This book is adapted from a screenplay by Martin Berkeley. Many of the pictures are stills from the movie. However, as with the rest of the books in the "Monster Series" several drawings do not match. In the case of this book, the bug attacks the wrong building.

This is fun reading for your jungen and a good addition to the bug picture collection. Being 47 pages, he did a good job of condensing the story and still capturing the feel.

This book has great chapter titles, and 80 pages of notes.

There are a lot of questions in this book are about death. While President Kennedy was alive, it was not obvious that Vietnam was going to be part of the world in which so many Americans would die. The insignificance of the problem at the time Kennedy took office might be guessed from such assessments as, "Interrogations of captured Vietcong cadres showed them to be well trained and brought in, across the seventeenth parallel, or through Laos and Cambodia. The total Vietcong in central Vietnam had grown from a thousand at the end of 1959 to five times that number by mid-1961." (p. 102). President Kennedy had authorized an increase in American troops that jumped from hundreds to thousands as the years went by, but with little sign that, merely seven years after JFK took office, more than a thousand troops per week on each side might be losing their lives in Nam early in 1968.

As a professor in history with a year off from teaching, Howard Jones had the opportunity to examine documentary sources and the Oral History Interviews at presidential libraries, and he even talked to a few of the remaining participants. Daniel Ellsberg is not a major character in this book, though Jones talked to him on March 27, 2002, concerning a meeting in which President Kennedy asked Lansdale about getting rid of The Nhus, "But if that didn't work out--or I changed my mind and decided to get rid of Diem--would you be able to go along with that?" Lansdale ended up in a limousine with Robert McNamara after the meeting, where McNamara told him, "When he asks you to do something, you don't tell him you won't do it." (p. 365). Actually, the source of this story is a book by A. J. Langguth, a New York Times correspondent in South Vietnam who claimed "Ellsberg's unpublished memoir, Langguth asserted, contained this account of Lansdale's clandestine meeting with the president." (p. 365). "Ellsberg likewise considers the story valid. But in an interview of McNamara conducted by Langguth years afterward, the former secretary alleged that he did not recall the meeting." (pp. 365-366). I checked the index of SECRETS by Daniel Ellsberg, finally published in October, 2002, and found no mention of President Kennedy on the pages of the only entry for "Lansdale, Edward G.: McNamara's meeting with," though it included a page on which "high Vietnamese officials who met with General Lansdale regarded him warily but with awe because of his reputation as a kingmaker. They assumed he was there to pick the next Diem." By the time Ellsberg was on the Lansdale team, LBJ was president, Diem and Nhu were dead, and the Vietnamese could only hope that another government like Diem's would be better than a bunch of generals.

America clearly considered a coup against Diem at a time when it was trying to be as neutral as possible, because Diem could have asked American diplomats to leave Nam if he had any evidence that the Americans were actively engaging in plots against a government that it was supposed to be supporting. The index is good at sorting out who was involved, though it isn't until page 280 that Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., a brigadier general in the Army Reserves who spent 1962 writing policy papers on Vietnam, was given the opportunity to become the American ambassador to Saigon. In the photo section, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson's trip to Saigon on May 12, 1961, established that Frederick Nolting was ambassador then. President Kennedy is shown talking with Henry Cabot Lodge on August 15, 1963, just a few weeks before JFK's CBS television broadcast with Walter Cronkite on September 2, 1963. As usual, "Lodge's appointment, the Kennedy administration insisted, ensured bipartisan support for its Vietnam policy. These statements were true, but they did not reflect reality. The White House believed that Nolting had become too close to Diem," (p. 281). The note supporting this information adds, "Nolting learned of his removal over radio while on vacation." (p. 501).

While this is a history of policy that led to the Vietnam war, there is little sense that any possibility, other than a result which might be considered a victory for American policy, was ever considered. The only use that the Vietnamese had for the Americans was for creating the illusion that somehow America could win a war there. By September 18, 1963, Lodge was trying to get Nhu to leave the country, and reporting back to Washington, "one feels sorry for him. He is wound up as tight as a wire. He appears to be a lost soul, a haunted man who is caught in a vicious circle. The Furies are after him." (p. 371).

This is history on an emotional level. I have no doubt that Jack Ruby pulled the trigger of the pistol that shot Lee Harvey Oswald in the stomach, resulting in Oswald's death, and it might have been because of a cancer that would take the life of Jack Ruby before the end of the 1960s, when we had learned enough from Lenny Bruce to let just about anybody swear, if they felt like it. For President Kennedy to remain on good relations with the C.I.A., after news started coming in on how bad the situation in Nam really was, is like expecting Americans to believe that Ruby and Oswald were friends, or even knew each other. Oswald and Ruby do not appear in this book. For that side of the story, see OSWALD TALKED by La Fontaine. This book has no news on who took part in the JFK assassination, which is officially still more of a mystery than anything that happened in Nam.

Decoding the Church seeks to present a biblical ecclesiology that emphasizes the organic and biotic images rather than static or institutional images. Just as DNA determines what a living organism becomes when appropriately developed, the authors contend that the church has DNA or genetic predispositions for its identity and health. In addition to the historic descriptions of the church: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, this book seeks a broader perspective that reveals the "missing half" of the church's genetic code that the church is also diverse, charismatic, local, and prophetic.

Viewing the church as a complex organism, this book affirms small actions, interrelationships and structure, uniqueness, and "emergent structures." Emphasizing the church as organism in community, this book focuses on the DNA of church structure, the DNA of mission, and the DNA of public discipleship. To recover the dynamism of the New Testament Church, Scripture must be our primary source along with learning from the history of renewal movements and utilizing an ecological model that emphasizes interrelationship and interdependence. Christian mission emphasizing community, simplicity, and humanity must provide creative alternatives to the effects of globalization. The authors call for public discipleship built on love and grace and active in issues of economic justice, responsible earth-keeping, and prayer for governments and global concerns.

Decoding the Church is a valuable resource combining several themes from Snyder's earlier writings regarding church renewal, mission, church ecology, culture, and futurism. Readers may not agree with every insight or critique but should appreciate the rich combination of biblical and historical insight with cultural awareness and church life. The material is presented in a helpful format that provides insights, implications in principle and practice, the ongoing story of a fictitious though realistic Heartland Evangelical Church, and questions for group discussion and personal reflection. This book will be especially valuable for North American pastors, educators, and church leaders seeking a biblical ecclesiology giving primary attention to the biotic images of the church.

As with most of Wiarda's works, I found this book to be particularly insightful. I have read well over 200 books on the subject and found this one to be of particular interst.

It details each stage of the Trujillo regime ending with its final demise. He charactarises the dictatorship as one which developes from traditional caudillo style into a totalitarian regime (or as near to one as possible). Wiarda gives us not only an analysis of the Trujillo dictatorship but a lesson in political science and dictator theory in general.

Well worth the price.

This is Module 3 (of 4) in W. A. Benjamin's "Malmstadt-Enke Instrumentation for Scientists Series." I have all four, copyrighted 1973 & 1974, and they are awesome. (I'm not selling them, though!)

These books were the text used in the self-paced Instrumentation class, Chemistry 838, which I took at Michigan State University, circa 1974. It was easily the best class I ever took at MSU, and these were easily the best texts I ever used at MSU.

I was an undergraduate student in MSU's Electrical Engineering Dept. at the time, when a friend tipped me off to a graduate Instrumentation lab class taught in the Chemistry department. The purpose of the class was to teach Chemistry and Physics graduate students how to build electronic instruments for their research work.

Well, I learned MUCH more practical Electrical Engineering in that one year (three quarter) self-paced graduate Chemistry class than I learned in ALL my EE labs COMBINED! It is impossible to overstate just how much better this series was than the usual college texts of the day. (However, part of the disparity in quality between Chem 838 and my EE labs was certainly due to the fact that in 1974 MSU had a very good Chemistry department, but a truly miserable excuse for an EE department.)

The four "modules" (books) are:

1. Electronic Analog Measurements and Transducers, by Malmstadt, Enke & Crouch. ISBN 0-8053-6903-1. 203 pages pbk.

2. Control of Electrical Quantities in Instrumentation, by Malmstadt, Enke & Crouch. ISBN 0-8053-6904-X. 356 pages pbk.

3. Digital and Analog Data Conversions, by Malmstadt, Enke & Crouch. ISBN 0-8053-6905-8. 455 pages pbk.

4. Optimization of Electronic Measurements, by Malmstadt, Enke, Crouch & Horlick. ISBN 0-8053-6906-6. 203 pages pbk.

Note: I would not recommend trying to study these texts out of order.

The combined material from these 4 texts, sans experiments, was also published as a single textbook, "Electronic Measurements for Scientists." But that's out of print, too.

However, there is one book by these authors that is still in print. Their "new" (1994) book is, "Microcomputers and Electronic Instrumentation: Making the Right Connections," ISBN 0841228612. I've not read it, but I'll bet it is terrific.

27 years later, I remain grateful to Prof. Howard V. Malmstadt (U. of Illinois), Prof. Chris G. Enke (MSU), and Prof. Stanley R. Crouch (MSU), for their disproportionate contribution to my education, as authors of these books and designers of that course.

....

-Dave

This is a great book for those of us who know little about wine, but need to know the right wines to serve with certain dishes. It's easy to read, and gives practical advice plus basic wine information.

This book is extremely informative, both for the beginning gardener as well as the more experienced. Contains basic planting techniques, how to begin gardening the organic way, (not as daunting or expensive as you might think!) and maintaining your new masterpiece. Disease and pest control, (MANY bugs are beneficial!!) building healthy soil, (which in turns builds healthy plants,) soil and water management, etc. Written in clear, easy-to-understand language, this is the first book I would recommend to anyone with an interest in gardening, or someone looking for a better, safer way to care for their corner of the planet. If you have children or pets, and a yard, this book is for you! If you enjoy spending time outside relishing your greenspace, this book is for you!

I read this book in 1 sitting. I made the mistake and let a friend borrow it. She moved and took it with her. That was over 10 years ago and I still hold a grudge! I am dying to find a copy!

John Howard has done for mountain biking what Jim Fixx did forrunning: written a single-volume point of departure that, in one fast,easy read, provides an overview of a nascent sport brimming not only with information but inspiration. Dare to open Dirt! to the first page and you'll be hard pressed to resist hitting the trails the same day.

There are few sports experiencing the explosive growth of mountain biking, and few as misunderstood by the non-participating public. While it is true that some mountain bikers missing the self-preservation gene monopolize television time by indulging their psychoses in stunts of escalating danger, the real truth is that mountain biking is an activity that, like skiing, swimming or volleyball, can be enjoyed on virtually any level by everyone from the most committed sofa spud to the highest-ranked elite athlete. And you don't need a"mountain" to do it, either, as Dirt! clearly demonstrates.

The sport couldn't have picked a better spokesman: Howard (The Incredible Human Machine) is one of the most accomplished and versatile cyclists in the world. Three-time Olympian and an Ironman champion, he held the world record for speed on a bicycle (an astonishing 152 miles per hour) for years before he helped someone else to break it. That kind of gracious sportsmanship comes through in Dirt! It's a clarion call to others to discover the exhilaration of leaving asphalt behind, and if there's one overarching theme that runs throughout, it's Howard's fervent desire to draw others into a sport he knows will bring immense personal rewards.

This well-illustrated book is full of wonderful advice for everyone from the rank beginner (practice your technical skills before a ride, when you're fresh, not afterwards, when you're tired) to the experienced competitor (spray Pam all over your bike before a muddy ride and you'll avoid pounds of clinging mud weighing you down). There is also a good deal of attention paid to the mental aspects of riding, which thankfully avoids the "be one with your derailleurs" school of spiritual hokum and presents instead Howard's hard-won wisdom concerning mindset and attitude.

There are chapters covering such topics as maintenance, stretching, weight training and jumping technique, but one of the most fascinating is "Surviving the Crash." Howard is the man who first uttered one of cycling's most basic axioms, that there are two kinds of cyclists: those who have crashed, and those who will. This chapter is one that should be read by anyone who ever mounts any kind of bike, and alone is worth the price of the book.

While Dirt! could benefit from some tighter proofing and a few additional definitions for pure neophytes - terms such as scrub, drifting and "foot dab" are largely understandable from context, but a bit more depth might aid in really comprehending their significance - these are minor carps and undoubtedly will be attended to in the many future editions that are sure to come. The book is short at 180 pages but that's because Howard cuts to the chase without wasting a lot of your time with superfluous verbiage.

Now that I think about it, he seems to be saying, "Enough reading...get out and ride!"

Hull outlines what a church based on discipleship principles looks like. He casts a good vision of why discipling is important, talks about the core values, and then outlines the progression in the early church from first church, to mission church, and finally discipling church. He discusses how Jesus developed formed a group of twelve leaders to carry out ministry, and how every church needs this type of approach in the 21st century. His appendix on building a leadership community is relevant and exciting -- especially to those planting cell-based churches. There is also a good section on how to structure small groups. Hull's best work thus far. This is a book that every church planter and pastor wishing to increase the leadership quotient in his church should read.