Crack Books

This book is trash. This is just a printed version of textfiles.com that gives you all of the "lost" files for free. This is just a horrible book that takes advantage of people not using google first to find free information.

I think this book is equivalent to somebody filling up a bottle with tap water and selling it for 20 dollars as pure water found in the most secret places.

this book is culled from sources across the internet, almost all of the information is freely available somewhere. in most cases the author has not even bothered to change the filenames or unique file extensions. the book itself is barely an index of the cd-rom, with the first paragraph of a file serving as a description. there is some (un)original writing done by the author himself, comprising a miniscule amount of the actual text. if you would like to learn what these files are actually about, you would be much better served by going to the sites they were taken from

The widespread availability of computers and access to telephone and Internet technologies has contributed to the sharp rise in the number of people going online over the years. Unfortunately, many of these people found their way online through less-than-honest means, and once online, they would set out to perform a great deal of mischief and damage to various computers and computer information systems.

Hack Attacks Encyclopedia edited by John Chirillo serves as the ultimate source for collected information on the history of hacking, cracking, and phreaking. The book features nearly 2,000 text and HTML document extracts that includes news articles, online postings, and other snippets of insightful information. Some of the accounts are startling. Readers will quickly pick up just how clever some hackers, crackers, and phreakers really are. The following snippet exemplifies available talent in Northern America:

"Silver Spy has everything going for him - comfortable surroundings, a father who is an engineer. He ranks in the top 3 percent of his high-school class. His SAT scores for college admission totaled 1,400 of a possible 1,600. He wants to attend Stanford or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But in the eyes of the phone companies he is a thief, and in the eyes of the law he's a criminal. Such is the portrait of this 17-year-old computer "hacker" and "phone phreaker" who lives about 20 miles outside Boston. He spoke with U.S. News & World report on the condition that neither his real name nor home town be revealed."

The Hack Attack Encyclopedia is broken up into major sections by decade - the 70's, the 80's, the 90's, the Millennium, and a special historical synopsis. From beginning to end, readers will be able to follow the history of mischievous behavior. It will be an eye-opening experience for anyone to follow the advancements made in communications technologies and how they can be easily circumvented and otherwise compromised to carryout further activities. Although some of the technologies disclosed in the book are outdated and have been replaced, readers will still gain helpful insight of the mindset of hackers, crackers, and phreakers operating today. They are a force to be taken very seriously.

An extensive 217-page glossary of terms will enlighten readers about the slang talk used in the hacking, cracking, and phreaking communities. As a special bonus, the CD accompanying the book features full-length editions of the article and snippet extracts included in the book, hundreds of computing and Internet exploits, and a sampling of useful utility programs.

Hacking, cracking, phreaking, and virus infection still poses problems for many people today. This book will open the eyes of many people - including business people, IT managers, and law enforcement officials. It will serve as an excellent starting point for taking necessary corrective action to prevent further mischief and harm caused to personal and company computer systems. I can't wait to see an updated edition. Highly recommended reading.

this book is culled from sources across the internet, almost all of the information is freely available somewhere. in most cases the author has not even bothered to change the filenames or unique file extensions. the book itself is barely an index of the cd-rom, with the first paragraph of a file serving as a description. there is some (un)original writing done by the author himself, comprising a miniscule amount of the actual text. if you would like to learn what these files are actually about, you would be much better served by going to the sites they were taken from

The book looks damned impressive from the outside; it's 960 pages! Surely, this must be the most complete discussion of the hacking and phreaking subculture ever published! The cover, a sunset-colored affair with barbed wire and neat lettering, tells you it'll have a more up-to-date sensibility. Everything said this would be my next purchase.

My heart sank as I read through the book.

The vast, vast, VAST (over two-thirds) majority of the book consists of the first paragraph of BBS textfiles, with a line telling you the filename included on the CD that comes with the book. In some cases, Chirillo deigns to visit upon you a single-line description, but many don't even have that. So now, imagine this: page after page of filenames, then descriptions, then the first paragraph, of files located on a CD that's in the back of a book. What a horrible waste! There's a computer "glossary" in the back which looks suspiciously like similar documents available on the web, although I can't be sure. Also, there are a few tiny chapters giving general descriptions of the hacker and phreaking subculture. If you were to remove the filenames and descriptions and paragraphs, I doubt this book could get past 100 pages, if that.

I notice that nearly all of the other reviews of this book are written by individuals who have not reviewed any other books. That suggests to me that these are mostly "promotional" reviews written by acquaintances of the author. That isn't necessarily a negative about the book, just that the reviews aren't really objective.

I'm not quite sure how I ended up reading this book, but I did enjoy it in spite of some serious drawbacks. Based on its literary merit alone, it probably deserves more like three stars rather than the four I gave it, but it is just too good-hearted to get overly critical about. It is better than a lot of other "comtemporary chick lit" out there these days, though it fits squarely in that genre.

The author seems to be making some effort to keep her feminist biases under control -- there is no really "evil" male character, only clueless. As she puts it, men "think with their dicks and unfortunately their dicks aren't very smart". The male lead Alex is extremely capable when it comes to making money, but clueless in his personal affairs. He relies entirely on women to help him navigate his personal life. Women are the exclusive voices of wisdom, especially his sister Joan. Alex is basically good-hearted, whereas Joan is good-hearted nearly to the point of saintliness.

Fiona is charming in her innocence and purity. That she is also really, really pretty in a natural and unself-conscious way adds nicely to the plot line. She stands in vivid contrast to her Los Angeles schoolmates who are perfect stereotypes of contemporary teen decadence. Unfortunately, stereotypes are all too pervasive in this book. These include Alex, his girlfriend Mandy, and nearly everyone in the Los Angeles scene except Joan (who is also something of a stereotype, though a different one from the other Los Angeles characters). These characters all have a hard time breaking through their stereotypical images to come to life.

But our "politically correct" (or is it "culturally correct"?) author isn't too hard on anyone. Though girlfriend Mandy is not intended to be a sympathetic character, she is given plenty of excuses (dysfunctional family) for being a pretty but petty, superficial, scheming, manipulative, new-age twit. In the end one is meant to feel sorry for her more than dislike her.

I actually liked Mandy a lot because through her we get a humorous but exactly right-on picture of how it is that women, all women, know what's up with the dynamics of male-female relationships, regardless of personal motivation. Joan, with entirely different motives, also knows the score with infallible feminine intuition. Only Alex is in the dark, as usual.

I would have expected a little more life-wisdom to be embedded in a novel by Catherine Ingram, but while light in that department, this book does peripherally touch upon some thought-provoking themes, including death and loss. The characters are all impacted by dramatic events, but their responses are mostly in the realm of modifying their life situations (in generally benign and positive ways) rather than in deeply coming to grips with the fundamental dilemmas of life itself.

But for all its superficiality, this book was nevertheless quite charming and engaging and I don't regret the time I spent to read it. Though I comment on the book's weaknesses, I did give it four stars and I am passing the book on to a friend who likes chick lit. I think she'll like it.

My book club loved this book! It's sweet and well written. I read it in one sitting. The story line is engrossing, it's also inspirational, although not in a didactic, boring way. We became invested in the characters, their interactions and the final satisfying resolution of the plot. There's also some humor in its spoofing of yoga and "new age stuff," which, as a yoga teacher, I relished.

I am in the middle of reading this most INCREDIBLE novel - almost halfway through it. Truly the best I've ever read. Well crafted, riveting, cliff-hanging, and just about PERFECT in every way. Bravo, Catherine! She's really done it. Man, can she flesh out a story. And oh my God, how she captures the essence of every character and describes every scene so beautifully. You should have seen me wiping the tears from my eyes as I had to close the book quickly to get off at my subway stop. Everybody was looking at me weeping on the train!

So, needless to say, I'm really LOVING this book and want to cheer Catherine on to write more, and MORE. Thank you for this, Catherine.

This book is a delight to read. I didn't want to put it down, not only because the characters, their connections and the events in their lives moved along in a most compelling and engaging manner, but more because Catherine Ingram's wide objective and compassionate view of her characters and the world in general is
a world I loved being submerged in. Nuanced human characters in cinematic scenes are painted in clear concise language reminiscent of Hemingway's spare style, but with feminine insight. Ingram delves into the everyday texture of her characters' lives and reveals their incremental transformations. I think I breathe more fully having read this book.

A Crack in Everything features a swiftly moving plot combined with deft descriptions of its characters and their emotional worlds. Ingram succeeds in stirring deep feelings yet never allows the narrative to flag. I was always curious about what would happen next, and while the author sometimes surprised, she never disappointed.

The novel spans the globe from rural Ireland to fast-paced LA and even to Asia. Its emotional geography ranges from the heartbreak of loss and estrangement to the joy of returning to one's true home. Ingram paints emotional states with a few deft strokes and seamlessly blends them into her compelling plot.

We follow the young child violin prodigy Fiona as she is uprooted from Ireland and cast into the fast moving and shallow world of Hollywood. She is the offspring of a brief affair in India years ago, and her surprising entry into her father's life prompts him to reassess his life. She meanwhile, buffeted by loss, finds her own ground to stand on in the shifting social sands of Los Angeles.

To save the reader the plots many surprises I won't say more, other than to say you won't regret buying this book! It carries you along like a good beach novel, but has a resonance that echoes long after the last page is turned.

I first started this book when my mom read it to me when I was very young.
Now it is one of my favorites. It is hillarious, exiting, and touching all at the same time. If you want a book to read to your kids this is it!

My son recommended this to me, when I had complained that I wanted a book that was cheerful. The first chapter was definitely the best of all, and it is what kept me reading through the rest of the book, which was also good.

I've read this book at least two dozen times. I read it once for myself, and each year I read it to my new batch of 7th graders. Everyone loves it. (There are a few parts I don't read to my students.) Every time I pick it up, I fall in love with the characters and am so glad to be part of their lives again! It's funny and sad and is so amazingly real. One year my students wrote Mr. Davis, and he replied. Mr. Davis and I corresponded back and forth for a few letters, and he was seemed like a great guy.

These stories get played on every long car ride our family makes, and all of us (from the first grader on up) are rapt. Davis uses his gentle voice and sly humor to paint unforgettable portraits of beloved relatives, local eccentrics, and lost friends. The stories are fresh and moving each time we hear them; in fact, the repeated listenings increase our appreciation for the mastery of Davis' telling.

This is family entertainment of the highest order.

I don't think anyone can listen to Donald Davis tell his Different Drummer story and not be touched by it. Just it alone is worth the price of the set of cassettes. You also get to hear LSMFT (yes, that's the title of the story), which has a nearly perfect ending. Each is a story so good that you wish you could forget it, so that you'd have the pleasure of listening to it again for the first time.

Looking through some old books in my Attic, I happened upon this novel; first released back in 1995.It chronicles the down-ward spiral of a young Man with hopes an dreams, into a never ending slide towards his worse nightmare, a walking, Zombie. This is a harrowing depressing read, which I've often thought would make a great movie. It written in a very matter of fact way (Mr. Snell is an actor by profession, and it tells) but once you get used to his style, the novel opens up to you. Harrowing.

I read this book about four years ago and still think that it is the best book I have ever read, and I still cannot get the story out of my mind i think it is one of the most compelling and real novels I have ever come accross and feel that it should be re-released to show people exactly what it is like to be in a situation like the character in the book.

Well done to Ray Shell!

Het verteld een verhaal van een drugs verslaafde persoon.
Het verhaal is ten einde als je het boek begint te lezen, Cornelius (en niet de schrijver!) neemt je mee naar zijn wereld, zijn gedachte zijn parionide wereld. Heel erg vlak geschreven, heel erg simpel, maar o zo puur naar voren gebracht. Het item drugs speelt een rode draad in het boek.
Hij beschrijft zijn wereld in fases, periodes, van die heel goed gingen en die hel waren.
Het einde van het boek is een beetje zwak, maar dat moet je op de kop toenemen. Want het is de moeite waard om het te lezen en te BELEVEN!

This was a good book. Change your life good? Not mines. It's about a crackhead and you see things how he see and feel thing. You really have to get use to the writing style because some may call it artistic but for me it was mumble jumble. As you get into the book it become more coherent. It's always amazing the roads people choose to walk and what can be at the end of it. After wading through the mind of someone so grimy you actually look at your self and realize that could easily be you. As in life not all things are what they appear and this book is a prime example. This book also spoke a lot of truth concerning black people and why they not as together as they should.

I read the book a few times, because it really got to me. Out of own experiences with drugs I know that it is so authentic and it describes exactly how the selfdeceiving and -destruction works. And the pain you have inside and you can just not deal with. I never read somebody which came so close.

I saw friends going the way Cornelius did over the years and the book is very close to reality (besides the extreme ending) and that is why it touched me deep. It describes the life of a junkie how it is without that "social" touch.

Considering the biography of the author, it can hardly be his own experience and I keep wondering how he got this inside.

The only prerequisite for reading "Cracks" is a sense of humor.
Besides laughing out loud and irritating the surrounding company you will be presented for many a philosophical truth. As Maxie says, "Keep your sh-t together. You win a few, you lose a few." Ain't it the truth!? What's the fuss about Ginger? The true heroine of this story is old Auntie Maxie. This stoic 93 year old maiden carries the book to higher levels. Topics ranging from the soil under our feet to human demise are elucidated from a totally slanted angel with an eloquence firing the reader joyously from one page to the next.
Buy it, read it. You too will cry out for more.

Cracks in the Foundation had me cracking up every page. The cast of characters that Erica Ferencik has come up with kept me laughing out loud on the commuter train earning me a few glares from those that wanted piece and quiet on their train ride home. I highly recommend this book for anyone that could use some laughter in their life, including some of my fellow train commuters. This book certainly delivers.

I could not stop reading *Cracks in the Foundation*. Ginger is classic, but Ferencik engages the reader with all her characters. They almost feel familiar as Ginger bumbles into and around them. Ginger can't help herself in so many ways - to another glass of zinf, letting people know what is on her mind and busting out with yet another one of her zany ideas. Every time she was about to create a serious problem with an impulsive decision, I found myself cheering her on. Her conviction is infectious. As I got to the end, I found myself doing some remote parenting while reading next to a playground and then sitting on a bench in a really interesting museum with my nose stuffed in the book. I just had to find out what happened next. This is one entertaining read!

Having been through the process of real estate (i.e. strong-armed real estate agents, the suburbs and building a home!) very recently, I simply adored this novel. It made me laugh out loud, but not only that, I felt compassion for super duper real estate agent, Ginger Kanadoo, because although she's, shall we say, dedicated to her work and goals, she's also a good person and I felt for her plight. I think this novel is a great read and you should buy it. You'll love it. Erica Ferencik is just as funny as Susan Issacs! :)

This is just about the most hilarious book I have ever read. From the minute I met her, I was in love with Ginger, for whom nothing in life goes right. Who can't identify with a character so passionate and yet so thwarted at every turn? Throw in a ghost, a crazed daughter, lots of wine, some outhouses and a bunch of wet-your-pants funny real estate scenes and you've got "Cracks in the Foundation."

I don't read humorous books that often but I picked this one up on a whim. If you know someone who could use a laugh, buy this book now! If you know a self-important real estate agent, send it to them and they'll see the light! The social satire is biting, too. What a breath of fresh air!

This is a heartfelt, heartwarming family saga of an immigrant Japanese American family and their struggle to survive despite war, racism, poverty, farming misfortunes, and many obstacles that would have defeated the toughest among us. It is a story of hope, devotion, love, faith, endurance and steadfastness against staggering circumstances that the World War II era had to offer new Japanese immigrants as well as native born Nisei Japanese Americans. While the protagonists are a Japanese family, their story has many commonalities that will resonate with any family that came with little and struggled to achieve the American dream. Everyone alive could only hope to have as remarkable a family as the Sato clan. Congratulations Kiyo on telling your story so well.

It was a great read. Both poignant and humorous at times. Personally knowing the family made it even more enjoyable. My reading group is now involved in reading it and more are asking to read. One of the group has purchased a copy for herself to keep. There were several issues of which I was not aware. Knowing the area, I could picture all that happened.

I am a caucasian American of German descent who grew up on the east coast in the 60's. I had heard, vaguely, about the internment of Japanese citizens during WWII, and I was always a bit curious about it, but it's not as if my own history brought me to this book predisposed to hang on its every word. Yet hang on every word I did; I was desperately short of sleep three nights in a row because I read until my eyes closed. I would love to make this required reading for all citizens, especially in our current time of mistrust against Middle Eastern immigrants. Not only did I love the family Ms. Sato described, I loved their farm, their trees, their dogs. I felt very strongly her family's hopes and bewilderment, and I rooted hard for their triumphs. She writes in a very poetic voice, and it creates out of her family's story a sort of literary flower, individual, delicate and beautiful. Don't miss this book.

I've finished "Dandelion through the Crack." It is a book that should be ready by everyone. I especially became personally inthralled because I lived in the area she spoke of 25 years ago. This book really should be required reading for history. I wasn't born and didn't live in CA during the interment but as an older adult I had become aware of our country's paranoia and the shameful thing they did. In her straightforward yet eloquent style she so clearly describes her family and their circumstances. And yet she does not dwell on the negative. In its reading I was able to appreciate the hard work, love of family, and quiet dignity with which they are noted.

Readers might expect a book about being banished to an internment camp to be depressing, but Dandelion is not the story you would expect. First and foremost, it's a heartwarming story about an American immigrant family's daily life on the family farm in Sacramento.

Here you have the young man, Shinji Sato, coming to America with nothing, working as a farm laborer to make a living and save for the future. After a few years, he returns home to marry, and realizes America is his new home. Together, he and his new bride, Tomomi, return to California to farm and raise a family. Against great challenges and prejudice, they manage to lease and then buy a farm, build a home, and raise award-winning strawberries and grapes, as well as other crops.

Kiyo is the eldest child of this struggling young family, and her portrait of their family life is intimate and touching. She describes the hard work in the fields, playing on the farm, the family baths in an enormous hot tub, daily meals and holiday dinners prepared together, school days in a one-room schoolhouse, church life and neighbors, and her dad's wonderful stories and haiku poetry which the children could not get enough of.

Into the middle of this sweet, idyllic family life and a now thriving farm, World War II intrudes. The family is forced to give up everything for the duration of the war and live in an arid, dusty concentration camp in Arizona. Yet even in this, these Japanese-Americans survived and transformed the desert into a garden and their prison camp into a town and the semblance of a home.

The return to their homes and farms after the war brought many heartbreaks and struggles as families like Kiyo's had to start over again. Many had lost everything, yet in true American fashion, they were indomitable in spirit and managed to struggle back and rebuild their homes and their places in the community.

Kiyo Sato's book is destined to become a classic. As the cliche goes, I laughed and I cried when I read it because in presenting such an intimate portrait, Kiyo makes the reader feel like a member of the family. Their struggles, their losses, their joys, and their successes seem almost as though they are our own. Their story is unique to their situation, yet it is also the timeless story of a typical American family, the story of modern-day American pioneers.

Don't miss this book. It's a book you will remember for a lifetime.

I am a professor of finance at the University of Puerto Rico. Timothy's book was recommended to me by Professor Steve Mann at the University of South Carolina, where I obtained my Ph.D. in finance, as "simply the best book out there on option pricing." What I found when I assigned the book in my MBA class on Futures and Options is that the students all remarked at how incredibly understandable and thorough the book is even though it is clearly useful at the doctoral level as well. This is certainly what I would expect from an MIT Ph.D. where its nearly impossible to get accepted into the doctoral finance program and even harder to get out!

If you really want to understand option pricing get this book...there simply isn't anything else like it out there on the market!

I like the text because it gives many aspects of the Black-Scholes model that I have not found elsewhere. One may feel that Black-Scholes is an "old" model, but it is the genesis of option pricing and understanding its intuition is the key to understanding more complex models. In addition, the text is very readable, but I think even more satisfying if the reader already has some options background.

Tremendously valuable book for its selection and excellent treatment of many rarely addressed aspects of financial derivatives and the care with which intuition for these aspects is developed.

Financial mathematics exists at the intersection of many different fields, yielding many possible perspectives from which to teach and learn about this discipline. Many of these perspectives bog down in the rigor of their respective fields. Such approaches render it difficult to absorb and apply core concepts without spending a great deal of time in first learning topics such as advanced probability theory and stochastic calculus.

Dr. Crack's approach seems to be to develop the intuition as a framework for understanding further advanced study, should it be warranted by the reader. At the same time, he includes many aspects of the underlying science to help bridge the gap between the academic world and the world of trading.

For example, his derivation of the solution to the Black-Scholes equation and subsequent analysis of the components of the solution leaves the reader fully prepared to quickly and intelligently grasp the impact of changes in assumptions. This is in contrast to many treatments that seem to stop at the solution, leaving the reader feeling as though the Black-Scholes solution is simply a black-box with no intuitive connection to the real world.

Crack's two books, Basic Black-Scholes and Heard On The Street,
are masterpieces of condensed ,focused instruction for those who need to know. There is also an atmosphere of scintillating competence projected on the reader. Some of the anecdotes in Heard On The Street are hilarious; add to this the requirement that you must keep your wits about you at all times when reading
these primers and overall you get a feeling of a happy learning experience. Remarkable.

I was generally familiar with options pricing and read this book after the Hull's book on derivatives. I felt that this text definitely provided a lot of good intuition and different perspectives that I have not see anywhere else.

This text helped me systemize my knowledge of options and develop a more intuitive feel for their behavior. Definitely, a good addition to the classics on option pricing.

tao lin's bed is prolific in a way that separates him from the traditional style of today's modern contemporary authors. his loosely structured almost stream of conscious syntax and innovative diction emphasize the jaded apathy of his generation, characters who have at young ages resigned all hope of finding passion, and seem to exist only in the perpetual motion of living. they are accepting but child-like and seeking consolation in the seemingly insignificant, barren corners of insipid daily routine. with just the right balance of sardonic humor, numbness, and melancholy, tao lin's bed speaks to the beginning of a new literary movement.

Bed is NOT a hospital bed, it is much much more than that. The goal it has tried to achieved is the usefullness of an adjustable bed coupled with the luxury of a top quality mattress. Bed is powered using the latest in German technology. What this means is Bed is very quiet when adjusting to it. Bed can be adjusted to for any number of purposes, I suppose people with medical conditions are in mind, but that said Bed would be ideal if you like to use your laptop in bed. Bed features two seperately adjustable single mattresses combined into one frame. This means you can adjust to Bed in one position while your partner can have it in another.

I feel like a jerk for being surprised that such a young writer could do what Tao Lin does. The beginnings of the stories in Bed make me feel like I am an ant being picked up and dropped in a swimming pool in New Jersey. The middles and ends of the stories in Bed make me feel like I am an ant not quite dying for some reason, in a swimming pool in New Jersey, hearing muzak being piped in from underwater speakers. They are all slightly different from one another. They are all good.

I was looking for the garden, but I guess since I am here I will tell you about this book. This book is unbridled imagination. If imagination were a horse, this book would be a pretty white horse in the middle of Mall of America, shy and blushing a little, alone and unable to handle the existential anxiety of free will. The horse would headbutt a Jamba Juice stand, then apologize, then accidentally do something beautiful, then listen to sarcastic punk music (almost like that Vandals song, People Who Are Going to Hell) until the horse's brain is a calm white sphere with red dots.

I heard there were tomatoes in the garden. Where is the garden? Thank you.

i enjoyed this book. buy this book as a present for another person or yourself. buy it, do it, do it. you will feel good and surprised, maybe, to have it arrive in the mail. to feel really good you ought to buy it from an independent publisher because then you'll help decrease suffering, i think. this book makes me want to be nice to everyone, especially people who i think i don't like, which is silly because not liking other people is like not liking yourself, which is also possible but self-defeatist, um why does not being self-defeatist matter, uh i feel confused right now.

For people unfamiliar with the myth of the middle-class being able to manage a one house, 2 car, 2.5 kid, 2 income life, this 2004 book is a great choice. However, this is old news. Written by a sociologist and a phycologist, this reads like a great 30 page research paper that has been stretched into a 200 page book (and 100 pages of footnotes and index). The writers give a great overview, but focus almost entirely on the middle-class problems and the rude awakening that many are having since the middle-class women of the 1950s have begun entering the work force. Slim discussion on single parent households and even slimmer discussion on low-income families (especially women), who have been facing a crisis for at least 100 years longer.

(Spoiler) The idea is basically that middle-class women of the 1950s provided a vital support for their bread winner husbands and nurtured the children (discussion about single women is lacking). With the 1970s allowing women to enter the workforce, the cracks have been appearing due to the stresses on family/work life with many middle-class women now being forced to do 2 jobs without adequte pay for either and with men not barring their fair share. Combine it less assurance of life-time employment, benefits, and pensions, and you get the cracks in the American Dream. Well, that's just great. Any original solutions? What about low-income women who have been out in the workforce for much longer? What about single women? The authors muse on how great universal flex time, paid maternity leaves without risk of layoffs or geopardizing promotions, and government support would be. However, they don't really come up with any original or unique solutions to the problem. They just say that something has got to change or we'll be in trouble. They label many corporate initiatives such as low cost day care as being really pro-work (since parents are able to stay at work longer) but don't provide any better solutions. Leaving it up to others. An economic perspective would have helped. Overall, a good summary, but severely lacking.

Researchers, students, and "just plain folk" alike have much to gain from this exploration of a topic that has relevance to virtually everyone. This approchable yet thorough discussion will help crystallize the impediments to leading a balanced life, and also point the way to possible solutions. Buy this book!

As a college student, I was writing a paper for Social Psych on gender roles and how their impact upon society. While researching, I stumbled upon this book, which proved to be both the most valuable statistically and an actually interesting read. Roehling and Moen well document not just gender role differences, but also the myth that hard work, long hours, and continuous employment pay off in the 21st century. The Career Mystique has made me realize that traditional beliefs are standing in the way of creating a new, alternative workplace and career flexibilities.

A marvelous job by Roehling and Moen, and I bestow my highest regards upon them for tackling such a complex, yet pertinent societal issue.

This book well documents the realities of an out-of-date, false myth about working hard and achieving the american dream. Moen and Roehling provide detailed accounts of men and women struggling to stay afloat in their jobs, in their relationships, and in their daily lives. This book provides great insight into the mismatch between what we all believe we can achieve and the lockstep life course that we complacently follow.

I'm a sociology undergrad and was asked to read this book. While many sociology books that I've read are dry and difficult to get through, The Career Mystique is straightforward, with clear and easy-to-understand examples. More than that, this book forced me to look beyond the relative ease of the predicted, calculated, college life to what lerks beyond, namly trying to balance a career and a family. I think The Career Mystique clearly explains a problem that has been lurking within American society for the past few decades but until now remained unnamed. This is a must-read for anyone who will try to balance family life and a dual-earner relationship.

Charles Scheffel joined the army at the outbreak of World War Two knowing he wanted to be in the fight. When presented with a more academic line of military service he declined knowing full well he would become an officer in the infantry. This is his story.

Basden's book does a fantastic job of describing the initial campaign against the Germans in North Africa. In fact, it's one of only a few books I know that deals with North Africa at all. It also covers Scheffel's efforts in Sicily, and Normandy. Of particular interest are his actions involving Operation Cobra, close air support, acting as a forward observer, and the Falaise Gap.

There are plenty of serious moments found in this book. His descriptions of close artillery support are particularly brutal. But a few light hearted moments too. I particularly enjoyed reading about how the Army faced with "battle causalities" combated the STD issue in Africa.

Crack and thump is a classic account of an infantry officer in World War Two. It reminds me of Company Commander by Charles B. MacDonald and If You Survive by George Wilson. It is very well written and easy to read. This book is a real joy to have in a collection and a first rate example of command at a company level.

Don't let this one go by.

Crack! and Thump With a Combat Infantry Officer in World War II is a stark memoir of an American combat infantry officer surviving the terror, fatigue and strain of the European Theater of World War II. From brutal battles under fire to the liberation of France, witnessing French revenge on those of its own people who collaborated with the Nazis, and having to take cold-blooded killers prisoner while their victims called for their immediate execution, and much more, Crack! and Thump brings the war experience to unforgettable life. A bluntly honest account, neither glorifying nor undermining America's role in turning back a horrific worldwide threat, and a welcome addition to military memoir shelves.

I had the privilege of meeting Cpt. Scheffel at the 61st reunion for the 9th Infantry Division. Cpt. Scheffel brought with him some "teaser" pages of the book and lucky for me, he gave me a few chapters to sample. I could not put them down and then could not wait for the book to be published. When I finally got my copy, I could not put it down. It was not your typical war book in that it told the truth, what he and his men were really feeling. I felt as though I was there with him and his men. After reading it, I called my grandfather, who served under Cpt. Scheffel, to thank him again for the sacrifices they made. Then I called Cpt. Scheffel to thank him for sharing his story with the world.

Charlie's combat experience becomes as real for the reader as it was for the combat soldier so long ago. Basden's love of history, and Charlie's desire to share his experience, paints a unique look at how war impacted one man and affected his life forever.

The book is truthful and graphic. Charlie doesn't view the war or himself through rose colored glasses. He remains critical of choices he made, sharing shame along with the moments of which he is most proud.

You'll feel like a photographer following Charlie along the frontlines. Basden makes sure you hear the flies, taste the grit, and smell fear mingled with the compassion, generosity and strength of Charlie and his men.

This is a book about the strength of the human spirit as much as about war, maybe more so. Well worth the read.

Tom Brokaw told us people like Charles Scheffel were members of the "Greatest Generation," and, when you read this story of the young man who worked his way out of the Depression and through college, you'll understand why. Barry Basden has done historians a huge favor in his effort to tell Charlie's story of fighting through North Africa, Sicily, and Europe as an infantry officer. This isn't Hollywood. This is cold, mud, rain, dirt, monotony, confusion, blood, death, and all the other things that turn war into hell ... that caught up the men and women born in the first quarter of the 20th Century and forced them into a global war to preserve democracy and human liberty. Read this book, but don't expect glamor. Expect to learn the truth, and then say a prayer of thanks.