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Buy Inside Terrorism At Amazon!

Vendredi, juillet 16th, 2010

Inside Terrorism. Inside Terrorism

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Bruce Hoffman’s Inside Terrorism has remained a seminal work for understanding the historical evolution of terrorism and the terrorist mindset. In this revised edition of the classic text, Hoffman analyzes the new adversaries, motivations, and tactics of global terrorism that have emerged in recent years, focusing specifically on how al Qaeda has changed since 9/11; the reasons behind its resiliency, resonance, and longevity; and its successful use of the Internet and videotapes to build public support and gain new recruits. Hoffman broadens the discussion by evaluating the potential repercussions of the Iraqi insurgency, the use of suicide bombers, terrorist exploitation of new communications media, and the likelihood of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear terrorist strike.

Closer to home, Hoffman reconsiders the Timothy McVeigh case and the threats posed by American Christian white supremacists and abortion opponents as well as those posed by militant environmentalists and animal rights activists. He argues that the attacks on the World Trade Center fundamentally transformed the West’s view of the terrorist threat. More relevant and necessary than ever, Inside Terrorism continues to be the definitive work on the history and future of global terrorism.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #10256 in Books
  • Published on: 2006-05-09
  • Released on: 2006-07-16
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 456 pages

Features

  • ISBN13: 9780231126991
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Excellent one volume introduction to the subject5
Bruce Hoffman, long one of RAND’s key terrorism-wallahs and an affiliate of St Andrews University has written an excellent book on a controversial topic.

There was a fair amount of literature on terrorism prior to September 11th and, my, but there’s even more now. A lot of it was a load of old rubbish prior to September 11th and even more of it is now. Hoffman’s book is a work of substance which in itself puts it ahead of much of the pack.

“Inside Terrorism” covers a variety of areas. It opens with a discussion about the lengthy (and continuing) debate that surrounds the issue of defining terrorism - an issue which has stumped everyone from academics to the UN. What and who exactly IS a terrorist? Hoffman doesn’t provide a clear cut, definitive answer but he does provide clear coverage of what is framing the argument, along with some of the possible answers which are being put forward. Whether you consider this level of debate to be self-indulgent and ivory tower or not (as I increasingly do, interesting thought it is) it is important to know that the debate does exist and what it’s all about as it goes to the heart of some real-life anti-terrorism policy making, especially with regard to multilateral attempts to curb terror groups.

Hoffman moves on to cover Post-colonial ethnic or nationalist terror groups, international terrorism, Religion and terrorism, Terrorism, Media and public opinion, Terrorist methods and mindsets and the potential future of terrorism. All in all, it adds up to a fairly comprehensive introduction to the subject. Some of Hoffman’s conclusions aren’t to everybody’s tastes, but terrorism is an inherently controversial and hotly debated issue, it’s the nature of the beast.

Overall, this is an excellent overview and introduction to the subject of terrorism. Certainly better than the recent work of Walter Laqueur. The newcomer to the subject would also be well advised to check out Christopher Harmon’s “Terrorism Today” as well, along with Paul Wilkinson’s “Terrorism and Democracy”. Ken Booth’s “Worlds in Collision” is an excellent collection of essays by various authors that is ideal for somebody with an interest in the post-September 11th world.

Hoffman’s writing style is not immediately engaging (I found the book far more digestible on a second reading), but this is still an excellent work for the beginner. In a field that is both crowded and shallow, Hoffman has produced a book of genuine substance and for that he deserves credit.

If you read the paper or watch the news, READ THIS BOOK!5
I found Inside Terrorism extremely readable, yet with the obvious authority of high quality research. Hoffman draws in the reader with skill I rarely see in nonfiction writing. This extremely complex issue so often in the forefront of today’s world is dealt with in a unique yet straightforward manner. This is a ‘must read’ for anyone that travel, reads the newspaper or watches the evening news.

The initial chapter on ‘defining terrorism’ helped me start to extract from the media over-usage of this term, the relevant issues that differentiate ‘terrorism’ from other forms of violence. The evolutionary nature of the term is profiled showing the historic development of what is now seen exclusively in a pejorative sense. Understanding the background, historic development and indeed, the elements that makeup the essentials of terrorism, will allow the reader to evaluate the news from an informed, rather than agenda driven position.

Having provided an understanding of what the real issues are, the author moves the reader through the various types of terrorism, explaining them in adequate but not suffocating detail. Like an NFl highlight film, the reader is taken through a historical framework that keeps the readers interest while exploring the salient points. The examples read like the Sunday paper as the vivid reality jumps out at you. There is a feeling of ‘insider information’ without the talk show hype. This provides at last, a basis for real understanding of the frequent news stories that become such a blur of tedious detail.

This book went much futher than a historic recount of terrorism. While dates and incidents are included, they serve as interesting and helpful examples of the issue and don’t become a tedious history text. Particularly interesting to me was the description and explanation of the different ideological styles. Left and right wing, ethno-nationalist, millenarian, separatist and religious motivations are unraveled in a systematic and clear manner. Similarities and differences are made evident and the importance of these aspects become clear.

In Short, this book dealt with a complex and confusing issue in a way I could understand, remember and use when I read or listen to the news.

Understanding Terrorism4
In the wake of the 9/11 disaster a plethora of books has been published on the nature and structure of the terrorist threat. Some are quite good, but others are absolute nonsense. Interestingly, some of the best books on both terrorism and counter-terrorism predate 9/11 and were written before counter-terrorism became the cottage industry it is today.

This book by Bruce Hoffman in cooperation with the Rand Corporation was published in 1998 and remains one of the best books available on the nature of terrorism. Hoffman provides a useful and on the whole an accurate explanation of the differences between secular, religious, transnational, and state sponsored terrorism providing useful examples of each. He also provides a good deal of probably accurate information on terrorist motivations and operational procedures. Finally he was prescient enough to recognize that the phenomenon represented by Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda represent an ideological movement rather than a structured organization. After four years of the so-called, `Global War on Terrorism’ this fact is slowly sinking into U.S. Government circles. Hoffman only lightly touches on the related issue of the al Qaeda financial structures, but notes the relatively small amounts of money actually required for most terrorist operations.

As indicated Hoffman does not limit this book to Islamic religious terrorism but also delves into motivations and operations techniques of secular terrorism as well. Perhaps most importantly given the July 2006 Near-East crisis, he uses Hezbollah as an example of the dangerous nature of state sponsored terrorism. All in all a sound book that contains markedly better information on terrorism than many more recent books and reflects the fruits of sound scholarship.

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Birth:The Surprising History of How We Are Born Lowest Price!

Samedi, juillet 3rd, 2010

The Surprising History of How We Are Born

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Birth:The Surprising History of How We Are Born Description:

Published to widespread acclaim, Tina Cassidy-s smart, engaging book is the first world history of childbirth in fifty years. From evolution to the epidural and beyond, Tina Cassidy presents an intelligent, enlightening, and impeccably researched cultural history of how and why we are born the way we are.
Women have been giving birth for millennia but that-s about the only constant in the final stage of the great process that is human reproduction. Why is it that every culture-and every generation-seems to have its own ideas about the best way to get a baby born? Birth explores the physical, anthropological, political, and religious factors that have influenced and will continue to influence how women bring new life into the world.
From Jessica Mitford-s seminal The American Way of Death to Sherwin B. Nuland-s How We Die to Mary Roach-s Stiff, we-ve witnessed how millions of readers are fascinated by what happens at the end of life. Here is the riveting true story of how it begins.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #28253 in eBooks
  • Published on: 2007-09-01
  • Released on: 2007-09-01
  • Format: Kindle Book
  • Number of items: 1

Customer Reviews:

Superb coverage of a complex topic5
Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born, is a comprehensive tour through the (yes, appropriately titled, sometimes surprising!) history of how we are born. The impetus for the book was the author’s mother and grandmother’s birth stories, combined with Cassidy’s own personal experience of a high-tech, modern-day birth that included all the bells and whistles typical of a modern visit from the stork. After her pitocin-augmented, epiduralized, cesarean birth, Tina Cassidy began asking herself, and others, if what she had just undergone was, really, the best for her and her baby.

It soon became clear to the author that apparently straight-forward questions revealed unforeseen levels of complexity. Using the investigative curiosity of a seasoned newspaper reporter and editor, Cassidy soon found out that childbirth today, and childbirth throughout history, are complex matters involving religious overtones, societal mores, historical reflections, passionate beliefs, economic incentives, medical advances, political agendas, and polarized opinions on all sides. Some of the questions addressed in this book include - Is childbirth really better today than it was a decade, or a century, or a millennia, ago? Are you better off giving birth at home or in a hospital? Are you better off with an obstetrician or a midwife? Is cesarean section really just another “lifestyle choice” or should it be reserved for truly life-threatening circumstances? Should everyone (or anyone) get an epidural? What - really - is the function of pain in labor? Should everyone (or anyone) be induced? And did you know that raw placenta makes a mighty fine cocktail ingredient? (P. 219 has the full recipe. Cheers.)

The answers reflect the remarkably complex nature of maternity, now and historically. However, Birth does not give the answers to these questions - because these are questions for which there is not one correct answer for all women. But Birth does frame the issues so the reader can understand why an essential act that is required for the propagation of our species has become mired in controversy at virtually every turn. Extensively referenced, historically accurate, full of fascinating gems, and drawing on the wisdom and insight of a wide assortment of authoritative figures in today’s childbirth arena, Birth is a must-read for those interested in, as the title says - the surprising history of how we are born.

Wonderful, I just hope people read it!5
I think one of the reviewers of this book is confused about this book and the difference between the midwifery model of care for a normal, low risk birth and the medical model of care. The author is not idealizing midwives she is simply biased towards the midwifery model of care because of her experience with the medical model. I know of many women who have had similar experiences with the medical model. There simply isn’t enough personal attention and support, especially for a first time mom giving birth with this model of care. From my own experience, (with a midwife and a doula as well as my wonderful partner) my first birth was very similar to many of the stories I hear, except I had the support of a patient midwife and doula who were willing to sit back and wait. After pushing for a few hours my midwife suggested a different position to try and with the help of my partner, doula and midwife I pushed out my 9-pound baby boy without a tear. We discovered that his head was molding off to one side or asynclitic, he was essentially “stuck”. I very much believe that if I had been under the medical model of care with a nurse coming in offering an epidural every half an hour my son would have been born by cesarean. Instead I had one of the most empowering experiences of my life. One of the first things I said to my husband was that pushing was so difficult and that I really had to focus my energy on one specific area, which my midwife was kind enough to point out to me. I would not have been able to push him out if I wasn’t able to feel that area! So there you go. Yes, perhaps some of us are biased towards the midwifery model of care but for good reason! I’d also just like to say that there’s a pretty big difference between a healthy American woman getting regular prenatal care and a woman in the third world. I don’t know of any one who doesn’t appreciate that hospitals and surgeons are available to us, we just want to use them when they are actually needed!
Any way just read the book for yourself and come to your own conclusions!

Interesting read5
I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. My original intent was to save it for a plane ride, but I finished it before we left for the airport. It is a history of birth in America (primarily, though it does touch on different cultures and parts of the world). I should forewarn though that I am a pregnant woman who works in obstetrics, so I had a pretty strong pre-existing interest in this area. While it is clear that the author has a bias toward the “natural” birth, it was still primarily fact-based, and I found it to be quite interesting. I have recommended it to many of my friends and colleagues.

From Publishers Weekly
Anyone who has taken a prenatal education class in the last decade can detail much of what Boston Globe reporter Cassidy documents about birthing battles in her enjoyable new book. What she so cogently adds is a history of Western practices and attitudes surrounding birth, from the “God-sibs” (or “gossips”) who sat by a woman’s bed in Europe and early America to the scheduled cesarean of today. The book is well written and will be an important eye-opener to many. Cassidy works hard to remain neutral, but a preference for the discourse of “natural” birth creeps in. She looks nostalgically back at times when most women gave birth at home with female midwives in attendance. This leads to some problematic moments, as when she wants to argue that, historically, birth was not the danger to women’s lives that many today assume. But then she has to admit that pioneer women wrote their wills before giving birth and that most women who die in childbirth today are in the non-Western world, where they lack access to hospitals. This is, by Cassidy’s admission, the work of a woman disappointed by her own birthing experience. But that, too, is a product of our time—the idea that we “deserve” a certain experience as we give birth. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From The Washington Post
Blame it on the pelvis. The awkward shape and size of that bony structure makes childbirth both difficult and dangerous. As a result, humans are the only mammals who need help to deliver their children, notes Tina Cassidy in Birth. Other animals have a straight shot through the birth canal, but our babies have to twist and turn to get out of that darn pelvis — or, as I came to imagine it during my own pregnancy, to squeeze themselves like a basketball through a Pringles can.

But infrastructure is only the first problem. Human interference can make things much worse. In this breezy popular history, Cassidy, a former Boston Globe reporter and editor, surveys centuries of terrible childbirths around the world, attended by doctors, nurses and midwives with strange theories and, in more than a few cases, deeply sadistic streaks. Tirelessly wide-eyed, Cassidy details how laboring women have been strapped down and shackled, drugged into oblivion and ripped open with a macabre array of tools more suited to taxidermy than obstetrics. It’s amazing anyone got out of the womb alive.

Childbirth fads and customs in Western cultures swing from one extreme to another and back again, Cassidy writes. First there were midwives, who were then replaced by doctors, recently unseated by a returning vogue for midwives. For centuries, babies were born at home, then women opted for hospitals; now, those hospitals are trying to make their delivery wards more “homey.” Mothers breastfed for thousands of years, then they were told that formula was better. Now it’s back to nursing. Painkillers are in, then they’re out. And so it goes, literally ad nauseam.

It’s not surprising that childbirth would be the focus of such ambivalence and anxiety. Throughout history, the making of children has been at once a low-odds proposition and a high-stakes affair — not the joyful experience it is advertised as today but a matter of dowries, alliances and staffing up the farm. Maternal and neonatal death rates ran high at all levels of society. In male-dominated cultures, the fact that women were solely responsible for gestation and delivery must have been an affront. No wonder, then, that the attending women were eventually supplanted by male doctors.

Those doctors — as early as the 16th century in Europe — had startlingly little training and a severe distrust of the more experienced midwives. They were taught on makeshift mannequins and many hadn’t even seen a live birth before they began to perform deliveries — sometimes with their hands covered by a sheet, too embarrassed (or concerned for their patients’ modesty) to look directly at the body parts they were working on.

Then came the hospitals. Cassidy points out that, for most of human history, the majority of women have given birth in or around their homes. Those who first delivered at American hospitals, starting in the 18th century, may have been at far greater risk of injury and death than their mothers. Doctors regularly moved from autopsies to live patients without ensuring sterile conditions — or even washing their hands. They didn’t know they had to. Some blamed the women themselves for the resulting infections, citing tight petticoats, loose morals and anxious “fretting” as causes. Even after germ theory became generally known, infant deaths from birth injuries in the United States jumped a shocking 50 percent between 1915 and 1929, Cassidy writes, because more women were giving birth in overcrowded, vermin-infested hospitals, where hand-washing still wasn’t standard procedure and staff engaged in “aggressive” obstetrics that amounted to brutally wrenching the child out of its mother.

In contrast, women today seek out the best “birth experience,” whether it’s the “give me the epidural in the hospital parking lot” approach or multi-week Lamaze classes. But these so-called choices mask a less certain reality. Childbirth is unpredictable, and the best-laid birth plans are no guarantee. We are still ambivalent about this business, decrying the medicalization of childbirth but embracing its ability to get that newborn out safely if we hit a rough patch.

Cassidy has put together a concise survey, with more breadth than depth. Some of the material won’t be all that surprising to anyone who has prepared for childbirth or at least paged through What To Expect When You’re Expecting. But there’s plenty of new gore for those who want it.

Oh, and there’s more about that pelvis: It makes things hard in the months after birth, too. Over millennia, as human forebears got smarter and their brains grew larger, evolution found a balance: Since the pelvic opening can’t grow any wider and still allow us to walk on two legs, babies’ heads can’t grow any bigger. This is why, Cassidy writes, our infants are born “altricial”: With their brains still developing, they are helpless and in need of extended parental care. A shivering newborn calf can stumble to its feet within an hour after birth, but a human doesn’t walk for about a year. Anatomy is destiny, in this case: Even after they make it through childbirth, parents are in for a long — and bumpy — ride.

Reviewed by Sara Sklaroff
Copyright 2006, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

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How We Decide Sale-Price Too Low To Display!!

Mardi, juin 22nd, 2010

How We Decide. How We Decide

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Since Plato, philosophers have described the decision making process as either rational or emotional: we carefully deliberate or we “blink” and go with our gut. But as scientists break open the mind’s black box with the latest tools of neuroscience, they’re discovering that this is not how the mind works.Our best decisions are a finely tuned blend of both feeling and reason—and the precise mix depends on the situation. The trick is to determine when to lean on which part of the brain, and to do this, we need to think harder (and smarter) about how we think.

Jonah Lehrer arms us with the tools we need, drawing on cutting-edge research as well as the real-world experiences of a wide range of “deciders”—from airplane pilots and hedge fund investors to serial killers and poker players. Lehrer shows how people are taking advantage of the new science to make better television shows, win more football games, and improve military intelligence. His goal is to answer two questions: How does the human mind make decisions? And how can we make those decisions better?

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #3194 in eBooks
  • Published on: 2009-02-09
  • Released on: 2009-02-09
  • Format: Kindle Book
  • Number of items: 1

Disappointing addition to existing literature, good intro if new to the field3
Perhaps my expectations of one of my favorite authors/editors in Seed magazine and from his earlier book Proust Was a Neuroscientistwas too high…nevertheless, this book is a disappointment. Not that there is anything structurally or factually incorrect - it just doesn’t add any value to a reader that is familiar with this field. The examples and studies mentioned in the book, for the most part, have been repeated many times in several books of this genre. Instead of providing additional insights or alternative interpretations, or any follow-ups to the experiments and studies, Lehrer, for the most part repeats the key points from these studies and attempts to make some points in the context of decision making. Despite best efforts, the book merely ends up reinforcing known and well-popularized concepts (even in popular literature) such as recency bias, cognitive dissonance, loss aversion, etc. If you have read books like Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior, Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness you will be hard pressed to find enough value in this book to invest in this. Other books such as Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts and Why Choose This Book?: How We Make Decisions also cover similar concepts in a more focussed manner.

Similarity to other books is no crime. But one will be hard pressed to determine any differentiating value when the book is serving as another book referencing almost an identical set of research papers without providing a compelling counter-argument or new inferences. For a reader who is aware of the work in behavioral psychology, this book provides incremental value at best. For a reader getting initiated to this field, this book is an OK introduction to the vast research, though my no means a unique interpretation. It is written in a very accessible manner and the narration sustains the interest of the reader throughout the book. The reader may have been better served if the author provided a synopsis of each chapter in the context of his title “how we decide”.
Overall, an interesting read if you are new to this field, but an also-ran if you are familiar with the popular literature in this field.

Comparisons to Blink are inevitable5
Lehrer takes aim squarely at Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink, and, for my money, hits a home run. How We Decide is clearly and interestingly written, like Gladwell, but is more substantiated with recent neuroscience research. Lehrer’s conclusion is also more nuanced, i.e., the best way to make a decision depends on different factors, and argues for the effectiveness and importance of monitoring our own thought process.

This is one talented young man. I read Lehrer’s first book about Proust and neuroscience, and while I was super impressed with his intellect, it required serious effort to read and understand. How We Decide is a lighter read, but just as original and significant in its own way.

Interesting but lightweight4
This book describes the neuroscience behind decision making, and in particular the various parts of the brain that are involved in different parts of problem analysis. It is filled with interesting examples from real world situations such as airplane near-disasters, poker playing, and Parkinson’s patients, and uses these examples to illustrate various parts of our brain machinery.

The book is an easy read, interesting, and informative. It is, however, a lightweight read. Do not expect great depth into any of the studies — it is more like a survey course or cliff notes in many respects. This makes it approachable for an audience without any science background, but it also left me wanting a lot more depth. I also found the concluding chapter to be forced… it didn’t really have much to offer.

I am glad to have read the book, but I didn’t walk away feeling amazed.

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The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life Discount.

Dimanche, juin 20th, 2010

Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life

 The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life Discount.

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The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life Description:

Do you think that healthy food couldn’t possibly taste good? Does the idea of “eating healthy” conjure up images of roughage and steamed vegetables? Author Ellie Krieger, host of Food Network’s Healthy Appetite, will change all that. A registered dietitian, Ellie is also a lover and proponent of good, fresh food, simply but deliciously prepared. And she’s not about denial–no nonfat foods here, because when you take the fat out of natural foods, in go the chemicals. Don’t deny yourself butter–use a pat of it, but put it front and center on those mashed potatoes, so you can revel in it with all your senses. The Food You Crave is all you’ll need to change the way you eat and change the way you feel. It contains 200 recipes that cover every meal of the day and every craving you might have. Every recipe contains a complete nutritional breakdown, as well as tips on ingredients and techniques that will keep you eating smart and eating well.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #2082 in Books
  • Brand: Cookbook
  • Published on: 2008-01-01
  • Released on: 2008-01-15
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 316 pages

Features

  • Each recipe includes a complete nutritional breakdown and tips and techniques to keep you eating right
  • Full color photography
  • Hardcover, 308 pages
  • Recipes cover every meal and craving

Customer Reviews:

Healthy Attitude and a Healthy Appetite5
Ellie Krieger is different from the exercise fanatics and diet gurus out there in that she doesn’t promise you’ll lose 10 pounds or two inches off your waist if you adhere to a strict regimen over the course of a week. Instead, she provides all the tools you’ll need to develop a healthy attitude toward eating that doesn’t sacrifice flavor or require intensive labor. The crux of her approach is common-sensical: fresh ingredients, lots of whole grains, reasonable portions. But while the idea seems easy enough, Ellie makes it even simpler by outlining what ingredients to keep in stock (for a quick meal anytime) and what small but oh-so-important finishing touches change a dish from bland into brilliant. So far, I’ve made about a dozen of the recipes in this book (including 4 alone for one meal), and all have been met with rave reviews from the appreciative attendees. I recommend a meal consisting of the Oven-Fried Chicken, Garlic Fries, Zucchini Parmesan Crisps, and finishing off with the Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberries. Let your oven do all the work, and stop worrying about your waistline!

I am a fan of Ellie’s television show and completely agree with her food philosophy. If we all learn to love the way food tastes, instead of over-processing and masking it in fats and chemicals, then we can once again relish our meals instead of feeling guilty about them. Ellie will show you how in this book full of great recipes. Not only does she transform comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf into her better-for-you versions, but she also provides recipes inspired by a variety of cuisines ranging from Asian, Greek, and Middle-Eastern and covering every meal, including side dishes and desserts.

Don’t expect a strict plan or any guaranteed weight loss. Ellie herself doesn’t tout the “Never” approach and teaches us all that foods belong in three categories: Usually, Sometimes, and Rarely. The main reason most diets fail is because they are unrealistic and too limiting. Ellie’s approach is different; it shows you a better way to eat “The Food You Crave.” Anyone who wants to learn how to prepare delicious AND healthful foods should pick up a copy of this book!

Good for healthy cooking newbies and foodies!4
Despite Ellie Krieger’s down-to-earth personality and sensibility when it comes to having a healthy diet, I’ve always found her Food Network TV show, “Healthy Appetite,” to be a little– pardon the foodie irony here–bland. For this edition of FitLit, the Fit Bottomed Girls decided to review her cookbook, The Food You Crave, to see if it delivers more spice than the TV show.

To get a feel for the book, I made a recipe from each section of the book. I’ve been cooking for a number of years now and, unlike some people (cough, Erin), I really enjoy it, so although making eight recipes in about two weeks time seemed daunting, I was up to the challenge. (On occasion, I even pretended I was competing on Iron Chef and frantically sped about the kitchen pureeing and chopping feverishly. Although it’s loads of fun, turns out rushing isn’t the best way to cook. I almost ruined two recipes by forgetting crucial steps like, oh, turning off a burner. Oops.) Below are my notes from the recipes I tried.

Breakfast: The Southwestern Hash and Eggs (p.30) was easy to make and pretty tasty. It’s not overly interesting or different, just your basic potatoes, egg, black beans and red pepper hash. However, of all the recipes I tried, this was probably the best pick for cooking for the hungry man (or men, growl) in your life.

FBG Tip: To make this recipe less time consuming, you can sub a can of diced tomatoes for the fresh tomatoes.

Nibbles & Noshes: The Herbed Goat Cheese Dip (p.66) took me five minutes to make. It’s tasty, has few ingredients and pairs wonderfully with fresh veggies or baked pita chips.

FBG Tip: Many grocery stores don’t have a great selection of fresh herbs, so if you can’t find fresh parsley, mint and/or thyme, substitute 1/4 tsp. dried.

Soups & Sandwiches: The Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (p. 95) took the grilled cheese sandwich to new heights. Cheesy, decadent and filling with just 350 calories, if you love caramelized onions, this is your sandwich.

FBG Tip: If you have a George Foreman Grill, forgo grilling the sandwiches in a pan and use the Foreman. It cuts the cooking time in half!

Main & Side Salads: The Savory Chinese Chicken Salad (p. 110) is perfect for summer. It’s light and refreshing, yet filling. If you’re a fan of Pei Wei, it’s very similar to their Asian Chopped Chicken Salad.

FBG Tip: If you’re vegetarian, grilled tofu works great in place of the chicken.

Pasta, Pizza & Grains: The Arugula, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza (p. 173) was the most “foodie” of any of the recipes I tried. Definitely “Top Chef”-esque. It’s tasty but probably not for everyone.

FBG Tip: Try subbing the arugula with spinach and the goat cheese with feta. It’s a variation worth trying.

The Main Course: The Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous (p.205) was a hit. It had bold flavors, vibrant colors and a beautiful presentation. The recipe dirties a lot of bowls and pans, but I’d consider the extended cleaning time a small price to pay for this ta-da dish.

FBG Tip: Keep a box of frozen spinach on hand for this recipe. In a pinch, half of a box (thawed and squeezed dry) can be substituted for the fresh spinach, saving you time and money.

Sides: I made the Broccoli with Toasted Garlic (p. 249) along with the Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous. It paired quite nicely. My only advice is to steam the broccoli in the microwave (loved the ease of that, by the way) for the recommended time. My broccoli seemed more crisp than tender after the recipe’s four minutes, so I microwaved them for a minute more, and they were way over done.

FBG Tip: If you love garlic, feel free to use more (even much, much more) than the recommended three cloves.

Desserts: I was the most excited about trying the Dark Chocolate Mousse (p. 301). As far as a mousse goes, it was fairly easy to make, and it had an unusual ingredient–tofu. The tofu blends to a smooth consistency, lending protein and a low-fat base to the mousse, and you can’t even taste it. Promise.

FBG Tip: This recipe is awesome and very awe-inspiring. Don’t change a thing.

Overall, I was really pleased with this book. She has great tips on grocery store shopping, there are quite a few pictures of the food, nutritional information is listed on all of the recipes, and there are great little tidbits of information sprinkled throughout the pages. There’s also good variety to the recipes, ranging from high-end culinary fare to good ole fashioned home cookin’. Although some of the recipes I tried seemed daunting, with fairly long ingredient lists that were sometimes pretty costly, nothing I made was hard, and nothing took more than 45 minutes. In fact, most took 30 minutes or less (take note, Rachael Ray).

However, my favorite part of the book was its attitude. Krieger says that basically all food is good in moderation, and she doesn’t ban the really good stuff (butter, oil and cheese–oh my!). With that healthy attitude, I have a feeling Krieger is a closet FBG.

If you’re looking to expand your healthy culinary horizons, you might give this book a good look or try one of her free recipes online. You just might find something new to crave. Gosh knows I did. Dark Chocolate Mousse, anyone? –Jenn

[…]

How do I love you? Let me count the ways!5
For reasons unknown to me, I can’t stand watching the Food Network. Although I’ve cooked all my life and my friends insist that I should like it, it just grates on my nerves.

So, it would be natural to understand that I did not know who Ellie Krieger was when I saw her have a food segment on my local noon-day news. I always stop what I’m doing during this daily 5 minute soundbite because it usually features recipes of interest to me. However, this time it was different. From the moment they said the title of the book, THE FOODS YOU CRAVE, and then the display of 3 dishes that Ellie had pre-made, I was SOLD!!! I came to amazon (where I buy all my books), read some reviews and ordered it that day. Two days later, it arrived.

Now, some back story: I’ve cooked my entire life and was raised on a dairy farm where calories were not even known. Fresh milk, cream, eggs, beef, pork and produce came from our land. I learned to cook at my grandma’s knees but the dishes I learned were for people working outside 10 hours a day. In the course of my 55 years, I kept packing on the pounds and packing on the pounds until a year ago, I weighed 280 pounds…on a 5′5″ frame! Blessed with no health issues, I still realized that enough was enough and before I got diabetes or high blood pressure, I needed to lose weight. I joined a gym, hired a personal trainer to teach me to exercise safely, followed the Campbell’s Soup “Soup for Life” diet change plan (available on their website) and 1 year later, I’ve lost 100 pounds and kept it off! I went from a size 2X to a size 14!!!

Now, that said, because of my former eating habits and love of cooking, I had amassed over 500+ cookbooks that consume an entire 20′ wall in my kitchen. They are old friends and can’t be parted with but many of the recipes are so excessive with regards to calories that only when company is coming will I make any of them any longer. I’ve taken to having a moratorium on buying cookbooks and now find recipes On-Line that are healthier and more calorie conscious.

So the very fact that I ordered yet ANOTHER cookbook, after a self-imposed ban, is saying something. I had no idea what to expect when the book arrived, but felt that if it didn’t live up to what I saw Ellie make, I could give it away.

I made myself a cup of coffee, sat down with the book in a cozy chair and began reading. I soon made another cup of coffe, and then another…and also got out my sticky tags that I mark cookbook recipes with for future use.

THREE HOURS LATER…I had flagged FORTY-FIVE recipes that weren’t “Hmmmm, these might be interesing”, but “WOW! I’ve GOT to try these recipes, now!”
And I did the most revolutionary act toward this cookbook that I’ve ever done: I could not/would not try any other recipe in any other book or website until I had made ALL 45 of the ones I tagged!

It’s been one month to the day that I ordered the cookbook. All I can say is, “What a life changing book!” I’ve also ordered 6 other copies that I’ve sent to friends that are personal chefs, retired and budget-conscious, and my 20-something daughter. Each and every one of them agrees with my initial assessment and we constantly email or call each other saying, “Did you try this one? How about that one?”

I started a weekend by trying the following from Friday through Sunday: New York Breakfast; Vegetable Cheese Strata, and finally Peach French Toast Bake. My entire family was home and usually, we grab a bagel or a glass of juice or piece of fruit for breakfast. This time, everyone sat down, ate their fill and remarked…HOURS LATER!!!…how they were STILL full and weren’t hungry. That was a miracle enough, right there.

I then made from the same time span: Lemon-Chicken Soup with Orzo; Curried Butternut Soup; Mushroom Barley Risotto, and the astonishingly flavoured Sage-rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw (everyone’s favourite by far; I’ve made it three weekends in a row).

In the months time, I’ve made 38 of the 45 recipes and there isn’t a one that has disappointed or even needed tweaking. Yes, I’ll make the French Toast bake using a different bread or different fruit but I’ll keep the ingredients and portions the same. And when it’s just my DH and I and no kids, I cut the recipes in half and he takes the left-overs to work the next day.

And the BEST news?! I’ve lost an additional THREE pounds this past month and yet eaten like a QUEEN! This one single cookbook has become my default setting for each meal that I make and I can’t think of cooking without it. In fact, to make sure that when my DH and I travel, I’ve downloaded each single recipe that I’ve made onto a website and WORD so I’ll have access to them from my PC or a website if I’m traveling without my laptop.

I’ve never met a cookbook I didn’t like but THIS one ranks as my All-Time personal favourite and I look forward to many dog-eared corners and sauce-splashed pages for years to come!

Review

“Ellie Krieger, host of the Food Network show “Healthy Appetite,” provides healthful, crave-busting recipes in her recently released The Food You Crave. Designed to combat cravings, each recipe provides sources of essential nutrients. We tried several that were both good and good for you.” — Joanie Fuson, IndyStar.com

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Buy Treehouses And Playhouses You Can Build At Amazon!

Samedi, juin 19th, 2010

Treehouses And Playhouses You Can Build. Treehouses And Playhouses You Can Build

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Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build shows how average “do-it-yourself” families can easily and affordably bring to life a “Hobbit’s Treehouse,” a “Pirate’s Playhouse,” or a “Crow’s Nest” in their own backyards! There are a lot of books out there filled with enchanting photos of elaborate treehouses and playhouses built by professionals and costing tens of thousands to build. For the rest of us, there’s bit of elbow grease, a lot of imagination, a trip to the hardware store-and Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #19259 in Books
  • Published on: 2006-08-10
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 144 pages

Features

  • ISBN13: 9781586857806
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Perfect for the young builder4
This is the latest installment in a long string of wonderful books from David and Jeanie Stiles. Inside you won’t find glossy, double page spreads of extravagant treehouses … this is not a coffee table book. Rather, it is a how-to book, and the best one available for those that want to build their own whimsical play structure. Inside you will find excellent line drawings and readable explanations of intelligent, creative, and well though-out designs.

David starts with the basics: tools. From there you follow a complete and logical progression to completed treehouse. In between you’ll get solid building advice. David has built his designs. He knows how to make life easier for you by using common materials and minimizing cuts. The building advice is spot on throughout.

The huge, huge, huge problem with this book is the 20 or so options David gives you for connecting lumber to tree. They are almost all bad. Never girdle a growing limb with rope or cable. Never use nails. This leaves you with only lag bolting. To be sure, there are other ways. But the only safe and tree-friendly way presented in this book (and any of his other works) is to use lags.

This is the by far the best book to give to a young builder and is probably a treasure to any 8 or 9 year old lucky enough to have a copy. It will get their mind working. The crazy schemes they come up with will amaze you.

The ideas inside this book are great. Fun, imaginative, unique. If you know a young boy (or girl) with a tree, get him this book. And when it comes time to actually build their creation, call an arborist and he’ll set you straight about properly attaching it to a tree.

Great Treehouse Book!5
This book is a wonderful how-to book for those who need all the help they can get on building a treehouse. The plans are great and we are building the basic treehouse which is perfect for our 8 and 5 year old kids. Lots of ideas on everything from picking trees, buying lumber, safety tips, to flexible extras. We bought all three of David Stiles treehouse books and this was by far the best and we could have just bought this one and been happy but are glad to have them all. Would highly recommend to parents contemplating building a treehouse or for kids who want to dream of one.

What a wonderful book!5
This book is a must-have for anybody interested in building treehouses, sheds or small out-buildings of any kind! It is filled with all the information an amateur would need with step-by-step instructions on the building process, tools and materials and inspirational photographs of projects by other amateur builders that will inspire and motivate anybody interested in trying a building project in their backyard. The authors have provided clear, concise instructions and have taken the intimidation out of building. The authors are clearly interested in the reader having a joyful, successful building experience. Our own building projects have all been inspired by Jeanie and David Stiles’ encouraging books. Thank you!

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Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Lowest Price!

Vendredi, juin 18th, 2010

Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard. Apple Training Series: Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.6: A Guide to Supporting and Troubleshooting Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard

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The only Apple-certified book on Mac OS X v10.6, this revised best-seller will take you deep inside the latest big-cat operating system—covering everything from installation to automation, customizing the operating system, supporting applications, setting up peripherals, and more. Whether you’re a support technician or simply an ardent Mac user, you’ll quickly learn and master the new features in Mac OS X 10.6, including native support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Following the learning objectives of the Apple Certified Support Professional exam, this self-paced book is a perfect guide for Apple’s training and a first-rate primer for computer support personnel who need to troubleshoot and optimize Mac OS X as part of their jobs. Chapter review sections and quizzes summarize and reinforce acquired knowledge.

The Apple Training Series serves as both a self-paced learning tool and the official curriculum for the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server certification programs.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #4955 in Books
  • Published on: 2009-10-25
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 696 pages

Passed the test5
I passed the test in DEC 2009. Everything needed for the test is in this book. Nothing tricky, very straight forward.

Excellent Book!5
As the title says, this is an excellent book.

There are some things to keep in mind, however:

This book was made specifically for passing the exam, and therefor if you wish to delve into various capabilities of things like the command line in-depth, you’ll need further resources. (Especially things like full-on scripting.) If you’re jumping into the command line “cold,” something like the O’Reilly BASH book would make a good companion.

AppleScript, it should be noted (beyond a half dozen pages in this book), is in another book in this series.

If you wish to become knowledgeable about Mac Servers and you’re not seasonably Mac proficient (esp in the ‘Apple Way’ of doing things…), you’ll need this book as the Server book alone will not do. You’ll also want the Directory Services book. (Actually, if you start working with DS in any format, you’ll want the DS book, Server notwithstanding.)

Again, it’s a sweet book and gave me the foundation so I can continue taking my skills to the next level.

Small Nitpicks: Only a few errors, but they will bite you if you don’t catch them (Which you will if you try the examples.) If it doesn’t look/work right, websearch it, try it both ways, and you’ll be good to go.

The top of the page doesn’t give you the chapter number (just name), while many pages refer to explanations of various resources in different chapters. As I’m one of those people who “can’t let it go,” (and look it up immediately) this was irksome.

The nitpicks aren’t enough to cut it a full star: 4.5, rounded to 5.

Awesome for beginners5
If you are new to The snow leopard operating system, this book tells you every little thing that you can do with snow leopard. i’ve been using my mac for years and this book has taught me feature i didn’t know existed in snow leopard/leopard. again great for anyone that has never used a mac before.

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Something Under the Bed Is Drooling-Retail $10.99! Sale Only $7.91!

Vendredi, juin 18th, 2010

Something Under the Bed Is Drooling

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Something Under the Bed Is Drooling Description:

Calvin and Hobbes is syndicated in more than 400 newspapers. Now they’re at it again with even more fun, more laughs and more profits.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #10098 in Books
  • Published on: 1988-10-01
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 128 pages

Features

  • ISBN13: 9780836218251
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Customer Reviews:

Classic piece of work, Bill Watterson is the master5
Something under the bed is drooling did not fall short of Bill Watterson’s comedy standards even for one strip. From Calvin going all out(with his clothes all off) for a bowl of cookies, to Hobbes melting because of the affection of Susie Derkins, this book is someting not to be missed. It is sad to know the Bill Watterson has put the pencils away, because I think everyone who has read Calvin and Hobbes agrees that this 6-year-old is possiblt the greatest source for reading laughter we’ve ever experienced.

A great C&H collection5
Bill Watterson’s “Something Under the Bed Is Drooling” is one of the “Calvin and Hobbes” series of comic strip collections. For the uninitiated, these strips follow the adventures of grammar school boy Calvin and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes; the latter character literally comes to life in Calvin’s fertile imagination.

A number of recurring C&H storylines and motifs are part of this collection: Calvin’s ongoing battle against no-nonsense babysitter Rosalyn; Calvin’s curious love-hate relationship with a little girl named Susie; Calvin’s role as a grammar school underachiever. There are many other amusing storylines: Calvin trying to learn to ride a bicycle; his learning to appreciate classical music; etc.

But my favorite storylines are the sort of science fictionish plots where Calvin’s imagination runs wild: Calvin turning himself invisible; his becoming “immune to the force of gravity”; his shrinking to insect size; etc. Probably the funniest of these out-there plots involves Calvin’s “transmogrifier,” a device worthy of any mad scientist. Hobbes is always along for each mishap, offering moral support and wry commentary.

C&H could be read as a satire on education, culture, politics, and literature. Calvin is a classic comic strip character. At times very much like a real little boy, at times like an adult philosopher trapped in a child’s body, he’s a consistently engaging figure, and is perfectly complemented by Hobbes. And although the accent in this book is on humor, there is an unexpectedly poignant storyline in which Calvin comes to the aid of an injured baby raccoon.

At one point in the collection Calvin declares “I try to make everyone’s day a little more surreal.” Thanks to his creator Watterson, he succeeds brilliantly.

DOES it deserve anything less then a 5????5
The 1st Calvin and hobbes book I ever owned, and one of the most treasured. Many people try to argue as to which is THE BEST Calvin and Hobbes collection, and although some like the 10th Anniversary Book are a must-have for any C&H fan, Frankly they ALL ARE THE BEST. All the collections rate as 100% satisfaction, and ANY book will provide great humor and entertainment. You can Never get tired or board of reading such books, EVER!

As regards the book, in general, it describes the various escapades and adventures of a 6 year old Hyperactive Calvin and his stuffed pet’ tiger, Hobbes, who comes to life in Calvin’s eyes and noone else’s.

I DEFINITELY recommend this book to anyone who wants to enjoy a great laugh. This definitely rates as an all-time classic, and I wish i was able to give it more then a mere 5 STARS!!!

About the Author
Bill Watterson is the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, one of the most popular and well-regarded cartoon strips of the twentieth century. Calvin and Hobbes appeared in newspapers from November 1985 until Watterson’s retirement in 1996.

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An Introduction to Acrylics DK Art School-Retail $10.00! Sale Only $8.00!

Jeudi, juin 17th, 2010

An Introduction to Acrylics DK Art School. An Introduction to Acrylics DK Art School

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The DK Art School series provides all the fundamental techniques both adult and juvenile artists need. At the heart of each book are twelve projects that explore the methods of the great masters. Each specially commissioned painting is broken down in step-by-step color photos that show every stage of its creation. Lists of materials, subjects, and techniques complete each volume. 300 color photos.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #13421 in Books
  • Published on: 1998-06-08
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 72 pages

Features

A Great Book That Is Better Than Most5
This book is great. Not only does it start out with the basics, it then takes you deeper, showing you supplies that are really worth gettting. After they show you the basics, they talk about different brush strokes, and color mixing. They show you why acrylic is such a great medium, and the different effects you can achieve using it. Then they begin to talk about light, and have an example painting that you can paint along with. They cover many different forms. Get this book if you want to know about acrylics.

Indispensable for the Beginner5
When I decided that I wanted to start painting, I bought five “How To” books. This one is my favorite, hands down. The book is well organized, well written, and contains a lot of beautifully detailed photographs. The author has kept the text to a minimum, letting the photographs do much of the talking, which works far better for me than other books that have more emphasis on written instruction.

In only 72 pages, every topic is covered, and no question is left unanswered. It begins with a brief history of the medium, then moves on to cover color, paint types, brushes, painting surfaces, tools, and techniques, as well as galleries of different painting styles. There’s even a section on experimental approaches, such as stenciling and inventive scraping. Rather than presenting a series of exercises (as many books do), this author encourages experimentation and discovering your own personal style, an approach that really inspired me to pick up a brush and get started.

Also worth mentioning is that every photograph and illustration is in color . . . really GOOD color. This may sound like a no-brainer, but a few of the other books I purchased contained a lot of black-and-white photos. Hey, you can’t learn to paint in black and white!

Experienced artists may find the material here a bit too rudimentary, but for the true novice, like myself, this book is a winner. If you’re looking for that ONE book to get you started, this is it!

Just The Basics5
For someone just starting out in the painting feild, acrylic or otherwise, this book is gold. It has all the basic information one needs to create an image. If you want to paint, but don’t know where to start, this will definately be the book for you.

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Parenting From the Inside Out Lowest Price!

Mercredi, juin 16th, 2010

Parenting From the Inside Out. Parenting From the Inside Out

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How many parents have found themselves thinking: I can’t believe I just said to my child the very thing my parents used to say to me! Am I just destined to repeat the mistakes of my parents? In Parenting from the Inside Out, child psychiatrist Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., and early childhood expert Mary Hartzell, M.Ed., explore the extent to which our childhood experiences actually do shape the way we parent. Drawing upon stunning new findings in neurobiology and attachment research, they explain how interpersonal relationships directly impact the development of the brain, and offer parents a step-by-step approach to forming a deeper understanding of their own life stories, which will help them raise compassionate and resilient children.

Born out of a series of parents’ workshops that combined Siegel’s cutting-edge research on how communication impacts brain development with Hartzell’s thirty years of experience as a child-development specialist and parent educator, Parenting from the Inside Out guides parents through creating the necessary foundations for loving and secure relationships with their children.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #1556 in Books
  • Published on: 2004-04-26
  • Released on: 2004-04-22
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 272 pages

Features

  • ISBN13: 9781585422951
  • Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
  • Notes:

Parenting from Inside the Parent Brain4
While other authors have focused their attention on the brain of the developing child (What’s Going on in There by Lise Eliot, Ph.D. and The Scientist in the Crib by Alison Gopnik, PhD, Andrew N. Meltzoff, Ph.D., and Patricia K. Kuhl, Ph.D.), in their book Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help you Raise Children Who Thrive, Siegel and Hartzell zero in on what’s going on inside the parent’s brain — specifically how new research in the areas of neurobiology and attachment theory can help parents to understand why they parent the way they do and what they can do to use that knowledge to become better parents.

The authors stress the importance of making peace with your past so that you can avoid repeating any negative patterns of family interaction with your own kids: “In the absence of reflection, history often repeats itself and parents are vulnerable to passing on to their children unhealthy patterns from the past. Understanding our lives can free us from the otherwise predictable situation in which we recreate the damage to our children that was done to us in our own childhoods….By making sense of our lives we can deepen a capacity for self-understanding and bring coherence to our emotional experience, our views of the world, and our interactions with our children.”

The book’s content is excellent, but it’s pretty heavy-going at times. The authors offer the reader a mix of straight narrative, introspective journaling exercises, and lessons in neurobiology. It’s all fascinating stuff, but it requires a lot of focus and attention. Definitely not to be attempted with a child in the room!

Parenting from the Inside Out5
This parenting book is far more than a “how-to”. It examines the importance of the parent child relationship from the perspective of the child’s neurological and social development. It challenges parents to examine their own upbringing and to evaluate how their experiences as a child now influence their functioning as a parent. The premises exlpained in the book are supported by recent breakthroughs in brain research. As a psychotherapist who works with children and famlies, this is the book I recommend the most to my clients. At times the writing in the book is somewhat techinical in nature, but there are many stories and exercies for parents that are beneficial even if the reader doesn’t understand all of the language.

Buy this Book!5
This book is informative, insightful, and a must read for everyone not just parents. It will help you understand what is going on in all your relationships (especially your relationships with your children). Participate with the book: do the exercises at the end of each chapter, and you will grow and mature. I am a Marriage Family Therapist and I have all my clients read the book to enhance their therapy and enable them to progress at a faster pace.

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The Warrior Heir Sale-Price Too Low To Display!!

Mardi, juin 15th, 2010

The Warrior Heir. The Warrior Heir

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Dark forces are after a boy who is heir to a dangerous legacy.

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #8449 in eBooks
  • Published on: 2009-09-16
  • Released on: 2009-09-23
  • Format: Kindle Book
  • Number of items: 1

a great mix of relationships, historical references, action and suspense4
Jackson Swift (Jack) has always had a normal life in the small college town of Trinity, Ohio. The only difference between the 16-year-old and his fellow classmates has been the star-shaped scar on his chest and the medicine he is required to take daily. Strange events begin to take place, however, after Jack forgets to take his medicine one day. When a rival named Garrett Lobeck tries to start a fight with Jack during soccer tryouts, Jack defends himself — sending Lobeck flying across the soccer field.

Then his strange but cool Aunt Linda pays an unexpected visit to Jack and his mother, Becka. Aunt Linda decides to take her nephew/godson on a road trip to look up some of their family’s genealogy. Jack invites his loyal friends Will and Fitch to join the expedition. What is supposed to be a tedious fact-finding mission turns into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, when the three guys discover that Linda is being stalked by a man looking to steal a family heirloom. Jack suspects that there is more to his aunt’s story, but decides to help her locate the sought-after heirloom. The three friends get more than they bargain for during a night of digging around an old cemetery when they are attacked shortly after Jack uncovers a medieval sword that contains remarkable powers.

The road trip changes everything for Jack, and the truth about his heritage is slowly revealed. His Aunt Linda is an Enchanter and Jack is Weirlind, a member of an underground society of magical people that has been ruled by the feuding wizarding houses of the Red Rose and the White Rose for centuries. The feuding houses determine who rules the Weir and its magical artifacts by playing the Game, a deadly tournament in which each house sponsors a Warrior to fight for their supremacy. Unfortunately for Jack, he is unique even by Weir standards and is a prime target as each of the houses scout for a new player by any means necessary. Fortunately for Jack he has some help on his side, which includes his old friend, the knowledgeable caretaker Nicodemus Snowbeard, and the mysterious new assistant principal Mr. Hastings, who teaches Jack the ways of the Weir and how to use the powerful sword called Shadowslayer as defense against known and unforeseen enemies.

Soon Jack is off to England, where he is thrown into a high-stakes chase from Dr. Jessamine Longbranch — a wicked person who helped saved his life years before —- and the Roses. Perhaps the most daunting challenge of all for Jack will be remembering who he really is underneath it all.

THE WARRIOR HEIR is a thrilling fantasy set in the 21st century that seems to be different from some of the other wizard stories out there. While I did wish that the novel contained further information about the Weir and that some of the mentioned characters of Jefferson Street were included in the storyline a bit more, I did find the book to have a great mix of relationships, historical references, action (at times gory) and suspense. I would suggest having an extra copy on hand because you might find it disappearing temporarily from your bookshelf once your family and friends see it.

And good news for fans of the book: There is rumored to be a sequel to THE WARRIOR HEIR tentatively titled THE WIZARD HEIR.

— Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (SdarksideG@aol.com)

Interesting Tale of a Warrior4
Jack, a former heart patient, is simply living his rather normal teenage life until the one day he forgets to take his medicine. Suddenly he discovers he has a strength he didn’t know he possessed, but worse than that, others who have been searching for him now know where he lives and they are coming for him. It turns out that Jack is a warrior, though born a wizard, and many wizards are now looking for him so that he can take part in a gladiator style fight for supremacy in the wizarding world. His aunt Linda tries to protect him but eventually it becomes apparent that Jack must fight, or spend his life running and hoping not to be killed.

This is a good story, with plenty of exciting moments and lots of interesting characters who are either intent on helping Jack or destroying him. However, there are a few problems that keep the story from being truly riveting. The different classes of sorcerers, enchanters, wizards, and warriors are never fully explained, and the rather optimistic ending just seemed a little too pat. Overall this is a good fantasy, but with a bit of editing and the addition of some explanations, this could have been a great one. Still, it should enthrall its target audience, and can be recommended for fans of the genre.

don’t think Potter…4
A fun little book, I was lucky to read an advance copy, and it’s a good story. Wizards are a big part of this, but stop thinking about that Potter boy and enjoy the world created here. I’d give this three and a half stars. It took a bit of time to work through the five classes of the Wier. and they are not well represented, two are only mentioned in passing it seems.

But, YES, I would like to read more about Jack and the aftermath of this book.

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