Audio Books

This book was a good book, helpful. The title was definitely the subject matter, and it's one that is very necessary in our society today. Repetitive in a couple of chapters, but overall I recommend it.

This book helped me get through a very difficult time a while back. In the time since, I have occasionally felt the anxiety levels creep back up, and I have come back to this book. It isn't one to be read one time, but is worth reading again and again.

It is easy to have this book recommended to you, or even to have someone give it to you and leave it sitting on your shelf. I did that when I first received it. Don't do that! Read it and see if you can grow and glean from it as so many of us have done. It can really help you move beyond worry to trust, and it builts more than just anxiety-free living. It helps accomplish the opposite -- contentment and acceptance of your lot. If you struggle with worry or discontentment, this is the first book I would recommend. I can't say that enough!

I couldn't imagine Linda writing a book more helpful than Creative Counter part, but this is the proof (for me at least). This book is applicable to the Christian woman no matter what stage of life she is in. I have found it to be encouraging and helpful in my growing relationship with Jesus. Thanks again Linda.

My sister-in-law gave me this book. It's the best gift I've ever been given. I've bought several copies to give to women in my family and friends. The book addresses what peace we can have when we hand our concerns to God and learn to always be content. I wish I'd read this when I was young. It's a book to read several times as a great reminder to hand it all over to God.

I am an avid reader and rate this as one of the best books I've read in a long time. It is well written with inspiring stories from Eastern Europe to add illustrate the point of each chapter. More than just a good writer, Linda brings out the major obstacles to spiritual growth and what to do about each one. Since reading the book a few months ago I have seen changes in my life.

I just love this story, it's about impossible to put down. It follows the crazy lives of several characters with love, betrayal, operations of the mob, murder-you name it- the only complaint is that it does include MANY graphic sex scenes, almost to the point of over-kill. This is definitely an adult read. I do plan to read the sequels too!

This is by far one of my favorite books. I have read this book, so many times, and each time I love it! Chances is the first book in a series of Santangelo Novels. This book has so much depth to it. I would have rated it wit 10 stars if I could!

This book is about a street hood named Gino Santangelo who grows up with the rough childhood. His Father Paulo, was a drunk, who beat on women, and was in and out of jail, leaving Gino to fend for himself. The one thing Gino knew was that he hated his father with a passion, and would not be like him. Gino,s fathers wife,Vera was a worn out prostitute who, took Gino in and gave him the closest thing to a home. Meanwhile Gino was in and out of Juvenile Homes, and Jail.

In A boys Home Gino Met a small kid named Costa. Costa was a small timid boy, who was getting raped and molested by one of the Men in the Home. Gino walked upon Casta getting molested and came to his defense. This rescue formed a lifetime friendship between Costa and Gino. Shortly after Costa was adopted into a family, and Gino was released because he became of age.

Gino was a small time hood trying to put money in his pockets by committing small crimes and driving. He became involved with Bonnatti a known big time Hustler, and made a name for himself. Costa was always in admiration of Gino, as soon as he was settled he invited Gino to his home. Gino met Costa's sister Lenora and was in love at first site. They made plans to marry, Gino planned on going home to save money then he would send for Lenora. Later Costa delivered the news to Gino that Lenora was already married with a baby.

Years later Costa introduced Gino to Lenora's daughter Maria, it was love at first site. Maria and Gino married and had 2 children Lucky and Dario.
Dario was gay, and never wanted Gino to find out, as Lucky had all the balls and followed in her fathers footsteps. Together Lucky and Gino built an empire which was legitimate Hotel Businesse's in Vegas. This book is all that it has so many twists and turns.

You will be introduced and enthralled by so many more characters like Stephen, Carrie, Enzio, Olympia and so on and so on, dont want to give too much of the book away but I promise that this book is a winner, and Jackie Collins delivers in this novel.

I'm a huge fan of Jackie Collins, and have read all her books! But I must say by far the Lucky series are the best! Make time, find time and you will read over and over again!

I really enjoyed reading Chances. It was my first book by Jackie Collins and I read it pretty quickly even though it is quite long. There were multiple story lines and the story started off in 1977, then backed up to the 1920s. This got my interest because I kept wondering what things had happened in the characters lives to get them to where they were in 1977. I have thought about the book since reading it and also plan on reading the other Lucky Santangelo books. I liked the dialogue between the characters also. This book was great. My only warning is that it is at least "R" rated... so don't read it if you are offended by swearing, drugs or explicit sex scenes.

Those who still haven't met the Santagelo clan should definitely do so by picking up CHANCES. Storyteller extraordinaire Collins pens out an effective saga of a poor boy venturing into the Mafia business of the 20's, where a bunch of friends and foes suffer in the name of love, honor or revenge. The author does a great job delivering an edge-of-your-seat escapism read that goes back and forth in time. Furthermore, The now-infamous I-am-woman-hear-me-roar Lucky Santagelo character is even introduced. Oh yes, CHANCES should definitely be on top of everyone's reading pile.-----Martin Boucher

This is the first Pike book I've ever read. And this book is a must read. I enjoyed it very much. Once you start reading this, you wont be able to put it down. There is a surprise waiting on every page you turn (: The murderer was the last person I thought it would be. This book is very exciting and leaves you wondering. There is a huge twist at the end. The end was okay for me. But I didn't find the end very satisfying. But overall, the book was very good. For any fans of Pike, this is a must read. Hope you enjoy (:

Fall Into Darkness is a really good book if you like horror, romance, drama, and a huge twist. The characters are Ann, Sharon, Paul, and Jeff. Jeff is accusing Sharon of pushing Ann off a cliff. Read this book to find out if she is guilty or not.
Steven, Grade 5 Rhode Island.

this was the best book i've ever read. I don't like reading books as much, but this one really caught my attention.

This is one of the best books I`ve ever read. Its put together so nicely that I was never bored. I don`t regret reading this book and you won`t either.

Fall into Darkness is a great book. It is definitely surprising. It was suspenseful, mysterious, and amazing.It's sooooo good that there's a movie on it. Pike definitely catches the reader's attention. I LOVE this book. This is one of my favorite Christopher Pike book.

As a personal aide to Dobson, Batura gets to see the inner workings of decision-making and running a major organization up close. This book gives a believable look at Dobson, the man, as opposed to Dobson, the radio talk show host, or Dobson, the author. The only concern a reader might have is whether Batura, a current employee of Dobson, glossed over some of Dobson's faults in an effort to keep his job. As a former seven-year employee of Focus on the Family who had several occasions to interact personally with Dobson, I can attest to the accuracy of Batura's take on him. It's a worthy read.

Paul Batura has achieved the perfect blend of biography and leadership primer. He portrays Dr. Dobson as the "Real Deal" that he is--a passionate advocate of biblical morality with a deep love for all God's people. Gadzooks! has captured the heart and soul of Focus on the Family and it's founder...uncompromised faith and truth, prompt and godly service, and practical help with respect. Batura's clear and pleasant style make the lessons to be learned easy and inspire eager application. It's all there!

Gadzooks is a wonderfully written account of the leadership principles that make up the person of Dr. James Dobson. Paul reveals from an inside perspective how and why Dr. Dobson has been blessed by God in leading Focus on the Family in its ministry to families worldwide. These leadership principles are applicable to all people no matter what your profession. It's just good sound advice to live by that breeds success and respect. Paul shares stories of the life of Dr. Dobson that allows the reader to get to know James Dobson in a way that you might not otherwise know. Thanks Paul it's a great book.

Paul Batura's "Gadzooks" is a must-read for everyone looking for sound leadership principles to guide their lives. The writing style is engaging and concise; the illustrations are fresh and entertaining; and the principles are sure-fire nuggets of wisdom that will apply to a wide variety of circumstances. Best of all, the content is based on timeless biblical truths. As a bonus, we find insights into the daily life and heart of James Dobson, giving us an inside picture of the man who has touched millions over so many years.

Highly recommended.

This is not your typical leadership book. Author Paul Batura seamlessly weaves delightful stories about Dr. Dobson as a person and a leader in an easy to read format that gives the reader practical nuggets to emulate. While Dr. Dobson's success and integrity is undeniable, Batura has given us a deeper look into the public figure and captures the heart of the man in this well-written and gem-packed book.

This book features Heyer's bravest, strongest, happiest, and most spirited heroine. One of the best Heyer tales.

I had carefully avoided anything to do with Regency Romances, formula romances, and the like, until a friend (who knew me pretty well, as it turned out) insisted I give 'The Grand Sophy' a try. What a hoot--I loved this book. It really should be required reading for any student of comic literature. The final scene is classic kaleidoscopic comedy at its best. I then went on to read other Georgette Heyer books, but I think this is her finest hour. As it turned out--Heyer, along with Margery Sharp, Angela Thirkell, and others, proved to be inspirational for my own work, 'Composing Molly'. I hope that someday Georgette Heyer gets the credit she deserves for her clever, innovative style.Composing Molly

The Grand Sophy is one of my favorite Heyer books - funny, touching sometimes, with a keen discernment of the absurdities of the Regency world. Heyer used a detailed knowledge of the manners and thinking of the day, even to the slang currently in use or deplored, as the case might be.

This is one of the best of Georgette Heyer's novels. For anyone unfamiliar with her works, she is Jane Austen with an even strong sense of the absurd and the wit to see through people's pretensions. Sophy is the "not-so-little any more" niece of Lady Ombersley, whose arrival promptly sets the family's well ordered world on its ear. Her cousin, Charles, is at first infuriated and then gradually charmed by her no-nonsense ways, and it is clear that the family is in dire need of someone like Sophy to get them out of the doldrums. Charles' intended fiancee, Eugenia, who has a very fine opinion of herself and a very low opinion of everyone else, is one of those prim and proper young ladies who delight in point out others faults "so that they may improve". His younger sister, Cecilia, is in the midst of forming a disasterous relationship with a pretentious young man who writes very bad poetry, and his brother, Hubert, is into gambling debts up to his eyebrows. Sophy, very much the managing female she's accused of being, decides she's arrived in the nick of time to save the family from a disasterous ruin.

This is one of Heyer's most delightful books, full of fun and amusing characters, including Sophy's soon to be mama, Sancia, who seems to be straying from her desire to marry Sophy's papa. Through it all, Sophy maintains a firm hand on the reins, steering the family from the brink of disaster until all of them, most especially Charles, realize what a prize they have in Sophy. For anyone who's never read a really well-written Regancy novel, I highly recommend they start with The Grand Sophy. It's one of the very best.

Much as it grieves me, I can't recommend this book for the insulting description of the Jewish moneylenders which is the big ugly elephant in the room. It is simply a racist chapter in an otherwise delightful book.

My bookclub is entering into its Holocaust Month. Someone recommended this book to me last year and I thought, it sounded interesting enough to read. Interesting just barely describes this book. Haunting is more the word that I think of when I finished this book. Incredibly lucky are two more words.

There are so many books out there about the Holocaust that it can be confusing sometimes to read what. This book definitely should be read simply because it's beautifully moving, tragically sad and not only that, it provides a different viewpoint of what happened during the early years of Nazihood in Germany and before the "Final Solution" was proposed to exterminate the Jews. This happened and I don't recall hearing much about any of this till I read this book. Before Hitler and Goring proposed the death camps and just while trying to get rid of Germany of the non-Aryan blood, they came up with a solution that provides entertainment and music/art/theater productions just for the Jews. This is a place for the Jews to retreat to. They were only allowed to play Jewish pieces written by Jewish artists/musicans. And they were left alone in the 30s and early 40s. Well, not quite completely left alone as they still had to follow the Nazi rules. But it was a place of refuge for the Jews, especially in Berlin.

This book, while devoting a huge portion to the Kulturbund and its orgins, the author writes of his personal family history. His mother and father were musicans in the Kulturbund. And they suffered horrible tragedies as the war progressed over the years. However, they were young, in love and naive like a lot of people were. They did manage to escape Germany but they also managed to leave behind family members which have haunted them and their children even to this day. It is very intense reading at times and with hindsight on the reader's part, it is very hard to fathom their optimism that things will work out ok in the end. Not only that, this book brings up the question of whether or not the Kulturbund was good for the Jews or kept them compliant enough to keep them in Germany instead of escaping to other countries, so the Nazis could gas them too. This book is haunting and disturbing. The questions that the author may have unknowingly stirred are now raised in my mind ... and the answers are not easy to figure out.

This is not your typical Holocaust book nor is it like the other books about the camps ~~ this book simply tells a tale of two musicans who were unfortunate to be caught up in the times that stirred Germany (and the world) ~~ but yet, their love of music has sustained them through the years before they left Germany. Are they heros? Not in the sense that we associate it with. They are more like survivors and like all survivors, they carry a burden of guilt that resounded through the years. But it is a book that honors the memory of those who were left behind in a time of turmoil that even today, still vibrates through the years.

9-28-07

MG's story of his family during the early Nazi era is an unusual glimpse into the lives of German Jews during the period from 1933-1941. He writes about the Kulturbund, an organization created by the Nazis to (1) rid Germany of Jewish influence in the arts and (2) provide propaganda coverage of the maltreatment of Jews by the Third Reich.

In my opinion the book is generally well written and seems to be the result of careful research. My one complaint is that MG frequently quotes conversations which I doubt have been recorded in any way. I don't like that in historical writing, but in this case I was willing to overlook it, because of my interest in the story.

What do we really know about our parents' life before we were born? That depends largely, I guess, on how much of an interest we show - and on how much they are willing to reveal. Because in the life of every person there are instances and times they rather wish to forget, and not revive time and again by discussion, even if only among their nearest and dearest.

Such, in the lives of author Martin Goldsmith's parents, were the years from 1933 through 1941; so much so, in fact, that Goldsmith likens that time to the massive ash tree in the house of Germanic warlord Hunding, the setting of the first scene of Richard Wagner's opera "Die Walkuere:" Something looming large, yet never openly acknowledged. Because before George Gunther Goldsmith, furniture and home decorating salesman of Cleveland, Ohio, and his wife Rosemary, a violinist with the St. Louis Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, became American citizens in 1947, they had lived a whole other life - the hunted life of Jews in Adolf Hitler's Germany. And only years after his mother's death, on a trip to his father's home town of Oldenburg, did Goldsmith catch the first glimpses of what was hidden behind that massive ash tree, and George Goldsmith began to talk about the events which his, the Goldschmidt family had witnessed there; as well as the early life of Rosemarie nee Gumpert in Duesseldorf, the couple's first meeting in Frankfurt, and their later life in Berlin until their lucky escape to the United States. Beginning with this visit, Martin Goldsmith retraced his family's path to the early years of the 20th century, when his paternal grandfather Alex Goldschmidt took residence in Oldenburg, and his maternal grandfather Julian Gumpert settled in Duesseldorf.

How intensely personal this voyage into the past must have been becomes clear in the account of Goldsmith's visit to Oldenburg prison, as a participant in a march retracing the path taken by the Jews - among them the author's grandfather - driven through the streets of Oldenburg in 1938 by Nazi thugs, to later be shipped off (at least temporarily) to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. But although he writes about his very own family, and now in full knowledge of their fate, Goldsmith's narrative is in no way sentimental. With a journalist's detachment he talks about Guenther and Rosemarie, Alex, Julian and their wives and other children; turning a nonfiction account whose outcome is clear from the very start into a heartstopping tale few would be able to believe if presented with it under colors other than that of the plain historic truth.

Prominently featured in Goldsmith's account is the Jewish Culture Association, or Juedischer Kulturbund; as of 1933 the German Jews' only permitted artistic organization, in whose orchestra Guenther and Rosemarie had met and which had formed the center of their life until they finally left the country. One of the most controversial institutions of Nazi Germany, it reunited what was left of the country's Jewish musicians, artists, writers and composers - providing a modicum of shelter in an increasingly hostile environment, but also a convenient tool in the Nazi propaganda machine. Were the members of the Kulturbund instrumentalized to deceive public opinion, at home and abroad, about the true intentions of Hitler's government? By giving their Jewish audience a sense of comfort and "belonging," did they also prevent some of them from rescuing themselves when there still would have been time? The surviving members of the "Kubu" and their families, interviewed by Goldsmith, come down on both sides of the issue; and the fate of the survivors is probably as symptomatic as that of the many who ultimately did perish in Nazi concentration camps - chiefly among those the Kulturbund's charismatic founder Dr. Singer, who not only let himself deceive into returning to Germany after already having reached the safe shores of the U.S. but saw a mark of distinction even in his deportation to the "model" concentration camp of Theresienstadt.

Yet, for Guenther and Rosemarie the years with the Kulturbund were dominated, above all, by the musical companionship they experienced. What does seem to have haunted them most for the rest of their lives, however, was their very escape to America, while their remaining family members were stuck in Europe and, one way or another, died in Hitler's concentration camps - and the feeling that with a little effort they just *might* have saved at least some of them. The letters of Alex Goldschmidt and his younger son Helmut, written to Guenther from captivity in France after their own unsuccessful attempt to flee to Cuba, are among the most chilling testimonials contained in this book; and the decision to translate and include them conceivably cannot have been an easy one for Goldsmith. Indeed, it apparently was the knowledge of his family's fate that, all talent and love of music aside, eventually compelled George Goldsmith to forever retire the flute which, in his life as Guenther Goldschmidt, had been the only item of true importance besides his beloved wife Rosemarie; thus punishing himself in a way no outsider could have done. Yet, the couple's gift for music lives on in their son, who in his own way has brought many hours of joy to radio listeners all over the U.S.

Martin Goldsmith's "Inextinguishable Symphony" - named for Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Fourth Symphony, which sets music, as a parable for life itself, against war, terror and destruction - is as much a personal journey of discovery as a journalist's account of historic facts; seeking to understand rather than to judge. It deals with a time in which morality was thoroughly upset by a profoundly immoral regime, which cannot possibly have remained without effect on anybody who witnessed those events. In applying our own values to those facts, I think we would all do well in being careful to, likewise, make a thorough effort to understand before we judge. Goldsmith's insightful account is a great place to begin such a process.

This story was impossible to put down and when you finish, it stays with you for a very long time. Its hard to believe that Gunther and Rosemary didn't make every effort to help their parents emigrate to U. S. What really bothers me most is, not being Jewish, what would I have done in Germany in the late thirties and early forties when I saw these atrocities happening?

I listened to Martin Goldsmith on "Performance Today" (and still listen to his successor, Fred Child) for many years. This man who for years described classical music on the radio -- composers and their life story, pieces and their histories, in accessible, engaging, and lightly humorous ways, and even sometimes tied it in to his love of baseball -- he also has an extraordinary family story. It's moving and well-written, and makes me think about the extraordinary stories that must dwell in the depths of my own geneological past.

Any edition of this masterpiece is a must-have for any teacher, parent, or human being connected with reading in any way, shape, or form. Mr. Trelease presents a convincing argument for the importance (and joy!) of reading aloud, with plenty of case-studies and touching stories to give an emotional and logical edge.

Trelease says that reading aloud is something that should continue beyond the early childhood years of bedtime reading; just because a child can read on his own does not mean reading aloud is a bad thing--quite the opposite! Reading aloud is a pleasurable activity for people of any age. After all, who does not love to hear a good story? Reading aloud also shares a correlation with improved individual reading skills and overall intelligence. Maybe we can't prove anything, but there are absolutely no down-sides to reading.

This book extends the read-aloud concept to all aspects of learning, from childhood to special education.

Another bonus is a list of recommended read-aloud books.

This is a well-researched and very convincing book that is written with a sparkling syntax. Heck, it's just as fun and fascinating to read as anything else. Definitely a keeper.

This book is a must have for every parent, grandparent, teacher, administrator out there! I went to a seminar in our area that was based on this book and immediately ordered it. I read this wonderful guide and talked my school into having the speakers come to our school district for a Family Night to spread the word about this book!

The parents and teachers who attended our school's program loved the presentation and we gave out copies of the book. Sometimes we know we should do something (like drink 8 glasses of water a day and exercise 30 minutes/5 days a week) but how many people do it until someone, something really drives the message home? Everyone knows or should know that as parents we are supposed to read to our children. It's common sense right? But how many people actually do it regularly and at what point do parents stop reading TO their children? It isn't surprising that most parents QUIT reading aloud to their children as soon as they themselves can read. This book shows the benefits of continuing to read to our children as they mature into teenagers. It does a great job in showing how much children who are read aloud to throughout the grades benefit and how the children who are left behind are usually the children who never were taught how to appreciate the art and pleasure of reading.

It is frightening to me as a parent that alot of parents leave it up to our schools to do it all. We as parents need to take up the responsiblity of helping our children succeed by arming them with the best tool known to education--- READING! If parents can't help their own small brood at home how on earth can they expect a teacher to succeed with a classroom of 20 children?

My family started a Read Aloud program in our home the very evening I attended the seminar and we have gained so much. Not only does it help our son learn but it gives us family time that we will always remember fondly as we grow older.

I recommend this book most definately! ENJOY!

I always carry this book in my minivan so that I'm never without it in the event of an impromptu stop at a bookstore or a library. And I always give it as a gift at baby showers (along with some board books recommended by Jim Trelease as well). Clothes get outgrown, toys break, but books are gifts that just keep on giving --- especially this one. My three sons and I have been introduced to authors and illustrators we would never have even heard of if it wasn't for good ole J.T. Highly recommended; you won't be sorry!

What a wonderful book!!! And what a fantastic resource!! I am so glad I found this while my children are still babies. Their father is grateful as well since this book has inspired him to take an active part in reading aloud to them.

I do wonder if I read the same book as some others!?!? Trelease isn't against phonics. (He says over and over that he's not suggesting we do away with worksheets entirely.) Nor does he push whole language instruction. He simply suggests that the traditional methods of piling worksheets in front of children be balanced out with reading aloud and sustained silent reading. Perhaps some people will find that a scary or threatening proposition. In that case... BEWARE! I for one find it quite refreshing though I don't agree with every one of his social positions. Even if I'm wrong about his positions on phonics, I'd still recommend this book. Regardless of how you choose to teach your child to read, reading out loud to them is STILL a wonderful, vital, bonding thing to do. Kudos to the author for driving that point home.

I have been reading to my babies since the day they were born and I plan to continue through the grades. I thank Jim Trelease for an inspiring and wonderful book.

I read to my kids and I read for pleasure (a lot!)but this book rocked my world. Someone loaned an older copy to me and I thought "Why do I need this? I already read to my kids." I did need it and every parent and teacher needs it too. This book does far more than telling you to read to your kids. It shows you how to do it the right way and it shows you what reading can do for everyone, the very poor, the prison population, special needs children, etc. I have never been so moved by a book. I am not sure how or where but I feel a calling to start or participate in a read-aloud program. This is an excellent book for parents and teachers. I plan to give it again and again.

I thought this might be cheesy. It was fantastic! After having loved Ian Fleming, this was a great substitute. I look foward to reading the rest of the series.

Bored and in excellent health for a woman who is retired with nothing more to look forward to than her gardening meetings, Mrs. Pollifax decides that there are only two choices in her life. Take one giant step off the roof of her building in New Brunswick, New Jersey or pursue a dream that she has had since childhood. With the decision made she boards a bus for Langley, Virginia and decides to be a spy for the CIA. Taking place during the cold war, Emily Pollifax is sent to Mexico to retrieve important documents, that doesn't seem difficult until she is forced to outsmart Red Chinese military men with nothing more than a pocketknife and a Christmas tree. This woman could definitely give MacGyver and Forrest Gump a run for their money.

This is the second Mrs. Pollifax book I have now finished and I adore them. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is a delight in her adventures and this one is full of thrilling adventures. I am now hooked and will be reading every Mrs. Pollifax book there is. They are thoroughly enjoyable...

I've read this book many times as well as listened to the version narrated by Barbara Rosnblatt. I highly recommend both. This book is what whodunit mysteries should all have; a likeable character, strong storyline, suspense, humor and good pacing. All the characters in the book are quite real. Even when the storyline seems hard to believe, you believe it because Mrs. Pollifax says it is so. Emily Pollifax also develops as a character not only within this book but within the whole series.

This book isn't as much a mystery as an adventure/suspense. It's also lighthearted, because Mrs. Pollifax sees this it as an adventure. She was willing to give her life to her country but isn't willing to give in easily!

Though I'm far from retirement age, I felt a kinship with Mrs. P. I think that's the feeling most people get from reading these books. She's the woman next door, the lovable grandmother/aunt figure who also can surprise you. In fact, a lady I talked to said she wanted to be Mrs. Pollifax. My only disappointment is that this book is so short. But then, Dorothy Gilman is a writer who knows when to quit, which only adds to her writing.

If you're new to the Mrs. Pollifax series of mystery books - this is the very first. As such, it's a great place to begin. You'll be completely entertained learning how this grandmother goes to work - undercover - for the United States government. She really is unexpected, as the title declares. She's everything you would wish a grandmother to be - but she's extraordinarily clever, notices details on the fly and incredibly resourceful. If you enjoy Miss Marple from Agatha Christie - you'll also love Mrs. Pollifax. (Although I'd never say the two are interchangeable - they seem to go at detection in entirely different ways). We get into the characters thoughts often - rather than just being pulled through a story's actions blindly. It makes her escapades all the more harrowing when you develop such a feeling for what each side is thinking. Very entertaining. A great bed time read.

The J D Robb series has me hooked. I was very happy that Amazon has back copies on had at a reasonable price.

I love this series... you must read it to understand. It's all about a homicide detective named Lt. Eve Dallas and how she goes about solving a case which always seems imposibble to solve at first.

I love all of the books in this series ! The book was received in perfect condition.

This book is well written. I do not enjoy reviews that give too much of the storyline away, suffice I should say this book does not let me down from the previous Lieutenant Eve Dallas series. However, it will stand-alone, you do not have to read any other book in this series to know what is going on with it. I would not spoil it for you if I were to tell you that the murders start off extremely grisly and get very personal to the investigator. You gotta' love this book because, Lt. Eve will not stop until the killer is found. The suspense kept me going till the end.

The past always comes back to haunt you.... those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. Luckily, both Roarke and Eve have learned from their checkered pasts.

When a mad man decides to punish Roarke for the sins of his youth, Eve becomes a pawn in a game of cat and mouse...but is Eve the pawn or is Roarke? To answer that question, Eve must hunt down a criminal as merciless as the devil himself.... Vengeance is the game. Death is the solution.

I first read Gregg Levoy's book several years ago. It was by far the best book on the subject of callings I had ever come across. Being in the field of organizational development has led me to many books on the topic, but none that compares to this. What I love about this book is that it talks not just of the importance of finding your calling(s), but goes on in depth to address the question of "once you find it what happens next?", as well as "if I follow it and it throws my whole life up in the air, then what?" This book is a rare gem because Levoy draws together many minds on the subject of callings. He is a consummate storyteller, which I love, because it's a book of people's actual journeys rather than purely the author's philosophy. I've re-read this book twice and have bought nearly 500 copies which I give to clients and executive teams, many at major corporations in the US, Canada and Europe. Every time I give it to someone they tell me they've gone on to buy more copies for others. If you read this book and it doesn't speak to you, it might mean you're not ready to pursue a calling that's niggling at you. If so, pick it up again later and you might find it the perfect book. Every time I've read it, something new jumps out at me realting to the place I'm in at the time. I also went on to sign up for Gregg Levoy's Callings Workshop, which was spectacular. It led me to bring the author to both Chicago and the U.K. to speak to my clients. You can find out when his workshops are happening by going to www.gregglevoy.com.

This book is a book that should be read by every person at some point in their lives if not several times in their lives. I have read and re-read Callings several times and each time there is something new to gain from this deep and insightful work. Gregg Levoy's writing is so full and intertwined with ideas, stories, practical exercises and inspiration, that depending on the point you are at in your life, this is the book for you. Whether you have no idea what you want to do with your life, or you need to refine your callings (as Levoy writes we all have more than one), there is a story in this work for you. When I first read Callings I believed I had a good handle of what my calling is, and by the end of my first reading my vision and calling had expanded exponentially. Now I return to this great book to further refine, and find new life in old callings - and to find new callings as my life-path continues. What a gift - and I say again - a must read for a fulfilling life!

I very much enjoyed this book. Here are just a few of my favourite excerpts:

"Our lives are measured out in coffee spoons, they are measured out not in the grand sweeps but in the small gestures. -T.S. Eliot"

"Callings keep surfacing until we deal with them"

"Repetition is fundamental to learning"

"Perhaps the main reason we ignore calls is that we instinctively know the price they'll exact."

"-Tending to small surrenders -letting go of a bad mood, making a choice or a compromise, forgiving someone, parting with fear, saying truth in a moment, spending time w/our children instead of working late again."

"Sometimes however, what first appears to be an enemy turns out not to be, and it is the better part of valor to excercise a heroic quality of discretion in following our calls."

"Be willing to approach obstacles as if they might be allies, and make your leaps of faith accordingly."

"I have discovered that often the best bait to use in luring a call is a little space. When we give off nothing but busy signals, calls don't get through. -GET OFF THE LINE ONCE IN A WHILE."

Eric Maisel - "Hushing" -"Hush your thoughts as if you were comforting a baby. A wild person with a calm mind can create anything."

Read this and find out what is 'calling' you.

I first read Callings when I was given a magazine assignment to write an article on living on purpose. My galley copy is still one that I cherish and have read a number of times in the past decade. Not only is the message sound and true, the way Gregg writes is poetic and melodious. As a writer myself, I read many passages with envy, wondering how he could connect words so well.

When I finally met him for the article interview, I discovered that he writes like he speaks, or is it that he speaks as he writes. In either case, it's wonderful to hear and read.

Feeling a little down about life? Feeling a bit lost and uninspired. Pick up a copy of this book today, and treat yourself to a wonderful reading experience -- one that could quite honesty change your life.

"Callings" is one of my all-time favorite books. The beautiful writing is enhanced by the deep and practical non-stop references he makes to underscore his key points. There's an expression about writers that absolutely applies to him and that is: "Wow, can he turn a phrase!" This book was seductive to me and made me want to savor every page, re-read it and commit it to memory. The stories connect us back to ourselves and what feeds our souls. A true jewel that I am grateful to have found.

Besides the great stories, the pace of the book continued to draw me in and enchant me with one compelling idea after another. The selected and numerous references became great fodder for future reading as well.

One of my favorite phrases (that I cannot remember the context for but is great nonetheless): "mainlining the Serenity Prayer." Gotta love it!

Gregg's work is a gift to anyone who is breathing.

K. Osta
Asheville, NC