Influenza Books

I was captivated by this entertaining tale. I immediately found the SecutrityCheck team as a combination of the "A-Team" and the original "Mission Impossible" team. Gary Nesbitt and John Mason own the company. The characters are like the A-Team, but they approach situations as the MI team would have. John has 'a love affair ' with his gadgets, Rose is the computer hacker, bar-none, and Dan is in cahrge of technical support. The most entertaining and captivating character is 'Sully'. Sully is a Hollywood stuntman who is3/4 Mexican and 1/4 Irish. He can drive ANYTHING!! Read about how the team with Sully's driving ability 'pinch' an Abrams tank from Ft. Knox, KY.

This team is the only one which could eventually contain the plague and expose the terrorists. There are scenes where you hope that the terrorists are caught especially when the plague nearly wipes out the scientists and soldiers in Alaska. The author describes the effects of the virus after it has hold in one's body. If you have a queesy stomasch, gloss over these parts.

Why can't Holloywood have movies and ty programs that are as entertaining and well-written as this book is? Frank Simon has been added to my list of excellent authors of recently published mysteries: Wanda Dyson, James Pence, and Snaden, to name a few.

Frank Simon writes a great story that holds your attention from start to finish. His characters are detailed and complex, and he deals with topics that could be straight from today's headlines. Mr. Simon's stories are blessedly shorter than Tom Clancy's, but he writes as good a techno-thriller as Clancy (and without the vulgar language). Mr. Simon's other books are available on Amazon: Veiled Threats, Walls of Terror, Trial by Fire, The Y2K Bug, The Raptor Virus, The Gathering Storm, The Third Dragon, and The Jewel in the Crown. Check them out!

This book focuses on Florentine fashion c1540-1580 during the period when Eleonora of Toledo was Duchess of the city. Its inspiration is obviously the iconic portrait of her and her son Giovanni painted by Bronzino in 1545.

The book is full of rare gorgeous colour illustrations on high quality art paper. It starts out with a biography of Eleonara and then discusses her style. Then the book discusses individual garments she is known to have owned and surviving examples, including an extraordinary red velvet gown in the Pisa Mueso di Plazzo Reale. The book rounds off with a list of the garments recorded in Elenora's wardrobe accounts.

This book, published in both Italian and English, should be on the shopping list for anyone interested in Renaissance costume. Its one of those books you pick up and go "wow" and it's a visual feast on the eyes that is fully illustrated in colour.

The Cultural World of Eleonora di Toledo: Duchess of Florence and Siena

Bronzino's Chapel of Eleonora in the Palazzo Vecchio (California Studies in the History of Art)

Patterns of Fashion: The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women C1560-1620

There is very little written about Florentine fashion from the 16th Century. This book fills that gap admirably. It has gorgeous color pictures, many of which are published here for the first time. With full descriptions and a glossary of terms make this the perfect book for historians and lovers of historical costume alike. The text is in English and Italian (side-by-side on the same page) so it is easy to see the Italian terms and how they translate into English.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I am delighted to see Amazon carries it!

The Silk Scarf covers a tumultuous time in our nation's history: entering World War I, the prejudicial treatment of Americans of German ancestry, factory strikes and Women's suffrage. This is the backdrop for a moving story of two generations of the Hoffman family that spans twelve years. The differences between cultures, social mores and expectations of men and women in Bayonne, New Jersey provide tension and growth as the elder Hoffmans survive strikes at the silk mill while the younger Hoffmans establish their own families and place in post World War I America.

I strongly recommend The Silk Scarf to readers with interests in American history, the Americanization of German immigrants, and the effect of social and political influences from this time period on family life. Sandy Schauer writes convincingly and knowlegibly about this historical period and her characters are portrayed with warmth and introspection.

I'm glad I've made The Silk Scarf part of my home library.

Karen E. Glinski

Kind of like an old James Stewart movie, this book is written with style and good manners. The story-line follows a family of German immigrants who are employed in a silk mill in the postcard lovely town of Bayonne, New Jersey. With each page you feel like you've entered their lives and are working alongside them, drinking coffee in their small kitchens and worrying with them about all the events that headlined the households (and newspapers) of most Americans during that era. It is a gem and highly recommended. More good historical fiction: The Steinbeck Centennial Collection: The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, East of Eden, The Pearl, Cannery Row, Travels With Charley, In Search of America (Boxed Set)

I am not sure how I picked out this book, but I couldn't put it down. I learned about our Germans, American prairie life and technology, or lack thereof. I had some good laughs - the group's solution for the tall, incompetent worker comes to mind. I also felt great sorrow. You know, that is this book's strength - it inspires feelings. I came out of each short story with a strong emotion - happiness, sorrow, curiosity, sated...

This author has deeply researced his subject matter. The historical facts are reliable and the read flows effortlessly. I recomnend this book without reservation.

Not only does this book outline the ways in which you can protect yourself in the event of pandemic illness it gives us good information about staying healthy and avoiding illness in general. The information about vitamins, health supplements, and healthy lifestyle practices is great to have. Who doesn't need that information right?

Some other great topics discussed where: the people who will be hit the hardest by Bird Flu, 10 simple things you can do, how to survive if the Bird Flu hits, medical care and home remedies if conventional medicine is not available, and food storage and cooking tips. I was delighted to see that many of the survival skills recommended for us to learn were ones that I already have courtesy of my natural family living lifestyle.

I really enjoyed this book. It is now totally dog eared where I have marked pages with important information or sources that I want to explore further. This is one book that a health conscience person should not be without...especially if you are concerned with pandemic illness like the Bird Flu!

After recovering from cancer, author Brendanne C. Phillips took what she learned about taking control of her own health and applied it to the bird flu. She explains the bird flu and how it can spread, but most importantly, she lists steps families can take to protect themselves from the pandemic. One helpful chapter includes a list of 10 things people can do now to protect themselves. Most of these steps concern a healthy lifestyle, but some of them, such as which foods to stock, would be helpful in any kind of an emergency.

Bird flu has not yet struck the United States, but many experts think this disease will be a serious threat in the not-too-distant future. Some may scoff, but I think the author is ahead of her time. Her helpful advice really comes down to one thing: The government and the medical community will be overwhelmed by this pandemic, and we cannot count on them to protect us. We must be prepared to take care of ourselves.

The invisible killer. We've all seen the media frenzy over the latest deadly outbreaks: SARs, Avian flu.... We've all been gripped with fear as they sensationalize the story, only to have it disappear soon after; leaving us to wonder if this was just another scare story. Yet history is riddled with stories of deadly plagues and killer viruses ravaging populations and wiping out civilizations. What makes us think that it could not happen again?

Sam North's latest novel is not a work of Science Fiction. It's not even a work of fiction. It is potential fact!

Set in Vancouver, this is the tale of a world ravaged by a mutated version of the avian flu virus. People are dropping dead in the thousands, society has broken down and anarchy is slowly ensuing. In the midst of all this turmoil are three sets of characters, Fen and her dog Red who, along with her family, flee to a remote island in an attempt to wait out the epidemic. Arno flies from Toronto to Vancouver to find Rachel, the woman he loves, and together they try to outrun the virus. Finally there's Deka, a cab driver whose good friend Dr Borov somehow helps them both to survive the virus with his own medicinal cocktail. The so-called experts have failed to develop an effective vaccine and now most of these experts are also dead. People are afraid of people. No-one knows who to trust. The government are no longer able to protect you. The economy is all but destroyed. The world seems doomed.

Yet out of the ashes emerge these three sets of characters who prove that all is not lost. When all is said and done it's the ordinary people who save the day. Through all the doom and seeming despair, hope remains alive with some. When you've hit rock bottom and survived, the only way is up.

What makes this book so much more compelling is Sam's easygoing and free-flowing style of writing. Rarely have I discovered a new author who can draw you into his world so easily. His writing is alive and engaging, and the dialogue is so down to earth that you feel like the people are next to you acting it out. Sam has the enviable ability to create a diverse group of characters that the reader is able to vividly picture and instantly like or dislike; something that should be commonplace, but is sadly lacking in many of today's books.

Fascinating, frightening and compelling, Another Place to Die is the ultimate page-turner which I guarantee will result in many late nights under the bedside light with you uttering, `just one more chapter!!'

Reviewed by Ian Middleton: Travel Writer and photographer, and author of Mysterious World: Ireland.

I love the cover with the feather in place of the word bird. Very effective. Your book is very concise, to the point, and effective. I know how difficult it is to pare down words and concepts. But you did that and it works great. It's extremely easy to read. I feel certain that this book will be a success. Many people are concerned about the bird flu and you make it clear how to protect ourselves.

This novel is remarkable on many levels. It charts the life of the Coombs clan of Barter Island Maine. The tales are all interwoven within the context of some form of heroism. From the heroism of the Coombs women who bear pregnancy, solitude, and mainland snobbery to that of the Coombs men whose adventures revolve around their work, (lobstermen) and the call of young Henry Coombs to enlist in the ARMY for WWI.
In a time where literature and movies tend to glorify criminals, con men, and other scofflaws, reading Mr. Scott's realsitic account of honest men and women who are nobly defined by their work and the stark environement which surrounds and defines them is an act of pleasure. Storms, war, miscarriages and the Great Flu Epidemic of 1918 assault the Coombs of Barter Island. But with grace and humility, the author proves to be a grand detective of the human spirit, and through the cumulative power of this tale, the reader discovers within the Coombs collective soul all that which is resilient, good and enduring about humanity. A joy to read.

An excellent chronicle and historical account of lessons all people must learn from history. A must read for all those interested in the evolution and spread of pandemics. Marvelous and solid research.

Mrs. Thompson is an excellent author. My child really enjoyed this book and would buy another one of her books. The pajama party was fun at Sutter Roseville, Thank you!