Nonfiction Books

I am a listener of the Glenn Beck radio show and I found much of his book to repeat what he says on air (surprise, surprise). I would recommend this book to a person that has not listened to Glenn Beck, or someone that wants the hard facts about oil, the economy, and global warming. I found the facts the most interesting part of the book and I will continue to use these facts as I face my liberal friends in debates!

Glenn Beck's book often shows the flaws in the world today. While reveling the troubles in our world and nation he often criticizes the liberals and even some conservatives for their wreckless decesions. he often provides humuros ways to solve our problems, some take these too seriously. Although he jokes about many things he often provides true thought out ideas on how we can fix problems such as the border. - great read if your not a liberal without a sence of humor.

My wife bought me a copy of Glen's Book for my birthday. As a fan of his television show, it was the perfect gift.

As a person who has first hand experience with the problems surrounding immigration, I could relate and agree with Glen's assessment.

I could also fully agree with the solutions to poverty and the sins of self-serving politicians. While I agree with these viewpoints, I hope that others that maybe wanted to agree find that the over the top humor, may dispel the gravitas of the message. Personally, I like the humor of the book and find this makes for much more interesting read than the typical "I have the answer" type of books.

Hopefully Glen Beck, through his radio, television and books will keep the heat on the groups that are slowing but surely destroying our country and our way of life. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR, Author of Wingtips with Spurs

If you can stomach this guy, maybe you will like the book. I can't, and didn't. I received the book as a gift and began reading with an open mind as I don't normally get to see him on television. It became apparent very quickly that he is more concerned about himself than any of the issues that he discusses. In fairness, I did not reach the end of the book so I'm basing this on the front half. Why did I not reach the end of the book, you ask? (see line one) If Glenn, himself, were to answer this review, I think he'd spend more time attacking those who do not support his views than discussing the views themselves. I can't say that I disagreed with every written word in the book, but I can say that the arrogance of the author did show through with every word.

An Inconvenient Book, as you can tell by it's hilarious title spoofing Al Gore's global warming borefest, is Glen Beck at his best. One of the real solutions which Beck proposes is to burn Mexicans for fuel. But then he scrunches up his face and decides that wouldn't be right and gayly declares.."oh, that would by psychotic! Maybe sociopathic!!".. all the while with the hilarious facial expressions and the effiminate hand-flailing. His solution to the problem of Micheal Moore? Shoot him!! The only complication there is whether he should do it himself or hire somebody. But after loudly pondering it himself while doing the great comic contortions with his face, he determines that he could do it himself! Just look at the book cover, with Beck spewing a map of California!! California, land of hippies and windfarms and organic groceries!!! And the look on his face!! Jim Carrey, watch out. The cover is funny, because it's so true!! The level of intelligence in his groundbreaking satire puts Stewart and Colbert to shame. Simply hilarious! What about Michael Berg, (father of Nick Berg who was beheaded in Iraq)) who criticized Bush's decisions regarding the Iraq war? Beck humorously refers to him as a scumbag on national TV. 9/11 wives who want answers? Get this -- Beck hates them!! And it's so funny listening to why he hates them. I was doubled over! This is political humor of the highest caliber. How fortunate we are that the visionary executives at CNN recognized the brilliance and awe-inspiring comedic talent of Glen Beck and gave him a daily show on a nationally broadcast news network, so that it has the air of a lighthearted mainstream news program, like Entertainment Tonight. And who can resist the magical giddy rapport he has with CNN sexpot Robin Meade? It's such a delight to watch him do the flamboyant facial gestures and vocal inflections as he engages in stimulating banter with his fellow connoisseur of highbrow humor. Thank you CNN.

Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure

Not many books inspire readers to get out pen and pencil and start writing their personal life stories. Especially in six words! Did W.C. Fields really request for his gravestone "I'd rather be in Philadelphia"? OK, he's not in the book (probably because he was one word short). Still, his may have been prototype for this fun little volume. Some are lighthearted (Mullings' "Fat jolly bearded origami-folding accountant"); some profound (Santiago's "Mixed blood. I am America's future). Somewhere in this book, the reader will either find his/her story or the inspiration to play with words and make of them a personal Truth. For me, "SWF with older home seeks carpenter" does it. Readers who try it will like it.

The book was great; everything as described by Michael Smerconish. The work shows how much can be said in so few words. I am enjoying the book.

As with MOST of the books and a lot of the music I purchase, I "heard it on NPR!" I mean, really!! Listening to the awesome interviews of authors and musicians discussing their work is the very best way to find out about them. I presented a copy of the Memoir book to each of several friends at dinner recently, and they immediately responded EXACTLY the way I expected and hoped -- they started reading aloud as they paged through the book. My moment was complete!! I, of course, have a copy for myself and plan to continue to enjoy it. The other reaction that folks have is to try to write their OWN six-word memoirs. Really great idea!!! Kudos to those who compiled the book!!

I am a writer myself, when I get a moment I grab this book. I read a few six word memoirs, get a few chuckles and I can put it down without worrying if I'll forget what I was reading. It's perfect for a flight or
when you have some time for yourself.

In November 2006, Smith Magazine challenged readers to write their memoirs in six words--no more, no less. One thousand of the submissions are printed here, with more to be found on their website. Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure is not an easy book to review, so don't think of this as an actual review; think of it a challenge. Here is a sampling of six-word memoirs from the book to provide inspiration.

Some writers tell their stories with humor and self-deprecation:

>> Woman Seeks Men--High Pain Threshold.
>> My first concert: Zappa. Explains everything.
>> Aging late bloomer yearns for do-over.

As you would expect, there are many bitter or bittersweet references to relationships gone bad:

>> Girlfriend is pregnant, my husband said.
>> Just in: boyfriend's gay. Merry Christmas.
>> Let's just be friends, she said.

Some lucky people sent memoirs that radiate contentment.

>> Alone at home, cat on lap.
>> Hope my obituary spells "debonair" correctly.
>> Wasn't born a redhead; fixed that.

There is the contingent who describe themselves without judgment:

>> Gave commencement address, became sex columnist.
>> Mormon economist marries feminist. Worlds collide.
>> Still lost on road less traveled.

And last but not least, the philosophers who distill life experience into a greater truth:

>> Palindromic novels fall apart halfway through.
>> Cheese is the essence of life.
>> Wandering imagination opens doors to paradise.

We're all busy people, each with a story to tell. C'mon, what's yours?

Linda Bulger, 2008

This book is captivating and impossible to put down even now as I approach age 30. As a girl I found it spellbinding, the kind of book that makes your own world and time dissolve around you and casts directly in the life and time of the characters. It is far to rare that an author can weave that kind of story. Elizabeth George Speare certainly has that gift. Don't hesitate to buy this for the children in your life. Also by E. G. Speare be sure and check out The Witch of Blackbird Pond and one of my all-time favorites, Calico Captive. Enjoy and keep a clock nearby as you're surely going to lose track of time while reading this book.

The voice reading Sign of the Beaver was pleasant and easy to listen to. Since I was not listening to the whole book in one sitting, it was difficult to find where on the CD I left off. It would be more efficient to have the track for each chapter labeled on the CD.

This is a great book about a boy who forms a friendship with and Indian boy named Attean, and in fact with his entire family. I found it a pleasure to read, because it offered a different historical perspective than most books that come from the white man's perspective. While Matt was white, most of the book is filled with his interactions with the Indian people. We get a glimpse of how they lived, and how very practical it was as opposed to the white man's way of life. It was more in tune with the land, for sure.

I'm getting off track, but I was very touched by the story. Matt is essentially invited to join the Beaver tribe by Attean and his grandfather, and Attean calls him his brother. The warm acceptance that grew between the two boys was heartwarming, and toward the end it brought tears to my eyes, but not due to sadness; instead due to the love the two boys shared.

As a fourth grade educator, I would never introduce this book to my students as anything else other than an example of popular culture that perpetuates stereotypes of Native Americans. Attean and other Native American characters speak in broken English, giving the reader the impression that these characters are inferior to their White counterparts. The terminology used is highly offensive (squaw)for both Native people and for women. The relationship that Attean has with girls in his tribe as well as with animals is unrealistic and down right inaccurate. Joseph Bruchac and Michael Dorris are two authors which do an excellent job of writing from the Native American perspective.

I have used Sign of the Beaver as a read aloud just about every year I have taught! I teach 4th grade, and have always had great reviews from my students. The text and vocabulary are advanced for some fourth graders, so it is a terrific way to expand their vocabulary and knowledge without having frustrated readers. I have collected a class set over the years, allowing every child to read along. I highly recommend this book!

Hands down, this is my favorite book for kids age 5 to 10 about sexuality, love and relationships! Robie Harris tackles this subject with warmth and humor - she understands her audience and your kids will return to this book over and over.

Parents will appreciate her tone and the matter of fact way she handles "the facts." Be sure to read it yourself before settling in with the kiddos - while there probably isn't anything you didn't already know, you want to be sure it reflects your values.

And remember, this should supplement the ongoing conversations in your family and isn't a replacement for the information and values your kids want and need to learn from you.

Definitely a discussion starter, not something to sit down and read all at once! I love the chapters because it's easy to flip to the section that will answer specific questions as they come up. Perfect for our inquisitive seven year old.

I have 4th and 5th grade girls. Although not quite ready to cover this subject with them, they were approaching the time when it would be taught in their school. I sat them down and went through the book with them, it answered their questions and the drawings seemed to satisfy their curiosity. Both girls have asked to look at the book again on their own and have come to me with questions. I highly recommend it as a gateway to discussions and better communication with your child.

This book has kept my children reading and asking questions. The language is simple, yet not condesending. The graphics are excellent. I would recommend this book any child hitting the puberty years.

I have read mostly positive reviews about this book and I agree. We used this book for my daughter's Kindergarten body project when she wanted to know about where babies come from and I had no problem reading it to a 5 year old and a 7 year old, mixed genders.

Though I know some have suggested that there is a political agenda in the book regarding abortion and homosexuality, I feel this book is unbiased and promotes proper family values for the following reasons:

1. There is a focus on the love aspect of relationships along with the physical aspects of sex and reproduction. There is no way a child will walk away from this book thinking sex is appropriate between strangers. It is clear, from the writing, that this is something to share within a serious relationship.

2. There is a mention of homosexuality. It is very brief. It does not encourage homosexuality and more than it discourages homosexuality. It does not go into graphic detail of how two men or two women have intercourse. It simply points that some people in same sex relationships have children together. This is fact and is stated as such.

3. Abortion is not glorified. It is mentioned that some people end their pregnancies through abortion. Again, this is stated as fact- not glorified or demonized. It is reality and is mentioned as such.

4. There is also a part that describes sexual abuse. It is very sensitive and is written to encourage children to seek out help if they are in a bad situation.

These are difficult, often controversial, issues. They are handled with loving care by the authors. Two thumbs up!

I would highly recommend this seller. Thank you from another Amazon seller. Great job!!

New Textbook arrived earlier than the stated mailing date. Amazon saved me $8 from the price at the HS bookstore and I received free shipping.

Though Osama Bin Laden became a household name after the 9-11 attacks, few people know the background of Afghanistan and the mujahideen fighters that birthed these radical groups. This book gives a well-researched, in-depth look into the interplay of the Cold War, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the radical groups that have made Afghanistan such a key region in the modern world. Though not a quick read, I would recommend it to anyone looking for more information beyond the 10-second sound bytes and action movie blather that our politicians give us when talking about the Middle East.

The writing is succinct and clear, no small accomplishment considering the breadth of this book and the many players. Keeping track of the many American, Persian, Arabic, etc names may feel daunting at first, but Coll consistently reminds the reader who these people are, so you won't feel lost. This is a big help if you're only able to read for pleasure intermittently like myself. The endnotes are evidence of the incredible amount of research that went into this book. Curious about some of the facts, I researched some of these endnotes, and they all checked out.

All in all, an excellent book that does more than try to pass the blame to one administration or department. Read it in conjunction with the books recommended by other reviewers to get a fuller picture of the Middle East.

It was a pleasure reading this very well written and researched book. As an Indian, I grew up reading about the defeat of Russians in newspapers. The subsequent battle for Afghanistan between the communist government and the mujahedin entered my consciousness through snatches of news on the radio. So, it was great to get the stories and personalities around people like Masooud.

However, as I reached to the end of the book, I realized that clearly the author was not telling the whole story. Some gaping holes in the book are

1. CIA and the US government remained unaware of Pakistan support to Taliban for a long period. Did they not have sources in the ISI and Pakistan government?
2. Ditto for Saudi support to Taliban.
3. The Israeli agency Mossad is mentioned once in passing in the book. It is difficult to believe that they did not have any intelligence presence in a region which was developing as big threat to their existence. it is difficult to believe that they were a player of no significance in the whole story.

Now, there may be very good reasons for such omissions. However, they left me feeling that the book finally depends on revelations that were very tightly controlled. Obviously there would be control to protect the integrity of sources. But only slightly less obviously, the control can be used to "paint a picture." If you reveal only selected facts, most intelligent readers would draw the conclusions you want them to. I don't know what all has been left out. All I know is that the omissions pointed out above are too significant for me. They make me feel that I am watching a well edited reality show.

well, not this book actually, but a related book by Coll's colleague Parag Khanna titled The Second World.

Some of the various, and numerous, factual errors that riddle the book are relatively trivial, but suggest serious sloppiness and disregard for getting facts right. For example, Yugoslavia was not part of Warsaw pact, as Khanna states. Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov was appointed to office in 1992 by Boris Yeltsin, and not by Vladimir Putin. Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia and Albania are not all smaller by population than Manhattan, and the death toll from the civil wars in former Yugoslavia was not greater than half a million. Other obviously wrong assertions seem to be made up simply to provide lurid background color to Khanna's travelogue: the former KGB headquarters in Moscow has not been turned into "a high-class disco," expensive Moscow malls do not charge entrance fees, and police road checkpoints in Uzbekistan do not stop and check all vehicles. And other gross misstatements of fact display a simple complete lack of understanding the history and culture of the countries of which he writes: the (Orthodox) Uspenky cave monastery in Crimea is not representative of Ukraine's "proud Catholic heritage," Zoran Djindjic was not the first democratically elected leader since World War II in former Yugoslavia , and in the 1980s Yugoslav republics like Bosnia and Macedonia were not richer than Spain. Many of Khanna's wildly wrong claims sound like local myths that he has taken at face value. I can easily imagine some misguided elderly Belgrade resident waxing nostalgically for the days "when every one of our republics was richer than Spain!"

Yet more of Khanna's assertions are not merely factually wrong, but far exceed the ludicrous. In the fast paced and dangerous Russian business world, "one is safe only in the sauna, where everyone is naked and no weapons are allowed." It was news to me to learn from Khanna that every winter "waves" of Russians and "thousands of Ukrainians" freeze to death in "crumbling heatless apartment blocks." And he employs gross mischaracterizations of fact to buttress his claims. For example, according to Khanna, in 2006 Greek GDP increased 25% when the government started to account for prostitution and cigarette smuggling in its figures. In fact, the government said it would include all unreported economic activity, mostly in construction and trade, but including a "small" amount for illegal activities such as smuggling. And this is merely a sampling of patently ridiculous claims.

And for a "foreign policy whiz-kid," Khanna makes numerous and serious analytical mistakes, showing a clear misunderstanding of economics, international institutions, and international relations. The unhedged statement, "Russia's diplomatic position is purely residual," will surely surprise diplomats from Brussels to Tokyo. Noting that Gazprom's market capitalization is $300 billion leads Khanna to the conclusion that Gazprom is one third of the Russian economy, confusing market capitalization with GDP. And his bald assertion that "[n]one of Central Asian legal systems have evolved beyond Kakfaaesque" is belied by the numerous successful legislative accomplishments of Kazakhstan and its quite sophisticated legal code, for example.


But the worst moments of Khanna's book are when he quotes conversations that seem of such dubious authenticity as to make me believe they may be fabricated, or at best the result of very selective reporting, only relating those comments that fit within his pre-existing views. "'Our pride has suffered'" explains a "Moscow intellectual over a narrow glass of [of course] ice-chilled vodka, `but this only drives our nationalism further.'" In Kiev, the locals "give lifts to strangers for a token fare." Why? "We suffered enough together, so we still trust each other." There are just too many such (anonymous) quotations that fail to ring true to trust in the author's integrity. And he also reports statements by national leaders as if they were heard in personal conversation, yet in a curiously indirect fashion that suggests otherwise.

Wow! Never have I read such an engaging, informative book of such importance. If you want to understand Middle East politics, conflicts and major principals and how they were affected by American power read Ghost Wars. I found it refreshing to read a true journalistic account as dispassionate and unbiased as Steve Coll's brilliant book. His background information on Middle East history and the movers and shakers was perfect - not too long-winded or short-shifted. About as perfect an investigative non-fiction book can be.

i ordered this book about 2 weeks ago and have not yet received it. PlEASE EXPLAIN.

Received book in excellent condition. The price was fair. It was cheaper than my college bookstore, but more expensive than purchasing it used at unknown websites. I prefered paying the extra amount for the piece of mind.

This book is a very interesting book that covers all the basic topics of modern computer science. It is very in-depth and very informative. When I first read the book I was confused and did not understand the text but once you look at the many illustration the information makes sense. This book is a very good book for any college level computer science class.

I just finished using the Computer Science Illuminated textbook, and I found it extremely helpful. I think that the explanations in the book are easy to follow and are a valuable assest to learning new concepts. The textbook also highlights the most important vocabulary words in the margins so it is easy to find the definitions of many terms. There are also many helpful visual aids in the book, such as charts and graphs, which makes learning new material much easier.

What I found to be best about the book is the Excercises and practice problems at the end of each chapter. They are a good tool to test your vocabulary and evaluate your progress thorughout the chapter. The problems are also a great way to prepare for tests, as they are very helpful when trying to study. The only little thing I don't like about the book is the summaries at the end of each chapter. Although the book is easy to read and skim through, I don't think the summaries have enough information in them to give a good overview of the chapter. However, I would recommend this textbook to all students studying computer science.

For the most part, I found Computer Science Illuminated to be textbook that emphasized clarity with details and definitions. It was helpful to me, a freshman college student taking computer science for the first time, because at the end of each chapter it contained questions that were good aids in understanding the chapter's material. I also found the charts and figures illustrating important terms and concepts to be helpful to my understanding as I read.
While the chapters were clearly organized and finding a definition was simple, the difficulty I found was in the synthesis of the chapters. This was the first time I've taken computer science and most of the information was new to me so putting it all together was difficult. It seemed sometimes the book assumed the reader understood how the concepts came together, but after even reading it over a few times, I was still confused. Overall I would recommend this book to someone looking for a basic overview of computer science.

I am currently using this text for the fifth time in my survey course for non-majors. It does exactly what I want it to do: it gives the students a feel for each of the topics with just enough depth to be rigorous for non-majors without being overwhelming. It's not perfect for my tastes; I do less than a full chapter, for example, when talking about languages (only covering the introductions to Chapters 7 and 8), whereas I do a full week on an expanded coverage of databases (Chapter 12). But I have a hard time imagining a text with a better fit, and I have used this since its first edition.

I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from this book. When I got it and started looking at the page after page of amazing documented discriptions of anything and everything you would see in these movies I was so pleased with my purchase. The only thing I noticed was the emphisis on Episodes 1-3 and remaining episodes were all lumped together in a quick glance almost. The book is amazing non the less and I am more then pleased with it, and can't wait to give it to my significant other for his birthday.

Bought this as a gift for my 9yr. old son.
This is a great book for the Star Wars fanatic.

I like this item very much. My husband is a Star Wars fan and I got this book for him. I ordered this book and within a week I received it.

Got it as birthday present for my 5 year old. We all love it. He pours through the photos by himself, we read it together. I am learning all sorts of details (and they are plenty) about all the star wars characters. Who knew! This book could be the movie prop person's notebook/bible it is so complete and thorough.

The only drawback is my son finds the picture of darth sith too scary and we have to rush past that page. Oh well. Get it, great price, worth every penny.

WOW!!! This is the perfect book for anyone interested in knowing their stuff in the Star Wars world. Every character is represented according to chapter so some characters are represented more than once. Anakin is shown as a child in Episode I but is shown older in the next episode, etc. The book is divided by Episodes. Information on star ships, Tie Fighters, Light Sabres and more are also included in this book along with photos for each and every reference. This book is not only for children but adults can learn a thing or two from its contents.

This book isn't horrible. There ARE some gems in it. The reason why "IA" gets the low rating is because there is SO MUCH FLUFF!!! He could've done better. There are some internet blogs that offer more content than this book. Just type the word charisma in your search engine. If you just NEED a book, Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" should do it.

I thought this was a pretty good book. It goes into a lot of detail on how you can make your personality more attractive to others. Great for attracting people of the opposite sex or establishing relationships in the work environment. I'd reccommend it as supplemental source to The Mystery Method.

The books begins by stating the truth that we all know about attraction but often deny, due to fear and uncertainty. They take this information, elaborate on it and help you design your way to increased ability to attract what you really want. The perfec companion for this book is Sex and the Perfect Lover: Tao, Tantra, and the Kama Sutra

i got this book with the male female attraction in mind, but as i'm reading i realize that this is actually a useful book in life in general. filled with tips and open eye facts that usually pass by us without noticing. knowing these aspects of personality, can impact business life as well as social life. you learn that you can bring joy into someone's life not to attract them but just to make them feel good.

I found this book started off all right and Whoa! It went into relationship help and how to create a better communication strategy between an existing relationship. When I bought this book I thought that it would cover such things as charisma building and getting people to gain a better judgment of you when you first meet the person. As they say first impressions last. But no, it went off into a tangent and I found it hard to keep reading with out getting bored.
Other then that a satisfactory book.

I'm usually concerned about purchasing items on line, especially books. I can honestly say that this experience was worth it. I would recommend this seller to anyone interested in purchasing good quality books at extremely reasonable prices.

Buy with confidence, I did!

Good thing my teacher was so good because this book is terrible.

The explanations are lacking in important areas and overdone in others. It spends like 2 pages on VSEPR theory, incomplete activity series and solubility rules, and terrible intro in stoichiometry. We only did 15 chapters, but this book didn't help at all. I didn't even read half of it because the problems offer no challenge whatsoever. Not enough application problems. The end of section review Qs only ask for definitions and explanations, no real chemistry. No difficult and tricky questions whatsoever.

Honestly, no clue why high schools use this text so much. Pretty sad if this is the best there is.

I'm an 8th grader that wants to learn chemistry very badly, and bought this book.

Most of the book provides an adequate explanation for all the essential concepts encountered in a regular high school course. I know this because after reading this book, I looked at the state tests for a high school chemistry course, and I could do most of the problems. There are many examples in the book that help a student understand what the text is trying to explain. There are also a lot of practice problems after each section and chapter that reinforces the contents of the chapter/section very well.

However, without a teacher, if some concept is not clear, then chaos occurs. There are selected parts in the book that are vague in a way. To me, the noticable ambiguity in the text comes in the bonding chapter. They sort of assume that out of nowhere you can write an electron dot structure, a concept that other review chemistry texts take pages explaining. Hybridization was also explained poorly, and several weeks after I read that part (when I was finished with the book), I finally thought I got it, and then a chapter review problem proved that it was still a mystery. I have another chemistry book that I use to help me understand in case I don't get what's going on in this chemistry book.

Bonding isn't the only chapter that is a disaster in clarity (although it is the worst). The chapters from about 16-23 were all not as good as the other ones. There was also some guessing involved in the oragnic chemistry section, but that was not too bad; I still figured it out.

My school uses this textbook (as I found out months after I bought this book). With a teacher, this book is perfect, but without one, get ready to think; appreciate the pictures in there when you can, but focus a lot on figuring out the material.

I just found out from my VISA company that not only you credit my money back but you charged the money for the item that I returned. Another words you charged me twice.

THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE MISTAKE.

From your customer

This book was largely a disappointment. I had heard previously that this was the leading high school text that is used and had high expectations. I was disappointed to find a plethora of type errors (including math mistakes!) and also very poor descriptions of things like bonding theory, equilibrium constants, reaction rates etc. The book covers a lot but fails to get real advanced in much of anything. I would reccomend for the advanced high school student a college level text with a good teacher instead of wasting your time on this.