D-A Books

As an engineering student, good group and personal communication skills are essential for my success in the future. I recently attended a fantastic and educational two day seminar with the Glasers. Their expert skills as communicators not only makes their material fun to read, but offer outlines that are easy to follow for creating a successful presentation. Although these outlines are simple, they have a powerful affect on your communication skills if they are followed.

This summer I received my first research grant. To ensure that the funding I received is going to good use, I am required to give a presentation on my work every two weeks to a small group of students and the faculty adviser for the grant. My previous presentations had a complete lack of organization, excitement and professional delivery. After working with the Glasers and reading their material, I was able to design a new presentation that allowed me to express the passion I have for the subject.

It went tremendously better than my previous presentations this summer. A few people in the group had seen my previous talks. They said that I appeared very confident, well organized and passionate about the subject, a complete turn around from my other talks. The people who hadn't seen it before came up to me at the end and said that they couldn't imagine it any other way.

In short, this book can help anyone become a better speaker and group communicator. From students who are looking to improve their group communication skills, teams of workers who need to solve problems in a safe and open environment to individuals who have trouble facing conflict with their mentors, bosses and employees.

Thank you Glasers

Incredibly helpful. Very easy read- although this may be because it was well written and extremely interesting. I use it daily during interactions with strangers on the bus to family members. Makes communication feel like cheating because of the way I can easily express my ideas and needs to people around me. I'd recommend it to my friends and family members, but I'm afraid they'll learn my tricks:)

Thanks so much Drs. Glaser!!!

Susan and Peter Glaser have made a fabulous contribution to creating trusting relationships. They have an excellent ability to simplify a complex process of creating trusting relationships. And if you have not seen them speak, make sure to do so. The book is a must read and their workshops are a must as well. I highly recommend.

Despite the title, the book lays out fundamental principles of human interaction that draw from all areas of the field of communication. Crisp prose coupled with vivid examples that have the ring of realism. A useful book.

Not only is the Glasers' book Be Quiet and Be Heard a book that will benefit all who use their proven successful communication methods - it's a great read. The language and style present their cogent ideas with examples, with clarity and with humor. I believe you'll enjoy reading this book while learning strategies that give you new skills in communicating with those you may consider friend or foe. It's a terrific book!

Bluford high:Blood is thicker by Paul Langan & D.M. Blackwell

The setting of this book is in a small, poverty suburbs in Detroit Michigan. This book is about a boy named Hakeem, who moves from his hometown in California, Detroit. Hakeem moves to Detroit,Michigan because his father is sick. Hakeem goes to Detroit to live with his uncle and his cousin Savon. Hakeem and savon were very close but lost contact with each other. Savon doesn't spend time with his cousin because he thinks he's to cool for that. The genre of the book is fictional. The conflict is that Hakeem has to figure out if Savon is the robber of all the stores because he sneaks out every night. Hakemm knew that all the stores on his block had been robbed, even his uncle's Jason store. So Hakeem thought it was Savon because he was sneaking out every night. The theme of this book is trust because Hakeem has to trust in himself that his dad we'll be alright. He also has to trust his cousin savon that he isn't stealing. This book has a good ending so i suggest that all middle school students should read this. I like this book because it is very interesting and it tells stories about fake people but real events.

Bluford high:Blood is thicker by Paul Langan & D.M. Blackwell

The setting of this book is in a small, poverty suburbs in Detroit Michigan. This book is about a boy named Hakeem, who moves from his hometown in California, Detroit. Hakeem moves to Detroit,Michigan because his father is sick. Hakeem goes to Detroit to live with his uncle and his cousin Savon. Hakeem and savon were very close but lost contact with each other. Savon doesn't spend time with his cousin because he thinks he's to cool for that. The genre of the book is fictional. The conflict is that Hakeem has to figure out if Savon is the robber of all the stores because he sneaks out every night. Hakemm knew that all the stores on his block had been robbed, even his uncle's Jason store. So Hakeem thought it was Savon because he was sneaking out every night. The theme of this book is trust because Hakeem has to trust in himself that his dad we'll be alright. He also has to trust his cousin savon that he isn't stealing. This book has a good ending so i suggest that all middle school students should read this. I like this book because it is very interesting and it tells stories about fake people but real events.

Bluford high:Blood is thicker by Paul Langan & D.M. Blackwell

The setting of this book is in a small, poverty suburbs in Detroit Michigan. This book is about a boy named Hakeem, who moves from his hometown in California, Detroit. Hakeem moves to Detroit,Michigan because his father is sick. Hakeem goes to Detroit to live with his uncle and his cousin Savon. Hakeem and savon were very close but lost contact with each other. Savon doesn't spend time with his cousin because he thinks he's to cool for that. The genre of the book is fictional. The conflict is that Hakeem has to figure out if Savon is the robber of all the stores because he sneaks out every night. Hakemm knew that all the stores on his block had been robbed, even his uncle's Jason store. So Hakeem thought it was Savon because he was sneaking out every night. The theme of this book is trust because Hakeem has to trust in himself that his dad we'll be alright. He also has to trust his cousin savon that he isn't stealing. This book has a good ending so i suggest that all middle school students should read this.

Bluford high:Blood is thicker by Paul Langan & D.M. Blackwell

The setting of this book is in a small, poverty suburbs in Detroit Michigan. This book is about a boy named Hakeem, who moves from his hometown in California, Detroit. Hakeem moves to Detroit,Michigan because his father is sick. Hakeem goes to Detroit to live with his uncle and his cousin Savon. Hakeem and savon were very close but lost contact with each other. Savon doesn't spend time with his cousin because he thinks he's to cool for that. The genre of the book is fictional. The conflict is that Hakeem has to figure out if Savon is the robber of all the stores because he sneaks out every night. Hakemm knew that all the stores on his block had been robbed, even his uncle's Jason store. So Hakeem thought it was Savon because he was sneaking out every night. The theme of this book is trust because Hakeem has to trust in himself that his dad we'll be alright. He also has to trust his cousin savon that he isn't stealing. This book has a good ending so i suggest that all middle school students should read this.

"That's it Savon barked, charging Hakeem like an enraged lion." This book is called Blood is Thicker by Paul Langan and D.M Blackwell.

This book takes place in a low class suburb in Detroit Michigan. It is about a boy named Hakeem who moves from California to Detroit because, his father is very sick and they cannot afford there house so, they come live with their uncle. Savon is Hakeems cousin. They were good friends when they were young but they have lost contact. We Hakeem got there he wonder why Savon was being mean to him. He also meets this girl next door who he thinks is pretty. He teaches her how to play guitar. It's a way for him to relive stress and have a fun time with her. Savon had been sneaking around came home late at night. So Uncle James asked him to find out what Savon was up to. There had been robberies almost every store on Main Street except his father furniture store. Then the real bad blood between the two begins. The ending is a shock. This is a fictional novel. I would recommend this book for any middle school student. This is the eighth book in the Bluford High series. The next book is Brothers in Arms. If you like big endings this book is for you.

'Building Moral Intelligence' helped me to gain a new perspective of moral intelligence, and how I can raise my children to understand. This book was very helpful and informing.
No time to read the whole book? Check out the 8 page summary at ParentsDigest.com

This book is a must read for every parent. We need to bring up our children to be morally responsible citizens. Each chapter shares ideas and simple acitivities on how to plant the seeds to produce people you would want to be in charge of running the world. It also reaffirms that as a parent you have the most important role in shaping your child. As a counselor, teacher and most importantly parent to three children, I have recommended this book to both family members and clients alike!

I have a sixteen-year-old who is questioning all morals. I was finding it difficult to put into words the importance of morals. I bought this book for her to read. She isn't reading it, but I am and I'm finding it very helpful in facilitating discussions with her. At dinner time I bring up one of the seven moral virtues and ideas that the book presents. I've found that it leads to great conversations with her about character and moral behaviors. It has given me the words for concepts that can be difficult to convey in our current morally challenging times. I recommend buying this book when your children are young and referencing it often.

Truthfully speaking i was so desperate to change my son's attitude and behaviour towards his friends and towards life.
I am a full time mother and i had done all i can think of to make my son understand more about life, etiquette, morality, character and how to make friends and be a friend.
This book has brought the truth to me.
It makes me really look at my own life first and foremost , how i deal with people, how i treat others,etc...
My action speaks louder than my words.
I grew up surrounded by priviledge and i take alot of things for granted. I just don't realise that my son whom i love very much is looking at me every second with open eyes and ears!!

This book does not only help me change my son's character, but this book also shows me how to be a better mother, a living example for my children to follow.

Very useful prescription to put kids on. It is what's missing in America today. To those who really love their family and our country, be sure to read Building Moral Intelligence by Michele Borba, and also, West Point: Character Leadership Education.. by Norman Thomas Remick.

For once a book that makes you THINK.
To say the example is from the Boer war period (1900) and that the principles exposed are still useful today will give you an idea of how good this little book is...
I've been a military reader all my life (I even did a compulsory military service) and this is on my top ten.
I must admit my interest in war is more concentrated in earlier periods... and the introduction of modern weapons and khaki is my personal limit (mass murder and carpet bombing I find hard to digest)... of course this is pretty silly of me (war has never been "gentle"... but I'll cling to my romantic approach to the subject).

But getting back to the point, the alternatives, thought provoking questions, and scenarios provided by this little gem DID impress me a lot!, I must confess that after years of wargaming and reading about war I committed all the possible mistakes in my deployments and anticipating what...

So the lecture is really a "come back to earth" experience.
A brilliant book, recommended even for crime (is it not a crime to cause the dead of your soldiers because of your negligence?) and mystery aficionados and not exclusively for military buffs.

ADB

Marine officers are often required to read this book during The Basic School (the six month infantry-focused training all lieutenants undergo after OCS or the Naval Academy). I have read that some Army schools also list it as required reading. Swinton takes a simple issue, the defense of a small swatch of land during entrusted to a young officer, and uses dream sequences to illustrate shortcomings of various tactical approaches to the problem. The officer realizes via hindsight the solutions to each problem and the reader becomes engaged in a sort of Monday-morning quarterbacking of his methods. Just when you think you have the answer, Swinton tears your theory to pieces with the next report of failure. After reading all of the scenarios, one realizes that the answer was so simple and some basic but careful analysis would yield the answer. That is the heart and core of tactics. Making a quick decision with limited information but moderate knowledge in order to come up with a 90% solution. Not only is this book a must-read, it yields new lessons every time I go back to it. It's one of those books you buy and come back to every few years. Highly recommended for the military historian, NCO or junior officer.

A perfect primer for every small-unit leader and above. Learn guerilla tactics and how to counter them from the series mistakes in a series of dreams of another young Lt. The story is a fast-paced and entertaining story and provides lessons learned by real combat experience. Though the setting is the Anglo-Boer war, the lessons are universal and well thought out. An enjoyable primer on small unit leadership of counterinsurgency.

Swinton is a military professional with experience in the Boer War who wrote this famous short book based on a series of thoughts he had on how a infantry unit with only 50 men could defend a river crossing. A young Lieutenant has the role but you are given his perspective, the terrain features, the political situation, conflict with civilians and limits on your own military support. There is a brief history of the war with the "Dutch" and then your Lieutenant receives his assignment. With the use of maps, there are six scenarios of the Lieutenants approach to defending the crossing (drift). Each scenario is acted out and with each of the first five scenarios there are several lessons learned such as the effect of enfilading fire, the limitations of a simple trench, the use of the military crest versus being located on top of the hill, the effect the local sympathetic population may have on aiding guerrilla fighters, the effect of surprise, disguising your defense from view, proper posting of sentries and responsibilities, how to combat artillery, dealing with multiple directions of attack, using the terrain to advantage and on. As the Lieutenant in each scenario learns from his mistakes, he alters the outcome to his advantage but only incrementally. Only at the end and sixth scenario does he get it right but with realistic loss. The same map is introduced in each scenario with defense features matching the new defensive tactics. Fascinating book for all interested in basic infantry tactics, which has been used as a training manual for militaries world wide. This is a very readable book that can be read in less than 2 hours time. Applicable to any war but this book would be interesting to read with an account of Rappahannock Station, which was a spearhead position held by Confederates in advance of Lee's line on November 7, 1863 where Meade's forces overwhelmed the defenders and took almost 3,000 prisoners. Duffer's Drift would be very applicable here.

Hypothetical Lt Backsight Forethought has 50 men and a mission to hold a drift in South African territory during the Boer War of 1899-1902, and he starts his mission fresh from officer training and being totally unaware of the realities of combat. In the first trial he gets beaten really bad but he analyzes his faults and learn from them. He also gets beaten in his second, third, fourth and fifth trial, every time making different mistakes which the enemy does not forgive. Finally, when he has a sixth chance to re-fight the battle he puts up a splendid performance making his opponent to pay dearly and holding the drift until friendly reinforcements arrive. It is a very enjoyable little book and although it was written a hundred years ago it is still very useful for anyone who wants to learn about the core of tactical prowess in infantry battle.

I found the writing profound, honest, unambivalent, compassionate and compelling. Simply I loved it. It touched many of the areas I, as a man, wrestled with as I shared the passing of my Dad and mother-in-law. I don't know if you intended it to be so but you have provided a primer for us all in handling the scary part of dying. I especially had to re-read the moment before dying when Kris became lucid---that happened to me and my Dad- what a gift from God--I was the only one of my siblings there at the time because I slept in his room that night. He passed only two days later. Thank you for writing and being brave enough to share this account of a very personal chapter in your life. Judy you are a beautiful person. God Bless you.
Paul Meola, economist

Very touching book about the last months of someone living with cancer. The feelings shared are touching. Most useful though are the practical ideas -- things that need to be done before death. Business type things and more importantly -- making peace type activities that allow for a peaceful passing. Highly recommend this book to anyone going through this or helping someone die.

As a former hospice nurse, I found Judy Underwood's book to be a practical guide for anyone who is involved with someone who is terminally ill. The day to day experiences she reports are so real. As the chapters progress, you understand how dying is a process, and how time allows everyone involved the ability to deal with what occurs. It was a beautiful story filled with love and compassion.

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the author, Dr. Judy Underwood, at an event in Denver, CO. Her authenticity, sincerity and humbleness compelled me to purchase her book, even though I am not currently challenged with end-of-life issues with anyone in my circle of family and friends. Her deep caring for humanity comes through the pages of this book so clearly. Her guidance for anyone involved in dealing with someone dying is invaluable. Dr. Underwood tells it "like it is" in a refreshing, frank and compassionate manner. This book can enrich everyone's quality of life today and provides much needed resources and assistance for future death and dying experiences we will all face.

I wish Underwood had published this book about two years ago when my daughter-in-law's mother was losing her battle with cancer. It would have been a tremendous comfort for her, as well as for those who loved her. It is an inspiring account of a woman's final months, as well as a detailed instuction manual for the next step after our earthly existence. The advice and guidelines the author offers are invaluable. I hope I am able to die with grace and approach death as the next great adventure after life .

This is a beautiful story and the illustrations are top-notch. Ella is a sweet little elephant who engages young readers. I recommend the whole series, particularly this one and Ella Sets the Stage. My six year old son returns to these books over and over again.

This is a very cute story and I look forward to reading it to my daughter.

I really love the "Ella" series... The books are nice and sweet, and presents a marvelously imagined, self-contained world that will strongly appeal to little kids. It has a similar feel to the "Curious George" and "Babar" books, except without all the weird, disturbing undertones that make those classics a bit troublesome. A great choice for some fun books that you don't have to worry about. (ReadThatAgain)

I have a five and a seven year old and they love everything ELLA. The best part is, so do I. This story, as well as ELLA TAKES THE CAKE is a gem. The message really resonates with both my children and me...I get teary at the end. So many children's books are just silly or entertaining. This one is both but also very literary. I love the allusion to the golden rule and the lesson about staying true to yourself. The illustrations are gorgeous, too! I highly reccommend this book.

Originally, my daughter borrowed this book from the library. She likes elephants and thought Ella was cute. We fell in love with Ella and her story, so we purchased our own copy...well Santa Claus did. My girls are 4 & 6, they both love the story.

It's worth picking up a copy, alot of information in there. Good thick book. Glad i bought it.

This book must have taken a life time of research and work. It is the most comprehensive and complete work on the Maya I have read. I was particulary interested in the Maya Calendar history and their methods of working the calendar.

This is by far the most comprehensive book about the ancient Maya. There are several excellent shorter ones; this is the go-to book for thorough reference. It has become almost as "classic" as Maya civilization. Sharer reminisces about being "hooked on" Maya studies by the third edition (by Morley and Brainerd, 1956); so was I, back when it was newly minted. How much has changed since. Scholars can now read Maya. We now can match written history, sculptured portrayals, and archaeological findings to identify the actual skeletons of some of the greatest and most famous Maya kings, such as Yax K'uk' Mo' of Palenque. We have entire dynastic lists covering centuries, for many of the major cities. We can use bone chemistry to find out what the Maya ate. All of this was almost beyond the wildest dreams of the 1950s.
The Maya turn out to have been as brilliant, original and creative as anyone ever thought, a truly homemade civilization, one of the few in a tropical forest environment. They are said to have "collapsed" due to ecological maladjustment, but this book notes that modern research shows the civilization lasted well over 1,000 years before the "collapse" around 900 AD, and it was a fairly local phenomenon. This local collapse was due to drought, warfare, and some ecological overshoot--too many people doing too much (including burning too many trees to make lime for stucco and cement). The Maya kept on. They took on the Spanish and often won. The last independent state held out till 1697, and Maya continued holding out in remote backlands; in 1846 the Mexican Maya rebelled again, and created an independent state, finally reconquered after 1900 and turned into the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. As for what has happened since, suffice it to say that 3 days ago I saw an election sign painted in huge letters on a wall in central Quintana Roo: "PRESERVE YOUR PRIDE IN BEING MAYA!"
There are very few errors in this book, but some need correcting in the 7th edition. Most are in the very early sections, and are often left over from previous editions. Page 5, 16th-century Europeans are said to be "secure in the knowledge that they alone represented civilized life...." No, they revered China, and knew plenty about India, Persia and Arabia. P. 9, coffee is said to have come "soon" with the Europeans; not till the 19th century, at least as a major crop. 23, Nahuatl loanwords reflecting rise of central Mexico in the Postclassic: Well, a lot of those Nahuatl loanwords came with the Spanish (who had Nahuatl soldiers with them). Page 33, caiman: The book confuses the animal called "caiman" in English, an alligator-like creature not found within hundreds of miles of Mayaland, with the crocodile, which is called "caiman" in Mexican Spanish; also, pythons are claimed as native to Mayaland! The nearest they get is Africa; evidently "boa constrictors" are meant. Then nothing till page 640, where a typo (apparently two decimal places missed) has given us a preposterous yield figure for beans (in the table at the top of the page). The yields of maize are also pretty high, though not ridiculous. There are a few other errors in the book, but nothing of consequence that I can pick up.
The book uses the "new" transcription system for Maya languages, but sometimes slips and uses the "old" system, and sometimes mixes them up in the same word (e.g. "dz'onot" on p. 52). One related annoyance--not Sharer's fault; alas, it is becoming standard--is respelling "Yucatec" in the new transcription system. "Yucatec" is a SPANISH word, with no excuse in Maya, and should not be respelled. (For the record, the Spanish coined "Yucatec" from a misunderstood Maya phrase and a Nahuatl ending. They also popularized some Nahuatl ethnic names for Maya peoples. These names, like Huastec and Aguacatec, should be spelled in whatever system in now standard for Nahuatl--not in a Maya system. Better yet, they should be replaced with the actual Mayan names, like Teenek for Huastec.)
The one place I would respectfully disagree with this book is on ancient Maya population. Sharer has "tens of millions" of Maya in the 700s AD and around then. On the basis of some years of field experience with (mostly modern) Maya agriculture, I don't think this is possible. Granted that the old myth of purely-swidden agriculture is long dead, "tens of millions" would require agricultural intensity of a sort found, in preindustrial times, only in the wet-rice lands of east and southeast Asia. Mayaland is small, and only some of it is at all fertile. Sharer's evidence is a couple of surveys showing high densities of settlement in particularly favored areas; not only are they atypical, there is no guarantee the houses discovered were all occupied at once. I would guess the peak total for Mayaland was between 5 and 10 million; at least, the agriculture I know would support that many, if it had some additional intensification of the sort well documented. Beyond that, all is speculative.
One more thought. The Maya were supposed to be "peaceful" back in my student days. Then, with reading the Classic Period texts, scholars found they were pretty warlike. This led to some exaggeration the other way. Fortunately, Sharer is far too careful and comprehensive a scholar to fall for either the "peaceful" or the "warlike" view. The "warlike" view was justified by the big monuments in the Maya city squares. These commemorated wars and victories, just as do those in town squares in the midwestern US. Alas, we lack the ordinary writings--the equivalent of midwestern newspapers, with their record of marriages, births, corn and hog prices, store openings, and the like. Surely the Maya had their equivalents. What interests me here is the incredibly long life spans of Maya kings. Many lived, and even reigned, for 50, 60, even 70 years. Compare that with the Roman or Chinese emperors or the kings of France. Clearly, Mayaland in its glory days was a pretty peaceful, healthy place--though, indeed, not the paradise dreamed by romantic archaeologists of the early 20th century!
The ancient Maya are still a pretty mysterious lot in many ways, and there is a huge amount to learn. We had better do it soon. Sharer provides a long, excellent, very disturbing account of the looting that has destroyed much of the Maya heritage and will destroy all of it (at least in Guatemala) if a massive effort isn't mounted soon.
On the other hand, nothing is more heartening than the number of Maya who are becoming archaeologists and ethnographers, and studying their own past. More power to them.

Had this book been less than half its size readers would end up learning much more about the Maya from it. Unfortunately, there's much too much that belongs in an Archeology 101 class here and by the time you get to some discussion of the Maya, you're half asleep. Those of us who are not reading archeology for the first time will wish the author had just kept his discussion to the Maya, as the title suggests he will, and assumed we understood the basics.

Personally, I'm still looking for a book on the Maya so that as I travel from site to site in Quintanaroo, Yucatan, Guatemala and Honduras, I will have a basic understanding of the site I'm driving to. I just booked a trip that will book me in the area of Chac Mool soon. I'll see what I can find.

By far the most thorough book on the Ancient Maya I have ever seen. It covers all the history and gives a great deal of arceological information. There is also a lot of information on the religious, social, and economic life of the Maya. The book covers in great deal the history of each Mayan polity and it is very well organized. If there is anything you want to know about the Maya it will be in this book.

Dr. Anderson's book is an excellent tool if you'd like to teach yourself aerodynamics and have the background in math to handle it (multivariable and vector calculus...get "Div, Grad, Curl, and All That" if you need a refresher). His derivations are very clear and his chapter maps provide a nice road guide to give you an idea of where you're going. This book is also very good at maintaining rigor in describing the limitations of the derivations, a necessary quality since a lot of us tend to forget that the results we see are only valid in certain circumstances (incompressible flow, irrotational flow, inviscid flow, etc.).

Very few downsides: a few typos and no answers to end-of-the-chapter problems.

With no doubt this is the best Aerodynamics book for college students ever written...ever!Very clear explanations,full of examples and a good set of exercises to challenge your understanding of the subject. The only negative point is that there no answers to the problems.

Over 5 years as an aerospace engineer at Boeing and Lockheed Martin, I have used this book far more than any other for aeronautics. This is not only a good textbook, but an excellent reference, and one of the few technical books I have found worth reading cover-to-cover. Many engineers simply say "look at Anderson" to find whatever answers you need.

5 Stars.

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics, by John D. Anderson, provides an excellent foundation in aerodynamics for engineers. Presented at the graduate or senior undergraduate level, this book covers all of the fundamentals in a student-friendly manner that also works well as a professional reference.

Dr. Anderson has quite a gift for placing information in appropriate contexts - both technically and historically. The book is well organized and promotes learning by laying a solid foundation and then building on that foundation. The sample problems presented through the chapters are clear and effective at illustrating important points.

Major topics include: Incompressible non-viscous flow, Compressible flow, and Viscous flow (including an introduction to boundary layers). Significant time is spent on potential flow theory and it's application to the prediction of lift and induced drag.

Also recommended for students of aeronautics are Dr. Anderson's other titles, including:

- Introduction to Flight

- Modern Compressible Flow with a Historical Perspective

- Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics

"Fundamentals of Aerodynamics" is an excellent book by a knowledgeable author that provides the basic know-how and skills that an aeronautical engineer will find useful and helpful. The book is well written in a readable and easy to follow format that provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of aerodynamics. The author reinforced his message with numerous helpful examples and several illustrations which should help the reader to grasp the aerodynamics concepts and principles.

This is among the best aerodynamics books on the market for those studying the subject. You will find the aerodynamics concepts and theory well presented and explained.

This is recommended reading for those studying aeronautical engineering at undergraduate level. Practicing aeronautical engineers will also find the book to be a useful reference.

Heart Choice is the perfect title for it. Straif and Mitchella have some hard choices to make.

Straif Blackthorn is the last of his line--his entire family died from a disease that, due to a genetic disorder, they lack immunity to. He's spent his adult life searching the wilds of Celta for a cure, with no success.

Mitchella Clover's life was also changed because of disease. In a family known for its fertility, she's sterile.

When Straif hires Mitchella to renovate his Residence, on the advice of his new Fam, Drina, the attraction is immediate, but both know it can't go anywhere.

Then a distant cousin, unaffected by the genetic disorder, challenges Straif for head of the family, accusing him of neglect, and a series of escalating threats are made to Mitchella, and both of them have to determine what's most important to them.

Every time I get a new Celta story, I'm reminded again why I like them so much. Not only is there convincing world-building of a fascinating environment and system of magic, not only are there compelling characters and a happy-ever-after romantic ending, but the characters have real problems to overcome and life-altering decisions to make. And of course there are those Fams for insight and comic relief.

I enjoyed the book immensely. I have now read all opf the series and would like to see how some of these relationships work ok. I was unable to stop reading unless I fell asleep or reached the end of the story. I like the way all of the main characters cross over into the other books in the series. All of the series seems to be well put together and I will be looking forward to more books from the Heart series.

As with her previous books in the Celta series, Robin Owens once again enriches her stories with a romantic match-up between characters who are unique, interesting, and fun to get to know. Straif, whose flair power has made him the premiere tracker on the planet, has been searching for a cure to the illness that wiped out his family. For years he has avoided returning home since everyone in his family died there except for him (at last, fans will learn how he managed to survive the fatal illness). But now a distant relative is laying claim to the home and all his property unless he returns, fixes the place up, and restores it to its past grandeur. He hires Mitchella Clover for the daunting task. Her flair skills at interior decorating are still developing, but her creativity will delight the reader, especially her passionate desire to help Straif even when his accounts are frozen while ownership of the property is contested. This books delves into the rigid obligations of Druida City's upper crust society, what is expected of those with great flair, and the responsibilities that heretofore Straif has been avoiding. Mystery, danger, humor, heartache, revelations, and love are all deliciously intermixed in this story, a skill Owens is a true mistress of in all her "Heart" books. New readers and fans alike will not be disappointed.

This author is fantastic - each book I read draws me further into this world and into the characters that exist in all the books. I want a heartmate too!

Straif Blackthorn is the last of the Blackthorn family. His entire family had been wiped out by the Celtan Angh virus fifteen years ago due to a defect in the family genes. He had decided to move back to the T'Blackthorn Residence, his ancestral home. The morning he made his decision to move back to the ancestral home, a wet cat informs him that she is his Familiar. "You will adore Me. Everybody adores Me." They adopted each other and became companions. The Fam's name is Drina. She's a beautiful half-Siamese cat, the daughter of the Cat Zanth, which is Familiar to T'Ash.

Mitchella is a member of the Clovers family. They are a family that pride themselves as the most fertile family on Celta. Mitchella cannot bear children of her own. She's sterile, a condition caused by a disease when she was a child. She has a ward, Antenn, who she loves as much as she would any child of her own body. Mitchella owns The Four Leaf Clover, a store specializing in interior design.

After returning to his ancestral home and activating the spells for housekeeping and general habitation, Drina informed Straif that the house was not up to a cat of her degree. They must go shopping. After all Drina is female, she likes shopping. She insists they shop at The Four Leaf Clover. Drina will not allow the gloom to remain in the residence. Besides, she needs an adequate pillow to sleep on. Mitchella had been pondering how she was going to keep her store open without getting a loan from her family. When Straif introduced himself and told her he needed his home redecorated and refurnished, she just knew this would be an expensive job. Sexually attracted to the man and a good paying job, could a woman ask for more? But, he's a noble of the highest class, and a relationship between them would never work.

Robin D. Owens has written another winner with HEART CHOICE. This is the fourth book in her Heartmate series. I was fascinated by the magical environment. The house itself was amazing. It was like a living being. It was able to communicate and use Straif's flair in order to take care of itself. Mitchella was able to use her flair to redecorate the rooms. She could even make walls into moving scenes. I absolutely adored the Familiar, Drina's snotty attitude. Her diva attitude had me laughing out loud many times. Straif and Mitchella's hearts had both been grievously injured in the past. Straif by the deaths of his family to the virus he had survived, and Mitchella by men's rejection due to the fact that she couldn't bear heirs. Their love for each other is almost tangible. Straif's determination to find a cure for his family's genes keeps him from seeing the possibility that Mitchella could be his Heartmate. It was wonderful to revisit Celta and get to read about some of the characters we learned about in previous books. HEART CHOICE is a wonderful book to lose yourself in for a while! I'll be anxiously awaiting the next book in this wonderfully imaginative series.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

Well, she's done it again. It's always a treat to visit Celta, and this is no exception.

Trif Clover, of the non-noble but prolific Clover family, discovered during her last Passage that she has a HeartMate. Young and impatient, she sets about trying to find him, using a charm key (the cover illustration--it's a gorgeous cover, btw).

Unfortunately for Trif, her HeartMate is avoiding her. He's Black Ilex Winterberry, a guardsman from a noble family but working for a living. Not only is he twice her age, and thinks she deserves someone younger, but he has a talent for prescience, and he's foreseen his own death--in the very near future. When HeartMates are bonded, and one dies, the other dies shortly after as well, and he's desperate to save Trif from that fate.

Unfortunately for Ilex, someone is going around killing young people with unstable Flair, and Trif fits the victims' profile, so he's compelled to stay close to her and keep her safe.

As with the other books in this series, the worldbuilding is superb. I'm not a very visual person, but I'm pretty sure if you plopped me down in the middle of Celta, I could find my way around. The way magic works is clear and consistent--and unusual.

Also as usual is the emotional depth. Ilex in particular has a very rough time of it. Knowing of his own death in advance is bad enough, but the more he's around Trif, the more painful and intense his feelings for her become. He's also been smacked with family difficulties that hurt him, and that I'm crossing my fingers will lead to future stories in this series.

Trif doesn't have it quite as rough, but her emotions are right there on the page--excitement, impatience, and frustration at first, and as time goes on, they become more complex as well.

I also enjoyed the mystery component of Heart Quest, particularly the details of how Flair is used in criminal investigations. My only teensy problem with it was that I'd hoped a certain person would be implicated, but that's mostly because that character made me so angry.

Again, all the intensity is balanced by humor, much of which is provided by the fams: sentient, telepathic pets. The cats' voices in particular will sound very familiar to anyone who's ever had a cat.

I'd say more, but everything's turning out fangirly-squeeing. Bottom line: great book. I loved it.

Heart Quest if full of romantic tension, murder, and mystery. Readers will particularly enjoy how Robin Owens has woven fascinating secondary characters into Ilex and Trif's story. Right to the end, you'll wonder who lives, who dies, and who has been right all along - Trif or Ilex. A truly enjoyable read, a solid winner that will have you eagerly awaiting the next book in the Celta HeartMate series. It's always a pleasure to return to the magical inhabitants of Druida City and find out who will be next to discover their HeartMate.

I read the first few books in the series years ago and have been reading her new series as of late. I know it has been quite some time since I read a book from this series, but I really think she surpassed herself on this one. I can remember the previous books being more mushy and romantic. This one was sweet but primarily I found it to be a mystery. A cult is killing people in horrific sacrificial manner and our main characters are not only trying to solve the case and trying to stay off the evil people's radar. Definitely worth your time. I loved it and had a hard time putting it down.

I somehow missed this book on it's release date, but was a must have as soon as I realized it was available. I loved Triff's story. Ms. Owen's continues to be one of my top 10 authors.

I have to admit, it took me a couple of Ms. Owens' books before I got the hang of the setting. It was so different from other works, but I kept coming back for more. In Heart Quest, the main characters Trif and Ilex were carefully crafted and so dear, story line was paced well, never a dull moment. I can't wait to read more on the Winterberry's in the next book!