Faith, the Only Star: A Family's Journey Through Challenge to Victory

Book Description

When Winfred King was struck with polio in the fall of 1941, his wife, Marie, and their family would face challenge in a way theyÂ'd never known. The denizens of their hometownÂ—friends, neighbors, and familyÂ—took care of the Kings, and Marie began to thank them by making candy. This candy making would eventually turn into a profitable business and the KingsÂ' livelihood.

From a small operation in their country kitchen with Marie and her three sons doing all the cooking and cleaning, to an in-town candy shop in a restored historic train depot with eleven full-time employees, MarieÂ's Home Made Candies has become a historic landmark in West Liberty, Ohio. The store is known as much for its delicious candies as for its inspirational advent.

Marie King was a Career Woman out of necessity before the term became fashionable. Her strength, grace, and compassion set an example for all womenÂ—and menÂ—today trying to balance work and family while surviving the various, albeit inevitable, trials this life brings. MarieÂ's example is not how to survive, but how to endure, thrive, and shine.

Follow and be inspired by the KingsÂ' journey through challenge, faith, and victory over three generations.

Book Description

The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives (SEAL) has documented the lives of thousands of deceased Americans, both world famous and lesser known. Now, a new Thematic Series focuses on people in special areas of interest, both living and deceased. For the kickoff, Sports Figures profiles everyone from Dizzy Dean to Mia Hamm.

For those who want to learn about sports figures, statistics and career highlights are easy to find, but authoritative biographical information is not always readily available. Now anyone who enjoys sports can turn to SEAL for well-written, authoritative essays on the lives and achievements of more than 600 athletes, coaches, team owners, sportscasters and writers. Their home run records, longest passes and fastest miles are all here, along with concise descriptions of each subject's childhood, family life, education and rise to fame. And true to Scribner's high editorial quality, each original, signed essay is written to be read and enjoyed by scholars, students and casual browsers alike.

What was it like for Jackie Robinson, the first black player to break the color barrier in baseball, and why was Babe Didrikson Zaharias so revolutionary for her time? What makes Tiger Woods a unique golfer? Each signed article places its subject in historical context. Photos of most subjects, bibliographies and an index by sport make this set comprehensive and easy to use.

Book Description

Inga Karetnikova’s method is that of the art teacher: she asks students to study great works in detail, to analyze them, and then to create their own. She stresses that her examination is "interested only in how the scripts are written and what makes them work, not in a cultural or scholarly examination of them." Karetnikova analyzes eight screenplays—The Godfather, Rashomon, La Strada, Bicycle Thief, Nosferatu, The Servant, Viridiana, Notorious—and a novel written in screenplay form, Kiss of the Spider Woman. Each serves as an example of a particular aspect of screenplay writing: composing scripts, developing characters, constructing suspense, adapting literature to cinematic space and time, and weaving details and motifs within a script.

Karetnikova urges film students to work on their own screenplays while studying her book, reading the suggested scripts and viewing the films based on them to get the most from her method. She provides a series of exercises for each chapter to help students master the skills of composing and writing film treatments, developing screen stories and their characters, organizing scenes, and writing dialogue. Each of the exercises has worked successfully in her own screenplay-writing classes.

Customer Reviews:

A Good Teacher And A Good Book Indeed.......2003-10-19

I also was a student of Ms Karetnikova at Emerson College in Boston, and not only did I learned from her how to appreciate and create a commercial script but also how to make it a piece of good work. Ms Karetnikova has the gift of knowledge that will inspire any writer to build good scripts with the basic premise of good idea. This book is a typical example of what Inga can teach you. --This text refers to the Paperback edition

Pablo Vargas-Atlanta, GA GA Films October 15, 2003

A teacher who really knows her stuff.......2002-06-26

I learned under Ms. Karetnikova at Emerson College in Boston, and she is a very talented teacher. She knows how to take the raw material of a writer and encourage it to blossom into a script worthy of selling. Inga knows that her students are wanting to write scripts that will sell, and she teaches others in this book how to truly look at a script so they will know how to produce one themselves.

Really good, not a dull how-to book.......2001-12-04

It's too bad I'm the first reviewing this book, it's being overlooked. I borrowed it from a friend who read it as a textbook at college. It satisfies the academician because it looks at the 8 scripts critically and gives a historical perspective to the art of scriptwriting. But it's also great for complete novices like me. It breaks the scripts apart and shows why the dialogues, the suspense, use of details etc. makes the scripts and films great ones. It leads you and inspires you while giving you a lot of space for creativity. Another book on script writing I'm reading right now seems so bland and so didactic now after having read "How Scripts are Made."

The Primal Screen: How to Write, Sell, and Produce Movies for Television With Complete Script of Drop-Out Father

Average customer rating:

The Primal Screen: How to Write, Sell, and Produce Movies for Television With Complete Script of Drop-Out Father
Bob Shanks
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Academic & Commercial | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0393019934

Screen Plays: How 25 Scripts Made It to a Theater Near You--for Better or Worse

Average customer rating:

Screen Plays: How 25 Scripts Made It to a Theater Near You--for Better or Worse
David S. Cohen
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Screenwriting | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Performing Arts | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0061189197

Book Description

"Shopping has a lot in common with sex," Thomas Hine observes near the beginning of this wide-ranging exploration of the history and psychology of one of the most commonplace and important activities of modern Life. "Just about everybody does it. Some people brag about how well they do it. Some keep it a secret. Most people worry, at Least a little, about whether they do it right. And both provide ample opportunities to make foolish choices."

Choosing and using objects is a primal human activity, and I Want That! is nothing less than a portrait of humanity as the species that shops. We shop to nourish our bodies and to feed our fantasies. We shop to belong to groups. We shop to define ourselves as individuals. We shop to be powerful. We shop to be responsible. We shop to celebrate. We shop because we don't want to miss out on the excitement of life. I Want That! shows how these fundamental desires play out in today's malls, Web sites, boutiques, and superstores.

The book also offers a lively, fast-paced history of finding, choosing, and spending. It makes stops in the crossroads markets in which prehistoric merchants traded gold, amber, and obsidian; in the agora in Athens, where sharp setters wet their wool to make it weigh more, and everyone came to buy, talk, eat, and get their hair done. It visits the great fairs of medieval times -- brief, gaudy moments in monotonous, laborious lives -- and it considers the cities of Renaissance Europe, where shopping districts and the idea of individual expression arose side by side. It demonstrates how one simple idea -- manufacturing garments that were ready to wear -- brought the explosive growth of department stores and turned cities into vast shopping centers. It continues the story to the age of the Internet, when the buying never seems to stop, and, in times of crisis, political Leaders tout shopping, not sacrifice, as the act of patriots.

I Want That! tells the fascinating story of how shopping came to be the way it is -- and how you became the shopper you are.

Customer Reviews:

Barely skims the surface.......2007-02-25

I was excited to run across this book and eagerly dived into its pages. I was hoping it would explain American consumerism and explore the psychological and biological origins of our acquisitiveness. Sadly, this book only barely skims the surface. It is much more descriptive than explanatory. Where there are explanations, they are superficial and unsurprising. For example, Hine asserts that one reason why people shop and acquire things is to demonstrate status in society. No, really?!

For those looking for an analysis of why we Americans are materialistic -- often to our detriment -- I'd recommend instead: American Mania: When More Is Not Enough, by Peter C. Whybrow.

"I Want That: How We All Became Shoppers" .......2005-06-01

The following is an email that I sent to Thomas Hine. BTW...I believe the book was great on so many levels and intent to go into sociology of consumption for graduate school and further the text in this area.

> Hello Mr. Hine,
>
> My name is Frederick Hunter and I am a senior at the
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I have become
> really interested in the area, sociology of consumption:
> shopping. I am writing this email, not to boast about myself
> but to praise your book. Much of the history on shopping
> that you presented I learned in a sociology course before,
> however, your book gives more of an in depth account and in
> the same instance gives comparisons to today. This book was
> an adventure in its own, sometimes giving way to fun to
> comedic jokes. I just cant explain how much I loved your
> book. The funniest quote I intend to post on my dry erase
> board is the one on page 149, "Its only shallow people who
> do not judge by appearances." This sentence rings true on
> every level. On the other hand, you did make a mistake. I am
> not trying to be cruel by saying this, I just want to shine
> some light onto this. Towards the end of the book, you made
> a reference to the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Michigan
> Avenue, however you called it "Michigan Boulevard." I am a
> resident of Chicago, that is the only reason that I felt the
> need to bring it up. Overall, I loved the book and will
> recommend it as a reader for friends and loved one. It would
> be great if I could receive a message from you from this
> email, mainly because this is the first email I have ever
> sent to a Author. Thanks for your time and hope to hear from
> you soon.
>
> Frederick Hunter
> University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> Sociology (class of 2006)

Well-written essay on an important topic.......2005-05-18

As an anthropologist and researcher on popular culture, I found this book a fun read and an informative study of the history, psychology, and anthropology of shopping. Oh sure, it could have done more--what book couldn't?--but for its range and accessbility, it is a fine piece of work. It makes the point, that other books like those of George Ritzer have been making, that consumption is a serious cultural issue that has been neglected by social scientists. When I look, for example, at cultural anthropology textbooks, there is usually no mention, or at best a few words, about consumption at all. It is as if production and distribution are important and mysterious but consumption is trivial and obvious. I welcome the new direction that emphasizes consumption, especially because, as he and Ritzer suggest, we are in a post-production society where supply is not our problem any more. Rather, demand and how our demands are shaped are the main issue. This book is a great lauching point: from here, people can dig more deeply into the aspects of the subject that interest them. But if this is as far as they go, they will have had a pleasant and informative journey.

Want in one hand, and..........2004-03-15

"Columbus killed more Indians than Hitler did Jews, but on his birthday you get sales on shoes" --The Goats

What at first might seem mundane subject matter is made illuminating and interesting by Thomas Hine's engaging narrative, personal and historical examples, and downright deep digging. Excavating our culture of consumption from the perspectives of power, responsibility, discovery, self-expression, insecurity, attention, belonging, celebration, and convenience, Hine unearths the desires and rituals that have made us all shoppers in one sense or another. In the spirit of the quote above, I Want That! points out the fact that we "mix up reverence with consumption." Our every holiday is tied to purchases and a subsequent sale of some sort.

Are women born to shop? Do today's shoppers truly have choices? Why do we buy what we buy? All of these questions and more are answered and explained in a free-for-all spree of analysis of what Hine calls the 'buyosphere.' "The buyosphere," he writes, "is both a set of shopping opportunities and a state of mind. It encompasses the shopping streets of the city, the mall, the supermarket, the home shopping channels, advertisements, and the Internet." Comparing the shopping experience of a Persian bazaar to the non-experience of shopping at Wal-Mart, as well as how humans have moved from hunting/gathering to sharing their surpluses through marketplaces, Hine shows just how far the story of consumption has come throughout history. He even highlights the postmodern aspect of our current ubiquitous marketplace, writing, "There are no fixed identities in the buyosphere."

Shopping is something we all do with little thought as to why or how. As Hine writes, "Whether you are a buyer or a seller, when you are in the market, you're a part of the performance. You're looking. You're learning. You're alive." I Want That! will make you rethink your purchasing habits and why you want to buy what you buy.

A lot in one small package..........2003-08-14

Thomas Hine's writing reveals a unique blend of history, marketing and pop culture savvy. Of course, anyone familiar with "Populuxe," his groundbreaking view of consumerism in the 1950's and early '60's, knows this full well.

"I Want That!" continues in that vein. Immensely readable, the book chronicles the history of shopping and consumer behavior, examining *why* humans have liked to shop over the centuries. Taking us as far back as the ancient Egyptians, Hine illustrates how politics, technology, transportation, geography and even religion have shaped our relationship with consumables and our methods of acquiring them. Even those of us who like to shop regard it as a rather mundane experience most of the time, but Hine shows how complex and significant the act of shopping truly is.

Average customer rating:
I Want That! : How We All Became Shoppers
Thomas Hine
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEOX0K

Average customer rating:
I Want That: How We All Became Shoppers
Thomas Hine
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEF88G

Book Description

Reverse Dungeon offers players a new way to experience the Dungeons & Dragons(r) game, reversing traditional roles in a way that will thrill D&D(r) fans.

Crawling through dungeons and combating powerful monsters are at the heart of the D&D experience. Players and Dungeon Masters alike love monsters, and Reverse Dungeon allows them to actually play these monsters, intent on defending their lairs from pesky adventurers out to steal their treasure. This unique focus creates a whole new dimension in D&D gaming. And Reverse Dungeon contains a pregenerated adventure that Dungeon Masters can use immediately to give their players a brand-new D&D experience.

Customer Reviews:

A Nice Diversion.......2001-02-17

This book allows the players to make up monster PCs to defend their homes from invading adventurers. The first part of the module casts the players as goblins, defending their warrens on the top level of a dungeon. If they are successful in repelling the dreaded do-gooders, they trade up their goblins for more powerful bad guys to fight more powerful adventurers on deeper levels of the dungeon. If your players are willing to step out of their usual characters, this adventure could be a lot of fun.

There's no real possibility of carrying on a long campaign with this book, though. The players can expect a high mortality rate with their goblins, and shouldn't get too attached to them anyway, since they drop them later for the bigger monsters. I think the ideal use for this adventure would be to serve as a diversion from an ongoing campaign, or as a break between adventures.

The invading adventurer NPCs are fairly weak at the beginning of the adventure. I would recommend beefing them up a bit, or making up completely new characters to pit against your monster PCs. The adventurers that come along later are more on par with normal PC adventurers, and can hold their own reasonably well.

If your campaign needs a break, or even if you're just in the mood to try something different, I recommend this module.

Old idea but decent execution.......2000-10-12

The whole book is based on the idea of having monsters defend their homes from the dang humans and such who always come to stomp on them for no clear reason. Although this idea has been around for quite some time, it was even introduced in Dungeon magazine and Polyhedron back in the late 80's, the actual execution of the idea in this book is quite nice.

many options opened.......2000-06-25

I throughly enjoyed this book, it has opened of several options. Such has running a dual group, one playing the "good" guys and another who wishes to play the "bad" guys. I plan to incorporate this into my campaign.

Interesting?.......2000-05-24

This a good change of pace for those who need a bit of change from regular D&D. I chose not to use the situations in the book but instead during one encounter made my PCs run the evil nasties and I ran the Monsters, it was quite fun as I watched thier hearts stop as they thought that their charater's might die. It was quite an interesting time. This is one of the best modules that I have run into and I would encourage anyone who wants to do something different to pick it up.

Interesting?.......2000-05-23

Reverse Dungeon, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure, Tsr 11392

Average customer rating:

Reverse Dungeon, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure, Tsr 11392
John D. and Cordell, Bruce R. Rateliff
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KIV3Y4

Book Description

Hundreds of Legal Deductions for eBay Sellers!

If you’re an online seller, take note: now you can reduce--or even eliminate--the taxes you pay using the insider tips in Tax Loopholes for eBay Sellers. You’ll discover hundreds of little-known, completely legal tax deductions and reporting tips that are unique to eBay and designed to benefit small business owners. Learn what the IRS is looking for when sorting out a real business from a hobby and why it matters.

You’ll get step-by-step advice on everything from setting up your business and getting a business license to creating a bookkeeping system. Use the power of eBay and the tax strategies in this book to increase your wealth, protect your assets--and lower your tax bill.

How much can you fit into your eBay tax loophole?

Learn what the best tax-advantaged business structures are for your type of eBay business
Get the free “The 9 Steps to Business Test” to see if your business measures up against IRS guidelines
Identify and take advantage of hundreds of legal deductions for eBay business owners
Determine how often you will prepare a sales and use tax report based on volume
Set up a payroll system with the proper withholding deductions for all employees including yourself
Create an accounting system to pay bills, input transactions, record sales, keep track of PayPal fees, and balance your business checkbook

Customer Reviews:

Keep tax man happy.......2007-06-14

Everyone needs to read this book that is operating an eBay business large or small.

An Amazing Book!!!.......2007-05-16

This book is THE book to get if you have any questions about setting up an eBay business. It doesn't matter if you're doing your business full-time, part-time, or just every now and then - this book is chock full of great ideas on how to set it up. The section on setting up your financial books is worth the price alone! Tax loopholes are made for business owners and you are only cheating yourself by not taking advantage of them. Stop reading this review and order the book NOW!

Not Much Help.......2007-04-06

This book is intended primarily for incorporated Ebay sellers or Ebay sellers who plan to incorporate. It is of limited value for small businesses that are privately owned and filing a Schedule C tax form. I do not recommend it.

eBay Tax Gude is a useful resource.......2007-02-22

For a large volume eBay seller this is a vauable resource. For the more casual seller who sells occasionally or has a smaller volume of sales it is probably not necessary. It is well organized and it is easy to find the tax topic you wish to address.

very helpful.......2006-11-02

As a new e-bay store owner, I was in need of some tax advice. This book gave me everything I needed to know about owning a small business on e-bay. I read it cover to cover the first time and still often refer to it. Highly recommended to anyone who may not know how tax laws work for e-bay sellers.

Average customer rating:

Tax Loopholes for EBay Sellers
Diane Kennedy
Manufacturer: MCGRAW-HILL BOOK COM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

eBay | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000K29CP2

Average customer rating:

Extremely disappointing

This book is a classic depiction!

Dr. Lemke, compassionate pace setter

A Medical Adventure

Quoted from the Edmonton Journal Dec. 12, 01 with permission

Man No Be God: Bushdoctor in Cameroon
Dieter Lemke
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Cultural | Anthropology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Ethnic Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Medicine | Subjects | Books
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Cameroon: The Bradt Travel Guide

Your Madness Not Mine: Stories of Cameroon (Research in International Studies Africa Series)

The Innocent Anthropologist : Notes from a Mud Hut

Culture and Customs of Cameroon (Culture and Customs of Africa)

Mango Elephants in the Sun: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin

ASIN: 0595170145

Book Description

man no be God is a fascinating story of one man's life and work as a medical missionary in Cameroon, Africa. It is an absorbing and often humorous series of anecdotes and observations of the challenges and rewards of working as a doctor in Africa, as well as the unique opportunity he had to learn from the people of these intricate and colorful cultures. The book leads thoughtfully into a discussion of the topical and immediate challenge of facing AIDS in this part of the continent, describing methods that are saving lives, and thus retaining optimism and hope for the future of Cameroon and Africa.

Customer Reviews:

Extremely disappointing.......2007-02-22

Poorly written, annoying false modesty. lots of Christian mumbo jumbo, surprisingly very little insight after so much time spent in Cameroon. Laundry list of patients' conditions is about it.
And for God's sake, "it's" is NOT the same as "its".

This book is a classic depiction!.......2002-10-31

This book is a classic depiction of what is really going on in Cameroon to the eyes of a foreigner who has never been there before. Being a native of that country, I think that the author himself is very explicit as to what he truely experienced while living and mingling with people from a different culture and ethnicity. If you have never been to Cameroon let alone Africa, I would PERSONALLY reccomend this book. To the author of this book, I would say GOOD JOB and more power to your elbow.

Dr. Lemke, compassionate pace setter.......2002-08-06

REVIEW
Man No Be God
Bushdoctor in Cameroon

I have read this book and reread many parts many times. It is always a delight and brings back many wonderful memories. I smile and relive precious times. The people, places and predicaments come alive with the author's clear details and compassionate descriptions. Although I lived in Cameroon and was a coworker of Dr. Lemke's, the huge number of precise details cited here about the culture, the country and the medical conditions amaze me. Now we see the value of the little notebook kept in the author's breast pocket and all the notations he put in it. This book contains a wealth of factual information as well as a fascinating account of hundreds of people and their problems. Since Dr. Lemke's years of work spanned more than 30 years, he includes the follow-up and feedback of many interesting cases plus the growth in the development of the country.

I highly recommend this book to anyone planning to live or work in Cameroon, or other developing countries. Certainly, it is a "must" for medical people. Both the technical and emotional challenges of facing unknown or untreatable illness one after the other become real. The cultural insights presented are enlightening; the humor, constant and comforting; and the people, real and loveable. When you meet them, you will enjoy them more if you have read this book.

For those who want to experience Africa from the armchair, you will have more than you can imagine here. A little medical background will increase your understanding but is not necessary. Explanations of the life and culture are interesting and well done. This is a true account of life in developing Cameroon.

Thank you, Dieter, for writing this book and sharing your life and your heart with us - again. You shared while you were in Cameroon, and here you continue to do so. This is another good example of your pace setting.

A Medical Adventure.......2002-03-09

This book has adventure! An inspiring read for any medical student. Dr. Lemke shares riveting case histories that could only occur in the bush. The use of tupperware implant to treat a paralyzed eye -- the need to argue with natives in sign language not to leave the operating table while cut open mid-surgery -- the dilemma of providing treatment to a culture with unique but life-threatening traditions. As a medical student, I appreciated reading through Dr. Lemke's thought processes while having to ethically and medically navigate the need for unusual treatments. Dr. Lemke also makes astute observations about how African tribal lifestyles prevent many diseases common in western countries such as tooth decay and appendicitis. In addition to the medical aspect, Dr. Lemke shares an incredibly open-minded portrait of Cameroon's somewhat unknown native tribes.

Quoted from the Edmonton Journal Dec. 12, 01 with permission.......2001-12-29

"Review by Tim McNamara - on staff at Concordia University College
"man no be God' is a memoir by Dr. Dieter Lemke, now retired and living in Edmonton, of his years as a Baptist missionary in Cameroon, Africa. Dr. Lemke is not a professional writer, and there are times when this book struck me as rough and unpolished. But, fundamentally, this is in the book's best interest. Lemke speaks from the heart and tells the reader precisely what he saw and experienced during his years in Cameroon.
Lemke, a graduate of the U of A, went to Africa as a missionary, but his essential mission was to help heal the sick. His witness to his faith was to try to make the lives of Cameroonians better.
One does not get from his memoir a sense of a man who is pedantic or preachy; rather, one has the sense of someone who teaches by setting an example. He faced a daunting task in trying to bring health care to an impoverished and difficult land. There was little in the way of resources, patients often had to walk for days just to get to him, medicine was often scarce, and facilities were primitive. Yet Lemke prevailed by doing the best he could.
Often he would be presented with novel or baffling symptoms, and he had to learn as he went.
What emerges from his efforts is the portrait of a man who did everything he could for these people whom he clearly cared about and loved.
Lemke strikes me as a tough-minded optimist.
I strongly recommend this book. It is an admirable achievement."

Customer Reviews:

Serviceable Accounting of a Tragedy.......2006-08-27

Very few people are likely to have heard of the loss of the American merchant ship Badger State at Christmas of 1969. She was carrying a load of bombs to resupply the Air Force in Vietnam, and a chain of unfortunate events--poor stowage of the explosives, carrying an insufficient amount of cargo so that the ship rode high, bad weather--combined to lead almost inevitably to tragedy.

Benedetto, in very simple and unadorned prose that is not bogged down by a great deal of nautical jargon, provides a workmanlike rendition of the last days of the ship and crew. He draws heavily upon the documented testimony of survivors before a Board of Inquiry and received very significant input from Charles Wilson, the captain of the late vessel.

He also throws in a great deal of material (which at times verges on simple padding) about the tragic experiences of many other ships of the U.S. Merchant Marine over the last two hundred years, particularly about their destruction by, or, in some cases, escape from, Axis forces in WWII.

A small number of black and white photos are included. The diagrams of the ship and of the bomb pallets would have been better placed at the beginning of the book for easier reference.

This is not a lyrical and haunting masterpiece of man's struggle against the hostility of nature, but it's a serviceable enough rendering of an otherwise forgotten disaster and a nice primer about the sacrifices of the merchant marine.

True Life.......2006-05-31

I recently sailed with a person who was a crewmember on the S.S. Badger State when this tragic incident occurred. Your book brought the story full circle, thanks for writing such an illuminating account.

Paul J. Gunis

Sailing into the Abyss.......2006-05-14

Mr. Benedetto has brought history alive with his accounting of the horrific journey of the S.S Badger State. One feels the struggle and dispair of the Captain and crew as the drama unfolds. Sailing into the Abyss is a compelling real life story that would rival any fictional tale.

Review of Sailing into the Abyss.......2006-05-01

As a historian, I am always interested in learning new things about past events. Mr. Benedetto's book, "Sailing into the Abyss," has been one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. Not having previously read anything about the saga of the S.S. Badger State, I was glued to the pages from beginning to end. The book is a great reminder of how things at sea can go terribly wrong very quickly and serves as a great tribute to the men whose story this represents. Fascinating reading.

Ray Charlton

Here's the Reason they are Called the "High Seas".......2006-04-29

A wonderful read. I have recommended it to several nautical friends and all agree. Thrilling from start to finish.

Sailing Into the Abyss : A True Story of Extreme Heroism on the High Seas

Average customer rating:

Sailing Into the Abyss : A True Story of Extreme Heroism on the High Seas
William R. Benedetto
Manufacturer: Citadel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KF60JK

Amazon.com

Medical case studies can be fascinating to read, full of drama, heroism, and sometimes tragedy. Most doctors' tales take place in clinics or hospitals, but those pedestrian settings are not for Kenneth Kamler, who practices medicine outside, patching people up with surprising success under harrowing conditions. Surviving the Extremes starts with open-air surgery in the steamy jungles of the Amazon River, moves to disturbingly detailed descriptions of the many ways humans can die at sea, and from there takes white-knuckled readers through the rest of Earth's extreme environments. Krakauer fans will gasp at the book's best chapter, covering the high-altitude medical feats Kamler has performed on Mt. Everest and other peaks. "No course in medical school taught me the proper mixture of oxygen, IV fluids, and Tibetan chants to treat a subdural hematoma in below-zero temperatures on a 3-mile-high glacier," Kamler writes. Instead, he has learned the fine art of adventure doctoring by doing it, and in the process, he's won fans among the world's most prominent risk-takers. Through it all, Kamler remains fascinated by the human body's ability to heal under horrifically dangerous conditions. His medical adventures are inspiring and thrilling, as well as occasionally bloody and disgusting. In short, perfect stories of human survival. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

In this gripping book Dr. Kenneth Kamler explores six extreme environments: underwater, high altitude, water surface, jungles, deserts, and outer space. Using both first-hand experience and sur-vival accounts, he reveals the human body's reactions to physi-cal challenges-heat, cold, pressure, deprivation, exhaus-tion-and its mind-boggling capa-cities. Surgeon, vice president of the world-famous Explorer's Club, veteran of several Everest climbs (including the one documented so unforgettably in Into Thin Air, on which he was the attending physician), Kamler knows what happens to the body in the worst of circum-stances. This book is the result of his unique experience with life-and-death struggles at the extremes-a scientific nail-biter that takes readers to places they will never forget.

Customer Reviews:

Flawed but intriguing.......2007-02-10

The book begins with a powerful hook of a tale - about a sherpa who is gravely ill, the possible effects of the chanting that fills the air around him, and his seemingly impossible recovery.

Kamler divvies up different extreme climates and explores their effects on our human bodies. For the most part, the information is engrossing, although I found that my attention dipped in and out on occasion, mostly during his underwater sections.

Kamler's writing style is pretty straightforward and readable; I enjoyed the periodic witticisms that he injected, which were most prevalent toward the end of the book. I particularly appreciated that he selected the imaginary Mars-mission doctor to be the one who unravels on the journey. As a matter of fact, his Mars-mission narrative offered the most entertaining and illustrative comment on how a long-term mission in an enclosed space will affect our emotional selves and thus, the health of the mission.

I also especially enjoyed the story of the 1800s desert survivor, whose will to live was fueled by his raging desire for violent revenge on his former companion.

Throughout the book, Kamler's discussion on how the brain works, especially the electrical qualities of our thoughts, and how that plays into our survival, was fascinating.

I have some minor quibbles. One is that he makes reference to the "hottentots," an anachronistic - and offensive - name for the Khoikhoi people in South Africa.

Dr. Kamler personally treated Beck Weathers - he was THERE.......2006-11-02

Trained as a doctor but always craved adventure, Dr. Kamler deliberately carved out his personal niche as Professional Expedition Doctor, and loved every minute of it, it shows in the writing. Having read Krakauer's account and leafed through Boukreev's, what a surprise to find Dr. Kamler personally weighing-in, he was the one who supervised the thawing-out of Beck Weathers, who knew the procedure was so delicate... At $3.00 used, this was QUITE a good deal !

Starts with promise, then he mails it in.......2006-06-12

This book has a great deal of promise and starts well. Contrary to what some reviewers here have said, I thought the chapter on the Amazon was well written and useful. The author's personal experiences should be welcomed by the reader because they are the source of authority and insight. Moreover, Kamler is able to draw on the experiences of human beings indigenous to the Amazon and impart their knowledge. That such personal involvement is necessary becomes sadly obvious in the subsequent chapters where the author seems out of his depth, despite a lot of desperate self-promotion and misleading marketing. In particular, the chapter on open-ocean survival is pathetically weak. Kamler "mailed it in." I got the distinct impression that he went on-line one morning, culled a few facts that anyone else could have easily gotten too, and then rubbed out the chapter in the afternoon. There was no personal insight, no real feel for his material, and he gets some key facts dead wrong. For example, he says that Steve Callahan managed to kill a four foot dolphin and eat it. But Kamler obviously thinks this is a mammalian dolphin, and not the dolphin-fish (dorado) that is so prevalent in tropical waters. Any blue water sailor would have recognized that.

The other chapters, with the semi-exception of the one on mountaineering where Kamler had personal experience, display a similar lack of depth and detail. It all becomes very superficial, and to anyone familiar with such situations or at least the extant literature on them, it achieves a remarkable feat: Kamler takes a fascinating subject and makes it boring.

I suspect the doctor wrote some good initial passages, got a publisher involved, then just ran out of gas. I am enthralled by the subjects of anatomy, survival, ultra-endurance, and human adaptation to our environment. But Kamler's work put me to sleep. On certain subjects, such as immunological response, Kamler merely says it is not well understood and leaves it at that. Jeez, Doc, you promote yourself as the expert - take a shot at it, yeah? At least get your hands dirty. Some suggestions: to write about "the limits of human endurance" in the desert, instead of reading about it perhaps the good doctor should leave New York and experience the 135-mile Badwater Run, from Death Valley to Mount Whitney. Instead of reading about open ocean survival, perhaps the author should actually sail across an ocean (one with dorados, for example). I want to know what goes on in the mind and body of a person at the limit of their endurance. I want to know the chemical and emotional changes that make such endurance possible. And I want the doctor to use his own experience in such situations to give me insight into how the body is able to deal with physical and mental stress. Instead, Kamler throws a few facts and cliches at the reader and moves on. Maybe Larry King was calling.

If you have never read anything in this field, the book is not a bad introduction. For anyone else it is a disappointment. And for people who have actually experienced the situations Kamler tries to describe, the book is largely a waste of time and could legitimately be called a rip-off.

Fun & Informative.......2006-05-03

For those unfamiliar with the author, Kenneth Kalmer was the only doctor on Mt Everest during the 1996 tragedy. This book touches on human physiology and how we adapt to and tolerate extremes in environmental conditions. It contains valuable information with which every adventurer should be acquainted. Though it is written for the layman, this is certainly not the kind of book you can read just before going to sleep. It's pretty heavy on scientific principles.
Dr Kalmer begins with the jungle environment, namely the Amazon forest and swamps. Though heat exhaustion can be a problem here, most of the hazards of this environment seem to come from the denizens of the jungle. Survivors in this environment need to keep a constant lookout for the anopheles mosquito (malaria), black caiman, anaconda, venomous snakes, poisonous frogs and caterpillars, schisto worm (liver parasite), stingray, electric eel and a most interesting creature called the candiru. This is actually a very tiny catfish which has a great affinity for salt. When an animal urinates under water, this tiny creature will follow the stream of urine and lodge itself in the animal's urethra. Surgery is required to remove it.

Ironically, the jungle is also a natural pharmacy that provides medicines to heal the sick as well as poisons for blowdart hunting. No wonder people still live there.

The next hostile environment is the open sea - endless stretches of water, not a drop of which can keep the castaway's body hydrated. Dr Kalmer gives many examples of how castaways survive. The world record is held by Chinese sailor Poon Lim, who drifted on a raft for 130 days without supplies. He collected rain water and used a spring in his torch to catch fish. Methods thought up by other survivors include using improvised solar-powered stoves to distill seawater. The physiology of salt intake, dehydration and starvation are presented along with some coverage on cannibalism at sea.

The scorching desert is an even more hostile environment that causes heat exhaustion, dehydration and starvation to set in even more rapidly. Dr Kalmer explains in detail how the body regulates temperature and maintains a constant internal environment. He also explains how this system can break down under extreme external temperature and dehydration. Death occurs with the loss of 15-20 litres of body fluids. However, defying the limits of human physiology, is one Mauro Prosperi, who claimed to have survived for 9 days in the desert without any water.

Diving medicine is a very big topic by itself, but Dr Kalmer gives us the essentials on what happens to the body during free diving, the mechanics of SCUBA as well as the causes of decompression sickness. As with the other environments, many examples of diving accidents along with a microscopic view of what went on inside the victims' bodies are presented.

High altitude medicine is one area where Dr Kalmer has the most firsthand experience. Bringing out actual situations he encountered on Himalayan expeditions, the author presents a flowing account of Himalayan expeditions alongside an "insiders'" view of the characters' bodies. The mechanics of AMS (acute mountain sickness), HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema), HACE (high altitude cerebral edema) and frostbite are neatly woven into the story. Dr Kalmer even proposes a somewhat controversial evolutionary advantage that the Sherpas may have over other people. Even more surprising but factually indisputable, is his mention of the "miraculous" survival of Beck Weathers and Pasang Sherpa.

The final chapter is really out of this world - space adventure. Space is the ultimate hostile environment combining extreme cold, extreme heat, vacuum and cosmic radiation from which the human body must be almost completely insulated. Topics covered include the physiological effects of G force and zero gravity. Also mentioned are research projects into building self-sufficient spacecrafts for interplanetary exploration. Interesting hypothetical situations are presented and Dr Kalmer manages not to bore the reader with his wit and humour.

Fascinating book on two grounds.......2006-04-29

First is the ostensible grounds for Kamler writing this book -- how the human body survives under the six extremes of jungle, high seas, desert, undersea, high altitude and outer space.

But secondarily, it's a look at the human determination and spirit to get to those six extremes.

Kamler has a lot of experience in some of these extremes and at least a bit in most others. As a member of the Explorers Club, and through other connections, he has some experience with the first five categories, including being on the ill-fated Beck Weathers/Rob Hall "Into Thin Air" (Jon Krakauer) Everest climb. With the last, he's done some on-Earth weightlessness work and talked with astronauts; a fair amount of it is psychological, not physiological, and specifically is such in the context of speculation about a manned journey to Mars.

Kamler also has plenty of statistics to liven up the pages, such as details of depressurization from the bends, highest G force ever undergone by an astronaut, and so forth.

National Geographic readers, hikers and adventurers of all types will love this book.

Book Description

Chosen by Booklist (American Library Association) as one of the 'Top 10 Sci-Tech Books' in 2000.

Butterflies are the most charismatic species of the insect world. Their brilliant colors, ability to fly, complex behavior, ecological relationships with plants and animals, and their broad distribution in a wide variety of habitats have fascinated people for centuries.

With over 300 color photographs and drawings, A World For Butterflies is a lavishly illustrated guide to the world of butterflies providing a wide range of information about this colorful and graceful insect.

The book is divided into five chapters, each focusing on a major question:

What are butterflies?
How many kinds of butterflies are there?
Where do they live?
How do they live?
What can we do to help them survive?

Among the many topics discussed in detail are evolution, life cycle, courtship and reproduction, anatomy, geographic distribution, migration, demography, as well as butterfly-watching.

A World For Butterflies is the first book to feature photographs of butterflies in their natural settings, accompanied by fascinating text, such as:

Only one or two out of a hundred eggs will survive to become a butterfly
Strategies to deter predators include false eyespots, heads and bright wings that 'disappear' when folded up
Butterflies without strong anti-predator scent or taste have evolved to look exactly like those that do.

Accurate, comprehensive, and beautifully illustrated, this is the ultimate guide to the world of butterflies.

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended-- Fills a Great Need.......2000-10-28

This book can be unreservedly recommended-- not only for butterfly lovers and aficionados but the general lover of nature. To its great credit, it does many things at the same time, and does them all well. While it can introduce the general nature lover to the wonders of butterflies, it can also take seasoned butterfly enthusiasts even deeper into their favorite subject. Neither party will feel left out. The book is a judicious combination of informed text and beautiful, pertinent, photographs and graphic illustrations. One role this book fills is a gap which has "gaped" for many decades-- one between the simple love of Lepidoptera and the science of Lepidoptera. Many lepidopterists who see this book are going to wish THEY had it when they were young. This is because the book builds so many easy bridges between the simple love of butterflies and the wondrous complexity of their science. It hits the whole spectrum-- from life cycle, body and structure, classification, distribution, and general biology to more complex topics-- like mimicry and genetics. And, in each case, there are diagrams and/or photographs making even the most complex topics readily understandable. I bought a copy and gave it to a young friend who, at 10, is just beginning to take his love of butterflies to a higher level of serious learning. However, the book will work just as well for adults; if a professional wanted a quick refresher on many topics in lepidoptery he could find them here as well. The other major topic that A World For Butterflies bites off with gusto is conservation. The topic is treated not just with sweeping worldwide generalities but with compelling and intricate case studies highlighting the complexities that lie beneath the problem of species endangerment worldwide. This book deserves to do very well.

A World for Butterflies.......2000-10-11

The author's goal was to bridge the gap between researcher and teacher. I think he accomplished this admirably through the pictures. Almost every page has a beautiful photograph. The book is comprehensive and authoritative, covering conservation, classification, life cycle, and geographic distribution. "Six case studies illustrate some of the major problems faced by butterflies, and some of the real and potential solutions that have been (or can be) used to moderate their decline or endangerment". Includes bibliographic references and index. This book should appeal to young fans of the Very Hungry Butterfly as well as older students studying and classifying butterflies.

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