The Tarot, the Algerian war of independence and the Parisianvie boheme of the 1960s come together in a riveting tale ofintrigue. Stanley Ellin is known for his masterful ability to capture the tensions that exist between the members of a large extended family (see Very Old Money). But in House of Cards, he goes further, meshing the story of the aristocratic de Villemont family with a portrait of the upheavals in French society as the country's overseas empire in Africa and Asia crumble. The tale is told through the eyes of Reno Davis, a longtime Paris resident, former prizefighter and sometime nightclub bouncer who becomes a tutor to young Paul de Villemont. The boy's widowed mother clings to her son. Is she neurotic? Lethal? Certainly, the previous tutor died violently and suddenly. Suddenly, Davis is plunged into a world where reality is a nebulous concept. Who is Dr. Hubert Morillon and what is his hold on Anne de Villemont? Why is she so intent on escaping her Parisian existence? And why is Anne's brother-in-law so keen to introduce Reno to a publisher? Is it simply an effort to encourage his writing -- or a way to keep Reno's growing suspicions of the household in check? In contrast to some of Mr. Ellin's other writings, which rely principally on their characters for drama, House of Cards concludes with a compelling race across France and into Italy as Reno finally begins assembling pieces of the puzzle in order to regain control of his own destiny. As ever, Mr. Ellin emerges as a gifted raconteur. A vivid portrait of his characters emerges gradually, until the reader is unable to put down the book without knowing their real identies and motivations -- and their fates. A tour de force.

Written with virtually no emotionalism in the traditional style of a journalist, this biographical account taken from Stanley's diary takes one on an unforgettable adventure of trial and suffering, and eventually utter joy in the success of his goal. This book is an epic adventure of truly brave men. Stanley presents his story with stoicism and a circumspection that seem to understate the raw excitement of this story.

Powerful. One of the best books I have ever read. This book shows you how to live a much better life.

I could tell that the authors knew their stuff. Very informative

Incredible. Hillarious. A must read for every person who has worked in a manufacturing facility. You are sure to see your co-workers in each of the categories. A great way to lighten a tough day at the plant.

I read this book three times (and I dislike to read) my children are 20 and 18 now and I purchased this when they were 3 and 5. I have purchased this book on-line now to give to parents with new babies. I only wish I could purchase it in stores. It's an excellent, excellent book. Don't pass this one up. For someone who dislikes to read, I couldn't put it down. Thank you so much Dr. Stanley, because of this book, I have to wonderful young gentlemen.

I stumbled across this small book at a local pharmacy and I'm so glad I did. What a wonderful read! The author uses stories from his boyhood to illustrate the affect his father's life had on his own. At the core, this book is about faith in God...and faith in ourselves. I've never considered myself a religious person but this book, told with humorous and heartfelt stories, struck a cord.

How to Pronounce German Correctly is a valuable tool for learning to pronounce vowels, dipthongs and consonants. Plus, it teaches the right stress and intonation in words and sentences.

Buy this book and tape early in your study of German. If you're going to memorize thousands of German words, you may as well learn to say them correctly while you're learning what they mean.

This set includes a CD and a booklet for following along (if you want) with the recorded exercises. What a shame this is no longer in print as it is one of the best tools I've found for eliminating your English accent and speaking Spanish like a true native. I took a Spanish pronunciation class in college, and this work has all the essential elements we covered in that one-semester class. Our professor also gave us side diagrams of the mouth, tongue and lips that showed the proper placement of the tongue and lips when pronouncing the different sounds of Spanish. While this work lacks those diagrams, the English-speaking narrator frequently gives verbal instructions on how to do this. If you're serious about learning to sound like a native Spanish speaker, this work is one of the best tools for helping you approach that goal.

Since it is out of print, I'll mention another excellent text that you might be able to find. It's called A Drillbook of Spanish Pronunciation by Roger L Hadlich, James S. Holton, and Matias Montes (University of Hawaii). It was published by Harper & Row in 1968. It is a text only and does not have recorded examples of spoken Spanish or the diagrams I referred to. But it does have all the information (and maybe a bit more) contained in Passport Books' work. It is also out of print, but it has been in use at the University of Utah for their Spanish 330 course. Perhaps you can track down a copy through their bookstore.

Recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economic Science, Becker has pioneered the aplication of economic analysis to human behavior in such areas as dicrimination, married, family, etc. This book is a classic study of the consequences of investing in a person's knowledge and skills. According to his theory, investing in an individual's education and training is similar to business investments in equipment.

One of the principal book about Human Capital Theory.