Field Guide to Orchids of Britain and Europe

Customer Reviews:

Trapped in Tuscany.......2006-08-27

Mr. Bertini's story is a very insightful account of the Nazi occupation, of the eroding Fascist Party of Mussolini, of the heroic effort of the Resistance, and of the liberation of his family's village by the Allies. It's also a narrative of Tuscan village life and Italian family traditions. His descriptions of various crafts of the villagers, methods of farming by the contadini, and the processing and preparation of the typical products of the region are incomparable. I have read Trapped in Tuscany three times and have visited Diecimo after each reading, to relive the events of the war and Tullio's extraordinary boyhood adventure.

A wonderful tale well told.......2003-08-15

I have been reading up on the war in Italy, and this story was a refreshing change from the narratives of battles big and small. I recently visited Diecimo on my way past Lucca, saw the house of Tullio, and spoke with a local who was also a boy during the war. This story helped me understand from another perspective the incredible damage done to the Italian people by the Nazi forces and to the infrastructure by both Germans and Allies.

Signor Tornatore, this would make a great movie script.......2001-08-19

A retired lawyer and former intelligence officer. This personal memoir describes the six years that an American teenage boy spent with his Italian American parents caught by the outbreak of World War II in their native town in Tuscany. It is an indispensible contribution to the grass-roots, social history of wartime Fascist Italy. It's filled with the amazing details and realities of daily life, reflecting an intimate insight into the social life and customs of a small Tuscan town north of Florence. The story starts prosaically with an explanation of why the family has returned to Italy. It becomes an absorbing story building to a dramatic climax. The German Army attempts to "relocate" the villagers acting in preparation of the German defensive Gothic Line north of the Arno. The villagers escape by walking all night on trails through mountainous terrain to reach an Apennine valley probed by advancing American forces. Those forces are the all-black American "Buffalo Soldiers" of the famous 92nd Division. These dramatic events are told in a straightforward narrative style reminiscent of Hemmingway. The account is informed by the seemingly photographic memory of the man the boy grew to be. The maps and background presentation reflect the training of author Bertini's adult interlude in American Army Intelligence. It is a must read for those who want to know what is was like to be caught in the harsh realities of a war zone, and for Italian-Americans and others would enjoy a first-hand social history of survival in the Italy of World War II. I think Sophia Loren, remembering her childhood wartime experiences, would empathize and recommend this book. It is well organized with an index, a bibliographic reference and 26 pertinent photo illustrations. /s/ J. A. Giordano, Stanford AB, JD, '56.

Signor Tornatore, this would make a great movie script........2001-08-18

[...]This personal memoir, describing the six years that an American boy spent with his parents caught by the outbreak of World War II in their native town in Tuscany, is an indespensable contribution to the grass-roots cultural history of wartime Fascist Italy. It is filled with amazing details and realities of daily life, reflecting an intimate insight into the social life and customs of a small Tuscan town north of Florence. The story starts slowly and prosaically with an explanation of why the family has returned to Italy. It becomes an absorbing story building to a dramatic climax of how three hundred villagers, faced with the attemped "relocation" by the German Army acting in preparation of the German defensive Gothic Line north of the Arno, escape by walking all night on trails through mountainous terrain to reach an Apennine valley probed by advancing American forces, the all-black American "Buffalo Soldiers" of the famous 92nd Division. This is a family history as well as an adventure story of dramatic events told in a straightforward narrative style reminiscent of Hemmingway. It is filled with the details of the village life of a teenager, but informed by the seemingly photographic memory of the man the boy grew to be. The maps and the background presentation reflect the training of author Bertini's adult interlude in American Army Intelligence. It is a must read for those who want to know what is was like to be caught in the harsh realities of a war zone, and for Italian-Americans and others who would enjoy a sharply focussed, social history of survival in the Italy of World War II. I think Sophia Loren, remembering her childhood wartime experiences, would empathize with and recommend this book. It is well organized with an index, a bibliographic reference and twentysix pertinent black & white photo illustrations.[...]

Growing up in war-torn Europe.......1998-12-03

In that ominous time immediately preceding the outbreak of WWII, many people found themselves on the wrong side of the Atlantic Ocean. To return to the United States was a difficult if not impossible task for many families because of the prevailing political situation. Tullio Bertini's "Trapped in Tuscany" is a chronicle of adventures experienced by a native born Bostonian forced to live six years of his life with is parents in Facist Italy. The pre- and middle teen years are turbulent for any youngster, and Bertini introduces us to his located in the mountainous region of Tuscany (locale of the German Gothic Line). Making an adjustment to a new culture in the little town of Diecimo and its environs is at times both exciting and adventurous. Unaccustomed deprivations abound. A new language must be learned, adjustments to transportation tackled, and schooling (with Facist undertones)changed--obstacles all, which the youngster embraces with courage and humor. Despite the political turmoil, the reader vicariously experiences a youth's awakening to the early teen years in a positive mood and at the same time gains much insight into everyday life of a small Tuscan town. The book is definitely a "good read" for those of Italian heritage, and, for that matter, anyone who had relatives growing up in war-torn Europe.

Amazon.com

When this true-crime story first appeared in 1980, it made the New York Times bestseller list within weeks. Two decades later, it's being rereleased in conjunction with a film version produced by DreamWorks. In the space of five years, Frank Abagnale passed $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. He did it by pioneering implausible and brazen scams, such as impersonating a Pan Am pilot (puddle jumping around the world in the cockpit, even taking over the controls). He also played the role of a pediatrician and faked his way into the position of temporary resident supervisor at a hospital in Georgia. Posing as a lawyer, he conned his way into a position in a state attorney general's office, and he taught a semester of college-level sociology with a purloined degree from Columbia University.

The kicker is, he was actually a teenage high school dropout. Now an authority on counterfeiting and secure documents, Abagnale tells of his years of impersonations, swindles, and felonies with humor and the kind of confidence that enabled him to pull off his poseur performances. "Modesty is not one of my virtues. At the time, virtue was not one of my virtues," he writes. In fact, he did it all for his overactive libido--he needed money and status to woo the girls. He also loved a challenge and the ego boost that came with playing important men. What's not disclosed in this highly engaging tale is that Abagnale was released from prison after five years on the condition that he help the government write fraud-prevention programs. So, if you're planning to pick up some tips from this highly detailed manifesto on paperhanging, be warned: this master has already foiled you. --Lesley Reed

Book Description

Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one.

Known by the police of twenty-six foreign countries and all fifty states as 'The Skywayman,' Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the lam -- until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as the nation's leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale was a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades, and ingenious escapes -- including one from an airplane -- make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit.

Performed by Michael Cerveris

Download Description

Here is the uproarious, bestselling true story of the world's most sought-after con man -- the basis for the DreamWorks feature film.

Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one.

Known by the police of twenty-six foreign countries and all fifty states as "The Skywayman," Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the lam -- until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as the nation's leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades, and ingenious escapes -- including one from an airplane -- make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit.

Customer Reviews:

great pulp especially for a short plane trip! .......2007-09-27

"The parental drive Frank wants from Carl feels less evident, missing the sensitive looks and words as played in the movie by Hanks and DiCaprio."

don't you realize how silly it is to complain that stuff happens in the movie(fictional) and not in the book (factual).

Fun.......2007-07-18

This is a fun book. Abagnale's intelligence and wit come through, though the writing is a bit stilted and the material quite dated. But Abagnale's ability to exploit appearances and to exploit the level of trust necessary for society to work is fascinating and very funny. Perhaps his most interesting con is his relationship with women. This is the ultimate con game, I'm afraid, and the book would have been far better had he explained his con in this regard and had he come to terms with it. Also, the book ends quite abruptly and is unsatisfying in explaining how Abagnale ultimately came to terms with himself.

When you do get caught make something of it .......2007-06-29

We sat in the second row as we listened to Abagnale recount his escapades as a con artist. His regret of his actions has led him to a life focused on preventing others from following his footsteps. That prevention includes his own consulting agency, training FBI agents, and lecturing us on identity theft. The serious moment of identity theft silenced the audience showing that Abagnale had earned respect. What Kyle and I took from that speech, besides some great antidotes on how to get money from an ATM machine, was a renewed concern about the protection of our own identity. Take note that both the book and the movie are media-hyped versions of the true story. This doesn't take anything from the read but it does make the reader ask questions of probability. I love the fact that Abagnale (Doesn't his name just roll off the tongue?) is still good friends with the FBI agent, Joseph Shea, whom helped to capture him.

May be the greatest imposter in history.......2007-05-12

Frank Abignale is one of the most original and interesting characters of the century. By the time he was old enough to vote, he had been an airline pilot, lawyer, doctor and womanizer of the first magnitude. Well written and hard to put down.

Great book.......2007-03-09

This was a very fascinating and fun read but entirely different than the movie which I thoroughly enjoyed as well. That's why I bought the book. I would say the movie is very loosely based on this book. I highly recommend both to anybody who likes fun and wants a good laugh.

The Bee Gees: Tales of the Brothers Gibb (Can Be Fun)

Average customer rating:

Boring
Tales of the Brothers Gibb
BOOK REVIEW
Not a real biography
A true homage!

The Bee Gees: Tales of the Brothers Gibb (Can Be Fun)
Melinda Bilyeu , Hector Cook , and Andrew Mon Hughes
Manufacturer: Omnibus Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0711979170

Book Description

Definitive portrait of The Bee Gees, from their Manchester beginnings through a 40 year career including 60's pop stardom and the legendary soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever.

Also chronicled are personal stories of triumph and tragedy, including the career slump, the divorces and the tragic death of Andy Gibb.

Customer Reviews:

Boring.......2007-03-14

I started this book 2 years ago and I still haven't finished it. Is there anything known about the brother's personalities? It certainly isn't in this book. How about their peak period? Did nothing exciting happen to them? The book is boring. This is not a biography, not even a discography.

Tales of the Brothers Gibb.......2007-01-16

This was a gift to my daughter, she said it was great.

BOOK REVIEW.......2007-01-10

THE BOOK WAS JUST WHAT IT PROMISED TO BE- A COMPREHENSIVE STORY ABOUT THE LIFE OF THE BEE GEES.

Not a real biography.......2005-12-03

A couple of fans pasted together their scrapbooks. The resulting collage is often concise and detailed in the wrong places. It contains heaps of superfluous information, which however can't disguise the fact that the authors haven't got a clue who they're writing about. After reading this, the Gibb brothers remain as big a mystery as they've always been - with the exception of Andy Gibb, whose truly tragic life story is adequately summarized.

A true homage!.......2004-05-11

After reading about Maurice Gibb passing, I picked this up as a casual read. I've never read so much deail about any group before. WHat an amazing life these guys led. I wish I had seen them in concert. I'll have to settle for the ONE NIGHT ONLY concert. Very interesting (if long) book.

Show Biz Tricks for Cats: 30 Fun and Easy Tricks You Can Teach Your Cat

Average customer rating:

Show Biz Tricks for Cats: 30 Fun and Easy Tricks You Can Teach Your Cat
Anne Gordon , and Steve Duno
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 1558506136

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY LIAR IN THE HISTORY OF FUN AND PROFIT.

Average customer rating:

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY LIAR IN THE HISTORY OF FUN AND PROFIT.

Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 186325272X

Average customer rating:

History Can Be Fun
Leaf M
Manufacturer: Harpercollins Juvenile Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: 0397301790

Average customer rating:

History can be fun
Munro Leaf
Manufacturer: Lippincott
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006ASH9K

Nature Works: Fun-to-Do Nature Projects for Younger Children (Show Me How I Can)

Average customer rating:

Nature Works: Fun-to-Do Nature Projects for Younger Children (Show Me How I Can)
Parker
Manufacturer: Lorenz Books Childrens
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0754800997

Book Description

For ages 3-7 and for older readers to use with the minimum supervision, and for younger children to enjoy with adult help.

Average customer rating:

U.S. history can be fun
Corinne Forsee
Manufacturer: J.W. Walch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006XBYXS

Average customer rating:

Ancient history can be fun
Ingrid E Stoops
Manufacturer: J. Weston Walch, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007H9IL8

Cemeteries can be fun;: A history of Choconut Lake Cemetery Association

Average customer rating:

Cemeteries can be fun;: A history of Choconut Lake Cemetery Association
John Mulford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Coverage

The best book yet on index funds

Good information.

Great Book on Index Funds

An excellent book by a investing expert

All About Index Funds (All About)
Richard A. Ferri
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Mutual Funds | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Stocks | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

All About Asset Allocation

Index Funds: The 12-Step Program for Active Investors

The Little Book of Common Sense Investing: The Only Way to Guarantee Your Fair Share of Stock Market Returns (Little Book Big Profits)

The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing

The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio

ASIN: 0071484922

Book Description

All The Tools and Techniques You Need to Invest Successfully in High-Yield, Low-Risk Index Funds

The updated Second Edition of Richard Ferri's bestselling All About Index Funds offers individual investors an easy-to-use guide for capitalizing on one of today's hottest investing areas_index funds. This wealth-building resource provides essential information on index funds; expert advice on how to start investing; and winning strategies for high returns with low risk.

The Second Edition of All About Index Funds features:

Updated tables, charts, and data on performance, fees, and new funds
Step-by-step guidance on active indexing and discussion of its expanding role
Coverage of all new U.S. equity indexes that have changed the dynamics of the index fund marketplace and a new chapter on commodities and commodity index funds
Vanguard's revision of the indexes it uses for benchmarking
Discussion of the increasing popularity of ETFs for effective asset allocation

Download Description

Index mutual funds routinely outperform 80 percent of managed funds, and more investors than ever are embracing index funds to eliminate the anxiety and expense of trying to "beat the market." All About Index Funds covers aspects including key benefits of index fund investing, how to create a custom index fund that suits specific investing needs, effective portfolio techniques and model portfolios, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Coverage.......2007-08-13

Takes the individual investor through the gambit on index funds, with solid information that is genuinely useful, whether you're investing in an IRA or a cash account. Will also help you in selecting the appropriate investments for your 401K. As with all minimally speculative investing, returns grow over time. If you're interested in high return, overnight strategies, this is not for you. Conversely, if you wish to follow Warren Buffet's advice (he strongly feels index funds are an ideal investment - especially for the individual), you should read this. I strongly recommend this to anyone who has 10+ years of investing - whether in a retirement plan or a taxable plan.

The best book yet on index funds.......2007-03-21

After reading most of the available books on index funds, and many of them give both the reasoning for, and the advantages of, investing in such funds, I believe this latest one is the best of the bunch. It provides not only the various powerful arguments for such investing, but also suggests specific portfolios of index funds for different classes of investors.

Although each investor has his or her own individual situation, which must be carefully analyzed before any investment plan is generated or changed, Ferri's book is a good guide toward making the best choices.

After studying the various investment choices available to the individual investor, I have concluded that unless the investor has some really specific and unique knowledge of any particular company, or possiby industry, investing in individual stocks or bonds can be highly speculative. Investing in mutual funds provides some degree of diversification, but most managed (not index) funds show a long term return which is significantly less than that of index funds, and those few managed funds that have "beaten the average" in the past, generally do not continue to do so. Moreover, the 1% or more of expense ratio of managed funds takes a really big bite over time when the compounding interest effect is taken into account.

Good information........2007-03-09

Could use some editing, for example, the front cover talks about EFTs when obviously they mean ETFs.

The information contained inside is solid though.

Great Book on Index Funds .......2006-01-03

Although I have been investing in and studying index mutual funds since 1990, I still learned a few things in this book.

I enjoyed Ferri's method of determining his client's risk tolerance. He puts his clients through one of our most recent Bear Markets, 1973-1974, and sees if they can stand the losses to their portfolio with a starting asset allocation. If they can't stand the losses, he adjusts the asset allocation to a lower risk allocation until they can stomach the losses.

I also enjoyed his explanation of Modern Portfolio Theory. His hypothetical example shows that a portfolio made up of stocks and bonds actually has a slightly higher return and slightly lower risk than you would expect using simple math.

Ferris is also willing to go out on a limb and predict returns for various asset classes and inflation for the next 30 years. He seems to agree with Buffett that stocks will deliver a nominal return of 8% versus the 70 year average of 11%. Of course Buffett predicted stock returns in the 1980's would be in single digits and the S&P returned a compounded nominal of 18%.

Ferri does a great job of explaining why index funds outperform actively managed funds over long periods of time.

All in all, it is a very informative book.

I would suggest companion books to supplement this book including The Richest Man in Babylon, Bogle on Mutual Funds, The Millionaire Next Door, The 4 Pillars of Investing, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Wealth of Experience: Real Investors on what Works and What Doesn't, Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Life and Beat the Pros, The Coffeehouse Investor, and the Armchair Millionaire.

An excellent book by a investing expert.......2005-11-20

Richard Ferri writes a great book on the use of index mutual funds. His advice for the investor is clear and concise. In the book he covers all of the important points that one needs to learn about building a portfolio of index mutual funds. You cannot go wrong following his advice.

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