It's pretty good if you would like to solve a mystery, and at the same time learn. It does need something more, besides Abby's pet pumpkin...just a little something more twistier!

This book is so good. Kristy,Mary Anne, Stacey,Mallory and Abby are going to Salem or a school trip. They don't expect to be involved in one of the most thrilling mysteries ever. Find out what I mean by reading it!

This book is an excelent example of Ann Martin's writing abilities. The plot catches your attention right away, and you feel as if you're there. You begin to sympathize with the so-called sixth grader "witch" and sit on on the edge of your seat because of Abby's bad luck. While reading, the author unearths suspects whom may have stolen the Witche's Eye, but there's no way to tell intill the end because of the plot's interesting aspects on the suspects. All fans of Ann Martin should definately read this fantastic view of the mystery in Salem. And if you've never read a book by Ann Martin, this is definately a great place to start!!!

This other book goes into this crime further and the association with the Manson Family. I remember reading this book a few years ago and it sent chills up my spine...why? well, because I used to date Bill Mentzer (the "hit man" profiled in this book. It's truly amazing that he could have actually been the person that I read about and I was, well, shocked to say the least. I thought he made all of his money being a body guard for the rich and famous and had no idea that the trips he took me on were his alibi's...scary stuff when I look back. I also learned from the book that he was cheating on me with Lannie what's her name. Well, at least it had a good ending and he ended up in prison where he 'ought to be after he got his 7 minutes of fame featured on "America's Most Wanted. I stopped taking his collect calls and letters since I saw the show and read the book.

Chilling true life crime. Good portayal of the subjects

Oh wow!!!! Just when you think you've read everything about very bad people, along comes this gem. The cast of characters in this book makes Caligula look like Mother Teresa. A real page-turner about the murder of an aspiring producer, Roy Radin, in the 1980s. Steve Wick is a reader's writer: he keeps the pace moving weaving the details into a very rich tapestry. I didn't want the book to end. NB--Because this book is out-of-print, run, don't walk, to the public library and check out a copy. It's worth your time and effort.

Being a Hood (and a student of Dr. Foys), I found this CD to be extremely informational and easy to use for background information regarding assignments. Pop the CD and you're on your way towards a whole bank of knowledge.

This CD proves to be handy to the novice who wishes to know more about the Bayeux Tapestry or the time period, to professors and students alike. One piece of advice: TAKE IT SLOW--regardless of your level of knowledge. This CD is filled with information, as well as detailed maps, photographs and clips.

I recommend this CD to all people alike interested in this particular field.

This amazing CD offers not only incredible visual detail of the tapestry, but also a treasure of historical, literary and topographical information related to the battle. A panoramic photograph of the battle site and an interactive map are just two examples of the many wonderful features of this CD. Anyone interested in the Middle Ages, the tapestry, the battle, or the era of the Norman Conquest must own this invaluable resource. (I have very little savvy when it comes to computers; but I had no trouble at all running this on Windows--very user friendly.)

This CD-ROM edition of the Bayeux Tapestry is a great program for students, teachers or people just interested in learning about this famous piece of history. An amazing amount of detail is included, from a basic introduction, to scholarly arguments about how to interpret a single inscription or figure in the border. The videos and colour maps are helpful, as is the ability to search through the entire program by keyword. As a Mac user, I was also grateful to find that it runs on both PCs and Macs.

How do we, as people who love practical and fun cookbooks, go about getting the first Hodgman cookbook, "Beat This!" back into print? It is a must for cooks who are serious about good food but not into creating new religions around spices and cuisines. "Beat That" is a continuation of the fun -- and Hodgman is the best of all possible cookbook writers, one who doesn't take herself seriously ALL the time. Actually, I want to BE Ann Hodgman.

What a shame Ann Hodgman's first cookbook, Beat This, is now out of print. Coupled with its newer sister, the duo would have made the perfect bridal shower gift for a dear friend. The recipies are great, and often feature unusual twists on old favorites, that really do make the recipies unbeatable. Equally as important, they do not involve esoteric ingredients, over complicated or fussy cooking techniques. Just plain good eating without unnecessary fuss.

I have about a million cookbooks. Most of them sit forlornly on the shelf, like last year's Tickle Me Elmo, as they see "Beat That" (and its predecessor, "Beat This) used time and time again. Every time I see either of these cookbooks in a store, I buy it, knowing that I'm going to find someone to give it to - and that that person will subsequently be indebted to me forever for introducing them to such completely, wonderfully swoon-able food. YOU MUST BUY THIS COOKBOOK

Actually I have had this book for sometime but thought I would add my two cents worth.
Great book with excellent photos. There is not alot out there on military cycling and this is becoming a classic on the subject.
Strongly recommended!

The previous reviewer is correct about this book---I suggest comparing how foreign armies used bikes successfully along with LTC John Lock's "To Fight with Intrepidty" history of the U.S. Army Rangers.

Its too bad we don't have yet an updated version of this book in light of the technological advances in mountain bikes which could yield even greater military utility for units that have to be Air-deployed into battle who must be frugal in their weight/volume loading decisions.

What most people do not realize is that the reality of war is not the same as you read in the history books. A lot of things take place that go unheralded, one of these remarkable things is the use of bicycles by infantry troops to get around the battlefield. This is THE seminal book on the subject that brings home the beginnings of military bicycle use in the Boer War, culminating in entire German infantry battalions on bicycles sweeping across Russia in WWI; a stunning victory forgotten by our pre-occupation with the deadlock in the trenches. Or Lettow-Vorbeck's success in Africa. Even there, bikes were used to seize bridges with the speed and silence that go hand in hand with bikes.

Later Caidin and co-author Jay Barbree outline how in WWII bikes were the secret weapon that the Japanese used to over-run Malaya, Singapore infiltrating through the jungles and British linear defenses. The Germans used bicycle troops or Radfahrtruppes across Europe to act as a mobile reserve and spearhead force. The Finnish Jaegers used bikes to defeat the Red Army. Again, because these were sometimes our "enemies", we have failed to date to capitalize on the bike for today's light infantry and special operations choosing instead to foot slog at less than 1 mph.

As stunning historians, the writers describe the amazing British Commando bike raid on Bruneval radar station that success hinged on being 8 miles away and infiltrating by bike to surprise the German guards. After WWII, its the Viet Minh learning from the Japanese to use bikes as supply tools to lay siege to the French at Dien Bien Phu. After this victory, they use bikes against us to move supplies down the Ho Chi Minh trail that we are unable to stop by air strikes.

The sum total of this work is that there is no reason why we do not capitalize on bicycle mobility to achieve the same effects the enemy has used against us. The Swiss and several other countries use bikes today to move 100 miles a day or 10-25 miles in under an hour...while we ! foot slog and demand motor vehicles deliver us directly on top of the targets, a predictable tactic that gets men killed.

In a way this book is a secret weapon to silence the critics and propel us to move faster with stealth along the battlefield. I highly recommend it and hope it is put back in print updated by advocates like myself and my associates who have actually aidropped folding Mountain Bikes for the U.S. military today.

This is a book whose time has come. It should be on the required reading list of every freedom defending Army.

Airborne!!

Mike Sparks
1st Tactical Studies Group (A)

If you're looking for an intriguing, informative, and overall enjoyable reference work on both noir fiction and film, look no further. The Big Book of Noir, co-edited by Lee Server and Ed Gorman, is chock full of terrific pieces on great directors and writers including Cornell Woolrich, A.I. Bezzerides (writer of the classics Kiss Me Deadly, On Dangerous Ground, and Thieves' Highway), Harry Whittington, Peter Rabe, Fritz Lang, Leigh Brackett, Gil Brewer, Mickey Spillane, and many more.

One of the best things about the book is that several of the above-mentioned pieces are actually interviews; Lang and Bezzerides fall into this category, as do Daniel Mainwaring (writer of Out of the Past), Abraham Polonsky (writer of Force of Evil), Peter Rabe, Charles Willeford, and Donald Westlake.

Several of the non-interview pieces are written by some of the best known writers in suspense fiction around including Stephen King (on Jim Thompson), William Nolan, Ed Gorman, Barry Malzberg, Bill Pronzini, and Max Allan Collins. Other pieces are firsthand accounts--by Leigh Brackett and Malvin Wald (writer of Naked City).

There's an interesting checklist of 100 favorite noir films (including a few by Jean-Pierre Melville, one of the all-time great French directors--a powerful inspiration for Tarantino), another checklist of 100 noir novels, and even a section on noir comics!

The Radio and TV section goes into Peter Gunn, of course, but also mentions the lesser-known (and by all accounts, far more interesting) Johnny Staccato which starred John Cassevetes who was infinitely edgier than Craig Stevens' Gunn character.

These guys have done their homework and more, and it definitely shows. It's a shame this book is out of print; it's terrific!

A wonderful collection featuring some of the world's best noir scholars and historians. There's a wealth of information between these covers, but the book is worth its weight in platinum for the magnificent, definative essay on Gil Brewer written by Bill Pronzini.

As the lowly web guy behind The Thrilling Detective Web Site, I'm always looking for good reference books, and this one's a keeper! It collects some of the very best articles, essays and critiques in one handy volume, covering everything from film and fiction to radio, television and comics. Passionate, diverse, opinionated, cranky, illuminating and enlightening, it's like a Greatest Hits of Noir Criticism.

My son is 21 months and he also loved the easy rhymes and fun words in this book. It's good for many giggles. I read it out loud to him 100 times and we both enjoy it.

However, the binding on this particular paperback fell apart within two days. Our day care has a copy that is from a different publisher (perhaps a previous edition) and it hasn't fallen apart. I was very disappointed because a book for toddlers needs to have some strength. A board book would be excellent.

This book is a book that will make the whole family laugh histerically! My husband is not a book reader and HE read the book outloud and we laughed and laughed. We read the book 10 times before we got to our destination and we laughed with tears streaming down our faces! The illustrations and how you read the book also make the book a hoot! I want more books like this one!

This is a simple, no-frills book, but is great for reading aloud to pre-schoolers. The active dialogue between the frog and the various animals, is ideal for young children, with their typically short-attention spans. The book also introduces rather unusual animals to children, such as the possum and the emu. In short, a hilarious book, with an interesting twist at the end, and great value for money.

A fabulous book for beginning birders, Birdscaping your Garden acts as an all-purpose guide to identification, habitat, and feeding habits. Identification is aided by a short description as well as a black and white sketch and a full-color photo. Each two-page spread discusses one bird with details including migration and winter range, breeding range and behavior, nesting, and a short list of plants to use for bird food.
The feeding guide is garden and plant focused (rather than the typical hanging birdfeeder type focus) with the idea of using native plantings to attract and feed birds. Purchased seed options are rarely mentioned.
As organized and helpful as the individual page layouts are, the overall organization of the book is lacking. The reader is forced to browse through all 64 birds in the directory section to find what is being sought since the birds are not listed in any particular order. The book's lack of regional focus is also limiting and reduces the number of relevant entries to about 30 if you live in New Jersey, for example.
The final section of the book is a plant directory which is organized alphabetically by scientific name. The section includes photos and general cultural guidelines for plants that will shelter and feed the birds previously discussed. A list of "Birds Attracted" within the individual plant descriptions is a nice cross-reference with the bird directory section.
The dichotomy of the book should not put you off - it is clearly written and useful despite its overall lack of organization. There is no doubt it is valuable for creating a native, bird-friendly garden.

I first found this book at our local library and when I went to photocopy "a few pages" I realized I was about the copy the whole book so I decided to just buy the book for myself. It's terrific! It goes through all sorts of species of bushes and trees, indicates what type of wildlife is attracted to it, how they use it, etc. It has good pictures too. A real must have for the backyard gardener who wants to have some wildlife in their life. Highly highly recommended

Want to "reform" your backyard? This book is a great place to start. A wonderful primer on birds and plants, this book is also a solid reference book. I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in, or is serious about, creating a great place for the birds and the bees to hang out.

Martin Lindstrom does a great job letting the reader know that the root of success when communicating with kids is understanding kids, their lives, dreams and hopes. He not only analyzes data from 7 countries, but includes his own experiences with working with kids and with kids related brands. He is able to get his point across without being boring, looking at the subject form different angles.
I also checked out the MartinLindstrom.com site. I think it is a great site, with tons of brand info related to kids and general brand trends. Well done!

This book is the secret weapon for anyone who markets to kids or wants to. Lindstrom manages to make the subject entertaining and engaging while teaching you a pile of indispensible techniques to capture a kid's heart.

Not only does the book teach you how to market products better, it gets you thinking different. Suddenly, you're developing products and strategies with kids in mind, and you understand why certain products are big hits with kids.

Another funny thing about this book...it helps you to understand kids better. For readers with their own kids, this could be the greates value of all.

This is purely and simply and excellent book that manages to explain a difficult and topical subject by usind simple and effective use of examples and facinating data from the global BrandChild study. Everyone looking to market not only to kids but almost to anything must read this as it will rationalise the arguments against traditional marketing and promotion.

This work is a splendid example of the new emphasis of the publisher on producing comprehensive works in a handy cheap format compared with the earlier broad brush treatments which covered too much in too little detail.
The new emphasis is on sets covering various national armed forces in as much detail as is available, consistent with the current purpose of the works in the series, which have evolved from an original emphasis on serving the military miniature maker market into works intended to enlighten the general reader in enough detail to satisfy the merely curious and to point the way to further reading.
Most of us, including myself, have little need for, or the patience to read, voluminous studies, often in foreign languages, covering many eras and nations. My main interest is in the US forces, their allies and their enemies in the twentieth century.
That said, these works should be purchased as presented, in sets within the series. Since they are produced as a set, the volumes cover only relevent parts of the general history and the clothing and individual equipment is covered as it appears in each period. The French Army, US Army, British Army, and Italian Army series all have three volumes, covering the major theatres and time periods of the war. The German set has five.
This should be read along with the volumes on Battle Dress and British Infantry Equipments in this series.
If you want an introduction to the fascinating variety of clothing and equipment of the forces covered, this set is for you.

This work is a splendid example of the new emphasis of the publisher on producing comprehensive works in a handy cheap format compared with the earlier broad brush treatments which covered too much in too little detail.
The new emphasis is on sets covering various national armed forces in as much detail as is available, consistent with the current purpose of the works in the series, which have evolved from an original emphasis on serving the military miniature maker market into works intended to enlighten the general reader in enough detail to satisfy the merely curious and to point the way to further reading.
Most of us, including myself, have little need for, or the patience to read, voluminous studies, often in foreign languages, covering many eras and nations. My main interest is in the US forces, their allies and their enemies in the twentieth century.
That said, these works should be purchased as presented, in sets within the series. Since they are produced as a set, the volumes cover only relevent parts of the general history and the clothing and individual equipment is covered as it appears in each period. The French Army, US Army, British Army, and Italian Army series all have three volumes, covering the major theatres and time periods of the war. The German set has five.
The British Army set should be read in conjunction with Mike Chappell's work on British Infantry equipment and the volume on Battle Dress.
If you want an introduction to the fascinating variety of clothing and equipment of the forces covered, this set is for you.

This work is a splendid example of the new emphasis of the publisher on producing comprehensive works in a handy cheap format compared with the earlier broad brush treatments which covered too much in too little detail.
The new emphasis is on sets covering various national armed forces in as much detail as is available, consistent with the current purpose of the works in the series, which have evolved from an original emphasis on serving the military miniature maker market into works intended to enlighten the general reader in enough detail to satisfy the merely curious and to point the way to further reading.
Most of us, including myself, have little need for, or the patience to read, voluminous studies, often in foreign languages, covering many eras and nations. My main interest is in the US forces, their allies and their enemies in the twentieth century.
That said, these works should be purchased as presented, in sets within the series. Since they are produced as a set, the volumes cover only relevent parts of the general history and the clothing and individual equipment is covered as it appears in each period. The French Army, US Army, British Army, and Italian Army series all have three volumes, covering the major theatres and time periods of the war. The German set has five.
The German Army set should be read in conjunction with many other individual volumes covering their allies and opponents and the other German fighting forces such as the Waffen SS, and the Parachute units, which were part of the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe.
If you want an introduction to the fascinating variety of clothing and equipment of the forces covered, this set is for you.