The version of this that I read was published in 1981, so it's a tad out of date, but the most compelling parts of the book are doubtless still present in later versions. This book makes a bold claim, and while I don't know that there can be any single Ultimate book on baseball, this one comes reasonably close.

The book splits itself into nine "innings" (though newer versions may have changed this format), splitting baseball history into nine segments and accompanying each historical section with an excellent essay on subjects pertaining to the relevant era. Some of the essays are on subjects like Enos Slaughter's Gas House style of play with the Cardinals, or Fenway Park, or the Brooklyn Dodgers of old, or Connie Mack. In all, the history is pretty thorough and very enjoyable for fans of the game.

Most baseball books are written with a nasty, thinly-veiled contempt for the contemporary game of baseball. "Too many home runs", these authors sniff, "not enough hit-and run". TUBB has none of this attitude present in the historical bits, though it does come through in some of the essays. In the latter innings of the book, the historical chapters describe the evolution of the game very ably, and even suggest that the modern game is more interesting and balanced than ever before, due to the all-around athleticism of many players.

I'm borrowing the 1981 edition of TUBB from my dad, but I will probably buy the Expanded and Updated 2000 version for myself. This is a great book for baseball fans, especially those of us whose earliest baseball memories involve people like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Dwight Gooden... it's good for us whippersnappers to learn some history.

The ttiel sounds a tad off-putting, but the book delivers. It's an excellent combination of narrative history, idiosyncratic essays and beautiful photos about the national pastime. The style has been often duplicated since but never equalled

This book is a wonderful tool for any storyteller who wants to run a game which goes further than just going out and beating things up. It gives a glimpse of the other side of the gauntlet which allows you to run games full of depth, symbolism and meaning. It also give new locations for going out and killing people if you need them.

With a description of how the werewolves see the umbra, the near realms, rules systems, story seeds and insights in how to do the umbra justice in the game, this book can transform your games for the better. It did mine.

This one really is a must-have for the serious Storyteller. It is an in-depth guide to the Umbra. The sourcebook is packed with information, and seems to be fairly well-organized. I have found it very useful indeed: I could not Storytell for Garou without this book with any ease

Alas, what's poor Aisling to do? Her parents have provided her with material security by betrothing her to the richest man in Ballynacarriga, but he's old, fat, and ugly, and she could never love him. Well, thank goodness for the Vikings, led by macho stud hunk dreamboat Cormac (he reminds me of myself!), for they come to loot and pillage just in the nick of time, on her wedding day, and spirit her off.

But it's not that simple. Cormac has two older brothers, fraternal twins actually. Trygge, by a few minutes the older of the two, is handsome and kind, but rather feeble and losing his eyesight to cataracts. The younger twin, Rafn, is a shaman, and he's just plain evil. Their father is Ragnar, chieftain of Eaglescrown, and he's dying, evidently of consumption. Aisling is made a slave, or thrall, to tend to Ragnar's care.

All three brothers have designs on Aisling, but Aisling proves more than equal to all the challenges that confront her, winning Cormac in the end and saving Eaglescrown from the Northern Raiders in the process (the Irish and the English aren't the only ones who have to worry about looting and pillaging!).

This is the first modern romance novel that I have read. Romance novels appeal mainly to women, but my lady thought I might enjoy this one because I am an avid student of the Middle Ages (to the point of being quite active in the Society for Creative Anachronism, a worldwide medieval reenactment group). She was right - I did enjoy it! These novels crowd the bookshelves at places like supermarkets, and, as she tells me, there are good solid reasons for the enormous popularity of the genre: At their core, they are about overcoming obstacles to follow one's heart, and romance novels are actually uplifting and affirming to the human spirit. The success or failure of any book in the genre depends partly upon the quality of the writing, but mostly upon the emotional authenticity of the human experience in the story.

This one succeeds. It is written gracefully. I cared about Aisling and her friends, and the action was exciting enough that I read the book in a couple of sittings (to the great annoyance of my lady, who wanted some attention from me while I was reading it).

Another appealing aspect of the book is that the Daniels have done a lot of research on Viking culture, and their depiction of life in the Viking village is consistent with what I've learned during a lifetime of interest in medieval topics - with one exception: The authors repeat the Hollywood clichés about ponderous medieval weapons, and when Aisling has need of Ragnar's greatsword, she can hardly lift it. In fact, a typical Viking sword weighed about two pounds, and a spunky 17-year old like Aisling would have had no trouble wielding it. The "greatsword," meaning a two-handed weapon, didn't appear for hundreds of years after the Viking period, and even they were surprisingly light (5-8 pounds). "Bearing swords," ponderous monstrosities meant for ceremonial purposes only, are another story, but Vikings didn't have them.

That nit-pick aside, THE VIKING'S BRIDE paints a vivid and authentic picture of life among the Vikings, and it portrays an even truer portrait of the yearnings of the human heart - or so it seemed, at least to this hopeless romantic.

In this, their first novel, James and Aasne Daniels immerse you into the life of a Viking community from the very beginning with their lush historical description. Aisling, the beautiful young Irish girl, is preparing for her unhappy future when disaster strikes her small village. She is taken captive by a band of Vikings, and then the journey begins! Set in the 9th century, this adventure romance is a feast for all the senses. The Daniels' have gone above and beyond the norm in creating detail, passion, and mystery. If you have never read a romance novel before, this is the perfect introduction. If you are a seasoned romance reader, you will delight in the new style and setting the Daniels' have created for you. THIS IS A MUST READ!!!

Have you ever been burnt in a business deal by someone you thought you knew well? How many times have you taken action only later to find out you ignored key facts that were right in front of you?

An early book by the author of the best-seller Emotional Intelligence, this work focuses on the many ways in which our minds play tricks on us. Goleman uses a series of short vignettes, from business, political and family scenarios, to illustrate his arguments. For example, he shows us how Nixon aide John Dean seemed to drive from his awareness the fact that he was not as important to the President as he asserted in his Watergate testimony.

The chapter, "The Intelligent Filter", gives us a clear concept on how we so often screen out ideas and information that do not fit our assumptions. Reading this section can help us understand why innovative ideas get rejected without consideration, as we filter out new pieces of information even before they reach our awareness.

From the perspective of Executive Community, applying what Goleman sees can help us untie the knots that develop in our business communications and block understanding and collaboration. Even more importantly, careful study of these concepts can help you be a better critical business thinker and a more effective leader.

For those who want to delve deeper than the latest management fad book, Vital Lies, Simple Truths will give you several hours of intellectual challenge. This is a good tool for "sharpening the saw", as Stephen Covey might say.

Goleman states his thesis using three premises in the early pages of his book: (1) The mind can protect itself against anxiety by dimming awareness. (2) This mechanism creates a blind spot: a zone of blocked attention and self-deception. (3) Such blind spots occur at each major level of behavior from the psychological to the social. (p. 22)

With these principles as his map, Goleman writes an excellent study of human psychological behavior that, whether the reader approaches it as a journal of self-discovery (like me) or as a explanation for social "groupthink" (like me, again), it proved to be very helpful. I enjoyed how Goleman supported his ideas with recent research and how he used quotes and references to support his ideas. Mapping out why we cover our anxieties with delusional behaviors, well, I think it is fascinating and the applications are immense.

I've never been to Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, though after reading this book I feel I know it well. Robert Knittel reminds his readers of the joys and rewards of walking for pleasure, stopping to observe and breathe in details, taking detours recommended by a curious canine guide (the author's airdale Herb believes in taking the trails less traveled). In this fast-paced world, we need guides like this, which encourage us not to squeeze all the top sites into one frantic touring afternoon, but to savor and discover our most familiar surroundings through the seasons.

While this book is about 20 years old it tells a good story about Tower Grove Park. This park is one of only four in the Unitrd States designated as a national historical park. At the present time the park is being restored and new trees being added. With this,new walks are being established and will be known as the Discovery Forest. The Discovery Forest is being dedicated on 16 April 1999 and Mr.Knittel has been invited to participate.

Most people will know of the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth as a couple of old cruise liners -- many may have stayed at the Hotel Queen Mary in the ship's now permanent home in the waters of California. For a brief time, these ships were converted to military use in World War II to transport troops. On one occasion, the Queen Mary hit the British light cruiser HMS Curacoa, causing the ship to sink with the loss of hundreds of allied soldiers.

Daniel Butler is a great historian and storyteller and he makes the wartime history of these two ships come alive. He doesn't start with the day the decision was made to use these cruise ships for military use. He sets the stage and gives the readers an understanding of the years leading to World War II -- not only giving a political and military background, but also telling us what was happening in the shipping industry that led to the construction of these two ships.

To me the two most interesting parts of the book came when Butler tells about the most significant event of the Queen Mary's tour of duty (when the Curacoa was cut in two by her), and the most mundane (what it was like for a soldier to be transported on one of the Queens). If there is a weakness, it was here. I wish he could have had more first hand accounts from the surviving veterans who had crossed the ocean on their way to war. But of course, there are fewer and fewer such survivors still with us. Butler wrote this book just in time.

I liked the way Butler filled in the history of the Queen Mary and
Queen Elizabeth.He also told a very good clear picture of life
we lived aboard ship. On page 92 second phargaph tells of a March
1945 crossing . I was on that passage and well remember hearing
the depth charges explodimg.I still have my white tag and cabin
with number on D deck.To verify my memory I checked my discharge and called our coplit yes he remembered hearing the depth charges.
This tolded of the vital roll these two great ships played in
winning of the war.Many of these things where new to me and I was there.

This book is better than others by or about Eadie, Brinkley, and Harris. There are a few too many details about Sawyer's early life and the ending is a little weird. But some things really grabbed me and it was curious how I met the subject

As a Catholic Priest who has been a friend of Tom Sawyer's for over 12 years I can attest to the absolute beauty of this book..and the joy Tom finds in Life. Tom is one person you will never forget..to be in a workshop with Tom is to jump from one subject to another..and back again. He touches in a special way everyone who comes in contact with him. When had my Near Death Episode 7 years ago..I finally came to know fully the truth he was sharing. I may be a Catholic Priest..but above all I am a beliver in Love and the Power of that love to transend all our limits and travails. Tom's insights found in this book will indeed remain with you the rest of your life. Fr. Jim Waters, D. Min.

As a speech and language educator in the New York School System, I am constantly trying to keep my children engaged and keep them learning. I selected 'Where Is Robert' by the Seewald Mother and Son Team because of the unique combination of the mother and son writing team and the enticing story line. After scanning the book, I thought it was age appropriate for young adults and decided to share the book with my students.

The reaction... the kids loved it! They were really turned on by the suspenseful yarn that the Seewalds knitted together and I have since shared the book with some of my peers, who also found the story an interesting and enjoyable tale.

I look forward to seeing more 'YA' novels coming from any combination of the Seewald Family.

In short... I highly recommend the story.

Written from the first person viewpoint of Phil, the story has a sense of reality. Phil has both common sense and a sense of humor. He is trying to become a varsity wrestler at his high school. He begins receiving puzzling letters from a boy who was his friend back in elementary school. The notes from Robert indicate that he is in a lot of trouble. Are they legitimate cries for help? Phil's younger sister tries to help Phil discover the truth. A well-written, interesting mystery suited to middle grades through high school.

"Who Owns the Sun?" is a densely packed, well written book with many surprising and practical revelations about where solar energy technology came from, how it has developed in the U.S. and where it presently stands. Drawing on the history of public vs. private power, the potentially crucial role of organized labor in the solar movement and the decisions being made by those who use energy primarily as a way to make money, Berman and O'Connor give a perceptive look into why our energy mix stands as it does today. By discussing the societal and environmental impacts of this mix we see renewable energy cast in a refreshing light. Gone is the euphoric notion of slapping some photovoltaics on your roof to solve the world's problems. Rather, by looking at the powers who control the energy supply and what they are doing to maintain that control into the future, we get a clear vision of the strategies that need to be considered by people concerned about the direction our world is going in. Cleaner less polluting options exist, but will these paths be followed by the same people who control the show right now? Probably not, and the authors give many lengthy examples as to why they feel this way. Ultimately, "Who Owns the Sun?" exposes much of the energy industry for what it really is, profit driven. By accepting this idea, the logic of the utilities and others controlling our energy fate becomes clear. And by acting on this logic we're able to begin stacking the deck in favor of consumer and environmental driven ideals.

John T Oconnor has some great insights into the reasons why solar energy is not more readily available and in use. Great Book

For anyone who has been thrilled by any of Laing's books, as I had been, reading a biography of Laing can be a sad experience. Burston doesn't shrink from the disappointing aspects of Laing, but he finds great and continuing value in Laing's work while also reminding us of Laing's better side.

Burston has divided the biograpy roughly in half. First comes the standard chronological presentation, then an analysis of Laing's thoughts and concerns. This meaty but quite readable analysis includes assessment of Laing's philosophical assumptions, his position on psychoanalysis, and his place within psychiatry.

Burston effectively reminds us that, whatever his failings and however large his fall from popularity, Laing's work still presents challenges and promises values which we would be foolish to ignore. Blessed with a great mind, R.D. Laing also forged a wonderful heart: too many other therapists forget that our suffering needs both.

This really should be read along with the biography by hy Ronald Laing's son, Adrian Laing. Adrian Laing is much more critical. Although he is a lawyer and Burston a psychologist, I think Adrian Laing shows more understanding of RD Laing's place in psychiatry. Both books are very readable (which is the reason for the 5 stars) because Laing's life makes makes a good story.
By the end of the 1960's Laing was a dinosaur rather than an innovator. He was still blaming parents for their children's mental illness and advocating treating schizophrenia without medication. When I came to America in 1963 psychanalysis was dominant in psychiatry here. By the time time Laing died in 1989, psychanalysis was no longer taken seriously by most psychiatrists. I suspect that part of the reason for Laing's tragic self-destructive behavior came from the dawning realization that his treatment methods did not work for schizophrenia. Unlike Bateson and many of the American neo-Freudians, who were not MD's, he was a psychiatrist who undertook clinical responsibilities. Having set himself up, or been set up, as an omniscient healer he found he could not help those who turned to him.