I Books

This was a favorite childhood book for me and I was thrilled to be able to buy it for my boys (2 and 4) this Christmas. It has quickly become a favorite of both, especially my two year old. Here's to many happy readings!

I love this book as it is a classic from my childhood and was excited to read it to my two year old son. He also enjoys it and I imagine will like it even more once we get some snow here and he can relate more to the images in the book.

I bought this book for my three boys (aged two to four) hoping it would be as good as the most excellent book "Summer". Sadly, "Snow" is not in the same league. Indeed, it's a bit on the boring side, with forced sounding rhymes that aren't nearly as much fun as those in "Summer". My boys never ask me to read it. Summer, on the other hand, is a frequent, favorite request.

Still, it fits winter and the drawings are enjoyable. While not a must have it still has a place in our library.

I read this book all the time when I was young and was quite thrilled to have found it for my little one. It's so neat to read what is possible to do in the snow, all the while describing it in a rhyme. My favorite part is when they go skiing and the dog slides down on his tail! He's the first to discover the snow and gets his little child friend to come out and play. They go from there and it is just very, very cute. Especially in the end when they put an umbrella on the biggest snowman so he wouldn't melt, but wind up putting snowballs in the freezer to play with another day. Highly recommend!

Two children, a boy and girl, experiment with the lovely things you can do with snow. It is in simply rhyming verse and is a great beginner book for children readers, the expectation of what words are to come are fairly obvious

I especially love the simply drawn and coloured pictures. They are basic but rich. Each character is roundly appealing. We don't get snow where we live but my children run outside just in case. WE often read the two books (snow and summer) at the same time. The same two children doing nice wintry and summery things.

Star Wars Episode I the Phantom Menace : 20 Lithographic was
mint and mail fast.
Making this good deal.
thanks

If you think about it, a Star Wars fan has the option to buy Star Wars posters, toys, games, Dorito prizes and try to amass their own empire of collection. But think about it even more...regardless of how big of a Star Wars fan you are sooner or later you will realize that all those Star Wars paraphernalia are junk having the tendency to compile up. If you really want to get your hands on quality then you only need to look for a few places. As a die-hard SW fan, you should not be without the films themselves, the music, and most of all the pre-production artwork...where the saga really begins. The product is wonderful. Immediately after getting the product, I tore down all my other Star Wars stuff, like a puzzle I finished within a grueling twenty hours, old Phantom Menace posters, old Dorito stuff. I tore it all down. I was freed. I figured the product that I got was superb and deserved its chance on my wall.

I got this over a year ago and found the artwork stunning.

Thinking of printing with your own printer? Chances are that even if you can find some Star Wars artwork on the Internet, the printouts won't last. For example, using color ink-jets and even on special paper... after one year, the color degrades...

Today, after a year, the illustrations still look that way and there is no fading of colors at all. This is truly a collectable.

This one is worth keeping if you love Star Wars artwork and the pricing at Amazon is simply a "steal".

If you are a Star Wars artwork collector, you will like this collection of 20 prints. The color reproduction is stunning and the type of prints resembles top-notch dye-sublimation printouts. If you are looking for Star Wars artwork for framing, this is it! The price offered at Amazon is a good deal. Grab it before it goes "Out of Print" !!

this things is nice especially at this price its definetly one of my favorite star wars related items. i must say i did not enjoy the movie as much as i would have liked, however i do love star wars in general. this collection of pre-production sketches are really nice to look at. they all come printed on high quality stock and coated with a nice glossy finish. they people who put this toegther really took time rather than just throwing a episode one logo on it like most companies did. this is truly a great gift for the star wars enthusiast. lastly the packaging is excellent and comes in a nice metal tin which completes the entire package and makes this a great collectible.

Sometimes I think would be entreprenuers can get too wrapped up in reading books on entreprenuership instead of taking action. There are so many books out there to choose from and occasionally I'll get into book reading mode which when done in excess is not a good thing. This is one such book that is an exception. Any entreprenuer has their tales of failure and I know from experience that some such tales are quite expensive. This book's lessons on hiring people will probably save me MUCH more than the $12 or so that the book cost. In buying the book I thought of all the mistakes I'd made and figured if this book lets me read about instead of make just one such mistake then it'll pay for itself. It has. And what's more... it's very easy to digest and fun to read as it's broken into simply 1-2 page lessons. There are sesions on Employment, Marketing, Being the Boss... etc. Each lesson is presented with a leader line of what one might think and then goes on to talk about the reality of the principle in running a daily business. What more can I say... great book.

Look; the US economy is all about small business. 90% of what we read is written by accountants or academics, (and I count people who write and/or advise other people based on research - instead of 'doing' - as academics also.)

Once in a while you get real street smarts. This book is one. here's your chance to spend a few bucks, read for a few hours, and learn a few things that will save you grief and aggravation if you are running a business. What else could you possibly want from a business book?

The Street Smart Entrepreneur is a well-written book that draws upon Goltz's experiences in the workforce. In his book, he details the useful lessons he learned, some of which may seem like common sense, but others could be quite surprising, such as how entrepreneurs are not necessarily the best person to hire new employees. Because of its reliance on Goltz's own experiences, The Street Smart Entrepreneur possesses solid credibility. It's as good as Guerilla PR: Wired, which also supplies valuable lessons on business leadership and entrepreneurial tips.

This is probably the only entrepeneurial book I have ever read, but I would highly recommend it to anyone contemplating going into retail. The lessons Jay Goltz shares in this book are important, whether you're a 'lone ranger' going-it-alone retailer, or an administrative type. How, as a picture framer and administrator, he juggles all his balls in the air, and hats he wears, is impressive indeed. My own hat goes off to him. An aquaintance of mine (like myself, a picture framer)recommended this book to me, and I'm glad he did. The author speaks in broad enough terms so that you certainly don't need to be a picture framer to apply the valuable lessons he's sharing. Definitely worth reading for anyone at all interested in getting it right in business. Go Jay!

This book stands out in a crowded field of business books. Each topic is listed at the top of a new page, making the book easy to read and reference. From the importance of customer service and finding quality vendors, to dealing with employees and the government, Golz provides real-world advice that is valuable for any new entrepreneur.

I read a lot of business books and many get recycled, but this one is a keeper. It's the kind of book you want to share with an entrepreneurial friend--a great read for anyone entering into entrepreneurship.

This book is a wonderful mixture of fictional literature combined with the political backdrop of the reunification of Germany and an insider's view of the classical music world as seen through the eyes of a student conductor, Cooper Barrow, a conservatory dropout returning to his first love, although the challenges he faces are significant. The story follows Mr. Barrow's studies with a master conductor suffering from his own demons, in Germany where the culture, language and methods are not familiar, where he falls in love with a fellow musician, which of course has its own complications. The book is extremely well written, and is a pleasure to experience, sweeping the reader into the world in which Mr. Barrow is trying to make his mark. He is tormented by his teacher, trying to learn all he can under extremely difficult conditions pitted against other student conductors in an overly competitive environment, always with the fear of failure hanging over his head. The lessons he learns take him to new heights in his musical endeavors, forever changing his perceptions of music, and through his affair, his perceptions of life.

There is a bootcamp sort of relationship between our protagonist and his tough German professor who has been through the worst of Hitler's attrocities. Both wounded geniuses need a little bit of love and a chance to realize their true talents and role as real players in the world of concertmasters. A female oboeist from Eastern Germany plays a role in both of their lives while she deals with her own deamons escaping from the East. There is real passion in the romance that occurs, but the over-riding theme seems to be the affects of the pain and suffering that some of the Germans have lived through during the reign of communism and Hitler.

Sometimes, the story seemed a bit harsh and strained, although in the end, I think it was very realistic and the outcome certainly not a stretch. And for a non-musician, there is huge and interesting insight into the world of musicians and the huge effort and talent it takes to get to the top.

Identity and power characterize both the themes of The Student Conductor and the writing itself. Ford knows the world of classical music profoundly. Everything is depicted correctly. Astonishingly, he simultaneously captures the tremulous mindset of an American in 1989 Germany. This is a novel in the mold, curiously, of Faulkner. It is about a time and a place, but it is mostly about memory and love. Like Faulkner, Ford explores both individual and collective experiences of history as well as of life and music. While perhaps not quite on Faulkner's plane, Ford is a superb writer, though given to the occasional stiff turn of phrase. This is an extraordinary novel, and ranks with Frank Conroy's Body and Soul as one of the best fictional depictions of the world of classical music.

BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT. This for me was one of those rare books that one cannot put down. I love this book. The story keeps you involved and surprised at many of the twists and turns. Mr. Ford has managed to convey such emotion through his magnificent descriptions of the times, the music, the little know world of the conductor, wonderful descriptions of the German scene and on top of all that gives us beautiful love scenes and the tragedy and politics of Nazi Germany. Bravo Mr. Ford. Your book was a true gift.

After finishing 'The Student Conductor' and replacing the dust jacket, I noticed that the front flap contained a blurb comparing its author, Robert Ford, to John Fowles. I hadn't thought of that but instantly agreed on seeing it. In fact, make it a blend of Fowles and Erich Ambler. Mr. Ford's writing exudes erudition and clever insights without even a hint of showing off or straining for effect. He effortlessly creates an authentically European ambiance and engages the reader with his characters' (and his own?) finely-tuned sentiments contrasting today's healthy Germany with its profoundly divided and dysfunctional predecessor during the cold war. In this setting Ford weaves an Ambler-like tale of intrigue involving a promising American apprentice conductor, a brilliant but unstable teacher who seems bent on surreptitiously destroying his best pupils, and a beautiful oboist with an enigmatic past.

But that's not all. Ford delivers much more than just an engaging yarn to anyone who might be curious about the trade secrets of conducting, the ambitions and anxieties of classical musicians, and the nuts and bolts of orchestra management. He has mastered the technique of using professional jargon and recondite references in such a way that the reader is gradually drawn into the psyche of the protagonist (Cooper Barrow, the student conductor) and begins to acquire an enhanced musical understanding that feels real. And in fiction, the feeling is what counts. I confess to a little thrill of edification on learning that the famous tuning note A-440 actually vibrates 443 times per second.

A trio of tiny glitches stands out only because the book is, overall, so perfectly crafted. On page 15 "lay" is used where "lie" belongs. On page 216 "lay" again appears where "laid" should be, and on page 231 "affect" incorrectly takes the place of "effect."

Mr. Ford's first novel is a treat on several levels and I am glad to recommend it with enthusiasm.

For those of us who somehow can't seem to get enough of this stuff (you all know the "G" word), this book is perfect. In the wacky world of late 80's/early 90's Seattle, Peterson's photos are absolutely iconic.

Absolutely awesome book of photographs from a period of music I had the pleasure of being part of. If you like music; especially the artists in this book. Then this is your new coffee table book.

A divine marriage of vision, design and subject matter. Peterson's wild, free and spontaneous shooting style provides the perfect visual metaphor for the beer-stained and adrenaline-stoked Seattle grunge era. His pictures look like the music sounds - reckless, courageous, and always threatening to spin completely out of control.

An aggresive book design and a minimum of text keeps the emphasis where it belongs - on the music's energy and the exhilarating, ritual co-dependence of performers and fans. You can't slam out power chords on a Leica M6 - but Peterson comes closer than any other "Rock" photographer at pulling it off.

DSR

Unlike the other reviewers of this work, I was not there. I just love the artful quality photos in a book that is a collection item. The detail of the photos and the quality of the printing make this a work to savor. This is a forever book, should be on all shelves of collectors of fine photography.

When I close my eyes and think about the early 90's rock scene, I see Charles Peterson's photographs. I remember going to record stores and buying albums solely on his cover shot - blurred arms, swooshing lights, flailing hair. The cover photographs were so powerful that I could almost feel the greatness of the music inside the sleeve. Nirvana, Mudhoney, L7... fantastic bands captured live in amazing black and white.

In "Touch Me I'm Sick" you get some of the famous photos we all know and also tons that have never been released. These are the ones that had me in awe. Seeing ten year old photos for the first time of bands I love, it's like a treasure trove!

I am so happy that Charles Peterson took these photos and that he continues to share them with us. If I could give this book higher than 5 stars, I certainly would.

While Chris Tomlin does go over his story and how he got where he is, that is just the top layer of the book. The deep heart of it is what he learned through those different occassions in his life: discovery of his passion, the desire to pursue it, the times of humility, going to the mountain top and helping others to get there too. While it is some what directed to "worship leaders," it can be applied to anyone who wants to seek God's face while they worship. Whether the worship be at a service or concert, pursuing what God created you to do, or how you live out your life day to day. Because we were all created to worship God with everything and by the world standards, that does make for an unusual life, but what an amazing adventure it is too! An adventure that makes me incredibly excited to be on, even if I don't know all of the details right now. But God does and that's all that matters!

I first picked up this book when I was reading Praise Habit: Finding God In Sunsets And Sushi by David Crowder. Because Crowder's book was so refreshing and enjoyable (due to his writing style and stories) Tomlin's book seemed a little dry when I browsed through it.

Fast forward one year. I encountered The Way I was Made and had the opportunity to read through it. It was refreshing to see the progression of a worshipper and songwriter and realize that successful people are made over the long-haul not overnight.

Mr. Tomlin shares many insights into his songs, past and worship style. He also gives lots of excellent tips for building a solid spiritual foundation that should benefit any worshipper or worship leader.

Very, very helpful information as I am a new worship leader. Chris Tomlin is the best!

Chris Tomlin put many of his own stories in the book, which I learned a lot from. It is also very helpful that Chris put some guidance about how to prepare to lead a worship session. Recommand to all worship leaders.

Having recently read a number of books on worship, I found Chris Tomlin's to be concise, extremely relevant, and well-written--kind of like the songs he writes, I guess.

I think the biggest strength of this book is that Chris is so real. He doesn't try to come across as a saint, and so he makes the ideal of living out worship seem attainable.

And it didn't hurt that I kept laughing aloud at his stories.

My daughter received this book (along with I Can Draw Animals also excellent!) for Christmas (which was 2 days before her 5th birthday) and she LOVES it! Very easy directions she can follow all by herself and something she uses over and over again! Great book for little artists!

My 6 yr old gets this book out and starts drawing lots of things from it.. Good book to have.

This is a great book. I went to not being able to figure out what my 6 y.o.son was drawing in school. With this book it has helped him draw things all by himself. We absolutly love this book! My 4y.o enjoys this book also.

Although, we seem to use I Can Draw Animals and I Can Draw People more, this book is also great. My 4 year old daughter and my 4 year old nephew received these for Christmas. They both use these books for hours and we also do it as a family. These (I Can Draw Animals, I Can Draw People, What Shall I Draw Today) are the only ones we have so far, but they are super. Not only are these books teaching my little girl how to draw, but reinforcing time alone drawing, group activity, sharing and "Please pass the yellow", etc... Every child should have these books.

This is a great book to start to learn with. Colors are nice and small children like it.

I thought this was a very interesting book, full of funny, poignant, and scary stories of a beautiful young woman trying to make a difference in a foreign country at war. She could have taken a number of approaches to sharing her stories. I liked that she chose her relationships with the women she met and telling the stories from her own and from their perspectives. Very clever approach. Her perspective as an older adult looking back at her youthful adventures held good wisdom. I highly recommend it.

This was a memoire of a young Southern Belle who joined the Peace Corps in the early 90's. She spent 2 years in Guatamala! Although there were bets that she would not complete her tour of duty, she did it!!

Elen(a) and her dog, Cali, endured some rough turrain and characters, but more remarkably, they found friendships and trust in a (third)world country that generally lives life full of suspicion and superstition.

Ellen's unique approach to story telling was such a treat. One chapter - Elena's voice/view, next chapter - a native woman's voice/view. Seven women in all, each one sharing similarities, but all very unique. Guatamala through their eyes, opened mine!

Ellen's memories are bitter-sweet. She is relfective and honest in her expressions and portayals of the life and culture of a third-world country - which is not always a pretty scene!

This story educated me on the customs and life of Guatamala. But, it was also an inspiration for women, young and old, to perservere and take risks. To make a friendship where one is not always expected, and do something to make a difference in someones life. Wether it be locally or globally.

An excellent story and a must read!

This is a rare book and one that I will continue recommending to others. This book surprised me as I read through Elena's encounters :how well Elena grasped the possibility of drastically different perceptions on the part of her female friends in Guatemala. I think she is brilliant in her ability to weave this intercultural tale (where cultures intersect), and ultimately achieves grace and humility as she paints these various truths. Hats off to this wonderful writer!

This is one of the finest, if not THE finest book I've read. If I were to have the opportunity to name and teach a college-level course--"The Rest of the World does not Live on Hardwood Floors with Oriental Carpets; they Eat Beans 3 Times a Day if Lucky, Once if Not"-- this would be the textbook. Ms. Urbani Hiltebrand's gift to the indigenous back-country people of Guatemala is greater than any government program could possibly imagine; she went there and threw away the manual on how to do Peace Corps (maybe only part of it) helped them with survival, and gave those women and children in her story a glimpse of what dignity and self-respect feels like, and put meaning in lives where there was none. When you think about it, that's a lot. The author can write.
We, in this country, have a tough time getting our arms around the mind-numbing morally-bankrupt chaos, that after you've been robbed, enables one to wait in line-- to get a permit-- to file a report-- of a robbery--that will never be investigated. If you ask why the line never moves, and no one gets a permit to file a report, the answer will be, "Because that's the way it has always been." But, if recent events are any indication, maybe we are getting there too. It's helpful to understand that this is the way the rest of the world works. This book, I think at its core, is about being of service to others in spite of the good, the bad, or the ugly that happens to be playing out on your particular day--the very antithesis of the hubris we see in the mantra adopted by some elected officials. I am sure those incredible characters in the book will never forget the time that, "the Gringa, Elena, with her dog Calixta, she came to our town."

I loved this book. The writing is smart and gorgeous. The storytelling is equal parts sad, funny, insightful, and surprising. I was inspired by this book and also riveted. In it we get the story not only of Elena--the daring, hilarious, kind-hearted Peace Corps worker--but also that of the many women Elena came to know during her years in Guatemala. It's a bold approach, to tell the story of women so different from her, but it works wonderfully and I was as deeply engaged with each of these women as I was with Elena herself. I found myself thinking about each of these women in the hours throughout the day when I wasn't reading their stories, anxious to get back to the book to see what happened next. I highly recommend When I Was Elena.

I read Susan Perabo's collection after being her student over Christmas. Wow.
These stories amaze me. Well written, she does so well what she has taught her own students. The gears in my head turned, and I finally understood all those things she wrote on my stories or tried to explain in class.
I love her characters. The data processing woman with the Diana dress. The pot smoking music teacher father. The woman whose baby just died. The actor whose marriage is ending so he invites a klepto father to stay with him. On and on they go, so confused, so much in pain, but she makes their lives and situations funny. It's a bittersweet pain, but Perabo has one of the most original ways of communicating pain I've seen since the writers she told us to read.
I still can't get out of my mind the one called "Explaining Death to the dog". The pain the woman feels when showing the dog the book of Time photos or showing her the dead animal, wow. I read it three times in a row the first night I read it. I am still in awe of it.
As she told my class so many times, "Show, don't tell."
Perabo shows. I can't believe I was lucky enough to have classes with her. I just wish I read these sooner.

Barring a very few exceptions, the stories presented here are top-notch. I finished this book in half a day, and wanted more when I ran out of stories. I would love to see more stories about the characters here!

I found this collection by accident and didn't know what to expect. Short stories can be so good, or so bad. These stories are very good, and consistently good. These are stories of people searching for something missing in their lives, well told stories with humor and heart. Enjoy this collection.

Should be 'nuf said -- but I want to add that the author's voice is completely true! (i think this a book for older people -- ie, over 40 -- who understand about disappointment, and transformation). What a read!

This book came with high recommendations and expectations but for me the book failed to live up to them. The characters are inventive and memorable but their treatment falls short and the stories repeatedly end on a dissatisfying note. I agree with the Amazon review that her characters' promise and development seems to stall out of some kind of self conscious regard for academic critique and conflict, etc. (I'm not an academic, but you can feel their eyes on the text.) I wish she'd just let it rip. I also think the writing suffers from a lack of a clear voice; the voice often seem contrived and forced and in some instances just competely derails the story. The good part is the characters themselves, who are memorable despite their author's too-often shallow treatment.

Democrat-Republican,Liberal -Conservative,Left-Right,Socialist-Capitalist are all labels we attempt to apply to the political aspirations and ideas of people within society.And they are only broad descriptions.To those,we have can add an endless number of terms we apply to special interests ,such as; Free-Traders,Pro-Lifers,Bleeding-Hearts,Hard-Liners,Appeasers,Self-Reliants,Fundamentalists,Libertarians,Fascists,Secularists,Isolationists,Enviromentalists,Freedom-fighters,Nationalists,Patriots,Dissenters,Free-Speechers,people who believe in big Gouverment and those who believe it should be restrained,and Activists of all descriptions;just to name a few.
However;all these philosophies ,more or less fall into two broad categories;namely Socialist or Conservative. While;at times, there are some overlappings. Nor is it possible for any one person to agree with either of the two main camps on every issue.Political expediency is an everpresent force and for that reason some people tend to alter their political party affiliations over the years;while others hold to their party of choice;regardless of issues.
The Author has done a magnificient job of defining what a Conservative in America ,and in fact,the whole western world,really is at these times in history. In other words ,if you believe in the ideas professed in this book;you are a Conservative thinker;and if you don't ,you are by default, not.
Rather than write a ling disertation,the author has chosen to approach a large number of Conservatives and have them write short essays of a couple of pages,to explain what being a Conservative is all about.
In all,we can read what 54 well known Conservatives have to say about defining Conservativeism.
Personally,I came from a very staunch Liberal background and considered myself one for many,many years, However as the 60's came to an end,I found there were many things that changed the way I thought and I no longer felt compfortable with that side of the political spectrum and for the last two decades have moved to the Conservative philosophy.
What I found startling is that so many of the people who wrote the essays in this book went through the same prosess as did I.
This has always concerned me and I think the words of Ronald Reagan pretty well explains things when he said ;"I didn't leave the Democratic Party;they left me".
Another thing I liked about this book is that it stays with defining what it is to be Conservative in a positive manner and is virtually free from negativism towards other points of view.
I really believe even someone who is not a Concervative could enjoy this book,they may well not agree with the philosophies of the writers.That is all well and good because the book does an excellent job of informing without being insulting,dismissive or disparaging to other points of view.

This little book is a collection of 54 essays on the subject of "Why I Am a Conservative." Each essay was written by a well-known member of political or media class, ranging from Bob Dole and Bill Frist, through Michael Medved and P.J. O'Rourke. Overall, I found them to be quite interesting and quite often a lot of fun (especially P.J. O'Rourke, naturally). So, if you want to understand the Conservative movement more, you really should read this book. I highly recommend it!

This book contains synopses from several figures on what it means to them to be classified as a Reagan Conservative. Great book. A really fun read if you're on the go. Read a chapter or two in the airport at Atlanta, read another on the plane, read another when you arrive at JFK, read another in the cab...
Well composed! I was very happy with this book!

This book is a collection of short essays from different politicians, activists and writers that claim to be Reagan conservatives. It's a truly entertaining, uplifting and colorful compilation; most of the essays are only a couple of pages long and will reveal personal stories - and the message of each of them is beautifully obvious, yet thought-provoking. Don't expect detailed academic papers - we have enough of those in other books. The miracle of this one is actually its modesty and simplicity. You'll get several up front, honest, extremely hard to argue confessions that might "satisfy the skeptic as well" - as it says on the cover.
As of today, it's undoubtedly one of the greatest tributes to the man whom history books are likely to be going to call the greatest American President of the 20th century.

Edited by Michael Deaver, this is a series of essays by prominent Republicans who are remembering Ronald Reagan. Reagan will probably go down in the history books as one of the better presidents during this time period. After all, at the beginning of the period we were in the midst of the Cold War and at the end it was over, the Soviet Union was no more. Untold fortunes spent, tremendous risks of nuclear war, all were gone, the Cold War was over.

Note that this is concerned with Ronald Reagan conservative views. This is not necessarily the same as the George W. Bush views. Mr. Bush seems to have taken the conservative agenda re abortion, affirmative action, and other issues much further than did Reagan.

The present day conservative Republicans would have you believe, would like to believe themselves that the country has made a major turn to the right wing. They view the past election as confirmation of this rightward shift. I believe they are ignoring the fact that a couple of week candidates in the form of Kerry/Edwards, and good fundamental politics on the part of the Republicans (especially the Ohio grass roots effort) enabled a victory.

It is at their risk that they forget that the country isn't as right wing as the stalwarts of the Republican party. Nor is it as liberal as the hard core of the Democratic party. One thing about our country, there's another election coming. The country votes for the one considered the most center oriented. The country doesn't want gun or abortion control.

This book is worth reading as a view of what these particular party members are thinking.