B Books

I recently read the book Lunchmeat and Life Lessons and was inspired greatly. It was very motivating and 'real life' which I very much appreciated. Since I work in the Staffing Industry, I was moved even more by the stories

I was given Lunchmeat and Life Lessons as a Christmas gift. I couldn't have recieved a better gift at a better time. I was recovering from a severe illness so I was able to reflect on the words of wisdom that seemed to flow from each page. I tried to put into personal perspective the things that John Bichelmeyer was telling his daughter. A small successful businessman,sharing principals of success.
This isn't a book about business bottom lines,P&L sheets,or how to reduce overhead by cutting back on customer service.It's just the opposite. Its about a business commodity that is too often overlooked in today's fast paced world:People. That includes customers,employees,even the mailman-anyone that walks through the doors of business and the doors of life.Without people you have nothing!
As a young boy I remember my grandfather taking me to this meat market. I looked up at the counter at a man in a funny hat.I know now that was John Bichelmeyer. I remember my grandfather saying he didn't know why the butcher always gave us extra lunchmeat with our order. Whether Mr.Bichelmeyer did it because he thought we might need it or because he was putting on the comeback sauce I don't know. A little of both I suspect.
Forty-five plus years and three generations later I'm still going to Bichemeyer Meats! What do comeback sauce and hunks of meat have to do with business? Everything! Because the principals work today just as they did back then. They trancend cultural boundries,oceans, and continents. Just try them one at a time and see for yourself.It doesn't matter if you are a one man show or a billion dollar corperation, the outcome is the same.
Using the Life wisdom in this book,you'll reach success on a higher plane with the people you manage in business,in life and with family. The principles work !
Everyone should read this book and apply the Butcher's wisdom on a daily basis. It will make a difference in so many ways. Some will take time,some you'll know immediately,but trust me you- will see the improvement.
Thanks Mary for sharing your father's wisdom with us! Thanks Mr Bichelmeyr for the extra lunchmeat. That as they say, was good groceries!

This was a fastastic book full of life lessons and knowledge on how to treat people. I read the book in about 2 hours and then gave to both of my kids (one grown and one a teenager) for them to read.

My book club read this book (Mary Lucas is a local author and friend of one of our members) and collectively we would encourage you to take a couple of hours and read it as well. We think you will find that the "Life Lessons" are so simple and applicable, that you literally can use them within minutes of reading and they cover all aspects of life. There is nothing fancy about the words, advice, or meaning of the life lessons put forth by John Bichelmeyer, which makes them even more endearing in that they are his basic ingredients for dealing with everyday life. He did not prepackage his meats, and this book is true to that practice of quality by capturing how Mr. Bichelmeyer lived his life with fundamental acumen that served him well and which enabled him to address the challenges that life dished up with almost appreciation versus frustration. As John Bichelmeyer illustrates, it is not just your education that prepares you for life, it is learning a lesson, keeping it simple and in your pocket for future use (or your butcher's apron as the case may be!). Thank you Mary for sharing your father and an evening with our club!

I read this book at the behest of my employer, and was I ever sorry for doing so.


I felt that the author wrote the book more to launch a speaking career than to honor her relationship with her father. The author begins every life lesson from the point of view that her father, a successful butcher, is an idiot and could never understand the world of business. That is until she hits a snag on her road to the top, in which case the old man is ready with the wisdom and the come-back sauce. And at the end of every lesson, the author was never more proud to be the old man's daughter.

The book, as a whole, comes off as contrived while the writer comes off as more than a little self absorbed. As for the life lessons, well, they're just sappy enough to pass for 'wisdom' if you're not too discerning.

This book offers a better summary than the vain APUSH textbook from Houghton Mifflin which spends nearly 30 pages for every chapter gabbling useless stuffs (it always describes every president's personal characteristics. It talks too much about historically insignificant materials while spending too less for significant points). But a reader can get those summaries from any other major publishers such as Kaplan, REA, McGraw-Hill, etc. All of them have answers and some of them have explanations about them. Kaplan and REA have CD or internet support for further assistance.
This AMSCO version does not have any answer or explanation about them, or any further support besides the analogue papers. If you don't have a private tutor to point out what's wrong with your answers, do NOT but this book. What's the benefit if you answer the questions and have difficulties knowing that's correct or wrong?

Before, my Ap US History class used this big textbook that was so hard to understand. Then I got this book, and I'm telling you it's the most effieceint way to learn about history. It's so easy to understand and it covers everything you basically need to know.
I would highly recommend this book to any struggling AP US Hisotry student.

This book could easily be used as the primary source for someone studying for the AP US History exam. In fact, on the inside of the front cover, there's a table for names like in regular school books. So if you're looking for a prep book that you can use to prepare a week or two before the exam, this might not be the best choice. But if you use it throughout the year and actually read through it and do the exams, I would find it pretty amazing to not get a 5. Plus, it's written well, and is as entertaining as a book about US history can be.

Like other people have said though, there are NO answers for any of the questions in the book. Of course, the internet (google) can solve that problem... so don't let that dissuade you from buying this wonderful book.

This has to be the best book to prepare you for APUSH. I found out about this book through an ap forum and read about how people read this and got a 5 on the ap exam. It's extremely straightforward with only about 30/700 pages for introductions, index, and practice exam with the rest of the 670 pages pure content and practice questions/dbq.

This book doesn't dance around American history with dumb strategies and tiny summaries like Barron's or PR. This book also doesn't try to appear bigger with a huge amount of practice tests either *though REA is also a good choice for APUSH*. It gives you everything you need to know for the exam in a clear and straightforward style.

This is probably the best book out there for the AP US History exam. Along with this book I also had Princeton's Review and REA and of the three, this one was definitely the best. I've got to warn you this book is pretty long, but if you are willing to put in the work of reading it, then you will definitely reap the rewards. With this book I GOT A 5!! It has all the information you need to know and sample DBQ's and FRQ's at the end of EACH chapter, something that Princeton's or Barron's definitely doesn't have. If you are look for the BEST preparation for the APUSH exam then this is it!

The story of three very good friends who must check their baggage in order to maintain healthy and meaningful relationships. They all start out in not so good places and come full circle. Good book.

Baggage Check is the story of 3 male friends who grow up and outgrow their womanizing ways. The tale is well told and thought provoking. You will recognize some of the men who have pushed up on you in the past. If you're blessed, you are one of the women who these men finally recognized they needed. Read it - with a quickness!

Can't say much except Curtis Bunn is a future star. I can't believe Baggage Check is ihs FIRST novel, but I do see why it was No. 1 on the Essence best-seller list. I'm mad at myself that I just discovered this book.
Without giving away the story, it's a lot of life lessons and insight and humor and passion and emotion and fun in this book. Each character had a different voice and a different set of baggage, and the way Bunn crafted each person's growth was extremely smooth and realistic and moving for me. This is one of my favorite books. I highly recommend it ot anyone who loves great writing, great characters (and some strong women characters, too), great stories and learn something in the process, you should read this book.
Lana Rickett, New York, NY

I loved this book so much. When my book club chose this book, I wasn't looking forward to reading it because I don't like relationship books. But, this book isn't just about male/female relationships. It explores the bond between male friends. By the end of the book, I grew to like all the male characters, especially the bond shared among the three male characters. It was great that the author exposed this to the rest of the world. Also, the author came to my book club's meeting and we found him to be a great guy. You won't be disappointed with this book. It's a great read.

Julian, Greg and Larry have been best friends since their childhood in Washington D.C. All three have different career paths and place value on different things, however they all have two things in common, their love for each other, and their inability to maintain a monogamous relationship.

Julian, the professor, says he loves his girlfriend Joanne but ends up in the sack with her sister and soon after said tryst finds out that Joanne is pregnant. He plans on taking care of his child, but his commitment to Joanne is lukewarm. Greg, the penny pinching bookstore owner, made the "mistake" of telling his long time love that he plans to marry her. Now her constant haranguing about when the marriage will take place is getting to him. Finally there's Larry, the aspiring actor and "playa". He spreads himself around and sticks with no one long enough for the words commitment or relationship to pop up. No woman has been able to hold his attention in that way. In today's climate these three are really quite ordinary in terms of their behavior and value systems. What makes Julian, Greg and Larry special is that they all learn by means of one fairly extraordinary event that they all have "baggage", which needs to be checked. (read the book for explanation). Once their baggage has been checked they all learn to love more freely.

As a female reader I was skeptical about how a story about men, written by a man would speak to me and speak about women. However, Baggage Check was a pleasant surprise. All the elements of a good story are there, believable characters, a startling beginning, a middle that held the reader's interest and a happy ending. Parts of this story in fact were uproariously funny as well as touching. How women are portrayed really became background for the real story of personal growth that happened for each of the characters. Yes the women were there and aided in the growth but the men had to do the hard work on their own. Bunn enabled this reader to drop her skepticism by simply writing a good story.

As a yoga instructor I look at yoga books with a critical eye. I love this one. In fact after reading it and going through some of the yogafit sequences, I actually signed up for and took a yogafit teacher training. This is now the only style I want to teach. It is a blend of Iyengar, Hatha, Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga.

This book has very clear, large photos and easy to follow instructions. I use it almost every day. Modifications for almost each pose are given to make it easier.

This is an outstanding reference for those new to yoga as well as a more seasoned practitioner. The information is clear, concise, does not confuse and overwhelm you with too much detail. There is enough information provided to move you safely through the asanas and suggested sequences at the end. I especially find the book layout quite handy for quickly locating the pose I am interested in. All the photos appear on the left page, with the text information on the right so you can fan quickly through the book to locate what you are looking for. The back section includes complete sequencing for three levels of practice, and the final portion shows asanas that will particularly enhance several sports activity that you may be engaged in. Having personally heard some of the really weird ideas people have about what yoga is and does, I applaud Beth's fresh and unintimidating presentation of the physical benefits of this practice.

I liked the book a lot. It's a great reference. I noticed some of these books reviews refer to silly negative postings but I didn't see them anywhere. Sounds like some jokster posted a bunch of silly stuff so kudos to Amazon for taking action. They sounded hilarious though.

Anyway, great book. I like YogaFit a lot. It's just a basic Yoga practice for people like me who need some help with the lower back and hips without all the philosophy behind it . I already have a philosophy about life and like to reap the benefits of hatha yoga without necessarily subscribing to anything. I think YogaFit is a genius program.

Bravo Beth!

Don't listen to the negativity being thrown around by some about either Beth Shaw or her program. Shaw has built a program of real Yoga for ordinary people seeking to start down the path of Yoga. Yes, her program attempts to simplify Yoga by removing Sanskrit and chanting -- but that doesn't mean her variety of Yoga is any less authentic. I see it as no different from what other Yoga instructors have done around the country by using English translations of poses and focusing on communication of the health and energetic benefits of Yoga poses.

And, by the way, YogaFit teachers do train in the esoteric aspects of Yoga (meditation, Chakras, philosophy, ancient texts and Sanskrit) when they participate in Shaw's Yoga Alliance approved program.

Shaw has built quite a following, with people traveling all over the country to take classes with her. Her style is simple, elegant and easy to understand, just like this book!

Namaste!

My youngest daughter is a force of nature who, at age four, didn't show any signs of being interested in books other than those she could color. Her three older siblings had all begun reading at an early age, wanting to know more about the words they'd hear during story time. My little girl dug in her heels, however, and refused to sound out even single-syllable words. Then I bought the Bob Books and something happened. I don't know if it is the dot-to-dot drawings that intrigued her, the idea that it's like opening a present each time she opens a box to retrieve a book, or if it's simply that her mind was ready for the experience that day. Regardless, she's now well on her way to experiencing the wide world of books. She's proud of her new ability and we're proud of her, as well.

We purchased this series (there are 5 sets) for our homeschooling son when he turned three, on the recommendation of Susan Wise Bauer, author of the Well trained mind. Our son loved them from the time we began using them until now. It is the only beginning reader series that we have used religiously. Although we do have other titles from other reader series, we've been most pleased with these.

We approach each set sequentially, and supplement them with Phonics Pathways, another reading resource that I highly recommend and tried at Bauer's suggestion. Once he's gradually worked a particular set, we let him choose which book he'd like to read in it so that he can pick his "favorites", setting aside any that are no longer challenging or stimulating for him. Some days he needs the confidence boost of an easy read, and other days, he's anxious to tackle the next Bob Book Challenge.

We even have a sticker chart so that he can see at a glance how far he's come along in the series. Just a few thoughts. Don't let the black line drawings discourage you. This is not in any way a deterrent for the child. Our son hardly notices that they are not colored pages because he enjoys the characters and they are just what he needs without offering too much information as he sounds his way through each book. These are the books he turns to when he wants to show off his reading abilities to his grandparents. Some have suggested allowing the child to color in them, but if you plan to use them for more than one child, I would not recommend it. We have never even presented it as an option, and he's never questioned why the pictures aren't colored- he just accepts it as a matter of fact, and it's been fine. He prefers to draw and create his own artwork, but if your child insists on coloring the pages, don't let that be a hindrance- let them color the pages. I give this product 5 stars!

I could not believe it. These are just perfect to grab a 4 year old's attention. My son loves it so much that he wants to read these every night. I had bought a lot of other Reading Level 1 books before trying these.. these are just incredible - worth every penny!!

My son, who turned 4 last September came home in November from his Montessori school saying that he read some words today. I had searched around for some early readers and all of the books that I had originally found were not very phonetic at all. Then I found the Bob Books. We bought Level A, Set 2 and then Level B, Set 1. By the end of January, he had completely breezed through these sets and has moved onto other books. We find these are a great at home compliment to the "Mac and Tab" books often found at Montessori schools.

We are amazed at how well he's doing. I know kids who are 5 and 6 that cannot read as well as he can. And its not just books ... he's now reading street signs and signs that we see around the city!

These books are excellent and make great gifts for young readers!

Good Job Bobby Lynn!

Joanne

These books are easy for a child who is a starting reader. My son liked the stories and thought they were funny,

This is a good book to read if you are a serious yoga practitioner or teacher, since it reviews in a simplified way the Yogasutras of Patanjali and Iyengar's point of view on life and life experiences. It has nothing to do with religion, it is just a different take on life that might prove useful and enlightening.

If you love yoga, or even think you would like to practice, this book is a must. Iyengar is the guru who will help you see the light and love of your practice and understand what yoga really is all about. I refer back to the book all the time. Merritt Becker, Maputo, Mozambique

Mr. Iyengar writes so anyone can understand and brings humor to complex subjects. The book has helped me deepen my yoga practice immensely. I completely recommend to anyone, especially those choosing to follow the yogic path.

I thought this was quite an interesting book of life--the life of B.Y.S. Iyengar. Recommended for those who are real curious.

This is a surprisingly accessible overview of yoga and levels of practice. It is not a "how to" manual, but rather a "why to" manual with insights for the beginner as well as the experienced.

One of the few books to ever make me cry while reading. Even a movie doesn't often take me there. This book made me want to kiss my children, read my Bible and give my husband a great warm hug. Life was so deeply felt even in the midst of such terror.

I need another one....get to writing Mrs. Ray.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've read several other similar ones, but this one managed to achieve a balance that many of the others did not. It was also very suspenseful. The plot of this novel is built around the little known midwives of the Exodus story. Ray's protagonist, Puah, is an apprentice midwife to Shifrah. Puah demonstrates great strength and integrity. I felt it was very spiritual and uplifting without being corny.

Puah is the heroine of the novel. She is a young midwife living in Pharoah's world. When she is given orders by Pharaoh to kill all male Hebrew babies, Puah finds the courage within her to defy him.
I found this book to be more of a love story, than a historical fiction novel, but that didn't bother me the least bit. Puah and her husband Hattush's love story was so moving. Certain parts were real tear-jerkers. I really appreciated the quotes from the Bible at the beginning of each chapter.
I was so sad to see the book come to an end.

This book provides a very vivid picture of how the events may have unfolded around the time of Moses's birth. It is nice to be able to understand the characters and how they may have acted and felt. At its best, this tale is both informative and moving.

However, this is not a piece of great literature. The story is, sometimes painfully, contrived and trite. The repetition of phrases like "fine linen" and awkwardly used flashbacks quickly become grating.

The story of Puah is compelling, but the telling of it is not. Despite its weakness, this is still a good read for those who want new insight into a very familiar story.

A wonderfully written and fascinating tale of the midwives Puah and Shiphrah. Brenda Ray brought the characters to life unfolding a story filled with romance, inspiration and gripping drama. A very enjoyable book; I was a bit sad for it to end. I found The Midwife's Song to be a more compelling read than The Red Tent.

I really only got this book as an 'extra' purchase, to qualify for free shipping. However it has become an unexpected hit with my 16 month old who can now identify most of the animals from the pictures, and she will ask for this book over and over and over again.
The book includes some rather obscure animals, which probably wouldn't be on my 'introductory list' of animals for a young child. My list would probably run "lion, tiger, bear, cat, dog" (which are also included)... rather than the "gosling, chinchilla, parakeet, egret and kookaburra" which you'll also find in this book. My husband and I have both learned a few new animals as well!
All in all and great buy that keeps my daughter entertained for hours.

This is my 10-month old twins' FAVORITE book in the world (and we have LOTS of baby/children's books). I think they like the close up pictures, the size, and the fact that some animals seem to be looking right at them. Highly recommended.

These books are a great deal for hours of fun! My little guys looks at the pictures over and over and doesn't ever seem to get tired of hearing the names of all the pictures. These books have been great for his vocabulary as he tries to say all the words too!

My 18 month old loved this book the first time he saw it. We are pleased at the number and types of animals inside! There are farm animals, zoo animals, pets, etc. - many of which he recognizes already, but there are plenty for him to learn as he gets older, too. The pictures are beautiful and clear and give us a lot to look at and talk about. The combination of familiar animals like cats and dogs and more obscure ones like goats gives him something to feel proud of while he works on learning the harder ones.

We bought this book based on seeing My Big Truck Book and were not disappointed at all - they are both great!

This line of books can't be beat! Great pictures - simplicity, with not too many details - so that the little ones so that they can focus on what they are learning. Nice, hard board books which should prove to be durable. The size of this one is great. Adults love looking at it too! I ordered the Colors book too. You won't be disappointed!

The Other Side
I used this picture book to teach symbolism to my middle school students. My students connected Woodson's fence to Jerry Spinelli's Hector Street in our class novel, Maniac Magee. After an engaging reading,they concluded that both the fence and Hector Street represent that which divides us: ignorance. Picture books, especially The Other Side,are excellent tools for teaching literary elements. Most importantly, students of all ages enjoy them.

"Don't you ever cross that fence child!" A little colored girl was playing out on her swing, and then came a white girl. They both looked at eachother in confusion. In the early 1900's, there was many problems between colored people and whites. They just didnt get along very well. The colored girl ran inside and asked her ma why she couldn't cross the fence. She told her baby girl that, many people are different, and we are not the same as them. The next day, her family had a get-together, and her cousin's were over. The white girl came outside and asked if she could play jumprope with them. And, after that many different things have been said. What has been said? Find out by reading, "The Other Side."

"Don't you ever cross that fence child!" A little colored girl was playing out on her swing, and then came a white girl. They both looked at eachother in confusion. In the early 1900's, there was many problems between colored people and whites. They just didnt get along very well. The colored girl ran inside and asked her ma why she couldn't cross the fence. She told her baby girl that, many people are different, and we are not the same as them. The next day, her family had a get-together, and her cousin's were over. The white girl came outside and asked if she could play jumprope with them. And, after that many different things have been said. What has been said? Find out by reading, "The Other Side."

Back in the day, whites and blacks had seperate everything. Some things included schools, drinking fountains, and jobs. I read THE OTHER SIDE, by Jacqueline Woodson. This book was realistic fiction. I think kids in the fourth grade that enjoy learning about the civil rights would like this book.
THE OTHER SIDE is about two girls who see eachother almost everyday, but yet don't talk. The only thing seperating them is a fence dividing the white and black land. Annie (white) would always watch Clover (black) and her friends play while she sat on the fence. One day, Clover decided to go and talk to Annie. Do they become friends?
To end, I thought this book was great. It talked about the some kids had during the civil rights movement. The story's problelm was that it was just to dangerous to play with and talk to people of a different race.

"The Other Side" is a wonderful book because it shows that when black and white people are together it's not bad. This book was about a white girl and a black girl. They both wanted to cross over the fence to see what it was like. So one day, their mamas told them that they were not allowed to go on the other side of the fence, it just wasn't right. She wasn't allowed to because it was always like that and it wasn't going to change. The next day came and they caught eyes. That's all about the summary I am going to tell you.
The characters in this story were nice, pleasant, and thoughtful because they didn't know what was so bad to be with the opposite color. They were also kind to each other. (Well I guess I can say that). I also think that you would like this book because it teaches you something that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to teach you. That's all it was easier to follow while you read the book.
I was actually pretty well shocked on how the book had ended because of what their mamas said to the girls. The difference of this book is that it is a children's book and you learn about it in about 7th grade but children read this book when they are in Pre-k or something.

This is a definate must have for the student nurse. I LOVE this thing! It also closely follows what I've learned as a first year.

EXCELLENT--I bought my daugther one for nursing and she loves it..going to buy myself one when i start nursing in june..

Love this item. It fits perfectly in my lab coat or scrubs pocket. It is a handy item and has so much useful info.

This is a must for any nursing major undergoing clinicals, and even for RNs that have already passed the NCLEX. It's helped me so many times and I'm sure it will help a lot of future nurses as well. It even includes a short but sufficient English-Spanish dictionary/phrasebook for those in areas highly populated with Hispanics. Highly recommended!

This little pocket-sized book is a great tool to help remember all of the details that need to be checked during any assessment!