This book has made a lasting impression on me. I read this book when I was a young adult, and boy did it make me cry. It is a true story, if you want a great book that pulls at your heart strings, get a box of tissues and have some alone time. It is mainly about a little girl and what happens to her and her family...sorry... dont want to give too much away! Please read this book, it will change your life!

I read this book as a young adult around 14 years old. I found it at a garage sale, What a find. This story will always stay in your mind and heart after you read it. It's a tear jerking story, so be ready to shed a few tears. But it's VERY well worth reading. This book will definatly pull at your heart strings. Let the story sink in, And go ahead.... let the tears flow. On a scale of 1 to 10, It's a 15!

I've been using this book as a resource for evaluating programs at our college and for my doctoral research. The book is well organized and contains several examples and paradigms with which to evaluate programs in both govermental and corporate settings. Expensive book but one that you'll keep handy!

Even though it is not an Evaluation Manual which sometimes comes in handy for conducting evaluation studies, it is a very good book. I have used it for my Masters Program (at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala) and found it very useful both for the theoretical and for the practical parts.It covers all major models tracing their origins. I plan on using it for my Doctoral Program, at Universidad de Costa Rica.

As a graduate student in mathematics I survived on this encyclopedic work. Anyone interested in differential geometry or differential topology will eventually need something in this book.

Prerequisites are graduate-level algebra and analysis, and some topology and differential geometry. He introduces the subject of pseudodifferential operators and Sobolev spaces, but it's easy to get lost in that part unless you first read Shubin's book "Pseudodifferential operators and Spectral theory". Also, the quick shuffling of Lie group information can be disheartening if you're not used to it. Harvey's book "Spinors and Calibrations" is a more elementary book if this is the case.

This book touches on many important topics like the Atiyah-Singer Index Theorem, the Bochner method, Riemann-Roch, and mathematical physics, but you will probably want to supplement your reading with individual books on each of these topics.

Who would have known that the equation discovered by P.A.M. Dirac in the 1920's would have the enormous appllications to mathematics that it currently has. This book is an excellent overview of these applications, written by two individuals who are responsible for the development of many of these. Dirac's theory of course had its origins in physics, and physicists, particularly those working in high energy physics, will find this book interesting and helpful.

The authors give a brief introduction and then move on to the representation theory of Clifford algebras and spin groups in chapter 1. The reader can see the origin of Clifford algebras and an introduction to the Pin and Spin groups. Clifford algebras are classified as matrix algebras over the real or complex numbers, and the quaternions. It is the representation theory of Clifford algebras however that has resulted in the impressive results outlined in the book Noting that the tensor product of Clifford algebras is not necessarily a Clifford algebra, the authors introduce a Z(2)-grading on a Clifford algebra, which results in a multiplicative structure in the representations of Clifford algebras. The Lie algebras of the Pin and Spin groups are discussed along with applications to geometry and Lie groups. By far the most interesting discussion though is on K-theory, which allows one to define a ring structure on vector bundles. Distinguishing a base point in the base space, relative K-groups are defined, and shown to be equal for the base space and its i-fold suspension. Bott periodicity results are stated but their proof is delayed until chapter 3. A detailed discussion is given of the Atiyah-Bott-Shapiro isomorphism and KR-theory.

The connection between spin and differential geometry is discussed in chapter 2. The first few sections is a review of standard results in the spin structure of vector bundles, such as Stiefel-Whitney classes and spin cobordism. For Riemannian vector bundles, each fiber has a quadratic form that gives rise to a Clifford algebra on the fiber. The question as to when a vector bundle over the Riemannian base space can be found that has fibers each an irreducible module over this Clifford algebra leads to a consideration of spin manifolds and spin cobordism, when the total space is chosen to be the tangent bundle. The Dirac operator acting on a bundle over this Clifford bundle allows the construction of all the standard elliptic operators such as the signature, Atiyah-Singer, and the Euler characteristic. The authors discuss these constructions in detail along with the notion of of Cl(k)-linear operators.

The Dirac operator can be viewed in Euclidean space as the square root of a Laplace operator, but over general manifolds it is the Laplacian with a correction term dependent on the curvature and Clifford multiplication. The Bochner vanishing theorems are discussed in great detail, along with the results on the existence of exotic spheres.

An entire chapter is spent on index theorems, wherein the authors present the results in terms of the approach used by Atiyah and Singer, instead of the heat kernel methods of Gilkey and Patodi. Physicists might prefer the later approach, due to its connections with applications, but the abstract K-theory approach undertaken by the authors is elegant and their presentation is excellent. The role of physics in index theorems is a fascinating one though, especially the use of supersymmetry to simplify the proofs of some of the results. The authors do not discuss this approach, but point out, interestingly, that it does not work when one is dealing with torsion elements in K-theory. These cannot be detected using cohomology nor can the modulo-two invariants appearing in the index theorems be computed from local densities.

The last chapter is a long one and discusses applications in differential topology and geometry, emphasizing index thoerems and Riemannian manifolds of positive scalar curvature. The authors outline just when the indexes are integers (the integrality theorems) and use spin geometry to discuss the immersion problem for manifolds and the vector field problem. Exotic n-spheres again make their appearance, wherein it is shown that some of these have very few symmetries and are very asymmetric objects. A short introduction to elliptic genera is given. Interestingly, C*-algebras are briefly mentioned as tools to decide whether for every compact spin manifold with positive scalar curvature all higher A-genera must be zero. Spin-c manifolds are not treated, the authors instead concentrating their attention to Kahlerian geometry. In this context the Clifford algebra multiplication has a beautiful relationship with the complex structure. A brief discussion is given of the pure spinors of Cartan and twistor spaces. The theory of holonomy and calibrations, the later due to one of the authors, is discussed in great detail. The discussion begins in the consideration of when universal covering spaces are not Riemannian manifolds and their holonomy groups have been classified. The idea of a calibration arises from the consideration of submanifolds that are homologically volume-minimizing. These become calibrations when the integrals of p-forms on them are the volumes, and these p-forms have vanishing differentials on oriented tangent p-planes on the manifold. The authors give an interesting discussion of the relation between spinors and calibrations.

A great L'Amour title, originally published in 1954 under the name Jim Mayo. As he did so often, L'Amour takes a stock dime-western situation, the range war, and weaves his story telling magic! The title character, a legendary town tamer, is very well fleshed out as he attempts to keep a pack of land-grabbing jackals from dividing up two of the largest, richest cattle ranches in Arizona. First they murder the owners...then the gang comes gunning for Blaine! Solid plot, great dialogue and some of L'Amour's best descriptive passages painting the rugged beauty of the mountains and valleys of the American Southwest.

This gunslinger doesn't take crap from anyone. Stuck in a middle of a range war, he delivers what others fear, his gun's fury. Although L'amour carries some unbelievable moments in this story, there is a fun flowing read to the story.

Interesting read at the beginning, but becomes rather boring and lack of solid substance towards the end. However the book contains a lot of interesting and inspiring metaphors which have saved the book from becoming a boring read.

P.

Dr. Lee is an associate of Stephen R. Covey and vice president of Franklin Covey Company. If you appreciate Dr. Covey's books including Principle-Centered Leadership or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, you will want this book! Blaine Lee discusses what he terms the power principle, which has the potential to significantly impact all of our relationships in and out of the workplace.

In a nutshell this power principle is defined as learning to influence with honor. Dr. Lee begins the book by discussing the relationship between power and influence. Most societies and cultures use two fundamental power strategies to influence others and achieve efficiency. The first power strategy is one of forced coercion. People do things because they are afraid not to. The person in authority has the "ability to intimidate or bully people, to do something unpleasant or uncomfortable to other people." The second option is that of a fair exchange approach. People do what they are told because of what the person in authority can do for them. They offer their services because "I will pay you if you'll do what I want. I have something to exchange for your time and effort...I've got something you want, you've got something I want. Let's make a deal." Blaine explains how these two approaches may be efficient but long-term they are not effective or productive.

The Power Principle offers a third approach to power strategy. It is predicated on a number of core principles clearly discussed by Dr. Lee. This is a different kind of power since it "suggests that the person you believe is powerful is someone others believe in, someone they honor, someone they respect." When others honor you, you have the ability to have sustained, long-term influence with them. The second 2/3rds of the book discusses why the power principle makes a difference, what they are, and how to use this strategy with your family, customers and coworkers. The final chapters deal with making a commitment to change and the power principle a lifelong quest.

This is an outstanding work and makes an excellent companion to Dr. Covey's highly respected principle-centered philosophy.

I believe the message of this book is so powerful I use it as one of the textbooks for the Classroom Management course that I teach. My students rave about it and feel that it gives them a better insight into their own issues regarding power. Many have said that the book has helped them with their relationships.

This book is way too machiavellian and shares its flaws. The prime flaw of Machivallianism is it doesn't take into account of the principle rule of human relationships: what goes around comes around.

This books teaches you to lie, cheat, and steal from your enemies in order to destroy them. What it COMPLETELY ignores is that it will almost definitely come back to haunt you.

If you don't want others to hurt you by lying, cheating, and stealing from you, then don't practice the teachings of this book unless it is absolutely neccessary.

I could never understand why so many people did so many counterproductive things in the workplace. I was brought up to have integrity & work hard (& thought that's what other people were like). This booked helped explain the motives & reasoning behind behavior I had previously found baffling. Understanding the tactics & motives of political players in the workplace is the first step in coping with them (instead of just being cannon fodder). This book isn't perfect & won't solve all your problems, but it's a good start. I recommend everyone read this book, even if you don't think workplace politics effects you.

I work in a very competitive office and this book is full of strategies for coping with this type of workplace. highly recommended for anyone working at high levels in a company, or in politics, entertainment or another field where employees will stop at nothing to succeed.

I really enjoyed all books Archer Christifori was in until this one. This really doesn't potray the awesome work that the author can uaually pump out. This Is a toatly unrealistic book ranging from 3 regiments up from usual one they had in the other two books about Archer. They really should've coutinued with the entriguing civil war instead of this boring topic of the falcon invasion. Much better stuff can be read {like the warrior series.} Read this only if you have $...sitting around or don't care about realistic settings and numbers. Only read if in dire need of Battletch serries or else skip this piecie of bad litirture.

When I bought this book, I had recently finished reading Measure Of A Hero which tells us how Archer Christifori got involved in the civil war. What attracted me to these books was Archer's character. This book brought some serious issues to light and Archer was definitly the person to deal with them. This book also brings forth the tragedy of war. Archer knew that going in and he also knew that he could be one of those casalties. But they did it because they had to. The action is always there and the book keys in on not only Archer's character, but also Adam Steiner. By the end of the book, We see changes in the attitudes on both sides. They all learn to respect each other and some become friends even though they are on opposite sides of he civil war.

When I bought this book I just completed reading the latest Mechwarrior book so I was apprihensive in purchasing another battletech book right away but when I read the back cover and saw that had General Archer in the story line I went ahead and bought the book. So Once I started reading the book I couldn't set down the book. I was very impressed with the Operation Audacity. This book starts off with bringing back one of the more colorful characters that has been written into the FedCom civil war story line. General Archer is back and kicking the Jade Falcons out of the Lyran Alliance. The book read really well and flowed through smoothly and most of all it wasn't boring like the Mechwarrior series books. This has been a great book. This book has my highest recommandations.

David Blaine's aptly titled book, Mysterious Stranger, reveals few, if any of the young magician's most guarded secrets. People expecting to read it and come away knowing how to a) Levitate or b) Be buried alive for a week, will be disappointed. Those who are simply curious about the rising star's life, his philosophy of magic, and who would like to learn a few tricks along the way, will get all they paid for, and more.

I realize that I've said pretty much nothing about the book, but that's only because it's surprisingly hard to classify. It reads like a continuous blend of history, biography, magic tricks, and personal memoirs. Oh, yeah. There's also a hidden puzzle named "Blaine's Challenge" contained in the text that, when correctly solved, reveals the secret location of $100,000 stashed safely away somewhere in the United States. This is a legitimate contest - not a scam or publicity stunt, which, if nothing else, leaves the reader with something to ponder and dream about.

All of this though, would be unimportant if this weren't a good book, which it is. The first thing I noticed was the great overall look of the book. The hardcover edition weighs in at 214 pages, and is packed full of great, full-page photographs, pictures, and illustrations throughout.
The first couple of chapters deal mainly with the history of magicians and magic, and are fairly comprehensive. But this isn't a history book, and Blaine knows it. He keeps the chapters short, sweet, and even slips in some fun tricks that have nothing to with history to amuse and entertain your friends.

The core of the book is not about magic in general, but about Blaine himself. As a reader, I learned a lot about him and about magicians in general. His story is told in a mostly linear style, revealing how he got from working as a restaurant magician who drove a beat-up Honda, to getting his own million-dollar special on ABC. Along the way, we hear about him meeting Jack Nicholson, and get an interesting story about his travels to South America, where he met members of the Yanomamo civilization, a people who "had a penchant for attacking outsiders with darts".

If there's one recurring theme surrounding Blaine, it's his impressive ability to use magic as "the great equalizer", as he calls it. He gets along with everyone, it seems. Homeless people in New York, people on the street in gangland Compton, the Dallas Cowboys...the list goes on.

The book ends with three chapters about Blaine's most famous stunts: Buried Alive, Frozen in Time, and Vertigo. Readers will get an inside look at the preparation Blaine went through, as well as what he was thinking throughout the duration of all three, the shortest of which, Vertigo, went on for thirty-five hours. Blaine ends by saying he knows this is only the beginning. Personally, I find comfort in that.

The book is targeted at a wide audience, and finds its mark. Anyone who's ever thought about being a magician should read it. Anyone who has seen the TV specials and wants to know more about the man himself, should read it too. And anyone who could use an extra $100,000 and wants to take a crack at "Blaine's Challenge", should read it very carefully.

Enjoyed David Blaine's MYSTERIOUS STRANGER, the
amazing street magician who was buried alive for seven days
and seven nights . . . he then became the world's living ice
cube in Times Square . . . and also in Manhattan, he stood
still as a statue 10 stories above ground only to leap to
his life below.

Having seen him several times on TV, I was interested
in finding out who he is . . . this book tells all (or certainly
a great deal) . . . while you won't find out the exact
secrets of the above tricks, you'll at least learn more
about how he came up with the desire to do them.

Furthermore, Blaine does show you in step-by-step
detail how you can mystify others with magic that
can be performed with everyday props--including cards.

There was a bit too much emphasis for me on the
history of magic and, particularly, Harry Houdini's place
in history . . . yet overall, I had fun with the book.

Many of the photos--showing Blaine in action--were
breathtaking . . . there were several memorable passage, too;
among them:

One of the first things I learned about magic was that there is a strong correlation between performing magic and playing chess.
The further you plan ahead, the more effective your game or
magic will be. If you can anticipate other people's moves and
also plan out your own moves, you'll be steps ahead of your
audience and able to astound them with regularity. A little mis-
direction always helps too. Misdirection is a skill that magicians use to make their audience look where they want them to, when they want them to. I remember when I was young and playing chess with adults, if I made a really good move, I'd often pretend that I was angry with myself for committing such a "blunder." Because I seemed aggravated, I'd throw my opponents off, they'd overlook my possibilities, and bam, next move I'd take their queen. This is a form of time misdirection, relaxing your opponent's attention and therefore controlling it.

In the 1980s and 1990s, an amazing psychic named Herb Dewey
wrote a series of books aimed at an audience of fellow psychics, although many mentalists in the magic field bought them. They were filled with practical tips for doing cold readings that Dewey has amassed during his long career, which included over 100,000 personal readings. Dewey's techniques were genius. He would start a cold reading by asking his client, "How long are you here for?" If his client was visiting form out of town, he or she was immediately impressed and predisposed to read into anything he would say from that point on. But if the client was from that same area and
questioned what Dewey meant, he'd just say, "I meant how long is
the reading you want, a half hour or a full hour?" Either way, he didn't lose.

In order to live a fulfilled life, one must resist the temptations
surrounding them:
* Never overindulge.
* Have few extravagances.
* Resist addictions.
* Respect all life.
* Remember that a mistake is only a mistake when you fail
to learn from it.
* Accumulate knowledge. Listen. Read. Observe.
* Visit the ocean.
* Try to interact with all different types of people from all walks of life.
* Wonder and be amazed.
* Love and respect those close to you.
* Learn to love yourself.
* Pursue your dreams and goals with passion. Our potential to
create is limitless.
* Don't create a robot that's superior to human beings or it will wipe out the human race.

This book is by the famous, darkly handsome street magician who gained fame recently through three major stunts: entombing himself in the sidewalk, being encased in a block of ice, and standing on (then leaping from) an 80-foot pillar in Bryant Park. Blaine's book is part memoir, part how-to guide, and part history of magic. The three elements blend well, although the directions on how to perform various tricks occasionally seem somewhat shoe-horned in with the autobiographical narrative. However, this creates an unusual structure that makes the book quite engaging, even if you don't have an interest in actually performing the tricks. If you've seen Blaine on any of his television specials, you may have been captivated by the simple beauty of his tricks and his laid-back style. This style comes across in his writing, which is very natural and vivid. His writing is less dynamic during his long histories of magic and magicians, specifically in a chapter dedicated to Houdini. I can't be sure, but some of these passages read as though they were ghost-written, or at least heavily edited. That's not a complaint, because the rest of the book is sufficiently personal to compensate for it.

Perhaps the books most interesting chapters are the last three, which details the three major televised stunts he has performed. He discusses the preparation and execution of each of the stunts, as well as his state of mind during each of them, which in most cases can most succinctly be described as "out of it". These passages are particularly interesting if you've actually seen his stunts either in person or on TV.

Blaine also frequently discusses his relationship with his (now deceased) mother, who he obviously loved very much, and seems to have served as a motivation for his success. Blaine comes off as very down-to-earth, daring, practical, focused, and hard-working. Unlike other autobiographies, he does not really attempt to exaggerate his own contributions to magic, but seems almost over-whelmed and flattered by the success he has experienced.

All in all, the book is an entertaining and fast read that gives you great insight into Blaine's character and methodology, and will teach you a few tricks of your own, if you are interested.

I grew up in the Tri-Cities and spent the first 19 years of my life living just blocks away from the Columbia River and there was a lot of information told in this book that I never knew. Harden does a wonderful job of relating the history of the Columbia River and the effects that the many dams built on the river had on the land, the people, the nation, and the economy. I thoroughly enjoyed his story and felt he handled well the many issues important to preservationists, politicians, and farmers.

I recommend this to anyone who lives in the state of Washington and is interested in man's permanent effects on this land.

Once in a great while a book comes along that is so beautifully written, with stories so well told, that the subject matter seems secondary to the writer's ability to sustain interest. For me, with little interest in the northwest (I've been there twice), this was such a book. It is from Harden's exceptional skill as a writer and narrator of stories that the Columbia River suddenly became of great interest as I turned his pages.

"A River Lost" tells the story and history of the Columbia River and the environmental, economic and aesthetic impact of daming that river in the first half of the last century. Especially interesting are the stories and points of view of those who work and live on its shores, the fate of the native indians who have lived in the region for hundreds of years and the differences in culture between the Starbucks yuppies east of the Cascades and the blue collar workers so dependant on the water and its billions in federally subsidized benefits to the west.

Highly praised in reviews by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, the Village Voice, The Seattle Times and Publishers Weekly, it is a great read for the information, for the writing, for a piece of American history.

When this book was written the current water, fish, and power crisis was in its infancy. This book foretold the inevitable conflict that now threatens the economy of the entire region. The documentation of the wasteful use of water by irrigators to grow crops that are unprofitable with a system paid for by taxpayers and electric ratepayers should be mandatory reading for all Northwesterners. If BPA fails and electric rates skyrocket the reasons are all spelled out here. Those who want to frame the debate as "fish versus Power" will find in the pages of this book that in actuality the real contest is between power generation and irrigation. My 16 years as a water resource planner for the Department of the Interior made me want to say "right on" with every page I read.

I received this book several days ago and read through it with great zeal after all the excellent reviews it received. This book generally seems to be intended for 2 audiences: the young contemplating marriage; and the slightly older contemplating re-marriage. Well, I fall somewhere in the middle, in territory that either wasn't touched on or was barely glazed over. I've lived with my boyfriend for several years and am at the point that I'd like to get married (he's indifferent to the idea), and was hoping that there would be something in this book to help me navigate the waters that I now find myself in. In true "good Christian" form this author doesn't even touch the subject of couples living together without benefit of matrimony. It's obvious that my boyfriend and I both have commitment issues, which this author dedicates a whole chapter to, but there's nowhere to go from there. He advocates keeping a positive attitude and keeping marriage a goal in your life, if you truly decide that it's what you want, whether you're actually with the person you're going to walk down the aisle with or not. He also suggests praying for the significant other rather than shove bridal magazines under his nose. Both of those points are excellent advice in my opinion. When it all comes down to it, the only person you can do anything about is you. The author, a seemingly devout singleton, is rather indifferent towards marriage, he gives encouragement for both sides (marrieds/singles) both from personal counseling experience and Biblical references. As I said before, this is an ok book, but life isn't always as cut and dried as this book makes it sound, especially for those of us who became Christians later in life than others and are still dealing with choices they made pre-Christian.

When I was having difficulty deciding if my now-husband was the "right" person for me, I searched for answers from family, friends, and prayer. I believe that prayer and my persistence led me to M. Blaine Smith's books. Even though his "Yes Anxiety" title covers making wise decisions in several different areas, his insight into relationships is remarkable. I read "Should I get married?" after it. During courtship and engagement, I held onto these two titles and referred to them constantly. I learned so much about myself and what love and long-lasting marriage should be! I had been ambivalent and at times unsure as to what I should do about the prospect of marriage, even after I became engaged, and I spent many hours pouring over these two books. The most important thing that I learned is that NO ONE can be absolutely sure about any decision they make - with the help of family, friends, and reliance on God and belief that He wants the very best for you, you can make a decision and stick to it. I was able to make one of the most important decisions in my life because of the important lessons I learned from Smith's knowledge. As some people have mentioned in their reviews, yes, these books are written from a CHRISTIAN perspective, and the author is clear about that. If you are not a Christian, you may not find much here unless you open your mind to the many truths stated. For Christian singles - please read the two books that I've mentioned in this review. I truly believe that they will be of as much benefit to you as they have been to me. Thank you, Mr. Smith, for helping a very confused young lady make a change in her life - marriage to a man who is not only her husband, but her very, very best friend!

I've just finished reading the book "Should I Get Married" by M. Blaine Smith. It's by far the best book I've ever read on the subject of serious dating relationships. With an approach appealing to both character and commonsense, Smith walks you through question after question, fear after fear, and helps put things in their proper perspective.

Contemplating marriage but unable to make a final decision? Sick of the on-again, off-again syndrome? Wondering why you just can't seem to make relationships stick? Think you'll never ever find Miss or Mr. Right? Or want to help someone suffering in any of these situations? Then don't delay; grab a copy of this powerful book today!