was the first great Black poet; Booker T. Washington called him the "Poet Laureate of the Negro Race". Dunbar, the son of ex-slaves, grew up in Dayton, OH, where he was friendly with the Wright Brothers. He had a successful high school career--founding editor of the school paper and elected class president of the predominantly white school--but upon graduation, he was forced to work as an elevator operator. His second book of poetry was praised by William Dean Howells and by age 24, he was one of the most renowned Black literary figures in America.

Dunbar wrote in two different styles. On the one hand, he wrote straightforward classic verse that was filled with racial pride:

THE COLORED SOLDIERS

IF the muse were mine to tempt it And my feeble voice were strong, If my tongue were trained to measures, I would sing a stirring song. I would sing a song heroic Of those noble sons of Ham, Of the gallant colored soldiers Who fought for Uncle Sam!

In the early days you scorned them, And with many a flip and flout Said "These battles are the white man's, And the whites will fight them out." Up the hills you fought and faltered, In the vales you strove and bled, While your ears still heard the thunder Of the foes' advancing tread.

Then distress fell on the nation, And the flag was drooping low; Should the dust pollute your banner? No! the nation shouted, No! So when War, in savage triumph, Spread abroad his funeral pall-- Then you called the co]ored soldiers, And they answered to your call.

And like hounds unleashed and eager For the life blood of the prey, Sprung they forth and bore them bravely In the thickest of the fray. And where'er the fight was hottest, Where the bullets fastest fell, There they pressed unblanched and fearless At the very mouth of hell.

Ah, they rallied to the standard To uphold it by their might; None were stronger in the labors, None were braver in the fight. From the blazing breach of Wagner To the plains of Olustee, They were foremost in the fight Of the battles of the free.

And at Pillow! God have mercy On the deeds committed there, An the souls of those poor victims Sent to Thee without a prayer. Let the fulness of Thy pity O'er the hot wrought spirits sway Of the gallant colored soldiers Who fell fighting on that day!

Yes, the Blacks enjoy their freedom, And they won it dearly,too; For the life blood of their thousands Did the southern fields bedew. In the darkness of their bondage, In the depths of slavery's night, Their muskets flashed the dawning, And they fought their way to light

They were comrades then and brothers, Are they more or less to-day? They were good to stop a bullet And to front the fearful fray. They were citizens and soldiers, When rebellion raised its head; And the traits that made them worthy,-- Ah! those virtues are not dead.

They have shared your nightly vigils, They have shared your daily toil; And their blood with yours commingling Has enriched the Southern soil. They have met as fierce a foeman, And have been as brave and true.

And their deeds shall find a record In the registry of Fame; For their blood has cleansed completely Every blot of Slavery's shame.

So all honor and all glory To those noble sons of Ham-- The gallant colored soldiers Who fought for Uncle Sam!

WE WEAR THE MASK

We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,-- This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise, In counting all our tears and sighs? Nay, let them only see us, while We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries To thee from tortured souls arise. We sing, but oh the clay is vile Beneath our feet, and long the mile; But let the world dream other-wise, We wear the mask!

But on the other hand, he was a master of dialect poems:

AN ANTE-BELLUM SERMON.

WE is gathahed hyeah, my brothahs, In dis howlin' wildaness, Fu' to speak some words of comfo't To each othah in distress. An' we chooses fu' ouah subjic' Dis--we 'll 'splain it by an' by; "An' de Lawd said, 'Moses, Moses,' An' de man said, 'Hyeah am I.'"

Now ole Pher'oh, down in Egypt, Was de wuss man evah bo'n, An' he had de Hebrew chillun Down dah wukin' in his co'n; 'Twell de Lawd got tiahed o' his foolin', An' sez he: "I 'll let him know-- Look hyeah, Moses, go tell Pher'oh Fu' to let dem chillun go."

"An' ef he refuse to do it, I will make him rue de houah,

Fu' I 'll empty down on Egypt All de vials of my powah." Yes, he did--an' Pher'oh's ahmy Was n't wuth a ha'f a dime; Fu' de Lawd will he'p his chillun, You kin trust him evah time.

An' yo' enemies may 'sail you In de back an' in de front; But de Lawd is all aroun' you, Fu' to ba' de battle's brunt. Dey kin fo'ge yo' chains an' shackles F'om de mountains to de sea; But de Lawd will sen' some Moses Fu' to set his chillun free.

An' de lan' shall hyeah his thundah, Lak a blas' f'om Gab'el's ho'n, Fu' de Lawd of hosts is mighty When he girds his ahmor on. But fu' feah some one mistakes me, I will pause right hyeah to say, Dat I 'm still a-preachin' ancient, I ain't talkin' 'bout to-day.

But I tell you, fellah christuns, Things 'll happen mighty strange; Now, de Lawd done dis fu' Isrul, An' his ways don't nevah change, An' de love he showed to Isrul Was n't all on Isrul spent; Now don't run an' tell yo' mastahs Dat I 's preachin' discontent.

'Cause I is n't; I 'se a-judgin' Bible people by deir ac's; I 'se a-givin' you de Scriptuah, I 'se a-handin' you de fac's. Cose ole Pher'oh b'lieved in slav'ry, But de Lawd he let him see, Dat de people he put bref in,-- Evah mothah's son was free.

An' dahs othahs thinks lak Pher'oh, But dey calls de Scriptuah liar, Fu' de Bible says "a servant Is a-worthy of his hire." An' you cain't git roun' nor thoo dat, An' you cain't git ovah it, Fu' whatevah place you git in, Dis hyeah Bible too 'll fit.

So you see de Lawd's intention, Evah sence de worl' began, Was dat His almighty freedom Should belong to evah man, But I think it would be bettah, Ef I 'd pause agin to say, Dat I 'm talkin' 'bout ouah freedom In a Bibleistic way.

But de Moses is a-comin', An' he 's comin', suah and fas' We kin hyeah his feet a-trompin', We kin hyeah his trumpit blas'. But I want to wa'n you people, Don't you git too brigity; An' don't you git to braggin' 'Bout dese things, you wait an' see.

But when Moses wif his powah Comes an' sets us chillun free, We will praise de gracious Mastah Dat has gin us liberty; An' we 'll shout ouah halleluyahs, On dat mighty reck'nin' day, When we 'se reco'nised ez citiz'-- Huh uh! Chillun, let us pray!

Inevitably, in a Reconstruction America that was both nostalgic and regionalist, his dialect poems were wildly popular & tended to overshadow his more serious verse. As a result, he has always been a figure of some controversy in Black America; alternately dismissed for popularizing a derogatory stereotype of Blacks and hailed as a great literary figure. Dunbar captures this dichotomy in his own poem, The Poet:

The Poet

He sang of life, serenely sweet, With , now ant then, a deeper note. From some high peak, nigh yet remote, He voiced the world's absorbing beat.

He sang of love when earth was young, And Love, itself, was in his lays. But ah, the world, it turned to praise A jingle in a broken tongue.

Given the perspective of 100 years, it seems to me that he deserves to be read by all Americans.

GRADE: B+