Dr. Kirschenbaum presents sounds principles of weight reduction and management. His text identifies critical factors for successful weight loss and maintence including low fat eating, self-monitoring and daily exercise. His gentle yet persuasive approach is both motivational and effective. I have lost 8 and a half pounds in 10 days on the low fat, low sugar approach he suggests without hunger or cravings. The self-monitoring is educational and has improved my self-awareness of my own eating patterns. My only regret is that I did not find his text many years ago to enjoy the increased energy and feeling of self-confidence I am enjoying now. Now, I am greeting each day with a feeling of elation. This book has changed my life.

I've finally found the answers I've been looking for. My shelves are lined with popular diet and anti-aging books which have been interesting reading, but often contradictory and inconsistent. Sometimes after following a certain plan for a while, I've looked and felt worse. The Nine Truths About Weight Loss has dispelled myths and helped me drop and keep off those last few stubborn pounds. I feel great and look younger. Reading this book has changed my life. I can exercise longer and happily now. Creating fat-free or much lower fat versions of my recipes has been fun as well. Thank you Dr. Kirschenbaum!

I have been overweight all of my life. I have tried som many different things to lose weight - some extreme, some dangerous and some just plain dangerous. After ten years of searching (I'm only 23), I have found something that actually made me realize what it takes to be successful at weight loss permanently. The author drives home the important point that those who have chronic weight problems are different physiologically than those who are naturally thin. This is definitely not a "diet" book. In order to take th weight off for good, you have to become a weight manager for the rest of your life. At first I resisted this notion, but as I read on I understood that it takes significant lifestyle changes to be successful. To date, I have lost 23 pounds in the space of two and a half months. More importantly than the loss, I have gained the confidence and motivation to continue onto my goal. Finally, someone who will tell you the honest truth about weight loss.

One of things I have always admired about Star Wars in general is the fact that the universe is for the most part internally consistent, that is one story doesn't contradict one that preceded it, (Phantom Menace notwithstanding). Even in the Expanded Universe-the all-encompassing title given to that which takes place outside of the current four-film mainstream, the continuity is generally pretty tight, which is a major feat considering the number of authors involved. Characters created by one author often appear in stories written by others, instead of treating each book or series of books as a closed environment, rather agreements have been made between writers to make use of each other's characters, places, or events i.e. Michael A. Stackpole using Mara Jade in "I, Jedi" or Zahn using Corran Horn in "Specter of the Past/Vision of the Future".

The history of Star Wars or the Galactic Republic encompasses 25,000 years, plus an unknown time of pre-history, the period before the Republic. Recorded Terran history is only 10,000 years and even if rendered down into a brief missive on the events in that time it would fill volumes. Condensed here in a little over 190 pages is the "Essential Star Wars Chronology" which ends precisely at the point that "Vector Prime" and the New Jedi Order begins, which is odd because the New Jedi Order began in 1999 and the "Essential Star Wars Chronology" was published in 2000. And given the importance of the New Jedi Order, one would think that they at least would have added information on the first three books by Salvatore and Stackpole.

"The Star Wars Chronology" covers only about 5,000 years of galactic history, beginning with the Dark Horse Comics excellent "Tales of the Jedi" series and the rise of one of my favorite characters, Nomi Sunrider. It deals with the beginnings of Naga Sadow, Freedon Nadd, Ulic Qel-Droma and Exar Kun, of Jedi Knights Cay Qel-Droma and Tot Doneeta. It adds some clearer information on the background for LucasArts' masterpiece, "Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight", explaining how the planet Ruusan a battleground that led Kyle Katarn there centuries later to free the thousands of trapped Jedi spirits there after defeating the Dark Jedi, Jerec.

Where the universe falls apart, and this is not Chronology author's Kevin J. Anderson's fault, is that it shows that the Jedi seem to be perhaps more of a hindrance than a blessing, and that very nearly every problem in galactic history is related to some Jedi falling to the Dark Side and causing problems. If every era is plagued by some resurgence of the Sith or a cabal of Jedi who fell to evil, why wouldn't the public at large demand the removal of the Jedi as a precaution? Simply put, guys like Exar Kun, Ulic Qel-Droma, Palpatine, and Darth Vader seem to happen an awful lot, leading to massive conflict and loss of life. Is the risk worth the existence of the Jedi Order at all? I feel that it is, but I also feel that too many authors are obsessed with the Dark Side because they think it's 'cool', and so they write it without considering that so many others are doing it also.

Lastly, however well written and laid out the book is, the art goes beyond bad. Bill Hughes' pencil sketches of squat, square jawed characters and their angular features, gives the innards of this book a rushed and cheap look. Given the shear number of quality artists producing material for Star Wars, why in the name of the Force did they select this guy? Why not Dave Dorman? Why not R.K. Frost who did the wonderful art for the "Essential Guide to Alien Species"? Kevin J. Anderson and Daniel Wallace's writing must also be credited for making this book a breeze to read and locate information. For the most part this is a very good source for finding out what and when.

The Force will be with you, always.

This is a great Star Wars book, but after waiting several years for it, my expectations of it grew huge, hence the 4-star rating.

This book is being released now pretty much to bring all the new Star Wars readers who are starting with the New Jedi Order series up to speed on all the Bantam books and comics, and it does a very good job. Although it does focus just a little too heavily on the movies, that's come to be expected.

But where this book really comes in handy to Star Wars fanatics like me is the little between-the-scenes stuff, filling in details about what was happening politically and in the big picture between the books.

This book is also filled with a bunch of incredible (and a few not-so-incredible) illustrations by Bill Hughes. These illustrate key scenes and characters which we haven't seen before. What this book does not try to do is fill in what was happening day by day like so many online timelines, rather it sticks to a history-textbook like feel so that we get the "whole picture" instead of a bunch of little unrelated incidents.

Also, this is good because Kevin Anderson's writing style and Wallace's previous writing experience are more suited to this. While Anderson's SW novels seemed condescending at times because he made everything too obvious, here that's the point.

I definitely recommend this book to any star wars fan, new or old.

This is a good book that ties in all the star wars novels and comics. One fault I found with is are minor , but do subtract from the quality of this book. First , lack of illustrations , I would've liked the book to have more , maybe colored illustraions , but defeinatly more. Also , It never really goes into intricate details. It might sumarize a novel for you , but it leaves out some characters and events. And that's what the purpose of this book is: to referesh your memories on all the minor details in the dozens of star wars litereature you read. This should not supplament those books and comics however. I wish the book was longer , with more details. also , most of the X-wing comics are not included , which make me wonder why. I does tie up alot of loose ends though , like the story with Trioculus in it , and who exactly were the other Grand Admirals and what happened to them. But where exactly did the authors get that information. I ve read all the litereature and stories and found nothing on Grand Admiral Syn , or Batch , or Grant. I would like to read it myself. Despite these gripes , this is an excellent book , and I recommend it to any serious star wars fan out there. Great read.

Laffite's Lady was wonderfully written. The author obviously did extensive research and invested a lot of time and love in this book. As a native of New Orleans, I know the places she wrote of; the plantations were as she described them; the Blacksmith shop is still there and the inscriptions described in the book are accurate; the characters were so well described I could see them strolling through the French Quarter. Her unique writing style kept me waiting from page to page to see what surprises were next. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series; I'm already try to figure out what avenues she will explore and how the characters will interact. While there was certainly romance in the novel, it didn't depend on romance or love scenes to carry it; the story was rich with suspence mixed with history. One of the best books I've read in years.

Never wrote a review before, but this book deserves a great one. A friend of mine recommended the book and when she told me about it I thought it would be another "made for women" love story. As friends usually do, she insisted and I ordered the book. Determined not to read it I put it aside until my friend called and started asking questions about it. Ergo, I had NO choice. Anyway, the bottom line is that I read the book in two days because I could NOT put it down, period! What a fantastically written adventure and great education about the time in which it happened. The characters are full of life and the story draws you in from beginning to end. This is a book to be read by anybody who likes adventures, history, pirates, lovestories and timetravel. As a guy I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward reading more from Susan Elliston, and thanks to my friend Jane for recommending it to me. Five Stars no doubt!

While on vacation in New Orleans instead of enjoying a peaceful vacation, a beautiful young woman has the adventure of her lifetime.

While swimming one morning Tori finds herself thrown back into the year 1810 and away from her daughter. She vows to return, but finds returning to her time is harder than she expected.

Tori soon finds out that 1810 New Orleans is a completely different world. Men own slaves, women have no rights, and a woman alone is a dangerous position to be in.

After many adventures Tori soon finds herself on privateer's Jean Laffite's ship heading to the Caribeans. They soon fall in love, but Tori never forgets her vow to return to the 20th century and to her daughter.

Susan Elliston's Laffite's Lady is a highly enjoyable novel that is rich in history and adventure. Anybody who loves stories of privateer Jean Laffite and New Orleans will surely keep this book on their shelf to be read over and over and over again.

This superb play by Shakespeare somehow reminded me of Antigona, the first play which directly examined the always complex interplay and usual confrontation between political reason and moral reason. This play is an excellent account of the immediately previous and subsequent days of Julius Caesar's assasination by Brutus, his best friend, and other conspirators. Brutus is persuaded by the resentful Cassius that Caesar has betrayed Rome by abandoning the Republic and turning to Dictatorship. Brutus gets to be convinced that, in order to save the Republic, Caesar must be killed. This puts him in a great dilemma, for he loves Caesar and he's his closest friend. Here we see in an acute form the way in which political power gets in conflict with morality and feelings. Friendship, power and betrayal are the basic subjects of this excellent piece of work.

This was the first play performed at the Globe Theatre. For that reason alone, this play deserves special attention. But the characters, the language, and this interesting situation represent Shakespeare's finest efforts. Cassius is ruthless with a malicious attitude. But he honestly fears what Caesar will do if he is crowned. Brutus is a good and honest man. He contemplates joining Cassius to kill Caesar despite the fact that Caesar loves him as a friend. (In history as well, Caesar was notably kind to Brutus.) But yet he too fears that if Caesar is crowned, Rome will bleed. Mark Antony is convincing as Caesar's loyal aid who SEEMS insignificant at first. But after Caesar is killed, he emerges as the most powerful and intelligent character in the play. What makes this play so phenomenal is that we can easily understand and sympathize with any of these major characters. (Even though they are on opposite sides.) What's left? Only chilling omens like the Soothsayer, the storm, the ghost of Caesar, etc. Only memorable passages like Mark Antony's famous 'honorable' speech. If you like this play, I suggest the B & W version where James Mason does Brutus, John Gielgud does Cassius, and Marlon Brando does Mark Antony.

This is certainly one of Shakespeare's greatest works. Every individual character has been perfectly planned before the play was written, and each has his/her own unique characteristics. The plot is well-known, but Shakespeare adds the themes of betrayal, love, and distrust into the mix, making it a nonforgetable story. This is definately a masterpiece to be reread over and over again. LONG LIVE JULIUS CAESAR! GO SM!! WE ARE HIS #1 FANS!!!

After sending Elvis Cole to the East Coast in third installment of the series, Robert Crais keeps it in L.A. for the fourth installment, Free Fall. Elvis and his partner Joe Pike try to weed out corruption in the L.A. Police Department. They are approached by a young woman who thinks her police officer finance is involved is less than scrupulous activities. We know that Pike was a one-time L.A. cop and we learn a little bit more about his time on the force. What we discover is that he didn't leave on the best of terms and the mention of his name still rankles some of the men in blue. Free Fall loses some momentum in terms of the plot, but Mr. Crais is more interested in peeling back some of Joe Pike's layers and exposing more of his skin (an area that will be further explored in future releases). As usual, Mr. Crais spikes his plots with liberal doses of humor and comes up with yet another winner

Robert Crais has proven again and again that he can keep us on the edge of our seats, and yet at the same time laughing our butts off, to be polite. "Free Fall" is a perfect example of that. It is an installment in the "Elvis Cole Series", but you do not have to have read any of the previous novels to read this one: I didn't. I've read other Cole novels, but they've been written after this one.
Anyway, this novel takes place in Los Angeles. It finds Elvis Cole sitting in his office, just another normal day. In walks an innocent looking young woman named Jenifer Sheridan. She tells Cole that she has a problem: She thinks her fiancee, Mark Thurman, is involved in something illegal. Willingly, unwillingly? It is Cole's task to find out the answer, and just what exactly Thurman is up to. Could it be another woman? Or is it something much worse, something much deadlier?
Cole and his partner, Joe Pike, find themselves up against rogue cops, South-side gangsters, and a haunting mystery. Oh, yeah: They're also wanted by the cops for murder.
Only Crais could weave a novel this complicated and powerful. You'll be loving every minute of "Free Fall", I promise you. I would know: I've been there.

I was turned onto Robert Crais by my Doctor who knew I was a big fan of mystery writer Michael Connelly. Like Connelly's character Harry Bosch, Crais has created a tough wise cracking LA detective named Elvis Cole. Woman want him. Men want to be him. My suggestion if you've never read him, is to start at the beginning with "The Monkey's Raincoat" and work your way through all of them. One of the greatest things about Crais' novels is Elvis' partner Joe Pike. An aviator glasses wearing silent but deadly killing machine. Think Dirty Harry with a drier sense of humor. In reference to "Free Fall", I always feel like knowing less is more when telling the plot of a mystery. The basic gist is an attractive woman shows up at Cole's office to ask him to investigate what's going on with her boyfriend who's an L.A.P.D. Officer who's been hiding something from her. He claims it's an affair. She thinks it's something deeper. Crap hits the fan, and you'll be off turning pages faster than you thought possible. Great characters, great plot twists, great writing. Long live Elvis & Robert Crais!

Thanks to the many requests of Star Wars fans and radio enthusiasts alike, the team that brought us the radio adaptations of A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, reunited to conclude the original saga. Made exclusively by Highbridge, Return Of The Jedi, once again uses the film's score by John Williams and sound effects by Ben Burtt, to make for a top notch production. By using the actual soundtrack from the film, it gives the audio production crediability, as opposed to being made without it.

Once again, directed by John Madden, Jedi reunites most of the actors from the previous adaptions, with a couple of notable exceptions. Mark Hamill, who reprised his role as Luke Skywalker, for the first 2 productions, is replaced by Joshua Fardon. While, Billy Dee Williams, as rogue Lando Calrissian, is replaced by Arye Gross. As hard as these gentlemen try, because of the original actors previous involvment with the other two radio dramas, its difficult to imagine anyone else in those parts. Fardon's portrayal lacks the maturity of Hamill's character in the film version, Gross comes off, not quite as smooth, in playing Lando. The rest of the main radio cast, from the other two adaptations is thankfully intact. Actors Anthony Daniels, once again as C-3PO, (who has appeard in all 3 radio dramas as well as all of the films in the series) Brock Peters as Vader, Perry King, as Han Solo, Anne Sachs as Princess Leia, all complete their character arcs in the seies with style. Actor Edward Asner as the gangster Jabba The Hutt and John Lithgow as Master Yoda, (as he did in the Empire radio drama) use vocal talent, like no others, to bring these 2 unique characters to life.

Sci-fi author, Brian Daley, once again. wrote the radioplay for Jedi. As before, there are a few additional "scenes" presented, not in the film version. The end result is very good, but thanks to its shorter length, and the casting changes, I mentioned, Jedi doesn't seem quite as epic, as the other radio dramas in the series. Sadly, Daley passed away soon after the dialogue was recorded, and the production is dedicated to his memory. His script is very faithful to the film and the added scenes remain true to the characters and story.

If you own the other two radio dramas in the series, Jedi is a must have, minor problems and all. The story has six episodes, presented on three compact discs with a total running time of nearly 3 hours. Recommended

Return of the Jedi has always been my favorite Star Wars movie, both because I like how all the characters matured, (especially Luke) and because it finally delt face to face with the dark side, possibly the best force of evil ever thought of in the realms of fiction. This book exheeded not only my expectations for the book itself (which were very high) but even surpassed the movie in some ways. The author has a deep, highly emotional writing syle which apealed to me greatly, and was so profound that all through the book I truly felt as if was there, a part of the story. Every Star Wars fan should read this at some point, especially those who didn't like Return of the Jedi because they thought it was weaker than the others. I could almost garantee this book would change their minds. Also, the author did a tremendous job on the characters. Just they way they were presented made me truly feel for them, even characters who were previously not my favorites. At times this book had me sitting on the edge of my seat actually wondering if maybe this time it would turn out differently, and the part where Anakin Skywalker dies almost had me in tears. Anyway, I don't think think this book belongs in any particular age range, though probably some of it (in fact a lot of it) would most likely go over the heads of people younger then twelve or so.

You'll never see me cite one Star Wars movie being better than all the others (at least until Episode III comes out, which I'm convinced has the potential to be the best movie of all time), but as far as the novelizations go, Return of the Jedi is by far my favorite.

If you didn't already know it, there are a handful of important details included within this book that didn't make it into the movie. These details alone are reason enough for all Star Wars fans to read this book. When Episode III finally comes around, you will be able to appreciate it much more having read this book.

However, the true strength of this book is the wonderful portrayal of the characters. So much depth was given to them that it just strengthened all of the reasons why I love Star Wars. And the reason I do love Star Wars is because of the characters. While all the sci-fi stuff is really great, it is the story of these characters that has drawn me into this universe. Reading about Luke flaunting with the Dark Side as he faces against Vader and the Emperor is gut wrenchingly incredible.

This is the third part of a three part story. I recommend reading the first two parts first respectively - the third part is a treat you won't regret.

I found this book really clear, easy to read and concise. If there's one Feng Shui book to get, this is it.

David Kennedy is a modern Feng Shui master who skillfully blends Eastern wisdom with Western reality. Read this book cover to cover, apply the knowledge, and your life will change forever.

I am facinated by the principles of feng shui, but have been confused by other books I have read on the subject. This book gets to the point without rambling about philosophy. I want to know how to apply feng shui techniques to my home, I really don't care about the history, etc. This book is a simple, straightforward look at feng shui. I finally "get it"!!

I'm on somewhat of a sailing/adventure kick these days, and this book is full of great adventure. Unlike The Godforsaken Sea which is populated by hugh and high tech yachts, this book features the Sparrow, a tiny 25 foot sailboat built by the father and son who sail it. Therefore, their adventure is even more incredible. Lundy even refers to it in The Godforsaken Sea with some awe. Occassionally, you may get sick of some of the personal reflections of the son, but overall, I enjoyed their personal reflections. More than the family bonding, I enjoyed the day to day details: the huge lists, the small tasks that fill the sailing day, the meticulous descriptions of storms and weather -- this is what made the book vivid. For anyone who enjoys this kind of sailing adventure, this book is a must read. I'm still amazed that they made it with some of the tremendous risks they took. An enduring tale of man against nature.

This book is based upon journals kept by a father and son during their sailing voyage around Cape Horn. They really do a great job of integrating each person's observations as they sail down from New England to Panama, through the canal, then South and eventually around the Cape. Both writers share a great sense of humor including letters, the daily ship's log, and games they played to pass the many hours of sailing such a small craft that far. There are some esoteric points that are made that wouldn't make a lot of sense to anyone but a sailing enthusiast but overall the book does a nice job of providing laymen's definitions of such things as how to do celestial navigation. I really enjoyed their description of places they visited like Galapagos Easter Island, and the Horn. Maps are provided at the beginning of each portion of their journey so the reader gets a good idea of where and what to expect. If you enjoy sailing you'll especially enjoy this father and son accomplishment.

This book was a wonderful surprise, one I heartily recommend to sailors and land-lovers with equal enthusiasm. The thrill of this father-son journey 17,000 miles around Cape Horn is an exciting and entertaining adventure, recorded each step of the way in a jointly kept journal. Each man has a definite perspective on the trip, and their evolving relationship is as interesting as the ports of call. Cramped together in a confined space, virtually exposed to the elements and at sea for weeks at a time, a kind of role-reversal takes place on board -- David recognizes that he's not in charge and his son is the one who'll be responsible for taking them safely around the Horn, while Daniel grapples with the realization that comes to all children, that his father is only human.

Sharyn McCrumb does for Appalachian history what a songcatcher does for ancient Scottish ballads. She is surely one of the great storytellers of the century and one of the most diverse. She writes intricate mysteries, comic scenarios of Science Fiction buffs, and her lovely, haunting Ballad series.

"Songcatcher" is anchored by Malcolm McCourry, the forefather, who is shanghaied from Islay, Scotland at age nine to become a seaman, lawyer, and early Appalachian mountaineer. His legacy is an obscure Scottish ballad, "The Rowan Stave." His story, continued by his descendents, is interwoven with the modern day protagonists. The early McCourrys are so vivid; the modern folks frequently seem pale in comparison. The "curse" Malcolm passes down is his first born child and succeeding generation's first born children will be unloved and unappreciated. The subsequent narrators are all first-born children, each baffled and hurt by the McCourry parent; yet they in turn unconsciously carry on this harsh legacy.

The tale is full of ghosts, faeries, and things that go bump in the night. The reader can believe or not believe; but they are there in a most matter-of-fact way. There were a few too many storylines in the present-day world. Joe LaDonne being trapped in the forest under old plane wreckage did not forward the story, and was a needless distraction. There was no "mystery" per se, yet everything was a mystery. Like the expert she is, Ms. McCrumb entices us with every new revelation and delivers a fast paced and gripping story.

"Songcatcher" is a worthy addition to the superb Ballad series.

This, my friends, is literature. A lot of the "important" writers taught in lit classes today wrote popular fiction--even detective fiction--in their day: Dickens, Scott, even Jane Austen; and I suspect that a century or so from now, when the likes of Fay Weldon and Philip Roth are forgotten, people will still be reading and enjoying writers like Terry Pratchett and Sharyn McCrumb.

The latest entry in her Ballad Series, with titles drawn from traditional songs, has inspired me to write my first online review, even if I only gave it 4 stars--only because I like a couple of the other books better. I'd have given it 4 1/2 if I could have figured out how. This one is not, like the earlier ones, about murder, though a murder does make a brief appearance; it is about mysteries of time and heredity and the search for an elusive folk song. Nine-year-old Malcolm McCourry first heard "The Rowan Stave" in 1751 aboard the English ship which kidnapped him from his native Islay; after a career at sea and as a prosperous lawyer in New Jersey who fought in the Revolution, he took it with him when he moved west around the turn of the century when he moved west along the Wilderness Road and settled in western Carolina to found a new family. He also took along the family curse: that each McCourry firstborn would never come first with his or her parent; someone else would always come between.

Lark McCourry, moderately famous folksinger, doesn't know about the curse, but is familiar with its result. Returning to Hamelin, Tennessee, to see her dying father and to trace the song she remembers hearing as a child, she is lost in the mountains when her small plane crashes. As Sheriff Spencer Arrowood and some of our old friends, and some enjoyable new ones, search for Lark, second-sighted Nora Bonesteel searches for the song. And of course, there are ghosts, literally and metaphorically, playing their part in the story.

This is a novel about the persistence of character in family lines, about history and the making of the American--certainly the Appalachian--character, and about how a song survives and changes through history. McCrumb's great gift, even greater than her ability to tell riveting stories, is to create real, three--make that four--dimensional people, and a wonderful sense of place and time that makes the reader live in her books, hoping against hope that things will work out for people one cares deeply about.

I like and own all McCrumb's books. She has two other series: the BIMBOS/ZOMBIES books about science fiction fandom, and the Elizabeth MacPherson series, all mysteries, and all good. But the Ballad Series is superb. IF EVER I RETURN, PRETTY PEGGY-O is still my favorite, because the reminiscences of high school are so painfully accurate reflections of my own experience. SHE WALKS THESE HILLS is the most haunting. But none of them should be missed, by mystery readers, fans of Appalachian regional stories, or anyone who loves a good book.

Sharyn McCrumb's Ballad Series is one of the best out there. Ms. McCrumb is a master of plot and character development. Weaving fiction and non-fiction into a wonder story, the author gives the reader a real understanding of how this country developed. Ms. McCrumb also has a great and wonderful understanding of the people who settled and live in the rural Appalachian Mountains. Yes, there really are people living just like Ms. McCrumb describes in her books. I know I'm from there.

I'm not going to bore you with a recap of the plot. If you want that read one of the other reviews. The Songcatcher is a little bit different than her other ballad series books, if that doesn't make it any less entertaining. There is no murder mystery, but there is plenty of mystery. So if you enjoy a good mystery, written very well. This is the book for you. In fact, you don't even have to be a mystery reader to enjoy any of Sharyn McCrumb's books. She is a wonderful writer and I feel that anybody, who enjoys a good book, would enjoy Sharyn McCrumb.

My name is Andrew R. Townshend and I went through Marine Corps boot camp in 1985 as a member of 1st battalion, B company, platton 1036. This book tells it like it was. If you want to know what the toughest recruit training in the United States Armed forces is like, this book will tell you all you want to know. You can find my name in the list of recuits in the first few pages of the book. Semper Fi.

I will be leaving for Marine Corps boot camp this August, and I was looking for some sort of indroduction to what boot camp was going to be like. This book helped me get a feel for what is going to be happening during my 13 week stay on Parris Island. I would recommend this book to anyone going into the Marines or anyone who is just interested in boot camp.

Da Cruz does a great job of recreating the essence of boot camp. Not only does he give an unbiased opinion of how boot camp in the Marine Corps is, but he also compares the boot camp of the year with his own experience. Da Cruz also throws in the occasional history lesson in each chapter. It's a great book that will keep you entertained from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book if you want some quality reading.