There are certain phrases that the families of soldiers never want to hear: "wounded in action", "missing in action", "killed in action", and "prisoner of war." But every time the United States enters a conflict, it is almost inevitable that some wife or husband, some mother or father, or some child will hear those words. They are words that many of us will never really understand. Even with the advent of imbedded reporters and glamorized battle coverage on television, there are some aspects of war that the average American simply cannot comprehend. But in 1993, the family of CW4 Michael J. Durant would learn about the true horrors of war.

For those who have read Mark Bowden's BLACK HAWK DOWN or seen the movie, Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Durant is a familiar character. He was one of the Black Hawk pilots shot down in the United Nations' peacekeeping effort in Somalia. Fortunately for Durant, he was not killed in the crash or the frenetic firefight that ensued. Rather, he was dragged through the streets with a fractured leg and broken back, loaded into a pickup truck, and held hostage by a Somalian militia. During his ten days of captivity, Durant was held in filthy "prisons", shot by angry militiamen, and given only aspirin for the pain caused by his wounds. But during his entire ordeal, Durant and his positive attitude survived. In fact, even his captors were eventually mesmerized by him in a somewhat reversed kind of "Stockholm Syndrome." They gave him a radio through which he kept up with the peacekeeping efforts and received dedications from other soldiers in his unit. They fed him more food than he could eat, bathed him, and allowed him to read his Bible. It was in that Bible that Durant first wrote IN THE COMPANY OF HEROES, scribbling codes in the margins so that he would remember all of the harrowing details.

IN THE COMPANY OF HEROES is much more than Durant's story of being a prisoner of war. While that would have made an excellent book in and of itself, Durant goes further, giving the reader insights into the rest of his military career. IN THE COMPANY OF HEROES is exceptionally written and gives the reader profound insight into the ugliest parts of war. It is a story that everyone should read and learn from --- not only about war, but also about the human spirit and its willingness to survive in even the harshest of situations.

--- Reviewed by Melissa Brown

Night Stalkers Don't Quit. And Michael Durant and his whole team of Task Force Ranger most certainly never did. Durant's tenacity, perseverence, and sheer will to survive through indescribable adversity prove a testament to his unwavering duty to his country and his fellow 160th Special Ops Night Stalker comrades. Durant, although bruised and battered almost beyond recognition, incredibly survived against all odds after losing his whole crew and 2 of the most valiant and selfless soldiers America will ever call her own: Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon.

Durant tells how rightfully disappointed he and his team were that they were refused permission to finish their mission for which 17 lives were lost in Somalia. When asked to come to The White House to visit President Clinton, Durant wisely demurred. Clinton, whose administration sent its young men into harm's way to participate in a highly dangerous mission without giving them the proper tools requested in order to assure victory, dropped the ball big time in Somalia.

As Durant so aptly states, "Trust and empower your people to do their jobs, then stand behind them." Too bad Clinton failed to do so.

I read "Black Hawk Down" and thought I knew the Michael Durant story. I was mistaken. Durant's new memoir provides many insightful details of his nearly two-week captivity (and its aftermath) not found in Mark Bowden's classic account of the Battle of Mogadishu. The book is an emotional roller-coaster. We are inspired by the heroic selflessness of Gordon and Shughart (the Delta Force operators), and Durant's own courage and stoicism throughout his painful confinement. Most often, he is preoccupied with concern for the well-being of his wife and infant son, as well as tortured anxiety over the fate of his colleagues at the crash site. Rarely is there hint of self-pity or rancor toward his captors. Indeed, he forges an interesting bond with his chief minder, finding ways to communicate despite language and cultural barriers. Especially uplifting is Durant's account of his Red Cross visitor, an event followed immediately by his negative experiences with a pair of international journalists, one French (it figures!), the other Canadian. A definite downer. The story's emotional nadir, however, is the chilling account of Durant's ordeal at the hands of the unruly Somali mob, including a vile, nauseating revelation about how his cheekbone was fractured.

"In the Company of Heroes" was a difficult book to put down. It should not be missed, even if you've read "Black Hawk Down."

This is a great book written by Michael McClay. It has many pictures (a lot of them in color). He gives a lot of information. If you want to know about Lucille Ball's life before, during, and after "I Love Lucy", then this book is for you. I especially loved the 35 classic episodes.

I loved this book almost as much as I loved reading "Love,Lucy" (I've reviewed that book as well). Some of the pictures are in color, and a lot of them are "never-before seen". This book takes an inside look at the fascinating lives of both Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, the complete history of the I Love Lucy show, and how life was for everyone after I Love Lucy ended. It even has sort of a scrapbook chapter in the end with pictures and descriptions of the plots from the 35 "best" Lucy shows (I think all of them are the best! ). "I Love Lucy: The Complete Picture History of The Most Popular TV Show Ever" was written by Michael McClay, the son of one of Lucy's former publicists, so a great amount of information is accurate. I am a die-hard Lucy fan who has taped every episode of I Love Lucy and owns A LOT of books and videos on the lives of Lucy and Desi, so take my word for it: This is a must have for everyone who loves Lucy.

I received this book as a Christmas gift in 1996, and I go back to it again and again. McClay was an insider in the I LOVE LUCY family, the son of Lucille Ball's long-time publicist. The thoroughly written and illustrated volume was prepared in cooperation with Lucille Ball's family, and carries an introduction by her daughter Lucie Arnaz. I thought that I had seen and read all there was about my favorite 1950s TV program, but this book contains many new photos, from both on and off the sets, including several original color photos of the family at home. McClay's narrative contains many interesting anecdotes about the cast. The summaries of every single plot are well-written, and accompanied by numerous photos. See if your favorite episodes are contained in The Classic 35 Episodes (I'm glad that McClay did not limit it to something like 10 or 25--remember that there were 179 shows altogether!) Also included is a summary of the 13 hour-long Lucy-Desi Comedy Hours ! programs. A must-have for any Lucy fan!

This book is everything it's advertised to be. It's a creative thinking workshop in a book. I can't imagine how the author could have written a better or more useful book on creativity in business. Wonderful job, Michael!

A hundred or so ways to some up with more, and thus better, ideas. The creative methods detailed in this book are new and excellent tools for any business or creative person. Michael goes through ways to change your view of a problem, dozens of idea generating methods, sorting and weeding techniques, and group and individual methods. The number and quality of surprising, startling, practical, usable, and results-generating ideas was a shock. And despite the 335 pages, it is not over written, as many large books are. This is a tight, easy reading, tool chest for innovation. And this collection of "Thinkertoys" will be part of your intellectual and problem-solving arsenal for years. As long as there are problems to solve, fun to have, and profits to make (through customers to serve) this book will be a heavenly gift and asset to anyone who reads and uses it

As a learning solutions designer and trainer and as a targeted innovation facilitator, I have found this book of immense value for almost a decade. It provides step-by-step instructions for linear, lateral, and more intuitive thinking techniques--the closest thing to a step-by-step no-fail cookbook approach. The techniques are even organized (transparent to the non-professional user) to correspond with the KAI style-of-creativity scale. In other words, if you are left-brained OR if creativity means "make the thing BETTER", you will like the techniques at the front of the book. The more naturally "right-brained" you are (i.e. Improve = make it DIFFERENT), the farther toward the back of the book you might want to go. There are also great business examples in this book--they illustrate applied creativity to create value in business...no taint of tutus and crayons and "far out" ideas here...the stuff that alienates some business folk from valuing the relevance of creativity in the workplace.

This is a great book for the general public as well as naive health care professionals to learn about Natural Medicine. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THIS BOOK AND STUDY IT. YOUR LIFE MAY DEPEND ON IT. I have learned that I am eating totally wrong and am setting myself up for a cardiovascular disaster. And I'm a doctor and should know better! Now I can set things straight.

Yeah, I'm an M.D. and have been trained to treat my patients with chemicals (Allopathic Medicine), but I have been trying to expand my knowledge base about the practice of medicine and luckly stumbled on Dr. Murray's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.

I will integrate what I have and will learn about Natural Medicine in my everyday practice (and my own life!). I feel that, with certain exceptions, Natural Medicine should be tried first. Only when that fails or is inappropriate should Allopathic Medicine be used.

There is a growing trend for M.D.'s to use Natural Medicine in their practice. ...

When I bought this book, I had no idea how powerful an effect it would have in my life. As a science afficianado (and probable borderline hypochondriac), I have taken vitamin supplements for years "just in case" I might not be receiving proper nutrition from my modern microwave and fast food regimen. The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine is an eye-opening discovery of the side of medicine that is too often missing in the world of the M.D.: treating the cause of an illness, not just it's symptoms.
The writing is comprehensive yet precise, including evidence of the therapeutic effect of a given supplement, it's method of action (pharmacology), and even caveats about any weaknesses in supporting studies, including whether evidence comes from statistically meaningful double-blind controlled studies or from clinical or cultural experiences.
If you are the type of person to take supplements, exercise, or eat healthy and natural foods out of a desire to protect your health, I highly recommend you BUY AND READ THIS BOOK! And if, on the other hand, you don't do any of the above, and you have a medical condition or take any presription or over-the-counter medication, or just generally feel yucky, I would definitely urge you to BUY AND READ THIS BOOK!
And Finally, if you are currently in the medical field, or typically prescribe or endorse only synthetic drugs manufactured by American Pharmaceutical companies licensed by the FDA, please BUY AND READ THIS BOOK!
Then again, I'm probably biased; after acting on the information in this book, I feel better than I have in a long time. And as any scientist will tell you, such results are not statistically significant ; )

I have long been a proponent of taking my own health into my own hands. Murray's reference book was first given to me by a friend. It encompasses a diverse array of health concerns and treatments that WE, the people, can access on our own. With sites like Amazon where we can peruse books on alternative health as well as one my friend recently recommended, Papanature, which has a substantial stock of natural supplements and vitamins. etc. I was pleased with the information, the documentation links, the products and the prices which Papanature provided so I ordered. Many of the items covered in Murray's Encyclopedia can be found from this source.

Inside Passage is a book for the ages. An awe-inspiring piece of work that has left me both breathless and wanting more. Each image is created with such care and heart, the spirit of a "warrior" and the heart of a "man" shines through in each page. Inside Passage will leave an idelible mark on both the reader and the readers soul. A must read for anybody who has ever had a dream or a person seeking refuge in the majestic landscape of the Alaskan wilds. Modzleweski presents a totally-balanced account. Unlike many authors who've left the city for the wilds he doesn't "deify" Native Americans. He describes each Kwakiutl he meets as an individual with different life-styles, education-levels, and manners of speaking. Inside Passage brings out the raw and harsh natural laws man must live by in the wilderness, but intertwined within that plot is a story of unharnessed adventure and a life worth living. Having visited the Inside Passage the past two summers, I can say that the author brought the area totally alive! In the economical and passionate-style of a poet, Modzelewski goes far-beneath the surface of an awesome place. Most of all, he takes the reader on a spiritual VisionQuest-where as he describes it:"The Inside Passage is real dream country. Even on land you are moved. The tides that carry the great whales move the bulk of your thoughts just as effortlessly. On the islands, the surrounding sea enters your subconcious, creating a rippling mirror that reflects reality from many perspectives. There is no concrete to fix attitudes, harden dreams. The world around you constantly flows in many levels, swirling deep fathoms into you, loosening holdfasts and safeguards, stirring up sediment, provoking protean change." Reading this book changed my life. Now I see the world through un-biased eyes. Life is a challenge and a blessing, I accept it with passion and un-dying gratitude. Mr. Modzelewski has opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed, and for that I am forever en-debted to him. This book will change you; I guarantee it!

I'd like to start out with my favorite quote from Michael Modzelewski, "Sometimes you have to lower your standard of living to reach a higher level." I have sailed the inside passage via cruise ship 5 times and every time I read "INSIDE PASSAGE" brings back all the wonderful memories and magical moments I have experienced in this wild and untamed wilderness.
Michael lived with killer and humpback whales, bald eagles, Kwakiutl Indians on the surrounding Islands, Tuffy the cat, Cottonwood the ridgeback dog, and my favorite raven named Blackie! On page 59 is a hilarious story about Blackie!! Michael lived in Will Malloff's 12x34 ft. home with no t.v., indoor plumbing, electricity,no car or grocery store. No traffic jams,pollution or noise of any kind, and all you can eat fish in the sea was the trade off! You will learn what Michael needed to do to survive 18 months on Swanson Island.
This is one of those books you read over and over and underline everything. I'm going to close with another of Michael's quotes,
"I touched the whale; she touched me; and what passed between us changed me forever." Reading this book and meeting Michael changed me forever. This book inspired and motivated me to take some risks in life, to travel, and to dream big because dreams do come true,look at Michael's!

In this wonderful book, Mr. Modzelewski reverses the saying that "A picture is worth a thousand words." With the style of a poet using compressed, precise sentences the author gives us vivid word pictures of northern nature. You don't read this book as much as see it unfold with great force and beauty across the mind's eye. In the days since finishing "Inside Passage" I've come to the conclusion that Mr. Modzelewski is really a modern shaman, drawing direct power and grace from the land and animals. That's why the prose pictures are so clear, for they are unfiltered by Ego. By surrenduring himself to the wilderness (instead of trying to dominate it like most men that write this type of book), the wilderness rises up to show itself directly through him.

These books (this hardcover edition is actually the three original books in one!) were some of my favorites when I was a child. I first encountered Pippi when my grandma took us girls to the movies to see the original film (starring Inger Nilsson - VERY hard to find!). Despite the painfully bad special effects and overdubbing from Swedish to English, I was enchanted by the story...naturally had to run out to the library and check out all the books! The "Pippi Longstocking" books transcend time - children today can still enjoy them. Only the finest children's books (Walter Farley's, Laura Ingalls Wilder's and Margurite Henry's come immediately to mind) can continue to captivate today's jaded youngsters.

I was fortunate enough to come across a copy of "The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking" as a Christmas present for my 9 year old niece. It's wonderful to see her enjoying Pippi's adventures with Tommy, Annika, Mr. Nilsson, and the rest of the characters as much as I did (more years ago than I wish to remember!)

When I was a little girl and I got this book for the first time I couldn't stop reading it. Now I'm 26 years old and I have children of my own who love Pippi just as much as I did. What a great timeless classic. A must for every family !!!!

The first thing I have to say is that this book is the most extraordinary book I have ever read. I began reading these books as a very young child. I am now 25 and it has left a wonderful impression on my soul. As a young child I was so amazed at Pippi's spunk and ability to do things on her own free will. It wasn't until I was older that I was able to reflect on her influence on my life. Pippi shows children the value of self esteem and the power to do anything once you set your mind to it. Pippi never cares what people think of her and speaks her mind adamently. She is so loved by everyone that the effect of her quirky personality is above everything you could imagine. There are so many "lessons" in her stories that are hidden in little bits and pieces. I fiercly believe that Pippi allowed me, as a child, to open up to my imagination and become a strong individual. As I said, I am now in my twenties and am scavaging all her books in hopes of showing my "future" children the delights of her incredible behavior. I HIGHLY suggest these books to adolescents-you wouldn't believe the magic enclosed. Pippi did to me what Harry Potter is doing to the world now. Harry, unfortunately is just a little late.

It is often said that "people buy people" and Michale Bosworth's book "Solution Selling" explains why. Can you remember buying a big ticket item and not having to be "closed" on the deal? Well I can, and Solution Selling explains exactly how that happened. Michael Bosworth crystalizes the process that all great sales people use every day to become one of the 20% that make 80% of the sales. Once you have read this book, you will recognize "Solution Selling" techniques being used by the sales masters to effectively create relationships that close the sale. These techniques can be used to create win-win relationships in the workplace, or to make increased sales. I have benefitted greatly from reading this book and I say "Don't let this one get away without reading it!" Thanks Michael Bosworth for demystifying the sales process and letting us know why sales people are, and should be, the most highly paid people in the world.

Bosworth sells us all on solution selling. He teaches us how to sell everything from shoes to software. IBM recommends this book as the definitive guide to their sales strategy. Bosworth provides numerous examples, case studies, and most importantly he explains and analyzes each of them. But perhaps the best example of solution selling is the book itself -- it solution-sells the concept of solution selling, from catching our attention, demonstrating that a problem exists, asking us questions, and finally prescribing a solution: solution selling. A must read for anyone in sales or business in general

In my estimation, this book picks up where the New Strategic Selling, the New Conceptual Selling, and Successful Large Account Management leave off. The first three books are also excellent and focus on the strategic aspects of selling and marketing. This book is focused on the tactical aspects of selling and sales management with a good primer on negotiating with buyers.

This is the second book in the trilogy. We first meet Justin, Duke of Avon, in These Old Shades. (He is NOT the Duke in The Black Moth.) These characters are delightfully developed and sustained in The Devil's Cub with the introduction of Justin and Leonie's son, Dominic. It is marvelous! The Infamous Army is the third book and introduces Dominic's grand-daughter during the war with Napoleon.

This is the sequel to Heyer's 'These Old Shades' which was my introduction to her Regency writings. I liked 'Devil's Cub' almost as much as 'These Old Shades'. There are a lot of un-PC things that both Mary and Vidal do but at the time these books were written, a lot of un-PC things happened every day in normal life. Mary has her morals, Vidal is a charming rake, and they manage to fight more often than not in the first 7/8ths of book. The writing is superb and the plot moves along briskly. It would be wonderful to read the two books consecutively but it's almost impossible to find 'These Old Shades' nowadays.

You guys have got it all wrong! There is a trilogy: These Old Shades, Devil's Cub and The Infamous Army. I love the dialogue. "I am not considered dangerous until after the third bottle" or "No sir, not a gentle man, a noble man." Infamous Army is about the Battle of Waterloo and one of the heroines is the daughter of Vidal and Mary Challoner.(She has her parents and grand parents traits: Red hair, gold painted toenails, compelling sexuality, great rider, supremely unconconcious of the attention she attracts in the ball room, no physical fear). I was reared on these books: I remember Dad and Mum and I all struck down with flu fighting over who would get to read Frederica, the Grand Sophy, Sylvester or Venetia. These and the Avon family series are our favourites.

My reaction to this book was extremely mixed. I ordered it by mistake, after confusing it with another book that had "Everyday Life" in the title. The section about the involvement of the various states in the war was generally excellent--and provided a good reminder that the Civil War didn't affect only the eastern seaboard states that tend to get the most attention. Details about country and city life, military organization and insignia, the war's timeline, shortages in the south, and events leading up to the war were extremely helpful. This information is concise, well organized, and well illustrated.

What concerns me in books that are supposed to serve as a factual resource for others is when I find obvious errors. The women's fashion section perpetuates Hollywood myths about Civil War-era fashions. Mr. Varhola would have done well to consult Juanita Leitch's well-researched "Who Wore What," considered the Bible for those involved in living history depicting the 1850s and 1860s. Instead, he leaves the reader with the impression that most women dressed like Scarlett O'Hara. The two pictures he selected to portray women's fashions are a ruffled ballgown, reminiscent of Scarlett's white dress in GWTW, and a Zoave jacket/Garibaldi shirt combination favored by less-authentic Civil War reenactors. Experts on 1860s fashion consider the latter a high-fashion item that most average women would not have worn. Terminology and descriptions about underpinnings also do not ring true.

I would give the overall book four stars, but the fashion section and some disappointing information about my home state two stars, thus my rating is an average. Someone just learning about the period would find the book quite useful--as long as they ignored the fashion section. Those more familiar with the period likely would regard it as a less useful rehash of information they have already read.

For educators looking for a core source book to use in conjunction with an integrated Civil War era unit, Everyday Life During the Civil War is a must.

Each chapter deals with a particular aspect of the Civil War time period, which could easily be assigned to a group to explore, create a display, and present to the class.

Such topic areas include the people of the North and South; currency, clothing, dry goods; life in cities and rural areas; food and diets; fun and games; the different armed services; technology; and arms, equipment and uniforms. Some areas could be subdivided, and in many cases, comparisons could be made between civilian and military conditions. Also, included in each chapter are important terms and definitions, drawings, and sometimes the cost of items.

Language Arts teachers will find the chapter on slang and idiom particularly useful. Not only are interesting and unique words and phrases presented, but how the language of the North and the South differed. The influence that immigrant groups had on our usage and vocabulary is also explored.

The book concludes with a Civil War time-line, recommended books and internet sites, as well as a short section of Civil War songs and poems.

As noted in the Introduction, "Everyday Life During the Civil War is intended to be a broad-based introduction to the day-to-day conditions, attitudes, and events of the period. For some, this book may be the only tool they need to research the Civil War, or one of just a few." I couldn't agree more.

David B. McCoy, middle school history

Varhola's book is chock full of fascinating details that are invaluable for any author, reinactor or gamemaster seeking to flesh out the details of life during the Civil War. The entire project seems well-researched, and it is evident that Varhola is an eager student of history.

Peter Pan is a good adventure/fantasy that kids and adults can enjoy alike. With much exaggeration, it is something kids can enjoy and read into. It's a page-turning book that once you started you can't stop.

This isn't like the Disney movie! I loved this book but at the same time I was shocked by the violence of the fighting between Hook and the Lost Boys and the Indians. I don't think I'll be reading this one to my nephews and neices, not until I have edited out the violent bits. It wasn't that In-Your-Face violence of the Hollywood movies, it was more insinuated and there was definetly a menacing atmosphere surrounding Wendy's, Peter's and Michael's adventures in Never Never Land. I do recommend it though, just not for easily frightened youngsters. This is definetly in need of a PG rating on the cover. PARENTS: This is no Disney Peter Pan!

My 10 year old daughter found this book in the school library. She read it one weekend and has checked it out several times. The classic story along with the beautiful illustrations by Eric Kincaid have made this one of her favorite books. When I surprised her with her own copy that I had found on Amazon she was thrilled and commented on it's excellent condition.