Think And Grow Rich

Probably the most well-known book about creating wealth also happens to be one of the best, if not the best. Think and Grow Rich was written by Napolean Hill in 1960 at the behest of Andrew Carnegie.Carnegie, who amassed his fortune in steel, is one of the richest people to have ever lived; the book contains his secret for creating wealth. Think and Grow Rich is one of the best-selling books of all time. It is now in its twentieth printing.Among the people who used Carnegie's secret in their own endeavors are Henry Ford, Charles Schwab, Theodore Roosevelt, Wilbur Wright, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, Woodrow Wilson, and Alexander Graham Bell.According to Carnegie, there are six steps by which a desire for wealth (or any change for that matter) can be transmuted into actual wealth:
Decide the exact amount of money you want. Be definite and state a specific amount.
Decide what you intend to give for that money. You cannot get something for nothing.
State a definite date by which you are committed to having the money.
Create a specific plan for carrying out your desire and immediately put this plan into action.
Write out a clear, concise statement of this plan. For example, "I will have $100,000 by January 1 of next year, and I intend to give _____ through my plan of action to get it."
Read your statement aloud, twice a day. Once upon waking up and once right before bed. As you read, see and feel yourself in possession of the money.

If you think these six steps could be used to create any change in your life, you are correct.What is interesting about Napolean Hill/Andrew Carnegie's recipe is that it requires action on your part. This aspect is important to realize. Changing your beliefs is only one part of the plan.The confluence of positive beliefs and new actions creates different results. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.What you are doing with all of these exercises is messing with your own head. To the extent you have limited or negative beliefs about money, the more you begin to introduce some new ideas into your brain, the more you will begin to believe in, and thereby create, a more affluent life. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

Great Humor Book - The Secret Diary of Adrian Cat

SUMMARY: The secret lives and loves of cats are revealed in this adventure novel, entitled "The Secret Diary of Adrian Cat" that peeks into a year in the life of the mischievous feline Adrian Cat. Adrian is having trouble keeping his new year's resolutions (especially "I will not be condescending to my humans"), and he's also adjusting to the fact that his humans have a new baby, his best friend needs constant help, and he's in love for the first time--with the angelic-seeming Snowball. But Snowball turns out to be less than perfect and tries to lead Adrian into organized crime. She forces him to join the evil cat Killer's gang. After numerous misadventures he realizes that he does not love the beautiful but power-crazed Snowball and really loves the scruffy yet tender alley cat named Gypsy. After Killer's gang runs Gypsy out of town, Adrian is forced to make some strange friends, fight the evil Killer and travel a rough road in order to convince Gypsy of his love.PRESS RELEASE BODY: The DNA Press team is happy to announce the publication of "The Secret Diary of Adrian Cat", by Stuart and Linda Macfarlane of Scotland.
"The Secret Diary of Adrian Cat" relates one year in the life of the extraordinary cat Adrian. At the start of the year Adrian makes his New Year Resolutions but soon finds that they are not easy to keep - especially the more testing ones like 'I will not be condescending to my humans' and 'I will not maul the vet'.The Adrian Cat book is modeled on "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole - Aged 13 ½", the book that made its author Sue Townsend the best-selling novelist of the 1980s. "I have always been a great fan of Sue Townsend and have read many of her books," said Stuart Macfarlane. 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole' provided the inspiration to write our book in a diary format. I loved the idea of a cat keeping a secret diary of all his adventures, worries and aspirations. 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Cat' started out as a working title for the book but Adrian took on such a powerful character that when the book was complete we could not bear to change his name. We spent hours trying other names, but none were right - Adrian was Adrian and refused to be called anything else."Added Linda Macfarlane, "The book is about all the things Adrian could be getting up to; trying to become famous, looking for the love of his life, promoting peace between dogs, cats and mice, getting involved with an evil gang, saving the life of a fox, treasure hunting with a pirate parrot and, of course, looking after his human family."When Adrian spots a beautiful white Persian walking through his garden he immediately falls head over paws in love. Her name is Snowball and though she appears angelic she turns out to be a power-crazed feline who will do anything to get what she wants.In an attempt to win Snowball's heart, Adrian is forced to become a member of the Cosa Nostra gang - run by the evil cat, Killer. As a member of the gang he becomes involved in many mischievous activities such as housebreaking and raiding the fish shop. As Adrian becomes more influential Snowball unexpectedly announces that they are soon to marry.When Adrian finds an injured fox Snowball refuses to help saying, 'The only good fox is a dead fox. When it dies, bring me its tail - I need a new cushion'. By good fortune a cat 'of no fixed abode', Gypsy, offers to help and through her knowledge of herbal medicines and tender care the fox is saved.Being jealous of the amount of time Adrian is spending with Gypsy, Snowball gets Killer to run her out of town. It is only then that Adrian realizes that it is not the beautiful Snowball but the rather scruffy Gypsy that he loves. After days of searching he finds Gypsy and eventually persuades her to marry him.Of course much more than this is happening in Adrian's complex life, for he has a human family to support and a best friend, Lucky, who constantly needs help and advice. This ensures that there is not a day without crises, adventure, and of course lots of food to eat and as much sleep as Adrian can cram in. But the appearance of a noisy new human kitten in Adrian's family makes it difficult for him to sleep and when an outbreak of 'Nappy-Rash' makes the noise unbearable, Adrian has no choice but to move in with an elderly human, Old-Grey-Fur. However, he discovers that she sleeps even more than he does and he soon moves back with his humans. On a day to day basis Adrian has the training of his young humans, Brat and Brat-2, to attend to in addition to fighting for a spot on his favorite chair, and of course attempting to fulfill his resolutions to, 'become the world's most famous cat', and to 'promote world peace between cats, dogs and mice'.Summing up the year Adrian exclaims, 'I've fallen in love for the first time and fallen out of love for the first time. I've married the best girl in the world. I've added a new human to my family. I've made friends with a robin, a fox and a pirate parrot. I've been the enemy of an evil gang leader, best friends with him and then his enemy again. My one regret is that there just hasn't been enough time for sleeping.' dr seuss cat in hat history

Pop! Stand Out In Any Crowd

In her latest book, Sam Horn's describes some great creative business marketing wordplay techniques for getting your product or service to be noticed and stand out from the crowd Her book is focused on creating a less than 60 second "opening" that will start a dialogue with prospective customers. The dialogue is where you interview the other person to find out more about them, so you can help them solve their problem. If you're only telling someone what you do (monologuing), there's a good chance that your general solution won't fit their needs. Furthermore, you want to create a memorable impression, something that will stick in their minds long after your initial conversation. By being creative and interesting, you have a good chance to achieve your goals."Pop" stands for purposeful, original, and pithy. The wordplay is based around filling out the following "W9 questionnaire":W1. What am I offering?W2. What problem does my idea or offering solve?W3. Why is it worth trying and buying?W4. Who is my target audience?W5. Who am I and what are my credentials?W6. Who are my competitors and how am I different from them?W7. What resistance or objections will people have to this?W8. What is the purpose of my pitch?W9. When, where, and how do I want people to take action?The (core) words that you choose to answer these questions are used to help you create a message that is uniquely yours. She gives over twenty different techniques (including rearranging cliches, inventing new words, rhyming, etc.). dr seuss cat in hat book

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - A Spectacular Conclusion

After long waiting, J.K Rowling the renowned English storyteller finally unveiled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and the last book of the phenomenal series, Harry Potter. The breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's series has lot more excitement for the readers. With great revelations, battles, and betrayals the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will leave spellbound almost every fan.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is more about coming in to the terms with the ultimate reality-- death, which every person has to face one day. Despite many rumours and interpretations, Rowling's seventh book has been widely acclaimed by the readers, because she is quite successful creating suspense by narrating increasingly dark and dangerous tales of magic and adventure, mingled with lessons of honour and contempt. It is another odyssey highlighting spellbinding tales of love and loss, and right and wrong.The world of Harry Potter, as depicted by the author coexists between the mundane and marvellous, and so is the mortal world. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows is more about Harry's mission of life, i.e., not only about finding and destroying the Horcruxes, but it is his journey from boyhood to manhood. Here the protagonist Harry faces more danger than those depicted in the previous books. Harry is haunted by direct threat of the Death Eaters and is in constant dilemma of losing faith in himself. Rowling applies the same notion of Dumbledore's warning about making choices between what is right and what is easy to conclude the story.No doubt, the Potter fans will get the answers of most of the mysterious queries, specially the debated questions about Dumbledore and Snape. However, the 7th book of the Harry Potter series is an embodiment of J.K Rowling's extraordinary imaginary power.Rowling's inclination towards the Christian concept of resurrection and accepting of self decay and disintegration is evident here from the way she crafts the conclusion of the series. As Rowling concludes, she glorifies parental bond--its power of conferring sacred protection to the children. She gives a spectacular conclusion to the series by gifting her favourite character with precious boon of parental love, including immortality.Despite pre-release and internet leakage of the book before its official publication, reader's enthusiasm is not marred, which is clear from its record sales of 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours in the USA alone. dr seuss book collection

Westerfeld - The Last Days - Vampire Novel Review

Westerfeld, Scott. The Last Days. Razorbill, 2006 (Sept. 9)This book is aimed at the young adult crowd but can be enjoined by everyone.Strange things are happening in New York City. Stranger than usual, that is. In fact it is down right scary in a paranormal kind of way. Black liquid spurts out of fire hydrants; rats, more numerous than ever, are roving the streets; and people suddenly go crazy, like the woman who throws all of her belongings out her sixth floor apartment window all the while screaming about who knows what. One about-to-be-discarded object catches the attention of two teen onlookers. The crazy lady waves a mid-seventies Fender Stratocaster with gold pickups and whammy bar. Pearl and Moz, strangers until this moment, work together to catch this valuable guitar before it crashes to the pavement. A quick glance above and both glimpse human figures moving swiftly towards the crazy woman's window. Neither comments aloud on this phenomenon. Instead they excitedly talk about their passion for music and the possibility of forming a band.Pearl is a super smart multi-talented gal who thinks Moz is really cute. She and Moz and his friend Zahler meet for practice sessions, and quickly realize they need a drummer and a singer to make their band complete. Street wise Alana Ray agrees to play percussion. She has the ability to see music with color and movement and is especially sensitive to these visions when Pearl brings in her friend Minerva to sing. A few months earlier Minerva suffered a mysterious breakdown. She now stays most of the time in her room, fights to contain the beast she feels inside her, and writes pages full of weird symbols that only she understands. At the first rehearsal, when all five gather to play, Minerva singing blends with the music and evokes wonder and fear.As the story progresses the musical talent of these teens and the vampire powers of Minerva become paramount in fighting monsters that live far below ground and only surface every seven hundred years. The Last Days is a sequel to Peeps, (Razorbill, 2006) where the story of the vampires aka Peeps begins. Westerfeld's powers of description brings characters to life and immerses the reader into the world his vivid imagination has created.Sequel to Peeps. Razorbill, 2005 seuss book collection sets cat hat

A Treatise on Science Fiction, Fantasy Authors and Story

An older novel, and a favorite, Godbody by Theodore Sturgeon, published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., estate copyright, 1986, with a forward by Robert Heinlein, and afterword by Stephen R. Donaldson, explores the human reaction to a Christ-like figure, Godbody. The premise of this story is unconditional love and how, when faced with it, individuals respond. This entity, this being, is seen through the eyes of eight people from a small town, all chapters written in first person singular, except for the last, which is written from the omniscient viewpoint.Sturgeon not only breaks all the rules; he transcends them by combining several points of view, and finally, is omniscient in the final chapter. In a way, each chapter is a small vignette which ultimately makes up the entire book. The setting of the story is a timeless small town in America. To me, all the characters are vivid, rich, real,and have their own unique voices. Each chapter, each vignette, examines that particular chapter's character and their response to this being of unconditional love. Each character has to search deep within themselves or not (depending on the character) and come up with how they feel about Godbody, who like Christ, broke all the social rules of his day.What is so remarkable about Theodore Sturgeon is his unfailing ability to tell a damn good story, simply. Writing, to me, is nothing without the story. Moreover, the story, to be good, must come full circle. Why? I can't tell you other than I know it. It's like an Indian thing. A circle represents completion. A good story represents a circle in an odd sort-of-way. It's complete, it's full and you leave it like the after-dinner table at Thanksgiving, stuffed and ready to take a nap.I believe story is one of our greatest teachers and where else can you stand atop a soapbox and spout your views, even if they are opposing? If you do it well enough, you might even get paid. I think the Preacher in me is alive and well, and demanding his time, so therefore I must take to the pages and preach my views among parables, stories, poems and songs.And it's not necessarily in what is said, verbatim, on the page, where the story is told. The story is told through the conflict between characters, among themselves or with ideas, emotions or situations they're struggling with. I think the best stories, like Sturgeon's, Heinlein's or McCaffrey's are easily read. They're easy on the eye and the mind's ear. I, for one, do not like to struggle to read. Though I am a good reader, I don't want to have to read the same sentence over and over again because the writer was trying to be too fancy, or too eloquent, or too damn arrogant. Big words are nice, but they don't impress me.While working at the newspaper, I learned the difference of writing styles and what "age group" to write to. It is my understanding that Reader's Digest is written to the 6-8th grade reading level, while an insurance document (boring as hell) is written at the 13th grade level. I strive; though don't always make it, to simplify my writing. I find myself modeling after some of the world's successful writers: S. King, R. Ludlum, and Anne McCaffrey. (I love Vonda McIntyre as well).I find that Sturgeon has honed his craft like a blademaster wields his sword: artistically swift and to the point. I like Sturgeon because he tackled worn-out topics from a viewpoint and story that went against the norm, especially for his day and time.Among the first of the first science fiction writers in America, Sturgeon, was not, in my opinion, (I could be wrong) as well-known as some of the others: L. Ron Hubbard, (who by-the-way, won his bet with his science fiction friends on being able to start a religion) Sprague de Camp, and Heinlein. These men, among others, used to hang out together and meet on Saturday's night. You might call this group one of the first SF Writer's Group.I know it's sacrilegious, but I'm not impressed at all by Asimov, though that could change. I started Foundation Trilogy more than 25 years ago and was thoroughly bored and haven't tried since. David Brin is better than Asimov. I also find Larry Niven a great storyteller. Andre Norton is also excellent. When I read the Witch World series, I was enthralled. Frank Herbert, a former journalist, created a world rich with double meaning in his Dune series but he has written other good books as well. I am not hung up on techno-crap stories because it is not gadgets, in my opinion, that bring people to a good story. A good story will cross all genres and work into the mainstream, whatever its venue. When I find an artist that I like, I gobble them up completely. I've read so many books, I sometimes find myself remembering stories and not the author.I read most anything, but my primary realm of mischief is SF, then Fantasy. I think, however, one of my favorite books of all time (there are more than one) has to be Stephen King's The Stand. As any mainlining reader knows, a good fat book is hard to find. I am also reading Terry Goodkind's, Wizard series and Robert Jordan's Eye of the World series, but find myself bogged down in Jordan's ninth or tenth book. Too much of a good thing can be, simply put, too much. I need to go on a Jordanian diet for the moment.Now it's late and I find myself wandering far afield from my chosen task at hand, though I do think, I've given you an idea about myself, my writing ability (or lack thereof) and the understandings I do and do not have on the subject. So for now, I'll sign off. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

The Edge of Disaster and Modern Health Care

Stephen Flynn's recent book The Edge of Disaster, featured on national public radio this week, describes a number of large scale vulnerabilities across the United States. His thoughts on pandemic flu, while certainly concerning, pale in comparison to the real numbers.Mr. Flynn describes 80 million infected with as many as 800,000 dying of the disease. However, a review of Avian flu pandemic over the last 300 years shows that one-third of the U.S. population or 100 million people will be infected. If this is not enough one half of these individuals or 50 million will require some level of hospitalization or institutional care from bone health all the way up to intensive care unit services. As Mr. Flynn correctly pointed out there are fewer than 970,000 hospital beds in the United States far less than the 50 million that will be required.Of greater concern is the fact that half of those requiring hospitalization will develop a life threatening lung condition know as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Twenty-five million people requiring advanced lung care will quickly overwhelm not only the capacity of our hospitals but of our respiratory therapists and our nurses. Of those with ARDS half will require ventilator support, unfortunately there are only 105,000 ventilators in the United States and only 16,800 are available at any given moment to treat these 12.5 million ARDS patients. Of those that require ventilators, approximately 6.25 people. This last number is eight times that predicted by Mr. Flynn and has been substantiated in multiple scientific reviews of the major pandemic of the past 300 years.Mr. Flynn also spends a significant amount of time discussing surge capacity and when asked by his NPR host about the economics of increasing surge capacity beyond the pitiful 12 percent currently available nationwide Mr. Flynn simply said it was an investment in the future, an "insurance policy." Those knowledgeable in healthcare surge capacity and healthcare vulnerability analysis differ with Mr. Flynn's otherwise star analysis of the other vulnerabilities of the United States.Immersion Simulation based disaster training for hospitals and healthcare facilities results in a new protocol in the minds of those who are trained. They learn to deal with triage on a moment to moment basis with every patient whether there is an ongoing disaster or not. Those hospitals that adopt this model quickly learn that they can activate their emergency plan even when their hospital is only suffering from the daily surge of patients. Hospitals in New York, Boston and Philadelphia have done this with increasing frequency when emergency room await times have been only two times the norm. As a result the hospital activates its emergency operation center, calls in additional staff and increases the number of patient care areas in the hospital by re-tasking administrative and non-patient care areas to the treatment of non critical individuals. These "green" treatment areas decrease the backlog in the emergency room lobby with surprising results.* Fewer people leave the hospital without medical care because the wait has been reduced.* There is an increase in hospital admissions because greater diagnoses are made by less stressed doctors, nurses.* There is a net increase in hospital revenue despite the cost for staff and re-tasking facility.* Patient satisfaction is improved with patient satisfaction scores on survey rising.* The hospital saves money because a surge capacity emergency plan activation counts as one of the yearly required disaster drills.In addition to Mr. Flynn's "insurance policy" approach to surge capacity there is a real world economic advantage for hospitals and healthcare facilities to participate in large scale disaster planning and preparation. Every hospital in the United States has now accepted money from the federal government under HRSA grants or through various government based insurance payment programs. As a result these facilities are now required to be compliant with the 17 elements of the National Incident Management System implementation plan for hospitals and healthcare facilities. In addition, they are required to maintain a surge capacity equal to 20 percent of licensed hospital beds or 500 bed per million population in the geographic license area of the hospital or whichever is greater, less these facilities be guilty of fraud.The stakes are high for healthcare not only because of the duty and responsibility they take on as part of their role in society but now as a result of the financial assistance they have accepted for the past five years as they were supposed to be preparing for all hazards and all disasters.Mr. Flynn's book and the features on national public radio this week have brought the spotlight to bear on the vulnerabilities in America, the question is will we respond now or lament the next catastrophe? dr seuss cat in hat history

The Edge of Disaster - Managing Expectations

Steven Flynn's recent book The Edge of Disaster has garnered the expected "inside the beltway" Washington response. Finally today a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security (no doubt in the Public Information Office) began to spout the company line and tie it to Mr. Flynn's book. Point by point the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) again remind the American public that a federal response is always more than 24 hours away, in fact, usually 48 to 72 hours.Point by point the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) again remind the American public that a federal response is always more than 24 hours away, in fact, usually 48 to 72 hours. The familiar theme of self-responsibility and self-preparedness are trotted out again for review of a distracted American public.Unfortunately, both the Department of Homeland Security and Mr. Flynn are right. In America, as soon as the catastrophe or a disaster has past we busy ourselves with the activities of every day life and forget the lessons that we learned when the most recent adversity struck us. In short, we never develop resilience.It is gratifying to me, having declared 2007 unofficially the year of resilience, that speakers and pundits around the country are now re dr seuss cat in hat book

A Secret of the Universe - Book Review

How do we develop our fundamental beliefs? Why do we hold tight to wishes, prayers, karma, holiday traditions, shooting stars, mythologies and faith? Is it because our parents told us to or because we've researched for ourselves, because Wikipedia has an article about it or some great scholar has written a book? In Stephen L. Gibson's novel, "A Secret of the Universe," readers are welcome to come to understand some of the reasons we have faith, and our ever changing beliefs, hopefully discovering the secret along the way.Two friends, Ian and Bill, who went to high school together, have their own views of the universe. Their worlds co-exist, mingle throughout life, and affect the others' in ways only true friends can comprehend. There is intense joy and pain in each character's life, and such is reflected on the other. Through tragedy, each is brought to a pivotal point where what they believe leads them to the next step on their life's path; and, their next step in life effectively leads their beliefs. Into each life a little religion, sex and politics must fall, and these two friends address each topic openly. Their discussions and inner revelations surely reflect those of millions of people who will see themselves in black and white. Bill finds great comfort and support in his faith in God and his Christianity. Ian seeks answers through science and reason. Each of the men finds solid "proof" that reaffirms their views. This is no slight undertaking and the revealed secrets will shock the world as one of the men's beliefs inspires a seven year, intense, study that becomes very public. On the personal front, each of the friends has complex home situations. Emotional and poignant, questionable and tragic, the events in their love lives are often a catalyst for further inspection of their beliefs and the reasons why they hold those beliefs.What is most interesting is the meticulous amount of research that was done in the writing of this book. Stephen Gibson offers pages of footnotes for readers to further explore his points and this gives each point of view a strong backbone. Did Jesus Christ, the man, truly exist? Or do we just need him to have? At the very least, this book will inspire readers to examine why they believe the things that they do. It condemns none, but rather embraces the positives of various viewpoints and encourages readers to do the same, no matter what your faith.The writing is tight and brilliantly executed. The characters are downright human with their thought processes and flaws exposed for all to see. The plot reflects extensive planning and encompasses the warmth of home, and the cold reality of terrorism, all at the same time. It is a story about love, life, religion, science, research, goals, death, terrorists, culture, politics, morals, our fundamental beliefs, and the most important secret the world could discover. It is a book about why we believe the things we believe in, why mythology exists, why we need it to, and its very fundamental purpose. I dare readers to pick up this book and read it with an open mind. You won't be sorry. I wholeheartedly recommend "A Secret of the Universe."A Secret of the Universeby Stephen L. GibsonISBN: 0-9793880-0-7Publication Date: October 11, 2007Review by Heather Froeschl dr seuss book collection

What $ells on EBay For What - Book Review

You look at the salesletter and the price tag ($8.95 USD) for the e-book What $ells on eBay For What, and they look pretty unpretentious. In fact, I really wasn't expecting a whiz bang job for a mere $8.95. (What can I say... I'm one of those people who believes a higher price equals better quality.)Well as the old saying goes, "never judge a book by its cover." Or in this case, never judge an e-book by its low price.When I opened the PDF I was pleasantly surprised to find a 230-page e-book. I'm NOT talking about a 230-page book with 18 point font, lots of white space, and loads of graphics. I mean solid, ceiling to floor content.The first few chapters give you ideas on what to sell on eBay, where to find merchandise (interesting ideas here), what sells (interesting ideas here too), and how to create a listing. Much of this is beginner to intermediate auction seller stuff.Chapter 5 gives you an analysis of products that sell very well and moderately well in categories like: antiques, books, magazines, catalogues, software, price guides, clothing, music, toys, art/paintings, electronics, collectibles/coca cola, coins, and Disneyana.A lot of detailed research went into compiling these sections. And the information provides a wonderful guide as to what you should (and shouldn't) be looking for when searching for merchandise to sell.I know that I scribbled a few notes to carry around with me 'just in case' I'm out and opportunity falls into my lap.Chapter 9 - Top Sellers and Searches - is interesting, but out-of-date. (This book was last updated Feb. 2005.) No biggie. You can search for the information contained here on eBay's Pulse.You'll find some gems in the Bonus section. "Big Lots vs. Small Lots" and "New Collectibles" definitely gave me some food for thought.The Appendix has a list of dozens of commonly used eBay listing abbreviations. For example, CART - Cartridge (video game), FE - First Edition (books), GD - Good Condition. This will come in handy when creating your auction titles, where you have a limited amount of space to describe your product.Appendix II has a list of popular clothing brand names. If you're not 'up' on the latest street/pret-a-porter wear, carry this one around when you're shopping to sell.The only thing I didn't like about this e-book is that there are no page numbers in the table of contents. So you have to scroll through pages and pages to find what you're looking for. This can be quite confusing at times when you're searching for specific information.Other than that it's a great steal, with tons of well-researched information.I recommend it for beginner to advanced eBay sellers. seuss book collection sets cat hat

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

What a delightful read! Water for Elephants has got to be one of the best reads for anyone that likes animals, circuses, and a very wonderfully flowing story. Working in or for a circus, especially in past years, had to be one of the most grueling and tough jobs to tackle. Sara Gruen makes the reader smell the circus smells, taste the midway foods, and be in the ring with the animals as they entertain. I have not been to a circus since I was a teenager, which is MANY years ago. Water for Elephants took me back to those days reminding me of some of the things I saw and smelled.His family placed Jacob Jankowski in a home for old folks because none of them wanted to "have" to take care of him. Sad, but true. Jacob is not sure if he is ninety or ninety-three years of age. He only knows his age is somewhere around that range. Jacob hates the other old people in the home, hates the food, and hates the nurses that treat him like he does not know what he is doing or saying. This is no life for Jacob Jankowski!The story then goes back to when Jacob was in Cornell College studying to be a veterinarian. He was shy about women; wanted nothing to do with them socially. Jacob thought he must be the worlds oldest male virgin. Jacob does well with his schooling until one day he was called out of class and told that both of his parents had been killed in an automobile accident. Jacob, of course, was crushed, mentally and physically. This couldn't be happening to him. His parents had been paying his way through college so he figured he could continue his education with whatever his parents left him. His father was also a veterinarian with a good practice. Jacob was beside himself when he was told that all the property his parents owned was being taken because of no funds to pay for the bills. It turns out that his father bartered with his customers as they paid him in chickens, eggs, animals, or whatever they had, but not money.This upset Jacob so much that he just took off walking and walking until he came to a rail track that had a train moving that he was going to jump on regardless of where it was going. Thus Jacob began his circus life when he jumped that train and met other circus performers and roustabouts. He had no idea what lie ahead. His inclusion into the circus life was difficult, as the circus does not like young rubes being around experienced circus people. When they found out he was "almost" a veterinarian, they were elated, as they had no one to medically care for the animals. This gave Jacob a ticket into circus life.As I said originally, the author makes you feel as though you were in the circus troupe as they raised their tents, did their shows, ate the food available, got paid when there was money, running away from the law when one or more in the circus caused a problem with the law or local authorities, traveled on the circus train never knowing for sure where they would end up, putting up with the circus owner and top management that treated most of the help like dirt.Of course there was much in the book about personal lives of the circus employees and owners. Also how the circus obtained more animals and equipment legally or otherwise. It is an eye opener for anyone to read. It makes one wonder how these circus people existed in those days of traveling and living such an uncertain existence.The story does occasionally go back to Jacob in the home in which he is so unhappy. The circus comes to town and sets up right next to the home, making Jacob so excited to be so close to the circus, even though it is not one of the ones he worked when younger. The days passed so slowly as he waited for his family to come and take him to his big visit to the big top.I doubt anyone could read this book without coming away with a great understanding of those old circus days and what they meant to the people that worked that hard life. You will know that Sara Gruen put much time and effort in her research for Water for Elephants. You WILL enjoy this book. It will entertain you and educate you at the same time. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

"Get Google Ads Free" Review - Does It Stack Up?

Many of you will have come across an ebook called "Get Google Ads Free". The author of this book (Dr. John Cohen) claims to have received $87 million in free pay per clicks (adwords/overture etc) over a 9 year period using a secret of his. But does "Get Google Ads Free" stack up to his outrageous claims?When I first saw the sales page for this ebook I was going through a steep learning curve with google adwords and was looking for anything to reduce costs and improve conversion rates.When I saw this I thought my prayers may have been answered. Even though I was in a desperate state of mind I was skeptical of the hyped up sales page. I mean, how can anyone possibly get $87 million in free ppc's. But alas, curiosity got the better of me and I bought the ebook.As I was expecting some amazing, unbelievable secret technique, disappointment set in upon first aquaintance. There was no easy, clever way to get adwords completely free with little work (though if we're being honest, it doesn't exist).As I read on however, my disappointment disappeared. What the ebook is based around is a simple, clever marketing strategy that has been used before. However, not many people online know about this strategy. While it doesn't magically give free ppc's, if used properly, it should offset the costs.When he first explained this, I slapped myself on the head mouthing "why didn't I think of this?" It is one of those things that is oh so simple, yet extremely clever at the same time. The author goes on to explain how to use it so we can not only offset our adwords costs, but also how to profit from it. He does this in great detail and I was surprised by how much content he crammed into it. Another thing I liked, was that it wasn't entirely confined to this strategy. He gave lots of good information on optimizing your adwords account and even went into some offline advertising.The ebook is well written and presented. It is 125 pages long, yet it doesn't drag. He has also put together an excellent, extensive affiliate section which is even longer than the sales page.So, is Get Google Ads Free worth the $67 asking price? If you are looking for completely free adwords with no strings attached, then keep looking (and looking, and looking). But if you want to know how you can offset or at least reduce PPC costs you should consider Get Google Ads Free. Even if you don't use the central idea of the ebook , there is enough sideline information to justify its purchace.If you would like more information or want to purchase Get Google Ads Free, click here - http://www.freegoogle.beachbum.net.au dr seuss cat in hat history

The Burnt House by Faye Kellerman Book Review

Is it possible that a terrorist attack has taken place?This is the first thought of many as a commuter plane carrying 47 passengers crashes into an apartment building in Granada Hills, California.Lt. Peter Decker was eating breakfast when the first sign of trouble appeared. The power flickered and then went completely out. He figured it was just a transformer but the phone line was also dead. Decker's captain never contacted him on his cell phone and when he got a call on it from him, he knew something had to be terribly wrong. The captain told him about a plane crashing into an apartment building and ordered him to go directly to the scene. One of Decker's main jobs was to try and calm the fears of the people who feared a terrorist attack. Decker and his wife were also concerned because the crash was very close to their daughter's school.As the investigation gets underway, something very strange has been discovered. There were only 47 names on the passenger list but inside the plane's charred wreckage, four more identified bodies were also found. How did they get there? If that wasn't enough, they cannot locate an airline employee who was supposed to be on the flight.Decker is under pressure from the department to find answers. As the investigation continues, Decker discovers some very interesting things. Is he successful at solving this case?I have read several of Faye Kellerman's books. In my opinion, The Burnt House has to be one of her best novels. If you have read any of Faye's books, you know that she is a very detailed writer. This book is written in the same manner. The book begins with a plane crashing into an apartment building at the very beginning and the suspense continues to build from there. There are several mysteries going on at the same time and it certainly keeps the reader guessing at all times. Kellerman fans will be delighted with the return of Lt. Peter Decker of the LAPD and wife Rina Lazarus. The author does an excellent job of setting the stage for this novel and it will leave the reading audience in awe of what is going to happen next. I highly recommend this book. dr seuss cat in hat book

'Deathly Hallows' - A Literal Page-Turner

Fans adore it. Critics love it. It's flying out of bookstores at a record-setting pace.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the much-anticipated final book in J.K. Rowling's fantasy series, sold 8.3 million copies in 24 hours starting Friday at midnight, U.S. publisher Scholastic reported Sunday. First printing: 12 million, the most ever for a Potter book. The books are out; the word is spreading. "The last Potter is amazing. It has definitely gone way beyond what I expected," Deb Kiehlmeier, 16, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, said of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which was released on Saturday to worldwide ecstasy.Within 24 hours after J K Rowling opened her copy of the book at London's Natural History Museum a minute past Friday night, the book has become the fastest-selling novel in publishing history. Bloomsbury, the publisher, estimated three million copies were sold in the first 24 hours, almost a million more than the last Potter book. "Harry Potter fans are always trying to predict what will happen next, and J K Rowling always gives them something different," Kiehlmeier said. On Day 1 of the A H (After Harry) Era, reviewers and readers mourned the end of a historic series that proved young people can still crave the written word like the crispiest French fry.Parties to herald the arrival proliferated around the city and across the country. At the Barnes & Noble in Union Square in Manhattan, lines snaked around the block as police officers ordered fans off the street. Downtown in SoHo at the McNally Robinson Bookstore, an adults-only group swilled "magic punch." And at the Borders at Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle, fans who had been given numbered wristbands earlier in the day thronged around the front of the store at midnight. "Are we ready for Harry Potter?" yelled the manager. "Yea!" the crowd screamed back.In London, where the book went on sale five hours before New Yorkers could get their hands on a copy, Tineke Dijkstra, a 15-year-old fan from the Netherlands, had waited in line outside the Waterstone's in Piccadilly Circus for two days to ensure that she was one of the first ones to buy the book. "I slept three hours in the last two days in the rain," she said after emerging from the store with her copy. "I'm going to go and read one chapter and then go to sleepFunded by the National Institute on Aging, the study appears in the July 26 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.The epilogue has happy families seeing off a new generation of Potters, Weasleys et al to Hogwarts and a sense of things coming full circle. J K Rowling has left her options open -- she can always dash off a whole new set of adventures if she ever gets bored of spending her billions. A wonderful feeling of peace pervades the last few pages -- the only part of the book where you get the feeling. The rest of it is packed with action, intrigue, thrilling duels and violent deaths.Scores are settled; the young boys and girls who grew up before your eyes metamorphose into battle hardened warriors. The bumbling Neville Longbottom comes into his own; so does 'Looney' Luna Lovegood.There's enough gore to satisfy the most bloodthirsty reader. If you're sentimental, you may weep for some of the prominent characters who meet a bloody end. But the chances are, you'll be too busy turning pages to get to the latest twist.If you're wondering about the title, the deathly hallows are three objects which, united, make the possessor the master of death.Incidentally, one of the three hallows has long been in Harry's own possession -- the Invisibility Cloak, which he has used to such good effect in several adventures.Other familiar magical objects like the Polyjuice Potion, and Fred and George Weasley's bag of tricks too return, and play pivotal roles. And of course, there are the Horcruxes to be tracked down.New light is shed on important characters like Dumbledore and Snape, which makes you re-assess whatever you may have thought about them so far. And insignificant characters -- like the bar man at Hog's Head -- suddenly leap into the limelight.Instant assessment: The Deathly Hallows is Rowling back in fine form. Forget the meandering Order Of The Phoenix and the flabby, self-indulgent Half-Blood Prince.Rowling loyalists will argue that those two books were necessary to tie up loose ends. Well, they served that purpose and set the stage for a stirring, no-holds-barred, cutthe-talk and bring-on-the-battles finale.Rowling delivers. In style. And reminds you exactly what made the series such a huge cultural landmark to begin with. dr seuss book collection

Pictures of Zoo Animals

My kids are always wanting more pictures of zoo animals. This past year my wife found this magazine and it is FULL of pictures for kids. ZooBooks will definitely be a favorite for your children (and you)
The magazine is also nice because it covers a wide range of ages for children. My 4 year old loves to look at the pictures, while my 10 year old likes to work on her reading skills and learn about the animals.The great thing about the magazine is that it not only has great pictures of animals but it has a tremendous amount of information on animal habitats. There is so much information in these magazines and the print is designed for kids.The magazines make it easy to read for young children and will be fun for the whole family. Kids won't be able to wait for the next issue. I know my kids are always checking the mail to see if the new issue came yet! It is such a neat experience to see them get so excited when they see the pictures of the animals and then try to make the same sounds! It has also made it a lot more fun for them to go to the Zoo because they have all the background information about the animals they are seeing.There are some excellent publications out there for young children, and this is one of them. Take the opportunity to look into this magazine and you won't regret it! seuss book collection sets cat hat

Harry Potter and the Realms of Fantasy

I was most interested recently to learn that I am not alone in wishing Harry Potter would fall off his own broomstick. All around me, each time a new Harry book is released, there are frenzied excursions to bookshops all over the world. My daughter is a Potter Head and hungrily consumes each book as it comes onto the literary market.Personally, I cannot find these books entertaining no matter how hard I try to immerse myself in the story line. I determinedly sat down one winter's day in front of a roaring fire and began the first book, but by the time the wretched owl had flown in I was yawning and wishing myself elsewhere. Someone should write another book, entitled 'How to Find Harry Potter Interesting and Read a Million Words About Him without Shooting Yourself.'It was bad news for me when it was announced last week, with the arrival of the last book in the series, that the collection was to be recognized as Classic Literature and that J K Rowling was now widely considered to be of the caliber of Charles Dickens. Uh? Rats, I thought, now I will definitely have to read up on old Harry and try to find some semblance of whatever it is the rest of the world sees in this childish fantasy set on paper.At a social gathering a week ago I learned that I am not Harry's only critic. At least six out of a party of fifteen thought the Potter library was tedious in the extreme. We were shouted at by the majority though, and had to take cover at one end of the table.I fully expect to be pilloried for this criticism of a work that has set children's literature on fire for the past decade. When the Harry Potter films were released I though I might be saved by at least knowing what the story was about, thus I would be able to fool people that I had read the books. Unfortunately, I fell asleep during every one of the films. Despite the enthusiasm over this latest contribution of Ms Rowling, I still cannot bring myself to be enthralled. Sorry. I am deeply ashamed, you will all be pleased to know. Yawn. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

Ebook Review - Auction Profits Unleashed

ABOUT LEE MCINTYRE (AUTHOR OF THE AUCTION PROFITS UNLEASHED)Lee McIntyre is a teacher who has already successfully sold digital products online in the teaching niche. Although Lee has only been trading online since 2006 he is a true success, selling 600+ copies of his first Internet Marketing ebook, Auction Profits Unleashed, during pre-launch alone.ABOUT AUCTION PROFITS UNLEASHEDAuction Profits Unleashed explains how Lee McIntyre uses eBay to generate leads for digital products and squeezes every last drop of value from the site. Best of all, Lee explains how to automate the whole process. The topics covered include:- Why eBay is an Internet Marketer's Best Friend!!- Finding an Online Market to Serve!!- Creating a 'Premium' Digital Product!!- Setting up a Sales Page for your Product!!- Getting an eBay Account and Getting some Feedback!!- Using eBay to Generate Leads!!- Preparing your Auto-Responder to Follow Up with Leads!!- Choosing a Delivery Method for your Digital Product!!- Developing your Marketing Funnel Further!!Lee begins the ebook by explaining what a typical day as a school teacher involves for him. This is usually a 7.30am - 6pm shift at the school, plus one hours marking, four times a week. He does this simply to explain that if someone like him can find the time to make money online - then other people can too.After this he moves on to explain 'Why eBay is an Internet Marketer's Best Friend'. As you probably already know eBay is one of the top ten 'most visited' websites on the Internet. Furthermore, visitors to eBay are ready buyers although the critics argue that these buyers are penny pinchers and bargain hunters. What may surprise you is that Lee agrees with these critics BUT thinks it makes eBay an even more attractive place to market your products. He believes that this bargain hunter mentality can actually be used to improve your sales. Lee then sums up his thoughts with a story about his Grandma (and her bargain hunting tendencies) and how his Grandma may actually spend more money whilst trying to get a bargain. Overall, I liked this chapter and I found it was a really good answer to the critics who say the digital product market on eBay is dead. I particularly liked Lee's example which involved his Grandma and found it a good conclusion to the chapter.In the next chapter Lee moves on to discuss 'Finding an Online Market to Serve'. He begins by stating that although there is a lot of money to be earnt on eBay by selling your products, there is even more money to be earnt if you follow up with your customers and sell them a premium digital product. Following this, Lee goes on to discuss how to research the potential demand for a digital product, using the niches of weight loss, credit repair and classroom management (a niche which Lee has already had success in). He then goes further and shows readers how to assess the potential for a digital product in a specific niche with multiple tools including; Overture, eBay, ClickBank and Google. This chapter does contain some good information. I found the section where Lee explains the difference between determining demand in a market and demand for a digital product in a market very insightful and helpful. However, I believe Lee could have been a bit more concise in explaining his ideas in this chapter.In the fourth chapter Lee moves on to cover everyone's favourite topic; 'Creating a Premium Digital Product'. He begins by explaining the different kinds of digital products that you can potentially create and then states which type of digital product is his favourite. Next, Lee covers the three basic options available to you if you want to create a digital product (which unfortunately I can't list for you here). For each of the three options Lee explains the pros, the cons and makes suggestions as to how he would go about creating a digital product using that method. He also states how he thinks each option should be best utilised. With a topic as popular as digital product creation there are always going to be other texts out there which cover the topic in more detail. However, in this chapter Lee has a good stab at it, providing some very useful advice for those creating their first digital product and he covers all the required bases. Overall, this chapter provides an excellent, concise and informative summary of a potentially tricky subject.Following this Lee moves on to cover 'Setting up a Sales Page for your Product.' When I read this chapter it reminded me a lot of my own experiences when creating my first sales page. The first very valid point that Lee makes in this chapter is to NOT do everything on the cheap. Based on my own experiences I really agree with what Lee says here because if you do everything on the cheap then you and your products look cheap. Next he moves on to cover the actual writing of your sales letter. Lee provides readers with a basic ten point template of what a sales letter should include and then provides some more general writing tips to readers. He then finished the chapter with some tips on formatting your sales letter. Overall, I felt this chapter wasn't as strong as the others within Auction Profits Unleashed. The ten point plan is a good template to follow when writing your sales letter, but a lot of the information is quite subjective and I didn't learn anything significant after reading it.In chapter six 'Getting an eBay Account and Getting some Feedback' is covered. This is a rather short chapter and to anyone who has been using eBay for some time it will contain little new information. There are some basic feedback management tips included but nothing I didn't already know.After this Lee moves on to describe how eBay can be used to generate leads. I can't reveal the actual method he uses here because it would reveal all the secrets behind Lee's ebook, and that is not what I intend to do with these reviews. However, I can reveal that it is a very valid method for generating leads and one that I use myself. Overall, this is a really crucial chapter and contains some great information which I would recommend everyone should act upon. I've lost count of the times I have heard the phrase "The money is in the List" but the frequency that this phrase is used only goes to show that generating leads is key to your success online.Once you have your leads on the list you then need to follow up with them and that is exactly what Auction Profits Unleashed covers in the next chapter. First, Lee covers the two autoresponder options available to you; a Self Hosted Solution or a Third Party Solution. He explains which is his favourite and why. Next he goes on to finish the chapter by covering how he would approach follow up communication with customers. Again I found Lee makes some good points in this chapter but it's a very subjective topic for which everyone has their own opinion. Overall, this section does act as a good guide (which can be modified according to personal preference) for people looking to start their first mailing list and autoresponder series.Following on from this Lee goes on to discuss 'Choosing a Delivery Method for your Digital Product'. I personally use My Digital Dispatch for my digital delivery but Lee covers both E-Junkie and DLGuard in this chapter. Since I haven't got any experience with these two products I can't comment on how good they are. However, Lee does go into great detail explaining both systems and even includes screenshots. Although I haven't used these two products, I do know that when selling online it is important to automate as many tasks as you can - including product delivery. In this chapter Lee explains how to automate product delivery in great detail and so overall it is a very useful chapter, containing great information, which can be easily followed and implemented.In the final chapter Lee covers 'Developing your Marketing Funnel Further'. In this section he suggests additional ideas to profit from the leads you have acquired from eBay. This section contains some useful tips which will allow you to generate additional revenue from your list and it is a nice conclusion to Auction Profits Unleashed. The information in this chapter isn't groundbreaking but it is practical and easy to implement.In conclusion, Lee has done a very good job with Auction Profits Unleashed. If you are selling on eBay and using the site only as a selling platform, then you are missing out on a lot of additional revenue. Using Lee's ideas you can maintain your eBay sales whilst generating additional sales further down the line. The writing style is really easy to follow and the use of screenshots to explain Lee's ideas is a great assistance too. Best of all, once set up most of Lee's ideas run on autopilot. As an eBay seller myself Auction Profits Unleashed comes highly recommended and I give it my own personal seal of approval.GOOD POINTS- The detailed step-by-step instructions with screenshots really help. You can implement the information as you read.- I really found myself relating to a lot of Lee's examples which allowed me to really connect with the information in Auction Profits Unleashed.- The level of success Lee has achieved in such a short time online goes to show just how effective his ideas are.- I was particularly impressed with the way Lee broke down the topic of creating your own digital product. It can be a hard topic to cover but Lee has made it really easy to understand.BAD POINTS- I feel Lee could have been a bit more concise when covering certain topics.- Some of the material covered (such as writing a sales letter) is quite subjective. I got the impression that it was Lee's own opinion rather than what is actually proven to work.- I found the section on getting started on eBay and getting some feedback very basic and didn't learn anything new.HOW I HAVE GAINED FROM AUCTION PROFITS UNLEASHEDI already sell my own premium product at theebookcavern.co.uk so I implement lots of the ideas Lee covers already. One thing I plan to act upon is the information in Lee's final chapter 'Developing your Marketing Funnel Further'. I feel it's one area that I am not taking full advantage of currently. dr seuss cat in hat history

Book Review - Writing Spirit by Lynn Andrews

Is a muse a spirit guide or some form of higher guidance? If so, how does a muse communicate with a writer? Do you have a guide looking over your shoulder as you type? These are some of the questions answered in Writing Spirit by Lynn Andrews.This book is for anyone wanting to learn how to tap into inner guidance for creativity in the arts. Whether your medium is literature, oil, pencil, drama or dance, you can be inspired to reach your goals and obtain your heart's desire by taking the first step: Take the first step. Yes, it is that easy. When you take action toward expressing your creativity, divine inspiration will meet you at the piano, at the typewriter, or at the easel.Learn what it really means to be a writer as you learn how to release your inspiration through Shamanic, spiritual traditions. Lynn Andrews has written 19 books using the principles she teaches in this book. I interviewed Lynn on my podcast Writers in the Sky. I love these informal chats where I get first-hand information straight from the author. Most of my podcast shows have two segments lasting about 15 to 20 minutes each. In the first segment, we talk about how the writer got started. We each have our own story and we are encouraged to know how others came to tap into their talent. Then, we discuss the book and any other works the author has completed, as well as any upcoming projects. In the second part of the show, I like to have the author talk about his or her publishing experience. Depending upon how we publish, there is a vast difference in the path we take to get our books on the market. But, all these paths require and involve marketing, so I also ask each author to talk about their book publicity and marketing techniques that work for them.The first and foremost question Lynn asks a writer to answer is "Why are you writing?" The second question is "Who are you writing for?" It's all about including spirit in your writing and in your life.Find out what causes writer's block and how to overcome it when I post Lynn's interview on my blog "http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/" Friday, August 10, 2007. I hope you will drop by and listen. She is such a pleasant speaker with a lot of useful information to share. dr seuss cat in hat book

A Review of "Angels Don't Play This HAARP"

The book that is the subject of this review is Angels Don't Play This HAARP, published in 2004 by Dr. Nick Begich and Jeane Manning. The topic of the book is an overview of the High-Frequency Active Aural Research Project (HAARP), a program of the United States Air Force and Navy being conducted in Alaska. The book examines the historical context of this project as well as the main problems the authors see with HAARP.HAARP is an array of antennae that has the power to focus large amounts of electromagnetic radiation into the ionosphere. It is essentially a ground-based Star Wars system that has capabilities ranging from destroying incoming missiles to affecting regional and global weather patterns by sending energy into earth's ionosphere. Further uses of the project include over the horizon radar and the disruption of global communication systems, including satellite communications.Many of the concepts that made their way into HAARP can be found in patents originally filed by Bernard J. Eastlund. The authors trace the patents' ownership through several defense contractors, as the companies who owned them, and thus were responsible for HAARP, changed hands from the small firm of APTI to military contractor E-Systems, until E-Systems was bought out in 1995 by Raytheon, one of the largest defense contractors at the time.The authors spend much of their time focusing on various capabilities of the HAARP antenna array and relating these potential uses to the disturbing negative effects they may produce, along with the secrecy and material omissions that have accompanies HAARP since its inception. Just a few of the main issues that are examined include the main difference between HAARP and other ionospheric heaters that makes HAARP much more powerful, the weather-modifying effects of heating the ionosphere, and its potential for altering the mental processes of human beings.The first of these, the aspects of HAARP that make it more powerful than so-called "conventional" heaters, is examined mostly in relation to the patents themselves. Using Eastlund's concepts, the HAARP array is able to take large amounts of energy produced on the ground and focus it into a small area in the ionosphere. Heaters built previous to HAARP were only able to send energy that would diffuse in the upper atmosphere and would not have the energy-focusing capabilities of HAARP. The authors see this development as anything but a progression, as there is no realistic way to predict what this energy-focusing enhancement may produce. After previous failures of "great ideas" of man to manipulate the earth's electromagnetic balance (such as the 1958 Project Argus in which three nuclear weapons were detonated in the Van Allen radiation belts, and the early 1960's dumping of copper "telecommunications shield" needles into the ionosphere), there may be little reason to trust the government with another weapon of massive power and unknown effects.The ability of the antenna array to modify weather is another capability that the authors examine in some detail. Especially due to the official environmental report's omissions, there may be significant effects on the environment, weather, and wildlife that are not being addressed or discussed. Also due to the project's lack of oversight, Begich and Manning hold little faith in the government's willingness to confront these potential issues. They point out a number of the most glaring risks to the environment and life which are not discussed in the official Environmental Impact Statement. This is another example of the main problem of HAARP, which is its lack of effective oversight.Most disturbingly of all of HAARP's potential uses, however, is its ability to affect human brain functioning. Because the human brain works on specific frequencies which the HAARP project can also produce, it can theoretically affect thinking in nearly any area of the world at will. The small amount of energy required to manipulate the brain (much less than the power needed to run a light bulb) and the high energy capabilities of the array serve to present a clear danger to every human still possessing mental functioning. Another use of HAARP in relation to human feelings and thinking relates to the issue of resonance. Every chemical has a certain frequency, and by injecting small amounts of certain chemicals into humans and then using HAARP to simulate the chemical's frequency, the feelings generated by the chemical can be enhanced many times over. The possibilities of these uses become nearly endless and this is another area of research the authors recommend for more open discussion.The book is designed to be an introduction to the authors' argument that the HAARP project suffers from a surprising lack of oversight and public discussion. The material is presented in a very readable manner and explains how the workings of the program and its potential uses and implications. In such a short book (around 200 pages), there are over 300 sources cited, which bring a level of credibility to the research, which is based on patent information, articles, and first-hand accounts and interviews by the authors. The book presents various other related tangents for the researcher to follow, as well as a much-needed call for more public discussion on issues such as electromagnetic weapons, human behavior modification, and weather manipulation. All of these issues are well worth open discussion, as the capabilities of HAARP may produce global results. An increase in the public education about these matters, and a greater measure of accountability and interdisciplinary study of the project are what the authors call for in the end, and these modest goals should be considered a minimum for any project with such awesome capabilities and potential uses. dr seuss book collection

"How Best to Avoid Dying" by Owen Egerton - Book Review

Owen Egerton has compiled a book of small stories in "How Best to Avoid Dying." I have to say that I had mixed feelings as I read through some of the stories. It is very difficult to describe my feelings about them as they had the strangest affect on me. I was very disturbed by many of them, but something about them compelled me to read on. I don't think a book has ever had quite that affect on me before. The author is an excellent writer and definitely knows how to draw a reader in.I often wondered as I was reading "How Best to Avoid Dying" what motivates an author to come up with this brand of writing. Egerton often employed dark humor to get his point across in the stories. He seemed to be poking fun at mankind in an insightful way by writing about human eccentricities. What compels a person to write a book like this? I guess the even bigger question is, what compelled me to not to put it down until I was done?"How Best to Avoid Dying" primarily explores the painful side of life, and facing up to the realization that we all will die. The book starts with a seemingly innocent spelling bee where the children are eliminated for spelling errors by being dropped through a trap door to meet an awful fate. The strange stories include the author's biblical interpretation of the story of Lazarus to the bizarre summer camp counselor story of the Martyrs of Mountain Peak. Then there was "The Fecalist" -- I will leave the description of this story to your imagination.Overall, "How Best to Avoid Dying" was very well written and I would recommend it to people who enjoy bizarre stories like the Stephen King and Dean Koontz crowd. I think you will feel like I did at the end of the book - I am still trying to figure out what makes this author tick and think it would be great fun to sit and have an in-depth conversation with him on the meaning of life. seuss book collection sets cat hat

Interview With Owen Egerton, Author of "How Best to Avoid Dying"

Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is pleased to be joined by Owen Egerton, author of the short story collection, "How Best to Avoid Dying."Owen Egerton has lived in Austin, Texas, since 1991. For the most part, Owen made his living making people laugh. For years he was the artistic director of Austin's National Comedy Theater and Comedysportz troupe. In 2000 he co-founded the Sinus Show at the Alamo Drafthouse, the most popular comedy show in Austin history. Most recently he directed and performed in "Plays Well with Others" at Zach Scott Theatre.His first novel, "Marshall Hollenzer is Driving," had the film rights optioned by Austin director/producer Jeffery Travis and Burning Myth Productions. Owen has penned scripts for film, television and stage, and he is a commentator for NPR affiliated stations.Owen is also a vocal activist. He founded Austin's The Right to Marry group which works for equal marriage rights for all citizens.Tyler: Hello, Owen, and thank you for joining me today. I understand your collection "How Best to Avoid Dying" has gotten a lot of attention. I've seen reviews describing it as bizarre, disturbing, and having a strange affect on readers. To begin, how would you describe your work and what was your intention in writing the stories?Owen: I suppose my stories fall into the realm of dark comedy...or perhaps seriocomic. I'm exploring issues of death, faith, love...you know, all the biggies...but most of my stories also aim to give the reader a laugh. I believe laughter can carry us deeper into stories, laughter brings down barriers, surprises us, and twists our perspective just enough to see things as we never have before.Tyler: Do you feel there is a consistency, or connecting theme to the stories?Owen: The stories in "How Best to Avoid Dying" are all linked, not surprisingly, by the theme of death. But I wouldn't describe the collection as morbid. As I see it, death is an enormous part of life. He seems to take hold of our hand and walk with us from birth on. We hardly notice him until he whispers (or yells) that it's time to go. This collection is my attempt to make friends with the bastard.Tyler: The opening story seems to have gotten a lot of attention. It describes a spelling bee where children who misspell words are dropped through a trapped door to their death. How did you come up with the idea for this story and what were you trying to say?Owen: People do seem to like that one. We live in a nation where the latest American Idol update sparks more passion than the events happening in Iraq. It doesn't take much to imagine a world slightly more twisted than ours where international conflicts are decided by spelling bees to the death. But there's also for me a frightening metaphor for life in Spelling. The truth of it is, we are all standing over a pit that will one day open. We can do what we want: memorize all the rules, act the clown to be remembered by the crowd, panic and cry. But sooner or later the pit opens.There is more in there I think...To be honest, if I could tell you exactly what the message in a story is, then I've done some piss-poor writing. I like stories to expand the mystery more than clear things up.Tyler: That's a great point, Owen. I have on my desk a quote by E.M. Forster that is similar: "Expansion. That is the idea the novelist must cling to. Not completion. Not rounding off but opening out." That sounds like what you are trying to do, to expand the mystery specifically. Let me ask then, what is your view of death in the stories. Is death something to fear, or to greet, and does it lead to life after death, or does it vary/expand from story to story?Owen: How we see death defines how we see life. Most of us avoid thinking about death, and our lives suffer for it. But I don't think we can know much. That's the beauty and terror of death. It is a mystery. So in parallel to my writing ideas, the quest is not to solve the mystery but instead to develop my relationship to the mystery. There's a door at the end of the hall. Eventually you'll walk through it, and you'll be walking through it alone. There are a thousand answers to the question of what lies past the door, but none really stick. So we have the door and that's all we know. The door doesn't change in the stories, just the character's relationship to the door. Some of the characters in my collection arrive at the door with a smile, others turn and run as fast as they can, others have been watching their feet for so long that the first time they see the door is when they walk into it. In some stories there are hints of an afterlife, in others death feels more final. But these are hints, whispers. Not answers.Tyler: Another story is a new interpretation of the biblical story of Lazarus. What made you decide to rewrite a biblical story and did you have any concerns about doing so?Owen: A large part of this collection was me searching for a loop hole in death...a way out. Lazarus seemed a natural place to go. Here was a man who found a loop hole...one many people are betting on. Jesus. In my story, after walking from the grave Lazarus finds he can no longer die. He tells us his story from a one room apartment in current day New York City. He hungers for death. I was surprised as I wrote this. Surprised to discover that perhaps living forever, at least the way I imagine it in this story, is not very desirable. As far as rewriting a biblical story...did I have any concerns? No. It has been the job of art to retell old stories, to find new meanings or rediscover old ones. Biblical stories have been some of the richest sources for art. I'm not trying to rewrite the bible, just meditating on some of its stories. Every artist who ever painted a bible scene or any parent who told a child the Christmas story is doing the same thing.Tyler: That's interesting. It reminds me of the Wandering Jew legend--the Jew was cursed by Christ never to be allowed to die, and typically in such stories, he longs for death. I'm curious, then, if you know of this legend and if you are influenced by its literary tradition or other myths and their treatment of death?Owen: Yes, yes. Like the Wandering Jew legend. There was also a popular legend in the early church that the apostle John wouldn't die. In my story John is Lazarus' roommate. He's become a street preacher in New York City. I'm fascinated by the extra-biblical writings and legends.And yes, I am interested in the array of myths surrounding death. One of the recurring ideas I find intriguing in different cultures' views of death is the Hades idea, the realm of the dead. Not a place of punishment, but far from a paradise. And it's not an end to personal existence...but it's not living either. Our modern day zombie movies capture the same flavor. I believe these legends and films are the way we warn ourselves that living is more than simply having a beating heart.Tyler: What would you say have been the biggest influences, literary or otherwise, on your writing and music?Owen: Good question. I'm huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut. Discovering his books changed and charged my brain. I'm also an admirer of the fiction of George Saunders. His stories are some of best things being written in America today. Full of humor, full of compassion, full of life.I love the music of Charles Mingus. The energy and force he brought to his compositions is so alive, wild, driven. It's reaching past itself, stretched out. Often in one of his jazz recordings you can hear Mingus yelling, driving on the other musicians to dig into themselves and discover. You can tell when an artist (musician, writer, painter, etc) is discovering. It flavors the art. I listen to Mingus as I write, hoping some of that madness and style will soak into my words.One other influence worth mentioning is Austin, Texas. I love the city. I love the people. I love the dance of the place, the style, the diversity. I love the hipsters, the hicksters, the musicians pretending to be waiters, the waiters pretending to be musicians, the breakfast taco in the morning, BBQ for lunch, and sushi for dinner. Every kind of music, all kinds of people. And everyone... everyone... is in a band, or is working on a movie set, or performs improv comedy, or has a radio show, or is starting a zine. I love the hills to the west, the flat to the east, the swimming holes in between. The coffee shops, thrift stores, and friendly porches under Texas Live Oaks. Yeah, I dig Austin.Tyler: I understand you are also a member of the Austin boy band, Cedar Fever, which has released the album "Gratuitous Dudity." Has your interest in music affected your writing or vice-versa?Owen: Ha. Well, of course, being in a boy band, especially one as unstoppably sexy as Cedar Fever has touched every part of my life...okay, the band is built for laughs more than radio-hits. But I do like writing pop-mocking/pop-celebrating songs. And there is a connection between music and writing. A good story like a good piece of music should have rhythm, melody, and energy. But I'd hope my stories have more in common with the jazz of Charles Mingus than with the music of the Backstreet Boys.Tyler: And your multi-talents continue since you have also released a comedy album "Big Thick Wooden Board" which was played on "VH1" and "The Doctor Demento Show." What do you see as the primary differences between writing short stories and writing comedy or comic tunes?Owen: I love doing both. But fiction is my passion. It is where I wrestle, where I discover. Fiction is where I pour (and find) my soul.Tyler: Do you feel you have a common purpose or message that comes through in your writing, comedy, and music?Owen: Great question. I'm not sure yet. I do believe whether someone is seeing me on stage or reading my fiction I have a responsibility to entertain and give. Someone is using their time, their money to see me or read my work. I better live up to that. I never want to bore them. A person's attention is a gift and I need to honor that with a gift in return.I also hope that my comedy and writing...any thing I create...all carry joy. That's it. I want to create Joy Vessels. Here's a Joy Bowl, here's some joy to put in it. Pass it around. Put some of your own in it. Keep passing...Tyler: I love how you describe that, Owen. That a person's attention is a gift and that you want to create joy for people. Obviously, comedy is designed to make people laugh, and in your writing, you often mock human faults. But what do you consider the real value or purpose of comedy, especially in your work?Owen: I'm big believer that humor is best when coupled with compassion. To simply mock is easy. And often cowardly. But to laugh at ourselves and others can be wonderful. Think of the family laughter around a dinner table, or friends around a campfire. And think of the laughter that inspires thought. We are silly, wonderful beings. One day in any life can hold enough tears and laughter to fill the Grand Canyon with salty waters and echoing chuckles.Tyler: So, to return to "How Best to Avoid Dying", you started out by saying it isn't a morbid book. Can you give us an example or summarize a story in it that has humor or reflects joy?Owen: Well, the book works as a collection, meaning that the stories say something individually, but say something more when placed together...like voices harmonizing. The first story, Spelling, ends with the narrator hanging by her pants above a pit of flesh-eating pigs and wishing that the "moment would last forever." That's us so often...life is hard, often horrific and seemingly without meaning...but please God, don't let it end. The collection ends with another pit of sorts...a wooden frame floating on an ocean. In the story Lish, the main character, Lish, wrestles the story from the writer's control. She takes over and carries the story into places the writer feels he can not go. Instead of holding on to the edges of life, begging death to leave her be, Lish dives into the mystery. I don't mean she takes her life, not at all. I mean she embraces the strange mystery of death as part of life.Lish's poetry, Bean's playfulness, Ms. Gobbler's ability to forgive, Stimp's love... all speak of life.Many of the stories attempt to expose joy substitutes our culture creates... artificial celebrity, hollow dogma, weak art, low-love relationships, and almost anything you can buy at the mall. These are cheap replacements for inspiration, faith, daring expression, heart-expanding passion and commitment. We fill our hearts and heads with commercial jingles and plastic toys, and then wonder why our lives feel bland. I believe there is more worth in a single splinter of a moment of true joy than in a long, safe, comfortable life filled with the joy substitutes.There are many morbid moments in this book, many dark places, but the aim is not to depress the reader or leave them feeling an empty sense of loneliness. The aim is to explore the rich, sad, strange, beautiful thing it is to be human.But I could be wrong. Again, I'm writing from questions more than answers. For me lately, the key question...the one behind questions like "Is there a caring God?" or "Can people really love each other?"...The one question is, "What lies at the center of existence?" Is it random, cold, chance. Or is there love, is there meaning, is there joy? Can I honestly say it is good to be alive? This is what I'm asking.Wait... I'm getting too serious... I'm telling you that my stories about talking penises and heroic hamsters are dealing with the meaning of life. Wow. And I haven't even started drinking yet.Tyler: Not too serious at all, Owen. I think everything you just said was fascinating. At the beginning of the interview, I mentioned a few of the words used to describe "How Best to Avoid Dying." Would you tell us a little bit about the reactions you've received about the book and which reactions most surprised you or have meant the most to you?Owen: The best response is laughter. I do love to hear people laugh...except when I'm showering. I've also been told by readers that stories stick with them after they close the book. I like that. And every now and then someone tells me they don't get it, or I see a face at one of my readings look as if perhaps I passed gas and I'm pretending it's the smell I meant to create. I kind of like that...everyone likes vanilla ice cream, but no one truly loves vanilla ice cream. It's the stranger more daring flavors we love...or hate.Tyler: Owen, before we go, can you tell our readers about your website and what kind of information they can find there about "How Best to Avoid Dying"?Owen: My website is http://www.owenegerton.com. It's packed with links to films I've made, pieces I've written, even a Cedar Fever video (U Gave Me the Clap). I also keep a blog there. It's my thoughts on writing, living, and the adventure of not being dead.Tyler: Thank you so much for joining me today, Owen. Can we look forward to any more books from you in the near future?Owen: Yeah. I have a novel describing the 2nd coming of Christ happening in a Houston suburb in the hands of publishers right now. And I'm working on a new novel about Christian rock, hermit crabs, and the end of the world.Thanks for having me as a guest. I've really enjoyed your questions. dr seuss cat in hat quotes

"Sentinel of the Seas" by Dennis M Powers - Book Reviews

"Sentinel of the Seas" reads like a novel. Dennis Powers has written another classic masterpiece which chronicles man battling the sea. As in his earlier works "Treasure Ship" and "The Raging Sea," Powers has thoroughly researched his work. He spent five years in preparation, searching archives, original journals, dairies, ship logs, Lighthouse Board Reports, and doing personal interviews of survivors, and their families. The lighthouse was built on St. George Reef which is one of the most hazardous reefs off the West Coast.Powers recounts the history, engineering and construction of the lighthouse. He also explains the various lighting and sound warning devices used over the history of the lighthouse. Powers masterfully weaves into the record heroic stories of the men and women who designed, built, and maintained the St. George Reef Lighthouse from it's completion in 1892 until it's abandonment in 1975, and renewal in 2002."Sentinel of the Seas" heralds the career of Alexander Ballantyne, who supervised the project, as well as the careers of George Roux, and Fred Permenter the lighthouse keepers. Powers details the work of the "wickies," lighthouse life, the history and the development of other U. S. lighthouses. He shows a deep appreciation for the courage the lighthouse keepers demonstrated in the midst of crashing waves, tumultuous storms, and hurricane force winds which they faced on a recurring basis.Turnover among the personal was significant. Powers explained it this way: "This station was one of the least sought-after assignments in the service. Potential wickies had already heard what duty would be like on Dragon Rocks. It had earned its reputation." I personally enjoyed the insight into the contrast between routine work and boredom of the assignment with hazardous way of life of the lighthouse keepers. Powers uses descriptive phrases that made me feel "the enveloping curtains of cold mists" or hear the "barks of the seals, cries of the seagulls, and the crashing surf."This is great adventure reading, brilliantly written. I highly recommend "Sentinel of the Seas" to everyone who loves epic adventure stories of the adventure of the sea, shipwreck, and nautical history. dr seuss cat in hat history

Interview with Dennis M Powers, Author of "Sentinel of the Seas"

Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar of Reader Views is interviewing Dennis M. Powers, author of "Sentinel of the Seas: Life and Death at the Most Dangerous Lighthouse Ever Built."Dennis Powers is an avid historian of nautical life. He is the author of "Treasure Ship" and "The Raging Sea." His new book, "Sentinel of the Seas," is about lighthouses and more particularly St. George Reef Lighthouse located off the California coast. He spent five years meticulously researching this subject.Tyler: Hello, Dennis. Thank you for joining me today. I'd like to start our conversation by asking how you became so interested in writing this particular book.Dennis: My last book, "Treasure Ship", was about the loss, search for, and eventual discovery of the gold-bearing steamer "S.S. Brother Jonathan". In 1865, the large sidewheeler struck a seething reef inside Dragon Rocks off the Northern California coast and sank in forty-five minutes. In the West Coast's then worst maritime accident, 225 people perished in those raging waters. Newspapers throughout the country headlined the news of the great loss and famous personalities onboard when that vessel went down. A remote lighthouse somehow had to be built and operated there in seas that unexpectedly rose stories high within short hours.As I researched the stories for "Treasure Ship", I found myself spending as much time meandering through whatever files existed about St. George Lighthouse. This was the distant and dangerous station built in response to that tragedy, constructed close to the disaster site on a desolate wave-washed rock hit by the ocean on all sides. I discovered that the stories of courage, hardship, and the changing of eras of both were intertwined.I became entranced by the stories about the men who built and then operated the lighthouse on this dangerous wave-washed spit of rock--and the risks of the work. The construction was difficult enough, but then it had to be operated and maintained against the onslaughts of typhoons and Nor'westers. Marooned with other men in tiny rooms for weeks at a time, a keeper had to be mentally strong to overcome the close quarters, shrill ear-piercing foghorns, and sense of isolation, especially when the whistling winds powered the ocean into office-building-high crests that battered the man-made structure and men held captive inside. It was an easy decision to write "Sentinel of the Seas".Tyler: That certainly is understandable. What an exciting if risky life, and you describe it so vividly. Could you describe for us what the construction of the lighthouse on St. George entailed?Dennis: When Alexander Ballantyne built Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, another engineering feat located off the Oregon coast, he proved that building on such a challenging site twelve miles from the closest port was feasible. The U.S. Light-House Board next placed him in charge of building St. George. From his diary, detailed notes, and reports on the construction of these structures, I realized that he was one of the very few who was up to such a difficult task--and the hardships started at the very beginning. A howling Nor-'wester with massive waves, shrieking winds, and stinging sheets of spray twice forced the first construction expedition to turn back to its San Francisco homeport.After horrifying experiences with more monstrous storms during the first winter, Ballantyne and his crew learned to adapt to these deadly forces of nature. They had to. Each spring, the workers had to rebuild what the tumultuous ocean had later wrecked before they could restart construction. Storms and seas washed men away, whether they were working, sleeping in quarters eventually built on the rock, or running to avoid rogue waves. From the explosive showering of blasted rock bits and drizzling rains to running out of food and drinkable water, the conditions that these workers endured were hard and terrifying.Ballantyne and his men had to be inventive in surmounting the elements--and they weren't always successful. Years passed before their efforts could sufficiently overcome those hardship conditions and complete the lighthouse, a massive medieval-looking structure that towered above the rocks. It was the most expensive, remote, and dangerous lighthouse built--and men died in its operation over the years.Tyler: What made the operation and construction of this lighthouse so dangerous?Dennis: Owing to the ever-present dangers, the Light-House Board didn't allow families to live there, as distinct from nearly every other lighthouse. Located miles off the coast, supply boats had to bring fresh water, food, supplies, and medical equipment to the rock, and the only way to land or leave St. George was by a derrick and a stories high, wind-swung ride. While the seas could be rising or falling as much as fifteen feet, the operator had to hoist small launches by a hook onto the reef or lighthouse. Danger was always present. In the early years, keepers died and others became seriously ill. Among the eighty men who served over a forty-year period between 1891 and 1930, sixty-seven resigned or transferred to another station.Coast Guardsmen had to land on the reef to physically remove more than one keeper who suffered a mental breakdown. Accounts maintain that one or two lookouts simply disappeared after the seas crashed over the reef. During one storm, a monstrous 160-foot-high wave crashed over the lighthouse, totally inundating it and the men inside, pouring ocean inside while shattering windows in the uppermost lantern room that was fourteen-stories high above the reef.Despite this precarious state of affairs, keepers returned to live on this station. They preferred this life, even to the less isolated sentinels that were on land. Life at lighthouses on the coast was easier, as wickies could have their families with them, school their children, raise sheep or cows, have pets, and tend to flower and vegetable gardens. The differences in these types of lives are interesting, and I was able to bring this into the book.Tyler: You mentioned Ballantyne's diary above. Did other men at the lighthouse keep diaries or other first person accounts of their experiences? What would a typical day be like for the men at the lighthouse?Dennis: I was fortunate in tracking down the descendants of the old keepers, as well as interviewing Coast Guardsmen who served in the 1950's, and their stories are in the book. The days at St. George were best described by one who said, "We could have days of routine or fun followed by the sudden appearance of absolute terror." Depending on the weather, the men took shifts working on the equipment, maintaining the lighthouse lamp (or light), painting, refurbishing, repairing, and working to keep the sentinel in good order. It was difficult to have a social life, as the lighthouse was located miles from land and gales could storm in to cut off any contact with the outside world for weeks. Life on this lighthouse was very misleading: A keeper could be preoccupied with his work, and then suddenly a stories-high rogue wave could be steaming towards him with only seconds of warning. Landing supplies and crews was also a dangerous undertaking and this required the lowering of boats into a maelstrom of tides and rip currents. Men died and were severely injured--or simply disappeared during a sudden storm. Despite this, some keepers stayed for years, preferring the savage beauty of the sea and this station's isolation. "Sentinel" goes into details of these stories, ranging from the characters that lived there to what they enjoyed in this adventurous life at sea.Tyler: What was the research and writing of this book like?Dennis: I poured over the Del Norte County Historical Society's voluminous files in Northern California about St. George Reef Lighthouse, including its historical, one-of-a-kind records. The information from Del Norte County was added to the accounts of other historical societies and newspapers from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco and Los Angeles. From the San Francisco Maritime Museum and National Archives in Washington, D.C., to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on the East Coast, marine historians and librarians added to my growing stacks of information. I searched for all that I could find about the risky construction and the station's history.As with "Treasure Ship", I found the anecdotes from those associated with this story to be very interesting and gave a great balance to the research. Coast Guardsmen who lived and operated St. George told their tales of what life was actually like. From trying to survive the tumultuous storms that swept in and isolated this reef to the antics of young crewmen, the lives of these keepers were not for the weak of heart.I then found and worked in stories about what life was like on other lighthouses, the courageous accounts of the women who ran these sentinels, and the tales of the ghosts that haunted them.Tyler: You mentioned the role of women with lighthouses. Could you comment more on this aspect of your book?Dennis: Women lighthouse keepers were far more numerous than is commonly known. Where families were allowed, the wives of keepers always assisted or took over responsibilities and duties. More than 250 female wickies over time either worked alone running a station or were officially appointed as an assistant keeper with their spouse.The first woman to serve at an American lighthouse was Hannah Thomas, whose career at the Massachusetts Gurnet Point Light lasted for ten years from 1776 to 1786. During this time period, she tended to four flat-wick lamps, each having four large wicks. The lamps burned whale oil, which required replenishing them up to three times a night, not to mention the daily wick trimming, cleaning, maintenance, and emergencies--every night and day without relief.From Katie Walker (Robbins Reef Lighthouse in New York Bay) and Ida Lewis (Lime Rock Lighthouse on Rhode Island) to Harriet Colfax (Lake Michigan) and Emily Fish (Point Pinos on the Monterey Peninsula in California), many other "keepers in skirts" followed her lead in manning lighthouses on both coasts and the great lakes. Fascinated by these accounts, I set down their stories in "Sentinel of the Seas".Tyler: And you included stories about ghosts?Dennis: Every lighthouse has its own mysteries, strange stories, and peculiar ghost. No other structure built creates the strange sounds, sights, and experiences of a lighthouse, especially when at night on a spiraling spiral staircase, a moaning breeze whirls around ones face and the sounds of the surf crash far below. Howling winds in lonely towers next to the ocean create weird noises any way, not to mention a shadowy night with a full moon shining through windows and walking alone up a creaking stairwell. Echoing voices and squeaking window frames, slamming metal doors, flashing lights, and unexplained reflections all create their special effects--especially when isolated for hours in a dark place--even if at first one doesn't believe in ghosts. After reading and writing about these stories, it became hard to disbelieve or explain away "why" they actually happened.Tyler: Is the St. George Reef Lighthouse said to be haunted, and if so, would you provide us with one story or anecdote about its haunting?Dennis: The stories of ghosts seem to exist at every lighthouse, and St. George was no exception. Wickies on duty there swore that they heard or saw specters haunting the dark, wet Medieval-looking tower and desolate reef. One story concerns the soul of one of the three Coast Guardsmen who died in a tragic accident at St. George in 1951. A keeper swore that this specter made his presence known when one of the cups in the galley would suddenly start shaking. The older seaman would then give the young fellows a hard time. He'd tell them to give the old boy a cup of coffee. They would watch that cup swing and, according to this sailor, "their eyes would get real big." He told stories about unexplained whistling sounds and doors slamming for no reason. Another Coast Guardsman toward the end of his duty was also on this shift. He said: "I didn't believe in those ghosts. I don't think any self-respecting ghost would haunt a God-forsaken place like that tough station."Tyler: That's a great story, Dennis. It makes me want to go there to hunt for ghosts myself. Dennis, so many of our lighthouses today are in danger of being destroyed and their history lost. Why do you feel lighthouses are so important to our history?Dennis: Lighthouses were the sentinels when shipping was the dominant industry in this country, and this state of affairs lasted over centuries into the late twentieth century. These lonely structures were the last warning, navigational, and shelter outposts for the beleaguered sailors and seamen. They were not only this important then, but even now these monuments have a particular mystique, romance, and appeal for many of us.Many civic-minded individuals, associations, and groups are working hard to preserve the sentinels that are in their area. These structures are a part of the history of not only this country but also that state and region. I dedicated "Sentinel" to "those who protected the mariners over the years--and who work today to keep the history." This is an important work.Tyler: Is the St. George Reef lighthouse open to the public today? If so, what can visitors expect to find there?Dennis: Owing to its location in uncertain ocean waters six miles from land, the only way to see this wave-washed spit of rock and its lighthouse is by helicopter. These flights happen infrequently, but I would highly recommend them for the adventurous. To fly over the ocean to a lighthouse where waves crash thunderously from all sides, land on a forty-foot wide stoned deck, and feel the ocean's power is the experience of a lifetime. I flew out to visit St. George on a clear, sunny, windless day and found the surf surrounding its caisson walls with impressive displays of spray and sea. See http://www.stgeorgereeflighthouse.us/ for the details on these helicopter flights.Tyler: What stood out after you finished "Sentinel of the Seas"?Dennis: The courage of these keepers--and their tales while on this prison-like fortress--were amazing. Whether they were painting a railing or coming to the lighthouse by small boat, risks to life and limb lurked when performing the simplest of tasks. As important, the warning fortress on St. George is a testimonial to the historical times that are so much a part of this country.This book is about eras that our grandparents and even parents lived, knew, and read about. But the lives of those who built and lived in that lighthouse inside the Dragon's Rocks--and other sentinels as described in the book--were very different. And I still marvel at these stories.Tyler: Besides, "Sentinel of the Seas" I know you are the author of "Treasure Ship" and "The Raging Sea." Do you have any other projects in the works about the sea?Dennis: I have a number of works in process, and these range from salvaging ships at sea to the eighteenth-century captains who traveled the seven seas. I enjoy the researching and talking about these subjects as much as the writing. It has become a way of life for me. As to more information on "Treasure Ship" and "The Raging Sea", please see my website, dennispowersbooks.com, for the details.Tyler: Where can people find out more about "Sentinel of the Seas" and how to purchase it?Dennis: My website (dennispowersbooks.com) has more information on "Sentinel of the Seas", including pictures and further particulars. Readers can buy this book at their local independent bookstore, Barnes & Noble, other chains, Amazon.com, various websites, kensingtonbooks.com, and other fine places.Tyler: Thank you for joining me today, Dennis. Your descriptions of lighthouses, and especially the St. George Reef Lighthouse, made me feel as if I were really there experiencing the difficulties and richness of this maritime life. I thoroughly enjoyed our discussion. dr seuss cat in hat book