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B Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

B
Experiencing God Day By Day: Devotional
Published in Hardcover by B&H Publishing Group (2006-12)
Authors: Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby
List price: $14.99
New price: $7.89
Used price: $7.79

Average review score:

Blackaby's Devotional - Experiencing God
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-12
This devotional is a gem. I thought all devotionals were about the same. This one is invaluable for me. He hits the target every time. He chooses a scripture and expounds on it so eloquently and wisely. I am blessed each time I read it. I hate to start my day without it.

experiencing God day by day
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-03
Easy to read. Brings me to Gods word daily.I really like Henry Blackabys quote If we walk with HIM closely today, we will be in the center of HIS will tomorrow.

Thought provoking, insightful
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-27
I am very glad I purchased this little devotional. Even though each devotional is very brief, they are always very thought provoking and challenge me in at least one area in which I need to be challenged. Each one is scripture based and not just an inspirational story from someone's life and I like that. My only problem with it is that the print is quite small and not as easy to read as I would like; however, I llike the compact size of the book so that is the trade-off.

The BEST we've used !!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-05
This is a wonderful, thought provoking, inspiring devotional. We love it!!
So many times , we read just the PERFECT thing on exactly the day we need to hear it !!!

Hm. . .
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-21
I am about halfway through this devotional. Over the time I've been reading it, I have continually felt condemned and have questioned some of the things written in here. I've brushed them aside until now, thinking that if I feel condemned there is probably good reason and that I shouldn't just read "encouraging" devotionals.

However, I must disagree with the one of the statements in this book, that "there should never be dry spells in the Christian life" - April 23. That was kind of the last straw for me. Throwing out blanket statements about what "should" or "should not" be in a Christian's life is very dangerous thinking. Also, saying that dry spells do not exist ignores about half of the Psalms and all of the book of Job. This book continually states that most or every problem in the Christian life is most likely brought on by something you are doing or not doing. I disagree with that statement and believe that God sometimes withdraws the "feeling" of His presence to test our faith. That is not to say He withdraws Himself or isn't with us, but no one can deny that sometimes we just cannot feel Him.

There is some great stuff in this devotional, but I must say I do not look forward to reading it everyday. If anything it has taught me to question what religious leaders say and to make my own opinions about what I believe is true. Read carefully, and decide for yourself.

B
Following Foo: (the electronic adventures of The Chestnut Man)
Published in Hardcover by HarperEntertainment (2003-06-01)
Author: B.d. Wong
List price: $24.95
New price: $4.40
Used price: $0.98
Collectible price: $24.95

Average review score:

A Book of Hope & Celebration of Life
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-15
Let's face it, we know the ending when we start. But, once into the book, you are drawn into the world at the NIC unit. You see what is happening as if you were there experiencing it. To see the raw emotion, experience the day to day happenings is to fall in love with the little life that is so fragile at this stage. Then on the other level you see how much love is shared, how everyone is drawn to this family. And yes, it is a family just like any other. I keep going back to the book and reread passages - when after a bath, little Jackson has a breathing problem, you read the "prayer" that BD Wong has going through his head. You get so imvolved that you actually feel emotionally exhausted after you put the book down. I so hope for more books by this particular author! Bravo! I am a Foo Follower for sure!

Unlike Any Read I've Ever Had
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-07
So, after finishing the wild ride/read on 3 different plane trips and stops at several coffee shops. I was crying, laughing, experiencing a roller coaster of emotions and everything else of this intense, personal family story. I kept having to stop to wipe away tears or suppress laughter in the very pulic spaces that I read the book. I guess B.D. can write as well as act. All of us can thank this family for sharing their experience...and making us all realize that alternative or traditional families are the same. A new Foo Follower.

WOW
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-27
This book is remarkable. I could, literally, not put it down and then was disappointed when I finished it. It is a real life, soul revealing, sad, funny, inspirational story. I feel that my life is richer for having read it. I am quite picky when it comes to how I spend my time, especially with regard to reading and I would read this again without hesitation.

I was recommended it because I just lost someone close to me through death and this book allowed me to grieve openly and fully for my loss and for all loss.

This book made me proud to be human. I await more from B.D. Wong.

The book has helped me become, hopefully, a better woman
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-15
a perspective, from a single woman, with no children-yet:
Believe it or not, this book is one of my birthday presents to myself, to help improve the quality of my life.

BD has helped me become a better woman. Hopefully, I will also become more responsible, as well. Hopefully, I will be better to cope with life's emotional issues, and handling them better.

That's what drew me to the book.

You see, while growing up, many, many people automatically assume that any given person should be able to handle anything thrown at them. You ask those around you for help, or you are impacted by something trumatic, and those around you automatically assume that you're tough enough to go through it, by yourself. Many a time, I would go through life, and not tell of my problems, because I felt that those around me would make the problem worse - or blame me for it.

Some of us have a harder time getting through things. To say "get over it", is a cruel thing to say. I feel that sometimes, those saying such a thing, are really digging deeper into the mess, and allow for things to continue to spiral downward.

I feel that this book allows people to communicate, in ways that go beyond the core scope of what the book was essentially written about.

I find it ironic that 2 men, sharing their account of parenting, pregnancy, and love with the world, including me, would have more of an impact on me, than that from any woman, since I have never received this type of insight from women.

I shouldn't have to get this type of insight about childrearing, etc., from men. However, I am indebted to BD and Richie, nonetheless.

You see, women have this thing out there, where they feel that they don't like sharing, esepcially when it comes to things like child-birth and pregnancy. It's like this secret, kept to hurt those women coming up in the world. Growing up, you ask your female relatives about such things, details inolved, and those female relatives keep quiet!

Women do not share everything, contrary to popular belief.

Needless to say, this is one of the first things that has impacted me, while reading the book.

The other is, of course the trauma, and roller coaster that BD talks about.

Some of the things mentioned, bring me back to the trials in my life.

I am thankful for the book, and the impact that the book has on my life.

From the Point of View of a Preemie Mom
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-20
When I saw this book, I just had to read it. Not because of who the author was or that he was gay, but because he LIVED what I was LIVING. Mr. Wong's book is the ONLY book about NICU babies that I would suggest as a MUST READ for critically premature parents! It doesn't help you understand the medical terms, it helps you understand YOU, as a parent of a tiny ray of life in a plastic box.
I lost a premature daughter (Mary) at 23 weeks, eleven months after that my second premature baby (Julia)was born at a whopping 28 weeks. I still was grieving Mary's death while trying to stay "upbeat" and "positive" about my Julia in the NICU. I joked, I laughed, but I hid A LOT of emotions. Everybody tells you how strong you are, what a brave person you are, while inside you are screaming "WHY MY CHILDREN!?!". You feel like you are the ONLY person in the world who feels that way.
Well, Mr. Wong's book is the ONLY book I have read that made me feel like I wasn't going crazy. He not only addressed the issues of being a parent of a NICU baby, but losing a child, and the realities of coping with that loss while being exatically happy your child has made a huge accomplishment (She either pooped, or ate half a teaspoon of breastmilk... major things in a NICU).
His humor at the most critical of times is very similar to how I dealt with things when the dr.s would say... "Well, Julia had a good day today, she only stopped breathing twice, and oh, by the way, her blood levels show she may need a transfustion, etc."
Life in the NICU is like constantly waiting for the shoe to drop! And when it does, it is usually a size 15 triple E!

I would love for Mr. Wong to do a follow up to his book, maybe "Following Foo, The Early Years". Julia is now 18 months old, and we are dealing with Early Intervention, Boston Children's Hospital, Weight issues, and Mom (or Dad) going nuts trying to keep it all in check. I would dearly love to hear some advice. Plus, I fell in love with his adorable son in this book and would love to know how he is doing!

B
Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship
Published in Paperback by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (1997-10)
Author: N. T. Wright
List price: $14.00
New price: $6.99
Used price: $6.99

Average review score:

Bishop Wright is my Hero
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-27
For years I'd scoffed at Bishop N.T. Wright thinking him a backward-looking, anti-intellectual Christian with nothing to say to the contemporary world. I was wrong. And I'm glad to say this book started it all.

After reading several books on revisionist views of Jesus, I've concluded (very, very reluctantly) that the Jesus presented in "Following Jesus" is the only Jesus really worth following. Here Wright gives us a glimpse of the Jesus of the gospels, a Jesus who is the Savior of the World, a Jesus who makes huge demands on our lives and calls us to follow Him to Calvary. This Jesus tells us disturbing things about ourselves, the world, and how both are in need of repair. The good news, as Wright points out, is that G-d has begun to recreate the world through Jesus of Nazareth. In this short book of sermons, Wright shows the new creation appearing by looking at Jesus' teaching, his healings and, perhaps most of all, his resurrection. The new creation has already begun, yet it will fully arrive in the Age to Come.

This book set my heart aflame for the Christian hope. Although the world suffers and humans fail in love (again and again), there is a G-d who raises the dead, a fact that--when it's internalized--gives life its proper focus.

Thank you, Bishop Wright, for this powerful little book.

Building for the kingdom
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-22
This is my first foray into N.T. Wright's literary discipleship. This is good written stimulus that will lead you to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. This collection of Eucharistic sermons expands from the passion of Christ to the revelation of the Father's plan for true discipleship. The language is easy to read and Dean Wright uses great words and pharases to lead us further along. N.T. Wright has become one of my must read theologians.

I didn't order this item
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-13
I don't know why I received this request for a review. I have not ordered "Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship" by NT Wright. I have only ordered Wright's "Simply Christian".

You appear to have a processing glitch somewhere.

Regards,
Sue Huntington

Following Wright into Following Jesus
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-16
This book, though brief, contains a treasure chest of Wright's knowledge on the life and significance of Jesus. In "Following Jesus", Wright seeks to answer the question, "Who exactly is this Jesus that we claim to follow?"

With the thought that many Christians might not know exactly who Jesus is, due to years of watered down religion, Wright uses different books of the Bible, along with personal scholarship, to extract who Jesus was and what that means to those who follow him.

A phenomenal read. Extremely enlightening and refreshing.

Costly Christian Discipleship
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-24
Tom Wright, Anglican bishop in England, once again elucidates in a cogent but thoroughly readable style that only he can what it means to follow Jesus. If one is a sometime Christian who does not want to 'count the cost' of what it means to 'be Jesus' to a hurting world, you'd better avoid this book. In a world full of evangelists who promise 'what's in it for us' if we follow Jesus, Tom Wright challenges us to really take up the cross and follow the Lord. As a Southern Baptist, I can't think of another theologian, of whatever denomination, that is more challenging and encouraging than Tom Wright. Buy it, but be prepared to keep your marker handy.

B
Gumfounded
Published in Hardcover by Gumfounded, LLC (2004-10-15)
Author: Sherry B. Garr
List price: $13.95

Average review score:

Help keep the earth clean
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-29
Reviewed by Becca Lawler (8) for Reader Views (3/06)

Tia was excited about her new shoes, but when she stepped in the yucky gum it made her sad. Everything started sticking to her shoes, and that made her mad. Because people threw their trash on the ground and not in the garbage like you are suppose to. I put my trash in the garbage at Wal-Mart. If you throw it down it makes the ground dirty, and yucky. Her teacher and her friends helped her put the garbage where it was suppose to in the recycle buckets, like we do at our school. I also help my sister because she is in the science club at her school and they recycle to. Tia and her friends help keep the earth clean.

A children's picturebook about the importance of recycling one's trash and not littering
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-13
Gumfounded is a children's picturebook about the importance of recycling one's trash and not littering. When a young girl steps in gum on the way to school things get worse and worse as the gum on her shoe sticks to more and more pieces of trash! By the time she reaches the school itself, she is dragging a mountain of sticky gum and litter, and appeals to the teacher to make a new rule - no more littering on the way to school! Together the children and the teacher clean up and recycle the garbage. The final page offers a very short song that young people can learn to sing as they develop good recycling habits. The bright color illustrations have a cartoony feel and add an extra dose of humor to this lighthearted yet deeply moral tale.

Outstanding books for your kids!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-14
I picked up this book for my two kids, and the whole family loved it so much we immediately bought two more copies for some of our friends! Kirk Werner's illustrations are breathtaking, and the story is both powerful and relevant. Great job Sherry and Kirk!

Grandaughter-tested
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-10
Annika received Gumfounded for Christmas and it has been the requested book for her nighttime routine ever since. At 3 1/2, she likes someone to read the book to her, but she is able to read it herself. (Grandparents insist she is reading, but memory just may come into play) What a wonderful situation for her to enjoy a book so much and have it be one with a meaningful, important message. The illustrations are bright, cheerful, and bring the story alive.

Fun Book Teaches Kids Important Message
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-10
This is a clever little book for children that shows the hazards of littering in a way that will tickle kids' funny bones as it teaches them an important message. Who has not experienced the annoyance of stepping on a wad of chewing gum and trying to get it off their shoe? In this book, Tia steps on chewing gum on her way to school and, as a result, ends up at school with an entire collection of trash stuck to the wad of gum on the bottom of her shoe.

Children will enjoy the humor of Tia's situation while at the same time learn an important message about litering.

Kirk Werner's illustrations are a wonderful asset to the book- funny and eye-catching. This is a real winner!

B
The Herb Book
Published in Hardcover by Benedict Lust Publications (1974-06)
Author: John B. Lust
List price: $19.95
New price: $182.94
Used price: $14.95
Collectible price: $81.00

Average review score:

Comprehensive and easy to use
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
In this book, Dr Lust provides a quick reference on every possible herb you could need. The book is very useful as an encyclopedia of herbs and their medicinal uses.

Most Useful Book on Herbs Anywhere
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-13
This great resourceful paperback on herbs,is still the best one around.It's packed with useful herbal information and history.Anyone interested in herbs should read this book.Anyone also studying and practicing Wicca can learn a lot from this little book.For the cost of this book,its well worth it.When first published ,in 1974,it was well ahead of its time.Nowadays,everybody knows the health benefits of 'Green Tea',Ginko Biloba and Hoodia.Green Tea burns body fat,aids digestion,surpresses appetite,flushes out free-radicals,and kills bacteria around your teeth.I was glad to have read it years ago and it got me thinking about better,healthier living.It also got me interested in the environment and gardening.When you hurt the environment,you hurt others and it will come back to haunt you too.

Excellent reference book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-14
I have used this book so much over the years that I am about in need of a new one. This has so many herbs packed into a small, fat book. Excellent!

Lots of Bang for the Buck
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-07
This is my second copy of this book, I bought my first one when I began to learn about herbs and wore it out from reading it so much. After 15 years of studying and 10 writing about herbs, this is one of my favorite books and I still learn from it. There is an incredible amount of information crammed into this 600+ page book, and its portable.

This is the One.
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-16
This is the one, the one book I feel anyone serious about herbs should have in their collection. It has proved invaluable to me in so many ways. It includes cosmetic and medicinal for most any herb you can think of. It is also good for information on traditional uses and background knowledge. It can be a bit overwhelming at first but once you get a grasp on how it is organised (it didn't take me long) it proves indespensible.

B
Justifiable Homicide
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Ballantine Books (2000-02-01)
Author: B.J. Whalen
List price: $6.50
Used price: $0.46

Average review score:

exceptional book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-22
Great suspense thriller you can actually see where the authors knowledge and experience of the NYPD come into play

Will blow you away!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-18
Unprettified, brutal look at good vs evil. Strong characterizations, wild scenes, lots of surprises. Conveys the inside world of cops vividly.

Fast Moving and Gripping Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-03-30
By: Peter G. Engelman, Author of "Running From Justice:"
The Whalens have captured the essence of the instinctive reactions peculiar to the business of fighting crime in the big city. I couldn't put the book down and I congratulate the authors for writing such a powerful novel.
Peter G. Engelman, Author
Running From Justice

NYPD writing at its best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-27
If you love NYPD stories loaded with suspense, you'll really enjoy Justifiable Homicide. The NYC descriptions are authentic and the action is fast paced. The story moves so fast, I finished this book over a busy weekend. Nice job by the Whalen's, can't wait for the second!

Fastest book I,ve ever read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-26
Justifiable Homicide is just the most incredible mystery/suspense book I have read in a while. It had so much happening. The settings for the book were really great. Being 46 years old and from upstate New york and also from Auburn I can relate to all the landmarks mentioned. A great book !! When can we expect another from the writing team of the Whanlens ?

B
No Man Is an Island
Published in Audio CD by Saint Anthony Messenger Press (2007-12)
Author: Thomas Merton
List price: $35.95
New price: $22.46
Used price: $14.75

Average review score:

Merton writes from a powerful place that touches the heart deeply
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-13
This book by Thomas Merton is a marvelous exploration of what it is to be human and the fundamental problems of disconnection from the depths of Being. More practically, it addresses the solution to our isolation in a direct, loving and compassionate way. Thomas Merton is clearly one who has traveled the path to his deepest self and has much to share about his journey.

Thomas Merton is a mystic who has spent a lot of time in silence and deep contemplation. He had a grasp of contemporary issues facing the modern person and he has a way of using language that is simple, but touches the heart.

Although Merton was a Catholic Christian mystic, his message is universal. He illuminates the mystic's path and shares the fruit of his explorations through writing in a way that is accessible and powerful. Somehow, between the lines it is obvious that his experience has been profound and he translates this into terms that help the reader to find meaning.

This book will be especially appealing to Catholics and Christians. The tone is understanding and gentle, although it is packaged in a way that is most digestible to fellow Catholics. On the other hand, there are so many gems that are applicable to the human condition that it will be a valuable read by people of any faith.

Thomas Merton wrote a lot of books and this is one of his best for lay people. New Seeds of Contemplation is also very thought provoking and could be considered a companion volume. It also goes a bit deeper into some of the more existential and metaphysical aspects of living, but not in an esoteric way.

If you have an interest in Christian Mysticism in general, I also highly recommend Practical Mysticism by Evelyn Underhill. This is a great short introduction to Western Mysticism delivered in a very poetical style and that is geared to the average person looking for meaning in their lives.

Faith and the Spiritual Life
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-14
This book was an amazing read for me the first time through. I have since read again and it continues to reveal insights into my life and relationship with God and to others. Thomas Merton is amazingly timeless and contemporary throughout. These are not abstract views of spirituality, but real and meaningful looks at a life of faith in the world, our world, today. Merton looks truthflly at how we relate to God and to each other in a world that is filled with noise and distractions. I highly reccomend this book to anyone who is honestly seeking to deepen their own interior spiritual life. Merton is a man of our times, understanding the depths and treasures of faith as well as the pitfalls of our humanity. This book will help you to believe that goodness is very possible and that being a spiritual person is possible while living in the world. Merton shows that the religious life is not just for priests, monks and nuns, which is very compatible with the John Paul II vision that all lives lived in faith can be a vocation.

This hardcover is very nice as it is linen bound with a gold ribbon marker. Chapters are broken up into numbered segments, making it possible to read a little each day and to find favorite sections.

Inspired and Inspiring
Helpful Votes: 24 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-02
"No Man is an Island" is a spiritually moving set of essays--or meditations, rather--that address many issues but ultimately center on our relationship with God, with each other, and with ourselves. Having read only a little of Merton, I found this book somewhat more straightforward and prosaic compared to a later work of his, "The New Man", and he gets a tad dogmatic in spots (well, he is ordained, so he has a license to do so, fair enough)--I was reminded of some of the more trenchant passages in "The Seven Storey Mountain" before he'd mellowed out a bit. And yet Merton's characteristic mix of simplicity and profundity, his fine-tuned mystic's sense of paradox, and his ability to take Catholic teachings and breathe new life into them are all here in full; indeed, in many ways this book would serve very well as a Catholic Monastic statement of what life's all about, spoken in Merton's gentle conversational tones at once calm and serious, critical of the shallow aspects of modernity while articulated in a manner that speaks eloquently to modern people. I have no doubt that this book should appeal to readers who profess Christianity as their religion, but I also think that many non-Christians (such as myself) will find much here that is inspiring and spiritually enlightening.

to re-read until the soil is good
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-05
Every adjective title used to describe this book in the reviews so far i have found to be true.

"The truth i must love in my brother is God Himself, living in Him."
excerpt from this book (Thomas Merton "No Man is an Island"

Reading just that line is enough to contemplate for some while.

I found i had to read small sectionsm and re read to gain fuller meaning
because some concepts are difficult to grapple with, but grapple with them.
I will re read this book many times over throughout my life. It strikes richly at the core of Catholic teaching, its value universal for everyone.
Its a celebration of God and his creatures, it affirms the truth of His love as His gift living in us, for us also to share, for it is not ours to keep selfishly.

Nice to read in segments. Good for prayer.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-09
While this is certainly not one of my favorite Thomas Merton works, I do find that its format and style facilitate a prayerful experience.

With its individual sections of thought, this book is great to read in parts. I found it wonderfully useful in sections read before community prayer in the chapel. It might be good for someone looking for spiritual reading but who does not have a lot of time to spare.

B
Our Uncle Sam: The Sam Cooke Story From His Family's Perspective
Published in Paperback by Trafford Publishing (2005-10-04)
Author: Erik Greene
List price: $22.50
New price: $25.00

Average review score:

SEEING SAM IN A NEW LIGHT.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-24
While reading "Our Uncle Sam" I cried, I laughed and I knew that the Sam Cooke that was in these pages was the real Sam Cooke. Even though the authur did not know his uncle he was able to bring out the real Sam. The book was beautifully written and you can see the love in every page. I am glad I bought "Our Uncle Sam" because it gave me the opportunity to know or feel like I know him. I always knew there was more to the story and now I know for sure. Thank you to the authur, Erik Greene, for writing this wonderfully uplifting and eye-opening book about the greatest song writer/singer/performer there ever was or ever will be.

Nothing else like it....
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-28
I have read them all. Erik Greene's book is from the source and from the heart, by the people who knew Sam best: his family; not the people who just wanted a part of Sam or to control Sam.

Great read. Well done. If you love Sam Cooke's music you need to read this. If you're new to Sam's music--this will give you a deeper understanding of the man and his music.



Personal insights create a more complex picture of star
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-10
This book exposed the contradictions of the autopsy report vs events that were publicized after Sam Cooke's death. Also intriguing sides of his personality were revealed; such as the trailblazer he was on the business side of the music industry and other popular entertainers he groomed.

Both these aspects of Cooke's life have been grossly
'under reported'...perspectives that are way overdue!

Our Uncle Sam: The Sam Cooke Story From His Family's Perspective
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-18
As I'm writing this review, I've got my favorite Sam Cooke tunes playing in the background. These are some of the most timeless pieces of music ever recorded. Every so often, I take them out, dust them off, and take a listen. My mood changes and somehow my day gets better.

There are plenty of biographies about Sam Cooke. His life makes an interesting story. Born into a large family, son of a minister, Sam started in gospel music and eventually became an R&B and pop superstar. Sam was also well known as a lady's man, a business man, and a human rights advocate. To this day, people still wonder about the real story behind his suspicious death.

Our Uncle Sam is unique among Sam Cooke biographies. This book is written by Sam's great nephew and includes stories from various relatives. I absolutely loved this concept. Family knows, and still loves you nonetheless, throughout both the good and bad. Therefore, I felt that this biography presented a really balanced story about Sam, where he came from, what drove him to succeed, and what was really important to him. Moreover, I was touched at this family's everlasting love and devotion to Sam's memory and to the loving foundations set out by Annie Mae and Charles Cook Sr.

Murder mystery made even more mysterious
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-01
The casual observer really believes that sensationally sexy singer known as Sam Cooke was killed doing the usual shady celebrity ho-down in a seedy hotel deep in a neighborhood that no sensible person would roam about after dark. Sam Cooke's musical brilliance has been almost completely buried in the scandal of his demise.

Erik Greene brought up many facts about Sam's murder that no one else has talked about. I've read Peter Guralnick that pitches Allen Klein as an angel and I've read David Ritz (w/ SR Crain and Cliff White) that pitches Klein as the devil in very flimsy disguise. Looking at Klein's track record with The Beatles, Rolling Stones and more recently (1997) The Verve, Klein is not to be trifled with or trusted. The spin in the "Legends" DVD on how he helped Sam develop Sam's second Copa show was comedy, even to someone on the outside looking in. It's easy to take credit for the success of a man who has been in the grave for 4 decades.

The details about 55 year old Bertha Franklin's composed neat appearance, immediately following her supposed tussle with 33 year old Sam that resulted in his demise is interesting. The dispappearance of all the police and morgue files and the sham of a interrogation directly following Sam's murder all point to people in high places wanting Mr. Cooke dead. After all, Sam was a black man who owned his own publishing and record companies in the 1960's. Not only that, he was encouraging other artists to do the same. Black people had been killed for much less in Sam's day, like sitting at a lunch countr and asking to be served. Sam posed a huge threat to the record company, much of which was and is controlled by the mob. Mr. Green brought all these factors to the forefront, including Sam's penchant for the finer things in life, from clothes to cars to homes and gadgets. If he was to indulge in dealing with call girls, I truly suspect that he would go to an expensive hotel where he was known and the staff would turn a blind eye. Lastly, a Ferrari idling in the ghetto, complete with keys and nobody steals it? Sam was set up, beat up and murdered.

Now Sam was far from a saint, but he did not deserve to be killed, most especially in such a horrific and humiliating manner. In 1964, only white people could pull off such a complete shut down of proper police and medical follow-up. What about Bob Keane owing the mob and having life insurance policies on some of his artists? Who owned the nightclub PJ's where Sam was last seen alive? What really happened to Bobby Fuller?

This book opens up a wound that has festered and remained a sore spot all these long years. Sam Cooke was an incredibly handsome, amazingly talented man; so much so that to watch tapes of him today still display what a sexy dynamic man he was. His appeal is not dated and he is still relevant with "A Change Is Gonna Come" and his many pop hits continue to play on radio stations that cater to the tastes of a wide spectrum of people.

The book reminds us that Sam, though flawed, loved and was loved by his family. He would be 76 today had he not been murdered. Sam's great nephew reminds us of Sam's great talent, forward thinking and charisma. But most importantly, it brings to the forefront the humanity of Sam Cooke, which makes his loss even sadder.

B
Play Your Best Pool
Published in Paperback by Billiards Press (2005-10)
Author: Philip B. Capelle
List price: $29.95
New price: $18.76
Used price: $13.45

Average review score:

A very good manual
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-20
A very good book. Very comprehensive. Explanations, drawings are perfect. Perfect for training at home

Very good!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-16
I've read a number of books on the game of pool. I was very impressed with the authors grasp of the game as well as his very apparent love of the game. He has obviously studied the art form intensely for many years. I felt that his realistic, open minded approach and access to many of the current greats of the game make his advice quite invaluable to the commited student of the game. Buy this book if you're serious about improving.

wealth of resource
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-07
Phil Chapelle's book "Play Your Best Pool" is a wealth of resources. It is quite thorough and would be good for someone seriously interested in pool. It's got a 60+ page section on 8-ball, an equally thorough section on 9 ball, and more on the fundamentals, shotmaking, position play,how to improve, practice techniques, and equipment. My games have significantly improved by reading and using Chapelle's book. Highly recommended. So much information that a novice might be overwhelmed, and it might not be so useful if you don't have a home table to go through it all (I wish I did)...but still, an indispensable book.

Awesome indepth book
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-04
I got this book when i first became serious about playing pool, while reading it my game just kept going up and up and up, now i break and run several times a night. before it would be make a ball or 2 and that was it for my runs. it is a great book.

Play Your Best Pool
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-22
I have read eight books on pool. This is by far the best of the eight. The book is cramed with pool information. A no nonsense approach to playing the game. If you want to learn more about playing pool, this is the read.

B
Psychology
Published in Hardcover by Worth Publishers (2004-06-06)
Author: David G. Myers
List price:
New price: $18.90
Used price: $3.00
Collectible price: $107.95

Average review score:

Study guide
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-05
Exeptionally good study guide. Has helped raise my son's grade in his AP physcology class.

Simply the Best
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-08
This is the best textbook I've ever used. It is interesting and engaging. The content is excellent, but the charts, photos, quotes, cartoons, etc. make studying even more enjoyable. If you want to learn the basics of pyschology, but this book!

Best Intro-Psych Book Ever?
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-06
I finished reading this book about a month ago. I loved it. It covers many aspects of human behavior, albeit much of it rather superficially- but that's to be expected from an introductory Psych text, where a LOT of ground is covered in ~700 pages! Dr. Myers's writing style is very engaging, and the book is a joy to read. Practically every sentence in the book is backed up by at least one scientific study (the References section is downright intimidating... 97 pages!). The book is full of illuminating graphs & illustrations, quotes, captions, even relevant and humorous comic strips. Each section concludes with a "Review and Reflect" section that briefly summarizes the material and tests your understanding (answers are in the back).

I began reading this book in my spare time for my own enjoyment, and to sort of brush up on the introductory material (I'm a Psych major in school). During that time, I transferred schools and was told I would have to retake Intro-Psych because it didn't transfer credit. I sped up my reading so that I finished the book literally 2 nights before the semester started. So far, the class has been a breeze, and looks like it will continue to be. I am more than prepared - I feel like I'm almost as qualified to teach the class as the grad student that they have doing it. Thanks, Dr. Myers, for writing such a great introductory text on Psychology.

Well I got a n "A" in the class, need I say more?
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-21
It is long and gruelling reading but what else would one expect from a textbook on psychology??? Learned a lot though.

Still reading it...10 years out of college
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-02
I absolutely love this book. I'm one of those dorks who keeps her college textbooks (some, not all.) This is the one I have turned to the most of all of them, and always with reward.

Most of the reviews here cover everything well, but I want to add one comment. One of my favorite things about this book is a minor one: there are quotes by famous people in the margins, every few pages, that are really humorous and/or insightful. I look forward to coming across of those quotes while I read.

The book reads more like a feature article in a magazine rather than a textbook. I guess that's why it's the only textbook I have that I enjoy reading from.

My comments are based on the 5th edition, which was current during my college freshman year in 1997, so I'm sure the 8th edition has improved greatly. Thanks to the publishers for continuing to publish a quality book. I hope more colleges adopt this one.


Books-Under-Review-->Arts-->Celebrities-->B-->16
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