I have been using, studying, and analyzing U.S. individual equipment since 1950. I have been publishing articles since the 1960s on the development and evolution of individual equipment, especially the load bearing equipment (LBE) (i.e. , packs, bags, and cases ) used to carry items used for living (surviving) in the field and remaining fit to fight until the objective is taken.
It is easy to determine what was done by studying the item, when by historical research and looking at the object's markings, who by the same, where by looking at images and reading memoirs, but it is very often difficult to determine why a certain thing was done just by looking at it. This book is extremely valuable for the researcher and developer; it explains just why certain things were done, what was tried, and what was best to do the job.
But of course, troops do not live only in jungles, they need training and special items for field living in every clime. This book covers only that for tropical living and fighting. Nonetheless, many of its principles are of world wide application. And in space as well.
There were two parallel threads of development of equipment for field living during WWII. The first is described by the author, the development of special equipment not only for "jungle living", but also for jungle fighting. This is a more difficult task, as the items developed are not for one time or occasional use in an emergency, but must also be of enduring and robust construction for long use in extremely difficult conditions.
The other thread had two strands, the first, was the world wide need for downed aviators to survive in extreme weather conditions world wide. The development of this kind of materiel ended up in the hands of the U.S. Army Air Forces and the Naval Aviation branch. Not only was training needed, the equipment, being intended only for living in the jungle or desert or arctic until rescue, did not need to be robust but it did need to be useful, and small enough in bulk to be worn as part of the individual's flying gear, or able to be quickly attached thereto. So robustness was sacrificed for compactness.
The other major development in the Pacific and Asian operational areas, was training intended for members of ground units, not necessarily cut off from their own side, who, might or might not be, equipped with special jungle fighting materiel, who, first, needed to be convinced that not every creature in the jungle wanted them for lunch, and, second, how to make themselves as comfortable as possible under given conditions for as long a time as possible, with or without enemy activity in the vicinity.
This latter required training in the safe use of commonly available cutting tools such as sheath knives and machetes, and the recognition of edible plants and wild life. This training in "jungle living" was given in many theaters. One of the leading lights was Dr. Kenneth Emory of the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. He had spent many years living and studying among the natives of the SW Pacific islands. His story is covered in the book entitled "Keneti".
Related to jungle living were courses in "Getting Along With the Locals". On many islands, the Japanese occupiers had brutalized the inhabitants to the point where they were happy to rescue downed aviators and to help the ground troops when possible.
The great value of this book is that it puts in a readily available place, the distilled knowledge of the useful equipment needed to live, work, and fight in the jungles of the world. Ever since 1949, the U.S. Army was set up, trained, and equipped for the "Big One"-- the invasion of Western Europe by the Red Hordes of the East. Jungle warfare was a sideshow, abandoned as a matter of consideration just after the defeat of Japan. In fact, even in Vietnam, we persisted in using heavily armed mechanized units against lightly equipped guerillas.
The most widely used individual piece of LBE in Vietnam, the Lightweight Rucksack, had not been designed for the jungle at all, but for use in the Arctic winter, and constantly clashed with the items carried on the individual's belt.
These are the lessons detailed in this book. When the time comes when we are again seriously interested in jungle equipment again, the powers that be can turn to this work. (They will certainly not seek out obscure articles written by myself and my fellow historians and well-buried reports writen by designers and analysts.) Those who served as platoon and company commanders in Vietnam were the generals who ran the Gulf War. They won the "Big One". Same kind of war, just a thousand miles to the south.
Colin Powell and his cohorts are now retired. The institutional memory of Vietnam and its jungle setting is now gone from our forces.

Jungle SNAFUs is the highly readable account of the hard-won development of numerous items of jungle warfare equipment. The author tells both his personal experiences of the testing and procurement difficulties as well as makes specific recommendations for the most useful and lifesaving items every soldier should have. Anyone interested in the military - both at its best and at its worst - and anyone interested in saving the lives of men and women who bear arms for our country should read this book. Fascinating, with many rare photographs. I highly recommend it!

Critical, combat proven life saving information needed for anyone's child in military service

This book is absolutely necessary for anyone with children in the military, especially Special Forces. Cresson includes detailed simple instructions on making/getting items that the military forgot to give or thrifted out of the budget. Proven methods for keeping the soldiers M-16 from jamming due to sand and snow. Proven methods for the prevention of drowning for combat laden soldiers (did you see the men drowing in Private Ryan?). Proven methods to mosquito proof clothing for months/years to prevent transmission of bug born diseases. If you have children in the military, get this book. Even though I am not in the military I learned and used many things from this book. Cressons life saving items have been used in all wars from WWII through Destert Storm and still today. The endorsements on the back cover do a better job than I ever could. I quote:

"....this book provides an amazing revelation of first hand stories and anecdotes that enable the reader to gain ideas and examples of how imaginative thinking by combat leaders can avoid disasters, save lives, and win battles. The book is a fun read and covers many areas unrelated to jungles. I strongly recommend that all leaders, especially those in infantry and Special Operations units, read this fascinating collection of combat wisdom." John K. Singlaub - Major General U.S. Army (Ret.)

"This book includes descriptions of much of the combat-proven equipment, ranging from lightweight breath-inflated boats and individual flotation devices to cool mosquito-protective uniforms, that again should be produced and issued to American soldiers. Teams from my Jungle Platoon needed such equipment when reconnoitering some 40 Japanese-held islands and destroying installations. Nor would all 11 Rangers of the team I commanded have been drowned off Omaha Beech had they had the breath-inflated bladders issued late in WWII to many thousands of our soldiers fighting Japanese invaders." Geroge C. Ferguson - Command Sergeant Major of CONARC (12 purple hearts awarded).

this book is: "Dedicated to American infantrymen, who in our future wars will continue to pay the greatest costs."

SISTER ANNE FRANCES DID A WONDERFUL JOB CAPTURING THE HISTORY OF CRESSON, PENNSYLVANIA. THE PICTURES IN THE BOOK ARE SUPER GREAT. I HAVE BOUGHT SEVERAL BOOKS AS GIFTS. RECOMMENDED IF YOU ARE FROM THE AREA OR HAD FRIENDS OR RELATIVES FROM THE AREA. A LOT OF RICH HISTORY IN THIS REGION.

An excellent book full of historic details and photographs

I keep books in two places, a small shelf near my computer that I can reach and a large bookshelf across the room. This book deserves a place on the small shelf within arm's reach.

If you are a manager, before you ever make a decision, or approve a policy, look the topic up, there is a good chance you will see something you didn't think of.

Let me give you an example, our company used to have a fairly long Non-Diclosure Agreement (NDA) prepared by our attorney for a specific purpose. However, we decided to create a simpler, general purpose NDA for all 1099 contractors. The lawyer created it and before I approved it I checked it against the book. I found three items that really should have been in our NDA that we would have missed, thank you Mr. Wood!

If you are a techie do you need this book? Sure, because everything we do as a techie or engineer has liability implications for the company. Each topic is very clear, concise, and well thought out. It takes a few seconds to look it up, about two minutes to read the section and that investment is well worth your time.

Yes, this is an expensive book, however, it is worth the investment, every organization should have at least one copy. S.

Master plumbers often find that a portion of their business derives from fixing jobs that homeowners thought were simple enough to do themselves. Many business professionals approach information security policies the same way novices approach a leaky pipe. They try to save time and money by doing it themselves; then they are overwhelmed by the unexpected complexity of the task. In the end, they have to call on a professional to repair the damage; ultimately costing them more time and money than if they had gone the professional route at the start.

Those who are serious about information security policy should plumb the depth of wisdom contained in Information Security Policies Made Easy, Version 9. This latest version has updated the text of nearly 1,400 policies, and the policies are organized to track ISO 17799, a broad information-security standard.

This newest version rectifies the only serious shortcoming of versions past: the lack of a cross-referencing tool. Version 9 contains a Web-based CD-ROM that is fully linked and searchable. Other advances include policies addressing new legislation such as the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. With this update, the flow of information through any company's pipelines is sure to be more secure.

Anyone who is chartered with the creation of a set of a comprehensive set of information security policies and procedures should definitely use Information Security Policies Made Easy. It is the definitive reference and definitely lives up to its billing.

How to put it plainly, this book is an ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE for anyone even remotely interested in empowering themselves in a Nuclear War. Though the book itself is a little out of date the facts it contains are emmensly important to know. It addresses myths & facts of Nuclear war, radiation, etc. You'd be surprised how well off you can actually be if you know what to do. SLEEP EASIER after reading this book & knowing what to do!

BUY IT! READ IT! READ IT AGAIN! The suggest it to everyone you know!

I have read more than a dozen books on surviving Nuclear War. This book is the absolute best. It is written by Cresson Kearney. He actually built and tested all of his equipment and shelter designs during nuclear tests. As a result , he arrived at the overall best designs and methods of constructing expedient shelters for an average American family using readily availabe tools and materials. Kearney explains the dangers of nuclear explosions and how to protect oneself from the effects. He also gives instructions for staying warm, how to provide adequate ventilation to your shelter. He also discusses water and food preparation ,nutritional needs , and even how to build an inexpensive fallout meter to measure radiation exposure. He also provides lists of other essential items for survival. You do not have to be wealthy to survive, just properly informed. This book provides the reader with everything he or she needs to know in order to survive a nuclear war. FEMA should provide a copy of this manual to every Citizen of the United States.

This book is the other half of the author's excellent Information Security Policies Made Easy (version 8), which provides 1175 ready-made policies on CD ROM. What makes this book complement the policy book is that once the policies are written they are useless without defined roles and responsibilities assigned to manage and enforce them,

Included in this book (and in soft copy on the accompanying CD ROM) are organizational mission statements that form the framework for policies, job descriptions for major security role players, and organizational structures with reporting relationships.

The book does not merely present the roles and responsibilities - it goes into the hows and whys, and steps you through the definition and development of a security function in which the roles and responsibilities are defined. More important, the author does not use a canned approach, but provides alternative structures that will allow you to develop and implement the organization that is best aligned to your company. This is one of the most practical and flexible approaches I've seen, and shows the author's extensive experience and realistic attitude. Equally important is the fact that small companies are also addressed, making this book valuable to organizations of all sizes.

You're stepped through the process of identifying your requirements, tailoring the documents provided on the CD ROM to reflect those requirements, and given an idea of the time and resources needed to implement them. In addition to the documented roles and responsibilities and organizational structures provided, this book also covers (and the CD ROM provides) pamphlets to promote security awareness, memos, forms, action plans, a sample security manual and standards, and other documents that will be needed to effectively implement a security organization.

The chapter on common mistakes is worth its weight in gold, as are the appendices, which cover staffing levels, qualifications (this is valuable to HR), and IS security metrics.

Regardless of company size or scope of your security organization, this book will save literally hundreds of hours of research, document development and planning. Even for a small company of 25-100 employees this book will pay for itself many times over, and for a large company the value that this book (and the companion book I mentioned above) represents can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

I agree with all the other reviews that say that this book has everything you could possibly want for writing a Security Policy for your company. The price includes a single-company license for copying the copyrighted text into your security policy. Consultants will need to purchase a new license for each company they develop a policy for.

As the "Version 7" implies, this is a work in progress. As such, I expected to see a "Reader's Comment Form" at the back so the reader could notify the author of subjects he might add in the next version or of errors or omissions detected. There is no such form. I also found that I received only canned or sluggish sales responses from the email address listed on the back cover. I was surprised to find such a poorly-managed business associated with such an excellent book.

Think developing or updating security policies is a nightmare? Rather have root canal without the anesthetic? Purchase this book and you will be on a quick and painless path to getting meaningful security policies in place. The book is well organized making it a breeze to find what your looking for. Each policy also includes an excellent commentary that describes the policy's intent. Many of the policies are technology neutral making it easy to develop consistent and uniform policies across all computing platforms. It's well worth the investment.

Point Blank: If you have to deliver a security policy by a specified date, use this book. Quite simply, you will spend more time with your family and less time working. The book helps remove the pressure to perform.

There are a number of do-it-yourself guides to civil defense available, but most seem to be aimed at hard-core survivalists who have crack outdoor skills, and lots of specialized equipment. This book is very different and is written for the average citizen by a former U.S. Army officer, field geologist and civil engineer who built and field-tested the "expedient" shelters described within while still employed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

These shelters can be put togeather within a few hours by ordinary, untrained men and women. (It is a good idea to take a weekend and practice building them.) They provide good protection during the weeks it may take for fallout to decay to negligible levels of radioactivity. (Expedient blast shelters, which also protect against the shockwave from a nearby explosion, are also discussed.)

The author is clear and thorough throughout, supplying checklists for supplies, equipment and materials; detailed building instructions and descriptions of the genuine (as opposed to fanciful) effects of nuclear weapons. There is also a valuable discussion of the purchase and use of potassium iodide compounds for protection of the thyroid gland from absorption of radioiodine. Finally, detailed plans and instructions are provided for the construction and use of a homemade fallout meter(!) to indicate radiation levels. (It is a lot more accurate than many of the over-priced, defective-or-uncalibrated war-surplus "Geiger counters" on the market!)

The 2001 edition contains a new chapter on the hazards of trans-Pacific fallout, which could drift eastward to the U.S. mainland from a nuclear conflict in Asia. (Such as India vs. Pakistan, or a North Korean nuclear attack on the South or Japan.) There is also a new appendix detailing the persuasive medical and scientific evidence that low levels of ionizing radiation below a certain threshold do no harm to humans or other forms of life, or their descendants. In fact, it may make them healthier. (Far from being crackpot, this concept is known in Biology as "hormeisis" and is dicussed in a recent article in DISCOVER magazine; see "Is Radiation Good for You?", DISCOVER Vol. 23 No. 12, December 2002.) This should help to dispel the superstition that radiation is some sort of magic poison, and that any amount is deadly.

Anyone not living in a fool's paradise realizes that the chance of a nuclear detonation in an American city is probably higher now than it ever was when the United States and Soviet Union were locked in mutual standoff. Nuclear deterrance may have worked even on hardened Soviet or Chinese apparatchiks; but to to depend on it alone now against psychopaths and apocalyptic fanatics is to invite hideous disaster.

The READER FROM CHINA (review below) is the perfect example why all peoples of the free world must read NUCLEAR WAR SURVIVAL SKILLS! There is a very good reason why communist China doesn't want you to own this book. It is the very same reason why they oppose a missile defense for the U.S.!

This book gives a low-cost/no-cost solution to survive a nuclear attack ... and it IS survivable, and worth Surviving! You are better off having a copy on your bookshelf and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Are you bothered when you read that the Russians are building a giant underground city in the Ural Mountains? Have you ever heard of Mount Weather?

The people who want the American people to cower in vulnerability to nuclear attack do not want anyone to read this book. Kearny addresses the things courageous individuals and families can do ON THEIR OWN, using the McGyver approach, to improve their chances of survival.

Drop the giant-cockroach nonsense and learn the effects of blast, radiation, and fallout. Learn to build your own fallout shelter in a day using shovels, axes, and saws. Learn to make a fallout radiation meter from a coffee can, a chunk of drywall, and a piece of aluminum foil. Make a shelter ventilation fan in hours from wood laths, plastic sheeting, cord, hinges, and staples. Make a mortar-and-pestle-style grain mill from a section of steel pipe and a coffee can.

The designs and procedures were developed and field tested on real-live Americans over many years at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Even if you have a merely-idle interest in technical subjects, you will enjoy this book, and it might even save your life. This is a great book that changes the way people see nuclear war and strategic military policy.

Given that I haven't actually used the information, and I never intended to even before I bought it, the text seems complete. It manages its completeness without being overly academic. I'd consider it more of a "technical" book rather than an "engineering" book: a brass tacks "how-to" rather than physiology, theory, etc. My biggest "complaint" are the illustrations. They seem to be a bit on the "cutesy" side. Perhaps that was what was intended in order to keep the subject light but I would very much have liked to see some detailed top/front/side views of both the male and the female subject - academic quality. Even jumped on Knox Cellars' website hoping for the diagrams but no such luck. Despite this, keep in mind, I feel this book is more than adequate to get anyone up and running with these little pollinators. The previous review does a sufficient job of summarizing so I won't here.

This book tells all about orchard mason bees (and some other native pollinators), what they look like, what they do, why they're particularly good at it, and most of all how we can help.

Orchard mason bees are not honeybees but a small, modest, hard-working, solitary little bee native to the New World. They mind their own business and do a whale of a job pollinating. My blueberry bushes have doubled and tripled their yields since I started putting homes out for the orchard mason bees.

The pictures of the bee-faces in the section on telling the difference between the boy bees and the lady bees are cute. But the text, while not heavy in the least, is serious. Here is a man who believes in his bees and in ways in which we can acknowledge our part in the natural order by helping offset the pernicious effects of excess urbanization. The text is written at the layman's level; no technical knowledge is required to read and understand, but there are references for people who want to get more deeply involved with technical issues.

Here is everything you will need to know to decide whether you would like to harbor orchard mason bees and how to go about it if you do.

I got my first bee block from Knox Farms several years ago and upgraded to a bee condo last year. This year I took my courage in my hands and carefully changed my bee-full nesting tubes for clean ones to wait for spring. It was fascinating handling those tubes stuffed with beneficient bee life! I think this would be a great thing for kids to get involved with. (I'm fourty-something, and I think it's great).

If you are interested in giving a hard-working native bee a hand, and benefitting all of the fruit and berry plants in your neighborhood, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Easy to read but packed with information!

What I found interesting was stacking this book up against the main competition, which is a set of policies called Rusecure. There is a real contrast.

Both are comprehensive but the fact that Rusecure is fairly new is evident. For example it openly aligns with the international security standard which of course did not exist when 'Made Easy' was first launched.

Another factor or tangent is the marketing from these two publishers. 'Made Easy' cannot be downloaded for pre-approval. RUsecure can.

I would actually recommend that anyone looking at security policies actually does the latter before spending anything. Download it and take a look. At the very least it can then act as a benchmark.

Another difference is that unless I just missed it 'Made Easy' is a book? I do not understand that because to be most useful it should be shipped as Word or similar so that you can print more copies, or edit. That is how Rusecure works.

I am trying not to be hypercritical, because there is some very good material in 'Made Easy'. But this is a market and you only buy one set of policies. Look carefully and widely, then when you do buy you do it from a position of knowledge.

Charles Wood has developed a unique approach to address information security policy development, approval, and implementation, with his book Information Security Policies Made Easy. This is a comprehensive text which address's a wide range of information security risks, and IT asset exposures. The book's policy language is easily understood, the content covers the majority of IT operation conditions, and detailed policy recommendations are succintly presented.

As an IS control professional, I have been using and recommending this information security policies book to public and private sector line managers and clients, and my peers - since an early release. The Information Security Policies Made Easy book's presentation on a policy methodology, variety of policy topics, and detailed policy descriptions, is a concise approach that allows the IT manager to more quickly understand and implement this most important management control. The accompanying full text CD allows even the first time user to quickly create custom and comprehensive, information security policies best for their organization. This allows for a cost efficient way to develop and implement policies, simplify the policy update process, and is a practical and effective means to assure an improved level of organization control compliance. This policy book is updated annually, too!

Charles's book is a great opportunity for the low budget professional to have a consolidated, current, and comprehensive, set of information security policies. IT management will find this book will provide tham a simplified means of implementing a key management control requirement. I highly recommend this book to any IS control professional, and those IT line managers responsible for establishing information security policies for their organization.

The reviewer is a certified IS Control Consultant headquartered in San Francisco, California. He has been in the information security and control profession for more than 25 years - working in both the public and private sectors.

This is the one to get. The only real comment I have (other
than agreeing with Ben) is that this book is kept up to date.
The 8th edition has 171 new policies, some of them just new
ideas, but some of them because of new technologies (seemingly,
anyway), new workplace practices that have become common, etc.

The sheer number of policies in this book is incredible. Some
are the obvious ones you would think of, but with salient points
that you might have missed. But most of them are ones that
would take your team months to brainstorm and you still wouldn't
come up with them.

And they are written in a form that is easily adaptable to your
organization's style.

You might balk at the price, but I paid one thousand for it and think
that was an incredible value; I see it's
gone down significantly since then. At six hundred you can't afford
NOT to buy this book if you care about security and don't want
to spend 6 months working on a policy which won't come close
to being as good as what this book will help you generate.

how can to make some object

The book has some interesting tricks and tutorials, but really should have been implemented into the Infini-D user manual. For two Specular employees to charge money for this is a little crazy.