Do we always choose people that remind us of our parents? An interesting look a marriage & friendship. And how the past does not have to dictate our present.

Although a little lengthy, 'Chesapeake Song', is an excellent, honest story of love, heritage, and marriage. It depicts how your upbringing and adolescent environment capitulate many aspects of your adult life. This story will tug on your heart, and make you think. Read this book on a sunny day, at the park, under a tree, with a cool glass of lemonade.

On the surface, Tamra and Charles Lane seem to be living the American lifestyle. They were childhood sweethearts in Maryland and in spite of different dreams for their future, are happily married. Yet after thirteen years of wedlock and having children, Tamra leaves her spouse, not an easy decision since she still loves him.

Tamra looks to her heritage to help her finalize her decision. She turns to her own mother Virginia who left her own spouse, a school administrator. Tamra also looks back at the family powerhouse her grandmother who kept everyone together while the world collapsed around their family. Still, Tamra needs to learn what she can from her immediate female antecedents while Charles struggles with why since he feels he has given her everything she wants.

CHESAPEAKE SONG is a well-written character study that centers on how the lessons of childhood impact the adult as family patterns and histories repeat itself in each generation. The story line employs flashbacks to provide insight into the relationship between Tamra's parents and the influence of her grandmother as well as how Tamra and Charles have reached a critical fork in the road. Though not paramount to the main theme, but an added bonus, the audience observes African-American relationships over the last four decades. Readers who want action need to go elsewhere, but anyone interested in family dynamics will enjoy the insightful debut of Brenda Lane Richardson.

Harriet Klausner

This great little book is far more than promised by the title -- although I must admit that I grabbed it because of the title, so I can hardly fault them for picking something dinosaur oriented.

Yes, we get a history of the scientific controversies leading to the widespread acceptance of a meteorite/comet strike as the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs. But there's more: the book reviews the evidence for associations between bolide strikes and all of the major mass extinctions in earth history. In prose that's clear, but not dry, Frankel reveals what we know -- and don't know -- about these events. Good illustrations and intelligent speculation round out a first-rate and quite up-to-date overview of a rapidly developing field.

One subtext of Frankel's work is how scientist adapt (and in some cases don't adapt) to new evidence. For example, the Siberian Tunguska explosion of 1908 is now widely acknowledged to have been a strike from a comet fragment, but only 20 or so years ago you could read about it primarily in UFO magazines and "mysteries of the unexplained" books. Because science lacked an explanation for it, the explosion was largely ignored.

I second the recommendation of "The Eternal Frontier."

Well, not exactly. But if you were fascinated as I was by End of the Dinosaurs, you will want to read Tim Flannery's Eternal Frontier next.

The End of the Dinosaurs: Chicxulub Crater and Mass Extinctions written by Charles Frankel is an account of the hunt for, finding, and the theory and controversy assoicited with the great mass extinction that rocked the Earth 65 million years ago.

This book encompasses some great detective work and recounts the birth of the cosmic hypothesis that the effects of a giant impact created on the eart's biosphere led to the exticntion of one very successful life forms on earth... dinosauria.

The descriptions of the crater geology is in terms that the layperson can understand and comprehend. This is ment to pique your interest into Earth sciences and there is and index and bibliography for further study if warrented.

What I found to be the greatest asset in reading this book is the detective work involve in finding the impact area on earth that coinsided with the correct time frame to prove that the impact of an extraterresstial source was one of the contributing factors that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

There are photos within this book that show impacts throughout the earth, but the only one that can be linked to 65 millions years ago is Chicxulub in the Northern edge of the Yucatan in Mexico. It amazes me how the geologists work and came up with this site. Iridium was only one of the clues that the geologists used to track down the date of tthe impact, but closer to the impact site there were other telltale signs.

Around the Gulf of Mexico, unusual outcrops are found at the K-T boundary. K-T stands for Late Cretaceous-Tertiary begining. In El Penon, Mexico, a thick sandstone unit is interpreted to be a catastrophic tsunami deposit, laid down by the impact. Where it is capped by a fine clay displaying a wavy pattern, thought to mark the oscilation of the current as the tsunami wave sloshed back and forth across the continental platform. When you take a cross-section of the clay you can really see the the ripple marks, making testament to the current switching directions.

From Mexico, to Haiti and around the Gulf of Mexico you see this clay layer and sandstone around the K-T boundary denoting an impact, but what really piqued my interest here was the fine of the ejecta known as spherules and tektites. Tektites are spashes of the impact melt that take on aerodynamic shapes as they spin through the Earth's atmosphere.

On a different note... why are comet more dangerous to Earth than asteroid... because of the sublimation of the ices heated by sunlight. The jets of gas act as reactors and constantly modify the comet's trajectory. Thus, making comets less predictable than asteroids.

This book takes the reader on a journey into Earth Science and shows us what can happen... fascinating what asteroids, meteorites, bolides and comets can do to the rich complexity of the biosphere, not only then, but today as well.

I am sad to say that this book made no sense to me. I hope that the plot isn't time sensitive because at this reading, I am totally in the dark. But maybe that was the author's intention.

This wonderful book is perfect for spring when the birds and bees make this city so much more wonderful and magical! The bus stops in the city are especially nice!

The great thing about this book, which is nice to have, is that even without reading it, you already have everything you need. There's tons to find out about dates and times and places. Enjoy!

In addition to telling you where facilities, anchorages, and other interesting local points of interest are, he supplies invaluable lessons only learned in the school of hard knocks. Valuable mariner lessons were included on weather prediction, inlet navigation, and other techniques tailored to use in the Chesapeake bay. The book was very well done, and I hope to set off on a cruise in the very near future.

This is a very comprehensive and informative book for anyone interested in finding those hidden away spots in the coves. the author has obviously been in every nook and cranny and has done a fine job of accomplishing what he has set out to do in authoring this book. The maps contained within should be used as a general reference only, as they do not provide the detail needed to navigate adequately. This is not a pictoral book and, as a result, has very few pictures.

If you cruise the Chesapeake, you must have this book. I have read non better.

When I read the plot of this story, I bought it instantly. As I started the story, it was humorous and entertaining while being honest. I was interested in the characters and why they got into the lifestyle that they got into. For the first time, I wasn't aggravated by an author from my hometown who talked about the settings (preferably because he spoke of them from an older period so I couldn't say "I already knew that").
But when one of them went to jail, the story got a little mundane. I have heard time & time again what happens in jail and it was just like "Okay and?" Then when he got out of jail, then the story just grew boring. The author is great at setting the tone and organization of the plot. But one thing that really took me out of the story was the fact that he waited SO LONG into the book to start describing J.C.'s physical traits. The dry lips & wet eyes are important to know at the beginning. It gives me a mental picture of the characters and I can begin to judge how they will be through the story. The way the characters were described so much later in the story sounded more like an afterthought.
As for the plot, started off great and then it just sounded like something I've read (or seen) so many times before. I tried hard but I was not impressed. I'm sorry.

While reading this book I kept thinking I know J.C. and Mookie the names are diffrent but the they are the same guys I know in this day and time from around the way.

While reading this book I grew up with J.C. and Mookie, meaning that I felt it when they were kids, and then they became teenagers, and then men. I was with J.C. while he did his bid in prison, I was Mora hanging with Mookie all those years.

The scene in Prison was rough and real I cried for J.C. There were some serious comments about God and Jesus,(I didn't think anybody else thought like that)

I also was reminded of Sheakspere's Othello, because of all the manipulation going. I hated how we were/are made to do each other in, and the cycle continues.

I didn't give the brother five stars only because some parts were kind of hard to follow however, this is the brother's first effort and it was worthy.

I was blown away by Ojikutu's gritty, urban novel. This book is definitely not for the timid and prudish. He tells a fascinating tale of inner-city gangster life set on the South side of Chicago. Ojikutu does such a fine job developing thoughtful, three- dimensional characters that seem to jump right off the page. Being a Chicagoan, I feel compelled to drive down to 47th Street in search of Ojikutu's mystical character, Black. I can not wait until this book gets picked up by a major movie studio; this has Hollywood blockbuster hit written all over it! I just hope that Robert DeNiro and Mekhi Pfifer will be available!

I read about this book in an amazon customer review that was attached to another book, so I got this. Mistake! Iwas hoping to get some ideas and inspiration, but all I found here was a lineup of depressing little homes. And mostly in beiges and brown. I couldn't wait to escape from the pages of this book. Also, the book's title suggests that this will be about cottages, in general, but it's about San Francisco area cottages.If you want cottage-style decorating, this is not the book for you. It won't help you much if you want to build a new cottage either. it's more like a little term paper on one region's homes.

I liked the book. Its not a builder's treatise nor a decorator's reference, but it contains elements of both, with a little landscape design thrown in for good measure. Its an abbreviated look at the essence of cottage living, what makes the cottage lifestyle unique and (for some) worthwhile. And it's illustrated with a cross-section of styles from the San Francisco Bay area, from Maybeck to Modern, Victorian to Houseboat.

I find the photos relaxing, informative, and inspiring. The text is thought-provoking without being pseudo-intellectual, enthusiastic without being preachy. The book seeks to examine the pro's and con's of cottage living in less than 1000 sq. ft., and to portray the beauty in these San Francisco gems.

The book, like the cottage lifestyle it espouses, is neither large nor showy, but will be appreciated by those who would trade size and complexity for style with an open air of honest simplicity, who prefer herb tea over canned soda pop, who understand the essence of the artist's dictum "less is more".

I am a native San Franciscan living in a middle-of-the-block cottage in what the author calls "that quirky San Francisco tradition of a back yard house." With the assistance of Sally B. Woodbridge's excellent historical introduction, Richard Sexton describes our San Francisco Bay Area cottages perfectly. The superb photographs complement quotes from some of the owners regarding what they think about their cottages: "Living in a cottage is somewhat like living on a ship. One learns to be very selective about possessions. The trade-off is the uniqueness of the living experience." And "Finding your cottage is like Goldilocks finding the chair that is just right. It wraps around you in cozy fashion and all seems right with the world." I've given copies of this book to friends who live elsewhere because it captures not only the joy of living in one of these cottages but helps all of us, no matter where we live, gain a better sense of home.

the book Bay of Pigs Declassifieied is very good it don't have quit all the facts in that it don't say one word about the small unit of guerrillas that I was in charge of we worked behind the lines to clear and hold a landing spot for troops that never came. the hole unite was captured and all but my self was killed including my interpter a young Cuban girl code name Louise she died so bravely she saved many lives by not telling where some of them were. I have tried to find some of her family and friends. but being short on money and not realy knowing where to look makes it all most imposable. she also saved my life and I would like to see her name in some of the books about the BAY OF PIGS INVASION

A fascinating post-mortem on the Bay of Pigs operation and all the more so because it was done internally by the CIA Inspector General. Suppressed for three decades because of its remarkably blunt honesty this book will have you shaking your head. A perfect example of why the 'best and the brightest' are not always so. I found it enlightening and humorous at the same time. Not one of the best run CIA operations by any means.

this is my second report on the book bay of pigs declassified as I don't think my first was quite fair I found fault in that he didn't say any thing about my unit of 45 people I think we were the only ones know one knew about. every one else had been given away. but that didn't help we were caught and killed any how all but myself that is. to get back to mister Peter Kornbluh's book it was a very fine piece of work and he must have done much work to get so much info and to get it right. thanks for the chance to tell what I think about this very good book.

This second in the Barrett Raines series doesn't at all keep the promise of the first, A Rock and a Hard Place. There are so many things that go wrong with this book that it's difficult to know where to begin. However, first and foremost, Bear's opening state of deterioration at the beginning of Dead Man's Bay is pinned on his new job which mandates separation from his wife and sons. There's no mention at all of what should be a pivotal, essential point: the fate of his brother and Barrett's role in it. Instead, we have what was a proud, duty-driven man in the first book portrayed as a morning beer-guzzler, bemoaning the loss of his wife with almost no mention of his sons. He's a screw-up on the job with his French-Canadian partner, Cricket. Meanwhile, his wife has, in fairy-tale fashion, taken over the establishment owned by the murder victim in Rock and a Hard Place and has, seemingly effortlessly, made it a huge success.

So, along comes a case and a chance for Bear to redeem himself. From the outset, he deviates beyond the established character. All he sees, everywhere, are women with long, long legs; and all the women blush. He has little to no concept of sexual fidelity to the wife he is supposed to adore. He is a pawn in the classic "look behind you" mode of silly sleuthing, doing things no one with a shred of intelligence would do--like pursuing a suspect by boat in near-hurricane conditions.

Aside from the quantum holes in the plot there are weirdnesses in the editing that defy all the rules of grammar. Constantly, throughout both this book and the previous one, verb phrases that have nothing to do with speech are used. For example: "Of course not," he smiled pleasantly. Smiling has never been a form of speech, nor are other examples like, "Shee-it," Shark paused at the register; or, "Passed your truck," the tall man shrugged.

There are also just plain mistakes. Mirella Freni is not an American opera singer; she's Italian, born and bred in Milan. Then he has Esther, an Irish-born character speaking on one page in truly archaic fashion: "Ah. Aye," she said, to classic redneck on another page: "You don't know... from Shinola!" This latter expression is archaic in its own right, given that a woman of Esther's age being Irish-born and youngish wouldn't be aware of something that was common parlance in N. America in the 40s. Esther speaks of &quout;gutting" someone on one page, and on the next refers to British pounds as "quid." At one point in the narrative, Barrett considers that Esther has lost her chutzpah. ??? How on earth did that Yiddishism get planted into the mind of a southern-born Black man?

In the end, the peculiar editing, the insertion of odd, literary adjectives, the eroded version of Barrett Raines, and a plot that's just not particularly compelling make for a disappointing book. I will, however, read Strawman's Hammock now, to see if Mr. Wimberley manages to get back on track.

This, the second book about Barret "Bear" Raines from author Darryl Wimberley, follows the African-American detective after the events of his first novel, "A Rock And A Hard Place." Bear's life has not improved since his patron's murder and his discovery of her murderer. He had been promoted to the Florida Bureau of Investigation, but the demands of the job had led to his beloved Laura Anne and sons leaving the capital for home. He and his partner get a case that no one thinks can be solved as a way for him to be eased out of his job. Almost as soon as he gets to Dead Man's Bay, he finds himself having to battle untrusting locals and his own demons, with no clear path to follow. This book did not have quite the story of the first book, but I must admit that the ending got my attention, and I found myself having to reread the narrative to discover clues I hadn't noticed. The villian is painted a little broadly, but I enjoyed the ride. Enjoy.

It is truly great that Darryl Wimberley is able to follow up his first fiction, "A Rock and A Hard Place," with such a super second book featuring Detective Barrett Raines. Wimberley's ability to make you feel the places he describes, see the characters, and live the lives inside his mysteries is a gift that I'm glad he's sharing with his readers. Only half a star off because he failed to carry on the story of his orphaned niece and nephew from "A Rock." Otherwise, Dead Man's Bay is well worth the time and money. ...

Die-hard Packer fans who followed the team through the 70s and 80s (when the Packers were so routinely awful that only the most fanatical of fans could follow them) will probably enjoy this book. Young fans, unless they're Packer history scholars, won't recognize most of the players in the book.

The book confirmed for me how ineptly the Packers were run in the 1970s and 1980s after enjoying so much glory during the Lombardi years. Being a publically owned team, the board of directors took back for themselves the power that they had ceded to Lombardi and since they were guaranteed sell-outs at home regardless of how bad the team was and they were guaranteed profits due to revenue-sharing, they had little incentive to field a decent team.

So years were wasted while the Packers struggled under Packer hero Bart Starr who had almost zero coaching experience, only to see Bart get fired just as he was finally becoming a decent coach. Forrest Gregg is brought in and the destruction of the team is completed. Big surprise that the Packers in the 1990s didn't start turning around until the inept directors finally started giving real authority to football professionals like Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren.

The book itself is just where-are-they-now stories but they do provide a realistic look at pro football. Dan Devine, the coach before Starr, takes a beating in the book by many of his former players as does Gregg. The person I felt most sorry for in the book was John Brockington. Brockington was the first RB to gain 1000 yds each of his first three seasons and was All-Pro. Most people considered him the best RB in the game at that time after OJ Simpson. Then, inexplicably, Brockington's production fell off to almost nothing and the team dumped him. "Downfield!" describes how the Packer executives decided to put Brock in his place, so to speak, and how there was practically a concerted effort by management and the coaching staff to ruin Brockington's career. Outside of Packer fans, almost no one even knows about John Brockington now and the man, had he been treated right, probably would've gone to the Hall of Fame. Brock, if you're reading this, you deserved much better! If "Downfield!" does anything else, it exonerates John Brockington for his fans. Be sure to read QB Jim Del Gaizo's scathing comments on Dan Devine, too.

So that's what happened to Chester Marcol. And that's John Brockington's view on why his career never really took off. And can someone as famous as Willie Wood really have turned his back on football altogether? For those who remember the Packers as either part of the Lombardi legacy or enduring an almost unbroken 30-year string of under-achievement after his departure, Polling's interviews with players from that era (which pretty much make up the book) can't help but be interesting. Obviously some stories are more interesting than others, and there are some curious omissions (the fate of the late Travis Williams is surely worth revealing - and what, no Donny Anderson or Jim Grabowski?). My only real criticism, though, concerns Polling's writing style; presumably a newspaper journalist by trade, his chapters are devoid of any style, often simple recitations of facts combined with quotes from the ex-players. The whole thing has the feel of a small-town newspaper article. I would have preferred Polling interject a bit more of his own self into the book. That said, all but the most narrow-minded Packer fans should find it an interesting stroll down memory lane.

this isnt much of "untold stories" , but more of "where are they now" it has little information about their packer days , and alot mnore on what theyre doing now , and how they hated forrest gregg , nearly everyone in the book mentions forrest gregg as a bad coach . the stories itself are at times , quiet boring . when i purchased this book , i expected a short autobiography of former players , but it turned out different . overall , its a good book , but alittle boring . i recommend this book to packer fans , not people who never heard of the players , becuase they wont understand it . 4/5 overall

I don't know what that guy from Nashville was talking about. This book was enthralling, enchanting, and empowering. As a member of 'Hindus for a Browner Jesus', I found this book as good as the first. My only disappointment (which is why is gave it 4 stars) is that it still didn't mention Jesus' lone Hindu apostle Ravi. Buy this book and make sure your friends read it too.

If you love to have a beautiful copy of the Bible in your bookshelf, this is a must. KJV Bible with many illuminations from the medieval era. The illuminations are mostly same as printed in Turner's large, expensive edition of the NRSV published in 1995: but mostly the illumations are much bigger and the book is much much inexpensive! One thing I feel pity is that this Bible does not contain the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books, which were published in the original KJV.
I enjoy reading the poetic, though out-dated, translation with so many beautiful illuminations!

I loved this book. It's very unconventional. It pushes the envelope of standardized writing to the n'th degree. Very gritty in an authentic kind of way. I like the disjointed and jumpy transfer from chapter to chapter. Or should I say books? I love that! It reminds me of something that Quinten Tarentino would do in a major motion picture. I could even see David Lynch doing an updated version in present day LA or Nevada. The Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John books remind me of what he did in his film Mulholland Drive. I was digging the first book and then suddenly I was hit by an alternate reality in the next. But here's where it went two steps more than Lynch....Four versions of the same story! It totally blew me away. I wish I had more time. I could go on and on about how much I love this book. The one downside was that it could have had a little more spice to it. You know a little more romance maybe some. Maybe a steamy love scene. But that's just me.