D-A Books

My son and I, yes I, enjoyed this book. My little guy is 8 and it really held his attention. D.C. understands siblings and how they relate to each other. As a mom I was reading it with mom thoughts. I felt like D.C. really captured what family dynamics are realistically. She creates for "tweeners" suspense in the story that pull them along to want to find out what will happen next. The twins keep us wondering what kind of mischief they'll get into next. Their little sister has amazing insights that really make you think. This is a fantastic book for families to read together and definitely a must read for any tween! Enjoy!

I loved this book! I am an adult, reviewing a book meant for like 9-12 year olds and I found myself immersed in the storyline, wrapped up in the mystery and following Brad and Charlie as they try to figure out who is stealing their grandpa's cows. This would make a great read-aloud book with your kids because it would keep you as entertained as them! Grab a copy and enjoy!

Where Do Cows Hide? by D.C. Stewart is about two twin boys, Brad and Charlie, and their little sister, Zoey, who visit their their grandparent's ranch in Oklahoma. The excitement begins when the Parker children arrive and find some mysterious things happening on the ranch. Bulls are missing, strangers are lurking, and how does one strange lady from church, Miss Lily, seem to always know what they are up to?

The Parker kids are typical kids. They don't always get along and their little sister Zoey does what little sisters do best. She annoys and bothers her brothers as much as she gets the chance. Regardless, the twins are up for the challenge and adventure they run into as they seek out the answers to the mysterious events in their paths. As they work together they also pick up some godly lessons. Reverend Reed speaks in church about how God hears your prayers no matter where you are and Miss Lily reminds them to be respectful when they are in God's house.

I enjoyed this book and cannot wait to share this one with my little guy when he is older. Similar to the Hardy Boys series, I think D.C. Stewart has created a wonderful story and I look forward to see what else she has in store.

What happens when identical 11-year-old twins spend two weeks on their grand-parents'cattle farm? Oh, the usual lizard hunts, pasture exploration and creek bed adventures would make for a nice story. However, D.C. Stewart adds a bit of a twist, because when Brad and Charlie arrive at the farm, they find out that their Grandpa is dealing with the mysterious disappearance of his cows! Can the boys help? Well, their younger sister Zoey might prove to be even more helpful...if the boys will just listen to her!

D.C. Stewart has written a delightful adventure for the young readers in your life. She incorporates the realistic agitation that exists between siblings, and she even captures the parents' and grandparents' agitation when the children disobey or ague over something trivial. Yet the boys persist in their clue-gathering adventure, because they have figured out who the rustlers are! They just have to figure out a way to tell their grandparents before their parents return to take them home!

This book would make a great Summer read for the children in your life, and it could also be used as a read aloud story for a long trip. If the young readers in your life are stirred to adventure by the great outdoors, then you want to check this story out! You can purchase a copy here today!

Brad and Charlie Parker are less than excited when their parents announce a change in vacation plans. The twins start voicing all kinds of objections before they even found out what the plans were. When they discover that their parents are going to Hawaii with out them and leaving them with their grandparents for three weeks, their dismay turns to excitement. If only their annoying little sister, Zoey, didn't have to go along.

When Brad and Charlie arrive at their grandparents' ranch, they discover that someone has been cattle rustling, and they are missing three prize bulls. The twins are convinced that they can catch the rustlers, but their grandfather is stern and won't even consider letting them try.

When the boys overhear strangers talking in the barn, they know they've stumbled upon the rustlers. But who are they? And how can they solve this mystery when they are thoroughly confused.

WHERE WOULD COWS HIDE? is a real cute story geared toward boys ages 8-12. My son would have loved this book when he was a tweener. Girls will enjoy this story too, but the focus is more toward boys. The setting and the mystery are both attention grabbing and it held my interest to the end of the book even though I figured out who the rustlers were right away.

The writing is not perfect. Point of view isn't consistent, and sometimes it changes in the middle of a sentence. Brad and Charlie are all-boy, nothing sissy about them at all. I enjoyed reading this story, and know that boys (and girls) will appreciate WHERE WOULD COWS HIDE? for their summer reading. [...]

This book is one stop shopping for parents and coaches. In simple language with ample case studies, Whose Game Is It Anyways, covers everything, positive and negative, that adults need to know when working with youth in sports. Everything from child developmental psychology to difficult conversations with coaches and parents is covered in a no nonsense manner. I refer to this book often in a workshop I call "For the Love of the Game".

Disclosure: I'm personally acquainted with one of the authors.

For parents who have kids who aren't particularly athletic, this book can be an entertaining read, but it's not intended to show parents how to make athletes out of kids who have no aptitude or interest. I have no children at all, but I did enjoy reading the book for its anecdotes and insights.

The book's authors, clinical psychologists with plenty of hands-on experience coaching youth, give authority to common sense ideas that many well-read, psychologically sophisticated parents tend to honor more often in the breach than the observance. One hopes that this book will stimulate such parents -- who, no matter how intelligent, frequently fail to appreciate the intensity of the pressures besetting young people -- to more thoughtfully evaluate the actual influence of organized athletic activities on the development of their children.

The book is commendable for its relaxed, informal style and its refusal to prescribe bromides so typical of "self-help" books. There are no easy fixes for the myriad problems associated with growing up. But this book contains valuable advice to parents to assist them in helping their children who are involved in organized sports to (1) maximize the value of their positive experiences, and (2) acquire a healthy perspective towards the negative experiences that are an inevitable component of childhood.

I think this book is great. As the mother of two young girls, both of whom are participating in sports, I am grateful for the guidance it offers. Sports have played a hugely beneficial role in my own life and I want the same for my daughters. I intend to re-read it every year, and have ordered several for all my friends with kids!

This book is helping me and my son to conquer the obstacles that are set in his way. This book is helping him to follow his dreams and have fun playing the sports that he loves. It is helping me with my role as a parent of an athletic child. I am so glad for the publication of this book. I could have used it 5 years ago. At times things can get very difficult; that is why we need this book to help us through our problems. The book should be mandatory for every person involved in the development of an athletic child.

As a clinical psychologist, sports fan and father of 3 young children, I found this book to be an extraordinary resource for any parent who wants their children to get the most out of sports, at any age. It is an extremely well written and organized book by a leading expert in the field of sports psychology and child development. I highly recommend it.

Makes a great add-on gift so that the person you bought the microscope for can actually get started on their way to learning.

THE WORLD OF THE MICROSCOPE had good information to help my daughter with her science project. The book arrived in less than 4 days.

I bought this and gave it as a gift with a microscope and prepared slides to a 9 year old boy. He loved the microscope and slides, and the book was a nice accompaniment that he could use for reference. The book wasn't used for very long though once he got to using the microscope.

While looking to educate my adopted Chinese son ... only in this country for two years, I noticed his interest in life sciences and chemestry. So, we bought him his first Microscope for this Christmas and were trying to figure out how we can teach him the many things/uses we had forgotten in 42 years since my school days. Well ..... this book is the perfect answer. Not only does it explain the microscope, but it gives great experiments and things to build from household items as tools to carry my son further than I could. The writting will be a little dense per page for his understanding, but any good parent that will use this to help their child will be able to take that child to high knowledge and functionality in the microscope realm.

Wonderful for my 10-yr-old niece's first experience with a microscope. Good pictures, colorful, understandable instructions, useful information. Probably good for any beginner, any age.

I have definitely come to respect the Wrox writers. Whenever I am in need of additional assistance, I look to these books first. The Access 2007 VBA Programmers Guide has everything I need in it and is written in an easy to follow manner. My skill level is just above beginner, but there are sections of the book for more advanced programming that I have not looked at. I highly recommend all books by Wrox (I have used their SharePoint books extensively).

This book delivers exactly what it promises - namely, to provide the reader with the necessary tools to use VBA against the various Access 2007 object models to amplify the capabilities of a custom Access 2007 solution. You will be shown the differences between using the DAO and ADO data access technologies, as well as the costs and benefits of using the older mdb file types versus the new accdb and project-related adp file types. A cogent explanation of the additional security features embedded in Access 2007 is also nicely covered.

The authors present a broad coverage of the subject matter which is amplified by their substantial real world experience - a nice benefit considering the myriad of texts that simply offer a better organized rehash of the help files.

A final comment will address the number of helpful sidebars presented in the text dealing with such issues as: using the "SQL Server Profiler", how to programmatically add, delete, and modify registry entries to persist user related variables; and receiving insider's expert information on undocumented legacy functionality.

An excellent text for what it sets out to accomplish.

This books was a TREMENDOUS help in writing a Human Resources application for my company. I'm no programmer--but this book helped me a great deal with some of the VB that was needed for the database. I did also rely on the internet a lot but this was a handy tool that covered a majority of the basics--the internet was for more advanced scripting. I highly recommend the book for those who work with Access often...and even for those who want to take advantage of the cool things code will enable you to do.

Access 2007 VBA is a great book for experienced and novice programmers alike. It is thoroughly detailed and yet covers the VBA basics at the beginning. What I like about this book is that it covers details that other books seem to always miss. This would include Microsoft Office integration. Or, in other words, the code that lets you work with other Office applications like manipulating Excel from Access or Word from Access. It also goes into working with Outlook and even SharePoint, which are two of the hardest to find information on when working with Access VBA. I am finding this book to be a great addition to my library and I believe you will too.


Bob Larson
Access World Forums Super Moderator
Utter Access VIP

I've been using Access off and on since Windows 95 and Access 2. This is absolutely one of the best texts on VBA I have read. Examples are clear, and appropriate; and explainations are complete without being longer than the need to be. The coverage of Access 2007's new features appears to be right on the money.

This is an excellent book - it is more focussed on a lay-person's introduction to neurofeedback treatments for ADHD, great for parents. It is not really technical enough for a practitioner or someone wanting to learn more about the clinical application of neurofeedback.

A large section at the back of the book is dedicated to an index of worldwide practitioners who can treat ADHD with this drug-free approach

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (11/06)

If you've ever dealt with an ADD/HD child you know the frustration of a child fidgeting, disrupting others and needing constant supervision. If you are that frustrated, just imagine the frustration of the child. The authors have offered us a clear and concise look at ADD/HD. They have offered us an option that does not include medication.

Matthew's parents and teachers are at their wits end. They sincerely want to help Matthew but don't know how. "This book is about helping kids like Matthew: ADD/ADHD children who possess the potential to succeed, but who chronically function below their abilities because they cannot regulate themselves. `ADD: The 20-Hour Solution' describes and examines a revolutionary hi-tech methodology called EEG biofeedback (also called neurofeedback) that has unequivocally demonstrated its efficacy in helping chronically inattentive, distractible, impulsive, and hyperactive children regulate themselves."

"The pluses of EEG biofeedback training in treating ADD/ADHD children are extensive. This quick and painless treatment:

- Provides a viable alternative to psychotropic medication
- Trains children to self-regulate naturally and safely
- Trains children to adjust automatically to changing demands and conditions
- Emancipates children from continually professional supervision
- Creates a synergistic effect that can help other treatments work more effectively
- Permits parents to become involved directly in the treatment process"

Steinberg and Othmer discuss ADD/ADHD in terms that a layman can understand. Parents and teachers will be wondering why this book wasn't written years ago. The authors propose that ADD should stand for Arousal Disregulation Disorder. They made an excellent case for their opinion. In detail they discuss Matthew, a child that has ADD/ADHD. I found myself sympathizing with Matthew; he cannot control his fidgets and distractions. He soon becomes labeled as trouble and that label follows him from year to year. "Matthew had trouble staying in his seat and keeping his hands to himself. Note that he was `verbally exuberant when others wanted him to be quiet, and ... withdrawn and often clueless when people demanded answers...' Matthew was simply lost in an eternal maze of jumbled, intense feelings, sporadic mood shifts, changes in energy level and focus, and incomplete thoughts. These are hallmark signs of disregulation."

This book is well written and documented. As I stated previously it is written in terms that laymen can understand. I highly recommend this book to teachers, parents, grandparents and all who deal with children with ADD/ADHD. I believe "ADD: The 20-Hour Solution" is the answer for many children.

I think that the person that wrote the last review does not know nothing about neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is a self-regulation work. In other words, it does the same thing that a psychoterapic aproach does, but faster.Only this!!!

I found this book, ADD The 20-Hour Solution, a clear and concise guide to understanding how the brain works and how EEG biofeedback can improve its behavior by self regulation. This book is written in a way that parents can understand not only what ADD is but how to approach it. Parents can learn from this book the questions they should ask and most importantly to take action themselves. I was amazed to find that ADD can be treated in your own home. As a mother and teacher, I wholly support self help solutions without drugs which are so often overlooked today. The case studies examined in this book give hope to any parent. I would do anything as a parent to help my child. If using a computer to train your brain works than that is what I would want for my child. This book is a must read for any parent that wants a solution to their frustration with an ADD child or for a parent that just wants more information about ADD. There is also a great Neurofeedback Practitioner Listing in the back of the book.

As a neurofeedback clinician, I have given this book to parents when they are considering brain-training as an option for their child. I have to say that I'm not wild about the title, as it suggests that in less than a day, the ADD will be gone, instead of it being 40 sessions at a half-hour each. The book is a simple, quick read and does a good job of explaining ADD/ADHD and sympathizing with parents who are trying their best to cope with a child who exhibits some of the symptoms inherent in the disorder. It doesn't go into any detail on the development or mechanisms behind neurofeedback, however, and is kind of showy and overly-excitable (too many exclamation marks) about how great training is. Don't get me wrong - I know it's great and I know it works, but there's just something about the book that seems to be over-selling the technique in a hokey way - like their on the home shopping network or something. I find myself more often referring clients to read "A Symphony in the Brain" or one of Daniel Amen's books instead, or else forewarning them that this book is a bit over-the-top excited about neurofeedback.

This is definitely an excellent book. I have read both this and Samurai Cat Goes to the Movies and have found both to be hilarious and highly enteraining. While often very wierd it is a great book which I would highly recommend.

I read this book about 6 times in a row as a kid...the title page fell out because it had been read so much and I framed it and put it on my wall! I really wish it was still in print...please let me know if it becomes available. It is definately a world I'd like to revisit.

I can honestly say these books (there is five in the series) are the best books I have ever read. My advice? Search them out and find them (I know I have all five in my personal library!). YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

"Tomokato turned, watching the sun's glaring disc begin to sink beneath a mountain-ridge. A chill breeze sprang up, stirring his whiskers. His paw clenched on the hilt of his katana, or long-sword. He wondered if he would ever see the light of day again, but he knew it did not matter. His lord had been cruelly, treacherously butchered. Fugu Otoko had had a hand in it, and Otoko had fled into the vast recesses of Catzad-Dum. Tomokato's soul ached with the lust for revenge. His slitted eyes seemed almost to smoke, like newly congealed obsidian. He smiled slightly, showing his wickedly pointed teeth. He was the very image of ferocious martial resolution.
"Just before the sun dipped from sight, a crow flew by, and was almost too awed by the sight of him to continue flapping.
" "What a stud!" the bird mumbled to himself, winging erratically southward."

So begins THE ADVENTURES OF SAMURAI CAT by Mark E. Rogers, the first in a series of at least six books about Miaowara Tomokato, the Most Perfect Samurai ever to whip out a katana, and his mischievous nephew Shiro, the most demented, blood-thirsty little fluff bunny ever to whip out a Johnson M1941 automatic rifle. Yep, that's where the ADVENTURE begins, the story itself started a few pages earlier when Tomokato defeated all 30,000 of Takeda Katsuyori's armed warrior's merely by stepping out from behind a screen and revealing himself. His mere presence had so terrified even the horses that they had stopped dead in their tracks causing a massive pile-up in which the entire attacking force had been killed. What a stud! As a reward Tomokato asks only to be allowed to visit his brother's family, a request which his lord grants since it is far too small a payment for the service Tomokato has rendered, but of course being a Perfect Samurai, he will accept nothing else.

This turns out to be a Bad Time for Tomokato to have left court, however, for in his absence Lord Nobunaga was assassinated by what may have been the largest and most diverse group in recorded in history. Upon returning and finding everyone dead, The Cat, with the assistance of his Lord's severed head which is very talky considering its present state, compiles a list of the names and address of everyone involved in the murder. It includes, but is not limited to; Cossacks, Apaches, Al Capone, Vikings, Nazis, Stalin, Mongols, and Martians. It also includes Fugo Otoko, the Blowfish Who Never Smiles mentioned in the openning quotation. When asked about the large number of out of towners on the list Nobunaga explaines that he had travelled a lot when he was a teenager.

I first encountered SAMURAI CAT and his creator Mark Rogers at the New Orleans World Science Fiction Convention in 1989, I think. He was giving a slide show and a telk in one of the panel rooms and the phrase "samurai cat" caught my eye and intrigued me. The slides were of his artwork for the third book in the series SAMURAI CAT IN THE REAL WORLD in which The Cat tracks down those who responsible for his Lord's death to Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. All of the books are heavily illustrated. I suspect that The Cat may have started out life as a visual concept and then evolved into a literary one. As it turned out Rogers was giving a reading from the third book that night in his room and all were invited. Cool.

I made a point of showing up, I just had to find out what these stories were like after having seen photos of T-Rex's in Gestapo uniforms being cut to very bloody pieces by an orange cat wearing lamellar armor and weilding a katana! A lot of other fen showed up as well, maybe 40 which is a goodly number for a regular sized hotel room. The door to his room was actually propped open but Rogers himself was nowhere to be seen. Gradually we all inched our way into the room and decided to wait in there, we were about 10 minutes early. So we waited. And waited. Then at about 5 minutes after the appointed hour Rogers staggered into room. He was out of breath and his face was the oddest shade of red I've ever seen. He really looked as if He was going to keel over. The elevators had been jammed with people so he had decided to run up all 34 flights of stairs so he wouldn't miss the reading!

I'm so glad I stayed, and equally glad that Rogers didn't stroke out that night! He had 3 more books to write. The story was wonderful, and I finally managed to getsome closure for the JFK assassination! But that's another book.

THE ADVENTURES OF SAMUAI CAT is simply put, a classic of comic genius.
It plumbs new depths of genial idoicy and will ultimately leave you knowing far more about assorted heavy weaponry than you ever imagined you would. If you're a fan of absurdist humor and don't mind having some/all of fandom's sacred cows lampooned you'll be in your element. Rogers takes on just about everyone and everthing fannish in this series, including (at the end) his own fans. Ouch. In the first book Tomokato ventures first into Tolkein country and encounters D&D gamers as well as the great winged demon B'aalhop. Then its on to the village of Outsmouth and the Real Old God K'Chu. There's Con-Ed the Barbarian, and his deadly foe Thpageti-Thoth and all sorts of other exciting and silly characters to be sliced and diced before The Cat finds himself in Asgard facing RAGNAROK!

I can't imagine having to live in a world devoid of Samurai Cat! As science fiction writer Robert Jordan said, ""The Cat Is marvelously funny and maniacally adventurous, turning every science fiction convention on its ear. I want to be Miaowara Tomokato when I grow up."

Me too.

This book is the first and best in the series, and contains the following sections:

KATEMUSHA
---------
In feudal Japan, loyal samurai Miaowara Tomokato returns from a family visit to find his lord dead in a scene of destruction that's completely spoiled me for similar scenes forever. Maybe it's the arrow-ridden dragon in Red Army uniform, or the landgoing replica of the Merrimac.

"From his vantage-point Takeda Katsuyori surveyed the grim scene. 'Fudge," he gritted."

THE BRIDGE OF KATZAD-DUM
------------------------
Samurai Cat pursues one of his lord's killers into Tolkien country, dealing with such critters as porks and the dread B'aalhop.

"The katana whirred and flamed, slicing through tentacle after tentacle, whistling in a constantly repeated *Datsun Tempura*, or Divine Whirling Outboard Motor Propeller Blow."

THE BOOK OF THE DUNWICH COW
---------------------------
The setting: a Lovecraftian town whose houses consist only of gabled attics to hide the squamous half-human denizens of Outsmouth.

"Yog N'goggawoggah and Yoknapatawpha, twin masses of stone-cold cream chip beef that ooze sluggishly in the center of all time and space, are their chiefs, terrible in combat, unappetizing to behold. Their herald and messenger is Stor-Atroomtemp, Lord of the Luke-warm, Cosmic Blight, Master-of-Many-Shapes-and-Interesting-in-None-of-Them. Their publicity is handled by the horrendous Isaac Azathoth...."

BEYOND THE BLACK WALNUT
-----------------------
Another murderer, Thpageti-Thoth, has fled into savage Pictland. Illustrated in gorgeous Frazetta parodies, the story shows Samurai Cat's meeting with Con-Ed the Barbarian.

"Amalric the East Anglian..., armored in a scale-mail corselet, was a tall weasly-looking teenager whose spiky hairdo sent orange and purple tufts up through the holes he had deliberately punched in his own helmet. His only weapon was a gigantic Wilkinson sword razor-blade with the words 'Hi Mum' written on it in crimson lipstick."

AGAINST THE GODS
----------------
Tomokato's search takes him next to Asgard, as the gods prepare for the final war against the giants of the Greater Jotunheim Co-Prosperity Sphere.

"Odin nodded his grimly regal head and picked up the microphone for his P.A. system. 'Attention, attention,' he began. 'This is Odin, Lord of the Hanged. Ketil Jormunreksson, report to the Throne-Room, on the double.'"

This book is a must.

I didn't know that you could do so many things with a seaplane. The flying kept you making sure that your seat belt was on tight. Because the story is based on actual cases in Alaska it makes you realize just how wild this part of our country is still today. After reading Mike's novel there will definitely be parts of Alaska that you will want to visit and others that you will stay well away from. Each chapter kept me interested to the very end and I'm waiting for the next adventure.

Awesome read! Enjoyable, action packed and full of edge of your seat adventure. I felt as if I was in the story and living it. The Author's real world experiences bring to life the story of Trooper Blake and the exciting, perilous life of a Trooper in the Bush of Alaska. The hardest part about reading this book was putting it down!

Alaska Justice was a fun and seemingly realistic read of a cop who uses a Super Cub to find the bad guys.

I liked how the author used the geograpy of the local area, and did not over dramatize the events.

A enjoyable and fun to read book.

If you're an Alaska junkie like I am, you'll love this book. An ace pilot who flies anything and everything in the worst weather that Alaska has to offer, Jack Blake gets his man time after time. Author Kincaid takes you into the back country of the Final Frontier and offers a glimpse at the remote lifestyles and eccentric ways of the people who live there. Far from the typical tourist locales, Alaska Justice shows a side of our biggest state through the eyes of a working guy who just happens to be a lawman and pilot with major cojones. Highly recommended.

Alaska Justice

Ha! I have the average reader of Kincaid's Alaska Justice at a disadvantage. You see I know Jack Blake, I know the beautiful Wildlife Officer Jet. I also know the nit picker First Shirts and lunatic killer Jack had to run aground near Kennecott/McCarthy on that cold, snowing winter day and night. You will thoroughly enjoy a captivating non stop adventure! You see, I really do know Mike, or Jack, and expected a very fine story and was not one iota disappointed.

Steven A. Knutson
Author of It Takes One To Catch One - Confessions of an Alaskan Wildlife Trooper

This book is a great expose of what grassroots political people go through at every election cycle. My family has worked at this level and says Wilcox is right on the mark. The most laughable character in the book is Rocco Sarducci, a Democrat faithful with the cunning of a fox. Although the book is a fictional story, friends from the Pasadena area tell me Sarducci bears a strong resemblance to California Assemblyman Anthony Portantino. While the book is a little wrody at times, the plot is great and the descriptions of characters and locations are excellent.

Although this book is a work of fiction, it has some parallels to the unsuccessful campaign of Susan Carpenter McMillan for the California State Assembly in 2000. The character Dee Dee Smith, for example, sounds a lot like Paula Jones. But, the details and events in the book are decidedly different from what happened to Carpenter McMillan.

The author paints an interesting picture of the fictional Assembly candidate. She's a bold woman with no fear of going toe to toe with her opponents. At the same time, she has a terrific sense of humor and can be very likeable.

But, as the story unfolds, the candidate's darker nature begins to show through. What else should we expect of a politician, after all? I am left feeling that the author's fictional candidate would make a good Assemblywoman, but not a very good friend.

The author does an excellent job of character development for this very complex woman. You may hate her or love her, but you can't resist respecting her toughness.

Until I read this book I had no idea of how vicious Democrats can be. I asked a few friends who have worked for our local Congressman and State Senator. They told me that what I learned from reading "...And the Donkey They Rode in On" is more than accurate. The book is a political eye opener for those of us who are less savy to the deceptive game of politics.

According to the author Wilcox, there is a war going on right here within our shores. It's a war for our society, and everything we believe. The Democrats know it but the Republicans don't. If Republicans don't wake up soon they will lose everything...and so will we. My friends and I agree that Mr. Wilcox is right on about this.

In this story, a devious president who is seeking revenge for being impeached tries to direct who will win in San Diego Congressional and Assembly contests. This is a lot like what happened in my hometown where President Clinton wanted to defeat Congressman Jim Rogan and Assembly candidate Susan Carpenter-McMillan.

The story takes a bunch of quick and unpredictable turns in the final days of the campaign and nothing is as it appears. Then, the roof caves in on the Democrats and the election turns out to be a lot closer than expected. Too bad this didn't happen for Ms. Carpenter McMillan...I thought that she was a better candidate than the Democrat she lost to. It appears that in today's times, money buys more than justice. Sadly, it also seems to buy revenge, campaigns, elections and our towns.

I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to people who have no idea what goes on leading up to election day.

As a person who has spent many years working on political campaigns, I give David Wilcox high marks for doing a great job of describing what goes on when Republicans and Democrats slug it out.

It's a sad but true commentary on how low the Democrats often stoop to gain a little advantage over a good Republican candidate. I have seen first hand the kind of thing that goes on in real political campaigns, and Wilcox describes everything to a tee in this work of fiction.

Wilcox develops his characters beautifully with one exception. There is an especially dark character named Eve McAdder who receives very little in the way of development. This is similar to the technique used by Ayn Rand who deliberately tells very little about her evil characters to project them as people unworthy of notice aside from their actions.

Wilcox is very economical with his words in creating the atmosphere in several scenes. He succeeded in putting me right in the middle of the action without being wordy.

If you don't understand just how fierce the battle between warlike Democrats and their often unprepared Republican opponents is, you should read this book. It might change the way you vote!

This book is a hoot. Wilcox's character Rocco Sarducci is the Inspector Clouseau of politics. He is the ultimate sleazy politician who plays dirty tricks---some of which backfire on him---and smiles at you while he's doing it.

Still, I had a lot of trouble hating him personally. His actions are repulsive, yet he has a fuzzy, likeable side. Wilcox did a terrific job of showing us just how these seemingly warm Democrat politicians wage war on Republicans and on America's culture.

This book is very timely with the November elections just around the corner.

Even if you're not single, there is remarkable charm and understanding in this little book about being a woman in what is STILL a remarkably marriage-obsessed society. It is a pleasure and a comfort to take part in poking fun of this reality. As ever, Author Rachel Carpenter's intellectual, dry wit comes through even in the context of the whimsical simplicity of the book. Anyone--male or female--who has ever actively looked for a life partner and consistently failed at doing so (in other words, everyone, right?) will gobble up these modern words of wisdom.

Whether you are happily married (like me) or still looking (like many of my girlfriends), this book is a good way to laugh at yourself. Even if you never looked for a partner you know someone who has offered you the perfect advice for finding a mate. I took the book to work and everyone enjoyed it and subsequently shared stories from their own experiences. Even the men loved it! They said it was fun to see us poke fun at ourselves.

A friend of mine had this book sitting on her coffee table and I opened it up and couldn't put it down. This is one of the funniest parodies I've seen in years. I was laughing out loud from beginning to end. Just when I thought I had the whole thing figured out, Carpenter would come up with another unexpected and delightfully amusing twist. I've bought four and am giving them as Valentine's gifts. Even my mother (married for 50 years!) loves it. Does anyone know who Rachel Carpenter is? Has she written other stuff? I searched her name on amazon and couldn't find other books but I'd sure love to read a novel if she's got one. Wow!

My husband brought this book to work today to show to his coworkers. It is kind of cute that he is responding so well to a pink chick book...So its clearly not just for girls.

Hilarious! A chick looking for her husband, from ballroom dance classes to AA meetings with amusing results. Does she find him? I don't want to ruin the surprise! Suffice to say, along the journey, she realizes that whether or not she finds The Man, she can lead a fulfilling, rich life.

This isn't an Idiot's guide to photography. It is a well written book on the physical and chemical phenomena around picture tacking, an eye opener on quirky peculiarities of the media for photographers (more scientifically minded people may feel it just brushes the surface of many subjects). It is a good read, but as with text books, if you're not well awake, you'll have to go through a topic several times!

Most of the emphasis is on film, with a last chapter added on to cover digital. I reckon even strictly digital shooters may profit from reading it.

OK nearly fully understands photography. This book goes far beyond the "for dummies" overview of the medium. It even goes far beyond the "Beyond Basic Photgraphy" books I've read. This book, along with Ansel Adams' The Negative are the best instruction you can receive on the technical aspects of photography, digital or film. It does include chapters on film and chemicals which are becoming less and less popular though still useful for some. But it also describes light, light measurement, focal plane vs. leaf shutter operation- you'll understand why an SLR has a high flash sync speed limit of 1/250" while point and shoots as well as Hasselblads can sync flash with any shutter speed. You'll understand lens optical performance terms. You'll fully understand film characteristic curves (now dynamic range characteristics of digital sensors). Worth the money. (Note this review is based on the first edition which was hardcover.)

All the technical details of photography have been covered. The review questions at the end of the each chapter are helpful too. I feel one can surely save a lot of film after reading this book. And there are quite a few b&w photogrpahs which are quite interesting.

This is a rather comprehensive introduction to the theory of photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester (NY) is of course where the headquarters of the Eastman Kodak Company is located...

Note the word "theory" above. That the volume contains an appendix on the calculation of basic logarithms should give you a clue to the nature of this book.

This is a book about the physical properties of light, the chemical properties of photographic papers and film, and so on. It is not a book about composition and "beauty".

Photography is an art and also a craft. You would buy this book to become a better craftsman.

After a boring introduction to one of the most exciting topics I can think of (Light and Photometry) the volume covers exposure both at the picture taking (camera) stage and post-exposure (printing). These are extremely useful chapters for any photographer.

There then follows five chapters and 160 large pages whit what is essentially an introduction to science for photographers. You wouldn't guess it from the chapter headings, but you are given a brief introduction to statistics, sensiometry (excellent chapter!), optics, chemistry, and physical chemistry. Only what is relevant for photography is presented, and it is done at a fairly high-level. The level may suit you or frustrate you. The style is unlikely to excite you...

Finally, on page 213 we get practical and hands-on again with a chapter on black-and-while development followed, after a section on archival, by one of the gems of this book: tonal reproduction. Starting from the foundation it has developed over the five "boring" chapters it shows how to achieve the tonal reproduction that you want, and shows the Zone System as a practical approximation. Understanding the Zone System in this light (pun intended) will give you a great background on when and how to use it, and when not to use it: it is only an approximation.

The remaining chapters are classics and include excellent sections on visual perception, colors and color reporductions.

This book is a must read! I considered deducting a single star in the rating because the book is very focused on black-and-white photography. It does cover color, but not in the level of detail that I would have liked. In the end I decided that it would be unfair to give this book anything less than 5 stars: you should read it.

The book "Basic Photographic Materials and Processes" is separated on 16 chapters. Very useful chapters for everybody, both for beginners and professionals are chapters: 1) Light and Photometry, 4) Photographic Sensitometry, 5) Photography Optics (there is an instruction how to build the pinhole camera with exact calculation a diameter for different pinhole cameras and how make the lens testing), 8) Black and white Photographic Developments (with a paragraph about anti-foggants, special black-and-white process), 10) Tone Reproduction (Objective tone-reproduction curves for motion pictures, transparency etc., Luminance values of an outdoor scene, Flare factor, The making of negative, The making of Positive, the equations for average gradient for different quadrants of tone-reproduction diagram, ......), 11) Micro Image Evaluation (with much examples og graininess of films of different producers), 13) Filters with their influencies on different sort of films, 14) Color, 15) Color Reproduction and 16) Digital photography. This book is very useful and its content is very comprehensive one. I photograph since 1960 and I admire Mr. Anselm Adams, that is to say I very, very recommend this book for one, who has serious interest about photography and different cameras with their optics. The book has many pictures, useful tables and diagrams. (Rene Novak, studio ER67, ...)