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Book reviews for "Stitzel,_Thomas_Edward" sorted by average review score:

Smalltalk With Style
Published in Paperback by Pearson Education POD (21 May, 2002)
Authors: Suzanne Skublics, Edward J. Klimas, David A. Thomas, and John Pugh
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Good summary of 100 or so pitfalls and perils
This books, short and to the point of what to do and what not to do with SmallTalk. Simple, and concise, the book covers issues of style that actually can and do apply to anyone who is interested in creating and leaving quality code in place for others to learn from and prosper. Almost a book about Code Karma.

great for improving your smalltalk programming style
This is a great book, it really is. The only potential for disappointment is if you think this book will teach you smalltalk -- it will not. This book is about good programming convensions in smalltalk -- it's about style and consistency and clarity. All this may sound too trivial to merit a book, but consider the following:

You will not find many people that program in smalltalk and you will not be able to see a lot of code. This means that your coding style will take longer to develop *naturally*, on your own. This is where Smalltalk With Style comes in: It's a small book and makes simple and easy reading. When you're done with it, you'll put it aside and most likely never refer to it again. But it will change the way you write code in smalltalk, and your code will begin to look the way smalltalk code should. The advantage of this book is that it packs invaluable programming experience in a wonderful, but not-so-popular programming language into a very small book. Get it, read it, get over with it, and go on to write code like a natural smalltalker.

A definitive "Must Have"
This is one of two or three "must have" books that every person interested in or practicing Smalltalk needs to read and keep on a shelf near by. This book will teach you everything you need to know about writing clear and concise Smalltalk code. The author, Ed Klimas, is one of the most well known Smalltalk guru's around.


The Hills Beyond
Published in Paperback by Ivan R Dee, Inc. (1991)
Authors: Thomas Wolfe and Edward C. Aswell
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A fine collection
This is a collection of short stories from the author of "Look Homeward, Angel". I think that I took more enjoyment from this book because I've read Wolfe's other novels - therefore the background to the stories and Wolfe's writing style were already familiar to me.

Many of the characters in the stories are from families that appear in Wolfe's other works. But the real pleasure came from the fact that the stories are set in the rural South - I think that Wolfe's writing is particularly strong when he draws upon his Southern background. And, unlike parts of his major novels, Wolfe's writing style seems to be more under control in these stories, less prone to self-indulgence.

Far and Away
This collection of stories is far and away the best sampling of his true literary mastery. I have always enjoyed Southern writers (Faulkner,Capote,..), but Wolfe touches a particular vein of the satirical social landscape of the South that is unmatched. His work, I believe, is less about the South than Faulkner's, but Wolfe still has that southern glow of tragedy but with a simple beauty. Though some may find his novels tedious and long-winded, it is difficult to not like this work. Just be patient and let the words come to you. The thing I like most about his short stories is that they often leave you with a feeling of lying in bed on a summer's night listening to the train pass through town or maybe a lone dog barking in the distance, hollow... but thinking that you could live forever.

corralled by form, finally
This is a collection of short-stories. For us who may be heratics in our beloved Southern Literature when it concerns Thomas Wolfe, we contend that he is a very verbose, messy messy author. His first editor had to cut and shape a large manuscript into three seperate novels (I believe that I'm correct in this), of which Look Homeward Angel was the first. (Apparently he wrote them on top of a refridgerator: a tall man.)And that book goes on and on and on--like the bunny commercial. He totally ignores any kind of sembulance of form. That is his problem, he does not brible his passion properly, Look H-- is a good book--but it could have been great--or atleast greater, depending on your view point.

Hemingway said that he was good until he began writing about other places than his home. I have to agree with that.

Now. This book, however, is his best crafted fiction. That simple. Something about the demanding, concise form of the short story works him over well. The first time that I read it I thought--that's it! The Southern author I've been looking for. But, unfortunately, I became all worked up for Look H-- and after reading that it all fizzled. One wonders two things: 1. what if he had lived longer?, he seems to have just become the craftsman that was always demanded for his ferver; and 2. what if he had written Look Homeward Angel, after he had true command of his skills.

This is a great book. In my opinion his best. Read it.


Death At Chappaqquiddick
Published in Hardcover by Jameson Books (01 January, 2000)
Authors: Thomas L. Tedrow and Green Hill
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Assumed certain things were true and not know DA's history
Book was very factual. I do not recall the road to the "On Time" ferry having a 90 degree turn to the dock. It was more like an arc. The bridge road was at 100-115 degree right turn. The DA, my next door neighbor, needs further examination. The author should not assume she drowned. An autopsy would have painted a far different picture. Money buys many things.

A book of hard cold facts
Since the only other review of this book doesn't make any sense, I thought it necessary to write a coherent one. This book is truly incredible. It proves Ted Kennedy's guilt with clarity and integrity. The facts are simply undeniable - if it weren't for Ted, Mary Jo would be alive today. The Kennedy family has long been America's sweethearts. It is high time that they are revealed as murders, philanderers, cheaters, liars and losers. Sorry, but this is coming from an Irish Catholic who is ashamed to admit that the Kennedys claim some ties to the land of her origin! They are all bad but Ted Kennedy is the worst. He should be behind bars- this book will tell you why. Read it - it's a well done piece of detective work and it will hold your interest. It may also make your blood boil - but that's not the authors' fault! DOWN WITH THE KENNEDYS!


Edward's Exploit and Other Thomas the Tank Engine Stories (A Random House Pictureback)
Published in Paperback by Random House (Merchandising) (1993)
Authors: Rev W. Awdry, David Mitton, Terry Permane, and Wilbert Vere Awdry
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Good kid's story
This being the first "Thomas the Tank Engine" book I've ever read. I recognized some stories as word-for-word narrations from "Thomas" videos, but since I haven't seen ALL of the video or TV stories, some stories were new to me. My sons are big Thomas fans, so I know they'll love these books when they get them for Christmas!

Good story book
This is a good Thomas story book. There is a TV series about Thomas. Then there are vediotapes about Thomas and there are a whole lot toys about Thomas. Chilren like them all. When I bought this book, ha, my three young ones fought for it. And I had to read to them one by one in turn. And I have other Thomas book too. They just can get enough of Thomas.


The King James Version Parallel Bible Commentary
Published in Hardcover by Thomas Nelson (1994)
Authors: Jerry Falwell, Edward E. Hindson, Thomas Nelson Publishers, and Woodrow M. Kroll
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An excellent resource, but not infallible or inspired.
This book is the result of extensive collaboration by many great minds in the field of evangelical Christian theology, and it shows. The analysis is detailed and well thought out, and provides valuable insights into passages of scripture both familiar and obscure.

The format is simple: the full text of the KJV in the left column, with individual verses separated by as much space as necessary to accommodate the attendant commentary in the right column. Direct quotes to scripture in the commentary portion are in bold type for quick recognition.

Although I use this resource on a regular basis in my own Bible study and class preparation, my enthusiasm for it is tempered by several factors. First, there is a notable absence of consistency in terms of how much detail is afforded to various passages. In other words, some relatively "unimportant" topics are exhaustively discussed, while other more central doctrines are given somewhat cursory treatment, and still other controversial passages and doctrines seem to be avoided altogether.

Second, the denominational bias of the contributors occasionally shows through very strongly. On those points, particularly on some unclear doctrines, the views of the commentators are nothing more than statements of opinion, and should be treated appropriately in deciding how heavily to rely on them. For example, look at any passage dealing with alcohol consumption, tithing, or election/predestination, and you are left with little doubt that this book was written from a Baptist perspective.

Overall though, I find this commentary to be a valuable addition to my personal research library. I regularly turn to it to see what some of these great minds have to say, keeping in mind that the authors are not infallible and their work not inspired.

Excellent companion to the scriptures... with the scriptures
No more flipping pages or carrying an extra book. Scripture on left side of page, commentary on right side of same page. Commentary by solid, conservative, proven contributors (Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, Elmer L. Towns ...).Map supplements, GREAT introductions and outline for each book. Two drawbacks, 1)no concordance at all, 2) not available in softbound, only hardbound. Overall: Makes my top two study bible list. Greatly recommended. Will be enjoyed by all!


The Minor Prophets: An Exegetical and Expository Commentary: Hosea, Joel, and Amos
Published in Hardcover by Baker Book House (1992)
Author: Thomas Edward McComiskey
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The Minor Prophets
The Minor Prophets succesfully meets the expository and exegetical needs of students of the minor prophets. The amount of lexical and syntactial analyses of the Hebrew text are measured appropriately and do not dominate the exegetical portion of the commentary. Students of the original languages are aided by the scholars' thorough research; still, the authors leave enough room for readers to deal on their own with the important grammatical issues which surround the text. Where there are uncertainties as to the meaning of a particular word, such is clearly stated. Thankfully, several solutions are proposed nonetheless. Furthermore, sufficient attention is given to historical and cultural issues, issues which may influence one's interpretation of the text. Overall, the commentary is very well-written, easily read, and is sure to be of great benefit to any student of the Old Testament.

A great Commentary that takes The Word of God seriously
The commentary is devided in two sections on every text. 1)the exegetical part with the crux interpretum, then 2) the expository part.

I think this is a great way of writing a commentary because not all pastors and preachers know hebrew and if u don't a very exegetical commentary is rather booring to read. This commentary is great to read even if u don't know a word of hebrew. The exegetical part are good and explores the text very good. It gives you a feeling of the hebrew language and increase your understanding of the text.

McComiskey has really succeded in making the minor prophets understandable and he is almost narrative in his apporach to the minor prophets.

it is truly a great commentary and I know I will use it a great deal in my ministry and therefor I will strongly recommend it!


Robert E. Lee: An Album
Published in Hardcover by W.W. Norton & Company (2000)
Author: Emory M. Thomas
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Good Complement to Biography
This is a book of photographs about Robert E. Lee, and features photos not only of Lee but of the people, places, and events that were important in his life. The book has some commentary on the photos, but the focus is the photographs, not the text. The book is designed to complement Thomas' biography of Lee. As a stand-alone book, it provides a brief overview of Lee's life.

Robert E. Lee in Pictures
Without a doubt I have been a diehard fan of Emory Thomas since I attended one of his guest lectures promoting the highly acclaimed biography on the man and soldier Robert E. Lee. His words on the death of LEE were most memorable.

His recent pictorial essay embodied in this new publication chroniclizes Lee throughout his lifetime in vintage photographs. When I met Lee's great grand daughter Anne Carter Zimmer, I realized that some rather poignant pictures existed, but this book supports the fact.

This book should be purchased as a bedtime companion to Thomas's brilliant biography of the icon we know as Lee. The layout and selection of photographs in this publication truly satisfy one's soul in meditative reflection. Don't miss.


Seven Pillars of Wisdom
Published in Paperback by Anchor Books (1991)
Author: T E Lawrence
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Thin ice
Reporters have been known, now and then, to play fast and loose with the facts to entertain their readers or elevate themselves. This phenomenon is not limited to our own age. For proof, look no further than Lowell Thomas' fanciful volume, With Lawrence in Arabia. In 1917, Thomas was a 25-year-old part-time instructor at Princeton, a "fledgling showman from Ohio who had knocked about North America in search of fame, fortune and adventure," according to historian David Fromkin (A Peace to End All Peace). Thomas then raised enough money to travel to Britain and the Middle East front as a World War I cameraman. With his coverage began the Lawrence of Arabia myth.

Eight copies of Seven Pillars of Wisdom were published by Oxford in 1922 (six still exist). The first limited edition was followed in 1926 with the private publication of 211 copies of the book. In 1935 another limited run was published. But the same year, Seven Pillars was reprinted at least four more times. Now, there have probably been dozens, if not hundreds of printings.

This work assured T. E. Lawrence a place in history as 'Lawrence of Arabia'. It is a military history, colorful epic and lyrical exploration of Lawrence's mind.

Nevertheless, it is largely fiction. Fromkin writes that when poet and scholar Robert Graves proposed to describe the liberation of Damascus in a biography of Lawrence, the subject himself warned Graves, "I was on thin ice when I wrote the Damascus chapter...."

A onetime junior officer in the Cairo Arab Bureau, Lawrence admitted that Seven Pillars of Wisdom included a false tale of Arab bravery to aggrandize the followers of Sharif Hussein of Mecca and his son Feisal. Indeed, as early as 1918, reputable newsmen reported that the Australian Light Horse division liberated Damascus from Ottoman control, not Feisal's Arab troops, who marched in afterwards, for show.

By 1921, Fromkin writes, Winston Churchill was in charge of Britain's Arab policy in Mesopotamia and tapped John Evelyn Shuckburgh to head a new Middle East department and Foreign Office man Hubert Winthrop Young to assist him. They arranged transport and supplies for Feisal's Arab army, earning hearty endorsement from Churchill's Masterson Smith committee, which simultaneously took grave exception to T.E. Lawrence as a proposed Arab affairs adviser. The committee considered Lawrence "not the kind of man fit to easily fit into any official machine."

Fromkin reports that Lawrence was frequently insubordinate, went over his superiors and in 1920 publicly disparaged Britain's Arab policy in the London Sunday Times as being "worse than the Turkish system." He also accused Britain of killing "a yearly average of 100 Arabs to maintain peace." This was of course untrue.

Efraim and Inari Karsh write, in Empires of the Sand, that Lawrence's Damascus victory was "less heroic" than he pretended. Feisal was "engaged in an unabashed exercise in duplicity and none knew this better than Lawrence, who whole heartedly endorsed this illicit adventure and kept most of its contours hidden from his own superiors." Yet Lawrence basked in the limelight Thomas created in London, attending at least five of the showman journalist's lectures.

As an unfortunate result of Lawrence's subterfuge, he had a large hand in shaping the modern Middle East.

Bad enough, we suffer to this day the consequences of Lawrence's fabrications.

Worse, a new generation of readers seems to accept as gospel the Lawrence of Arabia myth that stemmed from Lowell Thomas' hype and Lawrence's own Seven Pillars of Wisdom. While few seem to know it, this was long ago debunked. Those who want to know what really happened should at minimum also consult Fromkin's A Peace to End All Peace and the Karsh's Empires of the Sand.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

War as epic poetry
This book stands alone in the history of military memoirs. The book as a literary achievement and the subject of the book as a personal achievement are both unparalleled. What Lawrence did in WWI - unite the Arab tribes in a common fight against the Turks - was remarkable not only because no one thought it could be done but also because it was done by a man with no power or influence beyond what he could inspire by his own presense. Lawrence, a scholar before the war working as a mapmaker for the British army, was about as far removed from anyone's ideas of a military hero as could be. He nevertheless did the impossible and that story, no matter who tells it, is as fascinating as any that ever came out of warfare.

Equally fascinating is the book itself. A blend of truth and evasion, the book is told in a beautiful lazy style that suggests it had been thought out with the vast Arabian desert and ancient way of life in mind. It is helpful to have read another account of Lawrence's life, just to be sure of what is happening when he chooses to be vague, but the beauty of the writing and the insight of the keen intelligence from which it springs, is a great delight to experience.

Even more amazing is to realize that after this monumental book was completed, Lawrence left the complete manuscript - the only copy - on the London subway and had to recreate it from scratch using just his notes. This is a remarkable testiment to both his focus when he needed it, and his tendency to be frequently apart from the real world. A remarkable man. A remarkable book. Unique and worthy to be read and enjoyed.

Imprescindible para los amantes de las tácticas militares
El libro pinta de cuerpo y alma a uno de los personajes más destacados del siglo. Describe con simpleza acciones militares llevadas a cabo con mínima logística en un teatro de operaciones extremadamente difícil. Sus enseñanzas fueron utilizadas en la IIGM (1939/1940) por las tropas británicas en el norte de Africa y por los "viets" de Ho Chi Minh en Indochina.


Authoritative Guide to Self-Help Resources in Mental Health
Published in Hardcover by Guilford Press (01 September, 2000)
Authors: John Santrock, Edward Zuckerman, John Norcross, Linda Campbell, Thomas Smith, and Robert Sommer
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Self-help is big business
Self-help is big business. According to Gerald Rosen (1993) as many as 2000 self-help books are published each year. However, only a very few have been evaluated empirically. This sad state of affairs is a poor response to the appeal made by Rosen (1987) that self-help books should first be evaluated empirically before being sold to the general public. Additionally, the little research that has been done on do-it-yourself treatment books sometimes demonstrates major limitations in their usefulness. Yet psychologists continue to develop and market new programs with increasingly exaggerated claims. This is potentially a problem. Especially as psychologists often use self-help books as adjuncts to their clinical practice (Starker, 1988). The good news from research (e.g. Gould & Clum, 1993) is that certain self-help programs can be quite effective. Fairburn’s Binge Eating Disorder treatment (Carter & Fairburn, 1998) and the Albany protocol for Panic Disorder (Barlow & Craske, 1994) are two good examples. In Gould and Clum’s (1993) meta-analysis, fears, depression, headaches, and sleep disturbances were especially amenable to self-help approaches. Sometimes with effect sizes as large as for therapist assisted treatments.

How can busy clinicians keep up with the flood of new self-help books, and know which to recommend? Guilford Press offers a solution. In an attempt to help the clinicians a guide to self-help resources in mental health has been published. It includes ratings and reviews of more than 600 self-help books, autobiographies and popular films. It also includes hundreds of Internet sites, and listings of online support groups. The book addresses 28 prevalent clinical disorders and life challenges – from Schizophrenia, Anxiety and Mood Disorders to Career Development, Stress Management and Relaxation.

To determine the usefulness of the self-help resources a series of national studies have been conducted over the past 7 years. The methodology consisted of a lengthy survey mailed to clinical and counselling psychologists residing throughout the USA. A total of 2,500 psychologists contributed with their expertise and judgement in evaluating the books, movies, and Internet sites. The self-help resources were rated on a 5-point scale (-2 to +2). These data were converted into a one to five star rating (negative ratings were given a dagger). On this basis, 19% of the self-help books were rated as “very helpful” and fortunately only 1% as “very harmful” [e.g. the assertiveness training book Winning Through Intimidation by Ringer (1973) and the weight management book the Beverly Hills Diet by Mazel (1981). Interestingly, many of the books by Scientologist guru L Ron Hubbard are categorized as extremely bad].

When looking more closely at a specific disorder, let us say for example panic disorder, there are some good books that I feel are missing. This is probably because of the rating criteria. In order for a book to be included in this self-help guide the psychologists used as referees had to know about the book beforehand. It was their rating of previously read books that mattered. Hence, if there were good books out there that had not been read by many referees [like the Australian panic disorder workbook by Franklin (1996)], they would automatically receive a lower rating. Thus, a low rating does not necessarily mean that a book is less helpful than a higher rated book – only that it has not reached a wide audience. For example, an excellent book, An End to Panic (Zuercher-White, 1998), previously recommended in a review article (Carlbring, Westling, & Andersson, 2000) was described as “highly regarded by the psychologists in our national studies but not well known, leading to a 3-star rating.” (p. 79). Another thing that disturbed me was that this particular author’s name was misspelled. Instead of Zuercher the surname appeared as Luerchen. No wonder the book was “not well known”! One wonders how many other errors this survey included.

In a perfect world all self-help books would be scrutinized in the same manner as other treatments. However, as a majority of the published books still have not been evaluated, this new guide to self-help is a step in the right direction. Despite questionable inclusion criteria and a few errors I thoroughly recommend this excellent guide to self-help

Reveals the good ones, bad ones, how to tell the difference
From books and movies to the Internet, Authoritative Guide to Self-Help Resources in Mental Health provides a strong survey of self-help resources in mental health which reveals the good ones, bad ones, and how general consumers can tell the difference. Five national studies involving over 2,500 mental health professionals lends to a rating of over six hundred titles and films, along with Internet sites evaluated by a clinical psychologist.

A must have for anyone interested in self-help.
This book contains reviews / lists of the best (and worst) of self-help books / movies and internet resources. It has been compiled using surveys of 1000's of mental health professionals and gives essential guidance on which resources are helpful, and which are best left alone.

The book is clearly-written and well laid out - each chapter relates to a specific problem area eg mood disorders, men's issues, abuse, anxiety etc.

I found the recommendations on books particularly helpful - one can immediately determine which are the best books to read on their own specific problem. Clearly, the input of mental health professionals gives a "scientific" basis on recommendations which in turn leads to a systematic process of choosing which resources should be given credence.

Essential reading if you want to build up a collection of serious (i.e. most useful) self-help resources.


The White Rabbit
Published in Unknown Binding by ()
Authors: Bruce Marshall and Forest Frederick Edward Yeo-Thomas
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True patriotism!
This is a thrilling account of one British officer's determination to survive and, even more, do everything possible to help win the war. The things this man experienced are almost incomprehensible, yet he endured it all with spirit and never let his fellow men down. It's one of the better-written post-war memoirs I've read, and one of the most enthralling.

Well worth reading...
When World War II began, Frederick Yeo-Thomas was running the Paris fashion house of Molyneux. At his age, he could have easily sat out the war, parachuting into occupied France as an agent of Britain's Special Operations Executive. He was one of Britain's most heroic secret agents, and played a major role in the growth of the French Resistance. He survived the war, but just barely.

Readers of Leo Marks' "Between Silk and Cyanide" will recognize Yeo-Thomas...he was a man for whom Marks had intense admiration.

The writing style of "White Rabbit" is craftsmanlike but not exceptional.

An incredible account of a soldiers perseverence.
This book reads stranger than any fiction I can recall. The events that take place for this covert operator in WWII france will make a man doubt his own ability to confront adversity of a similar kind and to indure torture and a certain expectation of a gruesome death. An Iron will, indomitable spirit and some good fortune add up to the survival of a man who was a member of the greatest covert organization to ever exist in the free world. I personally know the son of one of the characters in the book and after talking to him about his fathers comments on The White Rabbit I can reassure you that as amazing as this story is, it is true.


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