J Books

A lot of companies and agencies are pushing buzz words such as Customer Centric approach or Marketing 360°. The book from Jean-Claude Larreche is a great balance between strategy perspective and operational implications. It demonstrates that the success in creating value and momentum for growth is at the end of the day a cultural shift within companies. It offers a thinking platform and practical examples which are very useful to convince and address your customers and targets (internally and externally).

I strongly recommend this book for:
- Marketers who are looking for a holistic approach to review their customer focus strategy
- Consultants and agencies for reviewing their recommendations in light of what is driving success at the end of the day

I do not recommend this book for people who think that:
- They have the best product and brand in the world which is good enough to be sold by itself
- Decision makers for whom quarterly results is the main horizon for their strategy

Jean-Claude's energy and enthusiasm for his subject comes thru in his writing like in person with dynamic vocabulary that creates emotion. I think what I like the most about the Larreche approach is that he takes a very balanced view on this subject by focusing on individual and collective details and componenets to drive a business forward on a daily basis.

I liked alot the diagrams on momentum design and execution, the momentum business model, executions accelerate growth, the virtuous circle of internal momentum and the leaders galaxy plus desperados and champions.

A must read for Fortune 500 executives, investment bankers, management consultants and any Board of Director member.

I was struck by Jet Blue's 60% new customer word of mouth acquisition vs. 15% for ad campaigns. For the two comparative models the 642% profit differential also got my attention.

From the book cover of the stern of Jean-Claude's boat, the old adage "leaving your competitors in the dust" takes on a new meaning!

Ann Michele Worrall Paris/Atlanta

This is one of the "must be read" books of the decade. JC Larreché supports his intuition and theory about the Momentum Effect with solid research (as most Insead folks would), rich case studies (he is a business school faculty;) and captivating stories. If you haven't read anything since "Blue Ocean Strategy", that is the next book to buy and you may stay quiet for the coming five years!!!

Eureka! Once in a while you come across a unique book that puts everything together for you. This book puts together the best of strategy, marketing, innovation, business development and so much more. No wonder Sir Richard Branson liked the book. The book closely emulates the genius of the man and how he grew Virgin. J.C, what a great book! I will use "The momentum effect" model for my management consulting projects. Jim Kayalar is a Certified Management Consultant(CMC) with the Institute of Management Consultants USA(IMC - USA) with 20 plus years of business experience in a myriad of industries.

Wow! This book is readable, engaging and enlightening - but more importantly, its right! My own work centers around the importance and power of engagement in an HR context - ie how do you get your employees engaged so that they actually care enough to do their best work - or any work. Larreche widens this out to include just about every stakeholder you can think of and shows how the power that this engagement can generate can build real momentum.

More importantly, he doesn't just proselytize about engagement, he actually shows how to build it and how to use it once you've got it. He starts with customers, as the source of all the value a firm creates, and this forms the basis of the bulk of his book. But, from my point of view at least, the really interesting bit was when he showed how his framework can be applied to employees. I loved his description of the bad sort of CEO visit to the shop floor - I've seen plenty of those.

Most of this book relates to customers and the firm as a whole, but the framework he presents, and the chapters on HR/people issues make this a valuable book for people managers as well.

I've used this book extensively in the last 3 months. It helped me construct a great resume, coached me on interview techniques and etiquette, advised me about salary negotiations, and just centered me in general when I was feeling adrift after a recent, unexpected layoff. I gave this book to a friend in the same situation and she has also found it incredibly helpful. I got my first offer yesterday and I know that I will keep this book as a resource long after I land my next job!

I found "How to Land the Job of Your Life" to be the most valuable resource I used in my job search. I also felt that it would be invaluable for my college aged children to keep as they begin their future job searches. The book kept me motivated during the difficult times and helped to keep me focused. I think everyone should read this book and make it part of their permanent library!

Few people know more about finding the right job than Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster, the world's leading career Web site. Taylor leaves no contact unused in this comprehensive guide, discussing every step of finding a new job, from writing a winning resume to avoiding mistakes during salary negotiations to building a productive network. In addition to his experience, he presents advice from recruiters, human resource professionals and Monster employees. So if he directs you to Monster's Web site a little too insistently, you can forgive him, because his book is so well written, easy to read and full of good advice. It includes a good resource list of books, Web sites and services, as well as useful exercises. We recommend this 400-page monster especially to first-time job seekers, although experienced employees seeking more money, prestige or career satisfaction may also find its tips helpful.

I highly recommend this book for anyone in a job search. The exercises in part 2 "Preparing Your Search" have given me so much more confidence by helping me understand my own accommplishments and value to employers.

It's a little annoying that the book refers to worksheets online that don't appear to actually be available.

I found this book very good in getting me up to speed with today's job market. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking.

How can hope live when everything around you is painful and negative? It took inner strength and the memory of the warm kisses received from an estranged mother.

Adopted when they were babies, Jan and her twin brother Joe lived with a lady they would call, 'Mom'. From the time they could remember, three things reigned supreme: Mom was physically abusive, there was no one to save them, and no one to love them. Around the age of five, a tall African Queen, at least that's how she looked to Jan, visited them, showering them with what Jan called a bouquet of hugs and kisses; their birth mother. But her stay was short-lived, and they were again smothered by the cruelty of Mom. The twins responded differently, Joe retreated into himself and Jan became the protector, but they both feared and hated Mom.

Before their fourteenth birthday, the family relocated from California to Mississippi. Jan hoped desperately that it would be a positive change, but it wasn't really. The one plus from that move is it acquainted the twins with their maternal family. Immediately after graduating high-school Jan enlisted in the Marines and began yet another saga of her tattered life.

MY BOUQUET OF KISSES is a painful account of a woman's struggle to rise above the emotional and physical pain which desperately fought to rule her life. Their childhood was full of secrets, with bits and pieces of truth revealed in underhanded and accidental ways. After over thirty years Jan found some retribution and began to find herself. J.D. Anderson shared this story because writing it was her way of releasing the demons that kept her afraid of life. It vividly captures the suffering of young lives due to human fallacies in programs erected to help innocent children.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

My Bouquet of Kisses is an emotional life story of the struggles and heartbreak of a young girl growing up in an unknown world. Along with her twin brother, the feeling of being loved is all J.D. Anderson ever longed for. This book makes you laugh, cry, and wish you can save her from this life. From the first page to the last, J.D. Anderson pours out her heart to tell her story and the importance of love and forgiveness.

I really enjoyed reading "My Bouquet of Kisses."It was a page turner. Once you start reading it, I promise, it will be hard to put down because you want to know what happened next and pray for the silver lining in Jan's life. She really had a tragic childhood, but she never gave up. Reading this book will make you laugh, make you cry and make you wish you could have been there for her to give her the love and support she needed as a child. I feel this book could possibly make it to the best sellers list if it can get the right sponsors. I met Jan because of this book. She is in deed a beautiful, caring person as she is in her book. I really wish her the best. She deserves a break.

This book was a X-mas gift. From the first page I couldn't put it down. On every page I felt like I was there. I am a father myself and I wanted to reach out to the author and hug her tight. When I got to the end of the book I wanted more but it was the poem that got to me. It shook me. I became emotional. It tied the entire book together. I had never heard of this writer before. I just found out this was her first book. I can't wait for her next. Right now my wife is reading and enjoying it. Everyone should read this book.

JD Anderson provides a child's perspective on the foster care system and provides words that will touch your heart and stay in your mind for years to come. Her book is a mesmerizing story of how twins, through no fault of their own were foreced into the child welfare system. Once I read the first sentence I had to put this book down and say a quick prayer for all children placed in foster care and you will too! After reading Anderson's gripping memoir I now have a differen perspective on how the foster care system really works for children. Buy it today

Old Turtle is a beautiful book for young and old alike. My children loved it when they were very small, because it was peaceful and the watercolors are superb. Now that they are growing older, it gives us a starting point to dicuss such a large topic, such as God. The book is non-denominational, but instead takes a more unitarian approach to God, how we all have our own interpretations and how we can learn from others at the same time. Makes a great gift along with a turtle stuffed animal. Overall, I think the entire world would do good to read this book and take the message to heart.

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth is a beautiful story with lovely watercolor illustrations. I believe it is meant to help us realize some very deep truths. If all children could know this story maybe the world could become much more at peace.

Not only is the story timeless and wonderful, the art work is amazing. You can't go wrong sharing this story with a child or - maybe even more importantly - an adult.

The story opened doors for me and caused me to have an "Oh-my-gosh" moment. "Each of us has only a piece of the Truth," I thought. "Of course. How could I have missed that? In order to have the complete Truth, I need to connect and have more pieces of the Truth."

A touching and powerful story.

We enjoyed this book very much. I think it has a good moral to tell. The humans only have ½ of the truth and really begin to worship it and fight over it. Eventually a small child finds the other truth and unites them all. I have it recommended for grades K-3rd but I would recommend it for all ages.

Today in 1st grade we read aloud at U Pick It time the 2nd in a several part series, or it feels a series, of books illustrated by Jon J Muth.
This one takes a character (Old Turtle) from "The Three Questions" book and places this Ancient One at the Center of The World. Muth does that perhaps rather symbolically in a place far away, very high, perhaps rhymes with Alphabet....anyway it was interesting to see the subtlety in this. Nice to return to the old turtle today.

I'm using this series (and other books) turning in my program towards looking at Asia. Chinese New Year is close upon us celebrated by a portion of my students, and other pieces of my scripted program ask children to look at homes around the world. So we are going to study China awhile along with other Asian nations. I particularly like to look at at stories told to children in other places in the world. We will be developing this in part of our month along with the traditional Valentines work on "love/friendship" and the work on Black History. In a way all of these strands are social studies pieces but are supported within the current theme, Home Sweet Home.

I recommend this story with some hesitation for 1st graders. That is not negative, it means I think this involves core adult presence not as a litigator but as a mediator. The story is about important things but it is a difficult story for a child that is struggling with attention, which is not to say do not share it. It is a "talking about it" story for sure, prepare to relate and try to stay away from drawing all the conclusions for the child. That's what I'm saying. I would ask that the story be shared in a kind of sanctity, for open minded people this means another mind may open differently.

So onward, in the story "truth" comes streaking in as a comet might to a place where stones are as teachers, breezes are languages, lakes are mirrors and trees are as ladders to the stars...nice poetic place. This truth comes in, but breaks in two on entering. As it goes the animals that first find it tire of its beauty and let it go in their own way seeing it fade with their possession. Man takes up this piece of truth. Does not move on.

So there we have it, having some truth the people fight to keep it, make it only theirs, get into battles over it, conquer, destroy, build a tower to it, and generally elevate it to the level of their deity. It's not said exactly that way, nor did I say it that way to misstate, better to read it. I extrapolated this. Both animals and man become disturbed on a profound level now. Animals can't deal with the strife of man; he just is whacked out. The piece states on it, "You Are Loved." A pretty darn cool notion. The few times in my life when I was told I was loved were pretty cognitively distorting to me too. The few times it was stated it did so much depend on the giver and the context. It proved to me this truth can trigger peace, trigger internal destruction, it can hurt. When given as a piece of a bigger truth, when given as a "broken truth", it worked to my destruction. Funny how this story caught that so well.

Now to just give an aside here, in my room the students listening to this followed the idea of a broken truth, the piece that was found was incomplete, it caused issues. I think pretty well they got that. I'm not sure they connected it to other things metaphorically but they could on their own levels, in their own ways, deal with that. Then of course I had a tendency to want to side narrate, one has to watch and check yourself for that kind of thing. I asked them to restate parts of the story several times, acted like I needed their restating in their words so they got me up to speed. I do that a lot. It's a kind of trick. A nice trick, they get to tell me how they heard it. I then learn if it's going well. Pretty nice as they said things like, "Everyone fought over it." Okay. So on.

Now it's a funny thing because today I also got a new student. I was a bit sad about that because it's a lot of label and prep to get ready with the fast notice I'm given, and also because I look really awful today. I had a night with no power and so it was getting ready in the cold and dark, no shower, on top of an awful week of tummy pains and a new set of CAT scans tomorrow as this is serious and I know I'll be missing for some fix right as a new child needs new student support from me. But with cancer this is how you live.

So I was feeling ...bad. Plus it has just been a hard few days. A person died in front of our school yesterday morning, just in the street. I pull up to see a visibly dead body. You think this can be boundaried, but I am not wanting to not feel like that. I don't actually want to be like that if I can avoid it. I did feel it. They told us "don't say anything." A typical school pattern. Nice way to solve what could be a very valuable experience-one about our very real and fragile lives and the meaning of holding this person in our moment, in their last moment as having "been here" and worth our time.
No instead they told us he was "homeless." As if that explained anything, it's so cold right now and if you are two days late with an electric bill after 27 years paying they disconnect it-California is so nice to those who need help...oh and if your Mom is 85 with a recent stroke they need a doctor licence number saying she is on life support or else no reconnection for 48 hours. Really nice. So homeless man is in the street, cold alone. We didn't stop for even one moment. It is work to the test at our head up our...place.

He was actually the grandpa of one of my 6th grade helpers.'

So it's pretty yuck, hard on her , just awful. So with a new student today I was thinking I'm not ready for a new child, not looking good, not feeling good, not, not , not. And in walks a student I taught in 6th grade 14 years ago my Student of the Year. A wonderful girl that could barely speak English then that now speaks it better than I ever have. And she's moved back specifically so I can teach her daughter. This a child that was brilliant then, and is more brilliant now. So as I read today her beautiful daughter not only interpreted this story for the class she exemplified it. Partial truth I held, my truth, yes I was right that I was not quite up to being enough to help this child into her place in our circle of learning and yes the missing piece another truth to be considered fully this child has come from the gift of her mom to revitalize the meaning of who I am and the value of what I try to do. Here to accept me as I am. At my best. Very meaningful to me.

Very cool. Even having to throw up all morning. As I said things are not good.

So, back to the book. It's the story of a girl who is little, brilliant, beautiful not coming from Hemet as mine just has, but from a human place to find the Old Wise Turtle. Things are so disturbing in her world and she looks for a way through the nightmare of this broken truth. This piece of meaning in all the pieces of meanings. She is asking how to change this. In short Old Turtle tells her that the truth can only be mended when one person meets an "other" and can see them for who they really truly are. ONLY then can the healing begin.

The girl returns reuniting the two pieces, one from turtle so that the complete truth written on a stone becomes, "You Are Loved, And So Are They." It takes her quite a bit to even be heard by her own people in the doing of this healing of the truth. It is a hard thing she attempts with difficult ones.

The story ended today much as you might expect with the people trying for mutual understandings, tug of wars dissolving in mutual respect. Because they do come to want that.
My new student saying in her calm way, "Oh yes that is is very good story, just right for us today."

I'll tell you it might be a good present for a group of very different beings that are gathering to do something together. It might have a message about the notions that we are bound within ourselves, loved, but with the capacity to care and hear the "other." I know I certainly need to take it to heart right now. I am loved and so too are you loved.

Oh by the way the watercolors are exquisite. I've been hankering to watercolor away my pain.


And you might also enjoy Shel Silverstein, The Missing Piece. It's actually a very similar experience, different and yet, not so different.

This was actually my first L. J. Smith book ever. My roommate was reading it when I was 14 and so I picked it up. It wasn't until I was finished that I realized it was a trilogy so it definitely can stand alone but is much better if read last.
The first one was awesome because it introduced the characters and each of the characters got a chance to really show through their true personalities. Except for discovering Gabriel's weakness as a result of over exposure to the large crystal from Book One I really thought #2 was boring.
But #3 was just the best. Kaitlynn has always seen guys look at her w/ desire b/c she's so beautiful but she'd never admitt that she was beautiful b/c others always feared her at the same time due to her visions. It's totally understandable that she'd then hook up w/ the first boy who ever gave her notice w/o fear or any hidden intentions. However, there's always this pull between her and "the bad boy". Lisa Jane does such a great job of showing how we all feel at that point in our lives. When we don't know what we're feeling or what's right. And you fall in love w/ "the bad boy" because you realize the pain and betrayal he experienced that made him who he is but that he's still basically good. And then Rob is like a perfect gentleman, the nice one, the reliable one - but no passion. So it raises the question can you truly be "in love" with someone whom you have no passion for?
This book had a perfect blend of action, danger, suspense and guilt-wrenching plessure so that anyone can enjoy it.

Kait decides to go against her friends and pretend to be a memeber of the dark psychics. Lying to Gabriel, and telling him that she came back for HIM and HIM alone, she begins to get more than she bargained for. And that includes the fact that she begins to fall...for Gabriel. So, when the end comes, which will she choose, Rob or Gabriel? Light hottie, or dark hottie?

Okay, okay, so the fact that Gabriel is totally hot spiced this book up A LOT! But, it WAS a great book. See? Look up top...FIVE stars. THAT is NOT what this book deserved. If i could give this book 10 stars i would do so in a heartbeat.

Gosh Lisa has done it again! This is the third of the Dark Visions Trilogy.

Gabriel has left the group and teamed with Mr.Z. When Gabriel fails to claim the crystal from the group Kaitlyn senses his weakness torwards her. So Kaitlyn takes it upon herself to destroy the evil crystal and help him at the same time. SO she heads off and pretends to team with Mr.Z as well. But what she didnt expect were the new house guests occupying the old house and her newly discovered love for Gabriel....you do the math!
This book was SO good I cant even explain it in words. I mean this book had my heart racing at times. And the ending was absolutely PERFECT I couldnt have asked for a better book!!!!!!!..... Oh yea Kaitlyn's big DECISION was ummm...well I think Kaitlyn's choice was pretty uh......interesting.

I mean the character Gabriel alone is more than enough reasons to buy this book! Only in my dreams would I EVER encounter someone half his character!
So PLEASE buy the book, buy the trilogy. But no dont stop there buy ALL her trilogies. No as a matter of fact buy ALL of L.J Smith books she's brilliant! Trust me Im pretty picky about my authors And she's at the very TOP of my list!!!

'The Passion' is the conclusion to L. J. Smith's 'Dark Visions' trilogy that began with 'The Strange Power' which introduced us to five teenagers brought to the Zetes Institute to enhance their psychic abilities only to find that the man in charge has plans to change them into a psychic 'swat team'. The trilogy continued with 'The Possessed' in which the five of them (Kaitlyn, Gabriel, Rob, Lewis and Anna) were on the run from Mr Zetes in their search to find a mysterious house from their dreams where the Fellowship lived, a passive Utopian society rich in psychic powers thanks to the power of a large perfect crystal. However, their strict rules of conduct meant that one of their numbers - Gabriel - was forbidden to enter their dwelling-place. Blinded by their goodness and ridgid purity Gabriel summoned Mr Zetes and his band of 'dark psychics' that had dogged the teens on their road trip across the country, and together they destroyed the great crystal, leaving only a shard that was placed in Kaitlyn's care. With the Fellowship disbanded and Gabriel reverted to the 'bad guys', the teenagers only hope seemed to be to destroy the Institute from the inside - by using their crystal shard to destroy Mr Zetes own crystal.

As you can see it is impossible to read any of the books out of order as 'The Passion' starts right where the last one ended. Kaitlyn decides to abandon her boyfriend Rob and best friends Anna and Lewis to return to the Institute, in the attempt to both convert Gabriel back to the white hats and find the dark crystal in order to destroy it. She successfully infilterates the Institute and finds herself surrounded by enemies - not only is Gabriel a tad suspicious of her, but there is also her ex-mentor Joyce Piper who betrayed them, Mr Zetes's daughter Lydia, and the malevolent Mr Zetes himself. As well as this are the 'dark psychics' of Mr Zetes former group: John 'Jackal Mac' MacCorkendale, Laurie Frost, Paul 'Renny' Renfrew and Sabrina 'Bri' Jessica Gallo (where does she get these names?!) Along with the new faces comes a new range of psychic abilities such as astral projection, psychometry and dowsing.

Other plot strands include the love triangle between Kaitlyn, Rob and Gabriel; the continuing destruction of the Fellowship; Rob, Anna and Lewis's quest to help both Kaitlyn and the comatosed Marisol of book one; Kaitlyn's struggle to find acceptance among the dark psychics; the dark psychic's deadly missions, and of finding Mr Zetes's very first students...

A fault however, is that L. J. is far too preoccupied with looks - so much so that it begins to get ridiculous, as are her long-winded descriptions on how beautiful Kaitlyn is; silly descriptions such as "a medieval witch princess against the dawn" and "eyes that people called witchy, smoky blue with darker blue rings in them". At one point Kaitlyn actually stands in front of the mirror and thinks to herself - "I look extremely witchy. Like someone who might go walking down the street like this, barefoot, hair wild in the breeze, singing strange songs." Please! It's a bit much. Likewise the simile for Rob as a 'golden, avenging angel' is too overused.

All in all, fans of L. J. Smith should be satisfied with this concluding novel to the trilogy. Unlike her other books it does not deal as much with supernatural qualities (such as vampires and witches) but many of her trademark features are there such as her famous love triangles. For once her heroine chooses the 'bad boy' - quite unprecedented in L. J.'s history (Cassie chooses Adam over Nick, Elena chooses Stefan over Damon and Jenny chooses Tom over Julian). The dark psychics were interesting despite their wackiness - I hope everybody noticed they were symbolic opposites of the original five (two boys, two girls in each group with Gabriel as the fifth member of both). The story wraps up quite quickly for a swift happy ending, but all loose ends are tied up and readers get the standard happily ever after they were hoping for.

In this excitiong conclusion to The Dark Visions Trilogy Gabriel has left and joined up with Mr. Zetes. But Kait knows this isn't the real Gabriel. So she decides to save him. She leaves the group and pretends to team up with Zetes. But while there Kait starts exploring her feelings and realizes she is crazy in love and holds a deep burning passion for...Gabriel. Can Kait save the day? And who will she chose? Rob or Gabriel? The light or the dark?

Kaitlyn definately made the right choice!!! This was my favorite of the trilogy. It was AWESOME! Make sure you read this and all of L.J.'s other books.

This book is a model for clarity in histories of the Civil War. The author describes troop movements and strategic decisions in an accessible manner. The meaning of the Pea Ridge campaign is made clear. In this book, you can follow the battlefield and get a sense of where people were at any given moment.

The South lost the West in this battle; the battle pre-saged many of the tactical innovations of the Civil War. This "sideline" battle is revealed as more important than most realize, an early indication that western battles would yield Union victories.

Even among Civil War buffs, Pea Ridge is pretty much a forgotten battle. Shea's book remedies that with clear, readable and moving narrative and keen analysis of the largest Civil War battle fought in Arkansas (and depending on which numbers you believe, the largest fought west of the Mississippi). Even more importantly, the book provides compelling reasons why Pea Ridge should NOT be a forgotten battle. He also spotlights the brilliant performance of Samuel Curtis, perhaps the Union's most underrated general, as well as the less-than-brilliant work of Confederate General Earl Van Dorn, who had all of Jeb Stuart's style but not of his skills.

Many Civil War buffs, and most casual readers of Civil War history, have more than a parochial understanding of this pivotal battle. When Curtis's northern troops entered NW Arkanasas, during the winter of 1862, they knew they were facing a strong enemy.

Earl Van Dorn, recently promoted to commander of the Army of The West, had assembled a strong army and was anxious for success against Curtis's troops. He believed that he could defeat him and launch an overland campaign, against Union held St. Louis, ensuring his lasting fame. He was unprepared for what he would find with Curtis.

Curtis had entrenched his army, along Little Sugar Creek, which rests south of Pea Ridge Tavern along the Telegraph Rd. As the Rebels were wintering in the Boston Mountains, south of his position, Curtis had little worry about Rebels hitting him from the North. Fortunately, Brig General, Franz Sigel, detached from Curtis's army, and at Bentonville, was defeated, and pushed back to Curtis's position and alerted him of trouble in his rear.

Van Dorn's ingenious plan revolved around splitting his army, to traverse Elk Horn mountain, with troops under Ben McCullough taking the Ford Rd, to the mountain's south side, and his troops, commanded by Sterling Price around the north side. They would meet on the Telegraph Rd, north of Curtis's army and push them into Little Sugar Creek - blocking their means of retreat to Missouri. While conceptually, this plan was sound, in reality, the timing proved difficult and Union troops under Osterhaus and Jefferson C Davis, caught McCollough's rebels in the open. Battle followed in, and around Leetown. While the rebels were able to open the battle, their organization fell apart after brigadier generals Ben McCullough and McIntosh were killed on the field. Command of this sector fell to the next general in line, Albert Pike. Pike was leading the Civil War's first brigade of Indians, and was not up to the task. The union forces pushed them NE towards Elkhorn tavern.

Meanwhile, east of Leetown, Van Dorn's main body, unleashed a spectacular attack against Curtis's Union forces at Elkhorn Tavern. The rebels pushed Curtis's troops 1/2 mile south, along the Telegraph Rd. Even with the routing of the portion of his army, now being led by Pike, Van Dorn slept that night, confident that his troops would push Curtis's army into the Little Sugar Creek. This was the mistake that lost him the battle.

The next morning, after assembling his new battle line, Curtis's opened the day with the largest artillery barrage of the Civil War (up to that point). This artillery barrage caught Van Dorn's confederates unprepared. In the excitement of the previous day's victory, Van Dorn had not called up his supply train. Essentially, caught up against the east edge of Elkhorn Mountain, and in the open south of Elkhorn Tavern, Van Dorn's troops had almost no artillery ammunition, and very little ammunition for his infantry. Van Dorn was forced to retreat, east along Huntsville Rd.

Over the coming months, Curtis would pursue Van Dorn's army across north, and north central Arkansas. His victory would assure the Union, that Missouri would stay in the Union.

This book was extremely well written and easy to read. Shea did a remarkable job putting his text into easily visualized format. I was even more impressed with this book after visiting the battlefield, and using his maps, and pictures, to explore the battlefield (if you are interested in viewing my pictures of the Pea Ridge battle field, please email me at michael.noirot@gmail.com).

I highly recommend this book to all Civil War buffs. It will put the battles, west of the Mississippi, into proper perspective.

Michael Noirot
Saint Louis, Missouri

Authors William Shea and Earl Hess tell the story of the campaign and battle of Pea Ridge, which is sometimes grandly called the Gettysburg of the West. The Union Army of the Southwest, commanded by Brig. Gen. Samuel Curtis numbered fewer than 11,000 soldiers, the same size as a single division in the Army of the Potomac at that time. Yet, while the vast legions of Army of the Potomac hovered uncertainly near Washington DC in February 1862, Curtis launched a winter campaign that took his small army clear across the Ozark Plateau and into northwestern Arkansas.

There, Union soldiers from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa and loyal Missouri met an equally tough set of Confederates from Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. It was one of the few times in the Civil War that the Northern soldiers were outnumbered. But in the subsequent battle of Pea Ridge in early March 1862, the 16,000-man Confederate Army of the West went down to defeat.

According to the authors, bad luck, uninspired leadership and Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn's many outrageous blunders negated the Southern army's numerical advantage. On the Northern side, Curtis and three of his four division commanders maneuvered their soldiers with skill. Even Curtis' erratic second-in-command, Brig. Gen. Franz Sigel supervised a decisive artillery bombardment on the second day of the battle. Three Yankee brigade commanders showed courage and initiative, but at least one unit commander had a yellow streak.

The book devotes a chapter and a map to the preliminary operation in which the Confederates missed capturing a Union detachment that Sigel had carelessly exposed. The March 7 fights at Leetown and Elkhorn, and the March 8 battle at Elkhorn are explained in detail with maps. The Army of the Southwest's later march to Helena, Arkansas is sketched out more briefly. A concluding chapter ably critiques the strategy and tactics of both sides. There is an Order of Battle and extensive footnotes.

Compare this book with Shelby Foote's short account of Pea Ridge in his splendid "The Civil War -- A Narrative." Foote was a great historian, but it sounds like a different battle. To take only one example, Foote says Van Dorn's two pronged attack was planned. Yet Shea and Hess note that the attack was improvised after the Confederate flank march fell badly behind schedule. This is typical of the kind of detail that the authors add to the history of this battle.

My only criticism is a lack of information on weaponry. Except for one Illinois unit, it is not clear whether Union infantry and cavalry units carried rifled muskets, smoothbores, carbines or Colt revolving rifles. The Order of Battle contains detailed data about the type of cannons in each artillery battery, but in one case the text contradicts the OB. For the Pea Ridge battle and campaign, this book is a keeper, despite my quibbling about weapons.

Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West, authored by William Shea and Earl Hess, is a well done work describing one of the most important battles in the Trans-Mississippi theater. This Union victory ensured that Missouri would be Union territory; it also provided a spearhead for attacks further South (e.g., Arkansas). Compared with the Eastern Theater and the Western Theater, the Trans-Mississippi experienced fewer major battles; after Pea Ridge, the Confederacy lost a lot of "steam" in that district.

The battle itself resulted from a campaign headed by Union General Benjamin Curtis and Confederate General Earl Van Dorn, colorful but not the most competent Army general in the Confederacy. Other generals in the engagement were, on the Confederate side, Sterling Price, Ben McCulloch, and Albert Pike, and, for the Union, Franz Sigel (with one of his very few halfway competent campaigns of the Civil War), Alexander Asboth, and Peter Osterhaus. The Confederate side was burdened with more questionable leadership.

Van Dorn was able to maneuver his army behind the Union defensive position at Pea Ridge (or Elkhorn Tavern). In the battle that followed, Curtis was able to turn his army around, with the rear becoming the front. It was a stunning display of generalship under pressure. The Confederate attack was designed to be two pronged. On the right, initial advances were successful. Then, a leadership crisis. The charismatic Confederate general, Ben McCulloch, was cut down early and died, and chaos set in on his side of the battle. On the other front, advancing up the Telegraph Road from the North, Van Dorn attacked Curtis' position and made some headway. However, as the situation on the Confederate right (and Union left) stabilized, Curtis was able to release more troops to defend against Van Dorn's assault.

By the next morning, the Confederates were fought out. And, in a display of stupefying incompetence, the Confederate Army had not brought up the supply trains and, thus, was low on food and ammunition. The Union attack the next morning, featuring competent generalship from Sigel (well worth mentioning, given the paucity of such days in the war for him), led to a general defeat of the southerners.

The resulting retreat back to Arkansas was disheartening to Van Dorn's army. The end result: the Union solidified its hold on Missouri, turned back a major assault by a large force, and reduced the ability of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi forces to mount a major attack for some time. It is too much to say that this was the Gettysburg of the Trans-Mississippi, but it was a major Union victory. This battle is not as well known as others, but it warrants attention by those interested in the Civil War.

I have been a "health nut" for years and wary of the medical establishment, but I always hoped that the mainstream approaches, though ineffective, were a result of ignorance or narrow mindedness.

In Reclaiming Our Health, John Robbins has exposed the greed and pride of a male-dominated medical community in bed with the pharmaceutical companies. Reading about the witch hunts (past and present) against alternative healing practices outrages me, but what hurts more is reading how modern medicine treats its patients. People, at their most vulnerable times, are trampled upon by doctors and nurses.

The section on how medicine has historically regarded women is eye opening (or would be if you had never dealt with a male obstetrician). Having just given birth to my son, accompanied by a midwife, and knowing what an amazing and challenging time that can be, I almost cried reading the horror stories of children's births.

John Robbins has written a phenomenal book. And as always, he has brought his caring, compassionate passion to an issue that is literally crippling our nation. Thank you, John.

New Age Retailer, November/December 1996
Have you ever watched a friend or loved one die? Did you wonder why they had to endure so much, especially at the hands of those you had expected to help? Have you ever wondered why it is taking so long to find a cure for cancer or AIDS? Have you ever had a baby in this country? Have you every tried to tell your healthcare provider something and been told he or she know best and not to worry? I believe these questions would elicit at least one affirmative answer from just about everyone in our country.

The title is descriptive and, I believe, correct - we will feel an explosion from reading this book. People will be shocked and angered. I certainly was! John Robbins has let the cat out of the bag - the cat being the way Americans are manipulated by the American Medical Association, the tobacco industry, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and by the multi-million dollar industry we call healthcare.

Robbins reveals the cover-ups, the scandals, and the greed that feed on the most vulnerable segments of our society: women, children, the elderly, and those who are already struggling with health issues. He exposes the ridicule and outright lies broadcast in an attempt to eliminate chiropractic and other alternative healing practices, not because they were not helping those who sought out alternative care, but because they were taking money from those who would rather line their pockets than cure millions of ill individuals.

Robbins outlines a practical approach using both conventional and alternative care so that we can benefit from the best of both resources. This book is well-written and researched. It has an extensive notes section that documents facts and a resource directory that give pertinent information about where to obtain more information on womens issues, parenting and children, healthy diet, alternative medicine, consumer rights, and much more. I would recommend this book to any adult, especially someone who is dealing with medical issues. Reclaiming Our Health is a must-read for any person who strives to be well-informed.

Over the past thirty years I have read about 100 books on the subject of health. Among the very best of the books I have read are two of John Robbins' other books, Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution, but I don't feel the need to review these remarkable books; they have been well reviewed by others, and I recommend you check them both out in Amazon. However, I simply had to add my voice to the reviews of Reclaiming Our Health.

This book is predominantly about the medical establishment, what has gone wrong with it, and what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones (if you can get them to listen to you). It is not a condemnation of all things conventional nor an endorsement of all things alternative. Some of the greatest heroes of the book are M.D.'s practicing both conventional and alternative therapies. This book seeks to guide us to the best of both worlds while warning us about the dangers to be found in each. However, the worst dangers by far appear to be in the conventional medical establishment where the admonition "first, do no harm" seems to have been long forgotten.

This book made me cry. This book infuriated me. It is filled with one outrage after another. But wouldn't you rather read about them than be subjected to them (or watch your loved ones be subjected to them) by not being informed beforehand? I know I would.

This is one of those rare books that is truly empowering. That's what John Robbins does so well. He does the intensive research that most of us neither would nor could do. We are blessed by his enormous contribution to mankind.

And my fellow women, you will be shocked to read some of the material in this book on how women have been treated in society and how this has influenced the way we have been treated by much of the medical community. I have shared a bit of the information with co-workers and have actually seen jaws drop open. We have not been told the complete story of how dreadfully many women have been treated in our history. It is an abomination. (Written with apologies to all of the sincerely wonderful men out there.)

Rest assured that among the very bad news of this book is a good deal of hopeful news about prevention and treatments that are out there now, but this information will probably be a long time coming to the general public. It is only through leaders like John Robbins that we are blessed to know about it now.

Read this book before you or someone you love becomes ill. Read it and pass it on.

Since I own and have read other books the author has written I was curious to see what he would share in this book on a subject that is so important to me and many Americans. And he certainly hasn't let me down.

The parts or chapters I liked so much and thank the author for, from the bottom of my heart are Part Two where he goes into great detail about the patriarchal medical system. It is worth the price of the book alone. I also like Part Three where he starts out with a quote from a signer of the Declaration of Independence (Dr Benjamin Rush) who said "Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize itself into an undercover dictatorship". And he offers so much documentation of where and how the big boys of the AMA (American Medical Association) have even gone after their own members who dared not walk the party line. On page 185 he shares how from homeopaths, to midwives, and other nontraditional medical forms, the AMA has been the bully boys who wanted their monopoly and none others. On page 1996 onward he describes once again how the feminine professions which nursing was up until the 1970's, were main targets of the male member run AMA.

Now I was aware that one way the male physicians made midwifery which had been the norm well into the 1900's, illegal was to accuse the women delivering babies of being everything from witches, pagans and even communists. Yet delivering babies in the safe and secure environment had been good enough for Moses, Jesus, George Washington and most heroes and heroines but because the AMA had discovered there was big buck in babies they did everything in their power to make their way the only way to deliver babies and feather their nest along the way. And as the author notes on page 322 that while birthing centers and midwives are persecuted by the AMA the actual cesarean rate here in the United States is outrageous and is a procedure that the rest of the civilized world shuns.

On page 327 onward the author skillfully lays out documentation that shows that many of the plagues the world has suffered have not been cured by AMA style medicine but by common sense approaches like clean water and sanitary toilet system. Washing hands and handling food in a clean manner. And that malaria is kept at bay with more preventive means than medical ones.

I could go on, but I would prefer that you buy the book and if possible buy a copy for your local library if it does not have a copy. That is how important this book is.

I read this book first in sections, but then decided to read the whole thing as my interest progressed.

I already knew some of the persecution of the chiropractic industry by money-hungry conventional doctors, but some of the stuff totally shocked me. I've seen some of the statistics that chiropractors have come up with, extensive studies that show that it has extremely low health risks and helps a lot more with lower back pain than conventional "give me the pill" medicine. However, this book totally blew the cover off the...American Medical Association, an organization I once took for granted to be dedicated to my health and well-being.

If everyone in the waiting room of a doctor's clinic were to read this book, all health care in America would be for the better.

Furthermore, the interesting sections on women and fertility totally blew me away. I was furious at the stuff they were doing to hurt and control women who went to doctors for real health reasons, hoping to get better, only to be subjected to the standard system of running tests and being tied to one position. I myself was delivered by C-section, and having been abandoned by my mother, I can also attest to the ugly and disgusting nature of conventional birth documented so well by John Robbins. The persecution of midwives, who have near-flawless records for safe delivery of newborn babies was also shocking. I had no idea that women giving birth at home do better than in hospitals, in terms of mortality rates.

The final section is worth reading alone if you have cancer. It states very clearly using facts and actual experiences how deliberately and unfortunately the medical establishment has been "treating" people (if I may use that word) with cancer, without realizing that the only goal of a person with illness is wellness and wholeness, not merely to eradicate and destroy an organism that seems foreign and toxic. It also exposes the "fact" that there have been cancer treatments with possible cures, existing for decades, which have been blocked by the cancer establishment out of hope for conventional therapies, blind ignorance, or fear of malpractice suits (you can be sued for not using "technology" to treat an illness ... but what if you just want to get better?).

The beauty of John Robbins' words inspire me. It's hard not to be moved by good stories of good doctors helping to make things better. It's hard not to believe that things could also be better if we changed our current system. Always true to form, this book discusses ways in which to reform health care that would truly work, and at minimal cost.

If you're a nonbeliever of universal health care, low-cost medicine, or just out of luck with personal illness, I highly recommend this book.

This book that should come with a money-back guarantee. I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and not emerging from it a happier and more effective parent. As a working mom with three kids aged 10 and under, I can tell you, I wish I had read this book years ago - it would have saved me so much frustration! The book is short, well written, and a quick read. The message is simple and powerful, and the examples and anecdotes really help the reader to process the material. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I first took this as a course in 1991 for my own daughters sake and now as a licensed counselor in Orlando, Fl I have helped several hundreds of children and their parents with this 3rd edition of RCB. Most parents say it should be called Redirecting Children's and Parent's Behavior because it changes the whole dynamics of how to effectively communicate as a family. It teaches how to recognize the four motivations (for any age) for misbehavior and gives plenty of examples of how to redirect behaviors in a positive direction. The earlier parents use this knowledge, the better the results for a happy family environment. All actions have consequences, so I highly recommend implementing this jewel of knowledge.

I've not only read this book a few times, but attended Kath's workshop on Redirecting Children's Behavior! Great book, wonderful and very useful info that needs to be shared by all!!!!

I am the mother of a [...] son who has been diagnosed with Asperger's disorder. When he was 18 mos. I was at my wits end and my pediatrician recommended this book and the class that is available in some areas to take with it. It completely ghanged our lives! When my son was diagnosed at 5 we started to see a therapist to help with our adjustment and the school issues. He credited the book with how well adjusted my son was and said that had we seen him earlier he would have had me implement the same techniques described in this book.

I love that it helps you teach your children self-discipline. Other books suggest techniques that require you to be the "behavior police". That method seems to teach children that you can do wrong as long as no one sees it. I'd rather teach children to do the right thing from a stance of having made a reasoned decision with regard for the consequences of one's actions. This book teaches you how to create this process within your children.

Not every technique applies to every age but that just means that you will have a resource to return to as your children grow. I have recommended this book to countless friends and am buying my second copy.

A few years back, a friend of mine gave me a copy of this book. I read through it, liked what I read, and decided to try a few of the suggestions it contained. I was AMAZED at how insightful and effective the approach in this book is. I am a parent and I also work in a school, and this book has made a significant impact in improving the environment both at my home and at the school. More important than the techniques and suggestions outlined in the book, though, is its general philosophy: all misbehavior is communication -- if you understand the goal of the misbehavior, you can avoid yelling and fighting with your kids and instead "redirect" the behavior and discipline in a way that is more loving AND more effective. Eventually, I contacted the company that publishes this book and got trained through them to teach the corresponding parenting course -- also amazing. I strongly recommend this book to all parent of children or teens, as I feel that it's relevant to both age groups.

I have been fascinated by the Shroud ever since I read a decidedly church biased book back in the early '60's. This impeccably researched book is both pure reportage and emotional at the same time. It illustrates the Crucifixion in undeniable truths,because of the author's clarity and descriptive power. The chapters regarding the scientific analyses of the shroud, and the plentiful, fully documented results present a very strong case for the Shroud's genuineness. The many chapters about the Shroud's history are extremely well documented, and are tied together into a cohesive whole. The only flaw in this great book, (and it is a small one,) is that the illustrations are somewhat murky and hard to see. As a skeptic and an agnostic, this book was a true revelation. To a person of deep faith, I would say,"Read this!", for it will not only reconfirm and strengthen your faith, but will enhance your understanding of what the passion was like for Jesus the man. This is a superior book.

Five Stars? Oh! You'd better believe it!
The previous reviewers have done a very admirable job in extolling this "WONDER-FULL" book. I merely wish to add my voice to the chorus singing its praises.

THE SHROUD OF TURIN is an ancient burial cloth containing the mysterious image of a Man who had evidently been crucified - believed by many to be Jesus Christ. The internationally renowned, Peruvian poet, Yoey O'Dogherty, once wrote, "Nothing astounds like Truth." And the truth that has made The Shroud the most studied and least understood artifact on planet Earth is astounding indeed!

About 4 years ago, I happened to catch the author, MARK ANTONACCI, being interviewed on a radio program and found his statements so interesting that I went right out and acquired a copy of his book, 'THE RESURRECTION OF THE SHROUD.' From a young age, I had been intrigued by the implications of the Shroud although my knowledge was limited. Like countless millions of other people, when the 1988 Carbon-14 dating test results were announced, "proving" the Shroud to be a hoax conceived between 1260 and 1390 A.D., I thought, "Well, so it goes." Of course, I've learned A LOT about human nature and some so-called "scientists" since then. I'm not so gullible anymore, and after reading 'THE RESURRECTION OF THE SHROUD', I'm more intrigued than ever by this extraordinary treasure!

In the preface, the former agnostic, Mark Antonacci, relates how he was somewhat mysteriously goaded into investigating the Shroud, and how in pacing his apartment, reluctantly pondering some of its unfathomable anomalies, it suddenly hit him in midstep, "If all of the possible implications from the scientific examination were true, it would not be bad news - it would be good news."

Give Antonacci credit for having been an intellectually honest skeptic, unlike the flapjack who wrote the Kirkus review that our host has unwittingly presented in its Editorial section. That writer says that 'THE RESURRECTION OF THE SHROUD' "is unlikely to win any converts among empirical-minded skeptics." BALDERDASH! That is EXACTLY the sort of person who will be knocked for a loop by this great book! Actually, it is the intellectually dishonest (scared out of his wits) individual who will not permit himself to be converted, who will dismiss it. I know there are willfully ignorant people out there, but you'd hope that they could at least be a bit more imaginative and less blatant in their efforts to mislead others with their bias.

True, the book explores some fairly heavy scientific principles, but necessarily so. Unless the reader understands the science behind it, they will fail to appreciate the incomprehensible attributes of the Shroud. But if it makes you feel any better, I can tell you with perfect honesty that I'm one of the least mathematically and scientifically-minded people on God's green earth! I must be operating from the "left field" side of the brain, or something. If I could follow the science, so will you. I found the information unspeakably fascinating because of its portent.

Once you've grasped the complexity of it, you'll understand why John Walsh has written, "The Shroud of Turin is either the most awesome and instructive relic of Jesus Christ in existence...or it is one of the most ingenious, most unbelievably clever products of the human mind and hand on record. It is one or the other; there is no middle ground." And how the respected scientist, John Heller, could claim that, "If you were to give me a budget of ten million dollars and told me to make a replica of [the Shroud]...I would not know how to do it."

You'll learn why the faction that wants us to believe that the Shroud (which displays many anomalies that contemporary science can't even explain) is the handiwork of a medieval artist, doesn't have a leg to stand on. And why the Carbon-14 dating procedure, which supposedly put the final nail in the Shroud's coffin, was unreliable to say the least!

Antonacci's book examines the Shroud from every conceivable angle, including the very possible and enlightening connection between It and the Mandylion - gee whillikers! (Oops. Is one still allowed to say, "gee whillikers" in 2005?) It left this reader thoroughly mesmerized. Buy it and be amazed. Be VERY AMAZED!

I could go on all day about this book, but I'm going to pack it in here. I gotta go find that deceptive Kirkus Reviewer now and take him out to the woodshed. (Oh, come on, I'm only kidding! I know that God wouldn't approve of that. ...Would He?)

In the last few years a great deal of discussions have taken place regarding the existence of Jesus of Nazareth and some have even come to deny his actual existence in the form of a human being. ASARIM has gone back in time and located the true garden where his physical body was laid to rest after he was tortured by the Romans and crucified. Jesus was laid on this shroud without a doubt, and we think Mark Antonacci proves this fact. Asarim only adds in passing that the Sudarium found in the Cathedral of Oviedo contains blood of the same man. The Sudarium came directly from Jerusalem to Spain and was never contaminated. As for the question did Jesus die on the cross? Asarim holds that the blood found was "live" blood and not of a "dead" human being. Jesus was given "Vinum Moratum" before his passion and therefore was able to survive being crucified. Pontious Pilate had already agreed with Jesus that all this would be carried out to fullfill the scriptures and that Jesus would be able to go to Rome and meet the others upon healing. To prove this theory, Asarim has used the Shroud, Sudarium, other artifacts and historic accounts found in the Vatican about the birth and extension of Christianity. Asarim highly recommends this book for all those that need new scientific, medical and archeological evidence that Jesus was and is alive, and continues to live amongst us in our soul and hearts.

This book's "radiation" theory of image creation isn't as far fetched or a radical leap of reasoning as skeptics would have you believe. Why? Because the peer reviewed, scientific findings of a image composed of dehydrated, surface linen fibrils defies any "natural" explanation.

The image isn't a paint, powder, stain or transfer image. It's not imitated by decomposition stains, sweat stains, oils or herb stains. A heat scorch can't contain the subtlety or sophistication of this relic's image. If "vapors" created the image, there would be no possibility that the image would have any focus or definition. Nor is body contact the catalyst for image creation, since a body impression would have a fattened, "fun house mirror" effect.

Add to the exclusion of these past explainations the possible x-ray qualities of the Shroud image, the 3- dimensional "distance sensitive" intensity of the image, the exterior objects near the body "imaged" on the cloth... AND...

The MOST RECENT feature discovered, one Mr. Antonacci wasn't yet informed about as he wrote this book... a faint face image on the backside of the Shroud!

Why the imprinting of only the highest image features on the backside of the cloth? If it was paint or sweat responsible, it would diffuse outward and not be limited to (mostly) the face. Skin oils and sweat would had also darkened the Shroud man's "posterior" image dramatically... the back and buttocks which had the most weight pressure on the linen... yet the Shroud's back image is as subtle as the front image!!

Mark promoted the theory that the cloth collapsed through an image creating field of energy. The faint imprinting on the exterior side of the Shroud seems to validate this!

This theory now has support... discovered AFTER this book was released!!

As for whether the man in the Shroud is Jesus, consider... the Romans didn't always nail crucifixion victims; that a crown of thorns mocking of this victim should be unique to Jesus; the man was severely scourged; that this man had the athletic build of a manuel laborer (Carpenter, Stone Mason); was a young Jewish man beaten severely. The man was DEAD, as shown by the stiff, "rigor mortis" quality of the body image and the hemorrhage of the spear wound. And most significantly...

This crucified, Jewish "criminal" had a wealthy friend or relative who gave him a high quality linen Shroud! (Aka, Joseph of Arimetha?) Only high quality linens found at "Masada" featured the fine "invisible seaming" that this Shroud does.

This cruified Jewish "criminal" was allowed the privelege of burial!! Most crucifixion victims were considered defiled or cursed ("by the wood of the tree"), and were thrown on a disgusting pile of public decomposition by the brutal Romans. Dogs and crows routinely consumed the remains of crucified victims.

The man in the Shroud didn't decompose.

And the final point... ancient Jews overcame their aversion to "unclean" burial clothes and KEPT ... and PRESERVED... this shroud !! The blood stains ALONE would had prevented any normal Jewish individual from handling the cloth. Obviously, the man kept in this Shroud was considered "Holy," with "Holy blood."

How could this man NOT be Jesus?

Jeff Messenger, author of the novel "The Shroud of Torrington."

The Shroud of Turin is the most thoroughly researched artifact in the history of the world. Because of its wealth of astonishing attributes, the Shroud of Turin has draw over a quarter million hours of research by research scientists (mostly at personal expense) between 1977 and 2000--for good reason. All this rigorous attention is due soley to the merits and rewards they have reaped as they continue discovering its wonders.

Of all the books I have read about the Shroud of Turin, this is by far the most excellent, thorough, well researched, and well documented. Yochanan (John) records in his gospel that the miracles recorded of Yeshua (Jesus) were only the tip of the iceberg (John 20:30; 21:25). Back in those days people had different opinions about the miracles: some rejected them, some doubted, some believed (but took it all for granted), and some were appreciative and glorified God. Everyone must draw their own conclusions about the Shroud--don't let others and media spin masters make up your mind for you. When it comes to the Shroud, the powerful amazement of it lies in its details. If you do not know the details, you are missing the boat. This is the book to find those details. The more technology grows, the more they research the Shroud, the more powerful and impressive it is. Quantum leaps in technology uncover, corespondingly, quantum leaps in hitherto hidden mindboggling aspects about the Shroud. It seems evident to me that Yeshua has left this as a special sign, especially for our generation. We are the first generation to have the scientific technology to fathom the wonders of the Shroud. You owe it to yourself to investigate for yourself and draw your own conclusions. This is the book to give you the best coverage and analysis of the details among all the books I have read. My commendations to the author, Mark Antonacci, for his excellent work, resulting from 20 years of writing and research!

I loved this book! Hilda and Zelda have to tell Sabrina that she is a witch! (And she does not beleve them at first!) Then she starts doing magic when she does not really want to. Very funny. It's good.

No wonder they say that the first book is always the best- it's true!

The beginning. Its her 16th birthday Sabrina finds out that shes a witch. But the only thing shes learnt is how to turn something into a pineapple. So when Libby is nasty to her and gone just to far she becomes a pineapple. But with her aunts help she is reversed again. But its too late. Her reputation as a freak at the new school has been established. She goes to the other realm counsel to plead for time to be reversed so she can start the day again. DENIED. But Aunt Hilda, Drells (the head counsellor)old girlfriend goes to pay him a little visit. That sure sorted him out. Excellent first book.

Sabrina Spellman lives with her Aunt Hilda and Zelda, but on her 16th birthday, they tell her the secret of her life...she's a witch! Sabrina's spellbook has a magical picture of her father that can talk to her! But one problem, Sabrina can't control her powers! Will Sabrina ever learn to be the witch that she really is?

Meet Sabrina Spellman.Just your average teenager wanting to have fun in her new home in the care of the Spellman sisters,Hilda and Zelda. Sabrina's parents have just split up and Sabrina has moved in with her aunts on her birthday. Something strange is going on though.Why is she receiving big dusty old books titled "ye olde magic" and small cauldrons? Well guess what? Sabrina is a witch! Her aunts try to explain,but this is all too much for her.On her sixteenth birthday she finds out she is a witch and has to start out at a new school "Westbridge High". Trying to forget about her powers,Sabrina makes new friends and new enemies. To find out and capture the magic of the first of Sabrina's adventures and discoveries about becoming a witch,read this fantastic novel today.