Beth and her editor managed to touch me by writting this book in a style of "this-is-how-it-FEELS-inside-my-thoughts". It is a pleasant, enjoyable, BUT (more importantly) an informative read for anyone who may be needing help with feeling their previous attempts at meditating were missing something. This book provides the "something".

In her book, First You Sigh, Beth Johnson embraces and teaches a practical approach to toning in meditation. Her eagerness and passion illuminate the pages as she shares her experience and knowledge that guide you to an inner realm where you come face to face with your soul-self. As you apply her technique, you feel the vibration swell up inside you until it touches everything. You will enjoy the ease and organization of her step by step instruction. It is like having a teacher right in the room with you. If you have asked for the teacher, she has come.

I have been practicing meditation for about 3 years now. And, this book really helped to clarify things -- bringing it all together in real-life applications -- for me. My spiritual path has been greatly expanded through this book, and my meditations will never be the same. The connectedness and peace I now achieve through my meditations are far beyond anything I have experienced before.

And, it did so in a very Joyous, passionate, gentle way. A very easy, friendly read that has added a great deal to my life. Thank You Beth Johnson for sharing!

What a great book to use to begin a new year! Thanks to a friend who gave this to me for Christmas this year, I am now on my way out of that glum winter depression that always hits after the holidays.

I also realize I've been neglecting areas of my life and spirit, and this practical, well-written guide is cheering me on to a more fulfilled life of the spirit. The author clearly knows how to speak to Christian women who are also "thinking women" in all walks of life. Her reading and movie suggestions are also right on target for her audience. What a gift to read this. I am buying copies for my women friends.

I saw Nicole at a Women of Faith conference and bought this book there. This book changed my life and I sent it to everyone I know for Christmas gifts! It is inspiring and uplifting. I love this book and I adore Nicole and her ministry!

Being a Christian all my life, I never realized that there is so much more than saying that little prayer to ask Jesus into my heart. We seem to get content in our "salvation", forgetting to ask God what He desires in our lives. Nicole reveals how to discover the true life God wants for us. To be free in Him, able to take on all life gives for His glory. I have 3 kids under age 6. My worth and effectiveness was diminishing to how clean my surroundings were. This book taught me that we all have a great purpose and only God can make it happen. Learning to confide my thoughts to God and keeping a journal has been a great reward for me. I have read and re-read each chapter in the book several times. Each bringing new light on my heart's condition. Thank you, Nicole, for sharing your cup of life with us.

I think I read about your book in Essence or saw it on Oprah, can't remember, but I am so glad that I did. It has helped me start a book club with a few friends that enjoy reading, but also just enjoy the company of other african-american women. It's a great way to get away from the husband and kids and bond with your friends. One thing that we are going to add to our club is a community kitchen, we will be cooking with one another also.

Great book!

Where else can you find: 1. The history of African American reading groups in America 2. The history of African American literature genres 3. The history of the only African American national reading group network

4. Previews of the works and interviews of national best-selling, award winning authors

This is a goldmine of information!!!!

This book is just what I needed to start a book club in my area. I have not quite read all about the different authors. Telling us from start to finish is the best outline I have ever read in starting a project like this one. Thanks so much for sharing a book like this for African American women.I will keep you in touch about the one I am going to attempt to start here in Columbia ,Tn.

This book is excellent, very clear directions with pictures to look at, so easy that anyone can do it, it even comes with the materials which I though was great for the price paid

Any girl who loves to do crafts would love this book. It is fun, easy, and even comes with a great selection of thread.

I'm not sure why I bought this book, but for some reason I did. These books seem to be for kids, but they have huge amounts of adult appeal as well. Look at the card in the back you can send away to get the catalogue. It has two age categories: "I am a kid and was born in the year______" or "According to my birth certificate I am an adult but I deny it!". Well, I must fall in the second category. Imagine two grown ups wrapping each other's hair in embroidery floss--sounds silly, but we had a blast. These Klutz books are excellent, easy to follow, and fun. If you want to learn how to do something, see if there is a Klutz book about it. It'll certainly be worth your money.

This isn't the "bang-bang, shoot-em-up" West, but tales of life where the reality jumps off the pages. They are tales of quiet heroism and patient sympathy, in a language of wonderful imagination. People in these stories are just trying to live, love, and get through the day. I'm grateful to the friend who told me about Dorothy Johnson; her work reads just like yarns told around a campfire, and you can almost hear a grizzled old cowpoke's voice. If only an imaginative publisher would issue them in audio!

THE HANGING TREE is a wonderful collection of frontier tales by a woman who has gotten unfairly short shrift as a very fine American writer. Dorothy Johnson's stories, set mostly in her native Montana, dealt with men and women, frontier riff-raff, lawmen, and Indians. These are no stereotypical westerns, they are stories of the human condition that happen to take place on the frontier. The title story in this collection, THE HANGING TREE, is the best, I think. A haunting tale of an ill-fated frontier doctor -- Joe Frail -- it works as a pure western, as a moving love story, and as a psychological character study. It was the basis for Gary Cooper's last western, one of the finest westerns ever made, the masterful THE HANGING TREE.

Dorothy M. Johnson's stories echo real life. I got the sense that most of her characters came to her from bits and pieces of the people she grew up around. Although she wrote for the 40's and 50's, there is nothing dated about this book.As a people , we haven't changed much.

While studying early greek "Christian Forfathers" and their lives and influences, ALOT of names get mentioned. When such a name is mentioned you think to yourself..: "who is this?", "why did the author mention this person?, what context should I look at this in?" Often times proper understanding behind the names mentioned can be the key that opens the door to context. I bought this book And it's companion
(ISBN: 0062700561) The Harper Encyclopedia of Military History From 3500BC to the Present (from a third party vendor). Niether one have let me down in accuracy or thoroughness. And has repeatedly helped me achieve a more accurate view of history itself as well as how it has been shaped by militarys. A 'must have' for any home library.

One thing about it, this book and "maybe" another one would replace all those biographies that take up too much room on one's bookshelf (especially mine). I especially like it when a good majority of our nation's military leaders (those on the Joint Chiefs) are included when no other volume even comes close. Great job, Colonel, and also outstanding work, Mr. Johnson

I have studied Military History for quite some time, and have always wanted a "quick reference" book for each figure in history. A lot of times, I will be watching a movie, and they will mention "General whoever" or another figure, and I jump up, grab this book, and read a brief history on the person involved.

This book is excellent in that respect. Do not buy this book for an in depth look at different personalities of military history. However, for a quick reference, this book cannot be beat. It is quite extensive, and seems to be unbiased in it's opinions of the people involved.

A "Must Have" for any serious Higgins collector. There is an almost overwhelming amount of information presented in a most organized manner. So many wonderful color photographs that I went into sensory overload. Loads of great, historical information and imagery. The only down side of the book is that the price guide is not representative of current market values but if looked at properly will still give you a good idea of how one pattern will relate to another in value. I wish other collectable genres had reference guides of this caliber.

This is truly a masterpiece of editing. The author has truly done an outstanding job. This is a MUST book for any serious Higgins collector as well as anyone who enjoys beautiful glass. The author is certainly to be commended for this one of a kind work.

If you want to collect Higgins glass, this book is an absolute must-have. The prices are outdated; with the recent death of Michael Higgins, I have seen pieces sell for double or triple the book's values. This is much more than a price guide, though. This book details the history of Higgins glass, their techniques, and how to identify what is and is not Higgins glass. There are several beautiful color pictures on almost every page, and I enjoy looking at them almost as much as I enjoy looking at the pieces in my collection.

Modern America is obsessed with the pursuit of happiness. It is in the Declaration of Independence, after all. Supposedly, the pursuit of happiness is one of our "inalienable rights."

The brilliance of Samuel Johnson is that he understood that those who seek happiness are the very ones who will never find it. This book is all about Rasselas and his friends as they try to figure out which "choice of life" will lead to happiness.

The conclusion of the book is that no choice of life will truly make you happy in this world. Happiness only comes after death when we meet up with our Maker.

The key is to simply accept life as it comes. Do not try to find happiness. If you stop searching for happiness, you will be shocked suddenly when you realize that something like happiness has snuck into your life by the back door. How did that get there?

This profound and wise insight is written with the usual Johnsonian artistic and literary brilliance. A must read for modern people who think happiness is something you can buy.

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia was a disheartening story about a prince who leaves the "happy valley" to pursue the choice of life. The princess and the prince, as well as the princess's favorite and their guide, enquire with all types of people in different positions to assist them in making their choice of life. I focused more on the philosophy than the story, and this, in the end, did nothing more than reassure me on the downfalls of human nature and society. It was enjoyable to read such a melancholy message expressed in an artistic and imaginative way, as I do not think that anything else would have lifted my spirits more than to know that although the downfalls illustrated in the book permeate our existence, people still retain creativity enough to express them in a pleasant way. This book is well written and the message is entertaining. It is a story that compliments the reader, as it can entertain with both its story and its opinions.

'The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia' was a disheartening story about a prince who leaves the "happy valley" to pursue the choice of life. The princess and the prince, as well as the princess's favorite and their guide, enquire with all types of people in different positions to assist them in making their choice of life. I focused more on the philosophy than the story, and this, in the end, did nothing more than reassure me on the downfalls of human nature and society. It was enjoyable to read such a melancholy message expressed in an artistic and imaginative way, as I do not think that anything else would have lifted my spirits more than to know that although the downfalls illustrated in the book permeate our existence, people still retain creativity enough to express them in a pleasant way. This book is well written and the message is entertaining. It is a story that compliments the reader, as it can entertain with both its story and its opinions.

nor is this a review, but I am anxious to learn what Miss Bolen learned about her MEMBERS EDITION. My set is # 676 with Volume I bearing the Secretary's raised seas and signature, and presented in favor of my maternal grandmother by my grandfather.

tquinn@midsouth.rr.com

This is not a review. I am wondering if this is a members edition with the members name in calligraphy along with his initials and the number of the 1000 that were issued. I have such a set and cannot find out its value.

My set is leather with gold binding and embossing on the front side and plain embossing on the back. It is No. 897 of 1000 copyrighted by The National Alumni. This set was issued to Thomas Dixon Daniel whose name appears in hand lettered with appropriate gold and colored design. It is guaranteed by the Alumni Association and signed by its secretary, Rossiter Johnson. It contains many beautiful, colored lithographs with shadow printed cover pages in each volume. Many are in extremely good condition. Anyone have any idea what this rare 22-book set is worth?

It's difficult to find original material in most security books. "Hack Proofing Your Network, 2nd Edition" (HPYN2E) breaks that trend. Responding to feedback on the first edition, the authors have made numerous improvements in the second edition. If you're looking for relatively novel content in a security book, read the sections of HPYN2E I discuss next.

HPYN2E shines in many respects. The "laws of security" in chapter 2 are accurate and enlightening. Chapter 4 helps teach secure programming techniques by comparing insecure and secure code snippets. Chapter 4 also demonstrates debugging and disassembling code, usually not seen in security texts. Chapter 8 probably contains the most advanced coverage of buffer overflows I've read in a book. By actually showing and explaining stack traces, the authors share a level of detail sufficient to satisfy all but the most elite coders. Chapters on "diffing" (5) and format strings (9) are robust. Hardware hacking, thoroughly described in chapter 14, is fascinating. The author cared enough to include numerous clear photographs of disassembled equipment, and mentioned many helpful external web references.

While these great chapters comprise more than half of HPYN2E, the remainder is not exceptional. I was not happy with the rambling, wordy chapters on spoofing (12) and tunneling (13). Spare us the quotes from Dante's "Divine Comedy"! Still, this material is easily skimmed.

Because HPYN2E is written more from an intruder's point of view, the title doesn't seem to reflect the material. The book isn't exactly a "how to hack" manual, but it expertly illuminates many facets of compromising information resources.

When I read the first edition of this book, was truly disappointed. I was wondering how such people could have written such book. Not that the book was worthless, but too 'standard' to met the expectations I had from these guys.
Still the idea was very interesting (information directly from the real experts), and I kept waiting for a new edition.
Well the second edition is now out, and not only fulfills, but exceeds all my original expectations !!

Let's take a look:

The Approach:

Understanding attacks and vulnerabilities, by understanding 'how to hack' (good hacking of course. . . .ahem )

The Book:

Rewritten, expanded and improved, the book consists of 800+ pages well structured into 18 chapters (against 450+ pages and 15 chapters of the first edition).
Well written, well presented, with a real fancy table of contents, the chapters include url's, a FAQ section and a SOLUTIONS FAST TRACK one.
A lot of CLEVER code is included as well as helpful 'Tool & Traps' and 'Notes from the Underground. . . ' outlines.

The new sections (all outstanding) include:
- Hardware Hacking (otherwise only found in papers)
- Tunneling (excellent)
- IDS evasion (very easily explained)
- Format strings attacks

The Intended Audience:

People willing to become network security pros.

Contents:

- Introduction to Security, Attacks and related Methodologies.
- Cryptography.
- Unexpected Input, Buffer Overflow, Format Strings.
- Sniffing, Hijacking and Spoofing.
- Tunneling, Hardware Hacking, Viruses (et al.).
- IDS Evasion.
- Automated Tools.
- Reporting Security Problems.

The Bottom Line:

It is not just a good book, it is the best book among high level network security books, and the only that compares with specialized papers. Only quite easier.
I got more than 60 papers on buffer overflows. None compares with the classical 'Smashing The Stack For Fun And Profit' by Aleph One. IMHO, however, the corresponding chapter from this book, does compare and is really easier to understand.
Finally, the 'piece de resistance' of the book, is the chapter about Spoofing. Really enjoyed it, and by the way got surprised reading the innovative (to me) technique to 'Spoof Connectivity Through Asymmetric Firewalls'. Good Job Dan ;-)
As an added bonus, as an owner of this book, you'll find a lot of code files, applications and links...

I have the first edition of this book also, and I was really glad to see the second edition come out. There are some great hacking books out now, but I really think these ones are the best. I found in depth coverage on a lot of stuff you just can't find any place else. Some very cool info. on administering hosts locked behind a firewall and tips for making a "poor man's VPN". I also like that a lot of big names wrote the book, and their personalities really come through. A lot of tech. books can be a little dry even if they are well written. This one is actually entertaining also.