As a newcomer to soccer I searched for a book that could be used as a reference for basic skills and drills to use to practice and master the skills. This book has it all. It is a gem. There are step by step pictures of each skill and a drill(s) to practice the skill presented. I have and continue to use this book for and with my daughter. Unfortunately, it is likely very hard to find but by all means look for it or request it and perhaps it will be reprinted. Soccer is here to stay. This book was written by a professional British soccer coach who has worked with children so has the ability and knowledge of how to explain skills in an easy to understand way for all ages of soccer players, coaches and parents. We have attended private lessons, camps etc.... and this book covers the skills taught but in an easy to reference format. LOOK FOR IT, ASK FOR IT, AND BUY IT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY USE IT.....

'Street People,' comprising Paul Perry's award-winning short stories in an arresting collection, is a poignant look at folks whose homes are wherever they are. The stories are not maudlin or oversympathetic, nor are they unnecessarily aesthetic. They are simply presented. And they are teeming with life. People blessed with four walls and a roof, count your blessings. Perry brings to absolute life the stark, matter of fact existences of the homeless, the wanderer, the seeker, the down-and-out. He's a good writer and his subject matter is compelling, but most of all, he's a great storyteller. From the homeless pair whose frustration is laid bare when their dead acquaintance's body lies ignored by the side of the highway for days, to the prostitute who carries her pimp's baby, to the simple act of sheltering in an abandoned automobile on a cold night, these stories touched a deep chord in me. I deeply appreciated that Perry gives these folks, through 'Street People,' credible and legitimate voice. Three cheers for Pocol Press of Virginia, which has begun to anthologize the work of some very talented emerging writers. Support this press and pick up Paul Perry's book -- you'll be pleased on a number of levels that you did.

This collection of essays deals with a useful array of topics that will be of special interest to those of the Anglican theological tradition. This book serves as a needed balance to the biography from MacCulloch that paints Cranmer as a rabid protestant with no real interest in the beliefs of the early church. It also helps to dispel many of the misconceptions about Cranmer's sacramental theology that are widely held by both "anglo-catholic" and puritan "evangelical" alike. In these essays Cranmer emerges as the chief reformer of a church that he envisioned as one founded on the Scriptures, the ancient Fathers, and right reason. Rather than being against the concept of a "via media" church (as MacCulloch claims) Cranmer is the very author of it.

Raymond Paul, as far as I know, wrote three books. I have read two: The Tragedy at Tiverton and The Thomas Street Horror. Both are based on true crimes which took place in New York in the early/mid 19th century and both, unfortunately, are out of print though you should be able to find them in most libraries.

I recently reread The Thomas Street Horror because I had finally finished a book about the crime that this novel was based on: The Murder of Helen Jewett by Patricia Cohen. Helen Jewett (AKA Dorcas Doyen and many other pseudonyms) was a young popular prostitute working in New York City. Early on the morning of April 10, 1836 she was discovered murdered in her smouldering bed. Suspicion fell on one of her clients, a young clerk, who was eventually tried for the murder. Cohen's book deals not just with the crime and trial but also the attitudes toward prostitution, tabloid journalism (the murder became a nationwide sensation) and the criminal justice system. While the book is very interesting, it is also hard going at times because the author would pause the narrative to delve into the fine points of various aspects of life during the period-- for instance I learned a lot more about the state of Maine than I would normally be interested in. I actually put it down for several months before I finished it.

The Thomas Street Horror is a much livelier, if fictionalized, account of the murder. The veiwpoint character is a young reporter who has just arrived in New York City in November 1835 with a letter of introduction to the proprieter of the journal, the Sun, Benjamin Day. New York journalism at the time was not concerned as much with reporting the news as garnering readers by any method available including elaborate hoaxes and pandering to mob mentality. And the competition between the papers becomes red hot, as they choose up sides as to whether or not Helen Jewett was a wronged woman driven into her way of life or a degraded harpy who preyed on her young clients and was the young clerk accused of her murder guilty or not? David Cordor (the journalist) is caught up in the center of events, both reporting on and participating in what was happening. The fictional investigation into the events surrounding the murder is lead by Lon Quincannon, Paul's Irish attorney-detective who first made his appearance in The Tragedy at Tiverton. Quincannon finds himself not just defending his client against the state, whose minions have no qualms about manufacturing evidence to support their case, but also against public opinion.

If you enjoy 19th century mayhem then I would definitely urge you to try this book.

Aptly edited by the collective efforts of T.M. Charles-Edwards, Morfydd M. Owen, and Paul Russell, The Welsh King And His Court is a massive compendium of essays filled with meticulous discourse of the Welsh royal household and the governmental roles of those officers charged with upkeep of horses, sleeping quarters, meals, etc. Primary source texts are presented in English translation, and the essays are written at a college reading level. The Welsh King And His Court is a scholarly text that combines deep thought with multi-level analysis of historical politics. An intriguing and recommended historical study, with a very helpful glossary, abbreviation list and index.

Written in the 15th Century and directed towards monks, this is a devotional for Christian living and Monastic life. While noting the time period helps give depth to the historical backdrop of when Thomas was writing this book, it is perhaps more important to know the audience. The intended audience for The Imitation of Christ was monks. This is obvious in the text and it should be kept in mind while reading this work.

This highly influential work has a very simple message: live like Christ. Presented in this book, it is a very strict message. Thomas takes a very strict interpretation of following Christ and the message is very much rooted in the idea of works. It is the actions that one must perform, and not so much the inner state (though he does stress that the inner state is important). This would be a difficult message to take or to give, but again, we must consider the audience: monks living in a monastery. They must live a harsher life and because of their vows, this devotional makes perfect sense.

This can be read as a historical document in Christianity or as a devotional. Either way, one can find great value and and some illumination of the words of Christ through this volume.

Thomas a Kempis was medival monk and priest (1380-1471) who served as chronicler of the monastery at Mt. St. Agnes. During his long life of scholarship, he wrote several biographies of church fathers and a number of devotional works. The "Imitation of Christ" remains his most famous work and the one that has best stood the test of time. Indeed, one of the wonderful things about this work is that it reminds us that the life of the mind is not a creature of the Enlightenment. Even during the so-called Dark Ages there were brilliant scholars with a wide knowledge of both scripture and philosophy. Reflecting its vibrant insight into the human condition, the "Imitation of Christ" remains influential on both sides of the Reformation divide. It reportedly was, for example, one of John Wesley's favorite devotionals.

The "Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 books, each undertaking a basic theme for development. They are, respectively, the Spiritual Life, the Inner Life, Inward Consolation, and the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist). In turn, each book is sub-divided into numerous chapters, each a page or two long. All of which makes the "Imitation of Christ" a useful book for daily devotionals. One can skip around freely within the book, dipping in as the mood strikes. Yet, I think one is well-served by reading it through at least once. Only then does one see Thomas' thought in its fully-developed form. Do be sure to get a good translation. I am fond of the one by Leo Sherley-Price.

Thomas a Kempis was medival monk and priest (1380-1471) who served as chronicler of the monastery at Mt. St. Agnes. During his long life of scholarship, he wrote several biographies of church fathers and a number of devotional works. The "Imitation of Christ" remains his most famous work and the one that has best stood the test of time. Indeed, one of the wonderful things about this work is that it reminds us that the life of the mind is not a creature of the Enlightenment. Even during the so-called Dark Ages there were brilliant scholars with a wide knowledge of both scripture and philosophy. Reflecting its vibrant insight into the human condition, the "Imitation of Christ" remains influential on both sides of the Reformation divide. It reportedly was, for example, one of John Wesley's favorite devotionals.

The "Imitation of Christ" is divided into 4 books, each undertaking a basic theme for development. They are, respectively, the Spiritual Life, the Inner Life, Inward Consolation, and the Blessed Sacrament (i.e., the Eucharist). In turn, each book is sub-divided into numerous chapters, each a page or two long. All of which makes the "Imitation of Christ" a useful book for daily devotionals. One can skip around freely within the book, dipping in as the mood strikes. Yet, I think one is well-served by reading it through at least once. Only then does one see Thomas' thought in its fully-developed form. Do be sure to get a good translation. I am fond of the one by Leo Sherley-Price.

I bought this book because I thought it would be a "cute" book to read around Christmas with traditional Christmas stories. I was so wrong! Once I started the book, I carried it everywhere with me because I couldn't put it down! And after I finished it, I couldn't stop thinking about it! If you love tearjerkers, this is definately the book for you. I recommend this book to anyone! It is definately a worth-while read!

The Christmas Box is a book to be purchased for treasured friends and family memebers. It is a timeless story that need not be saved for the holiday season. The book offers the reader an opportunity to search within oneself for the 'first christmas gift'. Because I don't want to spoil the ending, I will not reveal any of the content; however, my advice would be to have a box of kleenix ready. To truly experience this book, read it alone first and let the emotion of the story creep into your soul and overtake your being. Finally, if you like this book, read "Message in a Bottle." It too will provide one an opportunity to search one's emotional being for the answer to the age old question, "Does true love really exsist?"

I hope this story lives on forever-if it's survived this long, that's a good sign. It holds the Christmas box trilogy, making it a fat little book but one you can sit down and cry in front of.

"The Christmas Box" is the story of a young family who moves in with an elderly widow, MaryAnne Parkin, who holds sad secrets in her past, as the hero becomes far too wrapped up in his job. MaryAnne befriends the hero's young daughter and his wife, as he begins dreaming of angels. It's not entirely clear when this takes place, but I believe it was either the 1940s or 1950s.

"Timepiece" is the story of how MaryAnne and David Parkin met. We are also introduced to the excellent characters of Victoria, a creepy socialite; Lawrence, an elderly black friend of David's; and his business partner. We follow them through about five years, from when a new secretary comes to work for David, later marries him, and their child, Andrea is born. But a horrible tragedy due to racism causes an attack on Lawrence and a terrible fate for Andrea.

"The Letter" is the final part of the trilogy, taking place about twenty years after "Timepiece." MaryAnne has grown miserable after Andrea's death, because David has completely shut himself off. When she vanishes, David sets off on an obsessive quest to find his long-long mother, accompanied by a bright young woman who has definite designs on him.

Some may find the overall story too cloying, but it has a refreshing innocence, that after hundreds of icky books I find very relaxing. David is one of my favorite literature characters-he is human and flawed, and his flaws make him all the more vulnerable and lovable. A story for your whole family to read.

I had enjoyed the tv movie of this with Richard Thomas and Maureen O'Hara, but never liking to read a book once I've seen the movie, I avoided picking this one up. Surprisingly, I won it while playing 'Dirty Santa' at a neighborhood party and felt compelled to read it. What a treat! This is one of the most heartwarming stories and probably the best by the wonderful Richard Paul Evans. Readers will be enchanted by the story of the young father who with his wife and daughter take up residence with an elderly lady in order to make ends meet. Instead of mere companions and housekeepers to the woman, they become dear and trusted friends. They, like the reader, are mystified by her past and want to know more about the Christmas box in the attic and the secret of the letters it holds.

This book answers the profound question, 'What is the first gift of Christmas.' As every parent knows, it is a parent's love for a child and without being overly sappy on the religion angle, this book beautifully illustrates God's love for His children in sending His Son.

Speaking directly to parents who have lost children, this book will appeal to everyone who believes in Christmas and the importance of cherishing family. For an uplifting renewal of your committment to yourself and to your family, read this book.

This is a beautiful little story that is just the right length to read in a single sitting. That is what I did, and then I went back and read it again. The message of the story is two-fold. First, to remind us that the first Christmas gift ever given was not wrapped up and placed underneath a tree, it had nothing to do with St. Nicholas, but it was placed in a box. That gift was the Son of God that He gave to us because he loved us so much. God knew what was going to happen to his son, but he gave him to us anyway so that we would be saved from the devil. The second lesson was learned by the father in this story - to spend less time at the office and more with his family.

There were times when I had to wipe away the tears while reading this book. It really is very touching to see how an old woman adopts the family she has hired to take care of her aging mansion. In return, they grow quite fond of her and share many things with her. She shares her Christmas Box however and reminds the family what the true meaning of Christmas is.

Why 5 stars?:
A very touching tale to remind everyone what the true meaning of Christmas: because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that all who believe in him may not perish, but have eternal life. The tale is just the right length - easily read in one or two sittings. The lessons apply to all seasons and this book should be read all year round, not just at Christmas time.

In between books on December 31, of 2001, I thought about reading a memorable book to finish off this calamitous year. The book I chose was The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans which was actually a re-read for me but proved to be even more meaningful this time than the first time I read it sevevral years ago. Coincidentally earlier in the month I read The Christmas Box Miracle where Evans described how he came to write The Christmas Box and the tremendous popularity this small book has received. Both titles, seemed then and now, most appropriate choices.

Today many readers are familiar with the book and the movie based on this book which starred Maureen O'Hara and Richard Thomas. Originally written as a gift for Evans's two daughter, The Christmas Box provides readers with a rather simplr and inspiring story of an elderly woman and the young family who she hires to help her out with her large home. As they live with this woman, her story of love and devotion is told through an antique Christmas Box that is also connected to the elderly woman's daughter. The message which is time;ess allows one to realize not only the true spirit of the holidays but a parents unconditional love for their children.

The events of Septemebr 11th were certainly on my mind then as they are now, and as I finished this book I grieved for the many parents who lost children and the many children who lost parents. In some ways I found this inspirational book provided me with the profound hope for better days in the future.

From the early 1980s, I've read both the first and second editions over 3 times and the heuristics they use remain second to none, 11 year later. This is THE book of Electronics for non-engineers, if more math is needed, Numbers.

With technology moving at a logarithmic phase, its a tribute to their presentation that AoE continues to be sold without a recent update and their keen circuit sense shows that many of the technologies the focused on remain available today.

Since the second edition cheap computer circuit simulators, I use Electronics Workbench but many are available, can help clarify areas were H&H may leap and bound when discussing circuits [ explanations can still be found by cross references the book via the index.] Design software makes breadboarding less necessary for testing concepts. Choice of software depends on cost and the sophistication of your design.

This book is not for the casual tinkerer, kit assembler, or an extended version of '1001 electronic circuits.' It turns astute readers into circuit designers, not everyone is cut out for that field. Its been a while since I read Steve Ciarcia in Byte, thought of Heathkit, saw an issue of Radio or Popular Electronics, but DigiKey remains a key supplier, Radio Shack remains the 'quick fix' and H&H lives on.

I rarely have time to build circuits on custom PC boards these days, but AoE has given me a cognitive lifetime warranty on all devices I've opened that screwed tightly shut said " ... VOID IF REMOVED."

For the next edition, could authors PLEASE beg the publishers to print the book on acid free paper? My copy is terribly jaundiced.

Laboratory Electronics
(Physics 123 @ Harvard College)

Professors Jay Ewing and Thomas C. Hayes Teaching Fellow Nicholas Judson

A lab-intensive introduction to electronic circuit design. Develops circuit intuition and debugging skills through daily hands-on lab exercises, each preceded by class discussion with minimal use of mathematics and physics. The treatment moves quickly from passive circuits, through design with discrete transistors, then concentrates on application of integrated operational amplifiers to make a variety of circuits including integrators, oscillators, regulators, and filters. The digital half of the course emphasizes the use of programmable logic devices, microprocessors, and microcontrollers, while treating issues that arise in interfacing both analog and digital devices to a computer. Provides an overview of radio and television, digital audio, signal averaging, and construction techniques.

Taught by co-authors of the best-seller "The Arts of Electronics", Thomas C. Hayes. And let nice guy Nick debugging your wiring, What more can you ask for? Watch out though, the course load is extremely heavy (Some people equate it to 1.5 courses.) I found the course enormously useful if you are to encounter circuit design in your future studies.

Excellent resource for all engineers/technicians who need quick solutions to common (and not-so-common) problems. The book is more an electronics "cookbook" than a textbook, in that the authors assume the reader is familiar with basic theory but might need help in identifying the best solution to a particular problem. It is not an "introduction to electronics" but, I would strongly recommend it to beginners who wish to augment a standard textbook or course with some good practical knowledge. The authors are very effective in reducing even some of the most complex aspects of electronics into easy-to-understand terms. This book is like having a good, experienced electrical engineer available 24 hours a day!

If the title above seems like hyperbole, I am prepared to defend it: Thomas Paine was one of the most important figures of the American revolution, his pamphlet "Common Sense" did more to bring the colonies to revolt than any other document. After the revolution he went to France believing the French revolution to be the next step in the development of the freedom of mankind. While there he was condemned to death by Robespierre and detained pending execution. Believing that his death was imminent, Paine wrote Part One of Age of Reason, which is a compelling critique of the Bible and the faults of Christianity. His analysis is thorough, detailed and compelling, which is particularly impressive since he did it entirely without access to a Bible! This topic will offend many (which explains Paine's current demise from the pantheon of revolutionary heroes) but it should be read both for its analysis of the Bible and for appreciation of one of America's founding fathers.

Paine, the man who coined the words "United States of America" and another of the USA's non-Christian founding fathers, has written what is easily the best book about deism, period. I personally do not accept the arguments from either design or the anthropic principle, so I am not a deist (luckily, you won't find nasty words like "anthropic" in this book, just some outdated English).

But what this book does for biblical criticism is wonderful. Paine burns the "Good News" to ashes with his wit and brilliant prose. This book, although it would clearly violate the separation of church and state to have it read in schools, should nevertheless be read by young people (I read it when I was 18) who are interested in religion. Paine honestly looks at the bible, and finds it (correctly) to be a pack of lies.

I won't quote from the book, but I can say that what you read in it will never be used by the religious right when they spout their drivel about our's being a Christian nation.

We are lucky to have had an American as bold as Thomas Paine to write the truth about religion, I only wish there were people like that today.

It is evident to me that the staying power of Paine's Age of Reason is strong-- I need only look through the mixed opinions here at Amazon to see how dramatically it impacts those who read it. For me, it was a great wake-up call. I read Age of Reason at the beginning of this year and didn't know much about what to expect. From the first few pages I knew that I had found a book that reflects how I feel about religion. Paine offers a sensible alternative to atheism and the vast supply of revealed religions that abound in the world. To be logical, Paine points out, you need not give up a belief in a Higher Power. But you also don't have to sell your soul to charlatans and holy books written hundreds of years ago by men, not gods.

The first half of Age of Reason outlines Paine's own beliefs as well as those he rejects. He gives reasons for every point he agrees or disagrees with and it is clear to the reader how Paine feels. Paine wants to spell out what his thoughts are so that he won't be misjudged by his peers. (Jefferson went through a similar ordeal-- because of his connections with France, he was labeled "a French infidel and atheist" neither of which was a true statement. See _The Religious Life of Thomas Jefferson_ for more info.)

In the second half, Paine sets out to show the Biblical discrepancies to those who wanted to prove his ideas false by using the Bible as their "evidence". In a relatively small number of pages, Paine debunks and demystifies (in my opinion) a fair amount of 'Christian' theology and scripture. If one man can do it so well in only a few pages, what does that say for revealed religion? That question is for each of us to answer individually and Age of Reason is required reading for anyone who is serious in doing just that.