This book is great. The stories behind each magnificent animal makes you feel like you were there on the hunt. Very insightful info on the Big Bucks that have been made famous. I am looking forward to the second book Legendary Whitetails II. You won't be disappointed with this one. My hat is off to Dick Idol!!!

If you are a deer hunter-buy this book! The short stories about the 40 greatest deer of all time and photos of these beasts are enough to make the heart of the most seasoned deer hunter thump with buck fever. Since my purchase of this book, I have bought three others for my three lucky hunting buddies. What a book!

Reading this book was enlightening. I came away with the realization that what happened to these people can happen to anyone. Most of the people in the book were ordinary people that just went out hunting. Some were "trophy Hunters" but many were just subsistence meat hunters that were out looking for food to feed their families. Many of them would typically have been happier shooting a nice young fork horn or a doe.

Anyone that is a Whitetail deer hunter would enjoy this book thoroughly. I could not put it down once I started reading it. I can't wait for volume two.

This is a wonderful book. I read Gilbert Morris' series 'Cheney Duvuall M.D.' and decided to give this one a try and I'm glad I did. Gilbert Morris has wonderful way of spinning plots so that sometimes you never know what's going to happen. This is only the first book in the series I suggest the rest of the books in the series as well.

Josh Spencer leaves Williamsburg after the birth of his son Jacob and the death of his wife Faith to find himself in the Appalachian Mountains. For the short time he is there alone, tragedy strikes and a Cherokee chief, Sequatchie, finds him and brings him some hope.

After Elizabeth and Patrick MacNeal were married they stayed with Elizabeth's parents, William and Anne Martin, in Boston. They had two children, Andrew who will be thirteen and Sarah who will be ten. Patrick MacNeal's dream was to own a house and have his own land for his family, his dream hasn't been able to come true yet. Then a conspiracy is put into action to take over Martin Shipping Company, which results in a broken engagement for William Martin Jr. After the conspiracy Elizabeth and Patrick decide to follow Patrick's dream by going over the Appalachian Mountains and get their own land.

They sail to Virginia and join a wagon train heading west. The leaders of the wagon train end up being Josh Spencer now called Hawk and Sequatchie. Hawk's long time friend Paul Anderson heads over the mountains with him to preach to the Cherokee. The journey is packed with broken wagon wheels, horrible storms, flooded creeks, and last but not least a renegade Indian attack. The Indian attack has some casualties, which result in broken families.

The Frontier brought them together but will God keep them apart?

This was an excellent book. You can't wait to find out what happens to all the characters. Hawk spends a good share of his life hating God because his wife died. Its sad to see someone go through life like that. The story shows how he overcomes that along with how the other characters face their problems. This book teaches valuable life lessons. Well written, great story.

I am certainly not anyone to give a book review. I am only a reader, not a writer. But the style of these two writers is exactly what I have been looking for. I have read the first two books in the series of 'Spirit of Appalachia' and I'm looking forward to the third.

The story was so captivating to me, I couldn't stand to put it down! I am sure the writers had as much fun writing these as I had reading them!

The descriptions of places and characters puts a vivid picture in one's mind, so the reader feels as though he is actually standing in the place that is being described and with the character being described. Each character has a unique personality, so the reader can decide what kind of person he is reading about immediately.

Upon completion of the first book, I began reading the second one almost immediatly. I am anxious to find out what Hawk's son is going to do now! God bless you! Keep up the good work!

I was so amazed to read how the Holy Spirit could work and be manifested in and through young Samuel Morris' life. The same Holy Spirit made me shed tears as I browsed through the pages. The life of Samuel Morris would be a great impact on every heart and without doubt on young people. Well written and easy to follow. Praise The Lord !

Samuel Morris : The Apostle of Simple Faith is simply written and convey the Christian faith to the reader. While reading this book, one feels living in Samuel Morris' era. The book makes you forget that this young African was living in the time when slavery was so deep in this country. Yet, Samuel Morris became the common denominator for both white and black people. His faith saved Taylor University. It is sad that he died so young and so full of promises. Jesus couldn't have a better disciple than this young man.

I was crying all the way through this book as GOD saved and walked with this man. Great book to pull your heart strings. Simple and easy to read.

No battle in the history of the United States and perhaps no battle in the history of the world is associated with more, "what ifs" than the battle of Gettysburg. A large percent of those, "what ifs" are associated with the struggle for the Round Tops on July 2nd. What if Longstreet had attacked earlier? What if Sickles had stayed where he was supposed to stay? What if Warren had arrived on Little Round Top a half-hour later? What if Benning Had not lost his bearing and had joined Law's attack on Little Round Top? What if Hood had been allowed to go around the Union left flank? Penny and Laine do mention these what ifs, but only on rare occasions do they attempt to speculate on what might have happened. Instead they deal in facts, or what DID happen.

This book must have taken years to research for they have dug deep into regimental histories and it would appear they have even researched the personal papers of any solider who's family still happens to have them around. By doing such exhaustive research the authors are able to provide us with personal glimpses of the men involved, things like what they did before the war and after the war. One soldier even credits berries in part for his recovery from diarrhea. You can't get much more personal than that.

In all honesty, this is not a book for the casual reader. I have spent many hours prowling around the battlefield at Gettysburg and on occasion I had trouble keeping up with what regiment was where. Taking that problem into account, the authors have included numerous maps showing the troop movements in great detail. The maps are a huge help. This book also does an excellent job of keeping things interesting, even while getting into a good deal of minutia.

This is an excellent book for anyone fascinated by those three July days in Pennsylvania. Anyone doing research on the battle needs a copy of this book. Penny and Laine allow us to follow Law's Brigade from Virginia to Gettysburg, and back again. I would love to have the time to run up to Gettysburg, climb up and sit on a big boulder at Devil's Den and read this book. While sitting there, able to look around me and see the places described, this book's vivid account of July 2nd, 1863 would almost transport me back in time and allow me to see it all for myself. Great Job!

Laine and Penny definately tell the full story of Law's Alabamians concentrated in Gettysburg. Their origination, marches from Virginia through Maryland and into Pennsylvania is covered well. As the story develops and the brigade reaches Gettysburg plenty of first hand accounts backed by short biographies add to the excellent coverage. These accounts and biographies are also carried throughout as individuals popular to certain action in the timeline come into the fold. Descriptive details of each regimental movement such as 44th and 48th Alabama being sent towards Devils Den and the struggle for Little Round Top carried by the 15th Alabama is quite interesting. The authors are careful in explanation as maps are used to back conflicting movements, orders and the general chaos throughout Plum Run and around the Round Tops. Union positions and personal accounts are also introduced during the various battles to benefit the reader as well. Interesting closure to the battle is offered as Law's Brigade battles Kilpatrick's Cavalry on Day #3 and on as the brigade retreats from Gettysburg. Not only was I surprised to read about retreat back to Virginia but I was also pleased to read about Law's skirmishes in protecting the Confederate retreat from Union Cavalry pursuits. An added bonus for the reader comes towards the end when certain individuals brought forth through the story have their outcomes mentioned. Some were captured, some died, some disappeared never to be found. This book is an excellent source for anyone interested in learning about Law's Alabama Brigade and their lives during May,June and July 1863.

Morris M. Penny and J. Gary Laine are to be complimented in high form in writing this book about the account of General Evander Law's Confederate Brigade during the Battle of Gettysburg. The authors certainly did their research of documenting where each regiment was right before, during, and after the battle, especially the vital 2nd day for the struggle of Little and Big Round Top. There has been little presented on the Confederate side of the struggle before this, due to the Confederate vetereans not having much resources and opportunity to document their side of the battle on the second day and the whole battle itself. However this is one of the best books written thus far that explains what happened during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd day. This book does describe the vital encounter between the 15th Alabama regiment headed by Col. William Oates and the 20th Maine headed by Col Joshua L. Chamberlain. It also describes the other regiments of Law's brigade, such as the Texas and Georgia regiments who's struggle for the Round Tops were just as violent and bloody. The book does a fair assessment of the tactics and viewpoint of Gen. Evander Law as well during the battle. This book makes a fine addition to any Civil War enthusiasts library, or for the casual reader who would like to read about the Battle Of Gettysburg. Highly Recommended!

This book is a welcome breath of fresh air in a world that seems to pretend that death never happens. It does, and this book reminds that denial will cheat us from what matters in life. My experience as a physician reminds me every day that death is an essential part of life. The book is filled with moving stories about people's confrontation with death and lessons to help us lead a richer life.

Virgina understands that remembering is part of healing.
I also use Write from Your Heart, A Healing Grief Journal in my classes. It is good to find books such as these.
For the children I teach I use After the Tears, A Gentle Guide to Help Children Understand Death.

I bought this book because I am starting to volunteer at a convalescent home. I recommend it for anyone who is going to comfort the terminally ill.

The book's true stories and descriptions of what extreme life-saving measures doctors often resort to, have made me want to have a very specific advanced medical directive. Artificial breathing / ventilation and feeding tubes are not for me!

I found this book says the things that I feel in my heart. I gave it to my daughter for Christmas and then ordered one for myself. Buy it, read it and give one to your child.

Each of the poems in this book express my thoughts, desires and hopes as a parent when my children were young and now that they are adults. It is an excellent collection of poems and a wonderful gift for your children. I would recommend that every parent read this book first and then give another copy to every one of your children. Keep your copy and re-read it often.

I am an English teacher and I have a great love of poetry. I was very moved by the collection of poems in this book. It brought tears to my eyes. It is a very appropriate book for anyone that has a child about to leave home for any reason. The poems say things we forget to say and things we have trouble putting into words. Since I have two sons I have to be careful how sentimental the book sounds, but I was very pleased with it.I recommend this book highly.

Its amazing how quickly we forget our leaders. After serving 31 years in Congress, running one of the most likeable Presidential campaigns in history, and nearly getting elected majority leader of the U.S. House of Represenatives, Democrat Morris Udall's political career was cruelly and tragically brought to a halt by Parkinson's disease. Once famed as perhaps the wittiest man in Congress (as well as one of the most effective), Udall died seven years after his retirement -- his sterling wit permanently silenced as the disease robbed him of his ability to speak. Most tragically, this man who -- with his brother Stewart -- co-founded both the current conservation movement and America's first Mormon political clan, died a forgotten figure, remembered only by a few political junkies like myself. Fortunately, however, Donald Carson and James Johnson have produced a wonderfully engaging biography of this man that gives us a warts-and-all portrait of a remarkable public servant. While giving ample reason why the man was so beloved, they also don't flinch from revealing why Morris Udall ultimately remained a mystery to even his own family. Unlike other political biographies, this book neither sets out to debunk or canonize Rep. Udall but instead stands as a sharp portrait of a complex man whose public service -- whether you agreed with his liberal politics or not (I certainly don't) -- made this country a better place.

Written in a breezy, conversational tone that still manages to maintain a proper biographical distance, Mo follows Udall from his strict Mormon childhood in Arizona to his first election to the U.S. House. While a great deal of the book focuses on Udall's legislative achievements -- Udall was an environmentalist before it become trendy -- the best of the early chapters deal with Udall as a liberal upstart setting out to reform the stodgy House. As Udall himself would often wryly point out, his political life was often a bizarre tragic comedy of second-place finishes that ultimately became victories for others. Both of Udall's insurgent campaigns for both Speaker and Majority Leader ended in failure but sparked the revolution that overthrew (however briefly) the Congressional seniority system. The book's highlight is the detailing of Udall's 1976 campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination where he managed to finish second in a record number of primaries without ever once finishing first. If Udall didn't set the electorate on fire, he did distinguish himself by revealing himself to be one of the most genuinely witty Presidential wanna-bes to ever pop up on a primary ballot (or, as one columnist put it, "Is Morris Udall to funny to be President?" That's the 70s talking. As of late, some genuine and intentional humor in American politics would be a bit of a relief, I'd think.) The campaign made Udall famous for his wit but as this biography reveals, that wit often concealed a rather distant temperment that so focused on work that even his own children grew up calling him "Mo." As a politician, Udall was that rare thing -- an honest and sincere compassionate liberal who actually saw big government as a way to help the downtrodden. Yet this same man who dedicated his life to helping strangers drove one wife to divorce and another to alcoholism and suicide. The dichotomy makes for a fascinating read and Carson and Johnson explore these issues without ever descending into lurid muckracking. The book concludes with a touching (and quite frankly heartbreaking) section dealing with Udall's final, brave, and tragic battle with Parkinson's Disease (which, as I read it, was also sadly reminicent of Ronald Reagan's -- another politician never given the respect that was his due -- current battle with Alzheimer's; another nefarious disease that, like Parkinson's, cruelly robs men and women of their dignity without reason or warning.)

Despite the fact that, politically, I'm probably about as far to the right as the late Congressman Morris Udall was to the left, I still find myself mourning the comically tragic failure of his 1976 campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination. As the election was the first post-Watergate election and the Republican Party was going through one of its periodic near-deaths, the election of a Democrat was pretty much assured. All Udall had to do was win the nomination and, for four years at least, a one-eyed, 6'5, former probasketball player and nonpracticing Mormon named Mo Udall would have been President. Of course, the nomination didn't go to Udall but instead went to the far less witty Jimmy Carter. Considering the way the world was in the late 70s, its doubtful Udall would have had any a better time of it than Carter but instead of hearing that America's problems were due to "malaise," a President Udall would at least find time to tell at least one corny, Ayatollah joke. And, even if the voters didn't realize it at the time, America would have been better off for that joke. Just as its now better off to have this book to remember Morris Udall by.

Every student of U.S. politics or Arizona history should read this book. Carson and Johnson thoroughly and brilliantly chronicle the life of a man who profoundly influenced the course of America in ways that politicians of greater renown never did. The authors reveal how Mo Udall could champion the most liberal causes and yet gain the respect of someone as conservative as Barry Goldwater. Read this book and you'll wonder what turns America might have taken had Udall fulfilled his dream of becoming president.

This meticulously researched and scholastically outstanding biography of Morris Udall follows his life and political times, focussing on his career, his 30-year congressional history, and his radical challenges to seniority systems. Recommended for anyone studying contemporary American politics in general and House/Senate politics in particular, Mo is a "must" for the legions of Mo Udall supporters and admirers.

By viewing soccer as a complete outsider Desmond Morris succeeds in a brilliant way in getting a total picture that's very valuable even for the professional. An amazing book, very funny too. I really can't understand it isn't available anymore. I read it in dutch and I would like to read it in the original English language.

Being a zoologist an ethologist and an englishman situates Dr Morris in a perfect position to explain why is soccer so popular and why it constitutes the principal chatting topic around the world.They should print it again. Its hard to find soccer books with this kind of approach to the subject..

This is the best book I have read about soccer. I am amazed that it is out of print. Author should update it without delay. With soccer being the world game, also emerging dramatically in USA and Australia sales of the book would skyrocket, especially if it is updated.Great pictures, great story.

A good definition for exactly what this book does. It breaks down every segment of the SQL Server security infrastructure in intricate detail so security professionals and DBAs alike can make the right decisions. The books is a good fit for anyone who must support multiple SQL Server versions (including SQL 6.5/7/2000 and CE) in almost every conceivable scenario including replicated deployments.

Noticably absent were any discussions of the security implications of MSDE or a detailed guide to setting up SSL on SQL Server. That said, the information in this book is absolutely vital to anyone who needs to get up to date on SQL Server security and doesn't have time to sort through Books Online, White Papers, and assorted websites on the subject.

I spent just under 2 years doing the research for this book. In terms of breadth of coverage, there is no better book on the market. Rather than searching Microsoft's mammoth site for articles and white papers, everything you need to understand SQL Server security from version 6.5 to 2000 is in one book.

This book also goes deeper than the basic introduction to the various security mechanisms. Many books will tell you what SQL Server offers, but very few provide detailed information on *how* and *why* it works the way it does. Each chapter provides insights into the inner workings of SQL Server's security architecture and provides practical advice on how to use that information to keep your systems safe.

There are some other books that focus on showing you "hackers' tricks" for attacking your database servers, but this book takes the premise that if you do things the right way from the beginning, no hacker is ever going to find a trick that works on your systems. As an example, this book recommended configuring firewalls to block the traffic used by the Spammer virus long before the virus became news. Those who read this book and followed its advice slept soundly the weekend that Spammer was taking the Internet down.

Since the future of Curlingstone is in doubt, support for the book has moved to www.,.,..com, and the author is not only committed to maintaining the current work but also planning to release an interim update in electronic format in the fall covering changes in SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 3 and any new discoveries found since December, 2002. The author also plans to release additional chapters on Yukon early next year for early adopters. This book is alive and will be updated periodically to keep its readers safe from the bad guys.

I've been working with SQL Server for 11 years and run SQL Server Central.

And I learned a bunch from this book. This is one of the best references on SQL Server Security that I have seen written and I recommend it highly to every SQL Server DBA.

The book is written to cover versions 6.5, 7.0, and 2000. And it does a great job with each. It starts by looking at the way that logins are authenticated by the server. Great detail is given, even to the point of examining network sniffer traces to show how the communication occurs between the client and server.

From there, the database security is examined with separate chapters for v6.5 and 7/2000 since they work differently. Not only is the process explained, but the author notes where there are bugs and unforseen consequences of assigning security in certain ways.

The early chapters provide insight into how security works in SQL Server. The later chapters build on this to give hints and suggestions for implementing security in your applications, DTS, replication, and even SQL Server CE.

Overall, this is a must read for SQL Server DBAs. Developers will benefit as well since a thorough understanding can solve a great many problems and prevent even more.

I like Homer, Herodutus, Thukidydes, Plutarch, Takitus, Gibbon, Mommsen and many other ancients and their (relatively) modern interpreters.

But my latest read, recommended by Moses Finlay in "Ancient Econonomy", is Vitruvius.

And I like Vitruvius a lot. The only reason I gave him 4 stars rather than 5, is that he is not the greatest, in the sense of the above-mentioned.

Nevertheless, as far as knowledge and insight into ancient life go, at a level one removed from the "greats", Vitruvius is the greatest I've so far encountered.

Not only does one gain a feeling for life among the educated and capable strivers of the time immediately following the Ceasarian revolution, but also for the immense impact which Greek brilliance had upon the Romans.

One also learns much about aesthetic theory and is given interesting and practical lessons in building and architecture, from the beginning and development of dwellings, the general learning required of architects, the particular characteristics of different types of stone and wood, the design of cities, the three orders of temple architecture (Doric, Ionian and Corinthian), dwelling houses, the sounding vessels in theatres (dolby surround as already implemented long before Christ) and ingenious machines, including such inventions as the screw-pump of Archimedes (the Syracusan Greek inventor).

Vitruvius gives us the general principles of ancient aesthetic theory, the exact proportions of traditional architectural conventions and the geometric rules for determining the directions of the eight known winds.

Like all elegantly entertaining classical writers, he intermingles everything with relevant anecdotes from, and references to, the great Greek philosophers, fine artists and fine artisans of the past who were the exemplary authorities of his (and later) time.

As the title betrays, Vitruvius' work is divided into ten books, each of which contains an extemely relevant and interesting general introduction, followed by several chapters on theory and application, including very practical examples of the construction, proportions and generally applied mechanical principles relevant to the specific subject matter of the particular book.

This work is better, broader and more intelligently written than all of the books I've read on building which I've acquired at second-hand bookshops in England, and which were written anywhere from the end of the last century (1890-1900!) through the 1950s. No wonder that this fellow's work remained definitive through to the renaissance (not the Carolingian, but that of the 14th-15th centuries), a duration of 1,500 years!

I imagine that most modern day architects, adding a litte modern statics, materials and building code knowledge, and assuming enough practical building experience, could do worse than to rely otherwise on Vitruvius.

Basic raw materials and basic building skills have been around for a long, long time. Common sense and wisdom, too.

Furthermore, for the interested classicist, even though not specifically interested in architecture or building, this book gives a really immediate feeling for the gigantic influence not only of Greek thought but also of Greek applied artistic and technical skills (geometry comes to life!), aesthetics and craft work on the (Western) Roman world.

Again, I can only say, a refreshing, entertaining and informative read by a practical yet educated man of ancient times. Obviously a bestseller through the ages and, indeed, timeless in its relevance and actuality.

Highly recommended also for beginners in the study of the ancient Greek language, because of its many Greek quotes (in Greek letters, no less)!

Altogether a highly readable, informative, insightful and educational book with a rarely found mix (in ancient literature) of both the "higher" things and the eminently practical.

I feel privileged to be a privy party to this great inheritance of ancient learning. And I thank the Internet and Amazon for enabling those of us who are interested in learning to have access to this great library with its wonderful database, which makes everything not only easy to find but also to possess (and to own).

The humanist's dream! Your own infinite library. Cyber-Gutenberg!

Vitruvius' contribution was not as Ciceronian literature, but as a hands-on, researched, handbook of practical architecture. The explanations are simple with not a wasted word for the aesthetic quality of the work.

Vitruvius found what made the most ancient monuments such durable constructions. He found WHY they were built they way they were. For example, he explains in enough detail for the "then" architect to understand how to construct for best auditory sound enhancements using examples from Greek engineering and Roman building practices. (There is a detailed description on harmonics based on Pythagorean principles.) He also explains the true meaning of proportion developing constructs from the "golden mean" as seen in the various modes of ancient column design (as well as a description of "stasis" and other logical variants applied to columnal construction).

The book is often referenced in medieval documents explaining the training of medieval cathedral (especial gothic era) builders and the practical construction of these cathedrals that still stand and are useful today.

I highly recommend this book for any art history student or student of architecture at any level. It is a reminder that great thinking and analysis has no technical limitation.

This is an architecture book written by a Roman, during the classical period. It strongly influenced many of the great minds of the Renaissance. The historical significance of the book would make it worth looking over, for anyone interested in classical architecture.

This book contains an immense number of digressions from architecture that are perhaps of greater interest than the actual architectural content. There is a section on degenerate, abstract, modern art that could have been written today! Also, there is a good explanation of how architects have contributed to siege warfare, and instructions on the proper construction of siege devices such as catapults and tortoises. Other topics include how to divine water (without recourse to superstitious practices), and how the fundamental elements (earth, air, fire, and water) in stones influence their suitability as building materials.