V Books

As a teacher, I love this book for the descriptive language. The text opens up many discussions and helps paint a picture for the student. You can almost "feel" the places and the activities this family is enjoying. The message is lovely, but I enjoy it for the richness of language.

This is the perfect gift to give to a new big brother or sister. I bought it when we had our second baby, and it has the perfect message. My children love this book as well.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! What a great message! The kids love it too.

I'm a mother of two boys (one red, one blue) and this book is my favorite!!! I have purchased over 20 copies and given away to women I meet who have two sons. They all love it and can relate to the message.
My supervisor at work says that we all need to learn the message from "I Love You the Purplest"!
Illustrations are exceptional!! I love the Carolina Wren!

My children ask this regularly, especially my six-year-old Emma.
"Who do you love the best?"

She wants so badly to be loved "the best".

Through Joosse's book, I learned an incredible new way to express how I love her "the purplest" or the "chocolatiest" or "the bell ringingest".....

By using a more descriptive word than "Best", the Mother in this book speaks to what is real and true about her sons Max and Julian so that they are each more than "just satisfied" with being loved the best.....

She uses colors to describe her love for each of her boys after she has described other possibly conflict, competitive situations by being more specific with what is special instead of labeling or judging one above the other.

More adults ought to read this one!

Volume two of Le Proust's great work is a sensual delight. Part One (of Vol.2), by and large, is more about Swann's family and, of course, the agonizing and philosophizing in regard to "getting over" Miss Gilberte. There is much less about the narrator's family which ran the course throughout SWANN'S WAY. Stylistically, BUDDING GROVE is an absolute wonder. We are once again treated to the narrator's philosophies on life's ups and downs (how's that for a summation?). Once he gets to the fictitious seaside town of Balbec, the book surges--taking on the proverbial "life of its own". The reader is in the hotel room with him...and on the beach...and on the boardwalk, etc. It was a joy to see how Proust/Moncrieff would occasionally work in "street talk" with the mainstay of aureate and lyrical prose: a woman in Balbec is described as having "yellow hair and six inches of paint on her face and a carriage which reeked of harlot a mile away..." Delicious. Priceless.

I cannot imagine trying to read Proust's Everest of a novel until I've had enough life experience to be able to identify with his insights. How on earth was a man who died young and was confined to a bed for so many years able to learn so much about life and common human experience, emotion and perception? I don't know how, but I thank God that he was.

For modern readers, Proust is definitely an acquired taste that rewards patience. I never thought reading the works of one author would make those of others seem so much easier to read. But such is the case with Proust. Nevertheless, one shouldn't regard his writing as therapy or medicine; it may read like self help at times, with its frequent use of the first-person plural, but it is a story first of all. His writing is just more detailed and insightful than that of all but a handful of modern novelists.

Within a Budding Grove is a primer on patience and perception, one that will probably make you a better reader, perhaps a better writer, and certainly a more interesting human being. Struggle on patiently. You will get used to the labyrinthine sentences, paragraphs that run on for pages, and gargantuan chapters (if they can be called that) that don't really begin or end anywhere tidy. Eventually, you will likely come to enjoy it.

My only criticism: at times one does get annoyed by the slow pacing. For instance, I knew that this is the volume that introduces the reader to Albertine. But it did take about 600 pages for the narrator to meet her! That said, there are plenty of tasty morsels along the way. Read it, not so much for the simple story or the minutely detailed descriptions, but for the numerous insights and the astounding wisdom.

Montcrief's translation, is the quintisential Proust. The, beautiful, florid prose is reminiscent of a time and a place that no longer exists, and captures the French aristocracy in the advent of WWI -- full of old-world trappings, yet abounding with subtle reminders of the globalization that was to follow. Proust's style and vision are directed admirably towards his artistic goal of appreciating art through sublimation, and express his idea that a true understanding of art comes first through appreciation, and then expression through a medium. This volume is full of Proust's own philosiphies on art, life and the people who abound in both. His observations, pointed and amusing, keep this volume relevant. Considering the wave of expatriate and existentialist writers who propogated Paris after the Great War, this book is truly the last in a line of works that view life in a grand, sweeping and elegant manner. Within a Budding Grove brought Proust fame and acclaim in his own time, and in ours can be seen as a masterpiece reflecting a time past, yet glimsping assiduously into the future. For those "in search of lost time" this is truly a great read.

How can anyone summarize even a single volume of Proust's massive six volume novel? Within a Budding Grove (sometimes translated as In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower) is the second installment of In Search of Last Time. We find the narrator perhaps marginally older on vacation with his grandmother living in a luxurious hotel in Balbec off the coast. This volume, paired with the first (Swann's Way), is really the introduction to the work entire if you can believe it. In it, the narrator perhaps matures slightly; he cultivates his keen awareness of art, meets new people, and ultimately falls out of love with Gilberte and falls in love with Albertine. His relationship with his grandmother is certainly expanded, and the reader comes to learn that the narrator is not merely motivated by a trivial pursuit of pleasure and bourgeois charm. He is in fact, a truly full human being, complete with fear, love, desire, and ambition. He meets one of my favorite characters in the whole book, the impressionist painter Elstir, a character clearly based Monet, Manet, Pissaro, and others. He introduces the narrator to Albertine through his paintings, and teaches him about the joys of life and art. There are some passages in this section of the book (the latter half) which I just can't resist from quoting,

"I could never have believed that I should now be dreaming of a sea which was no more than a whitish vapour that had lost both consistency and colour. But of such a sea Elstir, like the people who sat musing on board those vessels drowsy with the heat, had felt so intensely the enchantment that he had succeeded in transcribing, in fixing for all time upon his canvas, the imperceptible ebb of the tide, the throb of one happy moment; and at the sight of this magic portrait, one could think of nothing else than to range the wide world, seeking to recapture the vanished day in its instantaneous, slumbering beauty" (pg. 657).

also (how French is this?),

"For a convalescent who rests all day long in the flower-garden or an orchard, a scent of flowers or fruit does not more completely pervade the thousand trifles that compose his idle hours than did for me that colour, that fragrance in search of which my eyes kept straying towards the girls, and the sweetness of which finally became incorporated in me. So it is that grapes sweeten in the sun. And by their slow continuity these simple little games had gradually wrought in me also, as in those who do nothing else all day but lie outstretched by the sea, breathing the salt air and sunning themselves, a relaxation, a blissful smile, a vague dazzlement that had spread from brain to eyes" (pg. 669).

I certainly cannot add any insights into the greatness and profundity of this work which has not already been said by Edmund Wilson or Vladimir Nabokov. Within a Budding Grove is a deeply felt, beautiful and fleeting segment of one of the finest novels of the last century, I urge you to read it.

This is a great copy of Vol. 2 of A la recherche du temps perdu [In Search of Lost Time] or [Delving into Things Past]. Each volume in the septrology may be read individually as an independent novel. This is, of course, the very best translation available in English; probably the very best that will ever be available in English: certainly the next best thing to reading the original French.

Note: Proust is not quick reading, and one who tries to read too quickly will just as quickly lose the tread of the narrative. This text has its own time scale, and the reader must adjust his/herself to the text--not the other way around. In this stream of consciousness narrative, the narrator (/author) digresses as he speaks (/thinks): he digresses, digresses, digresses; and then, he returns, returns, returns to the point where he began. One has to follow his line of thought: this is the art and beauty of the text.

Proust's achievement is one of the greatest edifices of Western art, perhaps comparable only to Wagner's Ring cycle.

It starts off slowly, but then there is gradual progression in suspense and tension. That said it leaves you wanting MORE so very badly.

Robert Kirman's writing is good and mature in tone for this contemporary reader.

So for taking a chance on a book I never read one issue of, it lived up to it's hype, and I think has a lot of momentum moving into the next volume which will make me buy volume 2 if not 3 as well.

...i was always skeptical of this comic from an "alternative" publisher...until my wife gave me Invincible the Ultimate Collection vol. 1+2...
....these stories bring back memories of when comics were fun (and not so serious and dark as they tend to be these days)....Kirkmans tales easily fit in the comics tapestry along with classics like Amazing Spiderman , The Justice League, Superman...ect...
....

If you are a fan of Invicible the series. Or you like anything that Image comics puts out, by this! The best series i have read in a while, and the best super hero series i have read in years!

I didn't read comics as a kid, but I have always been fasinated with superheroes. After consulting several recommendations lists and reading lots of reviews, I chose Invincible as my first comic. I wasn't disappointed. It has everything I expected from a comic - a larger than life hero, lots of action, excellent artwork, and easy to read. It also had things I hadn't expected - the hero has more than one dimension and story is mature enough to hold an adult's attention. I read a wide variety of genres from classics to biographies, from fiction to science fiction, and this was just as enjoyable to read. I'm looking forward to getting volumes 2 and 3!

I picked this up without reason, I'd long since outgrown Comic Books and was really only drawn to the image on the cover and thought it might be interesting for the little boys I work with. I, personally, did not have any interest in it myself. But then the boys didn't care, it wasn't Batman or Superman and so it wasn't interesting.
It sat around for some time just looking like a big giant book until I had to take a long trip and needed something with more than just words to pass the time.
I was hooked.
As soon as I got home, I went right to the store and started buying back issues and trades to catch up.
This is one of the best modern superhero stories out there, it's a wonderful collection of great writing (kirkman's other series The Walking Dead is also great)and amazing graphics. The story lines are compelling, and I always want more at the end of an issue. In fact, I am always digging through old issues and climbing the walls waiting for new issues.
If You're looking for a new hero, Invincible's the guy. The series is terrific, it's just what I was looking for, serious reading for a serious reader with pictures.
It's worth the investment.

This book is an excellent, well organized combination of case studies and medical science. Dr. Vliet is Board Certified in Pain Medicine, Psychiatry and Neurology, and has performed research investigating behavioral effects of hormones.

Information in this book has helped Florida Detox treat migraines, insomnia, anxiety, depression, interstitial cystitis, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia more effectively. Our opiate detox patients frequently arrive with estradiol, progesterone and testosterone deficiencies and almost all of our fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue patients are hypothyroid. Oral Bioidentical Progesterone has produced dramatic anxiety reductions in some of our patients, while bioidentical estradiol has produced dramatic decreases in insomnia and depression in others.

We have also been able to identify previously undiagnosed Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and agree with Dr. Vliet that PCOS is underdiagnosed. This book provides an excellent discussion of PCOS, enhanced with case histories.

It's My Ovaries, Stupid contains a profound discussion of the adverse impact of environmental contaminants, including insecticide, herbicide, poly chlorinated biphenyls, birth control pill residues and food additives. Vliet explains excess glutamate, used as a food additive, can damage the hypothalamus, which is unprotected by the blood-brain barrier. Glutamate can also decrease thyroid hormone and elevate cortisol levels, increasing obesity.

Vliet discusses published research revealing Finnish women with the highest Lindane pesticide levels in their breasts were ten times more likely to have breast cancer. A 1992 Connecticut study revealed women with breast cancer had 50 to 60 percent higher levels of PCB, DDT and DDE, in their breasts.

There has been extensive misleading media coverage of estrogen replacement therapy, since most coverage failed to distinguish between bioidentical estrogens and Premarin or other conjugated estrogens.
Premarin is not identical to human estrogen. Premarin contains approximately 40 percent estrone, while human estrogens are about 3 percent estrone. Estrone is many times more carcinogenic, than estradiol. Premarin also contains equilin, which is many times more carcinogenic, than estradiol, which is the most active human estrogen. Horse estrogens, also called conjugated estrogens or Premarin, were used in the highly publicized Womens Health Initiative study of 27,000 postmenopausal women.

"To date, the majority of medical studies also do not show a significant increase in risk of breast cancer in women who use birth control pills or women who take postmenopausal estrogen therapy alone, unless women are also drinking alcohol on a regular daily basis and are using Premarin" E
Elizabeth Vliet, MD, in Screaming to be Heard-Hormone Connections Women Suspect and Doctors still Ignore, p 378

Vliet's discussion of postpartum depression needs to be more widely read and comprehended, since treatment with bioidentical estradiol could eliminate most postpartum depression. If the media would interview Dr. Vliet, instead of puzzled "experts," typically interviewed, after tragic postpartum depression murder/suicides, the public could be informed that post partum depression is treatable.

Vliet also discusses numerous causes of premature ovarian hormone decline, including Lymes Disease, Chlamydia, gonorrhea, hypothyroidism, hyper and hypo adrenalism.

Steven Sponaugle
Research Director, Florida Detox

The auther gives a very in-depth explanation of female hormones and their functions and how they can become unbalanced. She gives very specific and helpful advice about what hormones to check for certain symptoms, when to check them, what types of tests, what results mean, etc. It's clear she is on a mission to help women because there really is just a lack of study of female hormones in the medical community and it's obvious that many women can be helped with balanced hormone levels. I'm very glad I decided to get this book as I feel like I won't need to buy any others.

I thought I was going crazy! I was only 26 years old and I was visiting 5 different doctors that were treating me for various problems (weight gain, migraines, acne, depression, hot flashes and recurrent yeast infections). Every doctor told me the same thing...."DIET and EXERCISE or YOU NEED AN ANTIDEPRESSANT"!!! Then I read this book... It all made sense!!! Dr. Vliet helped me understand that a hormone imbalance could affect every part of my body. I didn't waste any time. I called Dr. Vliet and made an appointment. She was the answer to my prayers!

I understand not everyone can call and make an appointment but reading this book helps you understand your body. It takes you step-by-step through what tests to ask for and how to read and interpret your results. Being in the "normal range" may not be so normal for your body!

You may not have PCOS but most women are on birth control pills and all women will eventually go thru Menopause. If you are a woman...read this book. Put your health and life back together.. Knowledge is Power!!!

My mother just turned 50 and has been noticing some changes that she has atributed to hormones. My uncle, a doctor, recommended this book to help her understand what is going on.

Overall my mom really seems to like this book and i would recommend it to other pre-menopausal women.

I have yet to read the book, but I was reading over the reviews and I found it funny that a male was so ticked off that Dr. Vliet only spoke of female issues.
For one, you just appear ignorant for being upset about a disease that will never inflict a male (i.e. PCOS). Secondly men do not visit the doctors as regularily as females do and to try and discredit Dr. Vliet is nonsense!

Most males if they have an ailment will tough it out and figure it will correct itself. I've witnessed many men later on in life get so depressed about their health conditions b/c they were negligent of their own health.

So in conclusion to my rant you truly cannot have any say so over a matter that does not inflict your sex. Better inform yourself on your own health problems and do not think you know all. Men like you in the medical field is why women have to suffer as much as they do b/c they are so selfish, uneducated and narrow minded.

The truth be told everyone needs to keep a better check on their nutrional/mineral value on a daily basis so things do not become out of whack.

This is a collection of Doonesbury comic strips telling the story of D.B.'s return to the U.S. and recovery from a leg amputation due to injuries sustained in Iraq. The book contains the now famous strip (at least among Doonesbury fans) depicting D.B. without a head covering. D.B.'s struggles and his interactions with friends and family are touching and very funny. I look forward to following the story.

I have been a fan of Doonesbury since high school in the early 1970's, I read it
every day. One of the first books I bought was ``Call Me When You Find America.''
This string of cartoons had an unusual tone -- Trudeau gets a forward from John McCain who used to regard him with ``utter comtempt''-- a serious and dark one behind the humor. It was the first Doonesbury book I could say was moving.

People die and get hurt in war. That's something we all "know".

But for people who actually have to deal with this fact, the rest of us, our ignornace can be a hurdle.

Trudeau presents this issue with in a way that is accessable to all, and with a humor that may seem out of place; but as my Dad used to say, laughter heals more ills than all the pills.

Sometimes, people can express thoughts, opinions and emotions in cartoons that are difficult to express any other way. Gary Trudeau created some very good characters for his "Doonesbury" strip and over the years he carried out some very sharp and effective social and political satire. However, at other times, he took on very serious themes, and the cartoons in this book demonstrate one such instance.
B. D. is on patrol outside Fallujah, Iraq when his Humvee is hit by an enemy RPG. The blast destroys his vehicle and takes off the lower part of his left leg. Fast medical action and medical evacuation saves his life. This book follows him through the process of realizing what has happened, through the physical recovery process and the at times harder process of dealing with other people and getting on with life.
My wife Kathy is a rehabilitation counselor and her internship for the last part of her master's program was at a Veteran's center. She also read the book and she said that the coping process as depicted in the book is exactly right. After I have completed this review she wants the book so that she can add it to her reference collection. She considers it so good that she may use it in the future.

I really loved this book. It was recommended to me by my graduate thesis professor who is a leading edge researcher in prosthetics. I am also the mom of a disabled son AND I've worked with amputees during my graduate school years. This book speaks to the realities, doubts, and fears of being a disabled person, yet it's hopeful, too. Trudeau really captures the feelings and thoughts of both the amputee and family members. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is wrestling with amputation and/or disability issues and who wants a thoughtful (and sometimes lighthearted--there IS light in the darkness!) view on it. This book is realistic and human. Don't miss it.

This book is useless. I only bought it for school and once I was able to sell I back I ran this thing back to the book store to get rid of it.

As usual, the book I purchased "Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic & Laboratory Tests" arrived right on time, in perfect condition. Amazon has a tremendous selection, fair pricing with the ability to purchase "used" books. I have purchased "used" books and have been totally satisfied and the description that is given about the condition of the books is an added bonus!!
Thank you Amazon.com for all of your services!!

I bought this as a gift for my son-in-law who is graduating from medical school in May. He requested this book. When it arrived, I started looking through it and found it very interesting and easy to understand even though I have no medical background. If you're looking for something that explains medical tests, this is very clear and informative and since doctors themselves use it, I would assume it is accurate.

I bought this book because I am an MT, and sometimes it can be hard to understand what the docs are saying. When they mention certain diseases and we can't understand the lab work they are ordering, this book becomes very helpful! It's a book I definitely don't want to be without.

I purchased this book after looking at a friend's copy. Its great for figuring out what test results actually mean (especially for CBCs and BMPs). It breaks down every test, what its used for, when to order it - and what it means when high or low. Great reference for anyone in the medical field.
ps -I saw 3 copies of this book in the ICU the other day...

Napoleon hill is the recognized expert on all things success. In this excellent book he discusses the 17 principles of personal achievement, including:

Using the Mastermind Principle
Focusing Your Attention
Learning From Defeat
Going the Extra mile
Improving Your Mental Attitude

This book is well worth reading. For more information on creating personal wealth, try "The 17 Principles of Creating Wealth," by Phillip Collinsworth.

"Each night I burn the records of the day; At sunrise every soul is born again" WOW! That was not written by Mr Hill, but he was smart enough to add it to his book. There is so much good stuff in this book I do not know where to start. Other reviewers here have written more on the contents of the book, read theirs to get an idea.

All I can say is that if you read and understand this book, then follow what you have learned, there is no way you cannot succeed in life. This book is filled with wisdom. If you are struggling in your life or on the job and need help, the help you need is in this book. Good luck on your journey!

The first batch of significant books that had the greatest influence on me in terms of attaining personal achievement includes mostly Napoleon Hill's books:

- The Law of Success;
- Think & Grow Rich;
- The Keys to Success;
- Success through a Positive Mental Attitude;
- Succeed & Grow Rich through Persuasion;

The others were from Clement Stone, Dale Carnegie, & Earl Nightingale.

That was the early 70's when I had just started work as a young engineer.

The author, Napoleon Hill, had impressed me most by his relentless dedication in spending some two to three decades of his life in pursuing & researching the success secrets of the rich & famous...with a little help from Andrew Carnegie, of course.

As matter of fact, many of the famous people he interviewed were also favourite role models of mine e.g. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, just to name a few

Till this day, I have never forgotten what he said:

"The most powerful instrument we have in our hands is the power of our mind."

I have never ceased to be fascinated by the simplicity & the potency of his ABCs of personal achievement: CONCEIVE, BELIEVE & ACHIEVE!

It is certainly enlightening to note that even Stephen Covey had drew inspiration from Napoleon Hill's work even though he never made that credit. He only admitted that the 7 Habits had its origins from "200 years of success literature in the United States." That remark itself is self explanatory.

Anthony Robbin's Mastery program as embodied in his books as well as his audio/video resources is no exception, even though he has been influenced in larger extent by NLP.

If you look at & compare the 17 principles of personal achievement in 'The Law of Success' &/or the 13 Steps to Riches in 'Think & Grow Rich', one can obviously see the uncanny resemblance of the 7 Habits & the Mastery principles...in one way or another.

At this juncture, let me outline the principal theme of each book:

The Law of Success: the original course on the fundamentals of success - all the seventeen essential principles of personal achievement;
Think & Grow Rich: The seventeen essential principles are reframed & condensed in terms of thirteen concrete steps to wealth creation (in actuality, this is a condensation of the Law of Success);
The Keys to Success: a further elaboration of the seventeen essential principles with concrete suggestions, exercises & advice;
Success Through Positive Mental Attitude: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing a positive mental attitude;
Succeed & Grow Rich Through Persuasion: joint authorship with Clement Stone, with a further emphasis on developing master salesmanship & networking;
[It is pertinent to note that Clement Stone actually built his insurance business empire with these principles.]

My most productive, personal learning experience from Napoleon Hill's work is the understanding - & application - of his success principle #1: Develop Definiteness of Purpose.

[Very surprisingly, J Y Pillay, former Chairman of Singapore Airlines, - who had been credited for building the airline to what it is today, A GREAT WAY TO FLY! - also credited his work axiom to this same success principle, but he attributed it to an ancient Hindu scripture known as Bhagavad Gita.]

I am certainly gratified to note that Napoleon Hill's work had casted so much influence on - & empowered - so many people in the world, including myself.

There are thousands of self-help books out in the market and hundreds of self proclaimed "gurus" who have made a living by copying the wisdom in Napoleon Hill's books. As I went through some of those books I realized that there was not much in them that Hill had not already written about. I recommend quality over quantity. Instead of reading through many books, I recommend that you study the following works of Hill and internalize his wisdom:
1. The Think and Grow Rich Action Pack (1937) - I recommend the Action Pack edition,
2. Napoleon Hill's Keys to Success: The 17 Principles of Personal Achievement - this book,
3. Your Right To Be Rich [Unabridged] - this consists of 12 hours of live lectures covering the 17 principles, that Hill conducted in Chicago in 1954.
By internalizing, I mean studying in depth - analyzing the ideas, making notes and summaries. I own more CDs by Hill, but I believe that these 3 items make the perfect study plan on the Philosophy of Personal Achievement.
This philosophy is the end product of two decades of research conducted by Napoleon Hill. His research started when Andrew Carnegie (the steel tycoon who was then the richest man on earth) gave him the assignment of organizing a Philosophy of Personal Achievement. Hill, who was a poor journalist, armed with just an introductory letter from Carnegie, set out to interview over five hundred successful people including Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, John D. Rockefeller, George Eastman, William Wrigley Jr. and Charles M. Schwab. Hill then revealed the priceless wisdom of his research in the form of the thirteen steps to success (in Think and Grow Rich) and the seventeen Principles of Personal Achievement (in courses and lectures he conducted).
This particular book goes beyond the 13 steps in Think and Grow Rich. It covers the following 17 Principles of Personal Achievement (also known as the 17 Keys to Success):
1. Develop a Definiteness of Purpose
2. Establish a Mastermind Alliance
3. Assemble an Attractive Personality
4. Use Applied Faith
5. Go the Extra Mile
6. Create Personal Initiative
7. Build a Positive Mental Attitude
8. Control Your Enthusiasm
9. Enforce Self-Discipline
10. Think Accurately
11. Control Your Attention
12. Inspire Teamwork
13. Learn from Adversity and Defeat
14. Cultivate Creative Vision
15. Maintain Sound Health
16. Budget Your Time and Money
17. Use Cosmic Habitforce
The concepts taught by Napoleon Hill transformed my life. Everything he wrote about or talked about is thought provoking. He was wise, humble and funny. His philosophy is universal; he did not mix it with religion. The riches he referred to were more than money, for the Philosophy of Personal Achievement can be applied to anything in life.
Hill was well ahead of his time. "Think and Grow Rich" has a chapter dedicated to some of today's most important issues - Specialized Knowledge, Decision Making, Imagination and Organized Planning (in which he deals with Leadership). And his principles deal with Teamwork, Creative Vision, Health, etc.
I am greatly indebted to Napoleon Hill. The purpose of my writing this is to spread awareness of his work so that more people can benefit from it. This, I believe is the best way in which Hill would have liked to have been repaid.
If my review was helpful to you, I request you to select "Yes" so that the rating is improved and more readers will get to read it. Please also see the website of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, naphill dot org, which has helpful resources.

Sure, this is a wonderful starter kit (yes, I do have this book...) in addition to Hill's other books like "Think and Grow Rich", "The Master Key To Riches", et al. But more than that, it is a primer that makes you hungry for the mental nourishment of his full "Law Of Success" which I have just ordered through Amazon. And why am I giving this distillation five stars? C'mon, isn't it obvious, through these *distilled* principles you get a pretty good taste of the "spirit-voice" of Napoleon Hill. And when he says in later versions of "Think and Grow Rich" - 'through these pages we have met'. You know what he means here, even though it is shortened and edited. So, I've said enough, get started, happy reading.

Captain Josh/Joshua Clayton

This is such a beautiful book. I recommend everyone to add a copy of this book to their library. I picked up this book in the classroom I work in to engage a 3 year old child with autism. She didn't take her eyes off this book and wanted to play with it again and again. I am now getting one for my three year old son. Every child and adult will love this book. It is truly amazing. Never have I seen such wonderful pop up art done.

For 3 years now, I've been a David A. Carter fan. Why 3 years? You put two and two together. He's the author of these three *very* cool pop-up books that are unlike any pop-up books I've ever seen. They are like individual works of art only they're purchasable at any generic bookstore. It's "Pop" art. Get the double entendre? Well, if not, take a look at the pics above.

My first introduction to his work was with the book: "One Red Dot." Since then he's created "600 Black Spots" and "Blue 2." I purchased these in "new" condition for half of their purchase price on Amazon. However, if you're the type of parent who lets their child run amok with their baby books (not a bad thing) this may have to take a backseat for a year or two. I had to be very careful with my daughter when reading this book. Like any one-year-old her first instinct was to grab then ensuingly tear off the colorful fluttering paper. But I did manage to keep the book "relatively" unscathed and usable for my second daughter.

He's written a couple more "traditional" pop up books about bugs but these were the ones that hooked me. Oh and one more thing, one of the pages makes a great sawing noise when the blades scrape against the paper as you open the page. Clever.
'Kathleen Dougherty
http://the-tum-tum-tree.blogspot.com/

My kids fight to be the one holding this book. They love the search as the pages turn to the next challenge.

Our two year old and four year old love this book. They pick out different items for one another to find.

The pop-ups are intricate and fascinating to young and old. Young children should be supervised if you want the book to last. Artistic and beautiful... this book is a great coffee table book.

If you've read this book I seriously hope you've read the two preceeding books of this trilogy or else you'll be just a tad bit lost. That being said, this is the best book in the three part series by far. The writing is at its best, it's pollished and the typos that so plagued bothe previous books are thankfully gone so it's safe to give to kids without telling them all the grammatical messups from before. The story arch works rather well and nothing feels too forced. Instead you're offered a perspective of Peter Pan's origins that don't seem too forced and that offer a great reading experience for kids and adults. All three books should take you about a week and a half to read at the most because they are truly a light read and chapters are rarely more than ten pages long. so if you're in the mood for a light read and have always wondered where Peter Pan came from, how Tinker Bell was created, why Peter's shadow is detached from him or why that huge crock has a huge ticking clock that won't quit, you should definitely read this series.

This book is non-stop action. There is no down time. You must catch your breath after each chapter. We enjoyed the whole series immensely. Perhaps blasphemous, but this series is better than Harry Potter. No loose ends. Very tight, raucous story. The best EVER!!

If you like the notion of Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, etc. this series is really excellent. I don't use the word WONDERFUL much, but they're a great read. They really do carry on the story of Peter and his friends in a believable and fun way. Really AWESOME and you won't be disappointed. The entire series is highly recommended - all three books so far.

It's sad that this awesome trilogy must come to an end, but I'm happy to say that I enjoyed every minute of it, from the moment those boys and that girl met up with each other and a horrible secret to the end of this installment when Never Land finally becomes familiar.

This story completes the bunch when Peter and the crew are kidnapped to a horrible kingdom where kids are slaved and the darkness of the universe has a horrible plan for the earth.

This is just as exciting as the previous two books, though I think the fantasy went a little annoyingly Star Trek at a point. Still, it was fun and witty and answered a lot of questions. Finally.

great story it is the continuing story of Peter and his friends against the evil shadows snatchers

i like pie.

this cookbook is an excellent resource vis-a-vis the aforementioned predilection.

For the first time in my life I am now making completely awesome pies FROM SCRATCH. I totally won my family's thanksgiving bake-off this past holiday season.

Mmmmm, pie.

"Pie" is a perfectly lovely book. The section on crust is outstanding; however, the 5 pie recipes I have tried so far are good, but not quite fabulous. Yes, I followed the directons to the letter and own a bakery, so I do know pies.

This is not going to be a long review, I'm just going to get to the point. This book is pretty amazing, I've been baking pies ever since I checked it out from the library (and renewed it) for about 2 months now. This is the book to get if you want to bake a pie.

Here are a few pies form this book I really recommend making:
~Caramel Apple Pecan Pie (I made this one 4 times, people love it.)
~Diane's Pumpkin Praline Pie (my first, it was awesome!)
~Sweet Cottage Cheese Pie With Plump Raisins (This is really good for breakfast!)

Happy Baking :)

Finding a great pie anywhere is extremely difficult. In fact, it is rare that I would even ask for pie as a dessert choice because they are usually not very good. However, my hankering for pie reached a frenzy after watching the movie "Waitress".

For those unfamiliar with that movie, its main character explains her feelings through coming up with creative pies. When the movie's credits began, my longing for pie took hold of me. I was convinced, after many attempts, that there was no really great pie out there, so I decided to make my own.

After a great deal of research, I found this book. It is really outstanding. The writing is fun and easy to read. It is well organized and takes the stress out of baking a pie for a first timer like me. Ken makes it seem so simple that during the past month I have made over 20 pies, ranging from fruit to nut to cream pies. I took a class about baking pies, but it did not hold a candle to Ken's book.

Those twenty pies have mostly been baked for other people. The joy a fresh baked pie gives to someone makes me feel like I am making a difference. People love getting homemade pies, so much so it almost brings them to tears. My husband's co-workers, people at the gym, employees at stores that I frequent, and neighbors have been the beneficiaries of most of them. The reviews have been outstanding! People have said that they are they best pies they've ever eaten. At first I thought they were just being nice, but those platitudes have come from non-pie lovers and even the most finicky eaters. People are so excited about getting pies that I just can't stop making them!

I would like to say that the best place to get a great pie is my house. However, that sounds a little conceited and is not one hundred percent true. The truth is, if you want to have a great pie make one of your own using "Pie: 300 Tried and True Recipes for Delicious Home Made Pie". You will not be disappointed. The only problem is that you might not be able to eat pie at a restaurant again. On the bright side, you will always have something great to bring to a potluck, cook out or give as a gift. Pie really is the best desert out there. It combines all the best of creativity, complexity, and bakery goodness.

Is it time to pity the pie? I think not. It is time to make pie! So "pie it forward"