My interest in this book is due to the fact that I am a fan of the St. Louis - San Francisco (Frisco) Railway. The book contains a chapter of 10 pages on the Frisco with a number of good photographs that I have not seen before. Although I am not as interested in the other material in the book as I am the Frisco, I did enjoy reading it and found it to be quite good. A good book to compliment a Frisco (or any other pre-BN railroad) collection or great for the BN fan.

Now that the BN is another vanished corporate identity, it's quite lucky we rail enthusiasts have such a fine, classy publication that summarizes the forerunnings, beginnings and contemporary era of the BN. Excellent shots of GN, NP, CB&Q, and SP&S lead to still more beautiful images of a far-reaching Western rail empire. The text is highly engaging and manages to appeal to not only the die-hard railfans, but those who are just exploring the subject.

I own hundreds of railroad books, but this is definitely within the top ten. It offers an outstanding combination of text, organization, photo quality, page layout and production quality. This is one of the most beautifully-designed railroad books you'll ever find.

I refer back to this book more than just about any other railroad photo book I own.

Some pages are so beautiful you'll probably be tempted to buy a second copy and frame some of the pages from the first copy to hang on your wall.

Philip Baruth has accomplished something very rare with The Dream of the White Village. He has captured the very soul of Burlington; a very human soul that is sad, funny, dark, and uplifting at various turns and sometimes all at once.

This was an interesting book which effectively captures the lives of a set of people living in a small city in New England - simple, sometimes desperate, but real, life. It truly is a series of stories which is in some ways enjoyable; at the same time I wished I could have read more about some of the characters who the reader only briefly encounters. A few are really hilarious.

I moved to the hills above what used to be New Burlington in 1973. As a young boy playing in the old foundations of the homes in the town, I never appreciated what an amazing place it had been. Mr. Baskin brings the town back to life with his first person accounts and the writings of persons long since past. People write of floods and winter storms with a detachment that makes me feel guilty for complaining about any of the minor inconveniences that weather causes now. The writer has served to immortalize more than memorialize this wonderful town that was. He also gave one resident a reason to truly appreciate the people who came before him. I have since left the hills above New Burlington but, thanks to Mr. Baskin, I can always go back.

John Baskin has a unique way of writing. He interview people from a little town in New Burlington, OH to create a compulation of humorous & heart-warming stories from a town that no longer exists. The setting is for the most part, the early 1900's. An excellent read! I hope to read the sequell soon.

After reading this book I purchased it as a gift for a friend who grew up in Burlington and still has family there. It could not have been more appreciated or enjoyed and he plans to give it as gifts to all his relatives and friends. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a "must-have" for all present residents who are anxious to preserve what is best about the past and for all past residents who want to keep their memories fresh and alive.

This book was written about the Hannibal-St. Joseph/ CB&Q Rail Road. Most of the happenings happened between Hannibal, MO, and Brookfield, MO and Brookfield and St. Joseph, MO. The book relates to how badly labor was oppressed by the Robber Barron Rail Roads until such time as they were able to organize their labor movement.

I found "Everywhere West" to be a clear, concise pictorial history of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad from its earliest days to the Burlington Northern merger in 1970. Particular attention has been given to the Burlington Zephyrs as well as to little-known Burlington Route subsidiary lines. The book reads very well, shows extensive research, and is filled with hundreds of pictures. This book is a "must have" for CB&Q lovers and is highly recommended to anyone who loves railroading.

I recommend this mathematical reference above all others. I have used almost all the standard compilations of formulae and functions and find this one by far the most user friendly and complete.

The book is laid out in chapters corresponding to the major divisions of mathematics such as Algebra, Elementary Geometry, Differential Equations and so on. In each of these chapters is not only a listing of pertinent formulae and functions, but definitions of symbols, solving hints, illustrations and important theorems.

This book carried me through college and into my professional career. I used my first copy until it literally fell apart. My advice for anyone in a mathematical science is to get yourself a copy of this book, it will serve you long and well.

I got this book out of my local library after seeing the TV movie starring Elizabeth Montgomery. The TV movie was based on this book. However, the movie did not even begin to scratch the surface of what Blanche Taylor Moore was really like. I was horrified to think that one human being could be this evil, yet appear perfectly normal. Her father was a terrible man, there was no question about that. He forced Blanche to do things that no child should have to endure. That is why Blanche probably turned out the way she did. It does not, however, excuse the terrible things she did to the people she supposedly "loved." It's a fascinating book.

Author Janet Bamford says that 16% of the typical household budget goes to pay for insurance. So knowing the score on health, life, disability, auto, and home insurance not only averts financial ruin, but also saves you premium dollars. Bamford offers sound guidelines for what you'll need to protect yourself and your family -- and shows you how to find the best prices on each type of policy. Her section on health insurance plans is especially helpful in navigating the new world of managed care.

As an investment consultant, as well as an oft-harried, small apartment owner to boot, I personally witnessed, in the early 90s, the trials and tribulations of being directly involved in managing one's real estate investments - all this during a period in which, contrary to popular opinion, disciplined equity REITs still profited nicely.

Despite my pre-existing biases, day by day, it was becoming ever more clear to me that REITs had become the lower risk, more highly liquid, no-fuss, no muss, preferred vehicle for participating in commercial real estate profits. Still, somehow, it was not until I picked up Ralph's first book that I was able to garner the enthusiam necessary to truly embrace REITs, ultimately altering my career course mid-stream and dedicating it to REIT investing and analysis. I read his book in one sitting, literally not being able to put it down.

While that "sold out" first book will forever have an emotional attachment for me, as an "analyst", I must acknowledge that this new and improved version is even better still, both from an informational standpoint, as well as being more colorful and thus, much easier on the eyes - courtesy of Bloomberg's fine editor, I suspect.

But you don't need to be a professional to understand and appreciate Ralph's down-to-earth, folksy style of writing. In fact, because this book was written for the un-initiated, armchair investor, its price tag is extremely low. But even if it were not so inexpensive, to anyone who loves either real estate or the high dividends REITs provide (over 7% on average, as of this writing), I'd say: "INVESTING IN REITS is worth its weight in gold".

Ralph Block shows the way through the morass of FFOs, AFFOs and P/AFFOs to the basic concepts of reits. I like his clairty; he speaks to me by written word, yet as if one- to-one.The entire subject matter (which at first approach seems incredibly dry) sparkles with Block's wit. I read the book and came away reit-knowledgeable as well as entertained!

In these days of plummeting stocks (and reits are in there falling, too), this book helps me prepare for the time when I will want to sink some money into real estate the easier, cheaper way.

After watching the current accounting scandals, I was interested in finding a safe investment with a good return. I read about REITs in Smart Money and that is how I was referred to this book. It is well written and comprehensive introduction to REITs and I plan to reread it several times so I can gain the expertise necessary to start investing in these relatively new investment vehicles. For those who do not want to wait, Vanguard offers a REIT index that has a nice return and looks pretty solid as we ride out the Bush Jr's recession.