This book is a real page turner. Don't start reading unless you have the afternoon off.

Like a classic 15 year-old Malt Whisky, or a full-bodied vintage red wine, Shadows and Deceptions is an exceptionally well rounded book. The author entices you with a strong bouquet of intrigue and secrecy as he sets the scene and introduces the main characters. With your first sip, he plunges you into the action with eloquent and descriptive passages of quick-fire action, leaving your mind tingling with a strong liquor of options and possibilities. Can a small, quiet place like Albany harbour international crime? Will our main protagonist's dark past catch up with him? Will it destroy his brave new world? Can he overcome adversity and prevail as an unlikely hero? That first sip has you hooked. You swallow and find a plot which is exhilirating, complex and strong yet smooth in its transitions from sub-plot to sub-plot. You can't get enough. Your mind yearns for more. The author teases you with more dark secrets from a murky past. More twists and turns en route to the dramatic climax. It's difficult to tell the good from the bad. You must drink more to satiate your curiosity. In the end, your glass lies empty. It's been a sublimely satisfying experience and your palate is ready for more. When is the next book being released?

I am in the midst of some pretty expansive research on innovation in national security (at MIT) and after doing a search came upon Sharpening the Sword. With a bit of trepidation I paid the $25 and was pleasantly surprised to find what was inside the compendium. It addresses things as important as the unified command plan and prescient as unmanned aerial vehicles. Only part I didn't really enjoy were the sections that were Service specific. But overall an exceptional volume and well worth the cost.

The editors and authors of "Sharpening the Sword" have achieved what few others have lately --- they manage to carefully and critically treat the questions of innovation in national security with an eye to the future. From the foreword by former Deputy Secretary of Defense John White to the last article on privatizing peacekeeping -- these are fresh new thoughts from experts who are looking ahead.

Enjoyed this Cody J. Bryan story even more than the first one. Once again, awaiting impatiently for publication of next book.

I read a lot of mystery books, and I have to rate this one right up there at the top of my list. It grabbed me immediately and wouldn't turn loose. Cody is a very funny guy, and I can identify closely with him. Being familiar with the setting for this book also made it more interesting to me. If you like to laugh and be entertained by a mystery, try this one.

Brian Blaylock definitely has what it takes to make the top-selling lists. With There Came a Crooked Man I believe Mr. Blaylock has developed a great foundation on which to continue building his castle of multi-selling novels. I was both intrigued and spellbound by his wits and charisma in portraying the characters in his novel. Way to go, and do not stop!
Tomas Johansson
Evansville, IN

This book held me from the minute I picked it up until I put it down completed. I wish all books were as well writted and exciting as this. I didn't want it to end! The characters were so real, and the story funny, wonderful, poignant, and exciting all in one. Please write more Bryan, hurry!!!!

this book is great for a lesson plan. I found it to be very useful to show how we use our hands. a great learning to tool to teach preschool children.

This book is wonderful for emerging readers & for those children just learning to appreciate symbols of inspiration & empowerment. Children all want to do for themselves & Hope Price's book lets all children know that they can do so many, wonderful & helpful things. The poetry is simple & easy for all to grasp. The illustrations are beautiful. I think that this "big little book" will spark the imagination of children & hopefully get them thinking about the many ways they can contribute to their family, friends & society. My kids loved it. We look forward to more stories from Hope.

I fondly remember that when I first read a review of this book in a fitness magazine in April, 1980, my mother called the publisher and ordered it for me.
I still have my orignal copy: tattered cover, text full of underlining, highlighting, and my comments in the margins. Many excellent books on the market today harken back to Nancy Bryan's "non-striving" concept that she so aptly illustrated long before most people were writing about it. I have read the book over and over again. Some of her points make so much sense and ofter occur to me when I think about the horrors of compulsive eating and impatient weight loss. For instance, she points out that if you heard about a magical scheme to have a baby in 3 months you would never believe it. So why believe that you can "lose 20 pounds in 20 days"?
Dr. Bryan helped me to understand that weight loss is about so much more than "dieting" at a time when most of the literature was touting one quick "cure" or another and I was feeling more and more hopeless because of my lack of "willpower." It is so comforting to remember that I am not worthless because I lack willpower; I simply need to stop obsessing about a "diet" and remember that I need to break old patterns and internalize healthier ones by practicing them until they become familiar and comfortable.
This is the only sane way to get on the road to better emotional and physical health and subsequently to a thinner body. I know because I lost 80 pounds and this way of thinking is the only way I can keep it off and stay healthy.

This books explains a very complex issue in a very simple way which exposes the underlying misconceptions regarding weight loss. The result is an arsenol of equipment to make and sustain permanant changes. A paragraph in chapter 3 called "You Are Your Habits" explains so clearly that the reason it is so hard to stay on a diet is because we are so programmed to do things the way we've always done them. This is the beauty of habits - they are great when we've learned things the right way. But when our habits are working towards our detriment, understanding the self protecting process can help us endure the discomfort that is neccessary to create new habits. Dr. Bryan refers often to the bestselling book "Inner Tennis" by Timothy Gallwey, as his view of mastering tennis helped her to change her view of dieting from one of self-effort to self-actualization. I loved this book, and believe it will help me to maintain my 125 lb. weight loss because it has changed me from the inside out.

MAN, This Dude says it LIKE IT IS!
IT IS A GREAT BOOK.
ANYONE IN THIER RIGHT MIND SHOULD READ IT!

This book is definately a challenge to both sides of the environmental debate. Both conservatives and liberals are given plenty to chew on when the author reveals what Scripture has to say about our planet -- God's creation! This is an excellent research tool for Christians and non-Christians alike, when preparing any kind of document, article or manuscript regarding the environment and environmental ethics. I highly recommend it to college libraries and bookstores and professors! No matter where you "stand" on the issue of environment, this book will most likely challenge your position and possibly enlighten you to a new way of thinking.

I am a student at the University of Wyoming and for a readings class with Bryan Vila, he gave me this book and told me to read it and write a paper on it. So, maybe this review is a little biased, but it is an honest review. Dr. Vila had talked about his research for this book numerous times over the past several years in the classes I've taken from him, but this was the first chance I had to read any of the material he had gathered and written down. It all came together in this book. And everything he said and found in his research is 100% true and accurate. The book is well composed and I was excited to see the finished product of all his hard research over the years. It all came together nicely Bryan, and it is a great start. I know you still want to do so much more with this topic. Thanks for being such a great teacher and I look forward to working with you more as I pursue a masters.

For many reasons discussed in this book, Dr. Vila espouses the theme, "good cops don't let tired cops hit the streets." He presents a well-written and documented book that encourages law enforcement officers at all levels to make proper sleep and rest as important in survival as training with firearms and the safe operation of vehicles. Vila's research and studies show that fatigue from sleep loss, disruption of natural body rhythms (circadian), and other factors, such as diet and overtime, can have serious negative effects. For one thing, fatigue worsens mood; tired police officers get irritable and short-tempered just like other people. Fatique also may increase the possibility of officers involved in official misconduct and jeopardizing the positive relations between themselves and their familites, and eventually the community. I sincerely believe that law enforcement agencies should add this book to their libraries for research, reference, and as a tool to explain uncharacteristic behaviors of some officer. Dr. Vila did a good job with this one!

I met Bryan Fiese at one of his book lectures. Mr. Fiese is a vibrant, enthusiastic young man. He has developed a unique perspective on life and shares this perspective in his book, Two Steps Back, A Lifetime Forward. In his book, he paints a picture of life's journey as the "River of Life." He speaks of building your 'raft' to withstand the adventures of the river in order to reach the "Lake of Dreams." Mr. Fiese then states that the 'first step back' is to get in touch with your inner vision through meditation. The 'second step back' is to understand your behaviors by identifying the thoughts and the emotions that lead to your behaviors. 'A Lifetime Forward' begins with planting a commitment tree by writing down "what it is that you are committing yourself to become." He defines commitment as "a promise, a pledge to achieve an objective within a specific time period." Your idea becomes your 'seed.' Then you must "develop your roots" and "constantly feed and nourish your tree." Mr. Fiese provides ample tips for nourishing your commitment tree. He also gives great suggestions for quitting bad habits, living a healthier life, and building lasting relationships. The book concludes with a two page poem from an Indian Elder that will literally reach out and touch your soul. Bryan Fiese's book is a great source of inspiration. He encourages the reader to smile and live with enthusiasm. This author's words are like a breath of fresh air.

In Two Steps Back, A Lifetime Forward, author Bryan Fiese provides a guide for acquiring positive insights to cope with the stresses and concerns of contemporary society. Through the use of humorous anecdote and story, Fiese showcases proven techniques and simple strategies that change thinking, make life more exciting, and our personal futures more optimistic. Readers will learn how to break bad habits, release negative emotions, understand feelings, control their own time, achieve success, develop enthusiasm, build lasting relationships and a great deal more. Two Steps Back, A Lifetime Forward is a much appreciated addition to the reading list for anyone seeking to improve their lives by improving themselves.

Government at a distance does not work. It is easy to ignore the personal responsibility of governance when it is not local. First we allowed the State to take over the rule making and curriculums of our schools and now the Federal authorities are making global rulings on school operations. Those who wish to control find it easier to make rules once at the Federal level and force all to submit to their vision. Return the control to the local levels.

Having just seen the review posted by Independent Publisher (1998) - right on the money! Ten years after publication, The Vermont Papers is still the only blueprint for dismantling overgrown liberty-destroying political superstructures and restoring true LOCAl democracy with widespread civic involvement. And we also thought it was pretty entertaining, too. (from co-author John McClaughry, now 32 years a Town Moderator)