This book is about a decent citizen's struggle against a liberal government in South Central Detroit to secure livable housing for the city's poor. The hero, Chuck Costa, had to fight at virtually every turn to keep his apartments and his good tenants because not only did the criminal element gang up on him, but the do-gooder left-winged government ganged up on him too, causing him to lose a lifetime of hard work. But this tough man was not done in, to the chagrin of the dumb and dirty politicians. With his enthusiasm, love for people, and ingenuity, Costa learned a way around the new restrictive laws and was able to gain his fortune back.

This book grabs the reader from the very first page when it talks about blood stained sidewalks. With humor, action, and a common sense stance on landlording, this book should be read by everyone to open their eyes to how hard it is being a landlord. The landlord is the most abused type of person there is and many give in, but those that develop thick skins like Costa's can become successful enough to look beyond the hardships. The only bad part about the book is that it ends. It is a true story and I have often wondered what Costa has done since the time the book was written. I researched on the Internet and found that he ran for mayor three times and lost against the leftwing establishment, and he still is living in Detroit helping the poor. Really helping them, not pretending to like the government does. As a landlord I have had my share of problems, but after reading this book, I learned I have no room to complain!

This book is a wonderful introduction to the rain forest and poison dart frogs for children. The story takes you through the life of a strawberry poison dart frog (my daughter Jessie's favorite frog) from egg to adult. The story is excellent and the pictures are fantastic! I have been to La Selva twice so I can say that the story and pictures are realistic. A picture quiz at the end of the book will keep your eyes open for other rain forest wildlife living in the pictures of this wonderful book. I instruct environmental education programs and use this book often. Enjoy!

To get the record straight: this is mainly a photo book of St. Louis. Bob Costas only wrote the introduction. I think I have to say that I have never been to St. Louis and that a friend of mine (who lives there) gave me this book as a gift. One of my hobbies is photography, so when I see photos by other people, I expect a high standard. I can truly say that I was amazed by the standard of the photos contained in this book. For example, there are great pictures of Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch and of St. Louis' art deco gems like Fox Theater or Union Station that are really inspiring. In addition to this, the book contains a large section which portrays the industry situated in and around the city. So if you want to know what St. Louis looks (and is) like or want to show somebody, I highly recommend this book.

Some of the best writing of the late 20th century has come from Latin America, and Luisa Valenzuela keeps up that tradition with "Symmetries," a stunning collection of short stories. This gifted writer from Argentina writes stories that can be nightmarish, comic, disturbing, erotic, playful, Kafkaesque, brutal and witty.

Valenzuela takes us to many different places, and introduces us to many different people. The mind of a suicidal five year old, a young couple's visit to Venice, the twisted rites of a religious cult, the lonely gaiety of a dance hall, a torturer's chamber--these are a few of her narrative arenas. In many of her stories, Valenzuela plays with the conventions of the art of fiction. In one cluster of stories, she revisits and reimagines the female protagonists of traditional fairy tales; in the remarkable final story, she juxtaposes a tale of sexual violence with a bizarre, bestiality-tinged love story.

At times, Valenzuela's writing brings to mind the fictional achievements of Jorge Luis Borges, Mario Vargas Llosa, and some of the other experimentalists of Latin America. But Valenzuela's is a wholly original voice. Check out "Symmetries" and prepare your brain for an odd mixture of pleasure and shock.

July 8, 1998

Dear Manuel,

It's been some time since we talked. I hope we're still on for a classroom visitation some time soon. All three of my classes have finished reading this terrific little book, that means forty four students. We read it actively. Questioning, predicting, clarifying, and summarizing all the way. We discussed, debated, and disputed every chapter. We loved the experience. I have enclosed student Book Reviews as a form of authentic assessment. My students, as you well know, are described and classified as "reluctant readers" and "at risk." We read the book and wrote the review in five days. Everyone is eager to meet you and Ronnie Lott.

Manuel, you've written an important and necessary course. It is packed with valuable information and wisdom in a palatable format for this age group. I have shared the books and curriculum I built around it with an alternative school called Apollo High School. I hope she contacts you soon. Thank you for your insights and efforts in providing us with this lovely production.

Sincerely,

Margie Kensit Student Summer Institute W.C. Overfelt High School

This book is an outstanding addition to the small but growing canon of literature on term limits. Carey clearly and successfully limns this complex issue. This is a rigerous academic book with important real world conlcusions: a good read for serious scholars and politicos alike.

Dr. Baxter has put together a concise text on low level laser therapy (LLLT). This book covers the history of light as a therapy from its first recorded uses to our present day laser treatments. Some basic treatment recommendations are discussed in this book. The majority of the text deals with current topics in LLLT as it makes its way into main stream medicine. For the price this book is a best buy.

Catholic Library World reviews in March 2001:

This moving collection of memoirs, told in thirteen stories, each a dance in time and space, recounts the author's turbulent journey from Costa Rica to Los Angeles and the painful challenges facing an immigrant youngster in the 30s and 40s, a period that still retained some innocence. Cardona-Hine's coming-of-age story reveals a boy's first experiences with English, his infatuations with American girls, and the pain of high school bullying and otherness. After Pearl Harbor, the family flees to Mexico, seeking a home, wanting to belong somewhere. Feeling more alone there than in California, they return to the United States where they rent an apartment in their home to a series of pathetic individuals: Jews escaping from Europe, a young couple in love who fall out of love, a Frenchman who dies upon learning of the taking of Paris. Surrounded by people experiencing human tragedies, but living in the warmth and fruitfulness of California,they manage to survive.

Beautifully written poetry in prose form, Cardona-Hine's delightful reminiscences make the reader pause to admire unexpected combinations of words and images. This is a book to read slowly and to savor. Belonging to the genre of memoir and bildungsroman, this series of stream-of-consciousness meanderings through a time gone by, creates a mood that only approximates reality.

The author makes you feel what's really going on when time elapses: it appears to be incredibly more complex -and theoretical- than you might think, and, after reading this book, you will never consult your wristwatch the same way! It's about time you loose your naivety on such a vital topic!!!

If you are a graduate student or an engineer looking for a comprehensive book to help you understand the problem of voltage stability in power systems, look no more. This is the book to start with. It is very easy to follow, it starts from the beginning and covers a great amount of details. It also provides you with the list of references: a number of published papers and other books. The best thing about it, it is a new book, so it covers the most up-to-date issues. I highly recommend it to all power engineering people out there.