This book is a great source of information concerning both the history of Texas A&M University - Kingsville, as well as the entire area known as south Texas. This is a must for those studying the area, or for those interested in University histories.

This book is very good -- not only for the history of Texas A&M University - Kingsville, but for the history of this area. It is well written and a must have for those studying University histories in the United States.

Institutionalhistories are almost always suspect. Mainly because they're regarded, more often than not, as simply extensions of institutional public relations. Putting the institution's best forward, so to speak. In Texas A&M University--Kingsville, the Hunters have produced a work of substance, not a p/r tract.

The history spans 75 years over nine tightly organized chapters. The origins of Texas A&M University--Kingsville are auspicious. Relegated to after thoughts, South Texas fought tooth and nail to land the Texas State Normal college.

Building a first-class university was not easy. Exhaustive research by the Hunters show us the "trials and triiumphs" of South Texas State Normal College becoming South Texas State Teachers College, then Texas College of Arts & Industries, and finally Texas A&I University with a budding university system of its own until it was absorbed into the Texas A&M University System in 1988.

In the closing chapter, the Hunters synthesize the history and future of Texas A&M University--Kingsville with the title "Proud Past, Promising Future" contextalizing their commentary in the politics of higher education in Texas. "Today," the Hunters note, "Texas A&M University--Kingsville faces the same obstacles and problems that they have historically. Their view of the institution is balanced and fair, and humorous at times. We need more histories of institutions like Texas A&M University--Kingsville. They help to fill in the spaces of memory.

In Tomorrow's Promise by Leslie Esdaile, love must overcome many obstacles to flourish between this hero and heroine.

Tina Johnston is a newly promoted Lieutenant Colonel in the JAG Corps. She is taking a much needed vacation to visit her brother, Wendell, and his family in China. Little does she know, that her sister-in-law, Carol, has more on the itinerary than just sightseeing. Enter Mark Hicks, a recently retired Military Intelligence Officer and Wendell's best friend and business partner. Tina and Mark are thrown together in what Carol has already decided is a "love match". After spending a great deal of time together touring different cities in China, they begin to believe in the love match as well, until a tragedy hits stateside. Both are thrust back into the military careers in which they are trained. This causes a rift in their personal relationship. Can they put aside their differences and fear to recapture the magic they shared overseas?

Esdaile brought to life the landmarks and culture of China. It was the perfect backdrop to the romance of Tina and Mark. Once the main characters were back in the states, they reverted back into military personnel. Being a military wife, I was able to relate to the commitment and dedication they displayed to their country.

I would recommend this book to fans of romance and I look forward to the next novel in the Heroes and Heroines series.

Reviewed by Nicole
APOOO BookClub

Simply put, Tomorrow's Promise is a graceful and captivating love story of Tina Johnston and Mark Hicks. Tina is a military attorney who specializes in International Law; Mark is a newly retired military intelligence officer. On vacation in Shanghai, China to visit her brother and his family, Tina meets her brother's best friend and business partner, Mark, who is also there on vacation. In love with their careers, Tina and Mark are headstrong and live by the phrase that "tomorrow is never promised"; they have goals to achieve and romance and emotional attachments only complicate matters.

Leslie Esdaile provides an alluring imagery of several cities in China, utilizing metaphors and similes to brilliantly display the cultural heritage of China and its modern day people. She skillfully reverts back to the states with the same effective techniques in describing Philadelphia and its inner city, middle class African-Americans. The traditions of both cultures are laid before our eyes with a realism you can see.

One of the most powerful strategies used to entice the reader is the inclusion of the national disaster of September 11 into the story line. This event provided strong dialogue between the characters that you could feel and see through words. The reader receives another perspective of the tragedy through the eyes of our military personnel.

This is an excellent character driven novel that will stir the depths of your soul. I applaud Leslie Esdaile for taking me on vacation. Romance readers will absolutely enjoy Tomorrow's Promise.

Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves

This book was too deep. Leslie managed with great skill to weave a beautiful and meaningful love story through a real life tradegy that has this country still experiencing aftershocks. LTC Tina Johnston is a career officer and the first African American woman to hold her rank and position in the JAG corp. Dedication to duty and her country has left little to no time to dedicate to herself and at 38yrs her personal life has not bloomed as gloriously as her military career.

Tina is in China visiting her brother Wendell who lives in Shanghai with his ultra modern, business savvy, and very down to earth ("ninja warrior") wife Carol and their two kids. Tina isn't prepared when she meets the 6'6, dark, handsome, too fyne business partner of Wendell's and the recently retired MI Army Colonel Mark Hicks isn't expecting to be so totally devastated when he finally meets the women who is his former mentors baby sister. They click and it's on.

Like most of Leslie's books she lets you get to know the characters, she lets you into who they are and where they come from. Mark and Tina are two halfs of a whole, they both love family, and country and it's the love of country that propells Mark into action when he and Tina's plane is forced down in Canada after receiving the news that rocked the nation and has it scrambling to recoup.

Being retired military I especially appreciated the sincerity of this story in a series that is set to promote and feature through the characters the real life heroes of 9/11 with a portion of the book sales going the the Silver Shield foundation. I always love Ms Esdaile abiltiy to create a bond with her secondary characters that make them just as important as the hero and heroine. Keep on writing Leslie and we will keep on reading. This book is a must read.

One of the 10 Best Real Estate Reads of the year By Robert J. Bruss Los Angeles Times

How to settle insurance claims for top dollar TOP DOLLAR PROPERTY CLAIMS, By Les Watrous Many homeowners have recently been hit with storm damage. Les Watrous' excellent new book comes just in time to help them settle their claims for top dollar. An example in the book involves a homeowner whose residence suffered water damage due to a broken pipe. The insurance company adjuster offered $740 to settle the claim. But she followed the steps outlined in the book to document the extent of the insured damage and wound up with a settlement check of over $31,000, to restore the home to pre-damage condition. If insurance companies were smart, they would buy up every copy of this book to keep it out of homeowners' hands! This great how-to book should be in every home and public library. It is authoritative, accurate and filled with practical advise for consumers on how to handle the big, impersonal insurance companies On my scale of one to 10, this outstanding book rates an off-the-chart 12.

Many homeowners have recently been hit with storm damage and other insured residence claims. Les Watrous' excellent new book comes just in time to help them settle their insurance claims for top dollar. An example in the book involves a homeowner whose residence suffered water damage due to a broken pipe. The insurance company adjuster offered $740 to settle the claim. But she followed the steps outlined in the book to document the extent of the insured damage and wound up with a settlement check of over $31,000, to restore the home back to pre-damage condition. Having had an insurance claim last year that was denied by State Farm with a 22-page denial letter, but later paid in full for $3600, I wish this new book had been available then. If insurance companies were smart, they would buy up every copy of this book to keep it out of homeowner's hands! The author shows homeowners how to properly make their homeowner's insurance claims; how to carefully document the damage; how to handle first line adjusters who are trained to m ake a quick, cheap settlement; how to find contractors experienced with insurance repairs; how to be sure of complete payment, including required building code upgrades; and what to do at each step to avoid complications. This extremely well-written book is a fun read with great graphics, illustrations, lots of examples, necessary forms for damage documentation, and summaries of what is insured and what isn't. Although the book is full of details, it isn't bogged down with technicalities. This great how-to book should be in every home and public library. It is authoritative, accurate and filled with practical advice for consumers on how to handle the big, impersonal insurance companies. It even lists Internet Web sites where you can get more help. The author, while noting that many insurance companies handle claims very fairly, warns homeowners to be prepared for the worst; if no problems develop, they can be pleasantly surprised. On my scale of one to 10, this outstanding book rates an off-the-chart 12. Robert J. Bruss, National Syndicated Columnist Used by Permission

I bought Top Dollar Property Claims after my insurance company wanted to settle my claim for $740. By following the techniques and suggestions in this book, my claim settled for more than $31,000! Nella McNamara, La Verne, California.

Never in my 24 years as a University-level advisor have I seen an advice book that truly gives students an inside look on the world of higher education. It's all here: how to get the best classes, the best recommendations...in short, the best education. And done in a fun and accessible format! When college students find themselves in new and unidentifiable territory where the stakes riding on their academic decisions are tremendous, this guide will be their compass. The saavy advice and charming creativity of Ms. Leslie and her co-author are not to be missed. A+!

This is really a wonderful work. One of the authors is a university professor; the other is an undergraduate: this in itself is an inspired idea. But what really makes the book stand out is the way that they have managed to translate their combined wisdom into genuinely useful practical advice. If you are looking for a gift for someone college-bound, look no further...

Dr. Lepore and Ms. Leslie have written a memorable compilation of useful advice that every student should be well acquainted with before entering the university environment. In short, this book, "What Every Student...", is an extremely well-written and invaluable work that will no doubt become a staple of every college student's education. I highly recommnend it!

This book can be read in 10 minutes or it can take an entire afternoon to read just one page. The words are simple but profound...."God is the immense power of the ocean and the infinite expanse of space,..."accompanied perfectly by beautiful illustrations. I love giving this book as gifts to young and old alike.

In this very simple and short, yet profound work, Girzone examines and explores how the divine imprint can be seen in all things. Yes, God is alive and well in the twenty-first century and He lets us know He's around through just about anything. Also, the illustrations that accompany the next are beautiful. This book is written so simple and straight forward that practically anyone can understand it's message and, therefore, it works quite well as a children's book.

Joseph Girzone has written one of the most simple yet thought provoking books on the nature of God i've ever read. It seems like a childrens' book at first in its simplicity, but it works on two levels - in simple words and in a deep, sort of pantheistic way of thinking that reveres the natural and emotional world as isepperable from the nature of God.

This is a must read for all of us fathers who can't quite get it right...I've stumbled through two pregnancies, constantly getting in the way, and ALWAYS saying the wrong thing! This book helped us with the third in ways I never imagined. It opened up a healthy dialogue between my wife and I, and helped me become a helpful, supportive husband. On top of that, it was a fun read!

After my wife's pregnancy, a friend of mine got me this book - and I wish I had it before. The anecdotes and 'guidelines' would have helped me and my wife cope a lot better. And the good humor would have made the pregnancy so much more fun!!

An emotional rollercoaster. A must have. FIVE STARS!!!

i laughed until my sides ached! the book contains hysterical little snippets about dealing with life during pregnancy--- a great shower gift.

When it comes to the wit and wisdom of Yogi Berra you have to realize that are two types of Berraisms that you have to keep separate. First there are his classic examples of logic, where they sound wrong but they make sense, such as "Ninety percent of this game is mental and the other half is physical" and "It ain't over 'till its over." For example, the latter works because "over" has two different meanings in that sentence, which reflects the fact that baseball does not have a clock. Second there are those that are simply the man misspeaking, such as "I want to thank everybody for making this night necessary" and "You saw Dr. Zhivago? Why? Aren't you feeling well?" Do not mistake the two forms because there is a major difference. The first category is the important one because it proves that while he was uneducated Lawrence Peter Berra was one of the smartest people to ever walk on a baseball diamond. You be sure to distinguish between the two types of sayings that serve as the basis for this book "What Time Is it? You Mean Now?: Advice for Life from the Zennest Master of Them All." (The title would fall in the second category for my money.)

All of this, of course, assumes that Yogi actually did say any particular comment in the first place (we give the man the benefit of the doubt although he admits he did not say everything he has said). There are twenty-six of these sayings, arranged in alphabetical order using the most liberal of standards¸ each with a black and white illustration by Alan Dingman. We are then provided with several pages of reflections and commentary by Yogi, which work in stories from his family life and baseball career. I wonder whether Yogi was actually given these sayings and then proceeded to hold forth on this thoughts or whether Dave Kaplan interviewed the Hall of Fame catcher and then cut and pasted them into this volume. Not that it makes much of a difference, but I am curious. The main thing here is not the recycled sayings, most of which I have heard before in my consumption of all things Yogi (in the fourth grade there were three of us with the same name and I had a catcher's mitt so I was actually called "Yogi" for a year), but to hear what he has to say about the mysteries of time, the meaning of community, and the omnipresence of hope in the direst circumstances (and you thought this would just be light reading). Smart move of Yao Ming in one of his first commercial to team up with Yogi, the most loved and loveable sports figure in the United States today.

Read and enjoyed Yogi Berra's WHAT TIME IS IT? YOU MEAN
NOW? . . . the book, written with Dave Kaplan, is subtitled
ADVICE FOR LIFE FROM THE ZENNEST MASTER OF THEM
ALL . . . it contains 26 chapters, one for each letter from A
to Z, that has me believing that Berra was not only a great
baseball player--he's also quite a guy.

Although I have my doubts as to what he wrote vs. what
Kaplan did, I nevertheless enjoyed the thoughts on such
varied topics as family, competition and living in New York City.

Naturally, I also chuckled at a bunch of quotes that have
been attributed to Berra--although he admits that he did not
say them all . . . among them:
Little League is good because it keeps parents off the
streets and the kids out of the house.

It's so crowded nobody goes there.

If you ask me questions I don't know, I'm not going to answer.

You saw DR. ZHIVARGO? Why? Aren't you feeling well?

There were several other parts of the book that I liked; most notably:

I'm Lucky that Carm is a very upbeat, positive person and doesn't dwell on this stuff either. One time, though she did ask me where I should be buried. Our families are from St. Louis, where I grew up; my career was in New York; we live in New Jersey. I told Carm, "I don't know, just surprise me."

If I'm buying a car, I'll leave my wallet home the first time and just ask questions. What are the payments? What kind of warranty? What's the downside of the car? The right questions can help you make the right decisions.

It's no big secret-winning makes you feel better about everything, and losing doesn't. Everybody wants to win, who doesn't? Winning is important, that's why you keep score, but I think maybe overall it's gotten too much so, especially in kids' sports where there's too much stress on winning and not enough fun. I guess that's what's happened as sports have gotten so big in our country. Instead of asking their kids after a soccer or a Little League game, "Did you win?"
maybe the parents should ask, "Did you give it your best?" or
"Did you have fun?"

I still dont know what inspired me to buy this book, but after every page, I was glad I did. This book was a very unique combination of philosophy, self-help, humor, historical sports and general good writing. I had never been familiar with Yogi Berra other than some of his more famous quote but I understand his way of thinking now and I believe some of the secrets to life lie between the covers of this book.

The book never gets dry, points arent beaten to death and he doesn't try to cram his personal way of thinking down your throat. I like that and really was able to take more out of this book because it approaches everything in a very level-headed and laid back way. There were a lot of interesting stories that presented a nice way to explain a situation. I also appreciated the fact that there were references to very recent happenings as of 2002. There were also some comical and cartoonish illustrations that started off or ended each chapter and the chapter names were "Yogi-isms" which was also a nice touch.

The only problem I had with this book was that I ended up reading it too fast because I couldn't put the thing down. I was very impressed with Yogi Berra, he is truly the man, the myth, the legend that people have made him out to be and I believe that meeting him one day has just been put on my to-do list. As far as the book goes, I highly recommend it. It is a smooth reading book that you will enjoy and recall upon in the future. As I stated, I only like books I'm going to like, and this was one of them.

This book is by far the best children's book I've ever owned. My son received it as a gift at his birth. We spent many happy moments reading the stories and poetry in this book. He can still recite the favorites! He is now in college, but the book is timeless. It has everything from funny poetry to short stories. It has all the classics in just one place. We always found something to suit the mood! If your kids love to hear stories from you this is a great option. My daughter also enjoyed this book growing up. She delighted in the "Stupids Step Out" and "Mrs. Simpkins Bathtub." Curious George was another favorite. The list could go on and on. I will never part with this book.

There comes a time in nearly everyone's life when they look at fairy tales and consider themselves to be too old to read them. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a certain pleasure to be derived from such tales that take us back to the days when life was simple and so many things were still possible. As adults, we find it too easy to consider things impossible. So much so that we can convince ourselves not to do things simply because we have lost our sense of wonderment. If you talk to scientists, of which I have been one, they will say that to be successful, you must have an overpowering curiosity and a passion to learn how things work. In other words, never lose the child's sense of wonder and discovery and still believe in the fairy tale. As the late, great baseball player Roy Campanella used to say, "You have to be a man to play this game, but you also have to have a lot of little boy in you."
I read fairy tales often, as refreshing interludes between writing and reading technical books in mathematics and computing. I have found the tales in this book to be very refreshing, having read my favorites many times over. The stories by Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm brothers are my favorites. While the situations are of course fantasy, the points of the stories are very true, still applicable centuries after they were first put on paper. I once made myself very unpopular in responding to a business initiative by ending an e-mail with the acronym BTEHNC (But The Emperor Has No Clothes). After a day of angry responses, the proposal was recognized as the empty balloon that it was and it was quickly canceled and forgotten.
So much of our cultural heritage appears in the folk tales that were orally passed down for generations before they were finally committed to paper. We owe it to all future generations, starting with our children, to make sure that these tales stay part of our cultural memory. These tales are all classics, worth reading whether you are physically or intellectually youthful.

This was my favorite book when I was little, and I have read the entire book many times. It collects some of the best short stories, nursery rhymes, and fables in children's literature into one fabulous book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stories, but children especially will be pleased with the content and the excellent illustrations. This is a book that everyone should have in their collection. You won't regret it!

I have read many books on Sai Baba, the Avatar of our time. This is one of the 2 which I had the most trouble putting down. The other was my first Baba book, "The Ultimate Experience," which I recommend to anyone whether they've heard of Sai Baba or not. In this book, Charlene tells the story of her very troubled life before she becomes aware of Baba and of his Presence and Grace in her life. She cannot change her past, but she proves that amazing changes can and do occur as a result of surrendering her life and her will to God. She is a very bright woman who grows up under conditions of extreme dysfunction, having virtually no idea of how to love, or even what love is. Once she finds her way to Sai Baba and experiences the miracles of his Omnipresence and the bliss of His Divine Love, she and her husband devote their lives to living in accordance with Baba's teachings. As a result, their love and their lives blossom and grow as they become His messengers, carrying His teachings and Love with them and sharing it whenever it is appropriate. Charlene's love and devotion is so strong that one can almost feel the Presence of her beloved Baba on each and every page of this book. I guess that's why it was such a page-turner for me. Additionally, this book includes a multitude of Sai Baba quotes, in reference to just about everything. Although there are not lots of photos, the ones that are included are exceptional.

Charlene finds God within herself and writes about the experience. A great book on the blessed effects of Sai Baba's Love & Grace upon Charlene's life.

There are many wonderful teachings given to us through this book. I found it very difficult to put the book down.

This si the best bok on Sri Satya sai baba's life and his message through hi steaching. Everyone should read this book once. And try to implement lord's teaching.

I love this book, it taught me so many things, now i am an excellent business man! I bought the book and it has totally turned by business liffe around. Buy it today, it will do wonders for you as well!

Brilliantly conceived and masterfully executed. A must-have on every manager's book shelf.