A few billion years after the Big Bang, a giant star ends its life in a spectacular explosion. In a fraction of a second, it releases more energy than an average star would in a 10 billion year lifetime, including tremendous gamma ray bursts traveling out at the speed of light. These gamma rays radiate out in all directions - some in the direction where the Milky Way galaxy will be born in a few hundred million years. By the time the first of these gamma ray photons have traveled half the distance to this new galaxy, our Sun is born with the Earth following some half a billion years later. Still these gamma rays are continuing on their journey. By the time they reach our Local Supercluster, dinosaurs are ruling the Earth. When they finally reach the outskirts of the Milky Way, the dinosaurs are long gone and the first human predecessors are walking on Earth. As these gamma ray photons approach the Pleiades, Galileo is looking through the first telescope. As they reach Alpha Centauri, a rocket is being launched from Cape Kennedy carrying a military satellite with a gamma ray detector on board. Four years later these gamma rays have completed their 10 billion year journey on July 2, 1967 and are detected by this satellite!
So begins the race to study these mysterious sources of intense gamma radiation and determine their origins. This is what "Flash" is all about. It documents the people who have devoted their lives since 1967 to understand the most powerful explosions in the universe, second only to the Big Bang itself, gamma ray burst. This is a very up-to-date and exciting book with a lot of the human side of scientific investigation described as well as a fair amount of good scientific information. I particularly liked chapter eleven, which has a beautifully written description of stellar evolution. This is a fascinating book on a relatively new phenomenon in this elegant universe in which we are such a small part. You are sure to want to learn more about these awesome sources of power after reading this book. You might want to get the video "Death Star" from PBS, which chronicles gamma ray burst in a way similar to this book.

Flight of the Monarch is a group of stories that you have got to read to believe. I found myself wondering where Ray came up with the ideas for these stories. I hope he has more. If you like a change of pace with a twist, read this book.

Using patient-based problem solving, this text makes even the most difficult points of acid-base physiology clear. The writing style is breezy and entertaining and the layout allows you to pop in and out of various sections without the need to start from scratch. I have used the text for teaching medical students, residents and physician assistants. There is something in here for everyone. The authors' philosophy is obviously that acid-base problems are giant jig-saw puzzles and that you might as well have fun while working them.

This short story - Foghorn - made Bradbury my favourite author. The plot may seem really simple but Bradbury manages to express the feeling of loneliness so deeply that it makes me cry every time i read it.

(Found this review in Library Journal) by January Adams ODSI Research Librarian Those who have had a loved one harmed in a violent act face a very different grieving process, according to psychologist Gayton, whose wige was murdered during a robberty at their home. As the author details his reactions to this horrific event, the reader is given an intimate look at his transition from shock and outrage to resolution--a journey that took him five years to complete. Interwoven is Gayton's advice on how readers can work through their own experiences. Although other books exist on how to weather life's tragedies (i.e. Catherine Sander's Surviving Grief and Learning to Live Again), this book is unique in that it concentrates on handling the emotional legacy of intentional and senseless brutality. Given our society's increasing vilence, this work will surely find an expanding audience, recommended for public libraries.

As an ameteur western historian, and a great fan of Nebraska pioneer history, with an emphasis on Fort Kearny, I have found this book to incredible. I have written a historical fiction about the fort as a way to show my appreciation for the unfortunately neglected spot, and have found it to be most helpful with little details. Mr. Wilson's accounts are obviously well-researched, and he should be given credit for an extremely in-depth and informative story about a place in American history often neglected by many historians. Hopefully it will inspire others to get interested in Fort Kearny, one of the most important sites in all of Western America. Good job to Mr. Wilson on his wonderfully written history!

David Ray Griffin's essay on Hartshorne is more than worth the price of the book all by itself.

I loved this book; I picked it up at the [store] because of the cool cover (shallow, I know, but read on), but within two minutes was so hooked that I couldn't put it down. We live in a society that is both obsessed with being thin, while at the same time grows increasingly unhealthy. Dr. Ray's premise is that we've come to expect degeneration, dependency and disease as a natural part of aging, when in fact all of these things can be retarded, or even eliminated. As a Stanford Med school educated Biochemist, Dr. Ray knows her stuff, and she shares this all important information in a way that is both fun to read and highly compelling. Want to live to experience true longevity, while being vibrant, fit and mentally alert? Start eating and exercising the way we're genetically programmed to do, and stop falling prey to fad diets and more drugs. Dr. Ray offers a bold new look at how to seize control of your health and your future. Warning: this book is recommended for people who are not afraid to look at their lives and their health in a whole new way, and who are willing to explode the myths of pharmaceuticals as cure-alls, and dieting as we know it as the way to health.

I taught freshman composition in two different colleges using this text. It is the clearest, most complete book for directing students how to achieve each of the various basic writing styles in English. It gives many examples, together with a summarized step-by-step method for each style.

I am completely biased - this book is by my dad - but I still think it is a jolly good read! Although it chronicles some of our life in the UK and USA, the author does a great job of explaining the many differences between the two countries. Even I learned a lot from it, and my mom and I were the ones who told dad to write it because we were exhausted by his story telling! This is truly a labor of love, and I'm very proud of both my dad's extraordinary life and the tenacity he showed during the writing and promotion of his book. Buy it now! (Kudos to mom for the fabulous cover illustration.)