J Books

I found this book in an old bookstore by the beach and thought, action fantasy, why not try it? So far it has to be one of my top favorite books. I plan to read the whole series even though now they're alot harder to find.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 7!!

The Broken Sky series attracted the attention of my 12 year old non reader. Finally a series of books he would read and continue to read. He is on book 6 now! Thank You Chris Wooding.

Broken Sky is one of the best series I have ever read. After getting this book I was hooked I knew I had to have them all. It is filled with action I will tell you only this it is about Two twins whos father died at the hands of their king

The Broken Sky series is the best young adult series yet! I am an upper level freshmen in high school so the series is a bit beneath me, however the battles in the books still captivate me. It's an easy read and each book should take only a couple of hours with the exception being the last book, book seven, which is sort of a combination of books 7, 8, and 9. The writer, Chris Wooding, has stopped the series ( a dissapointment to his fans) and even stopped writing totally! A shame it is, but maybe he'll start writing again soon. I know I speak for many others when I say I hope he does!

This is the first of the seven broken sky books. The twins, Ryushi and Kia, have lived their sixteen-winter life shelted from the outside world. Each of them have six spirt stones(stones that give the bearer magical powers and are placed by a deliverer in a ceremony called a pah'nu'kah) placed down their spine. Ryushi has sky blue stones of force, while Kia has stones with the power of the earth. They each have spent their years sharpening thier skills to prepare for when their father lets them into the outside world when they come of age(18 winters). One day their father, Banto, returns from Tusami city with their 18 winter brother, Takami, after Banto introduces Takami to the outside world. But Banto brings them a little suprise, an 8 winter child named Elani. Just days later, Ryushi's curiosity and impatiance gets the best of him. But when he asks his father about the truth, Banto just makes him promise to guard Elani with his life. Soon after, their home, Osaka Stud, gets attaked. Ryushi keeps his promise and guards Elani from a odd mummy-like creature. Ryushi and Kia manage to escape the destruction of Osaka Stud on a dragon-like wyvern. But as they head towards Tusami city to find Banto's friends, something is on Ryushi's mind. The mummy like creature called his father a traitor. But they always were told King Macaan was the best thing that happened to the dominions. Something is brewing, and there's only one way to find out what. For the survivors of Osaka Stud, it's onward to Tusami City to find some awnsers.

The first chapter of "The Cross Centered Life" is titled "Restating the Obvious". At first glance, that would seem to be a fitting description for the whole book, and a mature believer might be tempted to write it off as Christianity 101. The subtitle for the first chapter, though, is "the most important truth is the easiest to forget". Although Pastor C.J. Mahaney does not go into a great deal of depth in this short work, EVERY believer can truly benefit from his passionate encouragement to constantly maintain the cross as the focal point of our Christian lives.

Mahaney reminds us that the cross is the centerpiece of the believer's existence, and illustrates how keeping our focus on our justification through Jesus' death and resurrection keeps us from trying to earn His approval (through legalism). If we try to evaluate our Christian lives by our feelings and continue to feel condemned even after we have confessed and forsaken our sin, he writes, these are symptoms that show we have taken our eyes off the cross and have failed to remember what Christ's work means to us.

The book includes several practical suggestions on how to be constantly mindful of the cross each day. It also contains a good basic summary of the practical difference between justification and sanctification, which makes it a helpful resource for new believers.

What prevents me from giving the book five stars is the failure to point out that the cross means far more than simply the forgiveness of sin. It's a place of surrender and a place to die -- death to self, death to the old life, death to sin. It's also only half of the gospel, the other half being the Resurrection. Romans 6:4 (NKJV)tells us "that just as Christ was raised from the dead...even so we also should walk in newness of life."

Despite this omission, "The Cross Centered Life" is an excellent work, and deserves to be read by every Christian.

When we walk into our rooms we turn on the lights. Do you ever stop with a jaw-dropping awe for the ability to see so clearly? Imagine bringing anyone from the past centuries into our modern-day world. They would revel and be continually astonished as they walk into rooms where light is of no scarcity, literally a fingertip away. It has been pointed out that familiarity often breeds contempt. In other words, the more we are familiar with something, the easier is it for that something to be taken for granted or even despised. We see it all the time when kids get a new toy or person finally buys a new house.

When it comes down the gospel, how easy is it for many of us, over time, to lose the passion or awe we one had? How easy it is for us to take the cross for granted as if it weren't of utmost importance. This occurs when we become sidetracked by other things and we lose sight of the "main thing," the gospel. Mahaney, who pastored Covenant Life Church for 27 years (which is now pastored by Joshua Harris since 2004), now leads Sovereign Grace Ministries (a church-planting organization with over 60 churches in 6 countries). In November of 2006, I had the privilege of meeting Mahaney, very briefly, in Washington, D.C. at the annual Evangelical Theological Society conference and was able to thank him in person for his unwavering commitment to the centrality of the gospel and his example as a man who is sold out for its bold proclamation (and for this book of which I now write). This book deals with our keeping the cross the main thing.

Book Structure:

"Sometimes the most obvious truths are the ones we need to be reminded of the most" (p.15). Mahaney begins by restating the obvious and foundational truths of the gospel that are so easy to lose sight of. He then moves to address certain things that often take the place of the gospel in our lives, mainly concentrating on three (legalism, condemnation, and subjectivism) where he then devotes a chapter to each of them. In the chapter on legalism, he defines and contrasts justification (being declared righteous) and sanctification (being made righteous) very succinctly. To conclude, he makes the point that the key to a cross centered life is to have cross centered days. To put this in practical perspective, he presents five ways in which he has stoked the passion in his life for the gospel: 1. Memorize the gospel; 2. Pray the gospel; 3. Sing the gospel; 4. Review how the gospel has changed you; and 5. Study the gospel. Mahaney then finishes it off with a final plea and passionate exhortation to never move on from the centrality and sufficiency of the gospel despite the difficulties of life, knowing what we have, we are press forward never losing sight of the cross.

Notable Quotes:

* "We're never `more saved' or `more loved' by God. Our work is motivated by the grace God has poured in our lives" (p.34).
* "The Christian who desires to live a cross centered life will regularly face his own depravity and the seriousness of personal sin, squarely and unflinchingly. It's a reality. But the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin is even greater. . . .So admit you're the worst sinner you know. Admit you're unworthy and deserve to be condemned. But don't stop there! Move on to rejoicing in the Savior who came to save the worst of sinners. Lay down the luggage of condemnation and kneel down in worship at the feet of Him who bore your sins. Cry tears of amazement" (pp.42,44)
* "Never be content with your current grasp of the gospel. The gospel is life-permeating, world-altering, universe-changing truth. It has more facets than any diamond. Its depth man will never exhaust" (p. 67).
* "I'm a Christian because God showed me mercy, not because I was worthy or wanting to be saved. No, I wasn't searching for God. I was stoned" (p.72).
* "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I do know this: Because of the cross I'll be doing much better than I deserve. That's why, for the rest of my life, I want to move deeper into the wonderful mystery of God's love for me" (p. 85).

Conclusion:

This book is an easy read for anyone. It is not meant to be a deep theological dissertation on the cross, but rather a simplistic and coming back to the basics of our faith. It is in its simplicity where this book has its greatest strength: everything flows out of the cross of Christ. Simple, yet utterly profound.

We must never lose sight of the gospel regardless of how long we have been saved. The gospel will never be too old, because it is in the cross where we received grace and where we'll continually supply our hope.

With a heart full of gratitude, I recommend this book for both new and old believer alike. I trust that your passion for the gospel would be rekindled, as has mine, in reading this book whose author is the first to admit that he is a detestable and wretched man. We are all in the same boat. That's why the cross shines ever brighter in light of our sin.

God has once again given Mahaney the gift to properly exhort the Christian to do everything in life in view of the Cross of Christ. If your not a Cross Eyed Christian, you may not be a Christian at all. This book will help develop the Cross-Eyed mentality we all need to live out the profession of our lips.

This book is a great, short read. Mahaney understands and lives the cross-centered life. As Tim Keller says, the gospel is not the 'a,b,c's' of the Christian life, but the 'a-z' of the Christian life. Mahaney knows this. Get this book!

This book offers a challenge to all Christians that we should keep our minds constantly reflecting on the reality of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and the implications of this greatest of all gifts for not only ourselves but all of humanity. There is much to be gained from this corrective to our natural tendencies to spend our energies focusing on so many less important things and forgetting the most important thing.

As others have suggested, "The Cross Centered Life" is not meant to be a major theological treatise. It is short and digestible, though I would not call it an easy read. While Mahaney does include some interesting stories, he is careful not to waste space. Instead, he keeps coming back to his main point, the cross.

My gripe about this book centers around Chapter 5, in which he is critical that our emotions get in the way of what should be our focus on the cross. I was glad that on page 48, he was careful to acknowledge that our emotions are a gift from God. But the rest of the chapter seems to contradict this suggestion, as he goes on to illustrate how untrustworthy our emotions are.

A few months ago, I would have fully supported Mahaney's critique of human emotion. Ultimately, it sounds very spiritual to suggest that we need to allow our brains to always trump our emotions. But I recently read Peter Scazzero's "Emotionally Healthy Spirituality," and he suggests with great clarity and conviction that it is to our profound spiritual detriment if we discard or try to ignore our emotions. Instead, our emotions are one set of data that God has given us to help us navigate through life. The trick is not to abolish feeling but to figure out what to do with our feelings. And this is where I think Mahaney is missing something.

He offers a story in which he screamed and banged his chair on the floor in frustration after accidentally destroying his computer. He then calls this sin. Really? I would suggest that it is not sinful to react in verbal and moderate physical frustration when something terrible happens to us. I think it is just part of how we were created. To stay there is problematic, but I think we do a disservice to who we are as humans if we try to live essentially emotion-free.

Ultimately, my quibble is relatively minor, though the book is so short that this one issue left my impression of the entire book as less favorable. It's a good book worth reading, but it could have been much better had Mahaney approached Chapter 5 from a different perspective.

This isn't just an update to the 3.5 rule set of d20/D&D, this is a whole new book! With the addition of like 50 pages, new classes, NPC archtypes, sub-types, equipment, etc... this breaths new life into tired old cities in any campaign. A must for world building and small adventures in or near a city!

Another great Skirmisher resource. I'm really getting to the point that if Skirmisher publishes a d20 book, I'll buy it sight unseen! Another must buy!

As a new DM, I found the material in this book to be invaluable in populating the major city for my PC's to play in. The standard WotC books provide a little too general information on Experts for a novice DM to easily dive in and begin creating a somewhat realistic world. I faced the challenge of filling in those gaps myself, but was lucky enough to come across this book at my local game seller. It is exactly what I needed.

Since I'm far from being a history expert, particularly on the daily lives of folks in medieval times, I found the first chapters describing the various types of experts (in broad categories of craftsmen, entertainers, professionals, scholars, and tradesmen) to be a fascinating read. It fully answered simple but important questions like "What is the difference between an armorer, blacksmith, and weaponmaker?"

The most valuable part of the book is the chapter on new skills. This chapter really gives nitty gritty details that are useful to my campaign. For example, there is a table in the section describing the Craft (Armorsmithing) skill with the self-explanatory title "Armor Creation Requirements, Times, and Costs". One of my PC's was looking for an armorer to craft him a mithral breastplate. I could easily tell him how much it would cost by using the DMG, but figuring out how long it would take, and who (if anybody locally) would have the skill to do it would be a much greater challenge. With the above table in hand and using the sample Expert provided in a later chapter as a template, getting this together was no sweat!

The only thing I'm unhappy with is the font that is used for many of the headings. It is very difficult for these old eyes to read. A minor quibble, but it is frustrating nonetheless.

I can't judge how valuable this book is for experienced DM's, but for an inexperienced DM that is building a world or extending an off the shelf product this is a must have!

This book is by far one of the best OGL/d20 books for DMs on the market. Finally the most forgotten NPC class gets the respect it deserves. With so many OGL/d20 books coming out that lack usable content, this book is a welcome addition to my considerable library. The expanded class descriptions, with its customizability is phenomenal. And some of the new feats, well, my players are now begging for permission to use this book. Keep it coming!

- Chris

I found the experts book to be incredible. It expanded the breif and uninformative experts described in the DM handbook very well. A must-buy for all DMs.

This book is awesome with the kids running around and solving mysteries!!!

As a child in the early sixties, we lived in a rural area, and by most standards we would have been considered poor, and couldn't afford to buy these books. However, there was a small community library in our town. I went there every chance I had and checked out The Happy Hollister books. I am now a Grandmother and I still remember each of the Hollisters names and many of their adventures. I would like for my grandchildren to have the opportunity to read these wonderful books, so I am scouring the internet for them. They don't write em like this anymore.

It is increasingly difficult to find the Happy Hollisters series of books. There were 33 books in this series, written between approximately 1953 and 1970. This particular edition was the introduction to the series.

The Happy Hollisters are somewhat of a relic of an era gone by. The family consists of five children, Pete, Pam (Pamela), Ricky, Holly, and Sue, and their parents Mr. and Mrs. Hollister. There are also Zip, a collie, and White Nose, a cat, who has five kittens in this book. Mr. Hollister purchases a store called The Trading Post, which sounds similar to general stores in days gone by.

Throughout the series the children solve mysteries, usually as a family. In this introductory book the family is moving to Shoreham. During their trip a van carrying the children's toys is stolen. The van is also carrying valuable papers for their father. As the story unfolds, the children also believe someone is entering their house. Mr. Hollister does not believe the children, but after Pete gets a picture of a strange man with a red hat in their basement, Mr. Hollister gets the police involved.

We also meet mean Joey Brill in this book. Joey is a recurring character who is a bully and generally obnoxious. As one example, Joey puts White Nose and her kittens on a plank in a lake. However, rest assured that Joey is nearly always thwarted in his attempts to be a bad kid.

The story finally arrives at an exciting chase between boats and a mysterious discovery in the Hollister's new house. However, though there seems to be a lot of danger for everyone, rest assured that everything comes out okay in the end.

The Happy Hollisters series remains a reasonably good, if somewhat outdated, read for younger children, perhaps from ages 4 to 9. I suspect that by age 9 most children are entranced by more modern pursuits. Also, many children may consider families of five children to be somewhat unusual and that may take some explaining. These books may be an excellent way to introduce children to the changes that have taken place in our society over the past half century.

One last word of caution. These books are becoming very difficult to find, and thus their price varies substantially. If you are interested in reading this series you may find editions without covers that sell for less than editions with covers.

I hope you enjoy The Happy Hollisters. They are a reminder of a simpler age.

I wish I could find my former school librarian in Dorval, Quebec, Canada (early 1970's) and let her know the tremendous impact her dedication to her job had on my life. I was in 3rd grade, it was during library period, and I was wandering around looking for a book to check out. She, sensing my interest in books, directed me to a shelf containing the library's collection of Happy Hollisters. I wasn't too interested at first, but with her encouragement I agreed to try one. Many years later, at 42 years of age, not only do I still enjoy reading them, but I have read them to both my girls (12 & 17), and I have been fortunate enough to collect 2 complete series over the years. When my daughters leave home, they will both have a set to read to their children.

I also discovered, when dating my wife, that she too had read and enjoyed the series. We were both amazed that there was somebody else out there who had heard of and loved the HH.

If you've read the books, you don't need me to tell you how wonderful they are. If you haven't read them yet, the comments on this page will let you know why you should. I can only agree and endorse what has been said here.

I have read many books in my life, and my reading level is much more sophisticated today. But every now and then, I grab a Happy Hollisters book from the shelf, and I'm a little kid once more in the sanctuary of the school library, returning to a simpler day, when there was still much magic and wonder to be found in the world.

I think my librarian would be pleased.

The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West (a.k.a. Andrew Svenson)

As the Hollisters move to Shoreham, many mysteries follow them on their way. On the way to their new home, they meet a boy named Joey Brill who tells them, "We don't need any more kids in Shoreham. You'll be sorry if you move there." Thus, the Happy Hollisters are presented with their first mystery. Who is this boy, and why is he so mean? Next, they find out that the moving van that contained their toys is missing! The missing van also contains one of their father's inventions. Not only that, but something strange and mysterious is going on at their new house. Not only do neighbors say that their new house is haunted, but they also say that there's a treasure!

Pete, Pam, Ricky, Holly and Sue must solve these mysteries, and many more. They have the help of their parents and their faithful Collie dog named Zip. In the midst of meeting new friends and exploring their new home, the Happy Hollisters find themselves in the middle of one adventure after another. In the process of solving these mysteries, they explore their town, meet neighbors, find new friends and discover clues that help them solve the many mysteries. The brave Hollisters must also face many new dangers in their new home. The family's adventures will keep you turning the page and it will be difficult to put the book down.

If your children are not yet acquainted with the books, The Happy Hollisters is a good book to introduce the series. While the series can be picked up with nearly any of the books, the first one introduces the characters and gives a lot of details that will make reading the other books more enjoyable. It's also a hard book to put down and will help to pique your children's interest in the other books in the series.

This book introduces a simply and effective method for health. And it becomes a good method for relationships also.
Especially when I read about Soul's Journey.. I felt my heart became warm and comfortable.

I've read it two times. I think everybody can get benefits from reading this book and try the methods that is introduced in it.

Spiritual leader and founder of Dahnhak and Brain Respiration integrative mind-body training programs Ilchi Lee presents Human Technology: A Toolkit for Authentic Living is the sequel to the bestselling "Healing Society" and a spiritual guide to basic principles for managing life's core issues: health, sexuality, and purpose. Human Technology offers twelve guideposts for living a peaceful and happy life that is true to oneself, including "Listen for the voice of your soul until you find your passionate life purpose", "Live as your soul directs with honesty, integrity, and diligence", "Recognize that you are what you choose and what you act". Human Technology also emphasizes the importance of the brain as the master controller in our lives. A guide for fomenting self-mastery and a life lived to the fullest, Human Technology encapsulizes an enlightened way of thinking about ourselves, our fellow human beings, and all aspects of life including birth, sexuality, aging, and death. A profound and positive-thinking guide to self-improvement and personal contentment.

It is book not only gives me the tools to create body health, but gives me a life plan to reach the destination my soul yearns for. Just Amazing Book !!

This book is the answer to my questions about enlightenment purpose of life and how to live toghether happily in society. What amazed me was how simple Dr. Lee makes everything so it is clear and understandable. Even something as simple as breathing can determine how we feel, manage our health and, interact with our loved ones. This book was truly worth my time and energy. I recommend this read to anyone and their families. Human Technology I think means being professionals at living a happy life.

There are many books that can help us achieve self mastery in a way that does not control, but welcomes all. This book is one of them.

Ilchi Lee has a gift of expression. There are many practical pointers in this book to help one to feel their self, and to become their best self. I recommend it for anyone who is looking for a new angel to self mastery. It's a great and mind opening read.

This book is less an autobiography than it is a memoir of dealing with cancer. The entire book is pretty much about the nitty gritty details of cancer, which could prove a valuable comforting resource for those going through something similar. Wish there had been more about her life and career. But it's pretty much all about cancer and Gene Wilder, whom she obviously adored. I like that it feels like you can hear her voice when you read--it sounds like her and can be very funny and touching. She seems like a great person and someone you would have loved to know as a friend.

I first discovered Gilda from watching the TV-movie of this starring Jami Gertz on ABC back in 2002 (which I don't recommend for highly-acclaimed critics, or to anyone for various reasons resting solely on the persona portrayed by Gertz) .
Although growing up in Detroit, I wasn't very familiar with Gilda as one would think, being from the same town. I looked EVERYWHERE to try to purchase this book, on here, Border's, Barnes&Noble and other various websites and my last resort, eBay (which I recommend if you don't know where to purchase it). In which case, I received it in the mail after a week or so, ripped opened the packaging and read it like a fat kid eating cake. Wanting more. After reading the book, you feel like you know Gilda. While reading the book, you feel like you know Gilda.
She starts off talking about her random excursions in her ambiguous life, how she wanted her story to go one way, but it took a left turn and made another. Gilda especially highlights her relationship with Gene and how they met, where they got married, the process of getting married in a French town hall and saying "I do" at every pause, because she couldn't understand the French language. She did everything in her power to try to become Gene's wife. She suffocated him, he moved to New York came back to see her in Connecticut and when "the ducks were landed" she ended her relationship with Former SNL lead-guitarist, G.E. Smith and so began the relationship between Rosanne Rosannadanna and Willy Wonka. Her never ending battle to have a child, put me at the edge of my seat as she went through 2 miscarriages.
Feeling unexplainably fatigued all the time, she tried to find the source of her problem by taking vitamins, sleeping more, eating properly. She stopped smoking (a habit she picked up at age 14) and went to doctors who mis- prescribed her with "Epsom-Bar Syndrome." Eventually, it got to the point where she couldn't get up and was constantly tired, so she got other opinions and was diagnosed.
STAGE FOUR Ovarian Cancer.
Afraid to be seen in public, she took therapy and began to realize how many other people were suffering from the same thing. She joined the Wellness Community, found her place and died on May 20, 1989. This book touched my heart from beginning to end. As if she was my life-long friend. I own the original 1989 edition, and I am NEVER letting ANYONE else touch it.

I was diagnosed with colon cancer in April 2005 and life has never been the same. My partner purchased this book for me and I loved it. I loved it not because it read like a self help book but because it read as a true commentary of life with cancer. It's words touched a part of me that no self help book could ever touch. Radner's everyday dealings with this insiduous disease made me laugh and cry and boil over with anger. Radner's words help me to roam through the numerous rooms that one staggers through after a diagnosis of cancer. My heartfelt thanks to Gilda and I would recommend the book to everyone who is affected and infected with cancer.

How wonderful to read something by the funny and wonderful and loveable Gilda Radner. Her descriptions of her trials and tribulations with various doctors..her descriptions of her house. Fate with cancer as a fate worse than the interior decorator..Love for the world..A shining example..A wonderful lady who inspired me during my chemo..Love to her..I shall conjure..The spirit of the one who made us feel not alone..

Gilda Radner was a very fine performer, but this book--not devoted to her entertainment career--shows her to be a class act off-stage as well. Some of us are lucky to have faired well at the hands of brilliant medicos, and are very grateful for it, but anyone who has had long-term experience with America's byzantine medical system knows how easy it is to become fixated, to the detriment of one's own health, upon its appalling lapses and petty cruelties, and lose sight of what's positive. Practically crawling, doubled-over in pain, before doctors took her condition seriously, and, later, away from treatment for an extended period of "remission," only to find out it was merely a mistaken test reading, Radner shows no bitterness in this honest, brave, and, yes, sometimes funny book.

Someone so famous during the golden era of "Saturday Night Live" that she could hardly walk the streets of New York without being mobbed by fans, Radner is reduced by illness to humble sprees involving bingo parlors and mail-order catalogues. Demonstrating resilience, but also a sweet brave sadness that makes you hope, against all sane logic, that things will turn out differently.

It has been written elsewhere that when Radner was very ill in the hospital she would make the rounds cheering up other patients, introducing herself "Hi, I used to be Gilda Radner." There you have it--that transcendent quality humor sometimes has to defy all human limitations, even death. Fortunately Radner will defy it more than most because her warm, precise and yet delightfully silly comedy will live on in tape, film and this very good book. Thank you, Gilda, you will always be really something.

Reading and/or listening to this management story is a fun way to gain insight about people with whom we work and interact. I enjoyed the positive presentation about different perspectives and strenghts that people have and where the best place to deploy people with these attributes might be. The book encourages objective interactions that are win-win and non-judgemental.

Here we go again, another personality classification system and the author's premise that if you can stereo type people you can manage them more effectively. I don't see what this system has over other personality classification systems, such as MBTI (which has been around longer and more people seem to be familiar with).

The book tries to be humorous, but it just didn't work. The story telling wasn't bad, but I'd almost rather listen to nails on a chalk board then listen to the voices of the people reading this book.

Bottom line. I learned a little, but not much and I'd like my money back.

This loosely medieval management parable about "a king at his wits' end" has several winning characteristics. First, it's relevant without taking itself too seriously. The light, self-effacing - even occasionally tongue-in-cheek - tone makes it easily readable. Authors Sheldon Bowles, Richard Silvano and Susan Silvano actively engage readers with a brief interactive online test that reveals your personality "guild type." Then they draw on their narrative's strength to move forward. Many books about emotional intelligence give readers little practical help. This one is fun, helpful and entertaining even though its guild classification system may need additional tweaking. Apparently designed primarily for workplace applications, it lacks the specificity of the more familiar Myers-Briggs test, which in comparison practically predicts how you'll want your eggs cooked a month from next Tuesday. Notwithstanding these minor limitations, we recommend this book to managers, coaches, consultants, EQ practitioners and those HR folks burdened with softening the Type A corporate hearts who run most organizations.

I found Kingdomality (the test) almost 10 years ago. I took the test and was impressed by its accuracy. Since then, I have taken the online test 3 or 4 times more, with the same results.

So, when browsing on a local bookstore, I saw that the test creators had a book about Kingdomality, I did not hesitate and bought it.

What is Kingdomality (the test and the book) about? Well, it basically sustains that people can be grouped in 12 categories of personality types. These types are a function of how people see the world, what are their motivations, how do they interact with it. It's called Kingdomality because the personalities can be linked to "standard" professions in the Middle Ages (the time of Kingdoms...).

Those who have already taken the test and have enjoyed its simplicity and accuracy will enjoy this book. It will allow them to have a more comprehensive view of all the 12 types and how could they be used productively in a work environment.

For those who have not taken the test, but enjoy learning about new and different personality type tests, this is also a great book. The test concept is simple, and the types are clearly different among them. Still, I think I would advise all to take the test first and then read the book (doing otherwise might "contaminate" your test with your expectations for its results).

Well, as I said, I always got the same result in the test. So, in case you wonder, I seem to be a Merchant.

I had the chance to attend a book signing by Sheldon Bowles of his book Kingdomality. When he started to speak to a large crowd there was a table loaded with books and I wondered how many he'd sell. When he finished talking, we all rushed to the front to get a book and an autograph. By the time I got to him the books were all gone! Now I have a copy. This book contains so much insider information about how different people are motivated and why people behave as they do, that it seems like you become a mind reader. It's easy. It's accurate. It has given me the tools that make me a better manager, a better father, husband son and friend. In the paper here last weekend KINGDOMALITY was #1 on the bestseller list. Go to www.kingdomality.com and find out what it's all about. You won't be dissappointed! I predict KINGDOMALITY will be the killer book of 2005.

Excellent book. Well written. Clear. Thoughtful.
Plenty of examples. I would highly recommend it!

There are many other reviews that discuss (and applaud) the merits of Kuipers' treatment of the subject, and I agree with them. Rather than add a "me too", I wanted to treat some of the features of this book that make it approachable.

This book is not written for the layman, you do need a fair grounding in matrix methods, complex variables, and rotations. If you remember the basics you should be fine because Kuipers reminds you of special theorems and properties as they are used. Notation is kept simple and unconfusing.

Of particular note, he uses the margins in a novel way. Most math texts number their equations and refer to them often. The reader spends a lot of time flipping back and forth. Kuipers frequently puts referenced equations, needed properties, and other information in the margins where they are needed. This minimizes the usual back and forth and enables a marginally sophisticated reader to actually read and learn something new in bed.

Book is more or less what all the glowing 4 and 5 stars say it is. I would like to add a 1859 quote from William Rowan Hamilton about his Quaternions in a note to Peter Guthrie Tait (professor and friend of James Maxwell):

"Could anything be simpler or more satisfactory? Don't you feel, as well as think, that we are on a right track, and shall be thanked hereafter. Never mind when."

This is an excellent book, it's right up there with Gilbert Strang's Linear Algebra texts.
Want to understand quaternions and rotational matrices, well this is the book for you. Starts with the basics, coordinated transformations and such, and moves at a reasonable pace into quaternions. Others at work, looking at this book felt that they understood the text. Interestingly these were software engineers that never really gotten basic college calculus. Never could understand why many software people are so light on math. Different part of the brain I guess. Author vs. engineer.

Quaternions are not as intuitive as 3x3 matrices however this book give a strong understanding of quaternions so that the reader can let go of the 3x3 matrix and successfully, in my case at least, change over to only using quaternions. This has proven useful in my simulations for, and firmware code for, satellite attitude determination and control. In the version I have of this book, there are some mistakes that hopefully will be corrected, but the mistakes are obvious and easy to overlook. I hate quaternions but they are powerful tools in solving real world problems. This book made quaternions interesting and bearable. If you already have a really good understanding of quaternions, this book might help, but it has a long introduction into quaternions so you might want to review the book using the online outline to see if it actually covers more than what you might already know.

This book really opened my eyes to reincarnation. I would recommended it to anyone that is unsure and needs proof into the field!

My husband and I were fortunate enough to experience a slice of serendipity when visiting friends in Connecticut. We had ventured out to visit a quaint little cigar shop and that's where we met Mr. Keene. I had never heard of him or his work, and after learning that we were from Upson County, Georgia, he was more than happy to share with us his experiences and convictions regarding his connections to John B. Gordon. The author is quite an interesting fellow--very personable and entertaining. The opportunity to meet and talk to the author has made this book much more meaningful and authentic for me. I highly recommend it to both believers and skeptics alike. It is quite the read!

Mr. Jeff Keene had provided his own past life in a way understandable and as historically accurate as possible to his earlier life as a CSA General John B. Gordon. There were some very touching places in his story which literally brought tears to my eyes like the following -
(1) The place where he explains about the spontaneous feeling of sadness he felt when he stood next to his daughter's grave from his previous life and who had passed off when quite young even before ever being named.
(2) The place where he very humbly stays behind thinking of himself as quite junior when compared to other army commanders on the lines before being called by General Hancock during Grant's funeral to lead the funeral procession alongside him in the front lines.
(3) The place where he vividly reminisces his past life incident when he saved the life of the Federal Division Commander Francis Barlow.
On the whole the author comes through as a very great gentleman and one worthy of emulation in both of his forms as Gen Gordon as well as the current Fire Chief Jeff Keene.
May God provide him all prosperity in the present and the yonder!

What more can I say. I have read many books on this subject, and there are many of them out there, but this I must say is the best ever. It takes you from the very start of his search to present day. If you are looking for your own past lives, this book can help you. It gives you ideas of how and where you can start looking for yourself. It lets you know how a journey of this type can affect your present life, good and bad. It also lets you know how past lives influances the thoughts, actions and memories you have today, even your dreams. I could not put this book down from the moment I started reading it, till I was finished with it. It takes alot for someone to come forward like this and share what they went through, and I must say thank you to Jeffrey for doing so. Martin Huffman

From the time I received this book I couldn't put it down. It is a must read for history buffs as well as for those who are interested in reencarnation.

I am just now rediscovering poetry. I've always enjoyed it as a teenager, so I bought three books by word-of-mouth this year. I can't say this one was my favorite, but it is a classic! I am sure the effect of Cummings at the time was great, but I strongly suggest that readers take in the writers of our day. This book is a great starting point, but it only gives you a history of what's going on with more contemporary poets.

Cummings is one of the best American minor poets. He invents a language, a style a way of saying things all his own. And he does this in memorable lines and with his own kind of beauty. "What of a much of a which of a wind " " There's a hell of a universe ,next door. Let's Go" " I sing of Olaf, glad and big " " Nothing not even the rain has such small hands" The style is magnetic and there is a most individualistic celebration of life and love.
Appealing. But without the largeness of Whitman or the mind of Dickinson or the music of Stevens,it is not at the very highest level.
And also sharing with Pound and Eliot, and to a lesser degree Hemingway and Fitzgerald the Anti- Semitism of his time which makes it therefore almost impossible for me to read the stuff with uncritical joy as I would like to.

I got this book in a used bookstore that was owned by a "former hippie"...is there such a thing, I always felt once a hippie, always a hippie...I didn't even ask for him to recommend it to me, he just looked in my eyes and said, "Hey, man, do you want to read something great?"

I read the whole book from cover to cover in the bookstore and I knew I had to have it as part of my collection. When the old hippie put the book in a bag he just smiled at me as if to say, "I told you so..."

So now I'm telling you, you who is looking for something crazybeautiful in which to pour your lovelyeyeslikemine over. Carry this book with you. Go to the local coffeehouse with pen in hand and make notes in the margins. Talk to Mr. Cummings as though he was right in front of you, because in a way, he never died. He is still very much alive and he especially loves new seekers of his words.

There are certain things that one must read before they exit the planet and this is one of them. You may not go crazy over it as much as I did, and if you weren't the least bit impressed I suggest that you make an appointment with the doctor and see if you have a pulse.

This little book is de-light-full and will work its magic in you if you let it.

This sweet little volume is a great introduction to Cummings' work...perfect as a gift to someone who's expressed an interest in him. The small, thin size makes it MUCH more portable than a 20-pound "complete works" volume!

I was determined to hate e.e.cummings. The quirks of his spelling and punctuation alone seemed to me to be contrived and overly pretentious and I felt instinctively (without reading it) that his poetry must be some sort of grand put-on. I am even today still not completely convinced he did not suffer some form of mild to severe brain damage (perhaps progressive) that increasingly affected his later writings. However, once I was introduced to the man through this excellent collection, I could no longer deny the stunning originality of his poetry or the gorgeous music of his lyrics, particularly when read aloud (most effectively and rewardingly to an adoring female audience of one). I have been converted into an admirer through this collection.

100 SELECTED POEMS is a fine and concise introduction to the works of this nonconformist poet. There is a sampling of his very best poems and enough variety to sway all doubters. This collection wisely (I feel) avoids the more terrifyingly eccentric typography of some of his more notorious efforts, though some of the later poems in this collection push the envelope far enough to be discomforting (but in a good way). No collection of American poetry would be complete without e.e.cummings, and this book rattles like a fragment of angry candy.

Jeremy W. Forstadt