On the cover of the novel, the beverage being poured into the glass represents the dozens of characters in the story, each with an intoxicating name, that is mixed together in a spirited mystery thriller which includes touches of humor in every chapter. An exciting, fun book to read. Give it a chance! You will love it.

It is too bad that a big name critic has not reviewed this book. So many more people would have the opportunity to read this exciting, fun story. Get a copy while it is still available.

Didn't think it could be done, but the author did it; a mystery story, with lots of romance, without violence and swearing. It was a pleasure to read. Thanks, Robert!

Read It! If you come from an emotionally dysfunctional family of any degree, this is the book to read. You will gain insights into why you carry feelings of worthlessness, why intimacy alludes you, why you feel driven . . . You will be given alternative ways to view yourself, to communicate with others, and to experience life. By the end of the book you will have the framework to realize the unique treasure that you truly are.

The book is written (and priced) for professionals, but is very readable and user friendly. I wish I had come across it sooner. It would have saved me agonizing hours spent trying to pigeonhole my family's particular dysfunction(s). the Narcissistic family is the one with the parental system that for what ever reason - job streee, alcoholism, mental illness, sel-centered immaturity - centers around meeting the needs of the adults. It is the family that to some degree or another most of us grew up in. By reading Pressman's book and following the exercises, you can begin to fill the holes whether great or small in your own childhoood experience and begin to enjoy a fulfilling adult life.

Thank goodness I found a wonderful therapist who told me that my family was narcissistic. Then I found this book on amazon (it wasn't what my therapist recommended though). I needed a book that was not autobiographical, I needed to hear many stories of others lives with covert and overt male and female narcissistic abuse, in order to unlock myself from my disbelief. Finished it last night, still crying this morning, but I know things are going to be uphill for me from here. This book was written by therapists for therapists but I got so much out of it, I would recommend this highly for any adults recovering from "N" abuse who have had at least some therapy. As a victim I found that some of the techniques and methods described for recovery very helpful. (The Lavender Saphire is one of them) There are so many very specific things included in the Pressmans book that really touched home for me, opening doors and fitting puzzles together that had been unsoved for a lifetime. My book is filled with my highlights and dogears,well worth many times its listed price.

Yes! I agree with the other reviewers that this is a wonderfully helpful book. May I recommend another book with a similar focus to readers of the Narcissistic Family that I have found to be at least of equal quality and helpfulness: Birth of a Self in Adulthood by Dorothea McArthur. These two books, I feel, are the cream of the crop on the narcissistic family and parent system.

Origami Insects and Their Kin is absolutely my favorite origami book. All but the first model are extremely challenging, and the first one would be given a "complex" rating in any book. I can't stress this enough: if you are bored with the origami books you have because they are too easy, THIS is the book you are looking for. The only downside is that everything else pales in comparison afterwards! The insect models in this book are what one expects of Robert Lang, and then some. They are all beautifully rendered, and amazingly, they're simple enough in design that it's hard to imagine taking any of the details away. The models are so difficult because Lang chooses great subjects, from the exotic-looking Black Pine Sawyer, Samurai Helmet Beetle, and Long-Necked Seed Bug, to the common (but still beautiful) Pill Bug, Dragonfly, and Ant. It's difficult to continue elaborating on Origami Insects and Their Kin, because after several years it still makes my jaw drop, leaving me speechless. This book stands head and shoulders above any other origami book I have seen, for complexity and model quality. If you can't stand insects, perhaps this isn't the book for you. If that's not a problem, then why haven't you already put a good fifty hours into this book?

In my opinion, the books to date containing the most complicated and outrageous origami models are the following: Kawahata's Dinosaur, Issei's Supercomplex , and this CHAMPION , Lang's Insects. Every model here needs a lot (really a lot) patience and many-year folding experience. Or you MUST fail in folding over half of them. There are lots of unexpected and new technics, every model is in a neatly calculated mathematical proportion and with the exactly right number in every part (eyes, legs, antennas, etc.) In Facing such a book, I completely, deeply, adore the art of origami.

An awesome book! Contains some of the most beautiful folds I know, as well as some of the hardest. Here's what you get:

1. Treehopper: A rather simple bug, good introduction to the book.

2. Spotted Ladybug: An AWESOME exploration of color-contrast! Looks great when folded from the right paper even though it is not 3D.

3. Orb Weaver: What should I say, well it's a spider...

4. Tarantula: Another spider but with ten legs. If you do it right it looks much like the real thing.

5. Tick: This comes as a hungry and a sated tick. Easy to fold and looks good.

6. Ant: This is absolutely my favourite origami model! The ant is so awesome, I can't find words for it. You just have to fold it to believe it plus it's pretty easy to fold too.

7. Butterfly: Well folks that's a real butterfly with legs and it's really hard to fold.

8. Scarab Beetle: Egyptian bug.

9. Cicada: Looks GREAT when folded well but is probably the hardest model in the book.

10. Grasshopper: Green, long legs.

11. Black Pine Sawyer: Has really long antennae and looks really cool.

12. Dragonfly: Not very realistic, has a "cartoon" style look.

13. Hercules Beetle: A fat bug that looks good when folded well.

14. Long-Necked Seed Bug: I had never heard of this bug before. Doesn't look bad though.

15. Pill Bug: Not easy to fold but a great-looking and unique model.

16. Praying Mantis: Very hard.

17. Stag Beetle: Good looking and fairy easy.

18. Paper Wasp: Requires you to do something I would have thought impossible before reading this book. Extremely hard.

19. Samurai Helmet Beetle: Beautiful model but hard to fold.

20. Scorpion: Comes out pretty thick but can look nice too.

After all, a great book, if you are an advanced folder buy it!

I've read a number of books regarding the mental side of playing pool. Dr. Bob seems to break it down to the nitty gritty and manages to keep it interesting. If you've ever played pool and need work on your mental game, this book could quite possibly help you out. It helped me. Try it and see....it's defintely worth a read if you're serious about playing a better mental game than you are now.

After you hone your basic shotmaking skills, pool is almost entirely a mental game. There are precious few books on the topic of the mental side of pool and billiards (I know of only three), and this is by far the best of them. The author is a sports psychologist (and pool player), and he explodes a lot of the "mental myths" of pool, including undoing some bad advice written by pool pros and wanna-be pros who meant well but didn't know what they were talking about psychologically speaking. The prose is also a nice read, especially for a nonfiction book. I can especially recommend this volume for intermediate players who are having a hard time dealing with league or tournament competition pressure. Fancher may give you some mental tools to quit being a "Count Choke-ula".

PS: If you order this used, be sure you are getting the revised 2002 edition.

If you're a serious player, this may be the most important purchase you'll ever make to improve your pool game. Once you are proficient at pocketing balls, getting shape, breaking, safety play and kicking, it's your mental game that determines if your skills will "come out to play today" or not. If you usually play much better in practice or when nothing is on the line than when in serious competition, this book is for you. Dr. Fancher teaches you how to use competitive pressures to your benefit. Believe it or not, you actually have the capacity to play better in competition than in practice by using the methods contained in this wonderful book. It's worked wonders for my game. I've surprised myself many times over the past year with sterling play during pressure packed matches. If I could rate this book higher than 5 stars, I would without hesitation.

When I was a kid in the late 60's and early 70's, I read all eight books in the J.R. Tunis series in his Dodgers series. Anyone who gets into the series MUST start with this one. Roy Tucker is an integral part in nearly all the books ("Young Razzle" being the exception), and "The Kid From Tomkinsville" introduces him along with the other characters. While some of the dialogue is of the "gee whiz" variety, the book and series are excellent. I'm so glad they were re-released, and I now have all of them. Now, I want to get a Dodgers replica jersey with the name "Tucker" above the number 34. Any kid between 9 and 90 who reads this book will know why.

I read this book the first time back in the mid-80's in high school. I had a burgeoning love of baseball and fell deeply in love with Tunis' works. The point I got from this story is that there is always another door to get to your dream.

I first read this book when I was 7 years old in the 1970s. I still love it to this day. The characters jump off the page and take you back to the 1940s, a different time and world.

Desire is not a bad thing, but like everything in the fallen world in which we live, it has been tainted by sin and perverted by Satan. The perversion that Satan offers is just a tainted shadow of reality, not even resembling the Real Thing. Nevertheless, those illusions and shadows are comforting because they help ease the pain of living in such a fallen world. Thus an addiction begins that eventually may seem hopeless to break. However, there is hope and in PURE DESIRE Pastor Roberts explains why.

This book deals specifically with sexual addiction. However, the information found here is just as helpful in dealing with an addiction of any sort: whether it be alcohol, drugs, food, or anything else. The book is written towards men, but can be just as helpful for women trapped in bondage. We've liven in a chained world long enough. It's time to break free and get back to the basics.

Pastor Ted Roberts boldly and openly addresses the issue of sexual addiction.

Pastor Roberts delivers an incredibly powerful teaching based upon his life experience. His experiences (which make "Pure Desire" riveting) are plentiful and relevant to this subject. Ted's challenges growing up (seven stepfathers in an alcoholic environment), his fantastic adventure as a Marine fighter pilot in Vietnam, his commitment to Jesus Christ, his battle (and victory) against addiction, and Ted's twenty-plus years in the counseling office all contribute richly to a message that will help people move out of their cell of despair and into the full blessing of God.

The Lord has placed His hand on Pastor Roberts, giving him a mission and a message for those who are ensnared in the web of addiction. If you struggle with sexual bondage and wish to change your habits, "Pure Desire" will describe how to do that. This book delivers a gracious word that will give you hope and encouragement and a practical approach to overcome destructive habits.

If you are not battling addiction, "Pure Desire" will provide insight and understanding of the behaviors (and mind set) that block so many from reaching their God-given dreams and desires. This book offers insight on how to help others climb out of the pit of shame and step into the fullness of God's love.

Don't miss this spirit-filled message. It will enrich your life.

One of my seminary counseling teachers wanted to make Pure Desire required reading during the Fall 2001 semester, but had read it too late to include it in our class reading list. Her strong recommendation of this book made me want to read it ASAP, and I managed to fit it in between my regular course reading. It was definitely worth the free time I had to sacrifice in order to read it. Suffice to say, Pure Desire is one of the best books on healing sexual addiction that I've ever read. I can say that because I've been able to personally investigate the book's background and apply its truths to my own life, since I live very close to Ted Roberts' church in Gresham, Oregon.

In addition to reading the book, I attended Dr. Roberts' three-day Pure Desire Seminar, which is intended for pastors who want to start a ministry for sexual addicts in their own churches. During the seminar, I (and others) directly questioned Dr. Roberts and his staff about their methods, theology, etc. Their answers backed up what I read in the book, and my interaction with them showed me their genuine desire to see people healed from the bondage of sexual addiction. Finally, I visited one of their For Men Only (FMO) sexual addiction healing groups as part of my seminary internship, and I found it so helpful for my own struggles that I have stayed with it for almost nine months and counting.

Basically, I have found the methods and ideas presented in the book to actually work in real life. For example, one of the main healing strategies Dr. Roberts advocates is to become part of a small group where men can "confess [their] trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that [they] may be healed (James 4:7)." I have seen a number of men go through the FMO group I attend, and there seem to be two types. First, there are the ones who know they have a problem (usually because they have gotten into trouble due to their addiction), but are not really ready to deal with it. These men tend to stay for awhile, and then leave the group to go back to their addiction. Second, there are the ones who have truly hit bottom and are willing to persevere on the long road to healing. It is these men who are honest with their struggles, and therefore they avoid such traps as rationalizing and compartmentalizing their addiction. Sure, we all take turns with discouragement and despair, and lapses do occur. But when others are there to lovingly bear the burden and provide accountability, it helps us get through the valley and go back up the mountainside. Of all the small groups I've been in over the years, this one has by far been the best for my own personal healing. Therefore, I can vouch firsthand for Dr. Roberts' exhortation to avoid the trap of isolation (which makes it easy to act out) by becoming part of a healthy group situation.

I believe that the central theme of Pure Desire is the restoration of healthy, loving, and holy relationships with God, self, and others. Sexual addiction is a symptom of a deeper relational problem. It is a sinful solution to a real desire for intimacy on the part of the addict. Pure Desire presents a way out of this trap that works if you really want to follow it. No, its not easy or quick, because true healing in this area takes time. And to be honest, it can be difficult to find help for this issue due to the closed-minded attitude of some churches toward sexual issues and problems. But it is possible, because I have found Christians willing to help, and over time I have observed healing gradually taking place in myself and others. If you are struggling with sexual addiction, you need to read this book (and others like it) and get help. You can pay now by owing up to your problem and getting on the road to healing, or you can pay later with your marriage, your reputation, or even your life. It's up to you, man.

Lee the last years is a great read on the life of ROBERT E LEE after the war between the states.
My only complaint is that I would have liked just a little more reaction to lee's death around the South,and north ...

This book shows a side of Robert E. Lee that seems to have been lost in the history books. After the end of the Civil War, we hear little or nothing about General Lee. In truth, he died five years after the war ended, but he made the most of that time in trying to repair the damage done by the war. This book is an excellent chronicle of those years.

Lee lost most of his property during the war. He was a career soldier, and didn't have many prospects for employment. He hoped to move onto a farm and to live quietly in the country.

However, other plans were being made for him. The trustees of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia, voted unanimously to offer him a job as president of the college. Lee was not a professional educator (although he had served as superintendent of West Point), but the trustees believed that his leadership and integrity were just what the college needed to survive the harsh economy left by the war. For his part, Lee saw this as an opportunity to help young Southern men to become productive citizens.

The college's wager paid off. Enrollment grew each year that Lee spent at the helm. The college developed new programs, and Lee's stature and good reputation were such that Washington College received large donations from philanthropists, even in the Northern states. Lee took a personal interest in the students, learning to address them by name and taking responsibility for disciplinary measures.

Yet Lee's last five years were not years of unabated bliss. His health declined steadily, his wife was an invalid, his brother died, and his reputation suffered from some unjust attacks in Northern newspapers. Throughout it all, Lee held his head high and maintained his dignity, his character, and his principles.

Lee put much effort into healing the wounds left by the war. He appreciated the esteem in which he was held by his fellow Southerners, but he encouraged them to be loyal citizens of the United States of America. He never said a word against General U.S. Grant, and even rebuked an employee of Washington College who did. One of the most fascinating (and mysterious) episodes in the book is Lee's trip to Washington, D.C., to visit President Grant in the White House. No one else was present for the meeting, and so no one really knows what they discussed.

The book ends abruptly with an account of Lee's death, without going reporting on his funeral and his family's life without him. Even so, this book makes great reading and has fascinating insights into the private life of an American icon.

This was a passionate story of the last five years of the life of one of our greatest American heroes. Finally, we have a look at what Lee accomplished AFTER the war! From the first chapter to the end, I was enthralled with the story of Lee's dedication to God and country. The author used interesting stories to detail Lee's character which made the book easy to read and immensely enjoyable. I judge this to be one of the very best biographies I've ever read.

The book rates an 8 instead of a 9 or 10 because it could have had at least one startling story in it. Since Stanley's short story, CHILDREN OF CRECHE, back in another earlier volume, there have been some near-contenders to such a slam-bang ending, but none have come even close. Still this omnibus offers some above-average short stories -- stories without the gum-smacking, philosophically idiotic messages that the previous three volumes were heavily caught up in. There's more intelligent stories evident in this volume than in the previous three volumes.

Okay, I admit I'm biased, since my story "Cyclops In B Minor" is one of the stories contained in this volume. But you're not likely to find a more enjoyable anthology this year. This one's got everything: Hard SF, Urban Fantasy, Space Opera... It just doesn't get any better.

Jayme Blaschke's short story Cyclops in B Minor, appearing in this 1998 edition, is probably one of the best modern fantasy stories I've ever read. This book is a collection of very talented young writers. Get this book for a sneak peak at the future of the genre.

What a truly great reader this book turned out to be. Easy to pick up, difficult to put down, and filled with inspiration. While a small percentage of war techniques do not transfer to the business world; Axelrod pulls concise information and quidance from a library of the General's quotes. Wars are won by making the enemy die for his country. Always move forward. When in doubt, attack. The soldier is the army. Gather accurate information and make decisions quickly. And take the high ground.

My only complaint is with the author's desire to open the book with political-correctness and apologies for Patton's frank language.

This book will spark you up and fill you with pride, boldness, and audacity! I have found my Covey books and Minute Mangers have collected dust where "Patton on Leadership" is starting to look like a well worn Bible.

Having worked in a number of corporate environments, this book struck a nerve. There are so many self-help-styled "How to be a great manager" titles out there that when you finally read something with some substance to it, based strictly on the tried-and-true principles of this country's greatest advocate of leadership skills, that you can't help but be reminded that it is the basics that are worth all.

It may seem trite to some that this book merely takes quotes and extracts from Patton's life and writings and develops them to highlight various aspects of leadership, yet the study of leadership is deceptively simple in this regard; leadership is taking people where they must go, focusing on what is truly important and worthwhile. And the great leader is always one of the troops, not some invulnerable sage from On High. It should be noted that prior to reading this book, the reader is strongly advised to read Carlo D'Este's superb biography, "Patton: A Genius for War" in order to appreciate who Patton was as a man before he was, well, George C. Scott. Suffering from severe dyslexia, he struggled to get through West Point and VMI. His tortured efforts to memorize the works of great historical military leaders apparently left an indelible mark on his thinking, yet what remained throughout his life was the underlying principle that it is leadership that wins wars and not abstractions like courage or heroism.

Military units are like spaghetti, he said, which must be pulled rather than pushed. And this man lead from the front. So when you read in these pages that a leader must endure what his/her minions endure in order to earn (earn!) their respect, he knows what he is talking about.

I once worked at a computer software company that specialized in healthcare programs, and our V.P. of Sales gave a long-winded speech about how we must all "tighten our belts and stay focused on lean expenditures!" The very next day the S.O.B. drove into work in a brand new BMW 700 series car (company car, of course). Just what kind of leadership is that?! Leadership by example, or by arrogant authoritarianism?

Want to hold the reins and lead with certainty and conviction? Here's the manual!

Frederick the Great may have said it, but George "Blood 'n Guts" Patton lived it. What a remarkable man, and what a remarkable presentation about that man, his life and his leadership skills. One should read this book just for the hell-of-it if not for any other reason. What a great first read for anyone wishing to know more about the General.

First of all, this book reads well and fast, and it's hard to put down. Mr. Axelrod tells a great story, conveys the essence of Patton's Generalship and Management styles, and along the way adds some very good history. Axelrod clears up the legends and myth surrounding the famous slapping incident, and details the campaigns into Bastogne and to Berlin in short, clear and entertaining fashion. It was truly enjoyable to read this book.

To keep the record straight, the format of the book allows for a 3 - 4 hour total read time due to the fact that many of the pages have only 18 - 25 lines of print on them, where as others are in standard layout. The stories will excite, entertain, and cause "out-loud" laughter. The language is harsh sometimes, but perfectly appropriate to the original situation.

I say get the SOB book and read it "...every God damn night", and smile.

The work stands above anything written by any contemprorary historian or journalist covering the Middle East. The questions, eye witness accounts, insights, and volume of information is overwhelming. Whereas Robert Fisk paints a dark portrait of the Israelis, he doesn't pull any punches describing the Palestinians either. Heroes and victims all using words and deeds to muddy the water in their favor. Nobody leaves this book without a profound sense of the depth of differences and issues necessary to address before any peace can really be achieved in the Middle East.

Robert Fisk is a journalist but also a historian and an extremely talented writer. He has lived in Lebanon for 23 years now, not just to cover the stories there and throughout the Middle East, but because it is home to him and because he cares deeply for the Lebanese people. This is apparent in his book. Unlike just about all other books on the subject, Pity The Nation covers the war from a far more personal perspective. Mr. Fisk lets you know exactly what all the bombs and artillery shells did to normal people when they fell on their neighborhoods. He also gives an unprecedented view of the every day life of a war correspondent; the hardships, the horror, the fear, and even the boredom.

If you're a blind supporter of Israel, the PLO, any of the Lebanese factions, Syria, or even the US government, be prepared for some unpleasant truth!

But whatever the case, do read this book. You won't find this level of detail in ANY of the other popular books on the subject.

Robert Fisk(Beirut correspondent for "The Independent) was recently the target of death threats and vicious emails for his honest and unbiased reporting from the Middle East.
"Pity the Nation" is a readable and riveting account of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, and the consequences of the same for the Palestinians, Lebanese and the rest of the Middle East. This is essential reading for understanding the current situation in the Middle East, and all the more timely considering the current US posture towards Iraq.