T Books

Well, I know my Presidents now, that's for sure! I had great fun learning them, too, sitting on the couch with my husband one afternoon. The two of us went through the book, working through it and giggling at the references all the while. It was a lot of fun and we learned every president during the read. I planned to buy it, learn them, and then relist the item. But, I decided to instead hold onto it for when my nieces come over. I am always hunting for new ways to entertain them and this will keep them busy for sure! :) Lots of fun for all ages.
I highly recommend that you buy it and have as much fun as we did, and learn a little something, too! 5 stars!

This book was ordered for my son, who is a teacher, for Christmas and it came in plenty of time. Thanks so much.

This book is the best and most fun ways to learn about the American Presidents that I have ever seen. For each president from Washington through Clinton, there is a brief caption regarding his life and accomplishments. There is also a drawing taken from a photo or portrait, a cartoon style drawing and associated play on words to aid in remembering the name and whom they succeeded. For example, the cartoon for Dwight Eisenhower shows the Eiffel Tower with eyes on it being held by a tree with eyes. The caption is "The tree-man is crawling up the side of a huge tower that has eyes on it. It must be the eyes-on-tower!" The cartoon for Harry Truman, who preceded Eisenhower, shows the tree-man.
One of the best books for learning history and social studies, I strongly recommend this book. If my children were of a suitable age, I would buy it for them.

After one night, I knew all 43 presidents of the United States in order without looking. This book is AWESOME!!! :D

I had to memorize the presidents in the fourth grade. I'm in college now and I can still remember everything from this book. Not only does it work, but it's fun to look at the pictures and learn the presidents. People of all ages can learn from this book.

This is a very, very helpful book on travel! I love the fact that it is so up-to-date with web addresses and information-the athor has really done his work! I lost my Mother recently and before she got sick I tried to get her on a cruise. I could not convince to go. Your book is a Godsend! God Bless You!

With the thousands of Internet travel guidebooks to choose from it is very difficult to separate the good from the mediocre. You can literally devote days trying to figure out which guide will reveal the most useful information pertaining to the best air-fares, hotels, cars, lodging, student travel, medical resources, romantic vacations, unique lodging, National Parks, hideaways, things to do and see, shopping, restaurants, and many other essentials necessary to plan and enjoy your vacation.

The impetus that brought about the publication of the recent Internet travel guidebook, You Are Here Traveling with JohnnyJet.com, was the result of the many emails John E. DiScala had received from viewers of his Internet portal JohnnyJet.com.

Apparently, people were inquiring if there was a companion travel guidebook to compliment the portal.
As a result, DiScala and fellow co-author, Eric Leebow, decided to put together a innovative book that would be the ultimate Internet travel guide for people wanting quick and easy information, and at the same time to be used in conjunction with the web site.

Divided into 34 chapters, the guide effectively points its readers in the right direction in clearly summarizing and highlighting over 3000 travel Internet sites.
These sites provide a wealth of detailed information that makes life much easier for the traveler. Even the arm- chair traveler will find something of interest.

The guidebook not only focuses on the traditional topics as senior travel, restaurants and hotels, but also the non-traditional-where to find the best diving directories, adoption travel or family reunions, travel humor sites, religious travel, archaeological digs, zoos, and other topics you would not normally find in the "run of the mill" Internet guidebooks.

Also included are some interesting sidebars containing useful tidbits of advice.
For example, where is the best place to sit on a plane? We are advised that if you suffer from motion sickness, choose a seat towards the middle of the plane or near the wings.

What I found particularly useful about the book is the user- friendly format with its detailed Table of Contents, appendices and Index.
The reader is not forced to thumb through several pages before he or she can track down what they are seeking. Immediately, a glance to the table of contents or index will clearly point out the way, saving you a great deal of time and frustration.
In addition, you even have comprehensive appendices listing destination sites, automobile rental sites, major hotel and motel chains, US and International airlines, airfreight companies with phone numbers, and where to report stolen credit cards with phone numbers.

You Are Here Traveling with JohnnyJet.com is sure to prove to be an invaluable tool in covering the full range of queries travelers often ask and is a welcome addition to the spate of Internet travel books.

Whether you are surfing about online dreaming about your next vacation or seriously planning your next adventure, "You are Here" is the ultimate online travel portal.

Features:

More than 3,000 carefully researched Websites
Money saving travel bargains
Travel tips that make a difference
34 chapters filled with amazing information

Some of the main chapters:

Steals and Deals on Fares
Lodging
Airport Information
Food on the Road
Traveling with the Family
Seniors: Traveling in the Golden Years
Student Travel
25 Things to Do and See (Everything from Haunted Tours to the London Theatre)
Pets Can Travel Too

You are Here: Traveling with JohnnyJet dot com is encyclopedic and perhaps the most comprehensive book I've seen on online travel resources. If you travel, you need this book.

John E. DiScala's research will make your travel research easier and when you are actually traveling, you can visit the website. When you visit the site you can look up information with the "Jet Codes." For example: Johnny Jet Code: Boat Rides. You will then find links to various sites and can quickly click through and find the information you need. It was super fast and much easier than trying to look up boat rides in a regular search engine. Just look for the Code Index in this book. The regular index is also quite helpful.

So, whether you need a free language translator or want to avoid the world's most dangerous places, it is all here.

Eric Leebow is the founder of Yahbooks Publishing and is the author of various other You Are Here books. John E. DiScala, AKA Johnny Jet is a travel expert and the founder of the travel portal Johnny Jet dot com. He is known for his weekly newsletter and site and from what I can see he is passionate about traveling.

~The Rebecca Review

This incredible book is jam packed with everything you would ever need or want to know with over 3,000 websites, adventures, bed and breakfasts, mountain climbing, resorts and spas, tips on airline fares, hideaway destinations, and cultural ones, this book has it all!

Whether you want a long weekend getaway, a long vacation, or are planning a speaking tour and want to know where to stay, and what you can see and do at your destination, this book will make your life so much easier.
Highly recommended for its incredible resources no matter where you want to go, or what your interests are, it is covered in this fantastic book.

If you want to know how to find all the "insider" secrets to exciting, safe, and inexpensive travel, you can't do better than this great guide.

This book helps you navigate the deepest, darkest corners of the Web so that you can plan the best vacation ever.

Want to go hiking in Scotland, or scuba diving in the Carribean? You'll find where to look for vacation information here.

Need the best selection of luggage, at discount prices? You'll find the best places to shop online.

Want the best ways to stay in touch while on business travel? You got it -- the links are here.

I consider myself pretty Web savvy, and at first I was skeptical that a book could do better than a few minutes with Google. Well it can -- and now, I am a big believer.

Save yourself hours of frustration searching page after page in the search engines, jumping back and forth from site to site, as you try to find what you need among billions of search engine pages. Use that time, instead, enjoying the great vacation you were able to plan.

This book is right up there in the embroidery range of books. As a teacher of embroidery I find the ideas and the instructions are the best.
Have been using The Artful Ribbon since it was first available in Australia and this copy (second hand) was for one of my students. The quality, price and speed of delivery was excellent. Thank you.

This book has got to be one of the best and most comprehensive books out there on ribbonwork. It not only showcases the antique items where the colors have faded to perfect glory, but also incorporates the new and runs the gamut from embroidering with silk ribbon to forming flowers and bows of the ribbons.

This book is a wealth of inspiration and a source of continual referral for most any project using ribbon and will keep it's prominent place on my bookshelf!

This is the best book on ribbonwork. It incorporates many beautiful pictures of vintage and some contemporary work. The entire book is instructional (no silly projects to fill the pages!!!). The instructions are excellent and this is as close to a "beginners" introduction to the subject as I have been able to find. At first I was disappointed that there were very few photographs of instructions. Often the instructions use drawings and often drawings are the only examples of the completed piece. But, what I have come to love is the lack of pictures for instruction. This book achieves something many art/craft books fail to. It requires you to practice, to use a variety materials and to create your own color combinations. It makes the "copying" of another's work no concern, because basically, you cannot. The subject is so well covered you will have an understanding of it: from foliage, to flowers, to stabilizing your work for wear on clothing, hats, and pins, to stems and buds, to flat and dimensional, to texture and how to preserve your work, etc. I haven't found a better book and I do not expect to. I thank the author for covering subjects like the movement, or "dance," of the work and for challenging me with the drawings - to try it and then see how it looks. Last but not least, the author introduces a great way to figure how much ribbon you will need to make any project using any ribbon width! So you can make ANY size flower you want. Ms. Kling makes your journey an unexpectedly easy fall - into a creative medium more satisfying than anything I've dabbled in besides beads - which one can incorporate too, of course.

I've seen most of the ribbon flower books that there are--and this is pretty much the best. It has instructions that are clear and very easy to follow and there are so many different ideas for you to use. Not just a couple of projects--so many for you to combine. I have taken this book out of the library so many times that I wanted to keep it. Then I remembered I could buy it online!!!

In comparison to the other books available, it has more projects and I think the directions are easier.

If you love ribbon flowers (I make them as accessories in a business partnership) you will absolutely love this book!

This book makes you want to try ribbon embroidery! The varieties of applications are well illustrated. Loved just looking at this book! Really improved my roses...

Sometimes you wonder how people could be so immature, dumb, and naive. But it definitely happens!!! But it was a good book overall, can't wait to read the 3rd of the trilogy. The sequel: Dead Man's Venegance was even better than the first!!! 5 stars for that. BLUNT definitely has a challenge on her hand to end this deserving of the rest of the story. My book club loved it, anxiously awaiting the final chapter!!! Don't let us down!

First, off let me say that I will never in my life judge a book by its cover again, I was reluctant to get this book because of the lack of graphics, and I had never heard of the author, but when I read it I was so happy that I did not listen to my judgement; I could not put this book down. The story is told so realistic, it gives you a feel of visualizing everyones moves, emotions and personlity. This book would also be catergorized as a grimmy, ghetto coming of age love story. The end will make you want to go get the sequel. I am about to purchase it now!!!

I LIKED THIS BOOK BUT I FELT THAT ALOT OF QUESTIONS WERE LEFT UNANSWERED LIKE WHAT WAS CAMARIA'S CONVERSATION ABOUT WHEN LISA HEARD HER???? WHAT HAPPENED TO CAMARIA, DONNELL. MAYBE THEY WILL BE ANSWERED IN PART 2. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW LISA HAD SUCH GOOD LUCK WITH MEN AND WHY SHE MANAGED TO DO ALL OF THIS.

THIS WAS EXCELLENT. I JUST ORDERED PART 2. THE NEW BOOKS OUT HERE ARE BEGINNING TO SOUND THE SAME. THIS IS ON THE LEVEL WITH DUTCH, COLDEST WINTER EVER AND SOME OF THE BOOKS BACK FROM 2002-2004. A MUST ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION...

Chino and Donell were the best of friends; Chino and Shark were like family. Everything seemed to be cool, until Chino goes to the left. Chino betrays Donell and Shark in the worst ways, and wreaks havoc on their entire operation. After he betrays both of his friends, Chino finds himself being hunted down with a bounty on his head.

B.L.U.N.T. makes you wonder if friends can really stay friends when power, drugs, money, love and sex are involved.

In his lifetime, Raymond Brown was considered one of the foremost biblical scholars. His scholarship certainly changed Catholic biblical studies and many believe he is responsible for making the academic world at large take notice of what scholars writing from a Catholic perspective have to offer the study of scripture. His comprehensive THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH is one of his monumental works that demonstrates his expertise and adds something Catholic that can be used in a "catholic" (universal) sense.

When Brown first published this book in the mid 1970's, he was attempting to do something for a beloved portion of scripture that was often ignored. For the most part, serious scholarship on the infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke was almost nil. Traditional scholars avoided it fearing that scholarship could debunk the stories themselves. Less traditional scholars saw the stories as legend that had little or no relevance for serious scholars. Brown rejected both points of view and chose to see the stories form a different point of view. Brown studies the Annunciation, the Magi, the Shepherds, the Flight to Egypt, the Child Jesus in the Temple, and the other narratives that make up these imaginative chapters of scripture and views them not as fanciful tales or legends, but the Gospel in miniature. The stories included in Luke and Matthew are essential to the Gospel story and essential for understanding the story itself. Since the time of this volume's publication, this has become one of the common interpretations of the Infancy narratives.

The book is not without controversy. One example would be Brown's treatment of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. While Brown in many ways exalts the role of Mary as a disciple, it is not a pious reflection on Mary which has caused some readers to claim Brown disputes the Virgin birth. I'm not sure this is true, especially given some of Brown's other writings and talks widely available, if not in publication certainly in libraries. This is why the reader needs to keep in mind what Brown is attempting to do in this volume: present relevant scholarship on the infancy narratives.

I have grown to love the book for a number of reasons. There is so much material in it, I am always discovering something new. This is important for anyone who has to preach on these texts. Not only can a new angle or understanding be found in this volume, it also helps the reader find personal insights for reflection and prayer, which during the time when these texts are preached can be so important. Brown's volume shows that the Birth of Christ was not just a historical event but one that has meaning today and in all ages.

Fr. Brown taks an honest hard look at the infancy narrative of Matthew and Luke. It is a struggle to find the truth in these narrative amid all the mythic lore and revisionist speculations. He digs deep down into the mountain of rubble that has accumulated, bringing out the sparkling truth that is contained within. He brings them out into the light of the day, where all speculation and myth are shown for what they are.

The historical valure of the infancy narratives are shredded to pieces during the course of this examination. Yet my faith is strengthened not undermined by this work. Why is this? Well, Fr. Brown uncovers the real motivation behind the Evangelists who composed these narratives. The primary motivation is theological.

The infancy narratives are perhaps the richest vien of theology in the New Testament. So much is hidden away in the nooks and crannies of the remainder of the Gospels, so much that only comes to light with a close examination of the infancy narratives. Once the myths are tossed aside, the glory of God begins to shine ever more clearly.

I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to understand the Gospel without sacrificing intellect for the sake of belief.

I was reluctant when this tome about the infancy narratives had been recommended, and after the first chapter discovered this was no ordinary book. There are myriads of commentaries, but none like this! This book elaborates at length on the short gospel narratives of the birth of Jesus, and how the NT authors had woven OT material into those narratives. It elaborates on the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary: not as some wench who did as God told her, but as the first disciple of Christ to say Yes to the call of God; not merely a mother to Christ, but the Mother of the people of God by her fiat. For those who already believe, and even for those who don't, it elaborates why the incarnation is such an awesome historial event, not only in human history, but in salvation history.

Fr. Brown writes with erudition, and, while his audience is scholarly, even novices can read these gems with considerable ease. I initially intended to read the book straight through, but the density and intensity of the material suggested that a more devotional, gradual read would be more beneficial. I admit this is hard to do, because once embarked, these insights propel one to read as much as one can as fast as one can. However you decide to read it, I cannot think of a better introduction, as well as advanced scholarship, that will not leave one unchanged.

How should Christians contend with alleged contradictions, inconsistencies and historical inaccuracies in the New Testament? Perhaps many have not confronted the difficulties, while assuming that ultimately a satisfactory answer will emerge that justifies confidence in the Greek scriptures. The late Raymond E. Brown was not content to leave it to future scholarship to provide the answers. Only two gospels, Matthew and Luke, discuss the birth and infancy of Jesus. But scholars have raised questions that challenge the credibility of these narratives. Why do the genealogies not match? Why do the other New Testament writers not mention the virgin birth? What prophets said that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene? Why does Luke imply the family returned to Nazareth shortly after the birth of Jesus, while Matthew has the family fleeing to Egypt before returning? The slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem is not mentioned in secular history although other atrocities are recorded. Can the son of David be reckoned through the mother? These and other questions have provided ammunition for critics against the veracity of the New Testament.

Brown discusses these matters and more in detail. He provides non-conventional solutions while maintaining his Catholicism. This book should help the Christian understand the issues raised by doubters and help them reflect on what they believe and why they believe it. One does not have to agree with Brown's conclusions to appreciate the struggle with the history and theology of the narratives. Do the narratives have a common source, or are they separate traditions pre-dating the main body of each gospel? Read Brown's The Birth of the Messiah for some proposed answers. Recommended for lay Christians who have not seriously considered the challenges to their faith.

Part of the Anchor Bible Reference Library, this is an excellent book in which Raymond Brown provides an in-depth treatment of the NT infancy narratives in Matthew and Luke. The format of the book is standard for the Anchor Bible series: the author translates a segment of the Greek NT text, provides notes on his translation, and then comments on the meaning of the text. There are nine appendices on technical issues (e.g., "Birth at Bethlehem", "The Census under Quirinius"). Also, this edition contains a supplement that updates the work to 1992 (Brown died in 1998). The treatment is scholarly but readable, and, for passages in the NT that have given rise to controversy in the past, Brown tries to give a balanced exposition of the opposing views (and he usually states what his personal opinion is). There is an enormous amount of interesting material packed into this book, as Brown canvasses much of the relevant literature.

The book has the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur declarations that the book is free of doctrinal or moral errors (from the point of view of the Roman Catholic church), but Brown's Catholicism doesn't color the book excessively. For example, he admits that it is unlikely Mary took a vow of virginity, and also that the "brothers of Jesus" were probably his brothers in the usual biological sense. More generally, Brown openly recognizes the historical improbability of certain events (such as the visit of the Magi), and doesn't strain to impose dubious harmonizations on the infancy stories or to concoct interpretations meant to uphold the literal truth of the NT. The one place where he draws a line is on the virgin conception itself; he claims that it is unscientific to reject it as impossible a priori.

The supplement makes for lively reading, since Brown describes some of the negative reviews received by the first edition of the book and engages in a bit of polemic as he re-argues his position on certain topics. However, he doesn't descend to vituperation, even when provoked.

Overall, a great book and an excellent source of references for further reading.

The Psalms, often described as the Prayer Book of the Bible,has been translated by a scholar of Biblical texts, to produce not only, probably, the most accurate translation of the Hebrew Text, with detailed notes, but more importantly from a layman's point of view, the most beautiful poetically up-lifting hebrew poetry, and indeed,truly prayerful at that. Highly recmmended.

Executive summary: Going back to oldest available texts, Hebrew scholar Robert Alter has produced an unbiased and accurate translation, with copious explanation and footnotes. While the prose is inelegant compared to the familiar KJV, it is beautiful in keeping the economy, syntax, reflected meanings, etc. of the ancient Hebrew.

The author: Alter is a Professor at Berkley. His translations of the Pentateuch and other parts of the OT are also fabulous and noteworthy.

Author's special approach: Aside from being faithful to the Hebrew, Alter has struggled mightily to avoid selecting English that might lard Psalms with Christian meaning not actually there. He also uses copies annotations to explain when he has chosen between multiple meanings, damaged texts and why. He also explains when known what the intent of each psalm was, how it might have been sung, etc.

Surprises? yes-- Alter comes up with literally dozens of places where the much later Mesoretic texts appear mistaken. he explains just why the numbering in the Septuagint is correct, for example. This should be enough to prompt Christian readers to perhaps consider reading their English-language psalms from the newly published (Conciliar press) Orthodox Study Bible rather than, say NIV.

Conclusion: A valuable bit of research; wonderful translation effort, handsome edition (nice paper, built-in bookmark, etc.)--a must have for Bible scholars

This was high on my daughter's Christmas and birthday list. It was a high spot in her birthday celebration. It arrived on time and in great condition.

I've been going through a patch of bad health lately. To help ease my way, some friends were kind enough to give me Robert Alter's translations of the Psalms. They didn't know that I'm a fan of Alter's earlier Five Books of Moses translation. I was delighted to receive their gift.

I've been reading the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) translations of the psalms for so long that they've become second nature to me. But Alter's renderings have an immediacy that really does bring a sense of vitality, of expectancy, of being-there-in-the-moment, that awakens both the senses and the heart.

Take the well known Quemadimodum, Psalm 42. The BCP's translation of the beginning is this:

As the deer longs for the water brooks,
so longs my soul for you, O God.

My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God;
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

Here's Alter's translation:

As a deer yearns for streams of water,
so I yearn for You, O God.

My whole being thirsts for God,
for the living God.

When shall I come and see
the presence of God?

The BCP version has a lovely, contemplative rhythm. But Alter's version has an edge that expresses not just longing but almost a demand. It's an interesting change of pace, and one that invites a different set of responses and prayers.

Alter's commentary to his translations is graceful and informative, and not--thank God!--heavy-handed and pedantic. I generally distrust commentary attached to translated poetry. But Alter's usually enhances rather than distracts.

This translation is a wonderful gift that Alter has given us all. And my copy of his translation is a wonderful gift from my friends. Thank you!

Not being a scholar, I cannot review this book appropriately. But I can tell you why I am enjoying it and why I recommend that you read it and use it for reference (or reverence)

Alter writes, "What I have aimed at in this translation - inevitably, with imperfect success - is to represent Psalms in a kind of English verse that is readable as poetry yet sounds something like the Hebrew - emulating its rhythms wherever feasible, reproducing many of the effects of its expressive poetic syntax, seeking equivalents for the combination of homespun directness and archaizing in the original, hewing to the lexical concreteness of the Hebrew, and making more palpable the force of parallelism that is at the heart of biblical poetry."

Now ... with regard to two Psalms you may know by heart...:

Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd...", in this translation is rendered:
The Lord is my shepherd / I shall not want. / In grass meadows He makes me lie down, / By quiet waters guide me. / My life He brings back. / He leads me on pathways of justice / For His name's sake. /
Though I walk in the vale of death's shadow, / I fear no harm. /For you are with me.

But what i truly enjoy are Alter's commentaries. Alter's commentary states, "Although the likening of God or a ruler to a shepherd is a commonplace in this pastoral culture, this psalm is justly famous for the affecting simplicity and concreteness with which it realizes the metaphor. Thus, in the next line the shepherd leads his sheep to meadows where there is abundant grass and riverbanks and where quiet waters run that the sheep can drink... [he makes me lie down] The verb used here, HIRBITS, is a specialized one for making animals lie down...... [My life he brings back] Though "he restoreth my soul" is time-honored, the Hebrew NEFESH does not mean "soul" but "life breath" or "life." The image is of someone who has almost stopped breathing and is revived, brought back to life... ...[in the vale of death's shadow] The intent of the translation is not to avoid the proverbial "in the shadow of the valley of death" but rather to cut through the proliferation of syllables in the King James Version, however eloquent, and better approximate the compactness of the Hebrew - BEGEY TSALMAWET. Though philologists assume that the Masoretic TSALMAWET is actually a misleading vocalization of TSALMUT - probably a poetic word for "darkness" with the UT ending simply a suffix of abstraction - the traditional vocalization reflects something like an orthographic pun or a folk etymology (TSEL means "shadow" MAWET means "DEATH"), so there is justification in retaining the death component... ... ... [You moisten my head with oil] The verb here, DISHEN, is not the one that is used for anointment, and its associations are sensual rather than sacramental...

And so.. you get a more in-depth understanding of the Psalm and its intentions in the original Hebrew. Or, take Psalm 137, you may recall it as, "By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion."

In the Alter translation, we get:
By Babylon's streams /
there we sat, oh we wept, /
when we recalled Zion. /
On the poplars there / we hung up our lyres. / For there our captors has asked of us / words of song, / and our plunderers - rejoicing / "Sing us from Zion's songs."

But it is in the commentary that the esteemed Alter shines, when he writes, "This psalm was almost certainly composed shortly after the deportation of the Judeans by the Babylonians in 586 BCE - the experience of exile is fresh and acutely painful... The first Hebrew noun, NEHAROT, generally means "rivers," but because the more probable reference is to the network of canals that connected the Tigris and the Euphrates, "streams" is a preferable translation here. It should be noted that in keeping with the evolution of Hebrew poetry in the later biblical period, semantic parallelism within the lines in this poem is weak, an absence occasionally compensated for by interlinear parallelism."

Alter goes on to explain how the Hebrew use of the word SHAM (there), twice, in the next line is used poetically to express the alienation of the collective speakers from the place they find themselves, and how "hung up our lyres" can refer to the hiding of their lyres in the foliage, or a gesture of renunciation of their use.

I needed this book for a course I'm taking, and not one local bookstore had it in stock. I logged on to trusty Amazon, ordered it, and had it in my hands (with assigned reading completed) before my next class. The memoir itself had started pretty slowly (alot of Egyptian history), but has taken off quite nicely.

I thought that this book was amazing. I've read many books about Islam but I think that this book actually gave me a sense of what it means to be a Muslim. Sometimes when reading about religions we often only get an overview of the practices and beliefs of a religion but we rarely hear from believers of a particular religion and how they incorporate the beliefs of their religion into their everyday lives. For me, it was also interesting to read about Egypt during the 40's and 50's because it was something I have never studied before. It was interesting to see the religious diversity in Eygpt and how quickly that all changed with the rise of Nasser. Another thing I had never realized that Egyptians practically had the title Arab forced upon them, but most would never otherwise identify themselves as Arab. I think this book really exposed me to a world and a lifestyle that I had never known existed, and I think this is a must read for anyone who is open to seeing a new perspective on their world.

I enjoyed very much reading this book. The level of description used is capable of transporting you to Leila's birthplace and enjoy her life's journey. This book reads like a novel even though it is a biography. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Pre- and Post-Nasser era in Egypt and how it affected the Egyptian middle class of the time. Another book about Egypt during that era I would recommend is Samia Serag El-din's The Cairo House. Happy reading!

A Border Passage by Leila Ahmed is an interesting book and definitely worth your time. Within this book Ahmed confront issues of colonialism and differences between the Islam of women and that of men. The story is written as an autobiography as Ahmed recounts her childhood. The juxtaposition of the Egypt and England, where she goes to school, illuminates considerations of post-colonial loss of identity. A book that I strongly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about Islam.

I wasn't sure what I would find when I chose this book. But Dr. Ahmed's thoughts on creating her identity and the societal forces that crafted her upbringing are astounding. Her tale of defining herself as a woman, an Egyptian, an Arab, a Muslim, and an American resonated very deeply with me.....

This is wonderful resource to deal with bullying. I use it both in my classroom and with my own children.

This is a powerful book. I'm an elementary school music teacher and we're using this song as our school song this year in an effort to raise our students' awareness that ALL people are special. EVERY child in the world should hear this read or sung over and over until the whole world gets it!

I say individuality and not bullying, or self-esteem, because kids that face adversity become interesting, dynamic adults. This book is conceptually excellent, beautifully written and illustrated. My only negative (because I am an illustrator) is that Glin Dibley's style is a blatant 'borrowing' of Joe Sorren. Look it up. But to Glin's credit, he does do a wonderful job, and the style fits the subject perfectly.

I was introduced to this book (and song) by a music teacher at a school where I was substituting. It is an appeal for children (good for adults, too) to not make fun of those who are different from them. I was so impressed with it that I went home and ordered it immediately. It is a wonderful tool to bring up discussions about how it makes you feel when someone makes fun of you. The book comes with a CD which has the song with vocals and instrumentals only. This is perfect for teaching the song, and then for performing if that is desired. I think the content of the book is fabulous!! The pictures are excellent, too.

This is a great book that you can use to discuss the power of differences with kids. It seems to ellicit good responses, even when used with my fourth graders!

Highly recommend.

I felt better knowing that my fears with my illness are not mine alone.

I recently read this book, and I can't honestly say that I liked it. I too have been diagnosed with MS. I'm happy that Mr. Lander can find humor in his condition, however I find nothing he had to say not in the least bit funny.

MS is a terrible diease that affects the Central Nervous System and there's nothing funny about that. Even the title of the book is seriously upsetting(How Squiggy caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody). You can't catch MS, and to put that in print is misleading.

I take my MS, the treatment for it, and all the symptoms very seriously. I have no desire to joke about them.

Some of the information in his book were very informative and very much worth reading, however I believe his approach is less than ideal.

When my father finally told me he had MS (like David Lander, he kept it a secret), he suggested I read this book. The insight it gave me was priceless. Everyone will find their own path, but I can tell you that by sharing his experiences, Mr. Lander has helped me to be the best son (and friend) that I can be.

I just loved this book. It is a very quick read and very upbeat. For someone with MS or caring for someone with MS it is a story you can relate to. My husband was recently diagnosed with MS and has been very reluctant to read anything about the disease. I am going to have him read this book because while I whink it might confirm some of his fears, at the same time it does so in a positive manner.

The book is a quick read. Sometimes you feel very alone with MS. This book will help you feel better. And, it explains some of the MS symptoms that you are experiencing better than a medical text. It will put some words on your feelings.