i bought this cookbook in junior high and i have loved it since. evelyn raab wrote the recipes in a way so that they weren't intimidating for a beginning cook. in fact it's much like receiving advice on cooking from a trusted friend. she wants you to succeed and writes in a way that makes you feel like you really can. it helped me get started with my cooking and four years later i'm still using it regularly. i highly recommend this book whether you're just starting or you've already amassed a large collection of cookbooks. no collection would be truly complete without this one.

As a young adult librarian, and an amature cook, I have nothing but good things to say about this cookbook. I found it to be well designed, fun to read, and highly informative, but never intimidating. I've been pushing it every chance I get, and plan to buy a copy for my teenage brother...plus as a graduation gift for my cousins. The illustrations are wacky, but not childish. My favorite detail is the collection of icons used to show what catagories recipes fall into. This book is the perfect combination of entertainment and useful information!

Are you looking for a cookbook that doesn't include things like "Old Fahioned Hand Dried Pressed o"regano on a Steam Baked Fowl". It's time for us all to enjoy everything from "Idiot-proof Chocolate Cake" to "Curry Glazed Chicken" to "Apple Crisp". This book is incredibly simple to use. It does not throw you into the wildly complicated world of cooking. It helps you with the basics. It is well organized, and has good tips for beginners. It even tells you how to shop and do common kitchen appliance matienence. Organization is helpful in this book made for the beginning chef. It is divided into sections, each informative and humorous. Indexes and lists of tips and facts only add to the appeal of this book.This book's recipes are simple and easy to make. However, this does not mean the recipes are plain or do not turn out well. You will get countless complements on this food when taken to potlucks. Enjoy Clueless in the Kitchen, it is an excellent buy that will teach you how to cook. Get it today, your taste buds will thank you.

George Preddy is best known for two things: being the highest scoring Mustang ace and being killed in a tragic friendly fire incident on Christmas Day 1944. Much of what has been written about Preddy in the history books has been a re-hash of some commonly known information. However,'Top Mustang Ace' tells the full story. Though Joe Noah is George Preddy's cousin, he is an unbiased and dedicated historian. Many of the over 100 photos in the book have never been published before, including rare gun camera footage. The authors have done a thorough job; they interviewed many of Preddy's squadronmates and family, used official combat reports and even Preddy's diary entries to paint a portrait of the man behind the legend. Any WWII aviation buff would be impressed by the amount of work that went into this book.

These are merely some thoughts that came to mind while reading the book and shortly thereafter and are in no particular order. This is a detailed account with complimentary diary excerpts providing an excellent glimpse into the man and the ace fighter pilot. A hall mark of a well written biographical account in my opinion is one that depicts the person, not just his/her accomplishments. Military biographies generally do this. I detected no attempt to smear anyone or organization as some lesser works. The book is supported by solid research and timely use of primary and secondary sources, especially interviews and personal rememberances of Preddy. The use of personal recollections makes the book read like an oral history instead of a typical biographical sketch. A particular strength of the work is the use of 'real' photographs, not the well publicized and over used images commonly found in biographical accounts. The gun camera stills bring a certain sense of immediacy to thebook. What better way to visualized the chaotic, swirling dogfights over Europe than with the same images Preddy saw, taken from his own gun camera. I personally like the clear, logical manner of organziation in the book. The writing seemed dynamic and vibrant instead of staid and flat. I never thought the material presented was out of scope in the chapter in which it appeared. Your own close family ties with George did not prevent you and Sam from capturing the man George was. The writing stayed focus on Preddy's life and did not become a dry operational history of the 352nd during Preddy's service. This certainly held true in the first part of the book with Preddy serving in the Pacific. So often in WWII literature, if the subject served in the ETO and PTO authors commonly short shaft the PTO since it does not carry the same appeal. Your book is proportionally balanced. Well done.

These are just random thoughts I had. I enjoyed reading the book. This book does not require prior knowledge like some biographies.

This book provides an outstanding look at the career of one of this Nation's top aviation heros of World War II. George Preddy was the United States Army Air Force's top Mustang Ace, scoring 23.83 aerial victories in the P-51 Mustang. In addition to his P-51 victories, Preddy also scored three aerial victories while flying the P-47 Thunderbolt. The book, which was a labor of love for its authors, covers Preddy's short life in detail.

Many people who have heard of George Preddy, the great Ace, might be surprised to learn that it was a real struggle and accomplishment for him to even get into military aviation. Through his personal determination Preddy overcame the obstacles that his small stature presented and worked his way into the Air Force. Once this happened, "the rest is history."

Authors Noah and Sox utilized official records, family records and diaries, and interviews with many of the "Bluenosers of Bodney" to prepare this outstanding! story of George Preddy's life. Joe Noah, Preddy's cousin, was able to access George's diary, letters, and other family material and gave this book the personal touch that few others could have. Sam Sox has long been interested in the George Preddy story, and played an important role in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina's decision to name a boulevard after the Preddy brothers, both of whom lost their lives in World War II. Additionally, Sam Sox has produced an excellent video covering the life of George Preddy. Along with an interesting narrative, this book is enhanced with over 100 quality photos.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of World War II, and suggest that they add it to their library.

"George Shrinks" is one of my favorite children's books of all time. It is the first book that William Joyce both wrote and illustrated--and what a grand debut!

A boy named George wakes up one morning to find that he is only three inches tall. He also finds a note from his parents with a list of chores he must do (which becomes Joyce's unique way of telling the story--the parent's note is the actual text of the book). The story follows George as he heroically navigates through the now gigantic house, evades the hungry house cat, and completes all his chores in very creative ways.

The illustrations, done in watercolors (though not pale and washy), are a mixture of highly realistic details (the house and surroundings), and a comic style (the characters). Included are several wordless full-page spreads of George flying a toy airplane which on their own are worth the price of the book.

If you can, buy the new large format of the book (November 2000 edition). The illustrations are much larger and the colors are more brilliant. The illustrations were probably rephotographed since the original edition is back from 1987 or so.
Well, enjoy this book and happy shrinking!

"George Shrinks" is one of my favorite children's books of all time. It is the first book that William Joyce both wrote and illustrated--and what a grand debut!

A boy named George wakes up one morning to find that he is only three inches tall. He also finds a note from his parents with a list of chores he must do (which becomes Joyce's unique way of telling the story--the parent's note is the actual text of the book). The story follows George as he heroically navigates through the now gigantic house, evades the hungry house cat, and completes all his chores in very creative ways.

The illustrations, done in watercolors (though not pale and washy), are a mixture of highly realistic details (the house and surroundings), and a comic style (the characters). Included are several wordless full-page spreads of George flying a toy airplane which on their own are worth the price of the book.

If you can, buy the new large format of the book (November 2000 edition). The illustrations are much larger and the colors are more brilliant. The illustrations were probably rephotographed since the original edition is back from 1987 or so. (...) The newest version has a brand new cover illustration recently done by William Joyce.

Well, enjoy this book and happy shrinking!

"One day, while his mother and father were out, George dreamt he was small, and when he woke up he found it was true." So begins this delightful picture book by
William Joyce, who will be most familiar to folks as the creator of Disney Channel's Rolie Polie Olie. George too has his own series now, on PBS, and a spanking new
reprint of his original adventure.

The story here is fairly basic : George, suddenly three inches small, follows the instructions his parents left behind in a note, to clean up the house and watch his little
brother (now a BIG little brother). Along the way he avoids an ornery house cat and rides in a toy plane. Our kids favorite page features George scrubbing dirty
dishes by skiing down them on a sponge.

As with Rolie Polie Olie though, the story is secondary to Mr. Joyce's remarkable artwork. In Olie he manages to combine Art Deco with Futurism; here it's all
throwback. George Shrinks looks like a really hip version of the Dick and Jane books. A story with a miniature hero kids can relate to and illustration interesting
enough to hold adult attention--what more can you ask?

GRADE : A

My family collected Tintin and Asterix books when I was growing up. My parents have a complete set as do several of my sisters. "Tintin: The Complete Companion" was the perfect gift for them.

"The Complete Companion" discusses the political, scientific, and sociological climate present when Herge wrote the Tintin books. It is very satisfactory to read about the state of space travel and to know where Herge was citing research and where he was leaping ahead.

This is not a story book but inquisitive minds from 8-88 will enjoy it.

If you are even mildly interested to know how Herge choose his name or those of his characters, if you are kind of interested in the historical background to your favorite adventure or if you are a crazy Tintin fan and hunger for anything you can get your hands on, this book is for you!

I have enjoyed it a great deal and I know you will too!

Well, now that you have hungrily read and collected all the titles of Herge, the marvelous artist & story teller, this book completes your appetite, as a slurping dessert!.

Contains detailed background on each and every title that Herge published upto the unfinished 'Alph Art'. Contains several sketches and reference photographs the artist used. You live through the mind of Herge, the times and his efforts. How carefully he chooses realism, timely topics and authenticity to spin those wonderful tales of Tintin! It is fascinating to go behind the scenes of the favourite stories. contains tons of information.

This ought to serve as a wonderful reference for artists.

If you are a diehard fan of Tintin & Herge, this book is a must! Great paper quality & print too!

My mother was killed several years ago and my father read this book while he was mourning her lose. He passed away in June and I found this book in with some of his personal belongings. Being a short and easy to read book, I took the time to read it for myself. I saw that I had passed through some of the phases in this wonderfully written book. This book enlightenment me so much that I now look at death and grief in a totally different way. This is a good book for someone who doesn't want to get bogged down with wordy, preaching books.

My 20-year-old son and only child was killed in an automobile accident 11-2-99. So, my husband and I as well as many family and friends are still grieving. A good friend sent me this book during the holidays, but I just read it recently. I was amazed at how the author so simply, in only a few words, captures the essence of grieving--not only grieving for one who has died but other grieving events such as divorce, losing a job, etc. I think the book helped me most understand what my husband is experiencing because I think we are in different stages of grieving. I feel that I can better understand some of his behavior now after reading this book. I plan to share this powerful book with others, especially young people who are having an especially difficult time accepting my son's sudden death.

I first read this book after I loss a father figure. I went to the bookstore and chose the thinnest book I could find because I needed help quickly. It was a great help because it guided me to know what feelings I would be experiencing, and I remember thinking "I'm not going crazy afterall." Since I first read it, I've given it to someone else. Yesterday I stood with a friend as she went to be with the Lord. I think I could use this book again. So, I'm ordering two. One for me, and one to lend. If you are having a difficult time dealing with grief, this book will help you understand your feelings -- only God can help deal with them. Together, I found them a good combination.

The Charge of the Light Brigade on the 25th October 1854 was one of the three famous engagements that formed the Battle of Balaklava. The Charge, the most famous of all military blunders, was barely over before the process of transforming it into myth began. Accusations, counter-accusations, legal actions and patriotic poetry created more obscuring smoke and dust than the infamous Russian guns. Cecil Woodham Smith traces the careers of two of the major players: Lords Lucan and Cardigan, the brothers-in-law from hell, whose vanity, arrogance and (at least in the case of Cardigan) incompetence, inexperience and crass stupidity, contributed to the fatal Charge. Almost 40 years of peace, and the reactionary influence of the Duke of Wellington, had left the British army in a parlous state of unreadiness and bureaucratic confusion when the call came to defend Turkey against the Russians. The choice of the aged, gentle, inexperienced and unassertive Raglan, as leader of the expeditionary army, only made a bad situation worse. (For a rather more sympathetic portrayal of Raglan, as victim of an inefficient military system, criminally disorganised commissariat and unreasonable government, see "The Destruction of Lord Raglan" by Christopher Hibbert.) A more recent study, "The Charge" by Mark Adkin, provides a detailed and well-illustrated account of the events leading to the Charge of the Light Brigade. Adkin challenges traditional views , including parts of Cecil Woodham Smith's account. Particular attention is given to the role played by Captain Nolan (the messenger). Adkin suggests that Nolan may have deliberately misled Lucan and Cardigan as to Raglan's real intention. Whatever the truth, which is of course unknowable, "The Reason Why" is a genuine classic and an excellent introduction to a fascinating subject.

Woodham-Smith presents, in minute detail, the wages of placing social rank over experience, and even competence. British military history follows a disturbing trend. War starts, Brits get trounced upon, influx of fresh talent and new ideas comes (along with, sometimes, timely intercession by allies), British return to triumph. Woodham-Smith attributes this pattern to the notion in the higher ranks of the army (a notion espoused by the Duke of Wellington himself, pip pip!), that nobility ensures, if not competence, at least loyalty.

The price of this notion, is, of course, massive death, but because the massive death does not happen to the nobility, nobody important really minds. This is one reason the Charge of the Light Brigade, with which _the Reason Why_ primarily deals, was so different, and worthy of eulogizing in prose and song (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, by the way, appears absolutely nowhere in this text)--those dying, those paying the price for the Army's obsession with aristocracy, were aristocrats themselves.

Woodham-Smith manages to trace the careers of two utterly unsympathetic characters--Cardigan and Lucan--in a fascinating manner. This is no small feat, considering the reader will probably want, by the end of _the Reason Why_ to reach back in time and shake both of them, and maybe smack them around a bit.

Again, Cecil Woodham-Smith proves herself a master of the historian's craft, and produces a well-researched, thorough and driving account of what is probably the stupidest incident in modern military history.

The Crimean War changed so much about how war is waged--the treatment of prisoners and wounded being tops on the list of reforms brought about in the wake of the debacle. _The Reason Why_ is an excellent account, and should be required reading for anybody with even a remote interest in military history, or European history in general.

The Reason Why remains the classic study of the intriguing and sadly ludicrous episode in military history known as the Charge of the Light Brigade. The author, coming from an Army family and relying heavily on the writings of officers, largely neglects the experience of the private soldier and concentrates on the main characters in the drama. The story is dominated by these extraordinary personalities, serving as a reminder that war is an inherently human drama. On a second level, it is a criticism of the privilege system of the British Army of the mid-nineteenth century. In retrospect, one is hard pressed to believe such a purchase system could have ever won a victory at Waterloo. Intolerant aristocrats with no experience in battle, paltry leadership skills, and maddening unconcern for the soldiers under their command, bought their commissions. The Charge of the Light Brigade illuminated all of the faults of the system and proved that bravery alone was insufficient for victory. While human blunders led to the debacle that was the Charge of the Light Brigade, the British military system was intrinsically to blame.

The heart of this book concerns the relationship between society at large and the military. Military leaders feared nothing so much as public scrutiny, for widespread discontent could lead to political interference and, indeed, political control of the army. Whether in dealing with the incorrigible personalities of Lords Lucan and Cardigan or in covering up the series of blunders that resulted in the sacrificial ride of the Light Brigade, the military leadership acted with the overriding principle of preserving the Army from governmental control.

The embarrassments of the Crimean campaign proved uncontainable. A great source of difficulty was the incompetence of the Army staff; rank and privilege were held to be superior to actual experience. When these difficulties led to humiliation and defeat, the commanders' concern was not with the men they had lost nor the future of the war effort; to the exclusion of these, their main concern was that bad publicity would appear in Britain, that the public would hear of the lack of success, that the House would begin to ask questions of the military leadership, that the press would begin to criticize the Army. This great fear of political interference was realized in the aftermath of the Crimean War. The author portrays this as the one positive effect engendered by the War effort. A new era of military reform was born in Britain, Europe, and America. Experience now became a prerequisite for command, and officers were trained in staff colleges. The author's final point is that, above all, the treatment of the private soldier changed as the military system was humanized to some degree. Her assertion that at the end of the Crimean War the private soldier was regarded as a hero seems rather bold, but it is clear that he was no longer seen as a nonhuman tool of his commanders' designs.

This is the definitive "text book" for the subject of rocket propulsion. Its coverage of the subject is both broad and detailed. Probably a third of the book can be understood with no more than high school level physics and mathematics. The remainder requires some exposure to undergraduate level mechanical engineering, mathematics and physics, e.g. integral calculus, thermodynamics, etc. This book is in its 7th edition and it shows. The authors have a clean, precise, almost mechanical writing style that you would expect in a highly evolved technical work of this type. I do have one minor bone to pick with this book. The authors have clearly spent their lives doing rocketry in the mega million dollar world of NASA, General Dynamics, etc. Most of the graphs and diagrams emphasis big, big, rockets, e.g. graphs focusing on thrust chambers that operate at 5000 p.s.i. I suspect that most readers are either university students or individuals involved in experimental rocketry. Those that fall into the later category might benefit from better coverage of rocketry done with less exotic materials, fuels, and operating parameters. That minor weakness aside, this book covers in its 700 or so pages, everything that has been learned in the field of rocketry in the last 70 years and it presents this material at a fairly detailed technical level. It is therefore the book against which all others in the field will be judged.

The seventh edition of this book is absolutely amazing!!! It presents the material in a clear and concise manner without losing the reader. This book provides up to date information about every type of rocket propulsion system from solids and liquids, to hybrids and exotics. It also includes sections on design and trade studies for different systems. Of particular interest to me were the sections on hybrid propulsion and liquid engine injector design. This book is highly recommended to anyone interested in rocket propulsion design and analysis! 5 stars indeed!!!!!

It is always a pleasure to find a comprehensive overview of a field that can be understood by a non-specialist. I cannot testify as to how useful Rocket Propulsion Elements would be to an aerospace engineer, but for a technically inclined amateur like me it is a wonderful book. One of the things I like best about it is that it mixes theory with practical examples. It give a clear idea not only of the principles of rocket propulsion ,but also of the current state of the art. I was expecting this for the field of chemical rocketry, but I was delighted to find explanations of more obscure technologies, such as electric rocket of various types. I only wish that there were books this good in every field.

Both editors are marketing professors at The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), which is the world's leading business school (BusinessWeek and Financial Times). George Day is well-known for his market-driven strategy, while David Reibstein is one of the leading scholars in the field of competitive marketing strategy. The book is split in 4 parts, each consisting of 3-to-5 stand-alone chapters.

Part I - Understanding Advantages in a Changing Competitive Environment - discusses competitive arenas, competitor analysis, and competitive advantage. The first two chapters expand largely on Michael Porter's (Harvard Business School) frameworks, whereby the other two chapters introduce approaches to include policy and technology trends into the strategic planning process.

The aim of Part II - Anticipating Competitors' Actions - is to get inside the heads of competitors. Chapters 5 and 6 explain the possible use of the game theory within competitive strate!gy and strategic decision making. Chapter 7 builds on these chapters to integrate the economic frame (chapter 5), the behavioral frame (chapter 6), with an coevolution frame. The final chapters of this part introduce frameworks and approaches to understanding competitor response and competitive relationships.

Part III - Formulating Dynamic Competitive Strategies - builds on the first two parts and introduces approaches to designing strategies. It introduces reactive strategies, preemptive strategies, signaling opportunities and uses, competitive positioning, and antitrust constraints (which is increasingly important to companies).

In Part IV - Choosing Among Alternative Competitive Strategies - the three chapters introduce methods and frameworks for choosing the right strategy. Chapter 15, in which conjoint analysis is combined with scenario analysis, is perhaps the most complicated chapter of the book. Part IV also introduces the possibilities to use simulation !tests for analyzing and testing strategies.

Although this book is named "Wharton on Dynamic Competitive Strategy", there are various chapters from other academic institutions. Each chapter is an excellent piece of work and can be read on a stand-alone basis. For beginners in the strategic field I recommend chapters 1 and 2 highly. The book is written in business US-English.

A well-chosen set of essays is compiled, based on a 4-level framework: i)Analyze the competitive environment, ii)Anticipate competitor's actions & reactions, iii) Formulate Dynamic Strategies, iv) Choose among alternative strategies. The book provides a great way to update one's strategy knowledge.
But I find 'Mastering Strategy: The Complete MBA Companion in Strategy' by Financial Times Editors to be a better book with greater depth and broader spectrum.

This book is amazingly well written and goes from the basics of strategy to more complex subjects such as game theory. But the best of it is not the wide variety of strategy subjects or the amount of real world examples it uses but the integration between chapters. One can easily read this book at once or skip to chapters that are more interesting to him/her.

I consider this book essential for MBA students, management consultants and managers in general. Excellent choice!

Thom fleshes out American history with real characters, and an inside look at one of early America's most influential families. Although some of the Revolutionary War and Indian War sequences drag on a bit long, it was well worth the trip as a launching pad for the famed Lewis & Clark exploration. In fact, I hated to leave them as they reached the Pacific, and would like to see how they faced those same challenges on the journey home. It paints a less than flattering picture of our nation's early history, while at the same time celebrating the bravery of those who made it happen. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy even more this piece of history that Thom embraces like a story.

Although I'm not much of a history buff, I read this book at the advice of a friend. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. Thom brings the adventures of the Clark family to life. The book is accurate from a historical perspective and leaves the reader with a new appreciation of the courage and sacrifice behind our country's westward expansion. A must read.

This is the best novel of Revolutionary American history I have ever read. The story of the Clark family is incredible, especially that of two particular sons, George and William. Perhaps the main theme of this book is leadership. George Rogers Clark was a phenomenal leader. He almost single-handedly won the western frontier during the Revolution. In the end, he was ruined rather than rewarded, for his efforts. As his inner fire dies, it is momentarily rekindled by his young brother, who departs to co-lead the greatest adventure in American History. Thom's depiction of George's brutal marches on Kaskaskia and Vincennes, and the Journey of the Corps of Discovery, is a masterwork.