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INSPIRATIONAL CLASSICReview Date: 2002-04-21
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A Wonderful BookReview Date: 2000-07-24

Immortal Thirteenth DiscipleReview Date: 2007-08-18
An Amazing new style of science fiction story which can be related to things that has happened to people on our planet,
Especially the idea behind the section of Jack the Ripper and Other famous and Infamous people he meets and helps throughout history, and what a stunning conclusion to the end of this first book, with a insight of the future to the year 2078 .
I look forward to the second book in the series.

A must have for any student of Structural Engineering.Review Date: 1998-12-14

Excellent Account!Review Date: 2003-05-16
We follow Yates through his initial training at flight school and then into training for multi-engine aircraft in Canada, something he wasn't expecting. We then read of his exploits as an instructor and then finally his posting to a Operational RAF Squadron flying one of the great bombers of the Second World War, the Avro Lancaster.
Young Harry Yates ends up with 75 Squadron (RNZAF) based at Mepal in August of 1944 with a task of completing 30 operations against occupied Europe and Germany. Although by this period of the war the conflict in the air had swung towards the Allies it was still a very dangerous occupation flying in Bomber Command. This is the guts of the story, flying with Harry Yates and his crew in one of the many Lancaster's allotted to them through the 30 missions required to complete their tour of Ops.
I found this story truly amazing and it was so well told I was totally immersed in the narrative. I must admit it has been awhile since I have read such an interesting and captivating account of war in the air and I cannot imagine anyone who has an interesting in aerial warfare not being taken by this honest and enjoyable book.
Not once did I find the book bogging down in too much detail, not once did it flag or slow down in pace, even the author's account of his training and instructional flights were full of interest, humour and occasional sadness. This is a great testament to the young crews who flew in Bomber Command doing a job without question that cost many their lives. Well done to the author!
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Definitive Work On the Conduct Of Roman WarfareReview Date: 2007-12-15
The glory that was Rome came with a price. Some historians have said at too high a price--the fall of the Republic and the reinstitution of a monarchy. This political change came about for two important reasons. The first reason was that the political structure of the Republic could no longer adequately serve Rome's expanding empire in the last century BCE. Secondly, politically ambitious generals facilitated changes in Rome's military structure from a volunteer force to a professional force. This change gave them total control over the military, which they used to usurp the political power of the Senate. This precipitated the bloody political revolution, changing the government from a republic to a dictatorship and eventually a monarchy.
The goal of this book is to examine the importance of the development and the effect that a professional army had on the downfall of the Roman Republic. The focus of this book includes such topics as how the Roman army developed from a volunteer force into a professional, mercenary force, created by generals and politicians who coveted power. Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, Mark Antony, and Augustus are four examples of men drunk with power who plunged Rome into Civil War to wrest power from a weak Senate, which proved to be inadequate in coping with the intricacies of a burgeoning empire. In addition, this book examines how by changing the traditional pay structure, bonuses, and retirement payments made to the legions, these politically ambitious generals changed the traditional allegiance that the legions had to the Republic and essentially not only bought their services, but also brought the legions under their control for their own personal and political gain. This book proves that the successful subversion of the Roman Legion's structure for personal gain had a direct correlation in the downfall of the Republic and the rise of a permanent monarchy.
Rome had an army from its earliest beginnings as a small city-state. There is little known of the structure of the military in early Roman history. Lawrence Keppie did a masterful job of compiling the first solid information that has survived through history regarding Rome's military. "At first, military service in the Roman Army entailed a man being away from his home...for a few weeks or months over the summer. The campaign season opened in March and closed in October, as official festivals in the Roman calendar make clear." Keppie also did vital work in explaining the military importance for Rome in the Servian Constitution. Servius Tullius was the sixth king of Rome who reigned from about 580-530 BCE. Servius instituted many reforms in both the political and military structures of Rome which were codified in the Sevian Constitution. He conducted the first census of the citizenry and used this information to divide the population into classes based on wealth. The class structure was then used both politically for voting classification and militarily to determine in what portion of the legion a man would serve in to defend Rome. The men were organized into centuries (hundreds) within the class structure. Militarily, the class ranking was based on wealth, which determined where a man would serve in the legion based on his ability to provide his own weapons and equipment. The wealthiest class in Roman society served in the equites or the Roman cavalry, of which there were eighteen centuries. Obviously, these men had the financial ability to provide their own horses. The majority of the population was divided into five classes who served in the infantry. Men who had no property had no military obligation. The military tactics used were similar to the Greek hoplite formation.
"Members of the `first class' were to be armed with a bronze cuirass, spear, sword, shield and greaves to protect the legs; the `second class' with much the same panoply minus the cuirass; the `third', the
same but lacking the greaves; the `fourth; the shield and spear only, and the `fifth' was armed only with slings or stones.
The first critical change to the Roman army came by the hands of Gaius Marius 157-86 BCE. Marius made sweeping reforms in army recruitment in 107 BCE so that he would have enough men to fight in the Numidian War. Marius broke with Roman tradition and recruited troops from the ranks of the poor, who owned no land. Marius felt forced to do this because of a manpower shortage due to Rome's involvement in many years of warfare. Marius' action at the time caused him to be hailed as a hero of the people, standing up against the Roman nobility. However, the nobility saw this as a great deviation from Roman tradition. They viewed his actions as a political power grab, accusing him of recruiting a personal army from the ranks of the poor, which would owe allegiance to him alone in return for financial gain. Marius' military reforms had far-reaching consequences not only on the army, but on the political future of Rome as well. The army was changed from an army of conscripts to an army of paid professionals. This change often caused the soldiers to be callous and indifferent, which was to have serious repercussions for the Roman Empire later. No longer did soldiers fight for hearth and home. With their new landless recruits, generals had to promise them the bonus of land for their service, which bought their recruit's loyalty, not to Rome but to their generals. Now, with the new advent of the role of the general in politics, this change in the army structure helped to set Rome on a course of Civil War.
The second critical change to the Roman army came about through the machinations of Pompey, Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony, and Caesar Augustus, all men vying for power a generation after Marius. These men emulated Marius' tactics by using the army to further their own political ambitions. As an example, between 70-54 BCE, Pompey and Caesar bribed senators and sent their soldiers to Rome "ostensibly to vote." When Pompey stood for election of the consulship in 55 BCE, it marked the first time in Roman history that the violence and bloodshed caused anarchy at the polls. However, it was Caesar's change to the army with his ability to buy the loyalty of his soldiers that ultimately gave him a decisive advantage over his rival Pompey, as well as his enemies in the Senate. Caesar's ability to accomplish this feat was cemented when he spent nine years in Gaul, winning military victories and enriching himself and his men. Caesar's successes made it easy for him to gain new volunteers to swell his ranks. Thus by 50 BCE, his army grew in number to twelve legions. These accomplishments served to secure Caesar's unrivaled political standing during the Civil War, which ultimately gave him the political power necessary to conquer Rome. The key military reforms Caesar made was in how he guaranteed the loyalty of the army to him personally now that the Republic was being transformed to a monarchy. He discharged all of his veteran legions except one, making sure that each of the soldiers received land in Italy and southern France. This insured that they would stay loyal to Caesar personally. From his very able military staff, Caesar picked men to fill ministerial positions throughout the empire, which also strengthened his hand politically. However, what social, political, and military reforms Caesar started were cut short by his assignation in 44 BCE. Many of his reforms would really come to fruition under Caesar Augustus, his heir and Rome's ruler for forty-five years.
The third critical change to the Roman army came after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Once again, Rome was plunged into Civil war, this time the two protagonists were Mark Anthony, and Caesar Augustus. Caesar Augustus learned how to use the army to gain political advantage with efficient alacrity from his great uncle Julius Caesar's example. Once he defeated his rival Mark Anthony, he took Julius Caesar's military reforms to new heights solidifying his political power and reinstituting the Roman monarchy. Under Caesar Augustus' reign, the potential for a soldier to gain wealth, rank, and upward mobility in society was much greater. It was not uncommon for a soldier to reach the rank of centurion after fifteen years of service, with the potential for earning an even higher rank. During this period, the rank of centurion garnished him fifteen times that of the ordinary soldier. Almost half of the centurions would succeed to the office of primipilares--the senior centurion of a legion for one year. With this rank came the honor of becoming a member of the Roman equestrian order, which provided a step up the ladder of the Roman social class structure. Upon their retirement, these successful military men would receive a substantial payment of 600,000 sesterces. This payment, coupled with their savings from pay and booty they earned while on campaign could propel a man well beyond his original station in life. However, one of the most important military reforms Caesar Augustus made was to introduce a permanent garrison of troops into the city of Rome itself. He created the Praetorian cohorts soon after his return to Rome from Egypt around 27 BCE. There were nine cohorts in number and they were staffed with between 500 to 1,000 men each. Their commanding officer, known as a prefect, answered directly to the Emperor. The cohorts served as a police force within the city of Rome. The best of these men were formed into a bodyguard unit for the Emperor, known as the Praetorian Guard. They gave the Emperor control of the only military power in the city. The military reforms that Caesar Augustus instituted in 13 BCE and again in 6 CE demonstrated how he solidified his control of all the armies of the Roman Empire, which he was then able to wield as an effective political instrument. As an example, Caesar Augustus insured that all bonuses known as donatives, as well as severance pay and territorial grants made to soldiers and veterans were made in the name of the princeps. Thus, his patronage to the army insured that he and subsequent emperors controlled a network of armed and devoted garrisons throughout the Empire.
The fourth critical change to the Roman army came as a direct result of Caesar Augustus' reforms that were played out over time. First, the Praetorian Guard became a potent political entity in its own right. At several junctures in Roman history the Praetorian Guard were active participants in political intrigue. Such was the case when the Emperor Caligula's own Praetorian Guard successfully assassinated him and installed his uncle Claudius on the throne. Secondly, the military reforms made by Diocletian 284-305 CE and Constantine 305-337 CE effectively split the army into two distinct entities to deal with maintaining order in the Empire--the field army and the border troops. The border troops were organized to defend the provinces and were garrisoned in fortress communities around the edges of the Empire. Once the Empire had ceased to expand and the cost of maintaining it became exorbitant, the emperor instituted reforms in military recruiting that had a profound change on the army and the Empire. From the late fourth century onwards, the Romans made increasing use of recruits from barbarian allies and garrisoned them in far off provinces. This reform to the army had a profound effect on the western portion of the Roman Empire to govern effectively. Since the Empire found it increasingly difficult to pay for its army, quite often the officers and soldiers turned to extortion and plunder of the very territories and communities they were given charge to protect. In addition, the western Empire's army became a much weaker fighting force and eventually fell prey to its enemies easily.
Recommended reading for those interested in Roman history, military history.

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Interesting ideasReview Date: 2006-07-08
The author does not offer retirement advice and in fact the author states (in public interviews) that 100-percent, sedentary retirement maybe of no use end up unproductive if the individual is healthy and active in mind and spirit (as well as physically fit to go out and be part of something).
All in all the book is definitely not a get rich - retire early and sit on the beach, fluff piece that the bookstores are filled with but it can save you what you have.

The System of Social Credit of Major C. H. Douglas.Review Date: 2008-04-24
The first part of this book is entitled "Philosophy" and outlines the general principles and philosophy that underlie economic science. The first chapter in this part is entitled "Static and Dynamic Sociology". This chapter in part distinguishes between the Modernistic and Classical understandings, noting the important difference of both in regard to the notion of progress. In particular, the author considers determinism as it relates to both of these understandings and unemployment versus leisure. The second chapter of this part is entitled "Industry - Government or Service?". Here, the author considers again the distinction between the Modernistic and Classical understanding as they regard the situation of a saintly individual. The author relates this to the case of workers, showing the role of labour, and argues against both understandings as being inadequate. The third chapter of this part is entitled "The Relation of the Group to the Individual". Here, the author explains the role of the group in suppressing the individual, noting in particular Jewish influence behind Socialism and "big business", as well as the role of "punishment". The fourth chapter of this part is entitled "Freedom of Association". Here, the author distinguishes between notions of liberty, mentioning that often the alleged use of liberty involves the "freedom to starve" (mentioning the ironic decline in the practice of Hari Kari among the Japanese) and that what really is at issue in the concept of liberty is the "freedom of association". The fifth chapter of this part is entitled "Sabotage and the Cultural Heritage". Here, the author explains the notion of value and values, as well as mentioning the role of punishment. The author also notes and contrasts the difference between advertisement ("The process of creating "Values" by creating a demand which is in excess of the supply") and sabotage (the complement of advertisement - "restricting a supply so that it is always less than a demand"). The author notes the role of sabotage and mentions the theories of Thorstein Veblen. The sixth chapter of this part is entitled "The Theory of the Supreme State". Here, the author discusses the notion in Eastern Philosophy of the "Great Man" or "World Man" and compares this to the "Prince of this World" (Satan), noting the contrast between the individual and society. The author notes how the individual is repeatedly oppressed by the greater society and explains how this relates to individual liberty. The seventh chapter of this part is entitled "The Nature of Money". Here, the author explains money as a representation of abstract value and the problems with the money system. The author also relates this to the idea of Utopia, mentioning in particular the Soviet state and Josef Stalin. The eighth chapter of this part is entitled "The Coming of Power". Here, the author explains the nature of the Invisible Government as well as the role of war. The author also discusses various proposals that are Socialistic, Communistic, or Imperialistic. The second part of this book is entitled "The Mechanism of the Classical Ideal" and outlines the manner in which the Classical ideal (as opposed to the Modernistic ideal) operates. The first chapter of this part is entitled "The Working of the Money System". Here, the author explains the nature of money and finds in particular High Finance to be problematic, mentioning the theories of J. A. Hobson. The second chapter of this part is entitled "The Nature of Price". Here, the author explains price and production mentioning the notion of purchasing power and explaining the problems which result from an excess of production. The third chapter of this part is entitled "Unemployment - Or Leisure?". Here, the author contrasts the notion of unemployment for the Classical system with the notion of leisure, mentioning the positive benefits to society of leisure, despite its detractors. The author also mentions Unemployment Insurance and notes the problematic involved in this notion for the Classical system. The fourth chapter of this part is entitled "Poverty Amidst Plenty". Here, the author explains why poverty arises amidst plenty and the problematic of distribution. The fifth chapter of this part is entitled "Why Taxation is Heavy". Here, the author notes the burden of taxation and explains the role of the National Debt. The author explains why this leads to heavy taxation and why this results in servitude. The sixth chapter of this part is entitled "Taxation and Servitude". Here, the author mentions the notorious forgery "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion", but noting that the program laid out in these protocols explains the role of taxation and its result in servitude. The author explains the role of the Great War and also explains how a condition of servitude arises in the state as taxation is increased. The seventh chapter of this part is entitled "The Bid for World Power". Here, the author notes the role of War Reparations and the Treaty of Versailles mentioning the crippling of Germany following the Great War. The third part of this book is entitled "The Design of Economic Freedom" and outlines a system of reform which amounts to the system of Social Credit. The first chapter of this part is entitled "The Strategy of Reform". Here, the author notes the problems with the Classical ideal, noting that it is an authoritarian ideal. The author also notes the role of banking and finance in further leading to social dislocation. The author notes the role of money in furthering the power of a small minority and proposes a system whereby economic reform can be made possible. The second chapter of this part is entitled "Sound Money". The author notes the manner in which money is created out of thin air by the banks and proposes a means whereby each citizen may receive a dividend from the nation. The author suggests that the country may be organized in such a way so that each of its natural born inhabitants is a shareholder and in this way receives a dividend from the nation. This is the system of Social Credit. The author further explains how this relates to producers and consumers. The third chapter of this part is entitled "The Critical Moment". Here, the author explains how such a system may be put into place, the role of Wall Street and finance capital, as well as mentioning the importance of overcoming Puritanism. The book ends with an Appendix entitled "Draft Social Credit Scheme for Scotland", which proposes a scheme of Social Credit to be put into effect in Scotland and provides a full outline for this.
This book offers an important economic treatise which outlines the theory of Social Credit. Social Credit was to become an economic movement particularly in the 1920s under the guidance of C. H. Douglas. To understand this movement and the theory behind it, it is important to read this book which is full of economic insights into the economic situation and the perils of the money power.

learning the irish fluteReview Date: 2007-02-14

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Like a BibleReview Date: 2008-12-04
Review the Fundamentals Review Date: 2008-11-02
In recognizing we all hate budgets I looked for ways to restructure. Simple basic financial review should be done annually (personal)--I hadn't reviewed the expenditures for 5 fairly successful years. Oops. So I started with the personal/household budget and extrapolated the tenets of All Your Worth to our business. THIS WAS EASY, FAST and WORKED.
ALL YOUR WORTH is the ONLY resource you need to get your financial world back on track or learn financial basis as you start the journey.
Best book on personal finances EVER!Review Date: 2008-09-15
I only wish I'd had a copy when I was in my twenties...
very good sensible advice for the common manReview Date: 2008-08-06
Elegant Budget - Simple and PowerfulReview Date: 2008-09-05
As a CFP, I have seen plans before. Some are so meticulous as to be impractical. Others are designed to show the necessity of a product.
This plan is elegant, easy to implement, flexible and balanced.
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