Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Pretty good reprint...
I loved this book as a kid so I purchased a copy for my kids.
Everything you need to know to make boomerangs of all types is covered here.The book does show its age some, as do many Dover reprints (you are unlikley to find the wooden sticks used by service stations for checking gas level anymore... use a thick yardstick instead).

A classic book on boomerangs
Would you like to make a boomerang?This book will teach you how to do that.And it tells us plenty about all sorts of boomerangs and how to throw them.

You start with a stick.You round the top side to a roughly convex shape while the bottom remains flat.And you bend the ends slightly towards the convex side.If you do it really well, it may already be a boomerang (called a "tumblestick").You can try it.But it is better to make two of them and attach them to make a "cross-stick" boomerang.These tend to work very well indeed, unless they get caught in a wind.You can even put three of these sticks together, to get a "pinwheel" boomerang.And Mason describes a bunch of variations on all these designs.

Of the variations, the most interesting are the "boomabirds," which look like birds.There is some fascinating material on how to make them.

The book also includes a section on Australian boomerangs.There are two types.One is called the "return" boomerang.When thrown vertically, it makes an arc and returns (unless it hits something).The other is misleadingly called the "non-return" boomerang.When thrown horizontally, it returns.But when thrown vertically, it just keeps going until it lands.Australian boomerangs are weapons, and birds (which generally do not realize that they need to avoid them) are the prime targets.

I enjoyed reading this book, and I recommend it.

Very baroque, but a fun read for present-day boomerang throwers
I'd like to state that this is definitely not the book you should read if you want to make or throw a contemporary sports boomerang. The instructions Mason offers really scare me: he proposes multi-bladed boomerangs with a diameter of 36 inches with a 5 inch metal screw poking out on the back for easy one handed catching - give me a break! Two-bladed boomerangs only occupy a small bit of the book.

On the other hand, it's a nice historical view on a certain stage in the evolution of sports boomerangs (the book is from 1937 originally), and it contains the only description I know (including the web as known to Google) of one-bladed boomerangs, so-called tumblesticks.

Slightly dated, but good information
The book concentrates mostly on crosswing boomerangs and those built along the same lines.These are a lot of fun to make and fly but if you really want to get into the real thing (sport booms, not "hunting")there are better, more informative books available.

A fun, do-it-yourself sport/hobby for all ages
Mason tells how to build and throw an assortment of throwing objectsbesides the boomerangs, built out of wood or cardboard.As well, hesuggests forms of competitions and judging.He puts a big emphasis onsafety -- boomerangs and throwing sticks were designed to bring down smallgame, or even enemy warriors, so they require care in use. This would be agreat addition to the after-school or summer fun program of your park,club, or school.It's also fine to do by yourself during the hours theplayground is empty. ... Read more

Product Description
Author Lynn Melville believes that people caught in abusive relationships -- whether Borderline or not -- are stuck in the middle of the Grief Cycle. They are unable to move forward to acceptance of the reality of the abuse they're receiving, because their abuser continues to change, back and forth from the person who acts like they love them -- to the person who hurts them.

Melville began writing Breaking Free from Boomerang Love for herself, words to help her stay focused on reality. Over time, her writing began to change into letters to others who were still stuck in abuse.

Written in a daily affirmation style, readers will re-feel and finish the grieving of their pain, laugh and then watch their denial disappear, achieve a new strength to stand up for themselves, and re-connect and reach for guidance from the God of their understanding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Stopping the addiction!
Great book if you are leaving a relationship with a BPD, or if you are or were addicted to someone with BDP - easy to read! ... The humor and the spirituality are just right.

The first book that made sense of my "relationship"
I got your book last night and read the whole thing straight through.I've read every self-help book I could get my hands on since meeting my boyfriend, and this is the first one that made any sense.Thank you so much!

The light in a very dark tunnel.
Living in the eye of a storm surrounded by chaos was my life for the past almost four years. When the engagement ended I didn't know what normal was anymore. Boomerang love is the calm after the storm. Lynns book helped me understand I wasn't alone. I found clarity to the confusion and sense of betrayal of a love I felt was real. It's the only book I have found that helps you as a survivor of a Borderline relationship find the tools needed to heal your soul. I would highly recommend this book to anyone recovering from an emotional or physically abusive relationship. It's my bible.

Making Sense of the Craziness!
I always thought he was just a "zero-to-sixty in 0.3 seconds" kind of guy! At first, I tried to believe the jealousy just proved he loved me. I thought all the bragging about his intellect, accomplishments, and possessions was just a cover-up for his insecurity. However, with the help of this book, I gained new insights into the phenomenon that lay at the root of all his behaviors. Melville writes in a learned yet easily accessible style, and practicality seems to be her muse. However, I found that the "Pot-Shot" illustrations, while acerbic and witty, detracted from rather than added to the value of this tome.

Helpful to read her journal and love the cartoons
This book is helpful in that it is like reading someone's journal as they process through the trials and tribulations of being in a romantic relationship with someone (and breaking free from that relationship) who has Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) -- but it is formatted like a daily meditation book.It is a different kind of book, but I found it to be validating of one's experience and comforting at the same time.I especially appreciate the captioned cartoons.Many of them are quite profound, as well as entertaining.I would recommend this book for anyone who is in or has been in a romantic relationship with someone who has BPD.It won't tell you directly how to repair any of the damage that has been done, but by reading the author's experiences/insights it will help point you in the direction of right thinking - and that is healing.

... Read more

Amazon.com
Rents aren't getting cheaper, high-paying jobs aren't getting easier to find, and the result is that financial independence can be tough for young adults to create. For many, the answer is moving back home with their parents; it's a phenomenon that gets more sitcom jokes than thoughtful discussion. Enter Boomerang Nation, a how-to guide that helps ease family frustrations when the empty nest is suddenly full again.

Author Elina Furman's (The Everything After College Book) mix of sympathy and snarky humor manages to simultaneously give you a hug and a firm kick in the rear. Rather than focusing on her own experience (many years of living with mom after college), Furman covers a full range of possible reasons for moving in with the folks: break ups, job loss, grad school, parents in need of assistance, and saving money for a specific goal are all included. Tidbits from a number of interviews with boomerangers are found in every chapter; though short, the personal stories add a friendly touch.

The advice covers highly specific topics with pleasing bluntness. Her insistence on helping out around the house and chipping in financially will have parents delightedly highlighting sections, while her understanding of modern dating and examination of parenting styles helps the younger generation sort though complex issues. Don't let the lighthearted writing style fool you: Furman's sensible suggestions can help everyone in the family straighten out the wrinkles of redefined relationships.Jill LightnerBook Description
You can go home again! Boomerangers are on the rise. Named for the nearly eighteen million 18- to 35-year-old Americans currently living at home, this rapidly growing phenomenom is becoming a way of life for many college graduates and adults looking for a rent- and hassle-free way to get out of debt and plan a course of action for their futures.

Written by Elina Furman, who happily survived living at home the second time around, this timely, information-packed guide offers Boomerangers -- both practicing and aspiring -- wisdom on how to cope with the practical, economic, emotional, and psychological realities of moving back in with Mom and Dad. Furman debunks popular myths, such as that college graduation marks the beginning of domestic and financial freedom, and offers dynamic action plans, proven strategies, and practical advice on:

• Taking the plunge -- are you ready to move back home?

• Making a financial plan and sticking to it

• Discovering the hidden benefits of living at home

• Determining whenter you have a Cool, Reluctant, or Perma-Parent

• Maintaining privacy

• Setting and following house rules

• Handling the stigma

• Dealing with sibling rivalry

With special chapters on brainstorming new career objectives and dating under your parents¹ roof, and featuring inspiring tales from the trenches by independent and successful Boomerangers, Boomerang Nation proves that not only can you go home again, you can survive and thrive there.

Download Description
"You can go home again! Boomerangers are on the rise. Named for the nearly eighteen million 18- to 35-year-old Americans currently living at home, this rapidly growing phenomenom is becoming a way of life for many college graduates and adults looking for a rent- and hassle-free way to get out of debt and plan a course of action for their futures. Written by Elina Furman, who happily survived living at home the second time around, this timely, information-packed guide offers Boomerangers -- both practicing and aspiring -- wisdom on how to cope with the practical, economic, emotional, and psychological realities of moving back in with Mom and Dad. Furman debunks popular myths, such as that college graduation marks the beginning of domestic and financial freedom, and offers dynamic action plans, proven strategies, and practical advice on:Taking the plunge -- are you ready to move back home?Making a financial plan and sticking to itDiscovering the hidden benefits of living at homeDetermining whenter you have a Cool, Reluctant, or Perma-ParentMaintaining privacySetting and following house rulesHandling the stigmaDealing with sibling rivalryWith special chapters on brainstorming new career objectives and dating under your parents� roof, and featuring inspiring tales from the trenches by independent and successful Boomerangers, Boomerang Nation proves that not only can you go home again, you can survive and thrive there." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Couldn't Have Come at a Better Time
Fascinating look at what people go through when they move back home. I just got home 2 months ago because of layoffs after 12 years of living on my own, and it's been really weird. One minute my mom is looking at my emails, asking me who so and so and my dad is yelling at me to change all the lightbulbs in the house. Even worse my old room is horible.. It's become this huge catch-all for my mom's magazine collection and all my dad's old clothes and paintings. Furman is pretty funny and doesn't talk down ever!! Which is nice since everyone says people who move are basically losers with no life. I have a graduate degree and have held down excutive positions so it's kinda strange to be in this position. But as soon as I find a job I'm moving out again, hopefully by next year.

You CAN Go Home Again?
Which writer was it wrote the "you can't go home again?"He was right.I have tried it twice and neither time has it worked.But, Elina Furman in New York City was thinking of another way to go back home.It is increasing done these days (18 million have done just that to the dismay and disgust of their parents), and is getting to be a pattern of not being responsible for one's own destiny.Going back in life is never good, as you are not moving forward -- the past is never better than the future.

She did survive a second time around living at home and is proud of it, but I'd really like to know what 'side of the story' her parents would reveal.It is never easy to have a grown up son right under you feet at all times. Didn't he learn anything in school about coping?I have a friend here whose thirty-something son moved in her small apt. with his child out of wedlock.My youngest son, age 30, did the very same thing with his dad only when the girlfriend left, she took the child with her.

As a result I lost contact with the two grandchildren I love the most as their mother moved them to Athens, Alabama, to keep them away from their stupid father, my ignorant son.It may benefit the grown up 'kids' (if you can call them that -- they are supposed to be adults when they finish college) to not have to pay rent and get all the free food they desire, free housekeeping and utilities.None of the responsibilities of adulthood.Will they ever grow up?Not as long as the long-suffering parents let them get away with this intrusion.

This is much more than a silly boomerang game.It is serious business and should be stopped.Let them go out and see how the homeless live; they'd get free clean clothes everyday, a free bus ticket (so they can look for work!), free meals and a place to sleep, but they are on their own (and the town) the rest of the time.They lug around all of their belongings and beg for 'change' to buy shoes (ha) -- they get free shoes (I've told them which church will give them walking and hiking shoes.) and to buy a cup of coffee.I bought two of the morning 'specials' twice not realizing I would have to carry around two cups of coffee, which I spilled.One fellow asked for change to buy a cup of coffee, and I said, "I will give you a cup of coffee."Just today, one young man asked for change to ride the bus, I told him I didn't have any.He was able to get fifty cents from a man and promptly walked away, telling me he was not going to ride the bus.I was waiting for the bus.So, what else is new?Let some of those freeloaders who take advantage of their old parents see what it is really like if they don't grow up and get a good career to take care of themselves. How's that, note-worthy friend, to talk about something I know something about.Elina Furman wrote THE EVERYTHING AFTER COLLEGE BOOK and THE EVERYTHING DATING BOOK.

Coulnd't have done without it
I had to move home three months ago to help my dad after (...) divorce to my step mom. I left my job, my friends, and moved to a new city. My friend had read about this (...) and gave it to me as a present when I moved home. I read it cover to cover and it really made me feel better to know that other people were going through (...) same thing. I especially liked (...) section about dealing with single parents, cuz it's so true what she writes about. I'm taking Furman's advice and setting a move out date so my Dad doesn't get too dependant on me living at home. Thanks.

A little disappointing
I was disappointed in this book because it focused too much on one specific living situation - young adults who are moving home with their happy suburban parents. In several places, the author suggests that doing your own laundry and not coming in at 3am trashed will greatly improve many relationship issues with your parents. It never actually occured to me to ask my folks to do my laundry - I think I'm missing out here. Also, there are many mentions of things like how to deal when your hip parents when they want to go to happy hour with you and your friends, and how to understand that they are tired from the workday too and might want to hit the bar. What about dealing with retired parents, single parents, ill parents, and all those other things that bring us home that raise many issues (like privacy, expenses, mealtime, etc.). Finally, it was difficult for me to feel bad for the people in the book who lived in the 'burbs and had to drive a whole hour to get to their friends hang outs now that they lived at home. There is a large portion of people who don't live anywhere near a metropolitan area for a quick fix in an hour's drive. The suggestion that those of us in small towns still have places to go to meet people our own age - like the local bookstore - perplexed me. We have two stoplights. I haven't noticed a bookstore at either intersection - but I can dream. On the bright side, it was nice to see some stats in the book about how many young adults really are returning home (for various reasons) and there are some good web sites metioned in the book for things like health insurance, moving, finding jobs, and meeting people. If you are not an early 20s college grad who just moved an hour away from a major city and are suffering by living with your extremely hip working parents who refuse to always look the other way when you drag kegs into your room, then definitely only get this book only for some humorous stories - not actual advice.

I can totally relate
As a boomerangers myself I can totally relate with this book. It's an amazing read. ... Read more

Book Description
How did the debate on health reform turn into the most concerted attack on government in recent American history? In this incisive account, a prize-winning social scientist offers deep insights into the changing terrain of U.S. politics and public policy. Because of far-reaching changes in the Reagan era, Theda Skocpol shows, the Clinton Health Security bill became a perfect foil for antigovernment mobilization. Thus its defeat provides a unique window into the new political landscape. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Skocpol does it again
Theda Skocpol's "Boomerang" is nearly as interesting and sharp as her opinions. It's another winner.

Boomerang falls short.
Boomerang by Theda Skocpol, a professor of government and sociology at Harvard University is subtitled, "Clinton's Health Security Effort and the Turn Against Government in U.S. Politics." And indeed, this bookis about politics, not about the reality of what went on in those crucialyears. One comes out with the impression that the book was written to bringthe author to the attention of the Clinton administration.

For example,she writes that Hillary and President Clinton had found an ideal"middle way" for health care reform, but that unfortunately,their plan was sabotaged by the conservatives in 1994 following the lead of Bill Kristol, former chief aide to Vice President Dan Quayle. She lamentsthat the Democrats were not able to marshall their forces at a criticaltime to pass what she obviously considers the "good" legislationof the Health Security Act.

While she gives Bill Kristol considerable,unflattering credit, she fails to even mention the Association of AmericanPhysicians and Surgeons (AAPS), whose landmark lawsuit, AAPS v. Clinton,against the secretHealth Care Task Force, derailed to a significantextent the Health Security Act of 1993. Neither AAPS nor the lawsuitappears in the text or index. The book is therefore quite incomplete. Injust one chapter of his book, The Seduction of Hillary Rodham, author DavidBrock gives by far a more accurate portrayal.

The book is an apologia forthe ill-fated Health Security Act which carried with it a significanttransfer of control of health care delivery from the private sector to thegovernment bureaucrats and an assortment of central planners in the variouslevels of the bureaucracy, such as the Purchasing Cooperatives, theNational Health Board, HHS, and numerous other alphabet soup government orquasi-government agencies that were to be established. The American peoplewere correct in rejecting socialized medicine and the Clinton plan.

A fine, scholarly work on an important event
This book promises to explain to the reader why the Clinton health care plan failed.The author does this rather well, pointing out how flaws in Clinton's "selling" of the program along with the disunity ofsympathetic interest groups could not match the unity and purpose ofRepublican opponents.It is important to remember that Ms. Skocpol is ascholar, which can be good and bad.Her work is scholarly so it iswell-proven (like a scholar) but also very narrow in scope (also, sadly,like a scholar).If you want an analysis of what went on behind closeddoors in the 1993-94 fight or want a real discussion on the merits ofhealth care reform, go elsewhere.But if you want an analysis solely on"why Clinton failed," this book does a very good job. ... Read more

Book Description

From Afghanistan to Turkey, from the Caspian Sea to the Sudan, the U.S. has ripped through one country after another in the Middle East and elsewhere, manipulating and marauding for its own benefit. This is a history with which Arabs and Muslims are painfully familiar, but which Americans can no longer afford to ignore.

Customer Reviews (1)

This is why the world hates America
This is a country-by-country chronicle of how American covert wars throughout the Middle East have come back to haunt us, creating plenty of enemies.

Saddam Hussein's rise to power in the 1970s was helped by a CIA decision to assassinate one of his predecessors, General Abdel Karim Qassim. In Syria, the CIA sponsored a 1949 military takeover, the first of over a dozen coups in the next 20 years. American oil companies felt that an independent Syria was not in their interests. Sudan has been involved, off and on, in a bloody civil war for almost 50 years. Oil just happens to be a factor in this ongoing slaughter.

In Egypt, Hosni Mubarak has ruled with an iron fist ever since the 1982 assassination of Anwar Sadat, his predecessor. Mubarak uses billions of dollars in US military aid to beat and torture opposition politicians and journalists, many of whom have died in custody. Press restrictions are widespread. Egypt is viewed as a well-bribed client state of the US. The military in Turkey, a US ally and fellow member of NATO, has been one of the biggest human rights abusers of the last decade.

America has always looked for a surrogate policeman in the Persian Gulf, to keep an eye on the huge oil reserves. First, we armed the Shah of Iran, ignoring his repression, until he was overthrown. Then we armed Iraq, ignoring Saddam Hussein's repression, until he became too powerful, and a major war was needed to destroy his arsenal. Now, America is arming Saudi Arabia, ignoring their repression, creating a generation of militants determined to overthrow the puppet regime propped up with American money.

Part of the blame for all this can be laid at the feet of Great Britain. They were the colonial power for much of the first half of the 20th century, and had a tendency to draw national boundaries while ignoring an area's ethnic makeup.

Arab hatred of America has less to do with our freedoms and diversity than with our illegal involvement in another country's internal affairs. This book easily reaches the level of Must Read. It's very interesting, it's easy to read and it is full of information that won't be mentioned in the mainstream media. ... Read more

Book Description

More frisbees are sold each year than baseballs, basketballs and footballs combined. Yet these familiar flying objects have subtle and clever aerodynamic and gyrodynamic properties which are only recently being documented by wind tunnel and other studies. In common with other rotating bodies discussed in this readily accessible book, they are typically not treated in textbooks of aeronautics and the literature is scattered in a variety of places. This book develops the theme of disc-wings and spinning aerospace vehicles in parallel. Since many of the examples are recreational, anyone who enjoys these activities will likely find it profitable and enjoyable. In addition to spinning objects of various shapes, several exotic manned aircraft with disc planforms have been proposed and a prototypes builtthese include a Nazi secret weapon and the De Havilland Avrocar, also discussed in the book. Boomerangs represent another category of spinning aerodynamic body whose behavior can only be understood by coupling aerodynamics with gyrodynamics. The narrative, supported by equations and graphs, explains how the shape and throw of a boomerang relates to its trajectory. The natural world presents still other examples, namely the samaras or seed-wings of many tree species, which autorotate during their descent, like a helicopter whose engine has failed. The flight performance of these spinning wings directly affects the dispersal and thus the evolutionary competitiveness of the trees concerned. Samara-type configurations are also considered for instrumentation and other payload dispersal applications. In short, the book discusses a range of familiar, connected, but largely undeveloped, topics in an accessible, but complete, manner.

Customer Reviews (2)

Spinning Flight - the fascination of things that spin in the air and in space
Spinning Flight is for the reader who is curious about spinning and flying things. Some may wonder why do skipping stones veer to the right, why does a Frisbee veer to the left at the end of its flight, why do golf balls have dimples, how does a boomerang work. Others may be interested in spin stabilization of bullets, bombs, rockets. Still others will be fascinated by the role of spin in spaceflight, the landing of probes on distant bodies or by what spin can tell about the formation and life story of asteroids and comets. Lorenz uses a minimum of vector mechanics and equations to explain these phenomena and provides many illustrations based on cleverly instrumented flight experiments. Next time you skip a stone, you will think of it as a rewarding experiment not just an idle pleasure.

Favorable Review
(I am the author - I think the book is not half bad -but let me quote from a recent
review of the book by H. K. Moffatt {whom I do not know} in Nature magazine (Vol.444,
14 Dec 2006 p.820):
'In his fascinatingbook Spinning Flight, Ralph Lorenz providesa rich feast of examples
of such spinning bodies, some occurring naturally, some contrivedfor pleasure or for a
practical purpose, someexotic..........Lorenz covers these phenomena and their various
manifestations with great skill and economy of exposition, whetting the appetite for the
more detailed treatments that he cites in an extensive list of references, many quite recent...
The book is well organized....there may be somethingfor every one within its attractively
designedcover ... Read more

Book Description
History has known few more inventive minds than those responsible for the helicopter, mankind’s most versatile flying machine.From the aerodynamic artistry of Leonardo da Vinci, through the futuristic tales of Jules Verne, to the prototypes built by the horde of rotationally obsessed enthusiasts who followed, here is the definitive story of a modern icon.

Proposing that humans could hover in the air by hanging a fuselage beneath large spinning blades requires a substantial leap of the imagination–not to mention a pile of precision gadgetry. This unique book bears witness to the challenge of turning the earliest “rotating wing” aircraft into the helicopters that dominate news footage today.

The helicopter turned out to be much more agile and capable than the early inventors expected but also took longer to perfect than the airplane.Among the earliest of the helicopter hopefuls were nineteenth-century American greeting card printer Mortimer Nelson, French entrepreneurs Launoy and Bienvenu of prerevolutionary Paris, and English country squire George Cayley, builder of mankind’s first manned glider. The first controllable helicopter flew in the 1920s. While it has yet to take its place alongside the family car, as pioneer designer Igor Sikorsky hoped, the helicopter plays a significant role in all our lives.

In addition to transforming the ways of war, offering godlike views of inaccessible spots, and providing some of our most-watched TV moments–including the cloud of newscopters that trailed O. J. Simpson’s Bronco–the helicopter has revolutionized rescues worldwide by proving its ability to extract people from almost anywhere. In 2005 an astounding 35,500 people were saved from the perils of Hurricane Katrina–a feat impossible with any other machine.

James Chiles offers profiles of the many helicoptrians throughout history who contributed to the development of this amazing machine, and pays tribute to the selfless heroism of pilots and crews. A virtual flying lesson and uplifting scientific adventure tale, The God Machine is more than the history of an invention; it is a journey into the minds of imaginative thinkers and a fascinating look at the ways they changed our world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Book to Uplift Your Knowledge


From humankind's early aspirations to fly by flapping wings of wax and feathers to the roar and flap-flap-flap of today's sophisticated helicopters in war, civilian transport, construction, logging, mercy flights and search and rescue, Jim Chiles pens a sophisticated and entertaining history of "The God Machine."All of the technical matter necessary to understand choppers, how they developed and how they fly, comes clearly and easily to the non-mechanical readers as well to helicopter engineers, thanks to Chiles' skilled exposition and his deep research into the wingless mechanisms we often see in daily life, news reports, and adventure films."The God Machine" promises to add value to any library, including those in homes where parents leave good books out to tempt offspring into reading and therefore expanding their mental life. In short, "The God Machine" is a fact book for all, a worthy read on a fascinating subject, a book that uplifts your knowledge and raises your awareness of one of humanity's engineering marvels.

Meets a real need.
James R. Chiles' The God Machine takes an important place among a very small literature on a vital piece of modern technology - the helicopter.

Writings about or involving helicopters are plentiful. A Google search using helicopter and history turns up more than 10 million hits. Doing the same for just books in Amazon.com turns up over 12,000 and almost a thousand at Barnes & Noble. However, when you try to find just those that make any real effort to cover the breadth and depth of the subject -- the ideas underlying, development, application, and impact of this technology - numbers drop to a handful. Among those, most are either dated - which only takes a few years, given the pace of change in the world -- or focus solely on military aspects. So, even if it did nothing more than just try to cover the waterfront, The God Machine would be a valuable book.

In fact, Chiles has gone well beyond that. He's presented key issues and a fair amount of technical information in terms that almost any lay reader can understand. An example is his discussion of the problem of controlling a helicopter in a hover - the invaluable characteristic that distinguishes it from almost all other aircraft. He explains how this problem frustrated early visionaries and inventors and how it was finally overcome - down to the specific hardware involved and how it works this magic.

In taking a broad view, Chiles also discusses the huge gaps between vision and reality that have been a persistent part of the story. One of these gaps involved the idea of a simple, cheap device that would displace the family car and reduce increasing congestion on highways. This vision butted against the reality of a technology that defied finding a practical combination of cost, capability, and reliability that could put the product in the hands of the masses. He shows how these same factors restricted ownership and use to the wealthy, companies, and public agencies meeting special needs. He shows how various inventors tried, always unsuccessfully, to overcome these obstacles.

Chiles also shows how the helicopter achieved a unique place in meeting special needs - especially for the military and in such activities as arctic exploration, servicing offshore oil platforms, civilian search-and-rescue, and real-time news gathering. He also shows how evolving social and political contexts have shaped attitudes toward helicopters - especially opposition to their noise, as well as concerns about government spying on private citizens.

Finally he shows, as in the case of helicopters rescuing mountain climbers in Alaska, how availability of this technology has sometimes led to a false sense of security and personal recklessness that the public winds up paying the bills for.

While this book lacks citation to sources for specific information, as one who has worked extensively on history involving helicopters, I know that Chiles has also made accessible to general readers information found only in some rare and expensive sources. Beyond that, he's drawn on interviews with and direct observation of helicopter pilots and users - to the extent of having learned to fly a helicopter himself. Anecdotes flowing from these sources give his writing an immediate, human touch that increases entertainment, as well as informational value.

No book will ever be the last word on rotorcraft, but The God Machine certainly meets a real need. If you want to or can buy only one book on helicopters, this is the one.

[Dr. James W. Williams is the former U.S. Army Aviation Branch Historian and author of A History of Army Aviation: From Its Beginnings to the War on Terror (2005)]

The complete story of the Helicopter
Mr. Chiles has produced one of the finest books on a very intergal part of our society.I know how important the helicopter is as I flew many hours in them while in Vietnam as a 19 year old Airborne Infantryman working for a Long Range Patrol Team, 1966 & 1967.Mr. Chiles' research was very thorough as he provides background and insight into this amazing piece of aeronautical wizadry.I for one am very impressed and appreciative of Mr. Chiles approach to the subject as the helicopter has changed so many aspects of our lives.Good book, one to own and well worth the time to read.Thank you Mr. Chiles for all the hard work. ... Read more

Amazon.com
"The game of life is a boomerang," says the optimistic author Barbara Johnson in Boomerang Joy, a collection of 60 brief devotional essays. Johnson contends that our thoughts, deeds, and words return to us sooner or later with astounding accuracy. If you initiate joy, if you learn to "fling a smile a mile," Johnson promises that the happiness you send out will return to you "more accurately each time you toss it out." Johnson's writing style occasionally falls into Pollyanna chattiness, but, overall, fans find her narrative warm and inspiring, as she tells humorous anecdotes and testifies to the power of boomerang joy and Christian prayer. Topics for devotionals include: "Unquenchable Grins," "Love More and Regret Less," "Nestle, Don't Wrestle," "Power in Forgiveness," and "Fling Out Jesus' Joy." --Gail HudsonBook Description
Lighthearted devotional that will increase your faith and joy. Written by a favorite women's author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Boomarang Joy
Good for the laugh you need when you are down and need a pick me up no matter what the reason for the depression or trouble going on in your life.

Receiving Joy from Boomerang Joy
Barbara Johnson makes me continuously laugh and cry as I read this book.She has gone through and is currently going through bad times, but she shows that the joy of the Lord is our strength.I reread this book every year and give it to persons going through a hard time themselves.I thank God for the person who first gave it to me.

Great motivator!
I picked this journal up for a friend for Christmas.When I got home I was thumbing through it and wanted to keep it for myself.She loved the journal.It has great opening lines to get you to think about what isreally important.She is uplifting and lighthearted and most of all funny. Now I am ordering one for myself.

A REAL JOY TO READ!!
Wow - A real affirmation that life is attitude and attitude is a choice no matter what happens.As Barbara says "Pain is inevitable but misery is optional" ... Read more

Book Description

"More ably than most any contemporary queer writer, Jay Quinn is crafting novels that neatly integrate gay lives with straight lives. Rich and profound." -Richard Labonte for Book Marks on The Beloved Son

Maura Donovan Ostryder is coming into her own professionally and privately as she begins her fifty-first year. Maura has always been the master of her own life and has reared her son Kai to be the same. Unfortunately, life-and especially motherhood-hasn't been as easily managed as Maura would have planned when she became pregnant.

Named for the Hawaiian word for "sea," Kai Michael Ostryder, at twenty-seven, is both charming and remote; he has struggled with bipolar disorder from the time he was a child. Creative, dreamy, and utterly impractical, he has a long history of going off the medications that barely control his mental stability and then self-medicating with illegal drugs. As he comes home to Maura, he has spent most of his money on a month's supply of the opiate painkiller Oxycontin. He's fled his complicated emotional attachments to a young man and a young woman, with plans to wean himself off the drug, return to treatment for his bipolar disorder, and get his life back on track from the comfort of "home."

Exploring issues of motherhood, addiction, and sexual identity, Jay Quinn continues to bring to vivid life the emotional drama of the modern-day family.

Jay Quinn is also the author of Back Where He Started, The Good Neighbor, and The Beloved Son.

Product Description
As the second book in the Boomerang Love series, is a compilation of many of the hard-hitting statements and truths published in Melville's first book, Breaking Free from Boomerang Love -- the statements you yourself highlighted as you read it. This second book is meant to be a companion to the first.This is your emotional first aid kit to carry in your briefcase for quick booster shots of courage and empowerment when depression starts to take you down. Or the book to reach for when the doubts and uncertainties hit you -- when the "woulda, coulda, shouldas" begin to weaken your decisions. Grab this book when you need support and only have a few minutes to drink in the words."Whatever you are willing to put up with is exactly what you will have.""Welcome to the club for People Who Had Too Much Patience.""What most people don't understand is that the person we made our commitment to is not the person we ended up with."Take a quick dip into Reality Checks and get back on your path again, feeling confident and rebooted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must have for someone living with a BP partner
This book is great, almost done with it.It has
really helped - ALOT.I no longer feel the problems are my fault, and now realize there was nothing that I could have done to keep things together.By my trying to hard to keep all going, that actually feed her problem.I no longer will accept her badgering or abuse directed to me.I am still working on true bounderies, but trying to get stronger with keeping the my
acceptable bounderies.This book is great at helping to put those boundries together.I has helped me become free of the weight of living with a borderline spouse. ... Read more

Book Description
Profiling 50 of the world’s most popular playthings—including their history, trivia, and the technology involved—this guide uncovers the hidden science of toys. Discover how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, why a boomerang returns after it is thrown, and how an RC car responds to a remote control device. Leaving no detail unrevealed, the guide includes original patent-application blueprints and photos of the “guts” of several devices. Inventors and museum curators also offer their observations of favorite gizmos while dispelling (or confirming) several toy legends. Complete with explanations of do-it-yourself experiments and tips on reverse engineering old toys to observe their interior mechanics, this entertaining and informative reference even provides pointers on how budding toy makers can build their own toys using only recycled materials and a little ingenuity.

... Read more

Book Description
A tale for all ages. An inspirational new look at the third millennium, through the eyes of a remarkable Boston Terrier and the people who love him.

Boomerang shows us the power of love to heal and create miracles. His journey combines spiritual insight with stimulating exploration. You will learn how to experience... "seeing with your heart, what may be invisible to your eyes."

Through love all things are possible.

Born on a beautiful summer day
He arrived from a place far, far away
Boomerang was his chosen name
My life changed, never to be the same.

His heart was filled to the brim with love
He was indeed a miracle, sent from above
When he became sick, I cried inside
By some miracle, he survived the rough ride.

His life continued for awhile
Just his presence made me smile
The doctor said he could not stay
I adored him, continued to hope and pray.

In my heart, I knew he would not last
He was an angel, a gift from the past
More precious than diamonds, platinum or gold
Boomerang was a blessing, a miracle to behold.

When the time came to say good-bye
He departed Earth, but did not die
His soul still sends me unconditional love
Someday he'll return from that place up above. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Not Even 1 Star!
This book (what I could force myself to read) was terrible.I couldn't even get through two chapters.I was very disappointed as I love Boston Terrier books.I wasted my money on this one.

Boomerang-a fantasy odyssey
The book doesn't even deserve one star!
This book MIGHT be fine for children but adults are more realistic.I am serious, this book was so far out from reality it was hard to concentrate on reading it.THUMBS DOWN!

An Affirmation of the Eternal Existence of Life
Do Animals have souls?As an animal lover I could not conceive of a happy afterlife without the presence of all the wonderful animals that have been such a large part of my life.Their lives have been brief compared to mine, and it is the thought of being with them once again that is the only remedy for the grief that is felt at their loss.Arlene Millman's book about her beloved Boston Terrier, Boomerang, reaffirms the belief that animals do indeed have souls and that no life is truly lost, it is merely transformed.I highly recommend this book for all novice seekers of enlightenment, and as a source of solace for anyone who has ever lost a beloved companion, animal or human.

Whether by accident or by design, the author very effectively conveys the progression of Boomerang's awareness and understanding of the universe and of his purpose.In the first book of the trilogy, Boomerang's first life and puppy-hood, the writing is simple, as if written for a child to read.In the second part of the trilogy the writing matures along with Boomerang and his growing awareness.In the third part of the trilogy, the writing takes on a certain majesty, almost a poetic cadence, as Boomerang experiences true enlightenment.The author states that Boomerang is the author and she is merely the translator.The transition in writing style makes that statement believable.

Boomerang's mission is his message - the spreading of enlightenment through love and kindness.Both are contagious, infectious and eternal - pass them on.Pass on the book too, but make sure you get it back.It's a keeper!

A Charming Story
Arlene Millman has written a charming book that is truly a tribute to a beloved pet.It is a story I want to believe in and she very effectively makes a believer of me.This is a little book to "open anywhere" and receive an uplifting message all about unconditional love and kindness.

I only gave this book 3 stars because it left me wanting more substance - the book takes a very short time to read - and because it could have benefitted from better proof-reading - but I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

An Affirmation of the Eternal Existence of Life
Do animals have souls?As an animal lover I could not conceive of a happy afterlife without the presence of all the wonderful animals that have been such a large part of my life.Their lives have been brief compared to mine, and it is the thought of being with them once again that is the only remedy for the grief that is felt at their loss.Arlene Millman's book about her beloved Boston Terrier, Boomerang, reaffirms the belief that animals do indeed have souls and that no life is truly lost, it is merely transformed.I highly recommend this book for all novice seekers of enlightenment, and as a source of solace for anyone who has ever lost a beloved companion, animal or human.

Whether by accident or by design, the author very effectively conveys the progression of Boomerang's awareness and understanding of the universe and of his purpose.In the first book of the trilogy, Boomerang's first life and puppy-hood, the writing is simple, as if written for a child to read.In the second part of the trilogy the writing matures along with Boomerang and his growing awareness.In the third part of the trilogy, the writing takes on a certain majesty, almost a poetic cadence, as Boomerang experiences true enlightenment.The author states that Boomerang is the author and she is merely the translator.The transition in writing style makes this statement believable.

Boomerang's mission is his message - the spreading of enlightenment through love and kindness.Both are contagious, infectious and eternal - pass them on.Pass on the book too, but make sure you get it back.It's a keeper! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Mixed Opinion
Not sure what to say regarding this book.The scene with the accidental phone number mixup always sounded a bit far fetched to me.The cover art was poor, but yet the book was a decent read.The brothers seemed to limit their travelling somewhat in this one.Worth reading but far from the series elite.Give it a weak 3 star rating.RATED C

Below Average
Mr. Hardy asks Frank And Joe to help him with his case concerning a gang that is stealing mercury.He asks them to call a shipping company in New York; however, a mistake with the area code causes them to reach the Pentagon, instead, just at the precise moment that a robbery occurs.These events lead Frank and Joe to Baltimore, where they attempt to track down the gang.The premise for this book is rather ridiculous considering that the area code for New York is 212 and that for Washington D.C. is 202.The 0 and the 1 are nowhere near each other on either a touch tone phone nor a rotary dial phone, so I don't see how a mistake like that could happen if you know the number you are calling.If your willing to accept this and just read the book, it's not that bad.The mystery is fairly well paced and there is quite a bit of action.The ending is somewhat silly, but mostly the book isn't that disappointing.

The Bombay Boomerang (Hardy Boys, No 49)
I really enjoyed reading this book because the story makes you think about what is happening to the boys and figure out what is really happening. As you read the book, you discover many clues that you have to use to act like a detective and try to solve the mystery. You also have to figure out what the criminals are doing and planning. You really have to learn to think like a detective to solve the mystery.

The Bombay Boomerang (Hardy Boys, No 49)
I really enjoyed reading this book because the story makes you think about what is happening to the boys and figure out what is really happening.As you read the book, you discover many clues that you have to use to act like a detective and try to solve the mystery.You also have to figure out what the criminals are doing and planning.You really have to learn to think like a detective to slove the mystery.

A must read
The Hardys make a routine mistake when they dial 212 instead of 202 or vice versa and they get the Pentagon. They hear BOMBAY BOOMERANG. This mystery leads them into danger. They believe jockey Teddy Blaze and his dog Balto may be involved. Chet prevents the plane from going off by... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Barry Hannah Recycled
With masterpieces such as "Airships" and "Ray" under his belt, this one-volume collection of Barry Hannah's two 90s novels comes as somewhat of a disappointment. Barry Hannah is no doubt one of the mostgifted and interesting writers in contemporary America, but in the 1990shis best work has to be found in short story collections like "BatsOut of Hell" and "High Lonesome".

"Boomerang" isan obviously autobiographical story, and unlike what you might expect, itis not that exciting. Like "Ray", Hannah's best novel,"Boomerang" consists of small vignettes and lacks a plot. Theonly thing that holds it together and which makes it interesting to read isthe language. There are moment of hilarious and tragic insight in thisstory of friends and lovers; the one that still stands out to me after twoyears is the passage about a friend who dies on the golf course:"Maybe he knew he was going to end up on the fairway, on the practicetee. Maybe he was playing for little Jeff his son, and for my son, Po, andfor me, and for JoElla his wife - to go away with your sport shoes on,trying to get the ball to go into the sky and hit God's dumb foot"(52). In "Boomerang" the language is there, but the story isnot.

"Never Die" takes place in the dying Old West. Rarely hasHannah displayed a set of more bizarre and grotesque characters, butunfortunately the story, and interest for it, gets lost in this postmodernpuzzle of honor and revenge. It is not a bad novel, but knowing that Hannahcan do (and has done) so much better, it seems only halfway done. ... Read more