The Pucker Factor: One Noncombatants Vietnam Memoirs

Customer Reviews:

MORE THAN A PERSONAL MEMOIR.......2006-06-06

Vietnam veteran and author Daniel "Duke" Webster claims to be a noncombatant but as such, he was awarded a Purple Heart and an Air Medal -- so do not let his humble words fool you. His book, "The Pucker Factor," is entertaining and holds your interest. This is a little different look at Vietnam. He and I flew in the same areas of Nam and I know there were "no free rides" to earn himself crew member wings. So he had to be exposing himself often enough to those hazards associated with the helicopter wars of Vietnam to be awarded a set.

He clearly doesn't portray himself in any way as a hero; even his book's title calls that to public attention. But after reading his book, one will find that he contributed his share to the action and that he was willing to do what needed to be done. I have already read enough combat stories and aviation stories so his stories of "behind the lines action" -- like getting supplies and equipment for his company are refreshing and kind of remind me of those old TV stories from MASH.

It is a readable and likeable book. It does have some black and white photos of Vietnam.

Another Review by a noted reviewer.......2004-07-24

I am the author and would like to share with you one more review my book has recieved.

Reviewer: Jack P. Wise B.S., M.S. for Shirley Johnson.
..."Most dates are omitted..."I found this omission of dates actually enhanced the work by directing the reader's'attention more to the author's expierences and not reading like a military document..."Ï found the book to be a new, delighful and refreshing approach to America's most terrible war..."Vietnam war literature enthusiasts will certainly appreciate Staff Sergeant Webster's breezy, folksy style of writing of his personal expierences of the war...."Those who appreciate personal expierence non-fiction works and works concerning the Vietnam War will certainly not want to omit this book from their reading list." June 2004

A non-com's memoirs of Viet Nam--interesting reading.......2004-07-05

I love to read memoirs, and Daniel Webster's "The Pucker Factor" is a good one because he covers the good, the bad and the ugly about himself as he recounts his story of his time in Viet Nam in the heart of the war. He was not a "war hero"--instead, his role was as a non-combatant, as a clerk and photographer and assisting the 336th Assault Helicopter Company in making maps for missions. He had a number of roles as a non-combatant in Viet Nam, moving around the country, starting as an information sergeant, ending up in intelligence. But the real story Webster tells is of the life of a soldier off-duty in Viet Nam.

The stories are of a soldier's daily life, human interest stories. The problems with a wife in distant Oklahoma, the girls he meets, loves and loses in Viet Nam. Webster was no angel though he tried to be a gentleman. So this book has stories of pimps, prostitutes and sex and drinking. Nothing you wouldn't have heard from the average Nam vet, but still, beware this isn't a pretty tale in every aspect. But it's an honest one. Webster talks about his own faults, while trying to give the reader a feel for what life was like during the war.

The writing is pretty good--Webster can tell a story well. The photos are grainy as one would expect in a paperback edition and that's a shame--I can tell some of them are excellent photos and I'd love to see them reproduced as they are meant to be seen. I enjoyed the book a lot; it reminded me of the tales my classmates and friends told me about their time in Viet Nam.

Book Description

How did Roland Barthes -- who was from a provincial background and only began publishing at the age of 38 -- become a touchstone of late, 20th-century literary and cultural theory? How could a writer who never won a literary prize become the prime theorist and practitioner of écriture? Is it possible to write about the intellectual life of a thinker whose major concern, at the end of his career, was to undermine and refute any attempt to fix his image or ideas?

Following the recent publication of Roland Barthes's Complete Works, this book explores Barthes's unorthodox rise to intellectual stardom and the development of his ideas and writing practices throughout his career. Aware of the pitfalls in adopting a biographical approach to the arch critic of bourgeois myth and the theorist who famously proclaimed the "Death of the Author," Andy Stafford attempts to locate Barthes somewhere in the dialogue between the writer and his time, the man and his work, the author and his subject.

Dividing Barthes's life into three distinct phases -- the polemical journalist of post-war France, the academic theorist in the 60s, and the celebrated intellectual of the 1970s -- this unique intellectual biography establishes the conditions in which it was possible for a academic outsider to become, in a little over a decade, one of France's most celebrated intellectuals, revealing the uneasy relationship between academia and artistic creativity.

Average customer rating:

1 of 3 useful books

excellent resource for treatment options info

Feelin' hot, hot, hot!

Menopause for Dummies

Sorry, I'm no dummy!

Menopause For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness))
Marcia L., Ph.D. Jones , Theresa, M.D. Eichenwald , and Nancy W. Hall
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Menopause | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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The Menopause Survival Guide: Surviving the Change of Life

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Is it Hot in Here? Or is it me? The Complete Guide to Menopause

ASIN: 0470053437

Book Description

Although menopause is a natural and inevitable stage in every woman’s life, its physical, mental, and emotional manifestations can vary greatly from one person to the next. Add to this all of the conflicting “expert” information about the benefits, risks, and side effects to which women are exposed on a daily basis, and it’s easy to see why most find it difficult to make informed choices about how to deal with their menopausal symptoms.

Authored by a team of acknowledged experts in treating menopausal symptoms, Menopause For Dummies arms you with all the information you need to stay in control every step of the way. In plain English, it explains the role menopause plays in a variety of common health problems, such as osteoporosis, stroke, and heart disease. It walks you through proven measures for minimizing your risk of developing complications through including diet and exercise, stress management, hormone replacement, and other techniques. And it arms you with authoritative, up-to-the-minute coverage of:

Premenopause how to identify it and what it means
The stages of menopause
How menopause can affect your body, emotions, and libido
The latest facts about hormone replacement therapy
The pros and cons of various alternative treatments
The best ways of handling hot flashes
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Preventing bone loss
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With Menopause For Dummies in your corner you’ll have a kinder, gentler “change of life.”

Customer Reviews:

1 of 3 useful books.......2005-08-15

No one book was able to satisfy my research needs, and I ended up writing a two page memo that combined description with prescription in drawing out the best information across all three books (copy posted to OSS.Net Library under Reference). I deeply regret that I did know look into this ten years ago--both men and women need to understand this stuff before they hit 40. A great deal of emotional misunderstanding could be avoiding if *both* men and women absorbed this knowledge early on. Of the three books, this is the middle one in terms of utility and ease of use. The other two books that I recommend are Colette Bouchez, "Your Perfectly Pampered Menopause" (2005, the most time-consuming to read, but also the most up to date with some real gems of knowledge), and "The Menopause Survival Guide" which is the shortest and also the best starting point.

excellent resource for treatment options info.......2003-06-22

I bought another book that gave a thorough explanation about menopause and it's symptoms, but this book did an excellent job of covering the many treatment options available. The alternative treatments were covered in this book better than any other information I have read. In spite of all the menopause treatment web sites, books, & articles I have been reading for 2 years, I was not aware of the effects phytoestrogens have on women who have not had a hysterectomy. This is something more women need to be aware of!

Feelin' hot, hot, hot!.......2003-03-13

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a dummy when it comes to Menopause. When my wife's libido went spiraling downward, and she started sweating profusely (watching TV), and her mood changed from one second to the next, I started to grow suspicious -- could my wife have Menopause?

At first, I didn't know how people got Menopause. All I knew was that it was not geographically biased and that it primarily affected women. Without a proper medical diagnosis, I was hesitant to tell my wife that I thought she had Menopause. I had to get my facts straight. I needed a book that was going to tell me everything I needed to know about Menopause. A book that could confirm my suspicions and help my wife onto the road to recovery.

"Menopause for Dummies®" provides a fascinating examination of menopause's range of symptoms and treatments. This comforting book reassures you that you are not alone - there are hundreds of people in the world that suffer from this same condition - and there is help. Hormone therapy, herbal elixirs, and good old rest and relaxation are just a few of the ways that can help you deal with Menopause. In no time, you'll be back to living a long, healthy, regularly occurring menstrual-cycle lifestyle.

After reading "Menopause for Dummies®" I learned everything I wanted to know (and a few things I didn't) about Menopause. I'm confident, that if I ever get Menopause, I'll know how to treat it in a safe and rational way.

And you will too.

Menopause for Dummies.......2003-02-28

This book helped explain the mysteries of the process my mother is going through right now and what I will go through in the future. It was helpful knowing that there are alternatives to hormone therapy and also measures I can take to help prepare me for Menopause. The author did a great job of eplaining the important information in terms that I could understand and remember. I like that there was humor placed at important parts to help reiterate the fact that this process isn't the end of the world and won't have to be as bad as some people make it sound.

Sorry, I'm no dummy!.......2003-01-12

Gosh, I hate the word DUMMIES. The information in this book is basic but is written in a bit of a condescending manner. The delivery is often simplistic, if not silly. (For example, they say my ovaries were dozing and asleep. That's why my period was late some months. Silly.) The Dummies book reminds me of how a mother might explain something to a little kid. (Gee, I hate that word Dummies.) I am sure it is a coincidence that two similar books came out the same month, but of the two, I much prefer The Menopause Survival Guide by Donna Rogers, which I purchased. In that book, the information is delivered like two adult women were sitting around talking about menopause, and one is explaining to the other what is actually going on in their bodies.

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Atkins: The Complete Cookbook
Atkins Nutritionals Inc.
Manufacturer: Time Inc Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter

ASIN: 193227328X

Book Description

If you thought Atkins was just about eating bun-less cheeseburgers and eggs, you're in for a mouthwatering surprise.Whether you're hankering for something light and refreshing, such as delicate Asian Lobster Salad, Gingery Grilled Chicken and Peaches, or Poached Salmon with Julienne Vegetables, or you yearn for some good old-fashioned comfort foods like Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken or Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding, you'll find it in this enticing savory to sweet recipe collection.All 201 recipes will satisfy your appetite for wonderful-tasting foods and keep your speeding toward your weight-loss goals.

Atkins Complete Low-Carb Cookbook: Lose Weight with 183 Healthy New Recipes

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Atkins Complete Low-Carb Cookbook: Lose Weight with 183 Healthy New Recipes
Editors at Atkins Nutritionals
Manufacturer: Time Inc Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Healthy | Special Diet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

DESCRIPTION: Back by popular demand, this latest full-color volume of mouthwatering recipes answers all of your mealtime needs while satisfying even the heartiest appetite.Whether you're concerned about your health and weight, have a picky family to feed or you're just looking for a fresh crop of recipes for your collection, this user-friendly volume holds the key.Whipping up such morning eye-openers as coconut-topped Sunrise muffins, wowing your dinner guests with Port Tenderloin with Orange-Rosemary Sauce and relishing the sweet-tart flavor of our Lemon-Blueberry Tart is as easy as turning the pages.And because this is Atkins, you'll also get the at-a-glance facts you need to follow the Atkins Nutritional Approach, including grams of Net Carbs for each recipe, appropriate phase and acceptable food information, as well as a recap of the basic principles of the groundbreaking weight-loss program that has helped millions of people lose weight and feel their best.

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Sew-It-Yourself Home Decor: Fabric Projects for the Living Room, Bedroom & Beyond
Karen Coetzee , and Rene Bergh
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Today's homeowners want their homes to be distinctive and stylish without hiring expensive decorators and designers. They want to do it themselves and realize that the heart of a home's personality is in the details - the window dressings, bed coverings, throw pillows, lampshades - all those subtle accents that in combination make a statement about the people who live there.

This beautifully illustrated book presents simple step-by-step instructions for more than 30 home dec projects - from curtains to chair covers - for every room in the house.

Full instructions for making curtains, swags, cornices, valances, tiebacks, cushions, bolsters, chair pads, throw pillows, chair covers, lampshades, duvet covers, bedcovers, pillowcases, tablecloths, napkins, and place mats

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TULIPS, is full of fascinating and useful information for the avid tulip gardener, including: where tulips came from, the great variety of tulips today, the many different uses to which tulips can be put, and much more.

Bulbs: Complete Gardener (Time-Life Complete Gardener)

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Bulbs: Complete Gardener (Time-Life Complete Gardener)
Time-Life Books
Manufacturer: Time-Life Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Complete book of bulb gardening
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THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BULBS

Manufacturer: Doubleday
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The Complete Book of Bulbs
F.F. & Esther C. Grayson Rockwell
Manufacturer: Garden City, N.Y.: The American Garden Guild & Doubleday & Company, 1953
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The Complete Book of Bulbs
F.F. & Esther C. Grayson Rockwell
Manufacturer: Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1953
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The Complete Book of Bulbs
F.F. & Esther C. Grayson, Illustrated by Rockwell
Manufacturer: Garden City, N.Y.: The American Garden Guild & Doubleday & Company, 1953
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The Complete Book of Bulbs
F. F. Rockwell and Esther C. Grayson
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The complete book of bulbs
F. F Rockwell
Manufacturer: Lippincott
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Excellent Book

Wonderful and Inspiring

This book is not for everyone

Good about waterbirth experience, only.

Great for 1st time mom.

Choosing Waterbirth: Reclaiming the Sacred Power of Birth
Lakshmi Bertram , Michel Odent , and Sandra Amrita McLanahan
Manufacturer: Hampton Roads Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Pregnancy & Childbirth | Women's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1571741526

Book Description

A yoga instructor and mother of five shares a revelation: Childbirth doesn't have to be painful, stressful, or degrading. In this age of the epidural epidemic, when birth is treated as surgery or illness, "Choosing Waterbirth" details how to make childbirth a positive experience, both empowering and beautiful. Bertram, who chose the waterbirth method for each of her children, gently explains how this natural, harmonious, healthy, and low-pain birth method allows women to reclaim the dignity and sacredness that is the true essence of the birth experience.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2007-05-18

As we plan a home water birth this book was full of great stories and information. An easy read.

Wonderful and Inspiring.......2007-02-20

As a first time mom, I really found this book to be a nice read that I really enjoyed. It was very readable and not clinical or hard to read like many other childbirth books. I identified with the author and appreciated her birthing stories. I felt like I understood where she was coming from and I really enjoyed the inclusion of photos. She touched on many topics, including breastfeeding and infant massage, but really focused well on the benefits and reasons to consider waterbirth. I found it inspiring and am very glad that I read it. I am recommending to my midwife.

This book is not for everyone.......2006-10-13

After reading the great customer reviews and the description of the book, I was really looking forward to getting my hands on it. I soon saw that there's not much content (it only took a few hours for me to get through) and the place she comes from does not resonate with me. She sees the birth process as inherently painful; I do not. This made it difficult for me to get through the book because she mentions pain many times. That was not inspiring (or even simply nice to read to it) in the least. She also comes from the place of labor being inherently hard or difficult; I do not. I see it as an ecstatic, rewarding, and a possibly pleasurable experience.

I was hoping for more of an objective point of view, or, at the very least, a positive point of view about labor and birth. This book is basically about her own experiences. She does give the basics of waterbirth, of course, and why it's appealing. It isn't necessarily a means for pain relief if the woman isn't experiencing pain, though, which she doesn't mention at all. Her birth stories were filled with a lot of difficulty and pain, for the most part, and I finished the book trying to figure out what I learned. Not much; just a little bit about the basics of waterbirth.

The yoga chapter and baby massage chapter are awesome, and I can also see how this would be a great book for the average, mainstream mom. However, I wouldn't recommend it because with the small amount of content and the subjective point of view, I'm inclined to suggest that other people simply look up information online or spend their money elsewhere.

Good about waterbirth experience, only........2006-01-24

This book was a good source for me to know what the waterbith was. Bertram is not a doctor or science expert in this field, she is someone who gave birth 5 times and shared her experience. All that she mentions in the book should not be taken as granted. Like that it is not necessary to take the baby for check up as soon as it was born because "he won't change in an hour". Wrong. First of all, at the hospitals babies are placed on their mothers' chests for a while. There is an Apgar test, which should be done on the baby when she is one minute old and then again in 5 minutes to check on any warnings and prevent further complications with child's health. Bertram also discourages women from pain relief medication, claiming it results in forceps and vacuum. Wrong again, if a mother can't stand the pain, she is not able to concentrate on pushing. Forceps and vacuum is dangerous but mother can insist on not using them.
Read this book if you want to experience the waterbith, which is a very soothing method of childbirth and can be done either at home or at the hospital. However, do not take all of the book's statements for granted - a specialist did not write it.

Great for 1st time mom........2003-09-13

This book supports women who are looking to give birth to and parent their baby au naturale.

Choosing Waterbirth did so much to prepare me psychologically for the road ahead, as a first-time mom planning for a non-medicated waterbirth. I read so many books that attempted to enlighten me as to what to expect from natural birth, and how to prepare for it psychologically, but could never quite 'get it'. Well this one took the cake. The author described the process in such a way that I felt like I was there going through it myself. Because she described first-person her five stories of waterbirths, she was able to take it on a very deep and personal level, which allowed me to imagine that I was her as I was reading her story. I could never get a clear picture of what to expect when reading other natural birth/ water birth books, but this novel format finally gave me the understanding I wanted. In the end, I was able to feel this woman's strength as she pushed through the pain, which gave me courage rather than fear of the pain in my own birth experience. This book also thoroughly covers the 3 stages of birth, described in a way that I could get a good understanding of without having ever gone through the process myself.

There's also an extensive chapter on prenatal yoga, with easy-to-follow pictures to learn the excercises, and guidance on relaxation and breathing techniques. She also tells you how to 'set the mood' for the occasion; how to choose and dress up the environment for maximum comfort.

The books ends with post-partum help: supportive information on breastfeeding, infant massage, and co-sleeping with your baby.

The information was obviously intended more for the birthing mother rather than the midwife/birth assistant. It covers many details and specifics that are important to the mother...attaining a tub (not building your own), finding a waterbirth center, who should & shouldn't consider waterbirth, and several resources to look into to 'make it happen'.

I thought this book complemented Water Birth by Napierala very well.

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