A fascinating account of telephone competition in the early 1900s, when the competing telephone systems did not connect. Mueller's analysis of the experience of a fragmented telecommunications infrastructure--and the decision to put an end to it in the name of "universal service"--has important implications for Internet and telecom development today. John Crook

This is a new, updated version of the book originally published by Eerdmans in 1996 (which is out of print) and now available from FaithWalk Publishing. An incredible amount of research went into this book. In easy to understand language it provides reasons for the decline in the mainline church and then gives several ways that a local church or even a denomination can address the issues causing the decline. Not only does this book deal with today's challenges, it also gives an historical context on what led to the problems in the first place. A good place to start when looking for ways to grow the church. Fascinating reading for pastors and lay people alike.

After deciding to go into the Observational Astronomy hobby, I have been denying experts' advise for months. Although being almost a rookie, "start with a pair of binoculars", "plan your session ahead" and so on seemed trivial to me. This book helps the reader to solve which is probably the very first lesson to begin with: "learn the sky". In addition to that, it is dedicated to the Southern Hemisphere, trascendental for those who live "below" the equator. "A walk through the Southern Sky" easily and friendly explains how to reach minor constellations starting at the major ones. From Orion and Canis Major, precise highways are traced to reach Canis Minor, Cancer, Lepus and so on. From Crux and Centauri, to Vela and so on. I had started with a friend's computerized scope, and always thought that "starhopping" would be imposible for me under light-polluted skies. Probably one of the major goals of the authors is having proved me wrong. Again, if I could, anybody can!

Wetland Birds is a fascinating book for birders and anyone interested in wetland wildlife biology. By examining relationships between birds and their habitats, Weller helps to explain why wetland birds look and behave the way they do. Weller's book uses research examples from all over the world to provide a global perspective on both the biological diversity and conservation needs of wetland birds. I highly recommend this book as an entertaining read, and also as a comprehensive reference.

I picked up this volume at a thrift store. The topic sounded interesting--why something is funny.

What I found even more interesting was the historical perspective. The book was published in 1939. The commentary and examples used by the author really point up the cultural changes we have experienced as a nation since that time.

Racist humor? You'll find pointers on using it more effectively! The role of women? If you don't remember how it used to be, this volume will make it clear!

The book also quotes many popular humorists of the time, from radio comedians to New Yorker writers, with off-hand references to some of the up-and-comers of the time, like Mickey Mouse.

It's a real blast from the past!

As someone who knows Marvin, this has been the hardest thing for him to go through. He is the sweetest and kindest man you will ever meet. This story just proves that bad things do happen to good people. Only a parent can truly understand what its like to lose your child. This book will help those who don't to understand what its like.

My favorite Christmas gift -- the cover is Red, the stock feels great to the touch, and there's plenty of white space. It's a book and an exhibition in one. It's filled with people who love their work. Work, Life, Tools qualifies as great design. (Hats off Milton Glaser, and to Steelecase for being enlightened enough to fund the exhibition.) This book cum exhibition guide ranks high on the visual, aesthetic and conceptual pleasure scale. My favorite aspect: the way the bios portray the multiple talents and the "I don't just do one thing" truth about their subjects. It's filled with lots of practical ah-has. You get to peek into people's work spaces. It represents a fascinating spectrum of thinking about work. And, it's amazing to me how loyal people are to their fountain pens (as one who's committed to Deluxe Uni-balls.) I loved it!

This book is a delight. Great for anyone who loves English literature. Possibly the greatest man ever to write in English; rivalled only by Shakespeare. I'm not much of a fan of poetry, but this takes my breath away. Only quibble: for a text this wonderful and timeless, I would have expected a better presentation. The paperback of this book has a cheap binding, and is printed on what feels like pulp paper.

I have read many books on ADHD and this is the best one I have found. It contains "the basics" plus more detailed information about why ADHD kids do the annoying things they do! For example, I get very frustrated when my son misbehaves but demonstrates afterward that he knew how he SHOULD have acted. This book explains why. The book also contains sample behavior charts, medication effectiveness questionnaires, etc. I have already given a copy to my son's school principal (there is a special section in it for teachers) and am now ordering one for myself.

Truely one of the most successful books of the kind, the strucure is well designed, the operations included cover a eide range of procedures, and most noticeble is the very high quality of the explanatory figures, sometimes by just brawsing through them you get 80% of what to do... the text is well written and concise. You will find many approaches for each operation. of course it will be impossible to gather all the surgical craft in one book. but this one succeeds in collecting a large chunk of it. i highly recommend it for all juniors and postgrads alike.