The book is good, but the price is not. As a student, and a ministry student at that, I am very poor, and that won't likely change.
To the author:
Know your audience well enough to adapt to these sorts of difficulties!
To Amazon:
Great work! Thanks to you I have enough money left over this semester to eat!

This is really not a review but a request. I am the Dean of the Theology Faculty of Caribbean Union College, Box 175, Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies. A friend shared a copy of Practical Psychology for Pastors with me and after browsing through the book, I find it to be a potentially excellent tool for the scores of ministers in training on our campus. Could you please send me a complementary copy? This may become our text for a long time to come if we could successfully enter into some negotiations. Thank you.

Sincerely

Fitzroy Maitland (Ed.D)

This book I consider as one of thee premium books in its genre. The authors alleviates the difficulties of everyday problems and more that pastors face when counseling. I'm no pastor, nevertheless I regard it as a handy help for any Christians in the field of counseling or rehabilitation treatment. Buy it! God Bless.

"Too Hot to Handle" is the story of Jenny Eastman and Jared Cates. In the past, Jenny's life had taken a turn for the worse, but now seems to be shaping up. Now even more so because of her involvement with Jared.

Although Jared has been termed "a dog" where women are concerned, now Jared truly has feelings for Jenny and would like to change and become the top dog in Jenny's life.

At first Jenny is skeptical of Jared, who once was involved with women who are now Jenny's friends. Can Jenny's feelings for Jared overcome her doubts brought on by her friends' accusations?

"Too Hot to Handle" is a passionate book. It's not only about Jenny and Jared, but also about Jared's old flames,who pick up their lives from the smothering ashes and move on to light other fires.

"Too Hot to Handle" is another great book by Ms. Jackson. I enjoyed the other stories about the Eastmans and the Cates who we met in one or more of Ms. Jackson's books "A Magical Moment," "Never Too Late for Love", and "The Look of Love."

THE CATES AND THE EASTMANS HAVE A LONG HISTORY FROM FAMILY ROOMATES TO THE MARRIAGE OF JASON AND TIFFANY.THEIR ADULT CHILDREN JENNY AND JARED ARE ATTRACTED TO EACH OTHER. THEY TRY TO STAY AWAY BECAUSE THEY ARE STEP-BROTHER AND SISTER. FATE STEPS IN WHEN THEY ARE AT THEIR PARENTS HOUSE ALONE. JARED IS HURT AND JENNY HAS TO TAKE CARE OF HIM. THIS LEADS TO A NIGHT OFWONDERFUL LOVE MAKING. JENNY WAITS FOR JARED TO CALL FOR DAYS AFTER. IN WALKS HER GIRL WHO HAS ALSO DATED JARED AND BEEN HURT BY HIM. ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF HIS EX-LADY FRIEND THEY FORM A GROUP CALLED SCORNED. JENNYS JOB IS TO MAKE JARED FALL IN LOVE WITH HER AND THEN DROP HIM IN FRONT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS. AS THEY WORK TOGETHER ON A PROJECT IT BECOMES HARDER FOR JENNY TO NOT CARE AND HARDER FOR JARED TO AVOID HIS TRUE FEELINGS FOR HER. THE HONEST WOMAN IN HER TELL HIM ABOUT SCORNED, HE IS UP SET THINKS SHE IS TRYING TO MAKE A FOOL OF HIM. THEY FIGHT AND AVOID EACH OTHER WHEN ALL IT TAKES IS COMMUNICATION. ONCE THEY DO THIS THEY UNDERSTAND REAL LOVE. AFTER A TWO YEAR ENGAGEMENT THEY GET MARRIED WITH THE BLESSINGS, LOVE, AND SUPPORT OF THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. JENNY KNOWS THAT SHE IS BLESSED.

Monica Jackson has out done herself with "Too Hot to Handle". This book diplays th excellent writing style of Monica that she uses to captivate the reader. From the beginning Monica took me on a roller coaster ride, before I got to the bottom, I was already on my way back to the top. When I thought I had enough, I had to read one more page and then another. With this book, I can see Monica's reputation as a romantic writer headed up there with the great ones. Not only does she use romance, but you can feel the psychological and social aspects of a young, black women struggling with relationships in modern world. Will she or will she not?
To describe Monica's writing in a few words, literary genius comes to mind.

Robert Remini completes his biography of Andrew Jackson in an excellent third volume. This biography is very well written and a pleasure to read. Remini is so well versed on his subject and really makes Jackson come to life as one of the major figures in U.S. History. This is as honest account of an individual that I have ever read and have come away with a new found respect for Andrew Jackson.
Remini does not shy away from Jacksons many faults nor does he make excuses for them and he also shows how tender and loyal Jackson can be to those that were family and friends. Remini makes the case that Jackson was the most influential person in shaping the Presidency and government to the modern democracy it is today and I am inclined to agree with him. Jackson had certain convictions on government and policy and would not bow under pressure and reshaped the role of the Presidency despite pressure from Congress. I would definitely recommend this biography to everyone interested in Andrew Jackson as well as those interest in the evolution of our government.

The final volume in Robert Remini's definitive biography of Andrew Jackson follows the life of the seventh president from the beginning of his second term through the end of his life. In it, we see many of the things that made Jackson one of our most important presidents despite his significant flaws.

Prior to Jackson's presidency, the executive office was much weaker. The designers of the Constitution, with their fears of strong central figures, had intended Congress to be the most powerful of the supposedly co-equal branches. Jackson, however, viewed himself as the sole representative of the people - the only person elected by a nation, not a region - and through various measures such as an expansion of the use of the veto, was able to shift the balance of power. Although the following presidents would be weaker, the presidency as an office had been redefined.

As the book begins, Jackson's second term was beginning and he needed to deal with South Carolina and the Nullification Crisis. Essentially successful with this problem, he also dealt with other issues, including his war with the Bank of the United States and bad relations with France. By many measures, his presidency was a success, but there were a number of negatives as well, in particular his treatment of Indians and his disregard of slavery issues. His appointment of Taney to Chief Justice would eventually lead to the Dred Scott decision. Remini finds more positives than negatives with Jackson, but he doesn't disregard the black marks.

Probably only Washington was as universally adored in his time as Jackson was, and unlike Washington, Jackson was a true man of the people, a populist who courteously met with rich and poor alike. Even after his retirement, his popularity guaranteed his continued political clout, and few Democrats defied his wishes while he was alive.

The three volumes in this biography are around 1300 pages (plus notes and indexes), but Remini is such a good writer that this is far from a burdensome read. There may be shorter biographies of Jackson, but there aren't better. Remini knows this era well (he also has written excellent biographies of Clay and Webster) and he brings it to life.

If you have read my reviews of the first two volumes in this biography you already know my opinion of Remini and of his subject. Suffice it to say that if you are serious about learning about American history these volumes are for you. Not only are they an excellent introduction to many of the political and social issues of the era but they also allow the reader to wrestle with our national proclivity toward uncritical hero worship. Our past leaders were every bit as complex, as flawed and as human as our current crop .... What follows is a small portion of what I have learned from Remini's hard and honest labors.
Jackson's accomplishments were extraordinary by any standards and some of them are quite ironic. He very much believed in states rights yet he probably did more to strengthen and expand the executive part of the federal government than any President until Franklin Roosevelt. Consider the following (all discussed in Remini's volume):
1.He was the first President to use the pocket veto. He was the first to use the veto power for nonconstitutional reasons. We are so used to our Presidents using the veto because of policy disagreements with legislation that we forget how much of a shift this was in the balance of power as envisioned by the original generation.
2.He reformed every department of the federal government and greatly expanded the bureaucracy as a result. He eliminated much of the graft that was rampant at the time and (at least, gave the impression of) greatly democratizing the civil service by making it more of a meritocracy. All this inevitably led to more people working for the government. A lot more people.
3.Jackson changed the relationship of the various Cabinet members to the President. He was the first to fire a Cabinet member because of a disagreement over policy. Up until then Cabinet officers and ambassadors, because their appointments had to be approved by the Senate, were regarded as being accountable more to Congress than to the President.
This is only a partial list of the ways that Jackson's Presidency changed the stature of the Executive branch of the government.
Jackson's ideology (as I see it) comes from him trying to work out the tensions between his state's rights philosophy with his military experience, which taught him the necessity of a clear uncontested chain of command with his love of and trust in the people. I will comment on only one portion of that dynamic. Like so many of our leaders, the tensions in Jackson's ideology led him into conspiracy theories. He believed in and trusted the American people to always make the right decisions (the ones he would have made) and almost always credited any electoral reverses to cabals acting to befuddle and delude the populace.
As a result, he became one of ablest early advocates of putting a good spin on the issues. Early on in his first term he helped to establish a newspaper that served as the official organ of the administration. Altogether, Jackson was a fascinating and maddening character.
I find myself greatly in the debt of Remini. Jackson has always repulsed me by his blatant racism and his paternalism. Remini has humanized Jackson quite a bit for me. I am more appreciative of Jackson's great accomplishments and I have learned quite a bit of the politics of the time. I will be reading Remini's book on Van Buren next along with Seller's biography of Polk. One of the ways that I evaluate the work of a historian is by how much they increase my interest in further reading on their subject and on the period in question. By this standard, Remini belongs to my first rank of American historians.

When i was a baby my mom use to read this to me its about a elephant who trys to get rid of his bags and sags

This is a cute and fun story about a little elephant that doesn't quite fit in with his environment and tries to follow the not so sure advice of a parrot. It's fun to read with some good alliteration and rhyme. I have read it many times to my little daughter (currently 6 ½ months) and while it isn't quite as engaging as the Tawny Scrawny Lion, it's still a strong recommendation. Don't even give the age categories a second thought, this book should be read to and in the hands of babies and toddlers too.

When I first met my wife she had this book (Saggy Baggy Elephant) and what made it unusual was the books actual size was about an inch and a half to two inches square. Just as a joke one night I asked her to read me the story of Sookie the Saggy Baggy Elephant in which she did. I fell in love with that book for sentimental reasons but the more it was read to me I realized its message is so good for children. I highly recommend this for anybody with small children. We lost that little book and this was back before computers were so popular that when I went looking to replace it I had a very hard time finding it in print. After a long exhaustive search I found a printing company that had a couple of copies and I think after paying about 40 to 50 bucks to get that book I wrapped it up and gave it to my wife for Christmas. The tears in her eyes when she saw that book again told me that she loved the story of Sookie the Saggy Baggy Elephant as much as I did. A gift I know she will never ever forget getting. A great book.

I was dissappointed in this story.Dave the monkey man seemed to be part Archie McNally and some of Carl Hiassen's characters.The heroine,Anabelle Hardy-Maratos,could have been much more interesting. She is a little stiff and apparently confused.Is she a business executive or a femme fatale. She wears a backless dress to a business meeting?Dave wears womens shoes, which everyone knows are more uncomfortable then mens shoes.The opening line was great,But the story became confusing and boring.The person who kills the scientist is not much of a mystery, and the psychopath remains at large.I would hope that the characters become more realistic,fun, and caring as the series continues.A good beginning,average middle, and strange ending with many loose ends.

Several good scary episodes but I found I was skipping and browsing. The point of view jumped around. Too many eccentrics - not someone I could identify with. If you're comparing to Carl Hiaasen (but why?} he brings in eccentrics but can build a plot around a believable everyday motivation like a child custody battle. Humor not up to Elmore Leonard or Evanovich standards. Dialog sometimes corny and stiff "Yes, Dr Beckwith, if you don't tell us the extent of this catastophe there's no way we can be effective..."

"The Alligator's Farewell" (Dell Pub Co; ISBN: 0440226600) by Hialeah Jackson is the debut paperback in an exciting new South Florida series. The author's gift for painting a portrait of that region, ranging from the eerie glow of a nuclear pool to the hyper-hued buildings of bayfront Miami's corporate district, features an ever changing kaleidoscope of backdrops to compliment the elegantly eclectic protagonists who speed this tale through the mind's eye.

At once suspenseful and poetic, who better to guide us through the aspects of high-tech murder in as-yet-conquered landscapes, than two lead characters who evolve an ever-deepening reliance upon each other in order to transcend their respective limitations in life. The mystique of Annabelle and her mercurial sidekick Dave is as much fun to read and contemplate as is the murder mystery itself. The first chapter delivers the most suspenseful beginning to any book I've ever read; and Jackson's snappy dialogue keeps the story at a perfect pace throughout.

A writer who can create unconventional characters and place them in the often bizarre circumstance of South Florida's skyscrapers-to-sawgrass settings, without allowing the palette to be tainted by cartoonish contrivance along the way, deserves much credit and respect. (And, let's face it, it's easier to spell Hialeah Jackson than Carl Hiaasen!)

Hialeah Jackson has new things to say to us, and she's doing that very thing in memorable ways. Her foray into the freshly coined "swamp noire" subgenre is lush in its landscapes, rich in its characterizations, and clever by design. I found myself breathless at much of the action -- and sometimes the inaction -- within the pages of this book.

This reader is staying tuned for many more adventures to come from the charmingly offbeat "pen" of Hialeah Jackson.

A very interesting overview of how the Higgins family of boats (WW2 landing craft, PT boats,cargo ships)evolved to such a prominent role in WW2. Great overview of production challenges, wartime politics, war procurement, and certain national leaders during that era. The description of FDR being driven through the huge boat factory in a convertible is neat.

This is somewhat of a "dry" read- lots of names, acronyms, etc.- but the story itself and the pictures are well worth the effort.

It is easy to see why Marine Corps Lt. Gen. "Howlin' Mad" Smith and Andrew Higgins were great friends. Both were dynamic men of genius who suffered the bungling of lesser men, often times, the same group of bunglers. But neither man would suffer in silence. Smith, along with other farsighted Marines, understood quite early the nature of the coming war in the Pacific. It would be a bloody contest of island hopping across the Pacific to the very shores of the Japanese home islands. The taking of those islands would necessarily require the landing of assault troops on defended beaches and the United States lacked proper amphibious craft for the task. There was a critical lack of troop transports, cargo transports and a satisfactory landing craft to bring both ashore had yet to be designed.

From the bayous and backwater swamps of Louisiana, boat builder and designer Andrew Higgins produced a boat far superior to other designs, the now famous Higgins Boat. Incredibly, the Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair (BCR), as early as 1934, preferred to ignore this boat. Even more incredible, in sixty-one hours he designed and built a tank lighter which far exceeded the design produced by the Bureau of Ships. Both craft were largely ignored in spite of their superior performance in multiple government tests. But the men who would use these craft first, the service men who formulated the "Tentative Landing Operations Manual" in 1934 became Higgins strongest allies and chief among them was H. M. Smith. The Marines saw the worth of the boats he designed and fought for them. They fought for the best landing craft which would carry their Marines ashore under enemy fire. But the battle against the Bureau of Ships would not be won until after widespread pettiness and favoritism was exposed by Higgins before the Truman Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program in 1942. One man, Andrew Higgins, took on the Washington and military bureaucrats, the leaders of the eastern shipping industry and won. In short order, he took on a vicious labor racket, profiteering from the war by so-called "labor suppliers". He beat them too.

Remarkably, in September of 1943 the American navy totaled 14,072 vessels. Of these, 12,964 or 92% were designed by Higgins industry. Higgins designed and built high-speed PT boats, antisubmarine boats, dispatch boats, freight supply boats and specialized patrol craft. He produced several types of landing craft, including the famous Higgins boat (LCVPs) and the tank lighter (LCMs).

Of Higgins, General Eisenhower stated in 1964, "He is the man who won the war for us."

Strahan has penned a fine tribute to a truly remarkable man. Strahan's strength, like his mentor, Steve Ambrose, is his prodigious research skills. One wonders what he would have produced had he stayed in history in stead of venturing off to run Lucky Dogs in New Orleans.

This is a study in how to test ideas with practice and in leadership. The primary lessons for me in Strahan's book are how Higgins did this and became so effective, and his limitations. This book provides the unvarnished facts on both. Higgins' many boats were much better than his competitors, for three reasons: he tested his ideas, he inspired loyalty that got the job done objectively, and he was a very good listener. 1. He tested his designs repeatedly. He began building them commercially as work boats. His famous landing craft of WW II, were based first on what he learned in the business building shallow draft boats to retrieve farm equipment marooned by floods of the Mississippi River and the Ohio river. When he got a Dutch contract to build 20 boats, instead of setting up a production line to make them all the same, he made them one at a time and varied the design to see what he could learn. His next boats, for the Army Corps of Engineers, had deficiencies discovered in the bow construction by one of his sons, of being damaged by floating logs. His further boats, for fur trappers in the shallow waters of S Louisiana, also needed stronger bows. A faster and more maneuverable design was needed by people importing liquor during Prohibition, to outrun Coast Guard ships. Build it, test it, make the next one better.

2. He inspired loyalty of the kind that got the job done objectively. To see what objective means, see (1) above on testing results, and (3) on listening.

3. Higgins was a very good listener. He listened to his craftsmen. He listened to foremen. He listened to marine boat designers, including people who used small boats in wartime. The people he listened to, often continued to work for him for many years. He understood boats really well, and he understood people.

One of the strong points of Strahan's book is to describe Higgins' real deficiencies as an administrator by quoting newly hired people such as his public relations agent. He kept far too much power in the hands of the same small coterie, and the loss of any of them was a serious blow to his operations. Any leader can tell you that he looks at his or her own strengths and weaknesses, and finds solutions, but few actually do that. I met few who actually did. Reading this book is a cautionary tale of one bankruptcy after another, for a company whose work was essential to winning the war both in Europe and in the Pacific.

For anyone ever buffaloed in a meeting with people who are really hostile, and who have to make a presentation with a few people who will listen, mixed with a lot of people who want you to go away, Higgins' description of his meeting with Admiral Robinson on August 28, 1941 is of an extraordinary event. Surely Higgins' description is one-sided, but his shock tactics, built on the demonstrated successes of his boats, depict a meeting that seems unique. An unusual man. No college education. Understood his craft very well. Built more boats than any other company in WW II. People who like an inbred organization were likely hate him. Lit crit analysts might despise him. Michelangelo, and Ghiberti of the bronze doors, and others like them who knew how to make meaningful things by working with their hands and thinking it through, would have admired him and argued with him.

Thirty years ago Robert Paxton publishes his classic book on Vichy France which demonstrated both the vigor the Petain/Laval regime sought collaboration as well as the political failure and moral horror of their policies. At the same time Paxton also demonstrated both the widespread support Petain could count on, at least at the beginning, as well as the fact that the regime was not consistently reactionary but also had modernizing elements which the Fourth and Fifth Republics would build upon. Now Julian Jackson has provided his account of the dark years. What has he done to modify Paxton's account?

Like Jackson's two previous books on 1930s France, The Dark Years is based largely on secondary literature and memoir literature. Notwithstanding that Jackson's account is unusually thorough. He starts off with a discussion of the interwar years, which looks over such ingredients of Vichy as pacifism, the German threat, Action Francaise, the shock of the first world war and the Depression. He then discusses the Vichy regime, then goes on to discuss popular opinion about the occupation. There is then a large section on the Resistance, followed by one on the Liberation and the postwar Remembrance of the Occupation.

Ever since Paxton's book appeared people have commented on how the French have been unwilling to confront the shame of Vichy. Jackson's response to this is a breath of fresh air: "The problem with such comments is not only the unwarranted condescension which underlies them--the assumption that `we', the British, would have faced up to things much better in similar circumstances--but also the fact that they are so patently false....Far from being years which French historians avoid, the Vichy period is probably at present the most intensively researched in French history..."

Jackson also points out that the historiography of Vichy was not subsumed in euphemistic darkness before Paxton came along. More important is the emphasis on a fact that Paxton did not sufficiently emphasize. The Germans were never popular under the occupation. The Germans' own reports on public opinion were consistently pessimistic. As one German professor noted in June 1941 "The French rejoice at the fact that British planes are attacking their cities..." The National Revolution under Vichy has some support, and there were powerful quasi-fascist movements in France before the war began, but its popularity too was limited. Petain, by contrast, was popular, at the beginning, though often this was because many people incorrectly believed he was a double game against the Germans (he was not). The fact that Petain did not have a reputation as a Monarchist led many people to believe he was more liberal than he actually was. The remarkable crowds which greated him a few months before liberation were, as Jackson points out, less an endorsement of him than an opportunity to show French flags after their banning under the occupation. At the same time plans for a more modern and planned economy, greater emphasis on physical education and contempt for the defeated Third Republic would continue into the post-war years. (Similarly, Jackson is also good at how the invaluable contribution made to the Resistance by immigrants to France was ignored and downplayed in the following years.)

Jackson is good at pointing out the nuances of the occupation. He properly emphasizes the wide support many ordinary French men and women gave to persecuted Jews that was crucial to their high survival rate. He also refutes the Vichyist argument that their "interference" accounted for the lower rate of Frenchmen involuntarily drafted to labour in Germany. To the extent this was true, it was because of widespread resistance to the considerable efforts Vichy made to enforce German wishes. Jackson is also good on specific individuals. Henry de Montherlant's reaction to the occupation looks much less pleasant in retrospect. By contrast Lucien Febvre's continued publication of Annales looks more principled than has been given credit for, while Paul Claudel's praise of Petain should not lead one to ignore the fact that he was pro-British and against collaboration from the very beginning. Jackson is also good on the resistance. While the Allies would have liberated France without them, they made it considerable easier and they would have done more if the Allies had given them more arms. Although the Resistance's relations with the populace were strained, "the peasantry's attitude toward the Maquis was one of solidarity tempered by prudence, respect tempered by apprehension. Whether one stresses the prudence or the solidarity, there is no dobut that the Maquis could not have survived without the peasantry." If it is true that the number of resisters increased dramatically at the time immediately before liberation, this was also the time when they faced the greatest physical danger. Perhaps the greatest virtue of Jackson's book is that it shows why glib sneers about French "cowardice" are no longer acceptable.

Buy this book - truly outstanding. I look forward to the other parts in Jackson's three-part series, "France: The Dark Years: before 1940" and "France: The Dark Years: after 1944". I gather there is a special book being brought out called "France: The Very Dark and Frankly Bloody Annoying Months, October 2002 - March 2003"

Julian Jackson's history is the most distinguished account I've read on France during the period from 1940 through 1944. He makes an excellent case noting how the Vichy Regime was indeed part of a longstanding political tradition in France which went as far back as the Ancien Regime; he makes a similar observation of the Resistance, noting how its political philosophy could be traced directly back to the French Revolution. Jackson clearly notes the intense dislike - if not outright hatred - of many French towards their German occupiers, noting that such sentiments may have played a decisive part in ensuring the survival of more French Jews than their counterparts in other Nazi-occupied countries. Much to my surprise, he clearly demonstrates how support for the Vichy Regime came not only from a staunchly conservative elements - but also liberal, and indeed socialist elements - within French society. He also succeeds in noting how figures such as French resistance leader Jean Moulin and future French president Francois Mitterand underwent transformations - some major, but also minor - in their politics, eventually shifting their support from the Vichy regime to DeGaulle's Free French movement. Despite Vichy's reputation for cultural as well as political repression, Jackson shows that cultural activities ranging from the fine arts through film not only survived, but also flourished, at least during the early history of the Vichy Regime.

This book is something of my bible. It's clearly written, has excellent illustrations and, above all, treats the reader with respect and intelligence. I've used this book successfully with doing large electrical projects, plumbing, sanding floors, laying out a brick garden path, and many many others. The detail provided in this book to guide you is both extensive and clear. An excellent choice that will serve you well for years to come.

I bought this book for its section on electrical wiring. I had a problem with a couple of outlets at my house, and looked at several books that dealt specifically on home electrical wiring (ie Ortho, Black & Decker, Time-life and Better Homes) Pop Mech's "Home-How-To" book in my opinion far exceeded all other books on electrical wiring. This book went into more wiring configurations than the other books and explained them in simple step by step instructions with color diagrams to help. This book also explained alot about the different circuits (120v,240v,small appliance, lighting and individual) that are in your house and required by the NEC. There is even a small section on the process of getting a permit for adding extra circuits to your house. If your completely new to electricity the first few pages in the elecrtical section explains what amps, volts, and watts mean and even how to read your electric meter. So if you are new to home wiring and just want to know how to replace a switch or outlet then this book is for you, but if you are more knowleged and want to add a indoor or outdoor circuit line with a seperate circuit breaker in your main elec box, then this book is also for you. On a last note, I must again state that I am only rating and giving a 5 star rating on its electrical section, I have not had the chance or need to read into the other chapters.

This is the only home repair book I've seen that doesn't treat the reader like an idiot. By assuming that the reader already knows how to use a hammer, the editors are able to devote far more attention to actual home repair projects. For example, this volume devotes about 8 pages to plaster repair - a critical task for anyone maintaining an older home, yet one ignored by every other comparable book on the market. This book fills a needed gap between beginner do-it-yourself volumes and advanced instruction for the professional tradesperson.

Mnay biographies focus on human interest rather than factual information. This is not one of those. This book is meticulously researched and presents all the facts Mr. Gropman came across. The reader can make his or her own conclusion based on the facts the author presents, but the facts will probably lead the reader to conclude that Joe Jackson was not involved in the Black Sox scandal that nearly ruined baseball.

Mr. Gropman clearly demonstrates what many authors are unable to do: the ability to present an opinion based on fact, rather than speculation. I was impressed with this book because it provided me with much information on Joe Jackson's life, particularly on whether he was or wasn't involved in the scandal. The facts lead to the conclusion, not the other way around, and I like that. Baseball fans interested in the history of the game should read this book. They will enjoy it.

I loved this book! Joe Jackson should be in the hall of fame! After reading this book and all the insights to his life, I have become a huge fan of Shoeless Joe. This book will tell you all about his involment with the "Black Sox". Like how he tried to tell Comiskey about the scandle before the 1919 series. And, how he also tried to give the money to Comiskey before the news hit the papers. If you want to know about one of the best players you need to read this book. By the way it was a life time band from baseball....his life ended in December 1951.

The book sheds tremendous light on shoeless joe jackson and his era. the book gives deeper insight into the black sox scandal of 1919.Jack M. Purvin,M.D.

The Arena was built in 1929 for dairy cows, and it was in that building that the first power play in the history of the NHL happened in 1934.My grandmother could tell you about my cousin,Larry Finch, who played against mighty UCLA in 1973,for Memphis State. It was also where Penny Hardaway hit one of the most dramatic shots in Memphis State history in 1992. I cried when the place was imploded, because my friend , Kevin Holowchik, is a Blues fan and he was born there in St.Louis. You can tear the building down,but you cannot tear down the memories.

This book is a great coffee table item...I have been a Blues fan since 1986, that's right, the Monday Night Miracle. I loved the building. I played an inline hockey game with friends before a Vipers game as a promotion for the rink we played at locally. Just being behind the scenes in a "locker room" was amazing. I received this book for Christmas and read it before noon Christmas Day. I found the pictures and stories great, but it certainly lacked real information. I was very interested in the design of the building, the architechure, and stories about the tunnels and hidden walkways that this book hints at, but never dives into telling you. How about a volume two???

In the 1940s I can recall walking from our house on Cates, down DeBaliviere, through Forest Park and seeing that magnificant structure, The Arena. It featured a sign, "The Arena - Where the Big Events are held" along with the BAA Basketball sign for the Bombers and the AHL sign for the Flyers. Patti Smith Jackson's book, resplendith with photographs, allows those affectionados of this marvelous structure to keep memories such as this by putting her work in your hands whilst the building itself is now gone. Being over 65 I would have enjoyed more information about the earlier tennents of the building such as the Flyers of the American Hockey Association from 1928 to 1942 and then in the American Hockey League from 1944 to 1953. I can remember Neil Norman announcing the last period of the games starting at 9:45 PM on WIL in the 40s and Harry Caray doing same in the 50s. I would have liked more info on Tom Pack's wrestling matches at the Arena. I would have liked more information on the Bombers basketball team that started in the Basketball Association of America in 1946 and were one of the teams in the first season of the National Basketball Association in the 1949-50 season before folding. What I found missing in the Arena book was any mention of the Wirtz's moving some of the Chicago Blackhawks games to the Arena in 1953/54 to test the St. Louis market. It allowed a lot of us to see the greats, Gordie Howe, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, terrible Ted Lindsay. Also they had little coverage about the Bombers BAA/NBA team. Attendance was so bad that last season and I remember going to basketball doubleheaders with my Dad in the 49-50 season where he paid $1.25 for general admission and I got a ticket for a penny (on penny nights). Also after the Bombers folded after their first season, 49-50, the New York Knickerbockers wanted ex-St. Louis University star Easy Ed Macauley so badly that they offered to purchase the entire Bombers team but the NBA put the nix to that and Easy Ed went to the Boston Celtics instead. Harry broadcast the last half of the Bombers games on WIL also. But then it is really interesting how the folks responsible for the Big Events kept it all together with scotch tape and glue. This book is a MUST for anyone who loved the Arena and certainly will help the memories live on!