The book was extremely useful to introduce me to the world of high quality beer and hidden trails to ride free of traffic.
Mr. Mercer explains everything very clearly and gives you an honest opinion about good places to ride and to enjoy a beverage, including directions, prices and ambiance.
I have been riding road bikes for many years, but Bike and Brew America has inspired me to try to go back to nature and explore hidden trails.
An extra good feature is all the possible updates available through the website that Mr. Mercer gives you in his book.
A very good book. I highly recommend it.

Todd has done it! Here is one of those rare gems that just makes you sit up and say "Why didn't I think of that?". As an avid rider and beer drinker in the Rockies, I can tell you that Todd's descriptions, both of the trails and the breweries, are right on! Reading throught the Boulder section had me re-living glorious afternoons of winding singletrack up on Walker (featured in the book) followed by perfect pints of Mountain Sun beer. There's a group of us from all over the country that gets together three or four times a year to go explore a new place in search of sweet singletrack and hoppy pints. We've found our new bible! I can't wait for the others to come out! I even had a chance to meet Todd at the 2001 Oregon Brewers' Festival. On top of being a first rate author, he's a super nice guy. This book is a great companion for anyone who enjoys craft-brewed beer and wants to find the best of the local trails. Ride on!

This book is excellent and is ideal for the mountain biker who is searching for vacation destinations. The maps, camping information and trail descriptions make it easy to find your way around foreign territory and guarantee a worthwhile experience. I was especially impressed by the accuracy of the trail reviews. The anticipation of riding the trail after reading the review is matched by the saddle experience itself. The author is right on with his duration and technical difficulty ratings. Todd Mercer also seems to have a pretty good taste for beer. After being directed to and visiting the Mountain Sun in Boulder, Colorado, I didn't want to come back to work. I can't wait for my next vacation so that I can check out some more of the Rocky Mountains using this book as my guide.

This book is informative and easy to read. It provides a good introduction to the development of babies and toddlers, and the suggested activities are inexpensive and easy to implement at home or in a day care environment.

I feel very fortunate to have read and used both of Dr. Staso's books with my daughter. I have no doubt that her reaching several developmental milestones much earlier than normal were greatly aided by the brain-stimulating activities Dr. Staso suggests. Unlike other child development books, Dr. Staso's books are much more comprehensive in their approach to explaining the hows and whys of brain development in infants and young toddlers. Dr. Staso explains in detail how various activities (which are both fun and easy to do with your child too) can help your child understand concepts, make connections between relationships, increase his or her awareness, and enhance language comprehension at much earlier ages than previously thought. This book and Dr. Staso's book for infants, What Stimulation Your Baby Needs... are among the best that I've read on this subject. Thank you Dr. Staso, and please write another book!

It not only answers the question "What do I do with my baby?" but explains WHY you must involve the brain processes NOW. No day was never wasted, but intentional in building my son's future functioning as a learner, thinker and processor. Now, at 22 months, he uses 4 word sentences,is potty training himself, and counts to 10 and back (and I only knew about Vol.2! ) This does not create "superkids", it merely teaches the parent how the baby's brain is developing and how to involve themselves with exercises to maximize growth. Every area of brain development has corresponding basic exercises which are explained in detail. The baby sets the pace so there is no stress involved. More user friendly than "What to expect" and equally, if not more important. Crucial for stay at home parents, daycares, and shower gifts! I'm convinced that this book, if used well, will improve the intelligence of future adults across the board.

Excellent.
Well written, with wonderfully informative illustrations.
Pay close attention to the title because that is exactly what this book is for.
Precisely directed at those who are restoring an old canoe or putting a sail on an old canoe, and desire with that sailing apparatus, to maintain the patina and character of the "oldness."

If you are, as I am, seeking simply to put a sail on a modern canoe, I suppose there is still a good deal to learn from this book. I am getting inspiration from the diagrams and may one day, when I get more free time, build something like what is in this book.

It would be silly to build something according to the plans in this book and put it on a modern canoe. It would sail, no doubt. But the great sin would be the mixture of old and new.

There is enough technical information and close up drawings that I can work from and adapt to using aluminum and modern, manufactured items to create something to get on the water faster than building it all myself from scratch. That is mainly what the thrust of this book is all about, building and sailing it yourself, whilst keeping it's antique patina.

Great book. The author knows his subject.
Also an attractive coffee table book, even if you never do anything with the knowledge therein.

Being single, I get to be my own Santa Claus. So this year Santa brought me " Canoe Rig, The Essence And The Art". Written and Illustrated by Todd E. Bradshaw. Although it looks more like a coffee Table book, the pages are filled with information. The illustrations are computer generated 3-D and are well detailed. There is also a lot of text explaining each type of sail. In the back of the book are scaled graphics to assist in making the sails. All in all an excellent book. I look forward to trying some of these sail configurations on my canoes.

This new book is chock full of clear, colorful computer drawings of details of various sail rigs, written by a guy who obviously knows what he's talking about. For the small boat enthusiast it's a real treat. Bradshaw has chapters on spars, leeboards, sails, mast support, and rigging, with an appendix featuring measured plans for sails and leeboards. It's clear and informative, and very hard to put down!

It was very exciting. Once I got started I couldn't put it down. I have started reading all of the Star Fleet Academy Star Trek The Next Generation books. This is a must for any Star Trek fan.

I am now 13 years old, and I still read this book (even though most of the time I read novels). It is an excellent book that any young Trekkie should have in his/her collection. Read it. You'll like it. :-)

This book is very appropriate for the stated reading level. It is very beautifully written and is most probably the best of the series. I enjoyed the intricate use of various phrases and how the plot slowly developed to allow the protagonists to overcome any difficulties that they faced. If you read this book, I would suggest other books by the same author. The style persists.

Great introduction. The authors write beautifully about their background and the tributes are wonderfull.

The text maps directly to the CompTIA Domains and that is great. The content is a bit "light on". I found some areas were glossed over.
The hardware was better than the OS, much better!

I passed the HW exam but did NOT make the new ADAPTIVE 222 OS exam! I did use other material for my study. None of the material was adequate for the new OS exam.

Perhaps an "Adaptive Edition" would be a required book? The book proberbly only deserves 3 stars for content but gets 4 for the presentation and organisation. Even if I had passed I would rate it as I have.

Of the three books I used this was the easiest to use!

My stock advice for those preparing for certification is to "get the Exam Cram". If you are planning to take the new A+ tests, however, and you have even the slightest bit of experience, then this book is far superior for a variety of reasons:

1. Better Organization. The Exam Cram is laid out in a conceptual order ideal for beginners - you start at the motherboard and gradually work outside the computer, you start at DOS and progressively upgrade to Windows 2000. But that's what the thousand page study guides are for - these books are supposed to help you CRAM for the EXAM. The Exam Notes are instead patterned directly after CompTIA's objectives, making it far easier to locate information on your weak areas when studying for the tests.

2. Appropriate Detail. The Exam Cram provides a scant 20 pages on networking (though it makes up 10-15% of each exam) and less on laser printers (typically, an uncomfortable area of study), but reprints almost all of the Windows 3.1 information from the first edition despite the new test objectives! In contrast, these Exam Notes contain an excellent introduction to basic networking concepts, a fully illustrated review of the EP process, and far less "historical data".

3. Overall Quality. The latest version of the Exam Cram still contains an almost useless motherboard diagram, disjointed discussions of barely related technologies (see Chapter 7), and some truly unforgivable factual errors (see page 401). This book provides stark contrast with actual photos of things you should be able to visually identify, better focus on current test objectives, high accuracy, and IT EVEN COSTS LESS!

Coriolis produces useful study guides, but Sybex got them this time. Mr. Jones and Mr. Landes have a fine test prep product on audio cassette, but this is, in my opinion at least, the best in print.

If you are looking for a review text that looks at each and every Comptia A+ objective for both tests, buy this book. No fluff or extras, just every single objective reviewed and briefly explained. Well written and to the point, it also reviews terminology, concepts, and step-by-step procedures vital to passing the newest and toughest A+ exams. What I was most thrilled about is the good coverage given to the Operating Systems portion. This is the absolute toughest test of the two and the information reviewed here is essential to pass the test.

I was disappointed that my bike, a 1983 FLHTC Shovelhead, was left out. I was further disappointed that the timeline showed the FLHT/FLHTC to start in 1984 as if this version started when the Evolution showed up. My bike has the FLT frame, 1340cc Shovelhead, FLH Fairing with an oil encased secondary chain drive. I believe it came out late in '83 and probably was highly overshawdowed by the Evolution version. Anyhow, thought I'd pass this on to anyone who cares to read this. See ya out there on the Highways and Bi-ways... Shovelheads Rule!!

Over three hundred photos written by the most prolific Harley Writer. Don't miss "THE SECOND COMING OF AGE" by: Vedrine

I very much liked this book. It doesn't go deeply into Harley history, it goes just deep enough so that one feels some sense of how American motorcycles, especially H-D and Indian, evolved. For me what's best about this book are the large beautiful photos of the old Harleys, chronologically organized, in original unmodified condition. The old bikes from the mid 30's to mid 50's are truely gorgeous. I can spend hours admiring and comparing photos. This book gives me the urge to own one of these old Harleys.

Todd Whitaker has an understanding of the school system and its personnel, and is able to convey this understanding in terms that are easy to read. This book offers great suggestions for dealing with personnel that set back the goals of the school system. The points made by Whitaker are not only useful to practicing principals, but are just as important to peers of "difficult teachers".

In Dealing With Difficult Teachers, education administrator Todd Whitaker draws upon his many years of professional experience and expertise to provide school superintendents and building principles with non-confrontational and guilt-free strategies for handling teachers with performance and personality issues. This compendium on practical and effective advice addresses teachers who gossip in the teacher's lounge; who consistently dismiss any new idea; who send excessive numbers of students to the principal's office for disciplinary reasons; who undermine administrative efforts toward school improvement; as well as those who negatively influence other teaching and student services staff members school. Dealing With Difficult Teachers is an essential addition to educational administration reference collections and "must" reading for anyone charged with supervisory responsibilities for classroom instructors and teaching staff morale.

This book very beneficial not only for principals but also for teachers who want to change their negative behavior and improve their quality of teaching. For principals, it is very proper to take advantage of the author's fruitful experiences and apply what works in their schools considering difficult teachers. Moreover, for all types of teachers, it is a great opportunity to enhance themselves and improve their behavior to be labeled as superstar teachers.
In fact, it would not be fair if I preferred some ideas and suggestions to others because the book is metaphorically a pearl. Whitaker's book addresses valuable suggestions that can be used as powerful tools to improve schools, teachers, and students. First and foremost, if my ultimate goal, as a principal, was to do what is best for students and the school, I would have to ask myself these questions (Pp. 13-14): What is my true purpose in implementing this rule or policy? Will it actually accomplish this purpose? How will my positive and productive staff feel about this policy? If I am able to be as detached, realistic, and credible as possible when I answer these questions, I would never feel guilty.
In addition, the book provides other great suggestions, which can be applied to any school system, for dealing with difficult staff members as follows: Strategies to help counteract resistant and difficult teachers; improve teachers' cooperation; avoid arguing and struggling with difficult teachers; be respectful to other teachers; create productive and effective changes in the school; give difficult teachers some responsibilities to improve their behavior; involve effective teachers in decision-making; and reduce negative-leaders' influences by weakening their followers.
Finally, I would reiterate the author, as he states on (p. X), "this book is designed for the most frustrating, resistant, and negative staff in the school." However, to achieve what we, the school's administration, are planning, we MUST work collectively as hard as we possibly can.

We are all aware of books such as Goldman's "Elvis," the bodyguard's "Elvis: What Happened?" and, somewhat higher up the scale, Guralnick's combined epic "Last Train To Memphis" and "Careless Love." Numerous other books about Elvis have received plenty of publicity and have been successful to some degree. Given the apparently never-ending output of Elvis literature, it is, of course, not surprising that not all titles are equally successful. However, it is unfortunate that some exceptionally good Elvis books are almost ignored by the fans. There are undoubtedly numerous reasons for this, but the two most significant are firstly that the author is not backed by the marketing support offered to the likes of Guralnick, and secondly that the author does not have a name that attracts the attention of the media. Such a fate seems to have overcome a book called "Dispelling The Myths," by Todd Rheingold: although published in 1995, this work has had but little success, so perhaps I can awaken some interest for it in this short article. The author, Todd Rheingold, is a relatively young Elvis fan (well, he is to me, anyway!), having been born in New Jersey in 1966 (on the 4th July, no less!). As a young boy, already, Todd was an Elvis fan, and became further interested in the music of the 50s and early sixties after seeing the film, "American Graffiti." Elvis's death made a big impression on the then 11 year-old Todd, who slowly became as much interested in Elvis the man as in his music. After graduating, Todd visited Memphis in 1984 and a growing Elvis obsession led him to actually live in Memphis for a time in 1987 and then to go on and write "Dispelling The Myths." In the great library of Elvis books, "Dispelling The Myths" is most unusual: it does not give the umpteenth account of Elvis's life; it does not list Elvis's concert appearances; it does not provide a chronology of Elvis's recordings; it does not expose new girl-friends, love-children, or as yet unknown spiritual practises. Indeed, the book looks at a very sensitive aspect of Elvis and Elvis myth; let Todd explain himself: "Every person of color I have ever met believes, or has heard, that Elvis was a racist and ripped off black people. The white liberals of society believe it too. It was time for someone to take this seriously, and stop burying their heads in the sand like Graceland and most of the Elvis scholars." To be quite honest, as a European Elvis fan, I was not fully aware of this issue in connection with Elvis. Having been interested in Elvis and R&R for many years, I knew that Elvis had championed black performers in statements, had been photographed with them, and counted many among his friends. I was surprised, therefore to learn that a negative aura also surrounded Elvis in this respect. Todd's book carefully examines the origins of a racist statement that Elvis is supposed to have made and his supposed imitation of black performers; in addition, numerous disparaging remarks about Elvis, regarding the preferential treatment he is supposed to have received as an artist are also scrutinised. In the course of these investigations, the reader is presented with brief looks at some of the great R&R performers, including Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard, and is given a real insight into the socio-cultural upheavals brought about by this form of music. Todd makes it clear that Elvis admired many black artists and was, indeed, influenced by several. He goes to great pains, however, to show that the acceptance and development of an influence is not the same as slavishly copying and plagiarism. He further argues against the contention that Elvis was racially prejudiced by citing numerous instances of Elvis helping non-whites and by reproducing statements to the contrary by both black and white acquaintances of Elvis. "Dispelling The Myths" not only succeeds in its aim to "clear" Elvis of accusations of racism, it also provides useful information about the context in which Elvis grew as a performer, at a time before mass media support and huge publicity campaigns and when a white man who moved and sang like a black man was frowned upon. That Elvis, because of this latter aspect, was, and still is, regarded with suspicion by the black community, is, after some consideration, perhaps not as surprising as I first thought. A book like "Dispelling The Myths" deserves success in order to allay these suspicions. It is clear, then, that "Dispelling The Myths" is something different! So why has it failed to be a success? Well, the points I mentioned above are certainly relevant: Todd Rheingold is not a "name" in either the Elvis publishing world specifically, or the pop-music publishing world in general, so little or no marketing or publicity has been available. In addition, the title does not attract the immediate attention of Elvis fans as it does not actually mention Elvis! Furthermore, the cover, although featuring a stunning drawing by Betty Harper of numerous R&R stars, including Elvis, neither mentions Elvis's name, nor gives the impression that the book is primarily about Elvis. And dare I propose that the rather sensitive subject matter has perhaps deterred fan clubs from recommending the book.

David Neale email: david.neale@euronet.be Copyright August 1999

For many years now,there have been false beliefs that Elvis was racist,stole black music,etc.I always knew it wasn't true,but wanted to read a positive book that set the record straight about Elvis' roots.This is a book that everyone should read,especially those who think Elvis was racist and stole black music.Of course,there are those folks who wouldn't think any differently,anyway and those people are blind sheep,who can not think for themselves.I am so grateful to Todd Rheingold for writing such a wonderful,positive,truthful book about Elvis.I highly recommend this book to anyone.

This is a well documented book about Elvis Presley's influence on black music and musicians - and the influence of black music and musicians on Elvis. There have been accusations that Elvis was a racist but nowhere can anyone prove this. To the contrary, Todd Rheingold has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Elvis had great respect for black music and musicians. He was brought up hearing the gospel music in local black churches and he loved it. Some of his greatest music is the gospel music which came from the black south. Todd has included quotes from many black musicians who had nothing but good to say about Elvis and reaffirming that Elvis did not steal their music as has been stated by some. If you want to look beyond the usual stories told about Elvis and concentrate on a very important and too often dismissed part of Elvis's life, read this book. In my opinion, it is one of the best books ever written about Elvis. Todd Rheingold is to be commended for putting his talent toward writing a thoughtful and detailed portrayal of a young Elvis who carried his love of black music throughout his life.

What a wacky bunch of characters. True to life and funny as can be. I enjoyed this book immensely.

I LOVED this book. Read it from the library, then spent a lot time and effort trying to find a way to purchase it because I HAD to own it. I've since passed it down to my daughters, who also enjoyed it immensely. I keep hoping for more from this author.

I picked this book up just to peruse, and found I couldn't put it down. Much in the style of Larry McMurtry with full character development. The characters are wacky, delightful and a bit off center. This was one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time. Found myself laughing out loud and wishing for more. Hard to find this book? Keep looking, it's worth the hunt.

The book was a great adventure which takes us back to where it all began. Three raw cadets attempting to work out their differences and triumph in the best traditon of Star Trek lore.

The first adventrue of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. This book was made for kids, but it does apeal to adults too. To see the beginnings of friendship and leadership by Kirk was good. Kirk was by book, and it was surprising. McCoy was witty and Spock was somewhat solid. The three of them trapped on a planet trying to thrawt a plan to kidnap a popular doctor. This book resembles novel Trek books quite well. I liked this book and I'm sure other adults will too.

It was a great charcter ddevelopment book. Not many people could imagine that Kirk used to be so by - the - book. After all he has broke every rule in Starfleet and has been demoted. Still, the story turned out nicely. And the way Kirk tricked Spock, that was genius. There was only one thing, if McCoy is an ensign now it would have been a year or more between books but Kirk is still a first year cadet. Did he flunk? Another five star job by Todd C. Hamilton.