Holden Reviews

If you think the natural world is boring, buy this book! It can serve as either a reference or a source of countless hours of enjoyable reading. The phenomena described are eerie, fantastic, or simply weird, and all of them are interesting. The book illustrates beyond doubt how far we have to go before we completely understand what happens on this planet.. An example, ball lightning has been observed for many centuries, even photos exist, but only recently has a complete scientific explanation been forwarded. Mainstream science has indeed overlooked many of these phenomena, whether because of their rarity and the consequent lack of data, their sheer multitude, or fear that they might be associated with fringe paranormal groups (this book clearly isn't). But, that doesn't prevent you from reading and speculating about them.

When I first noticed this Handbook Of Unusual Natural Phenomena, it was laying on a book shop's discount table. And I didn't realize that it was about to become one of my most precious possessions. I refer to this book whenever I see any of nature's best sky shows. The cover of my 1977 edition, on a hardback I have carefully covered with plastic, shows a hand upraised in the dark. There are two types of lightening in the sky, and the Aurora Borealis, then a miniature rainbow emanates from each of the fingers spread out. Inside the book are hundreds of other drawings, accompanied by clearly written text, to define and discuss many kinds of unusual occurrences. At first you should just casually go through this book, getting a sense of all the things cataloged, because it will prepare you for noticing far more than what most people realize is happening over their heads. This is not a book about unidentified flying objects, unless comets with halos will do, but it can be just as exciting to identify natural mysteries. When you see rainbows, for example, you will be able to discern what's common or rare. Some rainbows are doubled, some join clouds together, some connect with objects, some only seem to connect to objects. Different categories for sunsets are also defined. I once kept a written log of the sunsets I saw, describing each day's display for a month. Although most of them were simply pleasant to watch, and not really that weird, on one occasion the round shape of the sun became a near perfect square! As I saw this from an area in San Francisco called the Sunset District, a local newspaper editor appreciated and published the sighting. In that article I credited this book, and later received a nice letter from Mr. Corliss. The square shaped sunset, which appeared on a Valentine's Day, generated so much interest that I wished I had brought along a camera. Then there was another notable natural event, one which occurred while I was visiting a friends house. I stood on his back porch after the sun had set, and noticed two peculiar lines which seemed to be dividing the sky into three parts. These stretched like telegraph lines all across the sky, just as if the Egyptian sky goddess, Nut, was responsible. I wiped my glasses and looked away, but each time the lines appeared. Finally I asked my host to come out, without any descriptive hints, to tell me what he saw up there (Just in case I was the nut). The sighting was soon confirmed, as he also saw the lines, and he ran in to alert his wife. When I got home I opened up this book and read the paragraphs which applied to this particular phenomena, where lines divide the sky. I was even more surprised that Corliss listed it as a highly rare occurrence. This may be because the lines are rather thin, and easy to miss. I kind of tingled all over, because I knew I was fortunate enough to experience something that few people even knew existed. Each person who gets this book is going to use it a bit differently; appreciating it mostly for whatever they can apply it to personally. A Japanese lady I know looked through my copy and soon joyously shouted out: "I've got a photograph of that!" She had been vacationing in Hawaii, and taking special notice of a rainbow which was doubled, managed to get a perfect photo. I received this as a gift, and it sits in my book alongside a photograph I shot of some rare clouds (This handbook has one similar to mine and defines it as a "Morning Glory"). Photos became the only place markers I use for this particular book. Although Corliss didn't mention it, a natural phenomenon is associated with Bolinas, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. One day a man was sitting in his car reading a sports page, he was parked on a cliff overlooking the ocean outside Bolinas (Where Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds was filmed). After a while he peered out over the ocean and realized he was looking at the illusion of an island. It was sitting just a short distance offshore. This island even had castles with turrets and walls, and a jeweled sparkle almost like an advertisement for Disneyland. The man got out of his car and shouted down to a park ranger and a tourist. They too acknowledged that they could see it. At the Bolinas Post Office the postmistress told a reporter she had seen it on a previous occasion. None of the witnesses, nor the reporter, had seen Corliss' book; so the story was published without anyone knowing that the scientific name is Marine Morgana. Good luck, and good hunting.

Read this book. Forget UFO's, MIB's and other stuff like that. The Real mysteries are the ones that Nature produces and our own scientists have no explanation for. This book documents almost all types of natural phenomena for the past couple of hundred years! I highly recomend this book to anyone that has ever wonderd about something that they have seen, like a horizontal rainbow or a blue ring around the moon. This is a totally awesome book.

My friend Henry Holden has written a book that provides excellent reading for both the Historian and the interested reader. The author has blended the history of the DC-3 into a readable book for everyone. The history,the stats,the humor and the insight of the major players makes this book a must--Thanks Henry for your efforts

In case that the Amazon information page does not currently show the scope and size of this book let me say that this book is very complete: a very readable tale of the legend and lore of the DC-3, as well as being a very accurate factual history. The book has 365 pages, 495 b/w illustrations.

A quote from Dr. Peggy Batty founder of _Women in Aviation International_ "Definately the best book ever written on the DC-3"

This book has wonderful photos and stories of DC-3s around the world. A must read for any "Gooney" lover.

The synopsis of this book caught my eye because so many people around me are retiring, so, yes, I'm close to that stage of life, too. Poor Lizzie was forced into retirement because she works for the government i.e. she's a judge and the rule is once you hit 65, you're out. But, Lizzie is not done with her career as a lawyer or her life. She decides to open her own practice. She turns the basement of her home into an office, hires 2 very interesting assistants and hangs out her shingle.

The clientele she attracts turn out to be, for the most part, dregs of society. However, they make for some very interesting cases. The twists and turns of each case make for some very interesting reading. But, don't think it's only about the clients. Lizzie has a very interesting personal life as well and for the romantics out there, she acquires a boyfriend along the way, too. Her two assistants also add color to the story. One of them dates Lizzie's favorite type person, the local A.D.A. and the other one who is totally against anything but a very business-like relationship with Lizzie, annoys Lizzie to no end.

Lizzie has to make a very difficult decision at the end of this book. It draws on her moral beliefs that I found very interesting to watch played out. IMO, she made the right decision and I can't wait for the promised sequel to see what develops for Lizzie OFF THE BENCH.

I'm within a decade or so of retirement myself, so when I read the synopsis about Lizzie being forced into retirement and starting a second career, I had to read it. Lizzie is an absolute delight. She's been a judge for years and now at the age of 65 is having to retire from the bench (don't you love the title, so clever)! So, Lizzie converts a basement room of her home into an office, hires a paralegal and secretary, and is off and running in her private practice as a lawyer. She takes on the dregs of her little town and defends them like she would if they were celebrities. Each client story has a clever twist to it and even though Lizzie tries to be a hard old crony, her soft heart is shown in each case. Her two cohorts are just as interesting and for you romantics, she even has a little romance of her own that threads it's way throughout. This really needs to be a movie. I'm not familiar enough with the Hollywoodoids to suggest who would play Lizzie and the other interesting characters but I would love to see it on the big screen. Now that I think about it, being a thespian myself, it would make a fabulous play. The author is a sweet man who responded to my email gushing praise and even sent me a bookplate with his autograph. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK....especially if you're facing retirement. Lizzie certainly got four new tires for her re-tirement! Thank you Mr. Holden. I am looking forward to the sequel.

LIZZIE OFF THE BENCH is one of the best mystery reads this year! Rob Holden writes the story of retired Judge Elizabeth Stanfuss who refuses to quit practicing law just because she's over 65. Lizzie is full of spunk, dry humor, and compassion for her clients (although she'd be reluctant to admit that was the case). This book is sometimes touching, sometimes hilarious, and the characters are a wide ranging bunch. I enjoyed each story thoroughly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! BUY THIS BOOK!!

Alan Holden must be a very dedicated man. This short book on polyhedra is filled with pictures of intricate paper models, all made by the author. In the final section, showing how to construct similar models, one can see a photo of his workshop with hundreds of models arrayed neatly on shelves behind him. This book was clearly a work of love.

Most of the book is occupied with a treatment of regular and semiregular polyhedra, prisms and antiprisms. These are examined in some depth--for example, all nine regular polyhedra are constructed. The last fifty pages introduce other topics, such as packing, lattices, and knots; the treatment here is very brief, somewhat disappointing and leaving a desire for more depth. The same can be said of the final section, on construction--Holden gives general guidelines but leaves the reader to compute the dimensions of all the faces of his models himself.

The prose is clear and concise, rare for a mathematics book. But the real substance lies in the photographs of polyhedra models. These are contructed in such a way that it is always easy to see the details of the solid: faces of different shapes are made of different shades of paper, complicated models are shown in intermediate stages of construction, polyhedra to be compared (such as duals) are shown as individuals and interpenetrating. The great icosidodecahedron photo on page 112 (or its companion that might go by the same name on page 98) is almost worth the price of the book by itself.

This is not a rigorous treatment of the subject, but it is a beautiful one.

This well-made and inexpensive book is brim-full of pictures of Alan Holden's models of polyhedra. It is a book for the hobbyist and the enthusiastic closet Pythagorean, more than it is for the professional mathematician. It is especially useful as an introduction to Archimedean star polyhedra, which are surely as beautiful as anything in geometry, and which were not fully catalogued until the 1950s.

If you find this material as compellingly fascinating as I do, you may want to follow up this book with these two:

"Polyhedron Models," by Magnus Wenninger, has a more thorough and systematic treatment of the Archimedean star polyhedra than Holden's book. These include some incredibly complicated models of "snub" star polyhedra -- spectacular stuff that is not included here. (On the other hand, Wenninger's book costs a good deal more.)

"Regular Polytopes," by H.S.M. Coxeter, is an elegantly written introduction to polyhedra in 3 and 4 dimensions. Coxeter himself wrote the first systematic treatment of the Archimedean star-polyhedra, and helped to discover the last few in the process. This book's illustrations are nowhere near as nice as the other ones', but this is balanced by its more rigorous mathematical treatment of the theme. Somebody needs to come up with a better way (using computer graphics?) to illustrate higher-dimensional polyhedra. In the meantime, this inexpensive book is the best I know on the subject.

A friend of mine lent me this book in 1975. (I still haven't given it back). Although this 200 page book is very simply and clearly written, I have never been able to sit down and read it from start to finish. Each part I read makes me stop and contemplate. After 24 years I still find new things in it! The book starts out describing the five Platonic solids. Next it explores the dualities: between the octahedron and cube, between the dodecahedron and icosohedron, and between the tetrahedron with itself. Holden talks about solids discovered by Kepler and Poinsot, space filling solids other than the cube, Nolids, lattices and a whole lot more. He also describes how to make your own models with cardboard and Elmers' glue. Doug Kendall's photographs of Holden's models are very pleasing. This is my favorite book.

A bold look at a difficult man. Tchaikovsky, terrified that his sexuality would become a topic of scandal, split his powerful sexual response between (a) male members of his family on whom he showered very intense affection and (b) young men, sometimes young boys, who were often rough-trade prostitutes. Anthony Holden offers a succinct, persuasive, well-written portrait. Although short on analysis of Tchaikovsky's music (the man was a genius at representing emotion), Holden is especially good at examining the composer's emotional relationships and the causes of his death: did he die of cholera or arsenic? by infection or suicide? If you like biographies of musicians, you'll love this one.

Many kudos to Mr. Holden for this spectacular effort! This is what biography is to be! A careful reconstruction of a life, with logical extrapolation of missing points and a compelling analysis of historical inconsistencies in this unique figure. I especially appreciated the author's relative absence from the narrative (i.e., he was not telling us constantly how he felt about the facts of the biography). Gratefully, he did not editorialize about the biographies central issue: Tchaikovsky's homosexuality. The issue too often derails serious historical research, either to condemn or to convert to the cause. A sheer delight of a read.

Select virtually any adjective that comes to mind and it most likely will be applicable to this "too bizarre to be true" picture of a male homosexual nymphomaniac (my term). One of the supreme musical geniuses of Western music tormented by "irresistible" urges to copulate with 14-year old boys taken off the streets of Florence, Rome, etc., etc. His highly emotional music surely mirrors his inner torment.

This was the first book that I read concerning the Windows 98 Registry and could have stopped after finishing this book. The other books lacked the concise detail provided by this book.

This book provides what every computer reference book should but doesn't. Readable informative prose combined with detailed instructions clearly outlining how to accomplish any type of editing possible.

I am the caretaker for a computer lab at work and used this book on a daily basis at work and home. I finally purchased a second copy to cut down on wear and tear of the original. The book is a valuable tool and anyone working with Windows 98 on a daily basis should include this book in their library.

Win 98 is a marvel, like a 32 cylinder engine idling under the hood, and the owner of that sleek roadster suggesting you "take it for a spin" around the block. If you have qualms, rightly so. As with this book, it's a subject to be handled gingerly, like tippy-toeing along a ledge overlooking a chasm. Or skirting a swamp filled with alligators. This book is not for the faint of heart but for captains courageous undaunted by the challenge of probing lesser known attributes of a fantastic operating platform. You can't go wrong for adding it to your library; that is, unless you don't want instant access to a "open-it-here" reference about just anything behind the scenes of Windows 98. A recommended accompaniment to Quarterdeck's CleanSweep Deluxe, as backup in detail to this utility program. The combination makes the reader a giant and all powerful source to anyone needing that extra kick above the masses.

This is an excellent reference book with a detachable quick reference card on the WIN98 registry. The format makes it easy to find exactly what you're looking for without reading the entire chapter. It gives step by step instructions on how to accomplish a given task. Also, tips are given in each chapter.

This book, published by Arizona Highways, presents a broad yet detailed overview of saguaro cacti. Everything about the cacti, ranging from scientific data to traditional and modern cultural information, has been placed in this book. The text is easy to read yet it answers most questions about cacti, and the pictures are of the high quality expected from Arizona Highways. This book is so good that its photos and information has been incorporated into reference booklets at Saguaro National Park. A good book for both Arizona residents and visitors to own.

The first time I visited the Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, I had dozens of questions about saguaros. I wanted to know why their arms grow down toward the ground sometimes and why some of them have a brown woody bark and why some of them have ripples and what happens to you if you get caught shooting at a saguaro. This book answered all of my questions and then some!

I found out that the arms sometimes start to grow downwards if there is a cold spell right as the arms start to grow. Only very old saguaros get the woody bark and they become more like a regular tree as they age. The ripples are caused by droughts and rainy years during growth cycles and you'll be fined very heavily if you shoot at a saguaro because they are protected under state law.

It's a thin, paperback book and it's written in a manner that it would be interesting to children as well as to adults but it's definitely aimed at an older reader. Tons of beautiful desert scenes!

I thought this book was very good, it showed us (kids) some HTML basics, how to make a webpage with GeoCities, etc. I like how the author's niece gave a little tip at the end of each chapter. And the activities made sure you know what they're talking about. I would definitely recommend this book to any kid who wants to make a page or site.

This book is a very usful tool in creating web pages. Don't let the price scare you, its well worth it. The author describes how to plan and create web pages plainly. Almost everything you need is on the Web or on the CD. The software is great, although most is shareware. I like how kids are used as examples for the lessons. And the comments by the author's niece. The book is easy to read and very informative. Much more helpful then a regular manual. I recomend this book.

"A HITCH IN TIME' by Christine Holden is a well-written romance novel rich with historical flavor. A story with a hero, a villian, and a damsel that needs to be saved from a marriage she would rather not have to enter into.

'A Hitch In Time' takes center stage in the pre-civil era -- taking the reader back in time to New Orleans, the year 1853. An era long past when selfless acts of sacrifices were not only common place, but expected among men with strong family values and honor -- the drama begins after a young man (year 2000) finds an old pocket watch and after remembering a chant from his childhood he is swiftly sent back in time...

The premise in this story is unusual...one that I found very appealing. Can Drew find the pocketwatch, convince Marianne to return to the future with him, and if so, can they get back in time to save the plantation from ruin??? Questions the reader quickly pick up on and instantly find themselves eager to find the answers to as the swiftly turn the pages to this 'Must Read' Time Travel Romantic Suspense.

John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures Inc.

To be perfectly honest, time travel romances are not my favorite romances to read. However, this book may have changed my mind. Normally, these books have a woman going back in time and meeting the man of her dreams. However, this book has the hero going back in time to 1853, where he finds the woman of his dreams. But this woman, Marianne is engaged to wed his great-great grandfather, Rafe Montague. Rafe has taken an intense hatred of our hero, Drew. From there, the story escalates into a mad rush for Drew to find the pocketwatch, convince Marianne to return to 2000 with him, and keep the family's sugar plantation, Bienvenu, from ruin. I loved this book and it definitely has a spot in my bookcase.

New Orleans, 1853 Law student Andrew Montague is desperate for money to continue his studies and support his two-year old daughter, Teal, but his estranged and tyrannical father has cut off his funds. He wants Drew to quit law school and concentrate on the family business. Extremely unhappy, but realizing he has no other choice if he wishes to support Teal, Drew agrees to a deal with his father. If, after working at the plantation and learning the family business for one full year, Drew still wants to continue learning the law, his father will release funds to let him do so. However, things don't turn out quite as planned. On the way back from walking his daughter's nanny to the bus stop, Drew comes across an old pocket watch hanging from a hitching post. Upon remembering an old chant one of his nannies had sung to him as a child, he finds himself struggling with a strong and unexplained need to chant it again. The ticking of the watch grows louder and louder and everything starts spinning. When the world finally rights itself again, Drew realizes the ticking has been replaced by silence. However, that's not all that has been replaced...

Despite the fact that she was younger than her sister, Marianne Beaufort has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She has promised herself into a loveless marriage in order to ensure that her mother and sister, Genevieve, can afford to maintain the lifestyle they led before her father died of the Fever. Marianne has accepted the marriage proposal of an affluent gentleman, Rafe Montague, who, aside from being the powerful and extremely wealthy owner of a prosperous plantation, is also known for his nasty temperament. On the night of her engagement to Rafe, Marianne is already late for the ball at the hotel when she almost trips over a man curled up outside the entrance. Concerned that he maybe hurt or that he's been robbed, she is drawn to him. The attraction between the two is instantaneous and strong. However, Rafe is not a man to stand by and watch his betrothed fall for another man - regardless that the man Mari is falling for is Rafe's great, great-grandson!

Set in the years of pre-Civil War, A HITCH IN TIME carries the reader back to a New Orleans when sacrifices made in the name of family honor were the norm and where deaths due to the Yellow Fever were common. Christine Holden's latest time travel romance promises a few hours of pleasure to those who like to read stories rich in historical flavor.

With wonderfully drawn and complex characters like Marianne, Drew and Rafe, I found myself swiftly turning the pages, eagerly anticipating what would happen next. Ms Holden has written an entertaining love story that glides along with enormous authority. The emotions and thoughts for each character were well depicted and I found myself thoroughly enmeshed in the tale. Rafe's character was very well written for he certainly came across as a true and very nasty villain!

A HITCH IN TIME boasts a plot that is made more interesting because of Drew's knowledge of his family history. The dialogue was witty and natural to the characters, especially the French phrases that added charm and authenticity to the story. However, what appealed to me most was the way Ms Holden wove her extensive research into the story so that it didn't come across as a history lesson at all, but rather as an integral part of the story. Facts like the sights and smells of what New Orleans must have been like in 1853, were extremely well presented.

For readers who enjoy time travel romances and stories steeped in historical details, A HITCH IN TIME is definitely a book worth reading.

Elena Channing...

Jim Holden uses the metaphor of the Selling Fox to present ideas that will sharpen the skills of any competitive sales professional. Unlike many sales books, which have a "supervisory" voice, written from the perspective of someone who isn't actually battling away on the front lines, Holden writes about the reality of winning and keeping business. Foxes survive and thrive in an environment where another player is always scheming to steal their cheese, not move it. In fact, one unique aspect of this helpful guide is its practical advice on how to set traps for your competitors and take their clients away. That may not fit the rest of Holden's emphasis on integrity - but the law of the jungle is often what makes a sales professional a valued property. Maybe the fox analogy is overdone, but the phrase "super sales person" is even more careworn. We from getAbstract strongly recommend this book to those engaged in the noble business of selling, and to those who train them.

This is how to sell...in any and all competitive markets..
If you are not aware or using this stuff...you are at a big time loss...or will loose sales to me.
-Measure your personal performance and professional development
-Establish and maintain executive relationships
-Destabilize the competition to win market share (THE BEST.BEST.BEST STUFF)
-Build personal credibility
-Utilize advanced blocking and trapping techniques (GREAT IDEAS)
-Objectively evaluate sales opportunities and pursue the right lead every time
-Anticipate and defend against competitors' attacks (ONLY WAY TOO GO!)

All, I mean ALL, ALL selling, ALL selling is competitive (or you are not in sales) in the new age of selling...info moves faster...decisions are made with differnt spins...and he or she who discerns the buying process and measures every step wins. Jim shows you how...this info is not new yet an expansion of material first introduced years ago on Power Base Selling (the best book on Sage selling ever) and World Class...this book targets the individual skills and intuition of the Selling Fox. Great work. Have read 'SPIN-SPUN' selling and feel that executing that process can be a bigger negative vs. positive to gettting the job done...read 'High Prob Selling' and this will greatly compliment Holdens concepts to some extent. Holden's books will always house my shelf wtih ONLY a few others...'Toa of Sales,' Behr, 'Major Account Selling,' Rackham, 'Solution Selling and High Prob Selling" and of course the BOMB of them all 'The Selling Fox,' Holden. MUST READ! Honest and real!! No hype and bla-bla about... maybe this, that, and the other.