'Cubicle farms are full of enemy combatants begging to be taken out.' WIRED Achieve clandestine ends practically and inexpensively with Desk Wars - perfect for do-it-yourself spy enthusiasts. Follow fully illustrated step-by-step instructions to build 30 miniature secret weapons and surveillance tools from stationery, transforming common household items into uncommon gadgets and sidearms. Assert dominion over the desktop with these cunning contraptions:

Not a tale of firefights and blood, this book should be read by anyone who lived through the Vietnam era that was not directly involved and did not go to Vietnam. It provides a sense of what went through their minds, the conflicts and confusion and related fears. In a self-deprecating style, the author comes of age, examining these emotions and the guilts of being assigned to a secure area, of leaving a job before it was completed, and abandoning faithful Vietnamese friends. It should be read by anyone who cares about those who went and who want to understand more about them and their era. Forty photos provide a flavor of the year and the place. RAPID CITY JOURNAL 8-21-05 SAYS "MORE THAN OTHER STORIES ABOUT VIETNAM, THIS ONE IS REFLECTIVE, AND THANKFULLY SO. MUEHLBERG SORTS THROUGH THE MORASS TO FIND ENOUGH GOOD TO GIVE HIMSELF AND READERS THE FEELING THAT VIETNAM WAS NOT ENTIRELY AN INSTANCE OF MINDLESS OBLIVION THAT IT SOMETIMES SEEMS." ***Rapid City area may contact author for copies (605-342-4297).***

History.

Daniel Chacón follows his critically praised debut collection of short stories, Chicano Chicanery, with this brilliant debut novel, destined to become a classic in Chicano-American literature. Joey Molina had never been in a fight. The very thought of violence upset him. He only wanted to be an actor, and so he read plays and learned new words with his mother. When he's cast in the lead role in the school play, he's eager to go home and tell his family about it, but his parents have an announcement of their own. In a climb up the socioeconomic ladder, the Molinas move from their Central California barrio to a small town in Oregon where they are one of only three Latino families. The kids in Joey's school assume that since he's a Chicano from California, he must know about gangs and street life. This is when Joey assumes the acting role of his young life. In order to win instant popularity, fear, and respect, he tells everyone that he was in a gang, that he was a member of vato loco, a tough street gang who fought with knifes and chains, and yes, sometimes guns ("Sometimes death was involved," he tells them). The kids listen to his stories with rapt attention. When they urge Joey to start a gang in their small Oregon town, he does, and his new friends become unwitting actors in the comedy of which he is the writer, the director, and the star. However, after years of posturing as a tough guy, he wonders, is he a gang leader, or is he still acting? In the gang fight battle royal, Joey Molina must face his most powerful rivals, his family, and himself. Daniel Chacón renders the heart and soul of his memorable characters with extraordinary insight, crafting a profound story that resonates with emotional intensity.

er*go*nom*ic (er-ga-'na-mik) adj: designed to allow people and the things people use to interact in the safest, most effective, and most comfortable manner You work indoors. You're not on your feet all day and you do no heavy lifting. You have escaped from the brutal nature of most human labor. And yet at the end of the day you feel exhausted. You have vague aches and pains that you are embarrassed to mention to your doctor. If you do, the doctor gives you some equally vague advice: take it easy; don't push yourself; get more rest. If that doesn't work, maybe you're a whiner, a hypochondriac. Or maybe you're being attacked by your possessions. Perhaps you've been making do with a worn-out old mattress in the bedroom, an office chair that won't let you sit up straight, and a computer screen that you struggle to read with your bifocals. You bought a desk and a file cabinet whose colors complement each other perfectly, but you had no idea how downright irritating ordinary furniture can get if the only choice you bother with is matching style and color. Somewhere in this world is a reading light, chair, bed, perhaps even a keyboard and desk, built just for you. This book will show you how to find them.

'Cubicle farms are full of enemy combatants begging to be taken out.' WIREDAchieve clandestine ends practically and inexpensively with Desk Wars - perfect for do-it-yourself spy enthusiasts. Follow fully illustrated step-by-step instructions to build 30 miniature secret weapons and surveillance tools from stationery, transforming common household items into uncommon gadgets and sidearms.Assert dominion over the desktop with these cunning contraptions:”> Paper-Dart Watch”> Pen Blowgun”> Mint-Tin Catapult”> Rubber-Band Derringer”> Toothpaste Periscope”> Bionic Ear”> Cotton Bud .38 Special”> Paper Throwing Star”> 44 marker magnum”> And more!