Malcolm Campbell's book is a must for anyone who lives in, or visits, New England and loves to hike, explore, and just basically get away from it all. The research is amazingly detailed yet the book is brimming with character and wit, unlike many of the mass-produced guides that are on the market today: freed from the constraints of a "template," Malcolm has written a guidebook that's very much "Malcolm" while remaining extremely useful. Play Hard, Rest Easy is sort of like combining a really detailed guide with Bill Bryson's wit and panache.

cool, fun, very useful and user-friendly. thanks for being a great guide!!

If only all travel guidebooks were this COOL!!! This book blows the lid off other travel guidebooks!!! Most importantly, it is intelligently written!! Malcolm W. Campbell is obviously a travel aficionado, however, he is also a REMARKABLE WRITER with an OUTSTANDING SENSE OF HUMOR!!! This book is for travel aficionados who enjoy taking "ACTIVE VACATIONS" (such as hikes that deliver you to breathtaking, awe-inspiring, "TOUCHED-BY-THE-INFINITE-UNIVERSE"-feeling-type views; to mountain biking through former "carriage paths" from turn-of-the-century Golden Age vacation playgrounds which happen to be in fabulous, Spruce, Christmas-tree-scented forests of Acadia National Forest near Bar Harbor, Maine; to river kayaking in the White Mountains--just to name a scant few mentioned) but it's also for travel lovers who enjoy the pleasures of sleeping cozily in down-comforted and pillowed beds in nostaligic, cedar shingle inns (with the windows open at dawn) AND who take pleasure in the celebration of true Epicurean delights of fine food and drink on one's odyssey. There's also a cool "Kick Back" section in every chapter that offers more "chillin'" ways to experience the day. I particulary enjoyed the "Historic Wanderings" sections as well as every "Cool Movie Houses" section. (Did you know there's a 10,500 year-old Native American village in Connecticut?) Along with the author's strikingly unique and funny wit, this book also packs much SOUL...I guess the two are related. You could read this book as a novel even if you never intend to travel, though with such descriptive prose and keen observation of the Living World, I bet it would move even the deepest stick-in-the-mud personality. I look forward to future writings -- TRAVE GUIDES **OR** OTHERWISE -- by Malcolm W. Campbell and his unique voice. DON'T MISS THIS BOAT!!!

The good news is that Jim Frayne has indeed inherited money from his great uncle and will have a new guardian appointed. The bad news is that he left Sleepyside before he could find out. So Trixie, Honey, and her governess, Miss Trask, set out in the Wheeler's trailer to find him. The first night out, they stop next to a mysterious red trailer. The family stays inside with the curtains closed. When they arrive in upstate New York, they learn that trailer thieves are operating in the area. Will Trixie and Honey be able to find Jim before he leaves New York for good? What is going on in that mysterious trailer? And have the girls stumbled on the thieves' hide out?

This book picks up minutes after the first book in the series ended. This is unusual in kid's books, and I rather enjoyed it. There's enough of a recap that anyone new to the story will feel right at home, although it's obviously best to read book 1 first.

The first time I read the story, I knew the ultimate outcome of their search for Jim. However, the sub-plots kept me interested the whole way through. Trixie and Honey are more themselves then in the last book. And, like the last book, so much happens that it's hard to put the book down. This book also contains one of my all time favorite scenes from the series. I always laugh when Trixie and Honey are trapped in the loft by Al. Honey especially is funny while being perfectly in character.

Julie Campbell took her time setting up the characters and events of the series, so these first books are really needed to fully enjoy what follows. But that's no trouble since they are so much fun to read. I've been reading them for years, and I don't plan to stop in the near future.

This book is the direct sequel to Trixie Belden and the Secret of the Mansion, which really must be read first. On the quest to find Jim -- on the lam from his evil stepfather Jonsey -- Trixie, Honey, and Miss Trask arrive in the Autoville trailer park, and the girls eventually find the dual mysteries of Jim's whereabouts and a stolen red trailer converging in one area of countryside.

The Red Trailer Mystery does get confusing and could have used a map, but the author summarizes the action periodically, and it sounds natural and helps develop the reader's comprehension and critical thinking.

I think this series gave me an appreciation in my adult life for the benefits of family, community, and enduring friendships.

l too loved these books and still have the whole set funny how these can be so much fun to read even after all these years....nope l dont wanta sell them....LOL

This is the one that introduces Diana Lynch to the Bob-Whites club, as she despairs of her recently arrived obnoxious uncle. Di doesn't bring much but bubbleheadedness to the party, but she does make Trixie look like a rocket scientist in comparison. And we get to see some of Trixie's snarky side as she makes sarcastic comments to Di on the school bus at the beginning of the book (but Trixie does come around later, thanks to Honey's gentling influence).

Note especially the ominous picture in the Deluxe edition (illustrated by Marvin Besunder) of Trixie alone on a field investigation to a seedy neighborhood. (For a discussion of the various illustrators, editions, and authors, check out the Trixie Belden Library website.)

This book climaxes with one of my two most memorable moments from the entire series (the other being in the Mystery of the Blinking Eye). Let's just say that it can be advantageous to stay on good terms with one's occasionally annoying siblings.

This is a great book! It's a little outdated (i read my mother's decrepit copies) but it is very warm and happy, but realistic- maybe her friends are a little nicer than natural, but Trixie has her share of faults. This mystery is suspenseful and fun- find it somewhere!

This was my first exposure to Trixie Belden; I borrowed it from a friend and I didn't want to give it back! Perhaps the sentimental value biases me, but this has always been one of my favorites.

As kids, we were often annoyed by our parents' tendency to trust our charming, rotten classmates and dislike our loyal, less polished friends. Therefore, it's easy to sympathize with Trixie, Di, and their friends when they can see through Di's uncle's trickery and her parents can't. Campbell shows real skill in making Uncle Monty subtly creepy without overdoing it.

How ironic that this warm, intelligent, realistic series is out of print, while the two-dimensional all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips Nancy Drew is still around! Trixie is an imperfect human being with real faults and limitations. Nancy was a great role model in many ways (she could change a flat tire - I never have!), but for a kid having growing pains, Trixie and her friends were so much easier to relate to. There is a real sense of warmth in these books that most of the old Grosset & Dunlap series (Hardy Boys, Dana Girls, Bobbsey Twins, Beverly Gray) lacked. Nancy's friends George and Bess were essentially ciphers; I used to wish that I could meet people like Trixie and her friends.

There's also a real sense of continuity - old friends don't just disappear from one book to the next, and the new friends they make get mentioned from time to time in subsequent stories.

And, to the best of my knowledge, the Trixie Belden books never had to be revised in order to remove racial slurs. Some elements seem slightly outdated, but with the emphasis on people rather than things, the books hold up surprisingly well.

I agree with Miss Jamesons report. I too was feeling disillusioned with the formulaic and frankly dull horror novels available in the stores (obviously not including Straub and King who i had read many years ago). I chanced upon this book, and having read the praise on the jacket took a risk on an author i had not heard of.

This book is extremely well written and makes a worthy contender as a modern day M R James. The stories are both subtle yet grotesque and shadowy. I cannot think of a bad story in the collection (a problem which many of Kings anthologies suffer from). The stories do not only deal with horror but themes of lonliness and urban despair. Also the english town settings add a feeling of odd normalcy against which the suggested horrors are sharply contrasted. I highly recommend this collection (which incidentally is terrific value) and urge fans of cerebral horror to seek it out.

Personal Highlights include 'The Man in the Underpass', 'Mackintosh Willy' and 'Out of Print.'

This book was like having all my Christmases come at once! My brother bought it for my birthday when i was feeling disillusioned with the horror genre. i had read loads of books by Kootnz, Laymon etc (obviously i read King and the classics ages ago!) and was hoping that if i got through enough of their books i might find one actually scary and worth reading. And then i dipped into this book. The value for money is unbelievable, for the small price of 5.99 you get almost every short story Campbell has written and whats more they are very scary. Favourites include The Hands, Hearing Is Believing...., there are too many to mention. His stories are eerie often in an ambiguous, odd way which heightens the fear. I cannot praise this book enough, it surpasses King's 'Nightshift' in both quantity and quality. It is a must-have for any horror fan.

I'm a high school English teacher who has been struggling with the task of implimenting horror fiction into the cirriculum. It has been hard to find the happy medium between the mastery of King (parents hate him)and the tradition of Lovecraft. On the occasion when I picked up Campbell's collection, I figured he would fall prey to the stereotype of another dry/strange English author. I was horribly wrong. Campbell's fiction is what keeps the horror genre alive. It's qualitative, wickedly penned, and highly imaginative. Up until Campbell, I was spending a great deal of time trying to find the type of horror that I wanted to read. I had even started writing my own stories to satisfy my need to be spooked. Campbell's short fiction is second to none! Try teaching "Mackintosh Willy" after your class finishes "Frankenstein". They will think it's like chocolate syrup on their ice cream!

Ever since we got our dogs ... we have been reading and reading dog related books ... mostly out of interest and sometimes because we needed advice with particular issues we're encountering with our canine family members ...

Some books were far too general, a few (fortunately very few) actually contained bad or poor advice ... most were reasonably good & useful ...

But by far ... this is the best we have come across ...

The author makes no pretence at offering quick or instant solutions ... in the first few chapters and without emotional tangents (we all think our dogs understand us *laughs*) he takes the reader through the psychology and mindset of a dog, ... it becomes very clear that the author believes a dog cannot be effectively trained simply by rote, punishment or treats ... but through a process of learning to understand their true nature and positive healthy reinforcement ...

But what makes the most difference is that ... the author is prepared, without fear of alienating his readers, to require dog owners to delve into their own psychology and inner nature ...

This approach makes the book all the more useful ... it made me realise the futility of trying to train our dogs, without first considering how I might be affecting them, with my behaviour and reactions (conscious & subconscious) ... I was asked to consider how my own understanding or lack ... might be causing or contributing to the dogs' good as well as bad behaviour ... The book also provides useful case studies and plenty of practical advice.

It does require a little more concentration than one would normally devote to the reading of a pet training book ... but the effort is well worth it ... any dog owner, new and experienced will benefit ...

... This is a very good read ... this book offers much more than the usual approach of 'tell the dog to sit, and reward it with a treat' ... the author approaches the problem of bad dog behaviour from the owner's perspective, as well as from the dog's perspective ... a holistic approach that avoids harsh punishment ... The author tells us that in order to correct a dog, oftentimes we must first as owners correct ourselves, our approach ... our whole attitude ... we are encouraged to try and learn the nature of dogs, their instincts and propensities ... the numerous case studies are also extremely useful ... All in all, a very good book, informative, sensible and effective.

When faced with problem behaviors in a rough collie back in the 70's, I read every dog behavior book on the shelves at the time. William Campbell's book was the only reference which addressed the issues I needed to understand. Campbell's description of 'active defense reflex' vs 'passive defense reflex' dogs made all the difference in my understanding of Shasta's behavior. He gave me all the advice I needed to turn this behavior around with very specific instructions which worked to perfection. We went on, after reading this book, to earn a CD in obedience whereas before I could not even touch his body without being bitten ('active defense reflex'). I recommend this book to anyone I contact who is dealing with dog behavior problems and I'm very interested to see how this new edition compares to the one I purchased in the 1970's!

As a reader who is obsessed with books, orchids, and technology -- it is not hard to imagine how one can be obsessed about cars. In fact, at a younger age I would have categorized myself as such, until I read this book. Now I know what it really means to be "obsessed!"

Campbell uses these essays to enlighten, tease, rant and mostly entertain. It is a thoroughly American journey that runs the spectrum from Angst to Zen. Highly recommended.

For the non-car obsessed a facinating, introspective journey. For those who's cars are a bodily extension, a must-read. The first chapter, 'Sun, Fun, Stay, Play' really captures all the searing pain of growing up in Bakersfield, inside and outside of your cruising car.

A lovely book that does a satisfying job of blurring the lines between memoir, journalism, and quirky meditation. Expresses the ineluctable emotion we all feel for our cars, past and present that we sometimes mistake for materialism.

Security Transformation is an excellent book for a manager, "C" officer or other less technical readers. The authors take care to present the issues of digital security in an easy to read, non-jargon laden manner. And for the jargon that is put in the book, there is a glossary at the end to help keep everyone on the same page. This is the book you hand on to executives who just don't understand why security is important. It looks at the effect technology security has upon the ability to secure business and the ability to not be part of a larger problem, such as a Distributed Denial of Service attack. The warnings are real, but are not played for sensationalism, cooly explaining what threats are out there and what they mean to "you." I don't think I learned much I hadn't known already, but I did find a nice coherent package to introduce others to the risks, with significantly less amounts of techno-jargon or offputting technical details. A quick read and a good overview.

Mary Pat McCarthy and Stuart Campbell provide just enough technical information to help you understand the electronic security risks your company faces without falling into a complete course in computer programming and Internet data transmission. The authors' most valuable contribution is their structured plan for evaluating your computer system's security and creating security architecture. We [...] direct those who want a more advanced treatment of computer security issues to the book's two appendices, which review some of the same ground in more detail. This book is an important read for CEOs and an essential resource for anyone responsible for corporate security or risk management.

When I read the first chapter, I thought I had picked up a Clancy novel by mistake. The first section says "Are you scared yet?" You better believe it. The good news, though, is you can do something about it, and this book helps you make informed decisions about what to do. Definitely worth the price and more.

I loved the fact that Chris and Star won the Belmont. I was literally laughing out loud when Cristina couldn't grasp the fact that Samantha was going to have a baby. A great book with not the best cover

This was a great book!! It was mainly about Christina and Star getting ready for (and WINNING) the Belmont. But this book also talks about Chris and Mel renewing their friendship, Chris's future, Chris and Parker's relationship (I think they're getting back together and they should), and some drama at the track! I couldn't stop reading it and I finished it in 2 days! Great book, I can't wait for the next one!!

This is a great book. I am so glad that Star wins one of the triple crown jewels, though I like Image more. The covers look so good now. But I thought her silks were blue and white, not black and blue. Oh well. This is the best book yet in the series and I have read almost all of the TB books. HORSE LOVERS, READ THIS BOOK!

The authors summarize their vast experience teaching executives how to give feedback to others...whether they be subordinates or equals. What needs to be fed back? How to "package" that feedback? What barriers keep us from trying? Why do we all think we are good at this basic function, when most of us are miserable and uncomfortable at it? This guidebook tells us how to do it and more importantly, tell us why we must. It stimulates and challenges and ends up inspiring us. It makes it fun. Our professional life is like our personal life. We have a duty to make others better and more productive. We need to invite others to help us to improve. Without feedback, there is no learning. Without constant learning, we stagnate. If we stagnate, our life was not worth living. So this book helps us to be better human beings. Read this book, then reread it. It's like a fine wine, getting richer with age.

This book could easily have been retitled: what I really should have learned in medical school about effective communication...but never did. The authors present an effective framework for not only learning basic communication skills, but for understanding the more fundamental behaviors which drive our language and communications. Always balancing their message with a caring, sensitive clinical perspective, (including several "right on target" examples) their message should hit home with every physician and caring professional who chose the healing arts as a labor of love, passion, caring and commitment. All too often, in today's healthcare environment financial pressures seem to take us further away than ever from the patient...changing us from patient advocate to adversary. The frustration is further heightened by the sense that "nobody really listens to us anymore." This book lays out a coherent, comprehensive, and compassionate approach to communication which, at its best, should enable and empower us to hear and be heard more effectively - not only with our patients, but with our colleagues, other healthcare industry leaders, and our families. I heartily recommend this book!!!

Our body system is nature's most perfect creation, balanced by intricate systems of feedback and communication. Our personal lives and organizational lives are often devoid of feedback; somehow we have lost these essential skills. This book teaches us how to become Aware of our Behavior and its Consequences through an eloquent description of how healthy feedback can change us personally and corporately. As a Family Physician and teacher of Family Physicians, I am certain that the ability to give and receive feedback promotes more healthy relationships. This is the essence of sustainable growth and change. We all have the power to change ourselves and this book is a good way to start that process!

In addition to the beautifully photographed work, a very enjoyable glimse in Miss Campbells own home and world filled with The Beautiful People.

I have the English edition of this book (called Nina Campbell on Decorating), same number of pages, same copyright date, identical book size, inside look at how she worked with ten clients, so I believe it is the same book with a different title and cover picture (stuff that is typically altered when a book crosses the Atlantic).
The photographs are lovely, showed to their full advantage in this oversized book, accompanied by easy-to-read text that brought me into the dilemmas and solution process for each of the ten houses. Sometimes I disagreed with the results because decorating is a subjective art, but I loved discovering Nina's decorating philosophy. For example, on page 79 she says "Undoubtedly, my client will add paintings as he finds them. A house that is complete from the minute the owner walks in is not an ideal home. In the early stages a room needs to be 'en route,' as it were. You should be able to invite your friends to a party without being embarrassed that it's 'not quite finished."
Of course, Nina's comments also give us insight into how a designer works with a client, including some funny episodes such as the time she was confused about which way a painting a client owned should be hung - she thought vertical, and it turned out horizontal was the artist's intention!
Nina's style tends toward the formal and elegant, but anyone could learn from her approach to decorating. An enjoyable book to read, I'm looking forward to sharing it with some friends of mine who are designing a home - who could resist a wall of books in the study that is really a door? And her decorating tricks, such as lowering a high ceiling by painting it with a mottled texture, can be used by anyone.

Equally at home on a living room coffee table or by a bedside, this book offers a welcomed escape for anyone who appreciates english style. It seems that the middle ground between the whimsical cottage style and the grand baronial castle look is often ignored. While I admit that Ms. Campbell definitely illustrates the latter, she also depicts several chapters which this jersey girl has the chance to emulate, i.e. small but stylish, elegance in the miniature. Her text is very informative; however, it is the well over one hundred photographs that will be of great help and inspiration. Reading this book is like commisioning "one of the best" at a true bargain price. A super addition to a collection or a defining starting point, get this book.