This book reads like a text book- so if you need a quick reference guide to background checks I would recommend buying this one in addition to somehting like Dennis King's - Get the Facts on Anyone. I've just started reading it but so far it's very informative.
I recently took early retirement and have checked out several books looking for help to make my income last.This is the best of the lot.It helped me understand ways of shielding my investments from "performance whiplash".It also gives straightforward advice about new funds, indexes, health insurance, annuities and even reverse mortgages.Whether you are already retired, thinking of retirement, decades away from retirement orsomewhere in between, this book will help you.I give it high marks for good advice, good tools, and a clear action plan for stronger finances.Best of all, it is easy to read and understand.
Ronald Kessler's book, "The Bureau:The Secret History of the FBI" is the most detailed andThis book is probably a fair assessment of the FBI, an agency of mostly intelligent and dedicated
employees with a history of disastrous management. We all knew how maniacal J. Edgar Hoover
was about the Bureau's image and his own image. Kessler documents this very well with story
after story. And he documents the many violations of the law Hoover committed, from illegal
entries to wiretaps.
If there was any doubt that Hoover had personal files on celebrities and politicians, which he
used to keep everybody "in line," Ron Kessler provides ample proof. From personal contacts in
the FBI, I had heard about the files many years ago. Hoover was untouchable because of those
files. His private files kept him in office for nearly 48 years! Plain and simple.
Kessler brings us through the inept leadership of Director Sessions, to the tenure of Louis Freeh,
whom he describes as having "... left the FBI in a shambles."Before reading this book, I had no
doubt that the policies of Louis Freeh had handcuffed the FBI in the area of intelligence and
analysis.In the book, you can see decision after decision by Freeh which weakened, almost
destroyed the FBI. That the FBI was using 386 and 486 computers is unpardonable. Congress
was willing to appropriate the money, but did not think Louis Freeh had a clue as to what to do
with it. He had the computer taken out of his office and did not use e-mail. How do such
incompetents as Freeh stay on the job for nearly eight years? Ron Kessler explains.
The culture within the FBI was that "none of us would ever betray our country." That kept
polygraph exams from being administered and periodic background investigations from being
done. So, for many years, Robert Hanssen, who had access to our greatest secrets, betrayed his
country. It is improbable that this will happen again, with the new Security Division and the
checks that are in place. Louis Freeh said at a congressional hearing that he had scheduled a
polygraph for himself, but he left the FBI without ever taking one.
The author was granted the first interview with Robert S. Mueller III, the new director. I had
already formed a very positive and hopeful opinion of Mueller, an ex-Marine and prosecutor.
Kessler reinforces that perception. But the book shows you what a horrendous mess Director
Mueller inherited.
I have a couple of quibble points. In his discussion of Ruby Ridge, I thought Ron glossed over
the FBI's role and actions there. When he spoke of the fatal shooting of Vicki Weaver by an FBI
sharpshooter, which was probably an accident, he says "...second shot blasted through the cabin's
wooden door and into the face of Vicki Weaver." Actually, there were glass panes in the door,
which leaves more open to question the judgement of the sharpshooter - who was looking though
a high-powered scope.I have written at length about Ruby Ridge on my Web site.I had been an
ATF agent. I knew exactly what this case was all about. In ways, it was perhaps a greater tragedy
than Waco, because it was built from the start on a bad premise. Randy Weaver was entrapped by
the ATF.
Perhaps the FBI should have let the ATF stew in its own juices and stayed out of Ruby Ridge.
Nobody had to die over this case! But a U.S. Marshal, Weaver's teenage son, and his wife all
died from gunshots. Eventually, the Justice Department paid Randy Weaver $3.1 million dollars
to settle his wrongful death suit.
In several places, the author speaks of the many clandestine entries (black-bag jobs) made into
foreign embassies in Washington, D.C. by the FBI. I don't think so. Not many, anyway.That
was what I did for the CIA overseas. Embassies are sacred ground and are normally guarded
around the clock. Most electronic penetrations are by wiretap or a bugging device carried in by a
recruited person - or bugs planted before the occupants take possession of the building. Sneaking
into an occupied embassy is mostly the stuff of movie fiction. With rare exceptions.
Every American who cares about our national security ought to read this book. Then, you can
understand what all the shouting is about, and what all the posturing is about that you see in
those congressional hearings about the FBI. And how the FBI fits into the Homeland Security
effort. You also can see what a horrendous mess Director Mueller inherited.
As Ron Kessler seems to suggest, I am optimistic that the FBI will get back on track and will
regain the reputation it once had as the premiere law enforcement agency in the world. If I were a
younger man, I would ignore my FBI friend's original advice. I would apply to become a Special
Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is a worthwhile and honorable career. Now
more than ever before.
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About one of Celia Rivenbark's earlier books, "USA Today" cleverly said, "Think Dave Barry with a female point of view." It's a formulation that can't be beat, but I'd add "Southern point of view," in regard to "Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits," her latest.For Rivenbark, author of the award-winning best sellersStop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank: And Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom; We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle; andBless Your Heart, Tramp: And Other Southern Endearments, anewspaper humor columnist distributedby the Mc Clatchy Syndicate, is one funny lady.In fact, she's the natural successor to humor columnist Erma Bombach, only she's younger and prettier.And, to be sure, alive.
I just turned 40, so with this title I had to read this!I liked that the book focuses on what you can do rather than where you may have gone wrong.The author rightfully stresses that the decisions we make directly affect the quality of our lives, and encourages us to reevaluate our choices according to what we now know.Her advice is both useful and empowering.This is a great gift for anyone facing 40!
I checked this book out from the library and after only a few pages I knew I must have it! It has sections written by many experts in their field. For example Bob Vila wrote about home renovation, and how long you can expect certain things to last, like drywall, and roofs. There was a section on how to scale and filet a fish with pictures I know I will refer to in the future. Also loved the section on how to pick out a good sofa, I knew nothing about coil count or that % of goose feather in the padding will let you know how soft the sofa could be. And that padding on the arms of a new sofa was particularly important because that's where you are more like to see wear and tear. The more I'm reading this book the more I'm learning. And although this doesn't completely delve into every subject, it enlightens me enough to point me in the right direction and is really enjoyable read. It has subjects that I feel I'm an expert in and don't need any more advice (such as Pets, Home technology and travel). And it also has subjects I want to learn more about and am far from an expert like gardening, real estate, parenting, investing, career paths, and so much more. I'm impressed by how much is in this book and how clearly things are explained. I would recommend this book to anyone and I know that I will be referencing it again.
Selected with the third group of American astronauts in 1963, Eugene Cernan "walked" in space as the pilot of Gemini 9, went around the Moon on Apollo 10, then returned there as the Commander of Apollo 17, the last lunar landing mission. A successful and interesting career even for astronaut standards. His autobiography, "The Last Man on the Moon", offers a personal account of those glory days of space exploration.Throughout the book, Cernan portrays himself as a competitive workaholic, and it shows: there are a few introductory chapters on Gene's childhood and career as a naval aviator, and a brief afterthought on life after NASA, but the bulk of "Last Man" is about the space program, the space program, and the space program. Training and mission planning, the mechanics of crew selection, descriptions of his colleagues and anecdotes about their extracurricular activities, it's all there. The flights themselves are recounted in vivid detail, including a nauseatingly dangerous EVA on Gemini 9 and geology trips through the lunar valley of Taurus-Littrow. Overall, as Cernan later reflects, it feels "as if I was getting off one fast-moving express train only to immediately board another", and describes well the hectic and busy pace of the Moon race.
Underlying it all, and well in evidence, is the aggressive "right stuff" attitude usually found with this elite of pilots. It's easy to mistake Gene's self-confidence for arrogance, but he also displays plenty of humour and self-ironic jabs. Cernan was one of the more personable and gregarious astronauts, who clearly enjoyed the social perks that came with the job, and it's this mixture of cocky determination and laid-back charm that make his autobiography a gripping read. Indeed, "Last Man" is a page-turner in the real sense of the word. Particularly enlightening is the episode that saw Geno decline a LM pilot seat on Apollo 16, a gamble that paid off and in the end brought him command of his own mission. So is his relationship with geologist-astronaut Jack Schmitt, whom Cernan only grudgingly accepted on his crew. After some initial macho reservations against the "pebble-pusher", he learned to respect Schmitt as a tireless worker and supremely gifted individual who helped make Apollo 17 the most well rounded team of all. In between, with the lunar module on Apollo 10 spinning out of control for a moment, or a helicopter crash in training, there are enough close calls for several lifetimes.
The human qualities of the book show when Gene talks about his wife, Barbara, and the ordeals she had to go through, with an often absent husband in a dangerous job, while always displaying the brave "Mrs. Astronaut" to the public world. Ultimately, this ordeal led to the disintegration of Cernan's first marriage, and he speaks with a heightened sense of value about his family of today and his grandchildren. Such a sense of deep appreciation and philosophical reflection also shines through when Gene recounts his awe as one of only twelve humans to ever set foot on the Moon, "looking up at the cobalt Earth immersed in infinite blackness", and how the unique experience might have changed him. These are moments that he clearly treasures deeply, that left him with a restless yearning forever after. Cernan seems sad, not selfish, thinking that the accomplishments of the ten years of Apollo would probably take twice as long today, in a much more cautious and conservative age of spacefaring. And he expresses a sense of guilt at feeling unable to truly share what he saw in space with the rest of the world.
Geno needn't have worried there, for "The Last Man on the Moon" is a fabulous book. Well-written and informative, it leaves little to be desired. Perhaps, given the awe-inspiring nature of the subject, some chapters fly by just a tad too quickly, and one could have wished for a little more detail here, or a little deeper thought there. Overall, though, there are few better astronaut biographies. The page-turner qualities, Cernan's unique perspective (here is one of the three guys who went to the Moon twice!) and a subtle, but strong sense of philosophical reflection make for a very worthwhile read, not only for space enthusiasts.
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This book gives an interesting overview of many critical issues facing the logging industry.I found the book most engrossing in the first few chapters that dealt more with the actual life of real loggers.As the book went on, however, the author seemed to lose focus and go on tangents aimed more at filling space than keeping up with the original theme.While there is something to be said for the casual, humorous style of the author, I also found it somewhat symbolic of a lack of discipline in the writing of this book including many redundancies and even a number of typo's.I do recommend this book for folks who are interested in logging and related environment concerns, but I personally was looking for a book that stayed more focused on the logger.
Americans, and college students in particular, are spoiled for choice in the matter of dictionaries. There are five good college dictionaries and you won't go wrong buying any of them, so the remarks here are addressed to why the Microsoft Encarta College Dictionary might be the one for you. It is the newest of all the college dictionaries. This is both a strength and a weakness. The more mature dictionaries have had the opportunity of going through multiple editions, correcting small errors and inconsistencies that have been caught by careful readers at each stage. This has not happened yet with Encarta, as other reviewers have noted. On the other hand, Encarta has many up-to-date technical and scientific terms that have not appeared in the other dictionaries yet, and it is the strongest contender by far for inclusion of computer-related terminology and acronyms, an area of vocabulary that sends many readers to the dictionary these days. Encarta is also particularly good at including compounds with specific denotation that are not transparent to the general reader: neurolinguistic programming, intermediate bulk container, sieve tube element, to name a few.The essay in the front of the dictionary, "Usage in Crisis?" sets out the rationale for the inclusion many of the dictionary's special features. It's two pages long and worth reading to determine if you're in the class of people that is better served by this dictionary than its competitors. If you're a college student who has difficulty spelling or who struggles with the distinction between its and it's, or their, there, and they're, this is the book for you.
This dictionary has considerably more British bias than any of the other college dictionaries. Subtle British bias leaks through in both the headword list and in definition language. For example, the dictionary includes the fairly obscure, and not difficult to understand British vulgarism f...wit," yet does not have an entry for the far more common, and less transparent American slang term "dirtball." The definition at "tag wrestling" notes that competitors "take it in turns . . ." The American idiom is simply "take turns" and would have sufficed here. The flipside and upside of this bias is that you'll find better coverage in this dictionary of British English than the other college dictionaries provide.
For those who enjoy lingering over pages in the dictionary, this one is far easier on the eyes than most. The distinct typeface of the headwords easily sets them off from the definition text. The quick definitions in long entries are a useful way of navigating through them while looking for a particular sense. As a completely new dictionary, the Encarta is not encumbered by a tradition of style and presentation format that was developed long before the information age. Its fresh start in terms of presentation and inclusion support its claim to be the first dictionary of the Internet age.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Encarta College Dictionary: The First Dictionary For The Internet Age (Hardcover)
Stephanie Plum is one of my heroes. She has such a cute way about her; loves her job, doesn't really care how she looks most of the time, has a personality and looks that attract the men, and is not wonder woman!Janet Evanovich, author of "To the Nines" has created characters that have me laughing and chuckling to myself. They are so real that I can see them in my mind. I have an image of Lula, the big size ex-ho, turned bonds-woman; Ranger, the ex-Special Forces turned bond enforcement; grandma, the woman who likes wigs and is as crazy as Stephanie-wonder whom Stephanie takes after; and Morelli, the cop, Stephanie's lover.Janet Evanovich has such a wonderful imagination- I want to meet that woman.
Review By Nick Evangelista:
Michael "Waxie" Parness really knows what he's talking about when it comes to making money in the market.If you're tired of losing money through mutual funds and want to take a more active role in managing your assets, this is the book for you.Michael "Waxie" Parness really knows what he's talking about when it comes to making money in the market.If you're tired of losing money through mutual funds and want to take a more active role in managing your assets, this is the book for you.
When our daughter-in-law's parents turned 60 last December, my husband and I sent them a box of memorabilia from our common youth containing a "Don't Trust Anyone over 30" button, a "Make Love Not War" mug (with peace symbol), a "Groovy Chick" T-shirt, the Sunset Book of Macrame Plant Hangers, and our personal fave, a barbecue apron that read "I owned an 8-track player."This was all opened in front of the kids who were visiting for Christmas.The parents howled.The kids were...baffled.