Yellow page advertising is not the most fascinating subject but the author manages to keep it interesting, and more importantly he imparts a huge amount of valuable information.

I learned more reading this book about yellow pages, and about advertising and marketing than I had learned in almost 20 years of running my own business.

For those of us who are spending significant money each and every single month on yellow pages advertising, this book is a godsend. It explains what really works and what doesn't, which directories to advertise in and which to avoid, and above all how to make your ads work as well as they possibly can.

Beyond that it's humorous and extremely entertaining.

GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR YELLOW PAGES is the perfect step by step plan for increasing the results of your directory advertising and your small business marketing in general. The book made me laugh and what I learned made me money.

Legend is a fun book. It's got a message, and I'm normally not in favor of message books, the message usually gets in the way of telling the story, but the message here comes through the story. You find yourself thinking about it later. Much as I dislike thinking, it made the book even more enjoyable.

Still don't worry about the message. You'll like the hero, you'll love the heroine, and the trials and tribulations they go through will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The way the author takes some a couple of current legends and twists them to his purposes is really great. You'll have fun reading Legend.

I'd even like to see a sequel, but I don't think this was exactly a best seller.

After what I heard about this book, it sounded good but I was sort of afraid it was going to be some bs that thought it was the great American novel. Then I read the cover and I was about to ask for my money back. I still don't know what they were talking about there, and I doubt if the guy who wrote the cover know what he was talking about either.

But you can bet that the guy who wrote the book and the guy who wrote the cover must have been two different people. Because this is just a great old fashinoed adventure.

IF you like SF or fantasy, you'll probably really like this book. Very exciting and very different. Well worth reading, but overpriced in this cheezy looking edition.

This series by the author Barry Sadler is a modern blend of two ancient legends. The first is the legend of the roman centurion Longinus who was supposedly present at Christ's crucifixion.
He stabbed christ in the side with his spear to end his agony on the cross and afterwards he became a christian convert and a
saint.
The next legend is that of the wandering jew who was supposedly cursed by Christ to wander the world until the second coming.
The reason according to the story why he incurred the wrath of Christ was that he out of spite made a derogatory or insulting remark to Jesus as he was being led to his crucifixion.
The result of this blend has been Casca Longinus,a Roman soldier cursed by Christ to wander the world forever until the second coming.
Forever fighting,forever surviving and waiting for him to return.
This series of adventures takes our protagonist down through history from one war to another. In almost each case he endures wounds and horrible pain only to encounter more.
A strange unexplained power makes his flesh heal miraculously from all wounds inflicted and which renders it along with his blood poisonous to all other creatures man included.
His ability to outlive others makes his existence a lonely one without any lasting friendship or company. He finds himself in many cases the victim of other's brutality and hatred thus making his long existence also a harsh and violent one.
That which he desires so much eludes him and that is death,which is freedom from his brutal life and eternal peace. He is not so much a hero as he is a victim of fate in a situation not of his choice.
There is plenty of historic detail in this series much of it dealing with warfare and the military.
For those who want historic fact mixed with fiction this might be worth a try.
For fans of action adventure series in the tradition of "The Executioner" and the "A Team" this is a good recomendation.
There is plenty of fast-paced action in this series and it's guaranteed to keep you from yawning.
There are graphic descriptions of violence and gore so if if you're looking for light reading then I suggest reading Robert Fulghum instead.

A while back a friend of mine mentioned something about a series of books following a man who is immortal, and this man was immortal because he was cursed to live forever by Christ as he was dying on the Cross. The man's name is Casca. Casca is a soldier of the Roman army around the time of Christ's death, sometime around 33 A.D. Casca is the soldier assigned to the mundane task of waiting for Jesus to die while he kept the small crowd around the Cross at bay. When told to finish the Jew off Casca stabs him in the side, just as the Bible tells it, but Jesus has a few words with Casca. The rest of Casca's life is then changed, and so the legend begins. Anyone interested in historical fiction and/or immortality should definitely read this book if not the entire series of 22 books spanning 2000 years.

In the Eternal Mercenary Casca life goes from soldier, to slave, to extreme popularity very quickly, but I don't want to give too much away. Read this book, the first in a long series of great stories about the man made to live until the return of the Jew. Until we meet again.

I own all of the original books and still reread them. Great series and definately worth buying. I'm just sorry the series stopped (yes, I know why). Like the idea of a movie or TV series.

This is the best book I have seen on shell programming. I tried three other books before I found this one. This book is great because it offers examples, shows the output from the examples, and also describes them extremely well.

The other books I tried, and did not like are :

The Korn Shell: User & Programming Manual - I didn't like it because it lacked information on string handling. It seemed alright though.

Unix Shells by Example - Too many examples, if there is such a thing. The author didn't describe what was going on as well as this book does. The layout is confusing too.

Unix Shell programmer's interactive workbook - You need to be sitting at a computer to use this one. Wasn't very effective while reading it on the train.

This is one of the best books in the market for KORN SHELL Programming. The author explains each and every topic with one small example which makes it very easy to understand. I read this book within 1 week and was programming in KORN Shell. Any one who really wants to learn KORN shell programming should buy this book without hesitating. The author has done a really good job.

The KornShell Programming Tutorial should be the model for all technical books. It is well organized and extremely well written. The book provides a ton of examples, and output is provided for each one--what a concept! Reading this book has enabled me to write support and debugging scripts for the program I currently work on, and if I need to refer to the book, I can find the topic quickly. The writing style is crystal-clear and right-to-the-point, and the humorous touches round out everything nicely. Thanks to Barry Rosenberg for caring enough to write a book on Korn Shell programming that a novice could actually read, understand, and apply.

Bridge of Birds begins as a simple tale of a young man known as Number Ten Ox who solicits the help of the aged Master Li to save the children of his village from a deadly poison. Together they journey across China in search of a legendary ginseng root, meanwhile becoming entangled in a grander quest involving the gods themselves.

This fabled China of Barry Hughart's imagination is a wonderful setting for a story filled with adventure and wonder. Throughout, Number Ten Ox plays the Watson to Master Li's Sherlock Holmes, but the mystery they tackle involves a murderous tyrant, forlorn ghosts, a ruined city, a deadly labyrinth, and an ancient legend.

At times a lighthearted fairy tale (with a humorously drawn cast of supporting characters) and at other times a bit bloody, Bridge of Birds is in all ways a beautiful story and well worth reading.

This book shows that length is of no accord when it comes to fantasy. Its single volume of eloquence, humour, wit, drama and pure imagination puts the multi-volume monoliths of Eddings and Tolkien to shame. To date, this is still the best fantasy book that I have ever read. Hughart manages to enthral his readers with a magical and fascinating world of musical trinkets, mystical caverns and outrageuosly funny characters. He manages to blend Eastern and Western folklore in a way that is at once recognisable yet seamless. In reading it, one cannot help but sense that Hughart had a whale of a time writing it. Absolutely unfetterred imagination. I read this book six years ago and it's still fresh in my mind. "Jade plate, six eight, fire that burns hot, night that is not." It warms my heart that so many other readers share in the joy of reading this volume. Give yourself a trip of a life-time, READ IT

"Bridge of Birds" is the most effective, most moving fantasy novel I have read since John Crowley's "Engine Summer." Set in (to use the publisher's blurb) "an ancient China that never was," this is at least on the surface the tale of Number Ten Ox, a young man from a rural village who sets out with Master Li, a scholar and sage with "a slight flaw in his character," on a quest for the "great root of power," the only medicine of sufficient potency to cure the village children of a case of ku poisoning. As the story unfolds and these two characters experience adventures enough to fill many novels (one can imagine Tor or some other publisher spinning out these yarns by the tens a la Conan if they got a hold of the publishing rights), their quest begins to intertwine with another one, relating to an ancient wrong done to a goddess.

More details would be superfluous, for there is simply no substitute for reading this book. The culture and characters described here are fully realized (writers of doorstop-sized fantasy novels, such as Robert Jordan, could take object lessons from Hughart in how to tell a large story succinctly), and the overall atmosphere that this novel achieves is that of the finest kind of fable, although I would not necessarily recommend it for young children. Hughart spices his narrative throughout with a liberal dose of humor; I found myself laughing aloud many times as I read along. If there is a flaw to be found here, I failed to see it. This is as good as fantasy gets--one of the few novels that merits the adjective "magical."

Jewish Julie Weiss is 12 and a half and lives a luxurious, comfortable life in Vienna until Hitler invades Austria and the Jews are discriminated. The Weiss family suffers rejection and spite from friends and neighbors turned pro-Hitler, even though they are non-practicing Jews. Nazis come to the Weiss home one night and all of Julie's family BUT herself is taken outside. They come back unharmed but changed. This event forces her older brother Max to leave the country and her mother to later commit suicide. Her father still tries to keep a positive outlook on everything, and says Julie must go to America, where she will be safe with her mother's sister and her husband. In Part 1, Julie's entries are at first mostly about her school life and worries that a girl her social status might have, but are emotional and full of descriptions of violence against Jews. In the beginning of Part 2 she is still afraid, sad and frozen but things get brighter for her in New York, especially when she lands a part in a stage play. Overall a very good read and a big improvement from Mr. Denenberg's other DA books.

I loved this book! Although I am not Jewish, this book reminded me of my family. Julie, or her father's "precious jewel", tells the tale of her life in Austria during World War 2. I never really realized the pain and horror of being there in 1938 before I read this wonderful book. Some of the other books in the Dear America talk about being Jewish during World War 2, but never in the eyes of someone who was young like me.

I suggest that anyone who wishes a tale of heart, acting, pain, terror, and finding happiness in home,read this book. You have my word that you will LOVE this book and it will ALWAYS keep you excited!

The book One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss by Barry Deneberg was overall a pretty good book.
It was about a young Jewish girl named Julie who lived in Vienna, Austria during the Holocaust. She lived with her mother, father, and older brother in a nice apartment. After Hitler took over Austria, Julie's life took a big turn. She escaped the horrors of the Holocaust and concentration camps when her father decided that she was going to go live with her aunt and uncle in New York. She had to cope with the many changes of her new life in America, and had to live without her family, who remained living in Austria. Although Julie missed her family a lot, her aunt and uncle took her in as if she were their own.
Julie's Aunt Clara was an actress who performed in many Broadway productions. While helping her aunt practice her lines for the play she was in, Julie was asked by the director to also star in the play Peter Pan as Wendy Darling. Julie took the opportunity and did so well that her and her Aunt Clara were asked to play mother and daughter again in the Broadway production of Our Town.
All in all, One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss was a very interesting book and easy to follow. It is recommend for those who would like to read about a young girl's thoughts and feelings during the Holocaust.

This is a book report on Shiloh Season by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I am doing it for my reading class. This is the second of three books about Shiloh a dog. It is about a kid who worked for a man named Jud to get Shiloh from him. When the kid gets Shiloh, he treats him well, unlike Jud who treated him bad. When Jud gives Shiloh to the kid he gets lonely and starts drinking a lot. He gets drunk and tries to run over Shiloh but instead runs off the road and crashes. People try to be nice to Jud because he crashed and got hurt bad. Finally, one night the boy visits Jud with Shiloh. When they get there for the first time Shiloh licked Jud's hand. I recommend this book to people of all ages.

In the sequel to Shiloh, Shiloh Season, the award-winning author, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, once again beautifully portrays the rural life of West Virginia and the love a young boy, Marty, has for an abused dog named Shiloh.

In this sequel, Marty is faced with the conflict of losing Shiloh to the dog's original owner Judd Travers. Judd is known throughout the small community of Friendly, West Virgina for not only being a drunk but also for abusing his dogs.

I would recommend reading the first Shiloh before reading Shiloh Season. However, Naylor gives background information in chapter 1 to refresh the reader's memory from what happened in the first of the 3 novels. Therefore, if you choose not to read the first Shiloh then you will not be totally lost when picking up with Shiloh Season.

Marty worked for Judd in the first Shiloh in order to earn the right to own the abused beagle Shiloh as his very own. However, in Shiloh Season, Judd continuously taunts Marty in wanting Shiloh back as his dog again. What could possibly make this situation worse? Judd is drinking heavier now than ever before and backing up his threats of taking Shiloh with gunshots at Marty!

Marty learns many important lessons throughout the course of the story. He not only learns the different responsibilities that accompanies raising a dog but he also learns that truth and honesty are always the best policy even if it means losing something that you love. Marty also learns that forgiving someone is sometimes very hard but a very crucial lesson when growing up.

As a teacher, I would definitely recommend this book for 10 year old students and older to read independently or for teachers and parents to read aloud to their children of the same age level. I can't wait to read Naylor's Saving Shiloh which is the third book of the Shiloh trilogy. I also hope to see future books about Shiloh to continue the series.

It all first started when Shiloh was being abused by his owner Judd Travers. So Marty tried to take him away but after an attack from a German Shepherd, Shiloh was hidden no more. His parents found out ing and worse Judd Travers Shiloh Season was a book about a boy named Marty and a dog named Shioh,and a man that Marty despises named Judd Travers. In this book Marty feels like he did not get Shioloh fair and square. He thinks that the only reason that he got Shiloh was because he saw Judd do something that he was not allowed to do. Because of this Marty keeps on getting the feeling that Judd wants Shiloh back. But Marty loves Shiloh and doesn't want to give him up. There is a lot of conflict going around with Judd and Marty. Since Marty had taken away Shiloh from Judd he has been drinking and drinking ever since. Marty is worried that since he drinks and is violent he might come after Marty or even worse come after Shiloh and kill him. Marty fears for his life. He has to look over his shoulder every second of his life.

I read "Rain Fall" when it first came out and was immediately hooked. "Hard Rain" is a suspenseful sequel that grips you from the very beginning. Once you start reading "Hard Rain" you'll have trouble putting the book down. Barry Eisler is a master story teller, and John Rain remains an interesting, complex character. This book is great reading.

Hard Rain is one of the best sequels I've read. In this gripping installment, author Barry Eisler has stepped into a league with the great action-story authors of our time. Assassin-protagonist John Rain is a character study in multiculturalism, psychology, and ideology who provides a rich structure from which to tell this story of corruption and redemption.

But Hard Rain is much more than an action-suspense story. Through John Rain's eyes, Eisler gives us a look at modern Japanese society, with a harsh commentary on the systemic maladies that have crippled the country for over a decade. Eisler's literary prowess weaves an obvious love for Japan's culture, society, and history, with a bitter rebuke of a bureaucracy more interested in self-aggrandizement than in serving the people who support it.

Hard Rain has something for just about everyone to love. Action, intrigue, mystery, passion, introspection, and political commentary are woven masterfully into a story that just keeps getting better. I highly recommend Hard Rain, and anxiously await Rain's next move! Read it and I know you'll agree!!!

Both Hard Rain and Rain Fall are excellent martial arts, espionage silent but deadly thrillers. Eislers description of Japan, as if it is another character in the book, is near perfection. I have been there seven times and his perspective illuminates my memory of this beautiful nation.
What is also incredible is the explanations of martial art techniques that John Rain uses to subdue his opponents. Eisler, being a martial artist himself, describes the blow by blow action of some of the best fight scenes Ive ever read. Being a black belt in Judo as well as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I am constantly reminded of the skill and effectiveness that comes from those arts by reading these books.

A must have!

Having only the cursory knowledge of Iwo Jima from the immortalized "photograph" and monument near Arlington National Cemetary, reading "Flags of Our Fathers" was an eye-opening experience. Born in the late 60's, I grew up in with war and its after-effects having little impact on my own personal life (somehow my immediate family escaped any time in the military). In this deeply personal account of the events surrounding Iwo Jima, James Bradley gives the reader a detailed account of the famous battle that no high school history class lesson could do justice to. From the "underground city" of Iwo to the facts surrounding the quite accidental photographic capture of the incidental second flagraising, the book is both educational and fairly quick read.

I was a little put-off early in the early stages of the book. In leading up to the actual battle, Bradley seemed to have already elevated the six flagraisers to godlike status. But having finished "Flags," one can easily forgive the author for the high reverence he holds for these individuals now knowing how each of their stories ended. Having recently visited Washington, I stopped at the US Marine Corps Memorial near the end of my trip. I did not know the names or stories of the men behind the impressive statues. Reading "Flags" made me initially regret what, at the time, had been a fairly unemotional visit to yet another DC monument. While that changed as I read "Flags" (I pulled out the photos I had taken several times while reading), I ultimately believe that the surviving flag raisers (particularly the author's father, John Bradley) would be quite happy that I did not associate them with the celluloid or bronze images that dogged them for the remainder of their lives.

It is heartening to see the success of this book. While not a scholarly historical work, Bradley has done a great service in recording these men's stories and the brave efforts of all who have ever fought for their country.

Seriously, five stars are just too few for a monumental book like this one. This book is an instant classic that should live for all time! If you are like me, you have a whole story built up in your mind around one of the most famous photographs in American history -- the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima. If you are also like me, there is little reality behind that story in your mind.

Written by the son of one flag-raising Marine, this amazing story should be read by everyone. It tells a tale of heroism, horrible circumstances, and the lasting consequences of an unexpected event in a compelling, unforgettable way. This book rivals All Quiet on the Western Front for its revealing insights into the nature of war, comradeship, and courage.

To set the stage, Iwo Jima was the first Japanese soil the Marines invaded. The Emperor had issued orders that the ground was to be defended to the last man. Iwo Jima was filled with tunnels that harbored over 20,000 Japanese troops who could shoot from relative safety while Americans were out in the open. The tunnel system was so extensive that Marines would literally be kidnapped while standing next to their buddies, and no one would know where they had gone. Rocks would suddenly open up to reveal mortars.

Tough fighting went on for days. The Marines lost 7,000 dead and had another 15,000 or more wounded out of 70,000 men. Ironically, the worst of the fighting came after the flag photograph, and three of the six Marines in the photograph died in this later action.

As tough as Iwo Jima was, living with the aftermath of the photograph was even harder in many ways. Two of the three survivors had their lives deeply affected in negative ways. The story of all three riveted me more than anything I have read in years.

I read fairly few books about war, but I cannot recommend this book enough to you. As Americans we owe it to those who fought in this battle to remember what actually happened and what the repercussions are. You will be moved at a deeper level than you can possibly imagine by this outstanding book.

Remember Iwo Jima!

I was only 5 when the attack on Iwo Jima took place. My own father, by virtue of age, good luck and a naval officer's commission escaped conscription into this particular hell. My personal wartime experience is a vague one of watching free movie musicals at the Ottumwa Iowa Naval Air Station, squashing and saving tin cans for the war effort and finally weaving red white and blue crepe paper into the spokes of my junior bike in celebration of VJ day. Thanks to a new book about World War II, I am discovering what it was really like back then to feel true patriotism. It is a bittersweet revelation, but a very valid one.

"Flags of Our Fathers" is a book which appeals not only to the die-hard WWII buff but to any person, male or female, with an interest in a teeth clenching, powerful and poignant story. It describes a horrible battle, the incredible selfless sacrifices of young men and the angst of their families.

James Bradley & Ron Powers have brought to vivid life the real people behind the famous flag-raising mythos, the surreal war in which they so valiantly fought and the survivors' eventual reentry into civilian life. This is an adventure story of true horrific experiences. On the surface it is a "good guy-bad guy" saga in which our good guys finally triumph. The good guys lucky enough to come home are quiet, self effacing and seemingly forever linked to the ghosts of those who did not survive. In an age before psychologists had discovered and mined "survivor's guilt" and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, the luckiest of these largely teenaged boys trained, fought, were wounded, came back and resumed living to the best of their ability. I defy any woman not to bleed for the mothers and fathers who waited and any man not to cry for the "uncommon valor" of these very young sons. Bradley's personal experiences with his own hero father, his intimate interviews with families of these sons and his own quiet faith are melded with the poetic prose of Ron Powers into a seamless whole.

This is a meticulously researched, lovingly crafted and stunning battle book, written by exceptional men about exceptional men. It is sure to become a classic.

This book applies game theory on business and does so extremely well. I think game theory is clearly the way to approach the subject of strategy, because regular "corporate" and "business" strategy literature seems only loosely connected to actual strategic thinking. Game theory, on the other hand, is an actual theory for thinking strategically. No-one should probably even refer to himself or herself as a strategist without being literate in game theory.

The authors do a wonderful job laying out the principles. They introduce and give a thorough treatment of the concept of complementarity ("making the pie grow"), which is bound to make you a better strategist. What I also liked in this book is the notion that the best way of increasing profits is often not to play the game well but to actually change how the game is played. Reading about this really gives your mind a jump-start.

PARTS refers to the strategic levers of a game, that is the dimensions across which the game of business can be analyzed and changed (to your advantage of course). The book is filled with case studies where the principles can be seen at work. Co-opetition is simply great value for money.

If, after reading this book, you feel like digging further into game theory (there's a good chance you will) I recommend Games of Strategy by Dixit, which is a superb introductory book.

Just out of college I was very enthusiastic to use game theory to solve business problems. But never found a way to use it. That was forty years ago. This is the first book that transforms a wonderful theory into something you can apply. The three key concepts are the "value net", PARTS and role-playing. The value net is a simple model of the players to consider. Not just your business and your client, but also the competitors, suppliers and complementors (a complimentor adds value to your product like mustard to hot dogs). PARTS are five ways to look at the game. P from players-who are they; may be add new ones, A from Added Value- how much value do you add to the game, if any, R from Rules-can the rules be changed, T from tactics, and S from Scope- making the game bigger. With role-playing I refer to putting yourself in the shoes of all the other players. How do they see the game? The book contains many practical examples. Some of these do not require game theory to think of them but without game theory you would never see all the interesting options. The book also has "spiritual" content. It shows how to find "win-win" theories and avoid price wars that are "lose-lose".Very worthwhile.

Co-opetition debuted before the net arrived commercially, however it could easily have been written about today's hyper-speed corporate environment. (Many companies in the Dot-bomb dead-pool may have benefited from this kind of rational strategic thinking.) As the title indicates, the book is about competition and cooperation in the marketplace. Much of that discussed in the book stems from game theory, determining what moves to make in a game (or marketplace) based on the anticipated actions of the other players. The book presents numerous case studies from a variety of businesses. Each example provides a background of the competitive environment, the implications of different possible moves, and ultimately explains the results of each particular decision. It's a fantastic book, and contains valuable lessons for decision-makers in virtually any capacity.

Co-opetition is especially for those interested in game theory and business strategy. It brings to light the fact that no decision is made in isolation, and demonstrates that a win at all costs mentality is often not the most successful plan of action. Learn to analyze a situation, understand the scenarios that may result because of particular actions, move forward with a better understanding, and well thought out contingency plans for anticipated counter moves.