I went to the Wicklander seminar recently. The book was just as great as the class, I'm very fortunate to have been able to go and receive the book. Thanks!

This is an excellent referecne book for anyone involved in both private and public sector interviews.

This was a very informative book. I highly recommend this book for anyone dealing with interviews and interrogations.

hi my name is chris j coombes and i am a firefighter and arson is not good in california. arson is a big combat for firefighters. i wish that evere arsonist knows how hard we fight the fire's they dont want us to get them but we will fight fire with fire.. and they will see that we are going to get them and mack them pay. thank you chris j coombes..

Combating Arson for Profit is a most welcome guide to the investigation of fraud. As an insurance company S.I.U. investigator, I recommend this to all those involved in these complex cases. The reader will discover how to conduct the "paper chase", document evidence, write professional reports, and assure the most comprehensive case for court. Highly recommended!

Having used the 1st edition for many years, I was most interested to discover that the 2nd edition has been revised to include the latest in technological innovations including computer modeling. An invaluable publication!

THIS BOOK WILL ENLIGHTEN YOU TO EXAMINE YOUR LIFE IN A WHOLE NEW REALM. A REALM THAT VERY FEW OF US EXPERIENCE, THE TRUTH. VERNON HOWARD BYPASSES ALL OF THE FLOWERY LINGO USED BY TODAY'S AUTHORS AND CHALLENGES YOU TO LOOK INWARD IN A STYLE THAT WILL COMPLETELY ALTER THE WAY YOU SEE YOUR EXISTENCE. VERNON HOWARD'S TEACHINGS ARE BRILLIANT BECAUSE THEY BRING TRUTH TO THE FOREFRONT AT ALL TIMES. IF YOU ARE TIRED OF LIVING IN THE KINDERGARTEN OF LIFE, STUDY VERNON HOWARD. THE TRUTH IS ALL WE NEED, AND I BELIEVE THAT VERNON HOWARD IS ONE OF THE FEW THAT ACTUALLY ATTAINED THIS HIGHER LEVEL OF LIVING. VERNON HOWARD IS ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE WHO REALLY LIVED. I HAVE READ MANY OF HOWARD'S BOOKS, AND THIS ONE IS THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN.

What can I say? I sit here to write a review and I find that words are inadequate to express the truths contained within this book.(as well as all of his other books) I completely agree with the reviewers below. I have read so, so many books in my lifetime and vernon howard simply towers above the rest. His insight, understanding and utter authority is unparalleled by any other. I find his teachings to be absolutely inspiring, straightforward and "non-new-agey".

I'm glad I've stumbled onto Mr. Vernon Howard's materials. It has helped me so much that I cant even explain it. Every paragraph that I've read, I felt a shock going through my body because the truth was letting me know. I cant believe that I'm the second person reviewing this book. anyone intersted in his books or not yet sure should check out anewlife.org, its vernon howards homepage. Listen to the sound library and I'm sure you'll purchase all his works.

Knowing Professor Dalzell and Mrs. Dalzell personally, I was incredibly curious to see how they blended the two seemingly connected but perhaps contrasting topics of George Washington and his home. Essentially, they were connected very successfully. The entire history of the home itself is told vividly with photographs, anecdotes, and objective descriptions of its development. Following, Washington's own personal, military, and political history is told in light of the times, and in the book's shining ability, in relation to the home itself. The Dalzell's cleverly-melded arguments and discussions leads the reader to a full knowledge of Mt. Vernon and its inspiring owner.

I openned this book expecting to read a story about a house and how it was built. I was surprised, and impressed, to discover that what went on as Mt. Vernon took form was far more interesting than I had expected. This is not so much a book about a house as it is the story of how George Washington related to the slaves on whom he relied to execute his architecture. In other words, the story here reverberates far beyond the boundaries of the plantation. It went to the heart of the republic, and it goes to the heart of this nation. Slavery is encoded in our national DNA (sorry, Jefferson). The Dalzells make it clear that it is also mortared in the wood and plaster (cut and painted to look like stone) of our national edifice. Are you tormented, or at least intrigued, that a slaveowner could style himself father of a republic dedicated to freedom? Maybe Washington was, too. Find out. Visit Mt. Vernon, and do it by reading this book.

Mount Vernon was both architecturally innovative and a true mirror of Washington's feelings and mind. He never wrote an autobiography and his diaries consist largely of farm accounts, but in Mount Vernon, the authors write, "he produced a text from which it is possible to coax a remarkably full sense of his political convictions and of how, over time, they changed." The book, George Washington's Mount Vernon, combines the public and the private sides of his life and uses the combination to enrich our understanding of both.

When my friend first told me about this book, I was quite reluctant to make a purchase because I am not the least bit interested in the world of spy thrillers or intelligence. But, she persuaded me to make the buy, primarily because of the romance, and I am glad I did. This book is really off-the-hook! At first, I thought it would take me a while to understand the intellectual aspects of the novel because of the introduction. After I began reading the first chapter I was really moved by how Mr. Robinson introduced the main character's wife and daughter. Then I was really motivated to continue reading. I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to the continuing saga. Although there was lots of suspense, intrigue and mystery, it seems Mr. Robinson would call this a romance novel, instead of a suspense/thriller. Either way you will enjoy it. At least I did. As a matter of fact, I would have enjoyed this even better as a movie. Excellent work Mr. Robinson!

This book had me reeling for the most part and I couldn't wait to get to the end. I agree that women will love this book and men will marvel in the life of Jack. The secrets, and suspence of the book made me wish it was an actual movie. At times I wish it was me that was Jack. I can read this over and over. One thing is for sure, once you start to read this book, you will not want to put it down. If this book is an indication of how the next book will be, I will be standing in line for it. Enjoy!!

I am not a fan of action espionage novels. But this one was so off the hook right from the start, I could not believe how much I enjoyed it!! The scenes and characters were so carefully crafted and detailed that I found myself squirming in my seat, helping Jack make his moves. I could close my eyes and actually see the fight scenes, feel the heat and humidity from the jungle. I gave up hours of sleep 'cause I couldn't put it down, even re-reading chapters because they were so powerful.

No corny dialogue. No unrealistic love scenes. I dreamed this story long after I finished reading it. Mr. Robinson's vision through this novel is truly remarkable.

Kriegie 7956 captures more than Vernon Gatewood as a POW in a German Prisoner of War Camp. It captures the reader and hooks him in a matter of minutes. Well written and easily read, this book can not be put down. Small in size, it is big in theme and conflict. The true story of Vernon Gatewood, a Marietta, Ohio native, and his "adventures" in training to be a bombadier, his actual flights, and in his incarceration in Nazi prisoner of war camps after his bomber crashed, makes for compelling reading. Mr. Gatewood and his daughter-in-law, Betty, have taken a historical time period that many junior high students know nothing about and have given them an exciting read that doesn't weigh them down with a lot of technical terms, but instead gives them the true feelings of a man who went through hell and back to return to his family. Filled with pictures from that time period, the book takes no more than a couple of hours of intense reading, but is well worth the price and the effort expended. If you want your child or students to learn about WWII from a different perspective, then Kriegie 7956 by Betty and Vernon Gatewood is,hands down, the best little book in town!

An excellent account of a student's discovery of her grandfather's experiences in WWII as a member of a bomber crew, and the trying tale of his survival as a POW in Nazi prison camps.
Extremely well written from a novel perspective, that of a student working on a history project.
A sleeper, everyone should get this book!

Let me start my review of "KRIEGIE 7956" by thanking my sister, Betty Jean Belkham Gatewood, for my copy. Betty and Vernon were nice enough to sign one and send it to me hot off the press. I loved every bit of it. Of course it was nice to be mentioned a couple of times too, thank you both.

If I may, I'd like to say a few words to each of the authors and to Betsy:

Betty Jean,

Thank you for helping Vernon to tell his story to Betsy and at the same time helping him get the story put down in a form that we can all enjoy. I hope to see more of your work in the future

I'm very proud of you. You have managed to capture the essence of Vernon's story and record it in such a way that the reader feels like they are there. At the same time you wrapped the story of Betsy's education around it. What a great format.

I know you wrote this with a couple of different audiences in mind, and honey I think you managed it very well. I hope the kids enjoy reading it, and learn as much from it, as I did. I'm sure they will.

Your bro,
Ernie

Vernon,

Thank you so much for the recounting your war remembrances for Betsy and to us, the readers. It must still be very difficult for you to recall the pain and difficulties you endured during your time as a kriegie and we all thank you for working with Betty Jean to record and publish your "Pursuit of Freedom" for Betsy and future generations.

Regards,
Ernie

Betsy,

I think you were the real winner/hero here. You learned a great history lesson from your grandfather Vernon and you were able to help your mother pass it on to others in such an entertaining way. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Much love to you,
Your Uncle Ernie

My Friend My Hero is a great book that all young people and parents should read. It shows a great portrayal of how our youth can make intelligent decisions, despite all the negativity they're faced with everday. The author did a wonderful job of displaying realistic everyday situations that a youth faces along with a good mix of humor. This book is a winner!!!

The ability to effectively grasp the attention of teenagers without using the profane language was most impressive to me. My friend, My Hero, definitely, is able to touch the hearts of readers on all levels. I ended with my eyes wide opened and my mouth to the floor. My friend my Hero reached my heart and my emotions. It starts off light, but ends deep and touching. There is no possible way you could leave from reading this book without your eyes being flooded with tears. ................ and if you think this book is great wait until you read Jerald Hoover's next book, "He was my friend too".

I read this book in two days and found it staggering. As a single mother of a 10 year old daughther, and a resident of the Bronx, I found this story quite riveting and inspiring for young people. It is great to read a book written by someone from the community whom you can truly relate to. I was able to visualize and feel compassion for all of the characters, I was able to identify as a parent the plight and true nature of peer pressure and the pressures of every day life in this environment. This book is a dose of reality that all children, urban and suburban should have as a part of their home-library and if they don't already have a home-library, this book a great place to start.

I was sure this was going to be a real Zen Buddhist message about facing the war we call life. And it starts out that way. It reminds one of the writing of Bruce Lee.

But as you read more, you discover that the words "God" and "Jesus" and "Holy Spirit" become more frequent until you begin to realize you're not reading a Buddhist text at all but a Christian text.

This is another example of a writer using the word "Zen" to sell books. In his defense, he did quote a few Buddhist passages and he mentioned Buddha a time or two. But the book is steeped in the Bible and Christianity. And that's okay. If that's what you're looking for.

Apparently the author felt the need to explain this dichotomy after page 102. He says, "As a warrior who began the Path in the Christian church, I never saw any reason to stop worshiping God in the same way as my fellow Christians, even though I later became a Zen-Dhyana Initiate. Church was my focus on God as being Supreme and Zen and the yogi paths reveal who I am as a single human being. The two do not conflict in any way when you actually practice."

My point is that no school of Buddhism, to my knowledge, acknowledges a god or supreme being, a heaven or a hell. So to that extent, if that is the sort of book one expects, he'll be disappointed.

Having said that, this is a beautiful book with a lot of wonderful insight and a lot of help for the warrior of life. It helps one to understand a good deal about life and fear and death and how we can relate to them in a healthy way.

I expect I'll re-read parts of the book frequently. But I will have to leave out many parts of the book because it espouses thoughts that I can't buy into.

With all that out of the way, I highly recommend this book.

Susanna K. Hutcheson

Soul Sword definitely gets five stars from me. From the moment I picked this book up I couldn't put it down. I still refer to it often as a daily guide. Myself being a personal student of Master Kitabu Turner consider myself truly blessed to have such an intriguing, insightful, master as my spiritual guide.Master Kitabu Turner has definitely been an inspiration to my whole being since having come in contact with this great man. Whether you're a martial artist or not Soul sword is must reading for anyone looking for answers on how to deal with the battlefield of life. I give Soul Sword five stars.

It is said that only a few men may ever know the taste of true enlightenment. Vernon Kitabu Turner is one of those men. When I first saw this book, I thought to myself, "Oh, no, another self-proclaimed master," but then I leafed through it and ended up purchasing it. All I can say is, "Wow." What a writer, what a poet, what a philosopher, what a man! This is truly an awe-inspiring book.

"Summa Contra Gentiles: Book One: God" is St. Thomas Aquinas' work in which he proclaims his philosophy of God. While differing from his Summa Theologica in form, it does bear it some resemblance. It consists of 102 chapters, each of which postulates a particular attribute of God. Each chapter then proves the postulated attribute by the application of philosophical reasoning. Support of authority, Scriptural or otherwise,. is only invoked after the issue has been established.

This is a book which makes the reader think. Some chapters really leave the reader with the feeling of understanding something new. This book is not light reading. It requires the investment of serious intellectual energy. For the reader willing to make the investment, the rewards can be heavenly.

Thomas Aquinas was an extraordinarily systematic thinker and writer. Because of this, one of the best ways to comprehend "Summa Contra Gentiles" is through consideration of its structure. At the highest level, it consists of 4 books, with the third book in two parts, on account of its length.

The titles of the five volumes are as follows:

Summa Contra Gentiles: God

Summa Contra Gentiles: Creation

Summa Contra Gentiles: Providence, Part I

Summa Contra Gentiles: Providence, Part II*

Summa Contra Gentiles: Salvation

Each volume is formally divided into about 100 short chapters. A typical chapter gets its title from some proposition that is to be affirmed, or in some cases refuted. Each paragraph is an argument in support (or denial) of that proposition. The chapters are themselves ordered so that the later chapters build on what the arguments in the earlier chapters have established, and it is this arrangement of chapters that constitutes the real structure of "Summa Contra Gentiles".

Although in his later "Summa Theologica", Thomas formalized the higher-level structure of his writing, he did not do so here, which somewhat complicates any presentation of this structure - the book titles are so high level that they give little feel of the work, and the chapter titles so numerous that the reader is easily overwhelmed by a list of them.

In order to give the reader some sense of the overall work, I've prepared an outline of the work that (hopefully) is short enough to be readily comprehensible and long enough to give the reader an understanding of what topics are covered and in what order. This outline is presented below:

1.0 Summa Contra Gentiles: God

1.1 Intention of the Work (1 - 2)

1.2 Truths of Reason and Revelation (3 - 9)

1.3 That God Exists (10 - 13)

1.4 That God is Eternal (14 - 20)

1.5 God's Essence (21 - 28)

1.6 That God is Known (29 - 36)

1.7 That God is Good, One and Infinite (37 - 44)

1.8 God's Intellect and Knowledge (44 - 71)

1.9 God's Will (72 - 96)

1.10 God's Life and Beatitude (97 - 102)

2.0 Summa Contra Gentiles: Creation

2.1 Purpose of the Work (1 - 5)

2.2 That God is the Creator of All Things (6)

2.3 God's Power Over His Creation (7 - 29)

2.4 For and Against the Eternity of the World (30 - 38)

2.5 The Distinction of Things (39 - 45)

2.6 Intellectual Substances (46 - 55)

2.7 The Intellect, the Soul and the Body (57 - 78)

2.8 Immortality of Man's Soul (79 - 82)

2.9 Origin of Man's Soul (83 - 89)

2.10 On Non-human (Angelic) Intellects (90 - 101)

3.0 Summa Contra Gentiles: Providence (Parts I and II)

3.1 Prologue (1)

3.2 Good, Evil, and God as the End of All Things (2 - 25)

3.3 Human Felicity (26 - 63)

3.4 How God's Providence Works (64 - 94)

3.5 Prayer and Miracles, Magic and Demons (95 - 110)

3.6 Rational Creatures and Divine Law (111 - 130)

3.7 Voluntary Poverty and Continence (131 - 138)

3.9 Rewards and Punishments (139 - 147)

3.10 Sin, Grace, and Predestination (148 - 163)

4.0 Salvation

4.1 Forward (1)

4.2 The Trinity (2 - 16)

4.3 The Incarnation (27 - 55)

4.4 The Sacraments (56 - 78)

4.5 The Resurrection (79 - 97)

-

* in searching for Part II of "Providence" in Amazon's book catalog, be sure to search by the full title, or the search results may just return part I.

Depending on the reader's preparation, "Summa Contra Gentiles: God" is either completely impenetrable or one of the easier philosophical works to understand.

While it is ideal for the reader to have read Aristotle, particularly his "Physics" and "Metaphysics", less - even much less - will do. What is minimally necessary is an understanding of the vocabulary. Thomas used a number of terms that he acquired from Aristotle that had a particular technical meaning, a meaning that is different from the ordinary meaning of those same terms. Without a good grasp of these terms, the reader simply will not be able to follow Thomas's logic.

Fortunately, the list of important terms is not very large, nor are the meanings especially obscure. The purpose of this review is to list and define these terms. For examples, I will draw on the familiar story of "The Three Little Pigs":

Matter, material - what a thing is made of. The matter of the three little pigs' houses are straw, sticks, and bricks respectively. Contrast with "form".

Form, formal - how a thing is ordered or arranged. The form of all of the three little pigs' houses is the same: "house". Contrast with "matter".

Prime matter - the stuff out of which all physical objects are ultimately made. While the third little pig's house has the form of "house" and the matter of "bricks", "bricks" themselves have a form of "brick" and matter of "earth" (assuming they are earthen bricks), and "earth" itself has a form and matter, and so on. Eventually, this process must end with some matter that is not composed of anything more fundamental. This most fundamental matter is given the name "prime matter".

Substance, substantial - Ordinarily, matter and form together make a substance. The third little pig's house is a substance that combines the matter of "bricks" and the form "house". The possibility of substances which do not ultimately derive from prime matter is an important question (perhaps the important question) of Summa Contra Gentiles.

Sensible - that which is seen, heard, smelt, touched, or tasted. Sometimes this term is used to refer to the sensible qualities themselves (color, sound, etc.) and sometimes to the objects that have those qualities. The little pigs' houses can be seen, so those houses are sensible objects. Contrast with "intelligible".

Intelligible - that which is understood but not sensed. We understand "house", but we cannot see "house", although we can see the three little pig's individual houses. Contrast with "sensible".

Accident, accidental - the qualities of a thing that do not determine what it is. The matter of which the three little pigs' houses are made is accidental; whether a house is made of straw, sticks, or bricks, it is still a house. Contrast with "essence".

Essence, essential - the qualities of a thing that make it what it is. That the three little pigs' houses are places for them to live is essential to those houses; if they couldn't live in them, they wouldn't be houses. Contrast with "accidental".

Quiddity - see "essence".

Privation - a lack of a quality that would ordinarily be present. It would be a privation if the first little pig could not see, but it is not a privation that his house cannot see.

Act, actual - what a thing is at a particular time. After the first little pig builds his house (but before the wolf blows it down) it is a house in act. Contrast with "potency".

Potency, potential - what a thing could be, but is not. Before the first little pig builds his house, the straw of which it is to be made is a house in potency. Contrast with "act".

Motion - sometimes refers specifically to movement in space, at other times to any change in a thing.

Generation - the process of applying form to matter to make a substance. While the first little pig is building his house from straw, the house is in generation. Contrast with "corruption".

Corruption - the process by which matter loses its form and ceases to be a substance. While the wolf is blowing down the first little pig's house, the house is in corruption. Contrast with "generation".

Nature, natural - qualities of a thing or changes to a thing that arise from what it is. It was natural for the sticks of the second little pig's house to stay where he put them. Contrast with "violent".

Violent, violence - motion in a thing that is contrary to its nature. When the sticks in the second little pig's house were blown apart, that change was violent. Contrast with "nature".

Eternal, eternity - often used to mean not dependent on time; as distinct from an infinite amount of time. "House" is eternal but the pig's individual houses were not.

Cause - how a thing came to be. The efficient cause of the first little pig's house was his work in building it. While Aristotle defined four causes: material, efficient, formal, and final, Thomas almost always means the efficient cause when he refers to a thing's cause.

End - why a thing came to be. The final cause, or end, of the little pigs' houses were to give them shelter.

The year 1997 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the 1967 NFL Championship game between the Packers and the Cowboys. Two book were published around that time. One was by Mike Shropshire and the other was by Ed Gruver. Of the two books, Gruver's is superior. It looks briefly at the coaches, the organizations, the seasons, and then devotes the lion's share of the book to the actual game. Especially helpful were the diagrams of key plays that occurred during the game. The book devotes a chapter to each quarter. In addition to the players and coaches, the author looks at the game from sportscasters and referees. The author also covers issues that Shropshire ignored. For example: was Jerry Kramer offsides on the winning TD and did Donny Anderson score on the previous play. The author also does a good job on covering the discussion of possible plays that could be called on the final play. The Shropshire book was not bad, but this one wins hands down.

THIS BOOK IS TRULY A GREAT READ. THE INTERVIEWS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND RESEARCH IS REALLY EXCELLENT. THIS IS BOOK REALLY BRINGS BACK SOME MEMORIES. I WAS ACTUALLY COLD JUST THINKING ABOUT THE HARSH CONDITIONS OF THAT DAY OF SURVIVAL. WELL DESCRIBED AND A GREAT WAY TO LEARN ABOUT THIS LEGENDARY GAME. HATS OFF TO MR GRUVER, AND ALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MASTERPIECE.

A wonderful book. Ed Gruver recaps this game with thirty years of perspective, and he does it right. It's well written, with comprehensive background information and game detail. The appendix has all the pertinent statistics you could want, including a play-by-play compilation.

Gruver is not biased toward the Packers. He pays richly deserved respect to the Cowboy players and coaches. The Cowboys were a "warm weather" team that might have been expected to fold their tent when faced with the severe cold, but, like the Packers, they gave everything they had on that day.

I don't see much to criticize in this book. Maybe Phil Bengtson's family would like to have seen his name spelled correctly. I'd prefer to see more discussion of the historical significance of the game, but Gruver probably thinks of himself as a reporter and not as a historian.

Not being bound by such modesty, I'll do it for him.

The greatest games in modern NFL history are:

(5) 1998 Bronco-Packer Super Bowl. (4) 1982 49er-Cowboy NFC Title Game. (3) 1969 Jet-Colt Super Bowl. (2) 1958 Giant-Colt NFL Title Game. (1) The Ice Bowl.

An epic game should have three qualities: it should effectively decide a championship, it should be historically significant (usually by signifying a changing of the guard or a change in the way the game is played), and the game action should be unforgettable. The Ice Bowl combines these qualities better than any other game.

It marked an end to the dominance of the "old" NFL and provided a glimpse of the complex offensive and defensive schemes to come. It matched two of the five greatest coaches in NFL history. No game was more dramatic; the cold weather and frozen field gave it a sense of primeval struggle. I feel that the title "Greatest Game Ever" as applied to the '58 Championship Game has been inflated by the well-known power of eastern media. The Ice Bowl deserves that title.