Ten years ago in 'Tongues of Fire' David Martin introduced educated readers to the astonishing explosion of Pentecostalism in Latin America. Now he updates the story with fieldwork done by his proteges and others in the 1990s. And he shows how Pentecostalism is burgeoning in Africa, Korea, and China. It's simple really. Enthusiastic Christianity is still the best bridge between the instinctive, fatalistic life on the land and the directed, purposeful life in the city.

This is an important book for anyone trying to grasp the meaning and the future of religion in the modern world. See also Steve Bruce 'God is Dead' and Stark & Finke, 'Acts of Faith' for opposing views on the vigor of religion in the west.

Simple but filled with passion. She lived a harsh life as a woman in a strict social atmosphere of Iran from the 40's through the 60's. She became a true vision of a woman who was seeking recognition of her true life and experiences rather than mere image: "and this is me, a lonely woman at the threshold of a cold season" Here she crys of forces created by tridition, and: "where have i come from? where have i come from? that so filled with the night fragrance?" night has been always refered to despotic regime. This book is not the best translation but the only one available in this form, and that is the reason for four star. I think the translator did not do much justice to her emotions but rather her logic. It was for most part literally translated. knowing forough is to undrestand the wanted image of women in a man's society without her knowledge of feminism.

From the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, December 1998

In July 1995, clients at the Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI) in Atlanta pioneered the first class in a unique program called Safe Without Sight. The program was inspired by requests from several newly blinded men and women who were concerned about their personal safety when they traveled alone. To design the course, CVI director Scott McCall drew on the expertise of Wendy David, a blind psychologist who has done extensive research on perceived vulnerability and blindness; and Kerry Kollmar, a martial arts instructor with a special interest in teaching people with disabilities. Now David, Kollmar, and McCall have distilled the Safe Without Sight program into a to illustrate two of their overarching concepts, "paying attention to your surroundings" and "listening to your inner voice." ...

Safe Without Sight is divided into two sections, covering how to avoid danger and how to escape from it. Some of the information in Part One is fairly general U.S. crime statistics and common misconceptions about victims and attackers. Yet the authors keep their audience in mind, bringing the discussion back to situations blind people may be likely to meet. These situations are not inherent in blindness per se, but they may arise as a blind person goes about living an active life. For example, blind people often depend on public transportation and may find themselves waiting at lonely bus stops. They must on occasion speak to strangers to get directions or find a particular street address. They may also run into safety issues when dealing with readers, drivers, and other hired assistants.

HOW TO THINK, TALK, AND ACT

"Being blind doesn't mean you need to feel or look vulnerable," the authors write. "It does mean you need to learn specific ways of thinking, talking, and acting so that you can live safely." Part One presents a "mind set" that can help a blind person move through the world with a minimum of risk. First and most important is the need to develop an awareness of the environment. By paying close attention to sounds and smells, by carrying a clear mental map of the surroundings, the blind traveler is less likely to be taken by surprise and turned into a victim. Intuition is also a key element of safety. The authors emphasize that "funny feelings" about a person or situation should never be ignored. They also encourage the reader to think about setting boundaries with both strangers and acquaintances.

The first line of self-defense is to avoid a dangerous situation altogether. The authors furnish a variety of tips for preventing trouble at home, on the street, and in the workplace. But even the most careful precautions are no guarantee.

FIGHTING TECHNIQUES

Part Two of Safe Without Sight deals with the harsh realities of life-and-death struggle, when survival depends on wit, skill, and sheer determination. The book systematically outlines an array of techniques that a blind person can use to disable or break away from an attacker.

Pivotal to the Safe Without Sight program is the "universal reference point." By touching this point, the juncture between the opponent's neck and shoulder, a blind person can quickly become oriented to his or her position. If it is not possible to reach the shoulder area, the person can find a foot by sliding his or her own foot along the ground. Orienting to the opponent's body is an extension of the general awareness that is stressed in Part One. With a sense of the opponent's height, size, and movements, a blind person can minimize the disadvantages of fighting without the aid of vision.

A SERIES OF EXERCISES

As the authors point out, reading these chapters once or twice is not enough. A series of recommended exercises, carried out with a friend or instructor, will help reinforce the various fighting techniques. Real proficiency will require a major commitment. However, even readers who do not master the program's self- defense techniques can glean much valuable and thought-provoking information from these pages.

FIGHTING WITHOUT A CANE

Safe Without Sight left me with only one serious concern. To perform most of the fighting techniques described, a blind person should have both hands free. This means that the person must put down his or her cane, taking the chance that it may roll or be kicked out of reach during the ensuing struggle. This could prove dangerous once the person breaks free from an opponent and needs to escape in a hurry. I wish that the authors had addressed this important logistical problem, since it could have a powerful effect on the outcome of a violent encounter.

Sighted people usually regard blindness as a sign of helplessness and weakness. The general public sees danger for blind people everywhere-in climbing a flight of stairs, striking a match, or chopping celery. The assumptions in Safe Without Sight are refreshingly different. This is a book that shows utter respect for the capabilities of people who are blind, even in situations that would be harrowing to the most intrepid. Safe Without Sight conveys the message that, like everyone else, blind crime victims can have a fighting chance.

This is the third book I have read from the Combined Books 'Great Campaign' series and I must admit also the best so far. Although it only offers a concise account of the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath (all in 256 odd pages) it is still a very good read. The author offers an excellent story about this blotched campaign with 14 good maps to help follow the action and a number of topical sidebars for further information (I liked the one about the oldest surviving soldiers of the battle!). This is a well researched and well presented book and it was pleasure to read. I am sure that there are a number of very detailed books covering this battle/campaign and the author offers a number of good choices for further reading. For example; 'Return to Bull Run' by John Hennessy and 'Stonewall Jackson at Cedar Mountain' by Robert Krick, however this book wets your appetite for taking the plunge and aquiring a more in depth volume or it may certainly satisfy your interest with just this account. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a decent account of this battle. One point in regard to this book is that a small number of typo errors were noticed which should have been picked up by the editor, but once again it did not detract from the value of the book, a good story!

This is a good book. It explains some key areas well, and has useful information, but for the fairly high price it doesn't give a lot of material. Furthermore, two big chapters are focused on WinOS/2, which is not as relevant as it once was. My final judgement is that if you need a good book specifically on one of the topics covered in this book, go for it. Otherwise, you may want to look at other books which are better deals and cover more ground.

I have been researching moving SGML documents to the Web, and this book provided a comprehensive coverage of this topic. The authors lay out the various approaches to converting SGML to HTML and give the positive and negative aspects of each. Although the book is geared towards SGML/HTML implementations, it also gives a good description of SGML (in particular DTDs). I recommend Using SGML to anyone who needs to understand SGML and porting SGML documents to the Web.

This book tells a lot of great information on how to start a career of marine biology. You learn about how a marine biologist decided to be a marine biologist and if marine biology is the right occupation for you. This book was very helpful since I'm planning on being a marine biologist. It also teaches you about the kingdoms of the sea and their Latin names. In addition to this great book there is a wonderful cd. It tells you all about this marine biologist and her life. Also it shows you pictures of what she sees when she dives . I think the cd is really the big learning help. It is full of facts. This is a great learning opportunity for youngsters. I give this book 4 golden stars!

This book is a good one for a girl, like me, who wants to be a paleontologist. The illustrations are very colorful and it has some pretty good information in it. At the end of the book the author gives some kind of "lesson plans". The author tells you about her own experience as a paleontologist and gives you some ideas on how to decide if this is the right career for you. All in all this is a pretty good book. I think I would recommend it.

I am an undergraduate student taking a course in virology, and i find this book extremely difficult to learn from. As a reference source for a particular virus it may be of use, but use of this book as a learning tool is foolish. Yes, this book is written by experts concerning a particular field, but it seems that the authors target audience is also...experts. In introducing fundamental concepts of virology, the text constantly uses examples to a particular virus. From this particular virus, it then makes reference of a mechanism of this virus. How can one make a reference to a mechanism, when one has not yet even been exposed to the virus family themselves? Its almost like talking about the stats of a certain sports figure, and then as a foot note make reference upon how the game is played.

As an undergraduate taking a course in virology, I found this book the only book I ever needed. It has all the information that you need and more. I just hope that they will continue to come out with a newer edition since this book is out of date and the field of virology has grown since this edition.

I read the chapter on prions and i found it to be really good and up to date. of course it requires you to know a little background knowledge but if you're reading this book you probably already fill out that category. definitely not for the layman...

David G.Martin gives us a detailed look at the first day at Gettysburg. A day usually neglected by most. He has done a good job. He paints the picture without fine brushstrokes. The engagement of July 1 is able to be held in your hand and..(most importantly) it can be followed easily. It is detailed, informative and full of incidents that make up a battle. A battle as important as this needs a good opening. Martin gives me that. Worth the read for the appendix alone. Against all the other books that concentrate on other events at Gettysburg it is good to have one that makes you cross the fields of the first day. He has taken his time analysing and gathering facts and gives good service allowing the reader to see several viewpoints at a time. There is a possibility that a few minor details may be 'here say' but in the smoke of battle who sees the entire picture? David G Martin gives the best picture of the first day at Gettysburg I've read. Glad I have it amongst my collection.

Martin's book is excellent - so full of facts that would take you years to learn about elsewhere. (I emphasize FACTS, because Martin takes great pains to document everything he says. If there are two or three versions of an incident, he presents all of them for the reader to decide based on the best evidence.) I have been studying and visiting Gettysburg for more than 25 years and I found this book an excellent addition to my library. My sole criticism is that the maps (of which there were many) were still too few in number and insufficient in detail. I hope that this deficiency is remedied in the next revision of the book. Buy it - it's a GREAT book!

Gettysburg is a three (3) day battle, but most coach High School teachers focus on the last 24 hours. (Coach history teacher's kill a childs desire to read more about history.) Until I visited the National Battlefield I didn't even realize what I'd been missing. This visit changed me and I started doing two things. Studying Civil War history, something I'd never done before thanks to poor history teachers in High School. (He was also poor at coaching, we never won a game.) I also, started looking for a book detailing the 1st days action and found that one did not exist. Now one does! This is a must for anyone interested in Gettysburg! The author has gone to all the trouble of researching all the various books on the subject bring a spotlight on the conflicting stories and bring the reader as close to the action as can possibably be achieved without actually taking part in the battle itself. (The author also has saved you the time of rearching all those books yourself, now you can sit down by the fire and just enjoy reading about the actual battle.) After reading this book you will probably know more about what actually happened, than the actual participates did themselves. BUY this book and read it. It is a must for anyone seriousally interested in the Civil War! You'll thank me