J Books

Ari delivers a very passionate and convincing argument against the current direction of public education in America. Ari uses excellent examples from his experiences as a teacher to substantiate his opinions. A very interesting read on a most important topic. I hope, as Ari, that his words have an effect on the future of education in America.

Mr. Kaufman brought forth an issue that many parents and taxpayers, who fund our public schools, may be somewhat aware of...but don't truly understand. Mr. Kaufman's accounts of things such as imparting political philosophy towards primary school classes, and the power of teachers unions to block initiatives that help students in order to protect their own interests; they are clear, concise, and very intriging to read. Through strong, mostly first-person accounts, Kaufman "opens the book", so to speak, on some of the corrupting influnces that are affecting the public education process in today's society. The content in the book forces the reader to engage and think about what kind of role, if any, they can play in a process that does seem very important to our country's future.

If there's one quibble - it's that broader opinion and facts from more numerous, and other reliable sources would've served to strengthen support for Kaufman's points even more. But hopefully, even though he has left teaching as a day-to-day vocation, Mr. Kaufman will continue to build up contacts "inside the education sanctum" and research the trends further - so he can continue communicating his succinct thoughts on this topic.

by Everett J. Nienhouse Ph.D
Ellsworth, Michigan


A read of Ari Kaufman's Reclamation, provided a stroll back into my
career as a college professor at a state-supported institution of
higher learning that was unionized. Some of Mr. Kaufman's experiences
were in place nearly 40 years ago, and some not. His experiences are
not confined to K-12. Rather, it has invaded all levels of education
from pre-school to elementary, secondary, and higher education as well.

Although the first 6-7 years were replete with wonderful rewards from
my classroom efforts, associate professor in two years, youngest full
professor in the history of the college, Distinguished Professor of
the Year, no truly evaluative tenure policy was in place and course
evaluations were voluntary. How then could a teacher's effectiveness
be assessed? One answer was a student-generated booklet which was
published providing information on teachers to assist new and
continuing students in making careful course and teacher choices. The
booklet rated each instructor from 1-5 and added comments such as
"enthusiastic, skilled teacher, tests fair but hard", or "avoid if
possible!" Competent department heads did sit in and evaluate their
charges and such information was provided in their annual reports to
their deans, V.P. of Academic Affairs and President.

However, "tenure" was a joke and was affectionately known as "five
year" to those dedicated teachers desiring evaluation of their
abilities to increase their effectiveness in the classroom. As a large
group of us approached the recognition of the five years spent at the
institution to be held at a year-end banquet, we contemplated ripping
up our "tenure certificates," delivered to us with much hoopla, in
protest as they were, in effect, meaningless! But, judgment prevailed
and we were accepted into the "elite group."

Since institutional priorities were continually called into play, some
areas suffered while others thrived i.e. athletics over supporting
Arts and Sciences, leading to major confrontations between the faculty,
administration and Board of Trustees. This eventually led to
unionization. When a work-stoppage (that's pc for "strike") occurred,
lazy faculty members would crawl out of their comfortable holes and
perform "heroic acts" in support of union demands, the only true "work"
they'd perform in an entire semester! Further, unionization brought
protection of the incompetent and few rewards for quality teaching.
Does this sound familiar? If so, reread Mr. Kaufman's book.

Pay raises were given only to those faculty receiving a promotion in
rank, leaving dedicated, outstanding, and enthusiastic competent full
professors with modest annual increases. Only later, when this
ridiculous policy was brought to the attention of the administration,
merit pay was restored and provided to dedicated instructors. Serious
tenure review was finally installed.

As eloquently pointed out by Mr. Kaufman, political correctness entered
the academic arena. Sensitivity training was encouraged. Compulsory
attendance was required at certain events including an address by "Miss
Blue-eye, Brown-eye," a 60's teacher from Iowa who had conducted a
study of her students. This 40 year old study included the statement,
"And so, I have come to the decision that all white males are bigots!"
This statement prompted me to stand up, throw my hands towards the
speaker, and lead a walk out with scores of other faculty members
attending this "enrichment lecture."

Later, I caught a student electronically cheating for which he was
dismissed not only from my class, but from the curriculum in which he
was engaged. But, I was called into the dean's office and told that
the word "cheater" was "far too harsh" and from now on will be referred
to as "academic dishonesty!" Grade inflation followed with my dean
calling me in for giving out too many D's and F's, stating that a C
grade has replaced failures!

I held on for another couple of years before taking an early retirement
after a thirty year career. Mr. Kaufman's tenure in elementary school
teaching ended after three. I felt that if I stayed on much longer,
the "sweetness" of my teaching career would turn to a very sour taste,
something that I wished to avoid.

Truly, Mr. Kaufman's Reclamation should be required reading for all
seeking a career in teaching at all levels. It serves as a primer for
"the politics of education" which most teachers, new to this great
calling, are rarely apprised of as they begin their careers.

Living in Los Angeles not far from where Mr. Kaufman taught, I had a keen interest in picking up a copy of this book. As I also have a four year-old daughter and two year-old son who may or may not enroll in LAUSD sometime soon, this book was certainly an important read.

Many of my fears of the immense bureaucracy, overwhelming and unnecessary union involvement (these political activities and monetary greed will help my kids learn how?), and teachers with belief sets that clearly run antithetical to the real world I reside in, were confirmed. But I also gained some hope; hope that, with more teachers opening their minds and thinking about how to better the educational world in the same way that Mr. Kaufman has, our students can in fact succeed.

One issue that comes to mind, as it has also been discussed recently by politicians, is private school vouchers. I cannot fathom how any sympathetic person can be against them, but school districts and most Democratic politicians currently are. If our schools in the inner cities are failing---and they are---what better way than to aid these kids who want to learn, than to give them this opportunity at a better school via private, religious or charter school type vouchers? These work, and should be implemented. Opposing these, when their urban constituencies strongly support them, shows these school boards and local politicians are tied together to perpetuate failure. That's both sad and troubling.

Kaufman's book is thorough, well-documented and forward-looking to the future, which is key. I highly recommend it, especially if you find your life in the same spot I now do, as numerous other reviewers noted. We seem to be the folks Kaufman is writing to aid, not the teachers, who will denounce this book without reading.

Reclamation is a compelling read and I'd recommend it for both teachers and parents who send their children to public schools. If your child has even wondered (the way I did) why his/her younger (read: "likely non-tenured") teachers are generally better prepared and more interesting--well, this book is the answer. If you are a staunch, card-carrying member of the teacher's union, then perhaps this book can educate you as to why tax-payers are increasingly frustrated with the public education system. Personally, I have a lot of respect for individuals who enter the the public school teaching arena. I also believe the best classroom educators should be compensated accordingly. Responsibility. Accountability. Conscientiousness. These are ideals we all hope to instill in our children. As Reclamation details, it's high time our public educators and their unions get a lesson in them. For pulling back the curtain WHEN he did, A.J. Kaufman deserves a lot of credit. The easy, self-preserving path would have been to button his lip, work hard for two years, get tenured, then start to writing these opinions of how California's educational system needed change. But rather than hypocritically accepting what he saw around him, he spoke up. That takes real courage.

A couple caveats: 1) while Reclamation's content was generally interesting and persuasive, I found the starting of each chapter with a past newspaper article to be problematic. It made for a choppy read and caused Mr. Kaufman to continually point back/forward to a past/future dialogue. The chapters themselves seem well thought-out, but I think re-writing each newspaper article would allow for the narrative to flow much smoother. 2) At times (especially in the chapter entitled "Lean Left or Else"), Mr. Kaufman goes well-beyond the scope of what I read to be his thesis--namely that the public education system is broken as a result of unmotivated teachers, misguided teacher's unions and a failure to consistently put the student's education above all else. Mr. Kaufman himself is clearly frustrated by the P.C. environment created by teachers and the materialism of today's teenagers. He fails, however, in making a strong case that either of these factors contribute to the broader problems of overall student learning or the profession's failure to attract, motivate and retain the "best and the brightest" young professionals.

This is a heart warming story about a small Christmas tree that is not perfect, because it shares from the heart.
This story was read to my child at school, and it was liked so much that she wanted one for Christmas.

The little book impresses children (and adults) with the true spirit of Christmas, giving of one's self. The illustrations are beautiful and the text well written. It has become one of my favorite Christmas stories.

This book has a great message for young and old alike! This is a book for anyone who has performed acts of service and wondered, "Does it count for anything?" And the answer is yes. Every act of kindness has a lasting impact on the giver as well as the receiver.

This story is beautifully told and illustrated. This book is a great addition to any home library--it is the kind of book you want to own not just borrow from the public library.

Also recomended:Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--another poignant story about the rewards of giving...

I wanted a Christmas tree book to read to my kids when we went to cut down our tree. I had never heard of this book, but I chose it from the library because it was about a Christmas tree. It is a wonderful heartwarming story. It has everything my fou-year-old (and me) loves. It has animals, a queen and castle, and a touching ending. I am going to purchase one for our family to make it a tradition on the day we go get our tree and I will likely purchase a few more as gifts as well.

A simple answer to the question in the book title -- because in imperfection you find beauty and grace and wonder. The this story is full of such things.

This book is one of our family favorites -- a classic we return to and will carry with us in memories. Reading this book together gives us the chance to stop in a very busy season and wonder about things bigger and more important than wrapping and running. The message that defines perfection is a life lesson we all need.

I will be purchasing this book to give to my children's families as they marry and begin their own Christmas traditions.

I purchased a copy of this book when it was first published and laughed myself silly over and over again...what makes it so funny? It perfectly captures the absurdity of yearbooks of an era long gone by: group class pictures taken at such a distance as to render the faces tiny specks with names like "Lotta Zits"; pictures of teachers in their classroom situations: the shop teacher smiling widely at the camera next to a student whose face wears a very surprised look because lower down in the picture his fingers have been separated from his hand by the band saw they are ignoring while the picture is taken! The fun goes on and on--a description of the class trip to D.C. wherein the author takes every opportunity to use the adjectives and adverbs based on the school's mascot the kangaroo. And who could forget the mottoes accompanying the Senior Pictures: the leering face of the school "bad girl" over the phrase "I guess I missed that period!" I haven't seen this book since I loaned it to a friend in the early 1980's yet the material is fresh in my mind. Please, please bring the book back into print so that we fans can share it with a new generation.

If you have any knowledge of the sixties then this book will have you crying and your sides will ache from all of the laughter. I have shown my old copy to a half dozen people and everyone of them had the same reaction. You can read this book for weeks and still discover something new each time.

Will the world listen to the plea of thousands and reprint this masterpiece of 60's parody!!! I cannot face the future without seeing Ms. Armbruster one more time! Also, I need to see the Dacron, Ohio newspaper parody too! Please, dear lord, to see the joy in my teenage children's eyes as they read these wonders for the first time would hearten my soul forever!!!

I've had at least a half-dozen copies of this Yearbook over the years and they've all been swiped. Thankfully, it looks like we'll soon have it in print again!

This is easily one of the funniest books I've ever seen in my life. Meticulously fashioned after a real yearbook (right down to the ads and classmate autographs), the National Lampoon yearbook is a comic masterpiece to be enjoyed over and over again.
I'd read that it was so successful that Hollywood wanted to make a film of it, but the Lampoon humor was a little risque for a high school setting. So they moved it to a college setting and that's how we got ANIMAL HOUSE.
Fans of ANIMAL HOUSE will spot familiar names in the yearbook: Larry Kroger, Coach Vernon Wormer, etc.

I can't wait until I get another copy--and I'm hanging on to this one!
Definitely CHECK THIS OUT!

This book will be republished in fall 2003 with an addendum - where are they now? I can't wait...

I got a copy from the local library, read it, then ordered a copy for my collection. It's well-written and difficult to put down once you get started. Buy it!

This is a quick and easy read about the Vietnam War. Focus is on stories related to the the soldier's care in Vietnam and the
critical cases sent to Japan. For those interested in the glamour of war, read this book for the cost of such glamour, crippled men. Since this book was written in 1971, it does not
contain much of the later aspects of the war. Generally it is unsypathetic to the American pursuit of the war.

Dr. Glasser has written a great story on the Vietnam War and the Hospital and personnel envolved. Having read it almost right through it brought back lots of memories stored in the deep of my mind. I had lived a time in a Naval Hospital and was put back together in a wonderful way by many good Doctors and Nurses in the Boston area. I will always remember them and hope that many that have never associated the hospitals with the war will now understand how many men went through those portals in those years. Many to never be the same, God bless them all, and God bless our wonderful country.

This book is a series of short stories detailing personal accounts of US infantry combat operations during the Vietnam War. Fast-paced, vivid and well-written. Stories cover the individual spectrum from the most gung-ho Airborne-Ranger to the most reluctant drugged-out draftee. Helicopter, river, armored, long range recon and regular infantry operations are all part of 365 Days. The book shows clearly the human tragedy of war at a personal level. Recommended reading for the hawk and the pacifist.

Dr. Glassner provides a unique perspective on the American experience in Vietnam -- that of a medical officer responsible for treating the shattered, burned, and exhausted men caught up in that conflict. There is plenty of heroism in his short tales, but usually it is the heroism of brute survival, of adapting to impossible conditions, of enduring the unendurable.

I have heard this book referred to as an "anti-war" work, and one that derides America's involvement in Southeast Asia. I disagree. Glassner simply tells it like it was -- he pulls no punches, so oftentimes reading this book is very unpleasant: how many "John Wayne shoot 'em up" memoirs of Vietnam recount the suffering endured on a burn ward?

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Vietnam War, the continued psychological and physical suffering of combat vets from all eras, or to anyone concerned with the consequences for our sons and daughters when politicans send our troops to war. Should be required reading for college students,...

Any artist who does not have this book in his or her library is being cheated out of great insights:

"There are mighty few people who think what they think they think."

"Be willing to paint a picture that does not look like a picture."

"...pictures which do not represent intense interest cannot expect to create an intense interest."

"Effects of perspective are made or defeated by sizes of strokes or by their tonality."

And this is just the teaser.

George Bellows, Edward Hopper, Patrick Henry Bruce, Stuart Davis, Rockwell Kent, Guy DuBois, Alfred Maurer, Carl Sprinchorn and countless others studied with Henri and went on to do great work. There are too many for this to be simply coincidence. The "Art Spirit" is the closest thing we can get to the Kool-Aid that flowed in Henri's classroom. One can glean quite a bit from the pages of this book. It is both practical and inspirational. I have to say that it can be a bit frustrating not being able to see anything or ask a question, but its much better than nothing (thank you Ms. Ryerson!). Buy a copy and read it.

If you are an artist, have an interest in art or even just like to read thought provoking quotes then you could do a lot worse than have this on your shelf. The book is collection of conversations, thoughts, writings. There isn't much of a structure to it - more a random collection although the index helps somewhat. It lends itself to just opening the book at a random page and reading whats there. It contains one salient point after the other on the how's, whys and wherefores of painting, drawing and sculpture. This book should be on every artists shelf.

Finally a review of art, for the sake of art, without becoming cluttered by commercial concerns. Paint color, composition, line...The book is written as a painting with no particular beginning, middle, or end. It needs to be absorbed as a whole to fully appreciate its contents. The pedantic English can tire but it does not subtract from the freshness of the message and the pleasure it provides to every student of art.

The Art Spirit. Now there's a bold title. The implication is not only that there is such a specifically identifiable thing as an "art spirit", but also that the author, painter, and teacher, Robert Henri knows these specifics; a bold implication indeed. The difficulty (wherein lies the boldness) whenever one attaches the word spirit -or spiritual- to anything, there are, of course, as many understandings or perceptions of that word as there are hearers and readers of that word. This may exist to no greater degree and appear no more obvious than in the world of visual arts. Henri himself acknowledges this, writing in the forward, "...the opinions are presented more as paintings are hung on a wall, to be looked at at will and to be taken for what they are worth. If they have a suggestive value and stimulate to independent thought, they will attain the object of their presentation..." And later, "There is no idea that anyone should agree with any of the comments or that anyone should follow the advice given. If they irritate to activity in quite a different direction, it will be just as well." Although he embraces this free thinking, to-each-his-own, take what you will from it approach, it is merely one of the specific personality characteristics evidenced in the Art Spirit. Henri intends to show there is an "art spirit", and it is the province of every human being.
This is the crux of the issue for Henri, his point of departure from other artist/writers, and the chief value of this book: The Art Spirit is attainable by anyone, can be exhibited by everyone.
Other works on the subject tend to be either the less specific, more nebulous notions where we are expected to buy the fancy explanations and just accept that there is something spiritual, or of the spirit, going on here, or the very specific, artist-only oriented varieties. For example, consider Mandarin's grid "composition" series and his writing about them. While his theosophically induced explanations may help some to a degree of understanding, we are essentially left to take his word for what we are supposed to be seeing in the canvas. In his "Concerning the Spiritual in Art", although Kandinsky presages Henri -discussing psycho-emotional, expressive, and contemplative states of artists out in the real world and before the canvas- he ultimately leaves it with the artist, not really taking it out of the studio and into the factory, construction site, or office cubicle as Henri does. Whereas Kandinsky seems to digress at times into a sort of "how -to" instruction guide for defining and placing spiritual elements into a picture, Henri takes it further, defining his Art Spirit, then setting about showing us how to tell when it's present. This every-man definition is offered at the very beginning of his book:
"Art when really understood is the province of every human being.
It is simply a question of doing things, anything, well. It is not an outside, extra thing.
When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and he opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it, shows there are still more pages possible.
The world would stagnate without him, and the world would be beautiful with him; for he is interesting to himself and he is interesting to others. He does not have to be a painter or sculptor to be an artist. He can work in any medium. He simply has to find the gain in the work itself, not outside it."
Henri then spends two hundred and forty five more pages illuminating and reiterating how one is -or can be- an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressing creature; how to live life to the fullest. The Art Spirit manifests itself in the appreciation of the non-material things in life; in the "true student" who self-educates and explores feelings, meanings, who contemplates, who really sees, who learns to express "who is you"; in what comes from the external world and inside you; in the full enjoyment in the living of life; in doing a thing well ... anything.
Henri accomplishes a difficult task here; a book with specific and important information for the artist, yet within that structure filled with insight and compelling ideas for the non-artist. One is urged to make a full reading, since quite often both are mingled in the same sentence or statement. For example, a non-painter might be tempted to skip the ten-page section on brush strokes (pg. 62-72), seeing no need for it. The unfortunate reader would then miss out on many little gems of insight and information. What is a brushstroke but a purposeful committed action by an artist? So then, consider the message in these statements when you substitute the word "stroke" with "action" or even "attitude" (parenthetical insertions are mine ):
"Strokes carry a message whether you will it or not. The stroke is just like the artist (person) at the time he makes it. All the certainties, all the uncertainties, all the bigness of his spirit and all the littleness are in it."

"There are more strokes which laugh, and there are more strokes which bind laughter, which freeze the face into a set immoveable grimace."

"(There are) bad strokes which are bad because a brush (a method) or a condition of paint (situation) were chosen which could not render them."

While Henri plays to both artist and non-artist audiences, it is at these times when he addresses the artist more directly he more closely aligns himself with Kandinsky. Both men bring their great passion for the subject into their text in their strong, clear, and pleasing voice. Kandinsky, sounding alternately-yet only slightly more- poetic here, technical there; Henri with a bit more enthusiasm. They share the same territory on many issues, such as the shape, direction, and function of line, intention of every stroke, careful planning followed by exuberant expression and more. Yet, while they may travel the same road, they do not share the same vehicle. There is an important distinction in each man's approach to spirituality, or the art spirit. For Kandinsky, there is a spirit world out there, and a spiritually inspired painter can -and should- find ways to represent both that indwelling spirit and that exterior spirit world to which we are all connected. Henri says (when) we search the external world with appreciation and wonder, and we search within ourselves, and when we become more self-expressing creatures, we have the art spirit...we are the art spirit. Kandinsky believes only non-objective images can reveal the spiritual, Henri says it matters not what you paint but how you paint it-compelled by the spirit. So while Kandinsky can use the "psychic effect" (pg. 24) of color to manipulate the viewer's emotional state toward a comprehension of the spiritual, Henri says the artist's mark itself can manifest the Art Spirit. While, in both cases it takes a more or less purposeful opening up to the notion of the spirit, for Henri it is not trying to grasp the spirit and record it, it is about internalizing and building the spirit inside ourselves, and our resulting expressions will, by definition, represent the Spirit. And it is possible for all of us.
The long quote above (from pg. 5) is written exactly as printed in the fifth edition printing not only as expository text, but as a means of illustrating Henri's bright, clear and energetic voice that runs throughout this book. The subtitle for The Art Spirit reads, "notes, articles, fragments of letters and talks to students, bearing on the concept and technique of picture making, the study of art in general, and on appreciation," and that is exactly how it reads. Much of this is due to Henri's considerable gift of communication, and the balance is credited to the physical layout of the book. There are no chapters, even very few headings to sections, lending itself very well to opening to any page and beginning to read. At times, a lecture, or perhaps advice to a single student goes on for five, six, seven pages. Other times, pages are divided into two or three sections, or set up in individual sentences which concern the same subject, yet stand on their own. The resulting effect is the feeling of being in the very classroom of Professor Henri. There are also considerable instances of repetition here, albeit in subtle variations. The index, however, is usefully repetitious as well, helping to differentiate between those subtleties when one may be in need of a specific quote or reference.
The last thirty pages are exact notes taken by Margery Ryerson, a Henri student who eventually compiled the notes, fragments, etc.(in the revised edition, she is credited as Editor). This is an excellent addition to the book. Reading Henri's comments and insights in her necessarily abbreviated, note-taking style provides fresh psychological weight to the reality of Henri's classroom.
One area of disappointment concerns the photograph illustrations of Henri and his work. In the fifth edition, the plates are in black and white. Although understandable at the time of inclusion (1930), they do not allow for close comparison with Henri's ideas and techniques about painting elaborated in the text. The real disappointment is to find that the current edition available from booksellers has not updated to colorplates, but jettisoned the pictures entirely, save for the full color cover.
I recommend The Art Spirit to anyone involved in the creative process. It is a must have, particularly for those times when one may be experiencing a creative burnout, or to shake off the cobwebs. I am recommending The Art Spirit to non-artists as well -anyone who is looking for a little spark, a little positive push toward self-actualization.
For the artist, I am not recommending The Art Spirit over the Kandinsky classic; I see Henri's work as more of a continuation, or a rounding out of what Kandinsky started years before. Artists and aspiring art appreciators must read both if there is to be any hope of understanding

This was a good refreshing book that was also clean. The love could be felt between the couple. The way they fought for each other was great.
This is a good introduction to interracial romance, in fact to romance in general.

Well Done.

I just finished reading Being Plumville and tomorrow I'm going to read it all over again. This is a book that truly deserves the title "novel." It's written by a true author who understands the elements of character development, plot, and believability. There's nothing cheap, smutty, or ridiculous about this book. It's setting and characters imbue the entire story with a level of credibility that most romance novels don't have. I would describe it as strong, realistic, relevant, and one of the most romantic stories I've ever read. You won't put it down until you've finished. And then, you'll just pick it up again.

I've enjoyed this book so much. For the first page till the end, the story kept me captivated. The hero & heroine are characters who have dept and you'll keep on rooting for them.
Savannah J. Frierson is truely a gifted writer!

This is a well written work of fiction that stands apart from the rest of the I/R books. Unlike the others, this book has a well-developed, believable storyline told during a time of racial turmoil in the country. The story draws you in and you find yourself rooting for Coralee and Benny. The loves scenes were extremely passionate, without being tasteless, like I/Rs tend to be. Kudos to Ms. Frierson!

I live in a small town, and Being Plumville made me feel like home. A very good read, we could all use some more like it.

Book in Great condition (new), cheap. Shiped promptly. I will definitively buy again from this seller.

I highly recommend this to people considering converting to the Catholic faith or those who are new in it. I would even suggest it to "cradle Catholics" like myself because we all need a refresher on what our faith really is. The conglomeration of different authors is a brilliant idea because it gives the reader different perspectives. The authors are connected to the Franciscan University at Steubenville, which some priests have told me is the best Catholic university in the country. This book is heavily based on the Scriptures and very enlightening. It gives the big picture that we are God's family and He loves us.

Scott Hahn is without question the most popular and important Catholic apologist in today's world. Not only is he an incredibly gifted author but he is also a very dynamic speaker as well. His efforts have not only helped many of the Catholic faithful to better understand our faith but he has also been instrumental in the conversion process for many new Catholics. He himself was a Protestant minister until he began to examine scripture more closely and found a home in the Catholic Church.

Most of Dr. Hahn's books are the exclusive work of his brilliant mind and I have yet to read one that didn't teach me many things and help me understand better the things that I thought that I knew. In somewhat of a departure however the good doctor only writes one chapter and serves as co-editor of the rest of the essays that make up this book. Surprisingly, Dr. Hahn's chapter is not the best one to be found within this collection but among such other fine works that is nothing to be ashamed of. Among the best chapters are those by Curtis Martin, Kris Gray, Timothy Gray and Kimberly Hahn all of whom shine in a sky full of stars.

The basic theme for this collection of essays is the Church as the family of God (familia Dei) and each and every chapter deals with some aspect of this reality. From chapters on Our Lady's role as our mother, Divine sonship, the Church as the bride of Christ and the reality of Purgatory to the use of the term Father when addressing a Priest this book covers many interesting facets of our Catholic family. Best of all everything is explained in an easy to read and understand method with the authors not assuming that we are all as well educated in the Faith as they are.

There are a few negative aspects of this book however that deserve some attention. In any collection of essays some will be better than others and that is certainly the case here. None of the essays are bad, or even average for that matter but some of them are just a bit dry in places. Another problem is that some of the authors tend to use way too many quotes, one of which is so long that it takes up an entire page. Some quotations are reasonable and necessary but some of these authors push the limits a little too far. One other point that registers as both a negative and a positive is the somewhat repetitive nature of some essays. It is excellent that the main them is discussed time and again and that the subject is never far from the surface but too often I found myself thinking that I must have lost my place because I had read the same exact thing just minutes ago. I don't know how this could have been avoided but it was sometimes disconcerting.

There is much to know about the Catholic Faith and despite some minor flaws Dr. Hahn and company have done a marvelous job of explaining some of the very basics of Church teaching. They are not mean spirited or pompous as they explain to us less educated Catholics some things that we really should have known already. This book can justifiably be touted as another winner in the Hahn collection.

If you want to take a leap in your faith, this is the book for you. The depth of the book is fantastic and should be read over and over for it to sink in. I am buying 5 more copies to give to my closes friends...and I have never done that before. Need I say more.

Today the number of Catholics that do no go to mass, or do not have a clear idea why go to mass at all, is immense. Catholic for a reason is an excellent tool in helping those Catholics to come to know and love the Faith they received at baptism. Great book!

From Sea To Shining Sea is an excellent account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific Northwest It also describes most interestingly the participants and how they related to each other.

Great book for young and old readers. Good historical accuracy and action packed. Read it 15 years ago and have recommeneded it to others and now my 19 year old son is totally engrossed in it

I found this book in my mom's book shelf when I was 16 and never gave it back. The cover has fallen off and I lost most of the last page! It is exciting, colorful, sometimes funny, sometimes frightful but a great step into the history of the US through the eyes of a proud mother of 10!

This is truly a treasure. Even if you don't like history, you will find yourself wanting to know more after reading this book. It would be a great read, side by side, in an American history class. Students reading about the lives of people and how they were affected by each of those early events in our history would surely enjoy the class a lot more.

I wish it was printed in hardcover or large print.

This is an remarkable view of the early history of the forming and then growing United States through the experiences of several generations of the extraordinary Clark family. The story weaves together the real life experiences of this family showing the trials, challenges and rugged life in our western frontier as it moved from western Virginia into the the Ohio river valley and on to the vast region west of the Mississippi river that culminates in the Rogers & Clark expedition. If one enjoys early american history or an intense novel packed with drama, this is a book that will hold your attention.

I loved this book. I read it a year ago and I still rememberparts of it, especially the day and night sides of Ryloth. It was neathow the friends kept saving each other.

Usually, in most series by the time they reach book 10 it is beggining to get cheesy and unsatifying, but this is an exception. In fact, I think that this book is even better than the other three books in the second series of Young Jedi Knights, though I generaly liked the first series better. For one thing, even though there is one more book after this one, it seemed to tie in just about all the subplots of the series into a flawless intertwining story, that is much better than most people give it credit for, just because they are kids books. Anyway, in this story, The Young Jedi Knights (Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Raynar) finally decide that they have waited long enough for Lowie (their other friend) to return from visiting the Diversity Aliance and they must assume that he has either joined them, or is being held against his will. (both bad things) So they take off to go to rescue him, but are captured by the Diversity Aliance (who is fanacicly anti-human) and thrown into the spice mines to slave out their remaining years in agony. Will they save Lowie and escape? And if they manage to will they survive in the nearly inhospitably cold exterier to Ryloth? You'll just have to read the book to find out. One thing that bothers me, is that when they ask Lusa to stay behind and cover for them saying that they went on a mission or something, well wouldn't the adults imediatly be suspicios? I mean they are just a bunch of fifteen year old kids, wouldn't the adults feel responsible if something happened to them? Yet everyone seems to simply take it in stride as a normal accurance untill Zekk and Lusa come forward and tell the truth for them. Also, these budding relationships between all the kids, while extremly innocent, are starting to get annoying. Actually, the relationship between Jacen and Tenel Ka is fine, it being fun and interesting to watch. But do we really need more than that? Now new characters have actually been created just so other characters aren't left out of this, or so it seems. Zekk in particular was never one of my favorite characters, though despite myself I am begining to like him more. I am still completly against him forming a relationship with Jaina though, despite the fact they like each other. While I suppose Jaina does like him for the right reasons, they are better as friends. Their so called relationship is not only boring, but also completly unneccacary. A poor attemp to relate to teenage girls who would be reading this book. I'm a girl, and I'm fifteen, but this still seems silly and unneccecary, as is Lusa and Raynar, and Lowie and Raaba. Well now that I'm through complaining, I'll sign off by saying once again that this is a great book that I reccomend to any Star Wars fan, especially those interested in seeing how Han and Leia's kids turned out.

I have recenlty found to my suprise that many YA novels are very interesting. The "Young Jedi Knights" series have a lot of these novels and this particular book is easily representative of the breed. It helped that I have read some of the previous books of the series, however, otherwise I would have been completely lost in the character interrelationships.

This is a great book. one of the beast. A good part is when Jacen & Tenel Ka get lost in the ice land. "The first thing Jacen noticed was the cold. He shivered and looked at Tenel Ka,her lizard hide boots rose to midcalf, but her scaled armor only covered a minuscule portion of her uper thigh and left her arms bare. You must be c-c-cold,he said. This is a fact,said Tenel Ka. Chill wind went into the cave like knives of ice. Jacen, unable to thik of any other comfort, put his arms around Tenel Ka and pulled her to him in hopes of sharing some of his body warmth. Tenel Ka's arm slid around Jacen's waist and hugged him". so they are frezzing to death. It gets a bit more buddy buddy for Jacen & Tenel Ka. Now Jaina &Ranar are in the hot lands. " Raynar did his best to keep up with Jaina as they trudged between cracks, lept over open spaces like ovens, and hid from the heat in any shadows they could find. Now I know what a nerf sausage-- on a hot plate feels like,said Raynar. Jaina couldn't anser. Her skin was red and raw from the heat, her hands and feet had good number of blisters already. Jaina climbed up a rockface, along a cleft in the tones that heid some shade. She slipped briefly and reaching out to steady herself, touched an outcropping of rock exposed to the direct sunlight. She hissed in pain and snached her fingers away. Red burn-welts sprouted on her skin. Working it the mines is starting to sound like a vacationto me,she admitted. we don't have any waterout here, no food or protection...said Jaina". So they have to deal with the heat. This is a great book, to see what happens you got to get it.

Jacen, Jaina and group held off to get Lowie back from the Diversity Alliance but it doesn't go well at all instead they end up slaves in a spice mines leaving Lusa to come after them. Another interesting installment of the Young Jedi Knights asside from a few little details like them traveling around the Galaxy at fifteen or them telling Lusa to cover for them (like no one's going to notice they have left the planet?) I like each book better then the last. They're fun adventures and each charactor is well written. I like the little tiny crushes between Jacen and Tenel Ka and Jaina and Zekk their cute but not overly annoying nor are they the main focus of the stories and that works for me.

Great suspense thriller you can actually see where the authors knowledge and experience of the NYPD come into play

Unprettified, brutal look at good vs evil. Strong characterizations, wild scenes, lots of surprises. Conveys the inside world of cops vividly.

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

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!

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 ?