I am a family counselor and find this book extremely helpful with my female clients. The most important questions it seems to address is: "What did I get/or didn't get from my father in my growing up years that now impacts my life positively or negatively? And where do I go from here? What is the role of a father in shaping a daughter's view of whom to marry, her overall self-esteem, her feelings about her physical attributes, and her desire to succeed in life?" I read this book after I had worked out many of my less than positive issues with my own father. It helped me to see what I did miss out on in that relationship. But equally important, it helped me to see my worth in spite of a less than perfect relationship with dad. A must read at any age!

I first got this book and read it in 89, when I couldn't stand my parents, especially my father and was playing out the rebellious teenager that needed independence role. I read it, but didn't read it. I got from it that it was daddy's fault that I failed this or that, or so and so dumped me, or that I couldn't do this or that.
I found this book years later, shortly after my father died and I was going through some of my old belongings stashed at his house. It was the perfect time for it to re-surface, and for the first time I actually read the book.
The only complaint I have regarding this book is emphasis on the "bad" father figures. The ones that aren't home or are drunks or abusive etc. But then again, many are, so perhaps it is fitting.
At either rate, if you have ever had problems with your father figure, this book is a must have for not only putting the past where it belongs, but also resolving any issues left in the open.

This book came at a time when I really needed it. My life was very stressed, personally, and then on top of it my parents were having major marital problems. The book was a real blessing. It was so insightful I couldn't put it down! Thank you, Mr. Wright for putting together such a wonderful book!

He's got this book laid out so that each chapter is it's own project. That's a good way to do it to make sure there's enough info to do it right. However, That means that in this relatively fat (expensive) book there are only 10 projects or so. The only project I really liked was the Adirondack chair, the others were too specialized for my simple tastes.

I enjoyed reading and studying some of these projects. Each one of Norm's books have something new and interesting to learn about. My only question is when will there be a next issue? The TV projects are great and it would be nice to review the available plans and be able to order them on the net.

Excellent book! Well laid out and thought out plans. Now if only we could have Norm to run the band saw for us and cut out those curves for the chair.

This book is a great book if you are looking for a certain piece of information. It isn't the type of book you sit down and read for an hour. It is very informative and contains a lot of entries about spy equipment, agencies, and operations of a spy.

I never read this book, but just wanted to comment on some of the comments given for this book. When you pick up an Encyclopedia, you don't expect to read it like a Novel. You want to look up a certain thing which you're interested in learning about. So, this is the Encyclopedia of Espionage. I hope none of you expected it to read like a Novel.

Sorry to those who thought I was going to comment on the book.

Steve

While there are some minor problems in the book: Polmar and Allen don't report that a German Commerce Raider intercepted an Australian freighter heading for London 4/42, inside a diplomatic pouch was proof that the US and England had decoded JN-25, the word wasn't passed to the Japanese until 8/42, after the Battle of Midway. The Japanese promptly changed their JN-25 codes. Also, it is now known that Nosenko and Fedora were both phoney Soviet disinformation defectors and that Dimitri Polyakov and Anatoly Golitsyn were bona fide Soviet defectors. But, overall this is the best spy reference book ever written. It includes the American Revolution, Civil War, the World Wars and even long forgotten information about the world's 2nd oldest profession. I found the item about Benjamin Franklin's secretary in Paris, fascinating. He was a spy for King George. By the way, the best wasy to read this, is to keep it on the back of your toliet. Read a little, day by day.

Martín Fierro is, in some way, a national hero for Argentinian people, even for those who haven't read the book. And it seems pretty difficult to analyse this poem knowing that, because Fierro is basically a dirty, filthy, lazy and bane gaucho. Anyway, being Fierro for Argentinian people as Cid for Spanish or Achilles for Greek, the reader should know that this book defends a savage way of life with reasonable ideas, and that is what makes it unique. Martín Fierro belongs to a special time in Argentinian history, and because of this fact the reader should take over this book in a special way and try to understand it by entering the soul of the typical gaucho poetry. This book, written 120 years ago is still very very recommendable in this age of Grishams and Sheldons.

Martin Fierro was written by Jose Hernandez in an era of gauchos and caudillos, not very different as what it its today with unjustice and segregation. Gives a plain message of values, courage and validates the ability of the people to survive under the worst conditions and succeed. A very actual approach at very current problems. The advise he gives to his kids could be the same we today give to our kids "sibbling be united , ..."
Agreat book, with a wonderfull content, some historic points of view and a nice look to lthe 1800 argentinean society from a gaucho's side .

Martin Fierro is a work of art. While describing in poetry the life of Martin Fierro (a Gaucho in the Pampas in the mid to late 1800's), this poem was also a political complaint and a message of unification against the modern world for the gauchos. Herandez's greatest achievement was to unite, in one poem, a message for all the social and cultural classes. Hernandez was a self made man, ruled by simple principles based on honesty and dignity. These principles are well reflected in his book. When Martin Fierro meets his sons, and counsels them, it is Hernandez speaking to all of us.

I think that all of North Americas sea shore critters can not be described in a single book. Certainly not in a book of this size. The publishers where quite bold in the scope and as such much information has been left out. That said let me tell you what is good about this book. The pictures are GREAT! Much better than looking at technical drawings. However, they are not better for identification. The descriptions of animal groups are excellent. For the person with little biological background this will go a good way toward explaining the complexities of ocean life. The method of identification, sorting by superficial appearance is handy, again for the inexperienced. To sum it up, if you want one book to carry during your first summer of beach combing get this one. If you need a companion for a marine zoology class stay away, unless you already have everything else.

I live in North Carolina and catch and keep a lot of Invertebrates we we go to the beach. So far, every Invert that we've caught has been in this book, easy to find and we found out alot about it by reading. Anyone who sees something cool at the beach often should get this book. In fact, it's a Must-Have.
Shredda Out

Anyone who has used the National Audubon's Field Guides knows just how great they are. This one is no exception. Great picture plates and acccurate descriptions of organisms. For the biologist to the beach hopper, this book is easy to use and very informative.

Norman Hall's Police Exam Prep Book gives you a good idea of what to expect with many police exams. I found "Barron's Police Officer Exam" book to have a slight edge, because it's more up to date and better organized. I also like "Guide to Careers in Federal Law Enforcement" and "FBI Careers," both by Thomas H. Ackerman, as prep guides for careers in federal law enforcement. Although all of the books mentioned above are excellent, my choice is Barron's for cop jobs and Ackerman for the feds.

I found this book to be a good way to prepare for the civil service test I took. It prepared me for all the questions I may encounter except for a small portion. I did, however, as I was doing the practice exams, find mistakes in the answer key. This occured only on one or two questions, but was certainly misleading. Otherwise, this is a very good preparation book. I received a raw score of 86.7 and with college credit I will have a 95. If I take the test again, I will try another preparation book.

The author gives a great knock down on the material and basics of civil service testing for police officer. However, there are several tests out there that ask personality type questions. The book will not be of much help to one in this area. Answer the questions honestly and keep your integrity intact. If you don't pass, hold your chin up and go on to the next test. Chances are that the police department that uses the personality type civil service exam, need flexibility in choosing the right individuals for their department. Yes, the good old boy system is still alive and kicking. Don't feel blue. It is no reflection of one's intelligence or how well you test. Recently, I took a text-book, civil service exam. With the use of this book, I was able to score very high. If you are looking to pass the Police Officer Civil Service Exam, I highly recommend this book.

While I did finish the book, I was never emotionally committed to either the characters or the story line. Basically, the theme of the book is if you have enough money, you can get anything done. The pact between the friends was a bit unrealistic but because the characters were all quite well off financially, they could leave their lives, jobs, families, etc. for weeks at a time without any problems.

I picked up this hard back book for $4.98 at a clearance rack and it's about all that it was worth. Not on my list of recommendations to my friends.

In 1976, a helicopter crash in England renders three teen-agersorphans just two weeks after their graduation from the American Schoolin London. Originally from the US, the three--Olivia Segal, the daughter of Jewish survivors of the Holocaust; Annie Aldrich, Protestant from San Francisco, and Jamie Arias, Catholic scion of a great shipping family from Rhode Island--became friends while their parents worked in England.

Banding together, they create a pact--whenever one of them is in need of comfort, friends, whatever, it makes no difference--the other two will drop everything to go to the aid of the one who asks. ...THE PACT is a riveting, can't-put-it-down novel that will remain in your mind and your heart for a long time after you've read the final page. This is Hilary Norman's eighth book. If you've not read any of the others, you'll want to, after you've read THE PACT.

Three friends make a pact at the threshold of adulthood. They are bound together by one of our strongest human ties; grief from a shared loss. Nothing will circumvent their committment to one another, not distance, relationships, or careers. This pact is put to the test over the years and it holds firm and true. Then, as always happens in life, events much larger that themselves take over and some very hard decisions have to be made. This is a story of love cherished and deeply respected, of duty embraced regardless of what may prove to be the cost. You will laugh and cry... you will love "The Pact".

I bought this book in order to take the PHTLS exam, and i found a extremely GRAPHIC and well organized BOOK, FULL COLOR with a lot of procedures.
It is a good book, NOTWHITSTANDING that is a little basic, and it lacks of deep explanations, is not a deep-trauma book keep that in mind. The CD is great comes with real videos explaining lots of procedures, it even brings a Palm application.-

This book is actually pretty good, especially if you are looking for focused DOT guidelines. The layout and presentation are excellent. However, its approach is different from how many EMS agencies run calls - that is, it's very non-specific in roles of the rescuers - my experience is that most agencies have very defined responsibilities for each person (patient person, radio person etc.) PHTLS is more of "Team Leader" approach with all rescuers able to do any skills. Obviously with different scope of practice rescuers on scene (EMT vs. EMT-P), this cannot be the case. Bottom line, most agencies want you to carry this card so it's a good book to own.

Great reference book that has a lot of detailed information not found in many of the books used for EMT curriculums.

"Pitcairn's Island" tells the story of nine mutineers from the Bounty after they took the ship and set Captain Bligh adrift in an open boat. Settling on a tiny uninhabited island in the South Pacific, they and their Polynesian companions found an earthly paradise. The island was large enough to sustain the small population, and was so remote that discovery by the British navy was unlikely. During the first years on the island, they worked to develop the community, and there was little strife. But as their living conditions became less precarious, they were confronted with timeless problems that eventually plunged the inhabitants of the island into turmoil. Jealousy, lust, drunkenness, sloth, oppression, adultery, avarice and race hatred soon destroyed this ideal society in violent and shocking ways.

The authors present a meticulous fictional narrative, derived from the accounts of vistors and islanders. They treat the savagery and debauchery that occured there mainly in a decorous and oblique manner. The only real flaw with the book is the map, which is inadequate to guide the reader throught the events. Notwithstanding, the book is very entertaining and one will certainly want to learn more about the island and its people. Best of all though, is the way in which the book raises questions about the essential nature of human beings. The mutineers and their companions had an Eden, but it could not and did not last.

This is a magnificent book and the best of the Bounty Trilogy. I've read it many times over the years and find myself wholly captivated by it each time.

"Pitcairn's Island" follows the story of Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian and eight of his men who are hunting for a sanctuary in which to hide from the long arm of the Royal Navy. They bring their Tahitian wives and several Tahitian men along with them. Finding Pitcairn's Island uninhabited, they settle there in 1790, less than a year after the mutiny. The men range from about age 21 to 38, Christian himself was only about 24 yrs old although the movies always seem to depict him as being older.

The Pitcairn story operates on multiple levels--- the attempt by criminals to make a Utopian society, the conflict between the English and the Tahitians, the conflict between the men and the women, conflict between the educated officers, Christian and Young, and the low-born seamen. The tiny colony struggles with alcoholism, race warfare, slavery, rape, insanity and even religious rebirth. The story seems impossible to believe and yet all of it is true. The mutiny story has made for several rousing motion pictures but they always end with the mutineers arrival at Pitcairn and never deal with what happened afterwards, which is the most fascinating part of the story.

Will some filmmaker PLEASE bring this story to the screen?

Before reviewing this book, let me note that it contains explicit scenes of violence that would cause this book to exceed an R rating if it were a motion picture. These scenes are very effective in enhancing the emotional power of the story, but certainly exceed what had to be portrayed.

Pitcairn's Island is by far the best of the three novels in The Bounty Trilogy. While the first two books seem like somewhat disconnected pieces of the whole story of the events leading up to and following the mutiny on H.M.S. Bounty, Pitcairn's Island stands alone as a worthy story. In its rich development of what happened to nine of the mutineers and those Polynesians who joined them, this book ranks as one of the great adventure and morality tales of all time.

The story picks up with the H.M.S. Bounty under sail in poorly charted seas, commanded by Fletcher Christian and looking for Pitcairn's Island. On the ship are 27 adults (9 British mutineers, 12 Polynesian women, and 6 Polynesian men). Everyone is a little edgy because Pitcairn's Island is not where the charts show it to be. After much stress, Pitcairn's Island is finally sighted. Then, it becomes apparent that the Bounty cannot be kept safely there in the long run because of the poor mooring conditions. If they commit to Pitcairn's Island, there will be no leaving it. Should they stay or go?

The novel follows up on what happens in the 19 years following that fateful decision. The key themes revolve around the minimum requirements of a just society, differences between the two cultures of British and Polynesians, the varying perceptions and expectations of men and women, and the impact of immorality on the health of a society. Anyone who has enjoyed Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson, or The Lord of the Flies will find this novel vastly appealing. Here, part of the fascination is that real-life events are being described.

The decision to turn this into a novel is a good one. The accounts of what occurred vary, and cannot be totally reconciled. So no one can really know what happened, other than it was dramatic. Towards the end of the book, the narration becomes that of one character, and the use of that character's language, perspective, background is powerful in making the novel seem more realistic and compelling.

This is a story where the less you know when you begin, the more you will enjoy the story. Out of respect for your potential reading pleasure, I will delve no more into the book.

After you finish reading the book, I suggest that you take each of the characters and imagine how you could have improved matters for all by speaking and behaving differently then that character did. Then, think about your own family, and apply the same thought process. See what you would like to change about your own speech and behavior in your family, as a result.

Think through the consequences of your potential actions very carefully when many others will be affected!

Readers who enjoy Carl Hiaasen, Ross Thomas or Elmore Leonard are bound to enjoy the work of Norman Partridge. His hero, former light-heavyweight champion and mob hanger-on, Jack Baddalach is assigned the unusual courier job of delivering an asthmatic chihuahua across the desert. He encounters a group of leathered up beauties with some very bad intentions and it just gets weirder from there. This is a good read but I would recommend reading 'Saguaro Riptide' first. Mr. Partridge is a worthy addition to the aforementioned writers.

Fun to read but very light entertainment. A good book for the beach but don't expect to remember it after you have finished.

(...) I bought this for the cover art and what a surprise.
The Characters leap off the page and smash you right in the face. If anything should be made into a film it should be this. Tarrentino, Soderburgh, if you guys are listening or reading. George Cloony as Jack Baddalach. Please someone with some cash MAKE THIS MOVIE. Norman write another NOW!!!!!!!!