Showing posts with label book recommendations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book recommendations. Show all posts

Auggie Wren's Christmas Story Review

Auggie Wren's Christmas Story
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Auster succeeded in what he attempted to accomplish: to create an unsentimental Christmas story. The story is surprisingly effective, in that the reader is not entirely certain of what direction the plot is going. This slim book -- little more than an elongated article -- is pure, forced action. One event closely follows another. What I enjoyed about it is the series of moral dilemmas offered up to the reader. Should Auggie have turned in the thief? Was it a wise choice to visit the thief's home? Should he have stayed with the grandmother? And should he have taken the camera that he found in the bathroom? If he had not done any of these actions, then we would not have today the collection of Auggie Wren's a-picture-a-day. Does the end justify the means? I read this book to my two sons and had a very interesting discussion regarding the choices that Auggie made. This book, in combination with Auster's "I Thought My Father Was God," makes for worthwhile discussions around small, fascinating stories. The beautiful illustrations by the artist ISOL merit close study.

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Fireground Strategies Review

Fireground Strategies
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Excellent book. This was reading material for my upcoming captains test. Loved the book, although here in South Florida, many of the building types explained are not found. Regardless, was fun to read and walked away feeling much more familiar with firefighting strategy. A+

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This text is to be used as both a guide for the fireground strategist/tactician and the promotional candidate in preparing for a written exam. There are text and short answer questions as well as multiple choice scenarios, which are used by many testing authorities today. Each answer is explained in depth to help the reader understand the reason for the strategy or tactic presented. This text uses case studies extensively to drive points home. The text will allow the strategist to make decisions about such activities as line placement, ventilation considerations, and resource distribution, among other things. It will also allow the tactician to choose proper tactics in a given situation, enhancing the decision-making process on the fireground. It is the intent of this text, through diligent study and lesson reinforcement, to motivate, challenge, and strengthen both the fireground strategist/tactician and/or the promotional candidate.

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Dissecting Antismokers' Brains Review

Dissecting Antismokers' Brains
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This book has changed my life dramatically. I was deceived by all the misinformation surrounding SHS even though I realized that things just did not add up, I had no proof.
Thanks to Dissecting Antismokers' Brains I now feel totally vindicated and the sense of guilt from this pleasure is pretty much erased. The book is straight forward, thoughtful and well orgnaized. It states all the facts which are easily verified and when you are finished you find yourself wanting more.
When non-smokers read this book they, rightfully so, are outraged to discover that they have been used as pawns in a power stuggle by an elite group of people who are making millions from this. Factor in drug companies making millions from nicotine replacement products and most media outlets threatened with monetary loss if anything positive can be said about SHS and you have the biggest social lie of this generation.
What is happening right now in the free world is nothing short of criminal, akin to organized crime at it's best. Antismoking groups have no real evidence against SHS, just half-truths and outright lies through manipulation. This is racketeering on a world wide scale and most are unaware of this. The newly approved smoking treaty which just came into effect now holds third world countries as hostages who must comply or else. This is extortion and a violation of basic human rights!
We are all victims of these groups whose main goals are power and money but the biggest victims of all are our children. While money, time, media hype and other resources have been wasted on the BIG LIE the use of drugs and alcohol has sky rocketed in young people, STD rates continue to soar and poverty continues to rise. Antismoking groups are apathetic to these REAL problems while continuing to manufacture false data to reap in even more money. These are taxpayers dollars being wasted while freedom of choice is being stripped away.
Finally, for those of you wondering, I am independant of any tobacco companies or other interest groups in this area. I have never met Michael nor have I even had a conversation with him. This book stands on it's own merits, more than I can say for anything published by the antismokers. Read it, you will be amazed and you will even get a few chuckles from his light humour injected throughout. When you are finished send it to someone with some real political clout, someone who will ask the hard questions and expose these criminals for who they really are.

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"Dissecting Antismokers' Brains" is a blend of hard science, linguistic analysis, humor, and easy reading that most readers will find irresistible, whether they smoke or not.A table filled with numbers describing the chemical content of tobacco smoke is followed by the comment that to get a day's Recommended Daily Allowance of cholesterol an individual would have to sit in a room with smokers for over 600 years.The author goes on to recommend a good prime rib instead.The scary picture of our minds being sculpted by those with money and power is softened by the image of a National Guardsman facing down a pack of Virginia Slims with a loaded M-16.And the statistics that always seem so fearful when one opens a scientific journal are pared down, explained, and presented in such a way that anyone with the beginnings of a high school education will feel comfortable with them rather than daunted by them.The various "types" of Antismokers and their motivations are analyzed carefully, and sometimes quite disturbingly, as the author builds the base for his meticulous examination of their arguments."Dissection" is indeed an appropriate word for what one will find in these pages, but it's "Dissection" with an undercurrent of personal touch and humor that does indeed make it an irresistible read.

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Out of Range (Joe Pickett Novels) Review

Out of Range (Joe Pickett Novels)
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You really have to wonder why C. J. Box isn't selling more books. He is clearly a talented writer with a gifted imagination. He has been recognized by critics and organizations responsible for literary awards, and yet his books are hard to find, even at the largest big box bookstores. I am hoping that with his latest book, Out of Range, the momentum he needs to move to the next level of recognition, will begin to build.
Out of Range is C.J's 5th Joe Pickett novel. For anyone new to the series, Joe Pickett is a Game Warden working for the state of Wyoming. You might not think there would be a lot happening in the life of a Wyoming Game Warden, but in Joe Pickett's Wyoming there sure as heck is! Seems this state has an over abundance of killings, deadly animals, and incredibly beautiful but dangerous landscapes, and Joe Pickett is a magnet that seems to attract all the various forms of trouble.
This book begins when Joe learns about the death/suicide of a good friend and fellow Game Warden and the man responsible for the highly visible Jackson Hole district. Joe is selected from a short list of Game Wardens to take over his friend's former district. As you might expect, Joe sees all kinds of reasons to doubt the "official" findings behind his friend's death, and it doesn't take Joe long to make enemies of the same people that apparently weren't getting along with the former Warden. Added to the problems in Jackson Hole, Joe is also having marital problems with the wife he temporally left behind when he had to relocate to the new district, and if that weren't enough, she is also experiencing her own form of grave danger.
While the conclusion is fairly predictable, the story builds suspense and anticipation throughout, and you will enjoy how Box pulls it all together at the end. This is a well written book, easy to read, and unlike so many similarly styled books, Box spends enough time introducing all the characters so that they are easy to keep track of and remember.
Highly Recommended!

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Smoking: Risk, Perception and Policy Review

Smoking: Risk, Perception and Policy
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Paul Slovic writes a compelling foreword to this persuasive and evocative book describing the health risks to smokers and their own perceptions of them. In it, he rebutts economist Viscusi's thesis that smokers make the rational choice to light up, having weighed the risks and benefits already adequately communicated to them by public health agencies. Slovic, unlike Viscusi, does NOT hold the opinion that the money spent communicating the risk of smoking to the public could be better spent elsewhere, and the studies described in Smoking: Risk, Perception, and Policy--undertaken by distinguished scholars like Daniel Romer and Patrick Jamieson--substantiate his position. A fascinating read that unmasks smoking a cigarette as political and public health crime. Loving it!

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This book presents a counter-view, based on a survey of several thousand young persons and adults, probing attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and perceptions of risk associated with smoking. The authors agree that young smokers give little or no thought to health risks or the problems of addiction. The survey data contradicts the model of informed, rational choice and underscores the need for aggressive policies to counter tobacco firms' marketing and promotional efforts and to restrict youth access to tobacco.


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Command and Control of Fires and Emergencies Review

Command and Control of Fires and Emergencies
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This book should be read by every firefighter,fire officer,fire chiefs including the chief of department. Vince Dunn tells us how to command and control structure fires,wild fires,terrorist bomb explosion incidents and most other disasters and emergencies. Read it and learn! Vince Dunn is a 40 year veteran of the New York City Fire Department. He recently retired as a Deputy Chief in charge of division 3. Dunn commanded high rise fires, low rise fires, hazardous material incidents in midtown Manhattan. Deputy Chief Vincent Dunn is a well knowned lecturer.

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Ladder Company Fireground Operations, 3rd Edition Review

Ladder Company Fireground Operations, 3rd Edition
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The 3rd Edition has some updating from the venerable 2nd Edition. The logical and easy-to-read format is refreshing. I feel, however, that the update should have included photographs...the 3rd Edition still uses drawings. Modern fire service professionals are looking for something more than this. In all, it is a good resource from which to base Truck Company SOP's, but falls short in polish and content related to modern ventilation principles and forcible entry techniques. Perhaps a companion video would have helped.

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Fire department ladder companies face many challenges. Ladder company personnel are an integral part of fire fighting operations at the fireground, and this book emphasizes the point that fire fighters performing ladder company tasks must be properly trained, possess the proper equipment, and be adequately staffed.Ladder Company Fireground Operations, Third Edition covers the basic objectives of ladder company work including the assignments of conducting a primary search, rescuing victims, forcing entry, and conducting proper ventilation techniques. This book also emphasizes other areas of importance including pre-incident planning, using standard operating guidelines (SOPs), and working within an Incident Management System (IMS).

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Pyro: A Novel of Suspense Review

Pyro: A Novel of Suspense
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Paul Wollf, Emerson's newest protagonist, is another superlative example of a deeply flawed individual who wins the reader's sympathy despite some character traits which, if Wolff were a real person, would make a sane person keep him at the proverbial barge pole's distance. But make no mistake, Emerson has not recreated his previous hero, Swope, in Wollf. Where Swope was a mindless womanizer, Wollf is a shy guy who knows he's not good enough for a good woman. Where Swope was a popular guy around the firehouse, Wollf holds the entire world at bay, his sternly leashed violence like a guard dog between him and his fellow creatures. But as in "Into the Inferno" Emerson does tell a thumping good action yarn all the while interlacing it with the hero's movement towards self-discovery. If Swope was the guy you hoped would be taking you home after the party, then Wollf is the guy you hope you're waking up with on a quiet Sunday morning.
As always, Emerson's well-honed descriptions and his ear for dialogue boost a story that in less gifted hands might end up merely workmanlike. Example: "I suck dark smoke all the way up. It tastes like the undercarriage of a fertilizer truck might." What an image! Makes me want a swig of Listerine bad!
Another plus for this author -- and some may disagree with me on this, but so what? They'll be wrong! -- is that he is so NOT afraid to stretch his skills, I mean really work at his craft, and the proof is in how he told this story from so many different points of view and still made the story cohesive and kept the flow of events and emotions constant. That can't have been easy, and it had to have been a conscious choice right from the beginning of the book.
I wish I wasn't going to have to wait another year or more for the next book by Earl Emerson. And I wish he'd do another book tour through the Midwest sometime! Why does the left coast get all the breaks?
Thanks, too, Mr. Emerson, for the opening quote from Elmer Slezak. I miss him!

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The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America's Richest Silver Mine Review

The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America's Richest Silver Mine
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The Sunshine Mine fire robbed me of a Grandfather and an Uncle before I was born. Luckly, my Uncle Delmar survive this tragic event. I couldn't amagine my life with out him in it.
My Mother would often talk about days they stood out side the mine waiting to hear but so much of the rest had not been told. And asking my Uncle was just too painful for him, even after all those years.
Gregg Olsen's book gave me a real insight into what my family had gone through. His "real time" story telling put you right in the moment. I read the book in two days, but I spent many days after comprehending the pain and suffering they all had endured.
I know the Kitchen family is very thankful that he wrote this book.


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Principles of Fire Protection Chemistry and Physics Review

Principles of Fire Protection Chemistry and Physics
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The book was in perfect condition and arrived in a timely fashion. Could not be more satisfied. Very informative book.

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Responding to Routine Emergencies Workbook Review

Responding to Routine Emergencies Workbook
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A good book that touches on the everyday calls. A lot of books explain the extreme incidents and tactics. This one helps with what to look for and be aware of with the mundane calls. Keeping in mind that the mundane can become the extreme. I would give a great recommendation and it is an easy read.

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This workbook is the companion to best selling text Responding to Â"RoutineÂ" Emergencies. The author has developed study materials in the form of questions and scenarios that will challenge the reader to look deeper into the routine calls that all firefighters respond to so they come away with a better grasp of proper actions to take.

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Fire Department Incident Safety Officer Review

Fire Department Incident Safety Officer
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I found this book very informative, ignore Safety-Command's review. I attended David Dodson's 16 hour class during the FDIC conference in Indianapolis in 2005. The class was an overview of the book and the more important skill of learning to read smoke. Mr. Dodson also taught an Art of Reading Smoke class that was attended by over 1,000 people. This book is the basis for the FDSOA certification test. It is a must read for any Department who has not established procedures for implementing a scene safety officer. Read and learn. The book is simplified to better understand and function in the role of a Safety Officer.

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Exam Preparation for Fire Officer I & II Review

Exam Preparation for Fire Officer I and II
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This is another fantastic resource for the firefighters to study. I highly recomend this book to all firefighters and fire officers. This is a fantastic study guide, full of information.

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Intended for firefighters and officers seeking promotion, Exam Preparation for Fire Officer I & II provides the necessary review of the 2003 Edition NFPA Standard 1021 requirements. Based on Bloom's Taxonomy, and a complimentary companion to the Company Officer, 2nd Edition text, the book guides the learner through various phases of testing, beginning with comprehension questions, application and analysis, and then following up with evaluation questions.Each phase includes three, 100 question exams to allow learners to practice answering questions at each level, as well as target areas needed for further study. The answers are provided following each exam, and each question is accompanied by references to the Company Officer, 2nd Edition, the NFPA Standard 1021, 2003 Edition, as well as insightful rationale that encourages self-study.A final exam consisting of 200 questions of the various types is also included at the end of the book, once learners have mastered the previous levels.

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Collapse of Burning Buildings: A Guide to Fireground Safety Review

Collapse of Burning Buildings: A Guide to Fireground Safety
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This book is very well written, providing the reader a clear overview of the collapse hazards presented by a burning building. The organization of the chapters makes the book a valuable resource for a fire service instructor - complete with a "lessons learned" section at the end of the chapters.
The only downside to the book is that it is written primarily from the urban perspective - but then, that's where Vincent Dunn got his experience.
I'm hoping for a new edition; one that focuses more attention on the dangers of lightweight wood construction, and considers the challenges of the rural fire service.
In the meantime, though, the current edition provides a thorough foundation in building collapse (based on building construction) for a fire fighter or fire officer.

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Chief Vincent Dunn, a 42-year fire service veteran, has updated his best-selling book which examines the dangers of structural failure caused by fire. This is the second edition of the first textbook written to warn firefighters, company officers, and fire chiefs about exactly how structures collapse when destroyed by fire--and examines the subject of burning building collapse in great detail. More importantly, this book, unlike any other publication, instructs firefighters and fire officers in how to survive burning building collapse.

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Truck Company Operations, 2nd Edition Review

Truck Company Operations, 2nd Edition
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one of the first books to give the truckies the respect they deserve and show how different their work is from the nob holders. Learned many tips from this book.
From a truckie

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Author John Mittendorf has completely rewritten his best-selling book, Truck Company Operations, a must-have for all firefighters who are assigned to the truck and who have responsibilities for the truck on the fireground.The new second edition covers the many aspects, tasks, and functions of a truck company, and contains new and expanded information related to search, reading a building, reading smoke, the Ten Commandments of truck company operations, operating truck apparatus, and more--all from a truck company perspective.

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It's All Smoke & Mirrors (Chronicles of Shawn Donnelly) Review

It's All Smoke and Mirrors (Chronicles of Shawn Donnelly)
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In Greek mythology Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo and then cursed by him when he made sure that no one would believe her. Shawn Donelly must carry some of Cassandra's genetic material in her blood, with a slight twist. Shawn has inherited a sixth sense from her Irish grandmothers. The problem is that Shawn is the queen of misdirection. She usually figures out "what" is wrong, but she invariably is confused about "who" created the problem. Shawn bumbles her way through three mysteries, sometimes helped by old friends from college, but often hindered by them also. In the first she comes to suspect all of her friends when they are isolated in a mountain cabin and one of them is murdered. The second has Shawn convinced the grizzly serial killer who is terrorizing men in the city is working in the cubicle near hers. In the final story, the interactive murder theater that Shawn and her friends are performing for an audience becomes more realistic than what they rehearsed. As Shawn stumbles around trying to solve the mysteries, she will have the reader wondering, if she was your friend, would you laugh with her or have her committed to an institution?
These stories are fresh and go in directions the reader will not anticipate. At times it's not certain whether a character should be liked or slapped, but they're definitely fun to read about. This book is definitely worth spending a few hours with.

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When Shawn Donnelly gets into trouble, she does it well. She can't even go on a little weekend getaway with her old college chums without running into a corpse or two.And to top things off, her new co-worker seems to have a very unnatural interest in the serial killer that's running rampant in the Detroit metro area.It's no wonder why Shawn decides to take up a nice, safe hobby like theatre.No matter what Shawn does--from falling in love with a woman who might be a murderer, to breaking into a co-worker's home in search of dead bodies--she does it with her own flair.Join Therese Szymanski as she takes a walk on the sillier side of the gritty crime scene detective novel and introduces readers to her newest alternate personality--Shawn Donnelly.

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Throwing Smoke Review

Throwing Smoke
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"Did you like *Throwing Smoke*?" I asked my ten year old son.
"Yeah," he said.
"Were the characters convincing?" I asked.
"Yeah," he said.
"What about the dialogue?" I asked.
"It was great. But there was too much baseball. Or something."
The baseball, of course, was why I bought the book, and it seemed an odd statement coming from a child who wouldn't put down Will Weaver's baseball trilogy even to eat. Then I read the book.
The dialogue *is* funny; the book, well written, but the author places *Throwing Smoke* in a limbo of genre. When Whiz starts printing up baseball cards for fictional team players who mysteriously come to life, the book (*strongly* rooted in baseball and baseball terminology) turns towards the gothic. These players, all ace at what they do, are zombie like. Where do they go at night? What do they secretly talk about together? Why does nothing more interesting happen with them? Where the heck is this plot going?
*Thowing Smoke* raises more questions about its tepid supernatural effects than the baseball frame of the story can contain. I will avoid details, but when a story enters the world of the supernatural, rules must be followed, expectations must be met. In *Throwing Smoke*, they aren't. As for the baseball team-comraderie part of the book, well, that's not very compelling either -- the supernatural material is too distracting. *Throwing Smoke*, much as I wanted to like it, pulls in two direction and can't come up with a reconciliation between the two. The book needs a fast ball, but it just can't deliver.

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