D-A Books

What a great book from a great person. the different chapters and the different adventures. I have never seen a book quite like this one. Will keep you reading from chapter to chapter. Keep up the great work and look forward to the next one. The children you are supporting from the proceeds of the book also a very noble cause.

AWESOME BOOK! You will not find a more personalized, "real life" travel book out there...Excellent photographs from around the World! Once I finished reading it, I started it all over again--couldn't put it down, it's a real page turner...

This book is not at all what you might expect. If you open it expecting the diary notes of someone who descended into insanity, you won't find that here. What you will find, instead, is a big, lush, lavish volume, rich with pictures and personal notes, splashed with artwork and experiences of the author's cross-global journey through South America, Africa, and Asia. It is as much as work of art as it is a book.

What Garner calls his "madness" is what he refers to as his previous obsession with making money and building corporate empires. He spent years of his life at this until one day, he just dropped it all and went off in search of himself. For two years he and a companion, Heather (whose last name we never learn), wandered the world living with the people of the countries they visited and looking for adventure. They found plenty of it--from a fearsome night they spent in Mexico thinking they had been kidnapped, to being attacked by the most unusual brigands in Central America, to living among the Masai in Africa. Everywhere Garner went in search of answers, he found people in every part of the world who were honest, hospitable and somehow managed to live happily even without water, food or school supplies to educate their children.

Not only is this an emotional journey of discovery, it is also a treasure hunt. The author has placed a secret code in his volume and given readers the key to deciphering it. All over the world, he has hidden objects which he invites readers to find as they unravel the code. He has dedicated sales of the book to helping poor children worldwide, and every time a new child is helped, he places his or her picture on the website.

And the website is as lavish and artful as the book. It contains more information about the secret code and Garner's personal campaign to save the world, one child at a time.

And he gives the most unique explanation of typos I have ever seen. On little cards inserted in the pages, he says things like: "Think you saw a typo? Think again." Now that's a stroke of genius that other authors could envy. It automatically excuses every error missed in proofreading.

On the book's gorgeous full-color cover, he says, "This is more than a book, it is an experience."

Armchair Interviews is inclined to agree with him.

I have to say, being an avid book reader, this book was truly a wonder. This is a book for everyone who is interested in travel, adventure and buried treasure. It has 40 amazing chapters of travel stories from around the world. The stories themselves are so well written and it amazed me they are all true. Also, inbetween each chaper you get to see full color artwork and photography that the author has taken from all over the world. In addition to all that, GD Garner has actually hidden clues inside the book that lead the reader to a buried treasure! The clues are hidden on all 7 continents as well as online and the reader can use the book and website to uncover the buried treasure! This book is really an amazing and unique experience for every reader. It is an absolute MUST READ for anyone interested in travel, photographgy, or just really amazing true stories. I highly recommend this book as a next purchase for your book collection.

It only took reading the book's prologue for me to completely commit to following the author through his journey. The perspectives on geography, culture, and humanity were vivid, enlightening, and entertaining. The artwork and photography included alone has value way beyond the asking price. I've dreamed of traveling the world. I can only hope that I would receive the experience a fraction as well as the author. Add that part of the proceeds from the book benefit children's charities makes this book a must buy!

This is an excellent book on performance measurement. Very short, simple and easy to follow. The concept of critical dimensions and its effect on dysfunctional measurement it's well worth the read. By the way, one may also want to check the famous paper "On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B" by Steven Kerr.

I teach courses on software metrics and do some research on software-related measurement. As Austin points out in his book, many of the well-known advocates of metrics in the software community are blind to the issues that he raises, or they dismiss the issues as social science hooey that won't affect serious engineering. They are so, so wrong. This is a useful, readable book, that teaches hard lessons.

Managing engineers is very challenging; measuring their performance is even harder. This book offers a fantastic review of leading research on the subject and establishes a strong case for delegatory techniques. It's a quick read but much more academically rigorous than similar management guides.

This book is filled with both humorous and chilling examples of measurement dysfunction that make the sometimes academic approach quite palatable. Dr. Austin identifies three different types of performance measurement based on the intent of the measurement - measurement for motivation, process improvement, or process coordination. It is measurement for motivation that causes the dysfunction that this book so convincingly describes.

For example, if we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A and we are comparing this against the 10 widget benchmark for bonuses, it is very likely that other perspectives like quality will suffer in the drive to make the 10 widget goal. Austin makes the point that the discovery that every time our overall performance is excellent we have produced 10 widgets does not imply that producing 10 widgets will guarantee excellent overall performance.

If we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A while only eight widgets are produced in the same time using competing technology on machine B, this is measurement for process improvement and can be very useful - provided it is limited in scope and used purely for the stated purpose.

If we record the fact that 10 widgets are produced on machine A and convey this information to the widget packaging department to ensure that enough widget cases are ready, this is measurement for process coordination, and is also potentially useful on its own.

The idea that the intent or goal of the measurement is of paramount importance is one important lesson from this book.

Austin does make some recommendations about developing effective performance measurement systems.

Understanding the costs involved with "perfect" measurements is part of the solution. Substituting a cheaper approximation for a key measurement is bound to cause problems - witness the measurement of nitrogen instead of protein in wheat gluten used in pet food. The incorrect justification for cheaper approaches is a thread surfaces in other areas - reusing financial figures as a proxy for management accounting leads to flawed descision-making emphasizing short term financial gain - reuse of software components leads to products that are hard to use.

One effective technique is using the end customer as the ultimate judge of quality and performance - the kind of approach described 10 years later in Fred Reichheld's The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth

A principal of a company once told me that the primary job of a manager is to get the employee to do what the manager wants him to do. From there to effective management in real life comes a lot of confusion.

Robert Austin sorts it all out with a suprisingly simple model, and a strong does of honesty. Managers and workers -- participants in the serious game of work in organzations -- put aside illusions and read this book. And anyone who thought they were helping by designing a measurement program, pay attention too.

Measurement and management can work, but only if you know what you're doing.

"The Minefield Of Memories" by Karina Wetherbee.
Subtitled: "A Memoir Told By Alf Tieze".
AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana, 2004.

After the First World War, parts of the territory of Bohemia and Moravia were assigned to the nascent Czechoslovakia, by the Treaty of Saint-Germain, 1919. This part of Czechoslovakia, pointing threateningly at the center of Germany, was called the Sudetenland. Alf Tieze was six years old in 1938 when the Third Reich annexed the Sudetenland, with its three million German speakers. He recounts the arrival of the Führer at Jägnerdorf, little Alf's hometown. This is also his first encounter, the first of many, with irrational adults who treat him terribly just because he is a little boy at the wrong place at the wrong time. A German solider orders Alf to keep his tired arm upright in the Nazi salute while the Führer speaks at Jägnerdorf. The soldier's shout is not understandable and his spittle sprayed the little boy. From there on, it is all downhill.

In May 1939, his younger sister, Gerti, is born, and his mother favors the young baby over little Alf. The mother favors the sister through much of the first part of the book. This book is similar to a fictional novel, where you discover the "WHY?" at the very end. I will not spoil the suspense. Alf's father works for the railroad, so he is at home for limited periods, at holidays and other times, so Alf depends heavily on his Grandfather and Grandmother for affection and guidance.

The war goes on and troops are sent East to Russia. The war goes on and troops retreat from the East. Russian soldiers follow them. When his family (at least the Grandparents) are preparing for evacuation, Alf and his friend, Gerle, ride a bike towards the fighting, in order to get some food from the aunt's abandoned home. The two young boys are promptly trapped in No-Man's Land, between the retreating Germans and the advancing Russians. The young boys are separated from their supporting family and must make their way, West, away from the fighting. Their adventures fill up the center of the book, and some of Alf's tales are horrifying. Women are being raped, and being murdered when the Russian solider is finished. Alf's mother is raped and thrown to her death from a balcony. Alf collects his sister and they both watch as the mother is carried away in what is basically a garbage truck.

The people return to Jägnerdorf and begin to repair the damage when everyone is ordered into concentration camps. They are then scattered throughout Czechoslovakia and forced into slave labor. The Nazis had no monopoly on cruelty. Alf is finally shown some kindness when his overseer frees him and an old Jew, and gives them train tickets to get towards the West. The young boy and the old Jew escape (by real happenstance) into the American Zone. Alf goes through a series of adventures, until he ends up in the German version of Boys Town (remember Father Flanagan?) and begins to prepare for a new life in the United States.

He becomes an American citizen, finds his lost sister, Gerti, travels to the old town of Jägnerdorf and then ...well, read the book.
Karina Wetherbee has written an easy to read book. Sometimes, the story is related in the first person, by Alf, and then, at times, the story is recounted in the third person (see, for example, pages 188 and 189). While you are on page 189, look at the word, "viridescent"! But, at all times, the story flows, and you are always interested in what comes next. Will Alf stop the flow of the beer in to the bottle at the brewery? Sixty years later you can still sense the suspense as the young apprentice runs around, attempting to control the flow in a machine he does not understand. There is both suspense and a bit of hilarity.

The publishing company is AuthorHouse, who help people publish their own works. AuthorHouse could have helped more. Better maps might have been provided. On page 25, they permitted "who's day" when it should have been "whose day". Then, why weren't umlauts used when required? For example, with Führer and with Jägnerdorf?

For those of us who think that "no stone has been left unturned" in WWII literature, think again! This well written and poignant memoir provides a unique glimpse of WWII from the "losing side." Without giving away his story, young Alfie suffered more than most as a young boy growing up in German occupied Austria. Throughout his numerous ordeals and struggles for survival, Alfie had the uncanny knack of turning adversity into good fortune.

This book was a pleasure to read! I gained firsthand insight into the struggles during, and particularly, after the war. Of particular interest was Alfie's personal experience of survival behind the Russian lines and learning firsthand about the "Iron Curtain" in its infancy. Alfie's story of resilience is testament to the strength of the human spirit, and it exemplifies the fact that war oppresses us all. Of all the books I've read this year, this one is treasured!

Minefield of Memories is a moving account of perseverance over misfortune and triumph over adversity. It is written in a lovely lyrical style, with a poignancy that touches the heart. I would strongly reccommend this book for book groups as it combines great readability with a good learning experience. I would also reccommend this book for high school history supplemental reading lists.

I found this an excellent read. The author is a new voice who writes sensitively and well about a topic of great interest to many. This book will please all readers, but especially those who have undergone the horrors of war first hand. Those who have not experienced war will gain understanding from this vividly portrayed account. Congratulations to the author!

I really enjoyed reading this book as it captivated my attention to see through the eyes of a child! Karina Wetherbee writes a fascinating true story sharing her fathers life, Alf Tieze, in a world where a boy becomes a man overnight and still possesses the heart and soul of a child. In separation from his family, Alf truly becomes his own mentor conquering the challenges in life.

It is an adventure during World War II, which most people do not have the courage or the desire to share. As I read this story, I could not even put it down eager to see what would happen next. Many of us try to let go of the past and just move on. However, "The Minefield of Memories" does encompass a fascinating life experience that you just do not want to miss.

Premiere equine photographer Barbara Livingston does it again. Her stunning photographs truly capture each Thoroughbred's personality and "spark." The stories and images rekindle fond memories and illustrate just how remarkable these animals are - regardless of their level of success on the track. A must have for any horse or animal lover, not just Thoroughbred enthusiasts.

This book is a most beautiful tribute to racing legends. Both the photography and stories of each champion will warm your heart......some will bring tears to your eyes. A very special book for anyone who has ever read about these magnificant animals. I highly recommend it, as well as Old Friends, Barbara Livingston's first book. Both are treasures.

I loved this book as much as the first one, the descriptions of all these grand horse are just a good as the wonderful pictures. It so nice to know these horses are remembered and cared for so lovingly. Can't wait for volume 3!

Beautiful, moving, a reasonable alternative to those of us who can't afford the first "Old Friends" ,going for c. $260 and up.

While perhaps not as good as the first one (the horses are less "famous" overall) this is still an excellent book with the same great pictures and behind the scenes information. What was really heart warming about this book was how many farms and individuals, big and small, actually CARE about their oldsters and keep them happy and comfortable no matter what it takes, high vet bills, special shoes, special feeds, housing, whatever. If only ALL TB owners and breeders would do the right thing that way these farms do then precious few would end up in kill pens or low end auctions.

with so many biographies about 60s era icons coming out now regaling their bygone days and sometimes nightmarish tales of sex, drugs and r&r, it's refreshing to hear a story that is not only current, but enlightening as both author D'Mot and folkstar Donovan play their parts in bringing forth the music once again. A well written, entertaining, and easy to read book that anyone from who recalls the summer of love will enjoy.

I found this an engaging book, one that I could hardly put down once I started reading. Although this is Lucy's first published book, her writing style flows like a conversation with a friend. A friend who sees evidence of a higher mind at work in everyday happenings. I found this book strengthening my metaphysical faith in a force for good at work in the universe. This book is inspirational to all who desire to follow their own path. Lucy certainly did, but it takes much courage. A wonderful read, highly recommended.

I've been a Donovan-fan since first hearing Catch the Wind 40 years ago. My wife and I visited California two years ago and saw the tribute to Donovan and loved that too. This book tells the story of the making in an entertaining, easy to read, conversational style that makes you feel like you're sitting in the author's living room. As she describes her every day miracles, it gives one pause to take notice of the special things in our own lives that we might be overlooking. The author's humor is evident throughout. I'm touched by this this book, by Donovan's music and the tribute music and hope they all continue forever.

This book moves along at a rapid clip and is an easy, fun read. Lucy Dmot's story has all the elements of a good book.It keeps your interest, you care about the people in the story, it has a full range of emotion, humorous, it's hard to put down, and when the happy ending arrives, you really don't want it to end.

My only problem with the story are the fantastic conclusions Dmot draws from her dreams, coincidences and other supposedly spiritual happenings as she believes she is lead to put on a Donovan tribute.This makes the book seem more like sci-fi or fantasy, which I'm a big fan of, rather than an autobiography.But then again while on the one hand I have difficulty making the same leaps of faith that she does, in the end it clearly works for her as she steps towards her goals and happiness as a result of the conclusions she draws from her farout beliefs. And anyone familiar with Donovan knows his music has an ethereal bent too so maybe it is a good match afterall. It's hard to argue with a real life happy ending.

There is an old saying that a moving target is hard to hit. I think this also holds true for both life and Lucy D'Mot's book Moving Mountains. It's a great first-hand tale of being open to the universe, even while having a doubting streak. I hope this book allows other folks to be able to have the courage to listen to those voices, omens, signs (no matter what manifestation they come in) to pursue their dreams.

Vivid Dialogue, September 1, 2005
By Barbara Glass

In her second novel, Fleming brings back Lieutenant Matthew Alexander, whose directness and lack of concern about embarrassing the wealthy and powerful make him a very appealing character. Alexander and his partner Jake are called to the scene of a homicide in the posh Gold Coast section of Washington, D.C., where the victim is a millionaire real estate developer. He died in the home of a young woman to whom Alexander had once been engaged, but she's only one of a collection of suspects with reasons to want the dead man out of their lives.

Fleming knows how to write a gripping story, but what makes it especially vivid is her dialogue. With their words, her characters show their personalities, beliefs, and values. When they speak, you can almost see the flash of anger in their eyes, hear the chuckle in their voices, or sense the sorrow in their body language. These voices, freighted with emotion and edgy as they wait for the discovery of various truths, draw you into the world of the book and make it hard for you to put it down. Furthermore, Alexander knows that the truth he's looking for lies deep in those personalities.

Suspense builds on every page. Add to this the tension between the lead detective and his bosses, the racial and family issues that won't go away, and the beautiful wife Alexander has at home, and the result is a satisfying complexity that pulls you into his world and keeps you there until the conclusion.


Murder in Black and Gold, June 10, 2006
By Chiquita Mullins Lee (Columbus, Ohio USA)

Murder on the Gold Coast brims with surprises and revelations. Barbara Fleming's intelligent writing sheds wisdom and insight into the human condition. With her uncanny eye for detail and a well-tuned ear for dialogue, even Washington, DC is a character full of energy and personality. Fleming's writing is by turns lyrically poetic and as staccato as a crime report. Matthew Alexander deserves a long career investigating the District's crimes. And Barbara Fleming is building a solid body of work from the capers of this cunning detective.

Murder on the Gold Coast is the newest installment of Fleming's Matthew Alexander Mystery Series. Someone has killed wealthy black real estate developer, Harold William Waterson, Sr., and, surprisingly, his Washington, DC social sphere encompasses a circle of people with motives. His elegant white wife is miserable. His son detests him. The black, beautiful Angela Bowman wants to end their affair. When Waterson winds up dead in the posh basement of Angela's parents, the three Bowman's maintain their innocence. While there is no hard evidence to implicate them, there is the matter of the murder weapon; that key piece of evidence - a 38-caliber revolver that emptied two slugs into Waterson's chest - is missing.

Matthew Alexander steps in to unravel this mystery, wrestling against the odds, frustration, and time. Matt's personal history with Angela enhances the intrigue; they might have married had her father found him worthy. In his current marriage to sultry Carla, his life balances romantic negotiation, administrative head-games, and brutally long hours. His witnesses balk, and his leads sometimes disintegrate, but his instincts seldom betray him. This sharp, handsome detective is cocky for a reason. He's good at his job.

Wow, I loved this book! For weeks I had been searching for a good mystery book and when I saw the reviews for this one I didn't waste any time ordering it. This story starts off with Harold Waterson, a wealthy businessman being murdered at the beginning of the story. The question is who shot him..why and why did he get murdered in the basement of people who claimed not to know him?

Barbara Fleming will have you guessing and assuming to the very last chapter. Once I got down to 100 pages left I stayed up all night trying to solve this murder case.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

You won't be disappointed!

Barbara Fleming's Murder On The Gold Coast: A Matthew Alexander Mystery is a murder mystery which offers delightful dialog, well-developed characters, a finely designed plot, and intimate insight into the process of a police department's murder investigation.

While the homicide detective's viewpoint is the primary viewpoint, what I found fascinating was how Barbara Fleming gives us a "look-see" into the work and involvement of a forensic specialist, district attorney, and police chief, among others, as Detective Lieutenant Matthew Alexander investigates wealthy Harold Waterson's murder in Washington D.C..

If you love murder mysteries, you'll thoroughly enjoy the experience of reading Barbara Fleming's Murder On The Gold Coast: A Matthew Alexander Mystery.

I enjoyed it and I am sure you will too.

Detective Mathew Arnold investigates a murder in the home of his former girl friend, whose father persuaded his daughter to break off the relationship. The victim and several suspects are members of the upper crust of black society in Washington, D.C. Detective Arnold faces not only the stress of a personal relationship with a key suspect, but also intense political and social pressures in a high profile case that his superiors are anxious to close with a quick arrest. His character, perserverance and investigative instincts and skill prevent a gross injustice, and leave the reader with the challenge of figuring out who did it. As a dectective story, this is a thrilling piece of work with a convincing assortment of possible culprits that make the book difficult to put down. As a literary work, the author creates some fascinating characters and provides some interesting insights into the social milieux of the characters.
Fred J. Milligan, Westerville, Ohio

Murder on the Gold Coast brims with surprises and revelations. Barbara Fleming's intelligent writing sheds wisdom and insight into the human condition. With her uncanny eye for detail and a well-tuned ear for dialogue, even Washington, DC is a character full of energy and personality. Fleming's writing is by turns lyrically poetic and as staccato as a crime report. Matthew Alexander deserves a long career investigating the District's crimes. And Barbara Fleming is building a solid body of work from the capers of this cunning detective.

Murder on the Gold Coast is the newest installment of Fleming's Matthew Alexander Mystery Series. Someone has killed wealthy black real estate developer, Harold William Waterson, Sr., and, surprisingly, his Washington, DC social sphere encompasses a circle of people with motives. His elegant white wife is miserable. His son detests him. The black, beautiful Angela Bowman wants to end their affair. When Waterson winds up dead in the posh basement of Angela's parents, the three Bowman's maintain their innocence. While there is no hard evidence to implicate them, there is the matter of the murder weapon; that key piece of evidence - a 38-caliber revolver that emptied two slugs into Waterson's chest - is missing.

Matthew Alexander steps in to unravel this mystery, wrestling against the odds, frustration, and time. Matt's personal history with Angela enhances the intrigue; they might have married had her father found him worthy. In his current marriage to sultry Carla, his life balances romantic negotiation, administrative head-games, and brutally long hours. His witnesses balk, and his leads sometimes disintegrate, but his instincts seldom betray him. This sharp, handsome detective is cocky for a reason. He's good at his job.

Murder on the Gold Coast by Barbara Fleming
Reviewed by Chiquita Mullins Lee

Excellent information on the history of gemstones, understanding color and cuts. Exquisite examples, beautifully photographed. A must for anyone interested in gemstones or the history of jewelry.

This is a beautiful book with lots of interesting information on the gem collection.

This review is for the paperback version of the book, which I loved. It has a lovely balance of terrific photos & explanations of the various sources of the featured gems. It serves as a nice beginning reference when you have heard the terms sapphire & red sapphire (huh? I thought red gems were rubys or spinels) and would like to know more about which gems are related to others.

And did I say the photos are just wonderful? Enjoy!

"The National Gem Collection," by Jeffrey E. Post, features photographs by Chip Clark. The book is a beautiful celebration of the title collection, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. The informative text discusses the history of the collection, facts about types of different gemstones, and specific pieces in the collection.

The full-color photography is really stunning, and brings a rich assortment of gems to glorious life. Some of the historic pieces pictured are the blue Hope Diamond, the diamond Napoleon Necklace, the Hooker Emerald, and more. Also shown are a colorful collection of "fancy" diamonds, a rare red diamond, the 858-carat uncut Gachala Emerald, the delightful "pink tutu" (a band of dainty rose quartz crystals on a large smoky quartz crystal), a dazzling group of fire opals, a lapis lazuli carving from Afghanistan, and more.

I appreciate how the book celebrates gemstones at various stages: uncut, cut, and set in artfully crafted pieces of jewelry. Many different types of gemstones--aquamarine, garnet, spinel, chrysoberyl, turquoise, etc.--are covered. Features such as a scanning electron microscope photo of the inner structure of an opal give the reader a deeper understanding of the science behind gems. From start to finish, this book is a marvelous feast for both the eyes and the brain.

If you have visited the National Collection and want a souvenir to remind you of the stunning array of unique World Class Gems then this is the book for you. Both the format of the book and the superlative quality of the photography make this book the next best thing to being in the exhibition hall. There is a fairly light weight coverage of the gemmology in the text, but it mostly focusses on the history and ownership of these fabulous gems. The National Collection is unique, no where else in the world is there such a concentration of fabulous jewels with such an interesting history, with the possible exception of the British Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. This book is a fitting celebration of such a marvellous collection.

You know you're in the hands of a master storyteller with this book. I'd go for five stars but when the focus of the threat turned to the kids, the range of suspense as to what could happen to them narrowed significantly.

During the Depression, a young brother and sister must flee from a murderous preacher who has infiltrated their home in search of a small fortune in stolen money. This novel deserves to be better remembered than it has been, for I have read few books that are better at evoking the psychology of children in a realistic way. But Davis Grubb doesn't stop there: the sociopathic preacher with his flexible interpretation of scripture, the lonely single mother whose yearning to experience love and make a secure home for her children makes her vulnerable, the lonely drunk whose personal weaknesses undermine his good intentions, the self-sufficient matriarch with an unshakable sense of duty--these and many other characters are vividly rendered. Grubb also skillfully evokes the lonely rural settings where his drama plays out. Such careful attention to character and setting makes for a scary and heartbreaking novel because we can imagine these things happening to real people in a real place. Highly recommended.

The Night of the Hunter is an old story and movie, but is a page turner as of today. Very exciting and intriguing.

Night of the Hunter has always been one of my favorite films: eerie, atmospheric, gripping are just a few words that come to mind for this masterpiece, the only film made by silent film star Charles Laughton. It gets better with each viewing. I only got around lately to reading Davis Grubb's source material and it's just as amazing and mesmerizing as the movie. If you like a book that gives you genuine chills, yet still creates really sympathetic characters, give this one a try. Of course, if you're like me and loved the movie, you owe it to yourself to see why they wanted to make it into a movie.

Hemingway, Steinbeck, Tolstoy et al, will always have a place in the pantheon of literature. In this reader's opinion, this novel warrants a little niche in that pantheon for Davis Grubb, whose lean, muscular and evocative prose propels this thrilling story, driving it toward the inevitable conclusion.

Charles Laughton's movie based on this book was an interesting effort and well done, but if one hasn't read the unsentimental, un-varnished novel, then somewhere a potential reader is missing the juice. Like Laughton's screen effort the novel is indeed pregnant, but not at all unwieldly; rather, the book, slender as it is, is bursting with some of the best writing put to paper in any genre and is as good as anything ever written by the more prolific Masters.

Grubb's unpretentious style looms up from the pages like the reek of the bottom waters at river's edge. Subtle by turns, the terrifying game of hide-and-seek between light and shadow jumps at the most unexpected moments, just like the novel's villain with his knife.

Filled with archetypes and certainly many levels of meaning for interpretation by the reader, this is one novel one won't forget soon. It stalks memory and, personally, I find myself still returning to the book from time to time to savor a magnificently rendered mood, and a time, place and story that is as fresh and exciting now as it was almost half a century ago.

Writing true and honest profiles of such diverse characters, let alone children, is no easy thing, and Grubb's work is peopled with wholly believable characters who truly cast shadows, live and breathe, even in the periphery. This is part of the novel's triumph.

I cannot recommend Night of the Hunter too highly. It's simply a "must read" for anyone who loves good literature, fine writing --and isn't predjudiced against genre. In this beautiful, sinister work, Davis Grubb breaks the mold.

This book was given to me by Victim Services after my 26 year old son was kidnapped and brutally murdered. I wasn't reading anything at the time and put it away in my closet and forgot I had it. 2 years later, I just read the book. After I first lost my son I wondered if this is how I would feel the for the rest of my life. I learned
that, for me, I continue to feel just as torn apart as I did intitally, but not every minute of every day as I once did. The book explains this, and I was looking for answers which it gives. As I said, I wish I'd read it sooner.

Besides helping to deal with the grief,crushing sadness,and the anger, this book also talks about concrete things that can be done after ones loss. He talks about the the criminal justice system and financial issues. He covers loss of children,spouses, friends and parents. What to expect on holidays and a nice chapter on spirituality.

My 21 year old brother was viciously attacked and beaten to death by a group of random teenage guys. They did this for "fun". They're the kids that prey on the homeless people or in my brother's case, he was walking down the street to his car at night. The worst part is that they only wanted to beat on him for kicks and "didn't mean" to kill him. They're claiming it was an accident and they didn't mean to have him sustain severe brain injuries. This book described everything I was feeling. I joined therapy groups, but no one seemed to understand. Most of the people I met lost their loved ones of a prolonged illness, an accident, or old age. I felt alone and that no one understood my situation. My brother was a murder victim. He was literally here one day and gone the next. The book made it easier to know that there are unfortunately many people out there who feel the same way I do. It would have been easier to accept if there was a reason for his death. This book explained everything I was feeling. It really hit home with me. I highly recommend this book for those who have lost a loved one so abruptly!! This book has kept me sane for the most part.

This book will prove very helpful for anyone that has had a sudden traumatic death of a loved one. The book covers various kinds of sudden death and explains how it can effect each person it touches. It is a teaching tool for advocates and a learning tool for victims. Being on both sides of the situation I find it a prized book in my library.

It's true; the book is short, simple, and basic. I had such trouble concentrating after my brother was murdered and my parents were seriously injured, that I could barely read a paragraph at a time, something Lord obviously understands. This book clearly expressed the shock and sorrow of my experience and helped me understand that what I was feeling was normal, when nothing else in my world was normal. I stood in the bookstore and re-shelved all the books about dealing with terminal illness and long goodbyes. When I found this one, I sat down in the aisle and cried. I sent it to some of my family members and to an acquaintance whose son committed suicide and, years later, feel immense gratitude to Janice Lord that her book was available when the bottom dropped out of my world.

Classic writing of the foundation of nursing by Miss Nightgale. Guides the nurse in her duties to the profession and her and the ward.

Florence Nightingale greatly influenced modern nursing, to focus on the needs of the patient and establish nursing as a profession requiring assessment skills as well as caring presence. This brief, well-written & clearly understandable book is a must for the personal library of any nurse or nursing student. It is amazing to realize how advanced Nightingale's thinking was in her era; her lessons remain essential today and provide a basis for understanding why we do the things we do. A great read for anyone interested in nursing!

I received the book within a few days of the order and it was in perferct condition.

A book for true Nightingales! I enjoyed this book a great deal, some parts had me laughing out loud. It is an excellent gift book for nurses!

This makes a wonderful gift for a nursing student who is graduating, a nurse who is retiring or one who is being promoted. It is fascinating reading from a historical aspect will be relevant until the end of time.