On-the-print

There are several themes that permeate Nuland's books. One theme is that death, like birth, is a messy process. Though we may wish for the noble death, more likely we will die slowly from a lack of oxygen in the brain. This, in turn, will result from a failing heart, lungs, or blood vessels. Death does not come easy, and although the final moment is sometime serene and tranquil, months or weeks of painful physical degeneration often precedes it.

The second theme in Nuland's book is that death is not only inevitable, it is necessary. While life should be fought for as long as possible, we should all realize that ultimately the battle will be lost. We will die. Nuland takes a dim view of heroic attempts to extend life beyond the point where the body has simply failed and death becomes not only inevitable, but also the proper way for nature to renew herself. Nature uses death to clear the way for new generations, and just as we cannot experience the green buds of spring unless the leaves from last season fall to the ground, the very nature of life demands that when death becomes inevitable we exit the stage for the next generation.

Nuland's third point is that the measure of a life is not found so much in how we die, but in how we live and how we are remembered. Few of us can control the way in which we die. For some of us it will be quick, for others death will linger and the process will be slow and painful. Some will find humiliation in the loss of bodily functions or mental facilities. However it comes to anyone of us, death is just a part of our lives and the real meaning in death is in the life remembered.

Chapters 1 and 2 focus on the heart, how and why it fails, and what are the consequences in terms of how death is precipitated. These chapters include some personal stories, but are mostly factual in nature. They make fascinating reading for anyone interested in how the body works, as well as those interested in death itself.

Chapter 3 is one of the most poignant and describes the author's personal experiences in the life and death of his Grandmother who raised him after his parents died when he was eleven. Nuland is a medical doctor, and he describes the deaths of many people in his book, including the death of his Grandmother and his brother. All these descriptions are stark. There is no attempt to cover up the messiness of death, yet the stories are told with such deep compassion and understanding of the human condition and suffering that they bring a deep upwelling in the soul.

Chapter 4 basically outlines Nuland's view that "Among living creatures, to die and leave the stage is the way of nature - old age is the preparation for departure, the gradual easing out of life that makes its ending more palatable not only for the elderly but for those also to whom they leave the world in trust."

Chapter 5 describes Alzheimer's disease, and is one of the most interesting chapters in the book. This book includes some of the history of Alzheimer's disease, how the disease manifests itself, and how it kills. Like many other topics in his book, Nuland illustrates the subject by describing the process of degeneration and death due to this disease through his personal experiences with individuals he knew.

The sixth chapter, titled "Murder and Scerenity," was difficult for me. It contains a vivid description of the death of a little girl by a knife-wielding maniac. The subject of the chapter is how the body produces chemicals that place it in a type of trance when under tremendous stress. The story of little Katie is very poignant. I hardly ever cry, but I did as I read of the way she died. Interestingly, though, I think that understanding the physiology described in this chapter can be a source of solace even for those who have lost loved ones through violent tragedy.

Chapter 7 discusses suicide and euthanasia. Nuland seems to take a dim view of suicide as promoted by some organizations, but he seems to hold open the possibility of doctors taking a more active roll in the final moments of death as patients ask for help in the process. This chapter brought some personal reflection to me, since I'm from Oregon. I voted with the majority of my fellow citizens to allow doctors to help their patients end their suffering (Oregon's law has abundant safeguards and cannot result in euthanasia or death for monetary relief). Ultimately, though, our voices could be rejected. Interestingly, Gordon Smith, a Senator from Oregon, has proven fundamental in overriding the Oregon voters on this issue.

Chapters 8 and 9 review the story of aids and how that disease kills it victims, while chapters 10 and 11 describe death by cancer. Chapter 12 summarizes, and leaves the reader contemplating the fact that it's all but certain we will each die by one or more of the processes described in Nuland's book. How we die, and how we will be remembered, however, are entirely up to each of us as individuals

Laura Wilder had an amazing gift to tell stories and to make an accurate picture of the time she grew up in and of what she thought and felt as a girl. This is not like the show in many respects though. If you only want to read about the exact characters and stories from the show, this may surprise you. Mr. Edwards is not in here much and you won't see characters like Albert or Mr. Oleson in this book. As they live on the prairie, there is no school or store, only a few neighbors a few miles away. Also Indians which only actually show up now and then.

Again it is a story about hard work and family sticking together. Superior to the first book in that you already know alot of the mundane [though very interesting]details of their daily life, and the characters. Now it is full of story. The interactions with wild life alone are astounding as taken for fact. They are not just the amusing tid bits from the first book, but quite dangerous and spellbinding ones.

Fantastic book for anybody. The whole series is great.

Their covered wagon makes a great camping vehicle and they enjoy a nice camping trip on their way. They would stop driving for the day, Pa would go out hunting, Ma and the girls would set up camp, and Pa would come back with the evening's supper. They cooked it over a fire, ate the leftovers for breakfast, packed up, and were back on the road for the day.

When they arrived at what Pa said was "home", it was nothing but a big space of grass. Where would they live? No problem.
Pa knows how to build a house with logs, make furniture, dig a well, and build a stable for the horses. That Pa can do anything! The land is free, the hunting is free, building the house and digging the well is free. By the time they plant the garden, I guess they would have no need of money.

But they do get money. Why? Because Pa is a hunter, remember? And a good one. He sells the furs, and the hunting is so plentiful in this area that he has no trouble at all.

The neat thing about this book is that it describes how to do many things: How to build the house, How to make a rocking chair, How to cook over the fire, and describes a clever way to protect your home from a prairie fire that really works! Many popular songs are also included as Pa plays the fiddle in the evening. Some we remember and some we wish we knew.

Because of these things and because of the indians, this was a book that my boys enjoyed right along with my daughter. My husband, the couch potato, even became interested and rented some "Little House" videos.

This is the best kind of history. It's like talking to your grandma and hearing the real story of what things were really like for real people. If you like history, you will love this book.

On the day that her daughter leaves for London Annie's husband of 20 years tells her he loves another woman and wants a divorce. Annie is devestated. After spending the past 20 years being "the perfect wife" and "the perfect mother" she doesn't know what to do with her life. So she goes home to Mystic, Washington, a small logging community near the Olympic penninsula.

When Annie returns she meets up again with her old friend (who married her best friend from high school). His wife commited suicide 8 months earlier and he and his 6 year old daughter are having a hard time coping. With nothing else to do, Annie offers to help him with his daughter.

Slowly Annie and Nick fall in love, but Annie is still married. After a few months Annie's husband decides he made a mistake and wants her back, but Annie isn't ready to go back.

This is a wonderful book about love, friendship, motherhood and finding yourself. This book is highly recommended and next time you find yourself in the beautiful Pacific Northwest remember that it doesn't rain every day, only 300 days a year.

Annie Coldwater is forced to face reality when her husband of 20 years tells her he is in love with someone else. She was in the process of dealing with the fact that her only daughter had just left for Europe. Her husband, Blake, moves out and leaves Annie alone in their extravagant home in California.

But Annie can't stay there alone. She heads home to Mystic Lake where her father still resides. It is here that Annie runs into an old friend from high school, Nick.

Nick, like Annie, is dealing with tragedy. His wife recently committed suicide and he has turned to alcohol to help him cope. He is trying to cope with his daughter, though, not his wife's death. His six-year-old daughter has retreated inside herself since her mother's death and Nick doesn't know what to do with her.

Annie comes to stay with Izzie, Nick's daughter. It is during her time with Izzie that Nick and Annie realize their love for each other. Annie helps Nick deal with his drinking problem and helps Izzie come out of herself. They become a family, so to speak.

That is until Annie realizes she is pregnant with her husband's baby. Annie is forced to return to California and face her husband and tell him about their child. She must also choose whehter her newfound love with Nick is worth giving up her husband.

On Mystic Lake is a love story that makes its readers evaluate their life. It grips the reader and holds them to the very end. I can hardly wait to read another book by Hannah.

This book describles in a perfectly understable, warm, and sometimes humerous voice, what The Course in Miracles is all about. I must admit, I never heard of The Course in Miracles, and as of present, I just ordered a copy of it for myself and started reading it.

Since The Course is such a technical book (and probably the most difficult to understand next to the Holy Bible), Ms. Williamson helps us out a little with outlining the basic principles and ideas of The Course in Miracles.

Whether you're problem is in the area of God, love and relationships, self-esteem and self-love, money, illness . . . she touches upon them all.

Just recently, I've begun to listen to some of Marianne Williamson's audio tapes, which are based on her many lectures around the world. I must say she is a captivating, charming woman who radiates intelligence and warmth -- not to mention her wonderful sense of humor. I just get such comfort from her . . . her tapes, and this book in particular. This is one of those books that you can read again and again, and continue to gain insight and peace from it.

It's wonderful to have such people as Marianne Williamson bring her messages of love and peace to the people, and helping us look at ourseves and God in a different light.

This is a MUST for anyone on a spiritual journey. My only complaint is that Marianne Williamson doesn't write enough books.

"Positive thinking" really is neither 'positive' nor 'negative'.It is 'truthful' thinking.Williamson shows her faith in this fact via her sombre expression on the cover photo.She is well aware that 'love' equally accompanies our sad emotions as it does our happy ones.She does away with the 'sentimental' definition of peace and harmony, replacing it with a permanently helpful 'unconditional' definition.
In closing: This author brings a very lofty and intellectual piece of work down to earth, in a very compassionate expression, making it easier to relate to.Nulifying the fear factor of such far-reaching ideals.Beautiful stuff!

Be warned however, the book does get pretty gruesome at times and if you're a person who needs a good PLOT to enjoy a book, than you may be better off skipping this, because there really isn't one. It's just things that happen to this character and his thoughts on life, and death and love and war and people. That's it. But that's enough. I loved it.

At times poetic, Erich Maria Remarque's novel doesn't depict war as glorious or noble. His soldiers question their reason for fighting and long for a home that will never be the same after the war. When the main character receives a leave for home, he finds it more damaging than restoring. In the front lines, he can live with what he sees because he doesn't think about it. At home, everyone has the wrong idea of war - how noble their actions are, how easy winning should be - and dwelling on these thoughts, the soldier cannot bear the sights he sees when he returns to war. He cannot handle the killing. Remarque has his narrator speak of the disparity between fighting and life - how after the war, nothing will be the same for this generation of young soldiers, barely out of their teens; their life now is made up of death.

As an avid fan of anything relating to WWI and WWII, this book speaks volumes to just how horrific and unexpectedly devastating WWI was to an entire generation. Knowing the experiences of other soldiers (such as the soldier-poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen) allows Remarque's narrative to resonanate all the more deeply. His novel could very well be the beginning signal of what we've come to call "the lost generation." For indeed, these soldiers are lost.

People are currently complaining about the economy, jobs, healthcare, education. Without great intelligence the next 9-11 attack might make our job searches irrelevant.

As a former clandestine case officer (now out from under cover with permission), leaving the Agency in 1988 after unsuccessfully chasing terrorists for a few years, I knew we were in bad shape but I did not realize just how bad until I read this book. The author, working mostly in the Near East (NE) Division of the Directorate of Operations, and then in the Counter-Terrorism Center when it was just starting out, has an extremely important story to tell and every American needs to pay attention. Why? Because his account of how we have no assets useful against terrorism is in contradiction to what the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) told the President and his top advisors at Camp David on Saturday 15 September. According to the Washington Post of 31 January 2002, page A13, on the 15th the DCI laid out an ambitious "Worldwide Attack Matrix" and told the President that the United States had a "large asset base" from its years of working the terrorism target. One of these two men one is closer to the truth than the other. In my judgement, I believe Baer has three-quarters of the weight on his side. This discrepancy warrants investigation, for no President can be successful if he does not have accurate information about our actual capabilities.

There are four other stories within this excellent book, all dealing with infirm bureaucracies. At one level, the author's accounting of how the Directorate of Operations has declined under the last three leaders (as the author describes them: a recalled retiree, an analyst, and a "political" (pal)) is both clearly based on ground truth, and extremely troubling. The extraordinary detail on the decline and fall of the clandestine service is one that every voter should be thinking about, because it was the failure of the clandestine service, as well as the counterintelligence service (the Federal Bureau of Investigation) that allowed 9-11 to happen...at the same time, we must note that it was a policy failure to not have investigated similar incompetencies when a military barracks in Saudi Arabia, two Embassies, and a naval destroyer were attacked, and it was clearly known in open sources that bin Laden had declared war on America and had within America numerous Islamic clerics calling for the murder of Americans--all as documented in an excellent Public Broadcast Service documentary.

At a technical level, the author provides some really excellent real-world, real-war annecdotes about situations where clandestine reporting from trusted operations officers has not been accepted by their own superiors in the absence of technical confirmation (imagery or signals). As he says, in the middle of a major artillery battle and break-out of insurgent elements, screaming over the secure phone, "its the middle of night here". We've all known since at least the 1970's that the technical intelligence side of things has been crushing human sensibility, both operational and analytical, but this book really brings the problems into the public eye in a compelling and useful manner.

At another level, the author uses his own investigation for murder (he was completely cleared, it was a set-up) by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and at one point by the Secret Service, to shed new light on the complete break-down of internal security processes within the CIA. At its lowest point, he is pressured by DO management with a psychological evaluation to determine his fitness for duty--shades of Stalinism! I know this technique, of declaring officers unfit for duty based on psychological hatchet jobs, to be a common practice over the past two decades, and when Britt Snider was appointed Inspector General at CIA, I told him this was a "smoking gun" in the 7th floor closet. That it remains a practice today is grounds for evaluating the entire management culture at CIA.

There is a fourth story in the book, a truly interesting account of how big energy companies, their "ambassadors" serving as Presidential appointees within the National Security Council, and corrupt foreign elements, all come together. In this the spies are not central, so I leave it as a sidenote.

In my capacity as a reviewer of most intelligence-related books within these offerings, I want to make it clear to potential buyers of this book that the author is not alone. His is the best, most detailed, and most current accounting of the decrepit dysfunctionality of the clandestine service (as I put it in my own book's second edition), but I would refer the reader to two other books in particular: David Corn's "Blond Ghost: Ted Shackley and the CIA's Crusades"--its most memorable quote, on covert action in Laos, being "We spent a lot of money and got a lot of people killed, and we didn't get much for it."--and Evan Thomas' "The Very Best Men--Four Who Dared: The Early Years of the CIA"--its best quote: "Patriotic, decent, well-meaning, they were also uniquely unsuited to the grubby, necessarily devious world of intelligence." There are many other books, including twelve (12!) focused on reform and recommended by the Council on Intelligence.

The author is a brave man--he was brave on the fields of war and clandestinity, and he is braver still for having brought this story to the public. We owe him a hearing.

PS I have a funny web site that includes the word "osama." In the three weeks following September 11 I observed hundreds of hits originating from .mil, .gov, etc. from Virginia area (it is even possible to see exactly who those users/administrators are along w their phone numbers/addresses, I haven't tried but someone else could!). Some are repeats, meaning they already saw it doesn't have Osama's email address or whatever it is they're looking for, and they STILL come back. These are our researchers tracking down this killer?

Primrose is not the real adventurous type, she's just trying to live a normal in the small town of Coal Harbor. When you don't seem to settle in one house and there's no one to support her in her beliefs.

I think Polly Horvath's message is to believe, miracles happen. Not once did Primrose doubt her parents return, while everyone else could easily say "give up, Primrose your parents are dead" as easily as a cat meows.

I enjoyed reading this book because at the end of every chapter they gave you a recipe to a food that they mentioned in the chapter. I think this is a good book for ages ten and up. I give this book 4 ½ stars because it could use that little, incanting something that a 5 star writing has. With an interesting plot and a most surprising ending, you'll love this book.

If you were looking for a nice relaxing, exciting book don't look any further. Read the world's favorite; Everything on a Waffle!
Everything on a Waffle is about a girl named Primrose Squarp, a smart, brave girl. Primrose's parents got lost at sea and everyone thought that her parents died except for Primrose. She believes her parents are still alive. Primrose goes through a lot of difficult things, like she lost a toe and half a finger. At first she stayed with a woman named Ms. Perfidy for a little while each day; the city pays her. Then Primrose stayed with her Uncle Jack a nice, intelligent man. Then she stayed with Evie and Bert, foster parents. Along the way the school counselor, Ms. Honnycut trys to make everyone think that Primrose's parents are gone. Primrose's friend Mrs. Bowser that works at a restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing gives Primrose helpful advice and keeps her hopes up. A lot of things happen in this fantastic book; but at the end Primrose's parents finally came back. Primrose was happy and knew that they always would.

Everything on a Waffle is a great, exciting book and is perfect for kids that like weird beginnings, a funny middle and an exciting ending. My opinion for this book is a two thumbs up. It's my favorite book yet! This book has a good and clear picture of what's happening and there are a lot of details. It's the best!

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All in all, definitely worth reading. Pity that we don't have him around to share his views on what is going on in today's world !

I strongly recommend this book for the scientist and non-scientist alike. It has a lot of scientific topics in it, but they are dealt with using low-level science that is easily understood. I found the sections on abortion and the military particularly interesting.