H Books

Although some reviewers list this book as over 500 pages, it is actually only 144 (see Amazon's Book Description). It has excellent illustrations, however, there is very little text. The introduction is approximately 15 pages and each illustration is accompanied by a short paragraph of text. If you are searching for visuals this is definately a good choice. However, if you are looking for information you may want to purchase an additional book (or different book). I am a art history student looking to broaden my knowledge of Egytian art and this is a great first step for those looking to do the same.

Wonderful Book
This book is a gorgeous and lavish catalogue of selected, exquisite, and little-known works of Egyptian art dating from the Old-Kingdom. I truly love it, and I recommend it to anyone interested in ancient art. I particularly loved the special devotion to fragments of statues and small works of art not usually seen, but as beautiful if not more pronounced than the usual art seen in other books. An masterpiece of art in itself.

You don't have to be an Egyptologist to appreciate the exhaustive research that went into the compilation of this catalogue that accompanieD a blockbuster exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The amazing work of Old Kingdom (c.2650 - 2150 B.C.E.) artists is splendidly displayed on glossy fact filled pages.

The aim of the book is to capture the many artifacts of the old kingdom. in this regard, its aim is not to be informative by being detailed on the old kingdom history - there are many books which attempt to do this.

having stated the aim of the book, i should judge it on the quality of the pictures: they are superb!! one of the best pictures i have seen, especially considering that they are indoor pictures! the grain is non-visible, this makes a difference for such a relatively pricy book.

Many of the pictures fill the whole page and this creates a striking image! It is a great buy if you want to collect good pictures on egypt!

One minor disappointment is that they omitted some of the most interesting pictures or artifacts of the old kingdom, which you find in other books. For example and most importantly the bas relief of king djoser at the ny metropolitan museum. yet, i probably know why..

This magnificent volume devoted to the approximate 500 years that made up Egypt's Old Kingdom period(2649-2150 B.C.), is truly unsurpassed in information and artifacts that were brought together from collections in Egypt, France, Italy, Britain, the United States and elsewhere for a unique travelling exhibition titled: "Egyptian Art In The Age Of The Pyramids". As a lover of all things to do with Ancient Egypt I was amazed by this wonderful work that had as its focus not the frequently photographed treasures of Tutankhamen or the Valley of the Kings but instead on this much earlier period of Egyptian history that saw some of Egypt's most wonderous works of art and building accomplished.

For those not able to see the exhibition this book is a wonderful guide and source of information that can be enjoyed by people just developing an interest in early Egypt and also by those with a fairly advanced knowledge of this civilisation and its wonders. I was amazed by the terrific attention to detail and especially by the fact that many of the items featured have not been widely seen or examined in detail before. The volume begins with some detailed maps of the different regions of Egypt in the Old Kingdom period so that the reader can get a feel for where the various items featured originated from. A brief run down on the six dynasties of the Old Kingdom and their history including the Pharaohs who reigned during them is also included and certainly helps to give the items a proper time frame and place in the overall history of Egypt. The first chapters of the book cover specific areas of interest and vary from a detailed examination of the incredible Step Pyramid of King Djoser through various tombs of officials and court dignitaries to an examination of royal statuary, furniture of the old Kingdom, and the excavations that have taken place at old Kingdom sites. Each of these chapters contain a detailed commentary of the topic under discussion by various world wide experts and each include breathtaking colour and black and white photographs, maps and drawn ilustrations of tomb reliefs and wall paintings. The text in these chapters is clear and concise and easy to follow while still being incredibly informative with much background information included. These chapters really are a great introduction to all facets of cultural and religious life in the Old Kingdom.

The second section of "Egyptian Art In The Age of The Pyramids", deals with each individual artifact that was included in the travelling exhibition. Each item is accompanied by a beautiful colour illustration photographed often against a neutral background for maximum effect and also includes any other available photos that may have been taken when the piece was being excavated or from the site it was found in . Each item also has a detailed description and a background history and includes which dynasty of the Old Kingdom it comes from and who the reigning Pharaoh was at that time. Measurements and the loaning museum are also included to give a very detailed run down on the modern origins of each piece. The marvel of the items as stated is that both well known and quite rare items are included in the volume. We get to see such diversely famous pieces as the blue tile wall decorations from the under ground chambers of the Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser, and the majestic twin statue of Pharaoh Menkaure and his Queen, through to the extremely rare Silver and Turquoise inlaid braclets belonging to Queen Hetep-Heres, the mother of Pharaoh Cheops, and the extremely touching statue of Queen Ankh-Nes-Meryre nursing her young son, the boy Pharaoh Pepi II. Less well known pieces such as vivid wall paintings from some of the nobles tombs, wooden statues of farmers and alabaster vases in the shape of monkeys from unknown sources really bring to life the everyday existence of both the priviledged and the general population during the six dynasties of the Old Kingdom.

As an amateur Egyptologist I would dearly have loved to see this original exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art however having missed that this splendid book is a perfect way to enjoy the wonderful artifacts that were included and to learn in a detailed but user friendly way much about Egypt during the Old Kingdom. "Egyptian Art In The Age Of The Pyramids", is one of the most tresured books in my personal library and I highly recommend it to all readers interested in ancient history and in early Egypt in particular. This volume itself is a true treasure just like all the precious items it so lovingly features in its pages. Enjoy!

Memphis or Bust

Determined to fulfill her husband's last request, Claudia McIntosh is hauling a three-foot bust of Elvis Presley in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Dallas to Memphis, hoping to locate the kitschy sculpture's rightful owner. Along for the ride are her eccentric aunt who knew the King of Rock 'n' Roll and a temperamental teen with a suspicious mind of her own. When the road trip hits the Heartbreak Hotel, these three women uncover pieces of their past along with the bust's mysterious history--discoveries that will leave them all shook up and change their lives forever.

The first thing I noticed when I started reading this book was the wonderful way Leanna puts her words together--the cadence of the sentences and the unexpected words used in descriptions. Being a novelist myself, I wanted to study her techniques.

Very soon, I was sucked in and lost myself in the wonderful story. I loved her characters, and she defined each one superbly.

One of my editors recently wrote on her blog that authors need to look at things from a different perspective--turn things around and see where this takes them. Leanna did this very well. The fresh way she presented this story took the reader into the hearts and souls of the characters.

I highly recommend this book. It's a must read.

There are so many books out there and so little time to read them all. This is one story I recommend you take the time to enjoy. While there is nothing fluffy about this book, it does have it's humorous moments. There are also some very deep moments and emotional ties that develop between these friends whe secrets come out that challenge their beliefs. I found some of the struggles they dealt with to be very true-to-life. And when it comes to grief and loss, I dare say I don't think I've read anything more real and honest than Claudia's perspective. I've read a lot of stories where people were angry with God for losing a loved one, but Leanna Ellis makes this one feel...real. It's hard to explain, but if you know someone who is angry and feels far away from God because they can't seem to let go, this would be a great book to give them to help them work through that.

But this story is more than just a glance into someone's pain, it's a compelling tale of three women who all have serious issues to deal with. The dialogue is natural and feels so real. The way the author brings these issues to the forefront through the story is incredibly well-done. You can actually learn something about your own heart and your own relationship with God from reading this book. That's a skill few authors have, and that's what makes it fabulous Christian fiction in my book. I highly recommend it.

Still grieving from her husband's early death, Claudia stumbles across a note from him, with an odd request - take Stu's beloved bust of Elvis back to Memphis. Unable to refuse, Claudia hits the road in Stu's red vintage Cadillac with her Aunt Rae, an unconventional woman with a mysterious tie to Elvis and the conspicuous bust of Elvis riding in the back seat. Joining them is Ivy, the teenage daughter of Stu's best friend Ben, unpredictable and defiant and maybe more than the childless Claudia can handle.

Their journey is replete with shocking revelations, fascinating people, a sharing of secrets and finally, blossoming hope and love.

Leanna Ellis tells a unique and quirky tale that is fun, captivating and inspiring. Claudia, Rae and Ivy represent woman across the generations and their interaction, though not without difficulties, engagingly highlights the importance of female relationships. Leanna is adept at creating poignant and tender scenes without sentimentality as the characters battle with grief, fear, rejection, faith and love. Seamlessly woven throughout the story are fascinating insights into Elvis' life, love lost and rediscovered and burgeoning hope. If you are looking fsomething a little different from the main fare and a better than average read, Elvis Takes a Back Seat is is the real deal!

On a recent visit to our local Christian bookstore, I decided that I needed something "new" to read. It's not like I don't have a TON of books sitting in my "to be read" stack, but I wanted something to jump off the shelves at me.

This book did it.

The title and the cover caught my eye, and this sentence from the back cover sealed the deal:

Determined to fulfill her husband's last request, Claudia McIntosh is hauling a three-foot bust of Elvis Presley in the back seat of a vintage Cadillac from Dallas to Memphis.

The blurb goes on to explain that she is joined by her eccentric aunt who actually knew the King of Rock 'n' Roll. They find themselves in the company of a friends' daughter, a temperamental teen.

Let me tell you, I have enjoyed this book from front to back! It made me laugh and cry as I pictured each step of the journey these three women take to return this mysterious bust. And of that journey, Ellis' character Claudia notes:

At the beginning of our journey, I thought we three were as different as the seasons. But now I realize even the seasons are connected and dependent on one another.

I love the reminder that we really DO need to depend on each other to take each step. And more importantly, we must depend on God. We are not alone.

Ellis does a fantastic job of incorporating faith in this story in very real, manageable chunks. It's not so overt that it's a turn-off. Nor is it contrived and stiff. I mean these women find themselves in bars, dealing with such topics as unplanned pregnancies, early death, hidden secrets, suicide, wrestling with faith and uncovering lies. In essence, these are three generations of women meeting real life with real emotions head on.

I like the review on the back that calls this book, "..a fun, deep, unexpected book."

On a light note, I loved the trip down memory lane. There are plenty of Elvis facts woven throughout along with reminiscing of the 60's, 70's and 80's. For me, this was one of the things that kept me reading...despite the fact that I've never been to Memphis or had an overt interest in the "king"!

I want to encourage you to read this book. If you lived through the "Elvis era", have wrestled with heartache and loneliness, enjoyed life in the 60's, 70's and/or 80's, have walked on the wild side, stuffed emotions, or dealt with skeletons in a closet, you just might find yourself in there.

I know I did.

Claudia is a young widow who is having a hard time moving on with her life. After experiencing the loss of her parents, she was faced with the illness and eventual death of her husband. Claudia was the kind of wife who built her life around her husband's hopes and dreams. With his death, and no children of her own to tend to, she felt lost. As the book opens, as a result of the prodding of her friends, Claudia has pulled out all of her parents' and husband's belongings and attempts to have a yard sale. However, on the day of the sale, she finds time and time again, she is unable to let go of the belongings.

While preparing for the sale, Claudia sees a lamp she understandably banished to the attic from the beginning of her marriage. The lamp, also a bust in the image of Elvis, was treasured by her late husband, and a reflection of just how much of an Elvis fan he was. When Claudia sees the lamp, she immediately knows she cannot sell it. When she discovers a note from her husband in the box, the beginnings of a plan for a road trip to return Elvis to his proper home begins to develop. Before long, Claudia, her aunt, and her best friend's daughter, head off to Graceland, with Elvis, too big to fit in the trunk, riding along in the backseat. As the group travels across state lines en route to Graceland, they get to know one another better, and it soon becomes apparent that this was more than a road trip, but rather, a journey to self-discovery.

ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT was an unexpected pleasure to read. In addition to telling a good story, the book carries readers on a roller coaster ride that covers the full spectrum of emotions. Leanna Ellis has created an interesting group of characters and then, like peeling back layers of an onion, she slowly reveals more and more about their lives, their secrets, and their innermost fears. The characters are genuine, flawed, and colorful, making it easy to empathize with their struggles. Elvis represents so many things in ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT, from letting go of the past, having faith, and the struggle between our human nature and our spiritual nature; yet the story is so much bigger. This book is poignant display of how family secrets, doubt, fear, rejection, and even love impact each of us. Finally, ELVIS TAKES A BACK SEAT is a testament to the goodness of God's grace.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Emerson's works require repetitous reading and re-reading. Anyone that says you can "get it" from a single read doesn't understand the man or the truths he reveals about life and the universe. To call Emerson a transcendentalist is a cliche and the one calling him this doesn't understand that Emerson was about the here and now.

His best works for a truth seeker are Self-Reliance, Compensation and the Over-Soul. I suggest reading Compensation at least every night for three weeks. The world changes once you do.

To put Emerson in the same category as literary writers like those other reviewers have done is an injustice. He definitely deserves reading and he is an American writer, but he's more akin to Lao Tse than any American poet or novelist. They have a moment or two, Emerson is constant.

I can hundred percent sure Emerson's essays will be venerable as Shakespare's works someday,he changed my predujice of English,which I thought English has no quality as French or Russian,those had depth of thinking that English cannot instead of.Now I recently contacted Emerson's poetics ,also fall in love with those lyric prose,they really touched my heart,those are not kind of verbose,oppositely with philosophy of his unique stance.Nothing can prove its well inspirations,except read it.So,just start your reading right now.

Although he was considered during his lifetime to be a profoundly radical thinker, Emerson, the Transcendentalist chief, after his death, was soon reinterpreted as a bland Bostonian Brahmin, a mystic anarchist who was only brave on paper. It cannot be denied that his philosophy of a joyful and affirmationist acceptance of life, and of nature, his anti-slavery activities, his attacks on the state and on the sensualism of bourgeois society, could have easily provided the formula for a complete overthrow of the moral order of his time. His libertarian thrust, his serene integrity, his indefatiguable optimism and common sense, however, will continue to find admirers, notwithstanding the fact that political identifications have changed and emphases have shifted, or otherwise one can simply enjoy the polished beauty of his prose style. Though by no means a deep thinker, Emerson's brilliantly epigrammatic, allusive, declamatory, pithy style provides instances where the reader may extrapolate a number of meanings from even the shortest utterances, and it is due to this quality, perhaps, that the Emerson enigma came into being, enabling him to appeal to such numerous and diverse temperaments. His best essays include "The Over-Soul", "Compensation", "Self-Reliance" and "Manners", in which he preaches, in the rhetorical manner reminiscent of his background as a Unitarian minister, his ideals of contenment, joy, independence and self-confidence -- tonics of the soul.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a transcendentalist (someone who espouses a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical), and a Christian minister, who was also steeped in the rich philosophical tradition of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad-Gita. His essays are classic literature at its finest, with a rhythm and cadence that are, even in prose, poetic and musical. The beauty of this prose, in my opinion, is unparalleled.

What Emerson has to say is every bit as important as how he says it. He was a genius with "rough edges" who challenged society to question many of its unexamined assumptions. He did get into trouble for this, and was forced to resign as minister of his church, but Emerson refused to compromise on truth. A rugged individualism and stalwart non-conformity were the cornerstones of his personal philosophy. Emerson was well ahead of his time (1803-1882) and remains so to this day.

Emerson was a far more prominent voice in America than many people today might realize. If you decide to read Emerson, you may very well find yourself repeatedly saying, "so that's who said that." Many profound and moving quotes are attributed to him. His essays, "The Over-Soul" and "Self-Reliance" are justifiably considered among some of the best writing by an American author.

Emerson's voice will certainly not be to everyone's liking, and that is as true today as it was in his time. Because of the style of his prose and the nature of what he wrote about, there will be many who read him and who simply put him aside. On the other hand, don't be surprised if reading Emerson sends shock waves through your central nervous system. For those who really get hooked on Emerson, as I did 32 years ago, he will remain a lifetime companion offering a wealth of insight into the eternal verities of the soul and man's quest for the divine. For my money, there is no finer essayist or "philosopher" than Ralph Waldo Emerson.

If I could create my ideal afterlife or heaven, I would wish to be forever cradled in the gentle arms and soothing prose of Emerson. Who needs prozac or any psychiatry for that matter when we have access to such beautiful writing?

This book builds on a couple decades of research into customer engagement and new product development. Related methods to involve customers and users are Probe and Learn, User Toolkits, Lead Users, and in service innovation, co-creation.

The Internet and other lowered costs of communication and development have made it cost effective to try and fail and try again, rather than to analyze.

Thomke tells how to do it. And he does it clearly, with a minimum of jargon.

Buy this book!! Thomke's important new book on innovation is the best that I have read. As a lecturer in product development, I would recommend it highly to anyone with an interest in innovation. In particular, it will be of benefit to company executives wishing to improve the efficacy and efficiency of new technology generation and product development within their firms and students of all levels in this area.

New technologies have allowed for experimentation to be conducted on a much larger scale and in a much more cost effective fashion than ever before. However, what most organisations do not realise is that merely employing new technologies is not sufficient to unlock their true value. The organisation itself must be structured to fully exploit their potential. In today's competitive environment, innovation is crucial and speed is the essence. How this can be done most effectively within organisations is the critical issue addressed in this book. Six simple yet practical principles have been promulgated by Thomke to help senior managers optimise value from experimentation.

The importance of experimentation in driving innovation is wonderfully highlighted and Thomke discusses important paradigms such as failing often to succeed sooner as well as contemporary issues thrown up by new technologies such as what to do with the opportunity to experiment more. He even delves into real-world issues of engineers not trusting computer simulations resulting in the seeming paradox of even more physical prototyping.

The book is written in a highly readable style which engages the reader. Particularly fascinating are the case study examples which illustrate vividly the importance of experimentation in driving innovation and the practical value of the principles which he advocates. These studies cover such diverse companies as Eli Lilly, BMW and there is even one on the design of yachts for the America's Cup! User-friendly boxes explaining important concepts such as computer simulation make the book accessible even to those unfamiliar to this field.

All in all, this is an excellent book and it is highly recommended. Five Stars!

Stefan Thomke has produced a landmark book that beautifully reinforces an often ignored aspect about innovation -- experimentation matters. Indeed, experimentation is at the heart of innovation, and Thomke has delivered that much-needed message very well. Drawing upon his extensive research and with many insightful case studies from across the industries, Thomke's book is a powerful account of how new technologies and processes
can be leveraged to innovate and compete. This book is a "must read" for anyone who believes that innovation will increasingly be the driving element of competitive success, and that strategic experimentation design and management are at the center stage of innovation. Those not believing so, needless to say, will obviously be left behind. Read this book now and implement its ideas faster than your competitors.

Observation, exploration and experimentation have been the three basic means of learning for scientists. Of these, experimentation calls for the highest levels of external intervention and as a topic by itself has always been of interest to statisticians who have developed powerful techniques to derive maximum information through the least possible number of experiments. Application of these statistical techniques has resulted in substantial reduction in research expenditure, quicker understanding of scientific principles and shorter time to convert ideas into useful products. On the other hand new technologies like simulation, CAD/CAE that harness the advances in computing have completely changed the experimental landscape by providing powerful techniques for rapid and economical experimentation on our desktops and servers. To cite one example discussed in this book, car maker BMW's crash simulation test progressed from 3000 to 700000 finite elements between 1982 to 2002 while simultaneously resulting in reduction of processing time from 3 months to 30 hours. Power of computing enables "front-loaded" innovation - understanding the phenomenon before committing resources into physical manufacturing.

But the lacuna is that experimentation has never been thought as a separate management discipline cutting across functional silos to bring innovative solutions into the marketplace. Experimentation as a strategic tool that needs management attention and involvement is the core theme of this book.

Management deals with producing results under uncertainty. Uncertainty can be broadly classified under technical, production, market and customer needs. Experimentation should tell us not only what will work, but also what does NOT work. The knowledge so derived should seamlessly flow across the Design-Build-Run-Analyze cycle that cuts across departmental boundaries in large organizations. This is analogous to the concept of ERP in business processes. Though this concepts looks simple, organizational barriers prevent the seamless sharing of information for innovation. Design, manufacturing , marketing and procurement functions fail to optimize on the organizational repository of knowledge that can put winning products into the marketplace. This book is an excellent study on how management can use experimentation as a unique strategy within and beyond organizational boundaries. Case studies are quite detailed and well illustrated.

Read this book. It is worth experimenting.

The way to succeed is to double your failure rate. That comment by Thomas Watson, Sr. is not among the innovators' words of wisdom in Stefan Thomke's densely informative exploration of technologies and processes of experimentation but it perfectly fits the message. Central to Thomke's message in this book is the idea that iterated experimentation through the use of models, prototypes, and computer simulations is the key to learning and innovation. Getting the key to fit in the lock of increased organizational innovation capability, however, takes some jiggling and struggling. Experimentation Matters details the technologies that can transform innovation but place just as much emphasis on the changes that must be made to business processes, organization, culture, incentives, and management. Thomke provides plenty of detailed illustrations of companies wrestling with these issues, and offers six principles revolving to help companies experiment early and often and to organize for rapid iteration.

The first part of the book explains in depth the reasons why experimentation matters for learning and innovation, and how new technologies are affecting the development of both products and services. Thomke shows how the rate of learning is influenced by several factors that affect the process and how it is managed: fidelity, cost, iteration time, capacity, sequential and parallel strategies, signal-to-noise ratio, and type of experiment. Beneath the bewildering diversity of approaches to innovation in different industries, Thomke uncovers six principles that can improve how experimentation occurs: Anticipate and exploit early information through front-loaded innovation processes; Experiment frequently but do not overload your organization; Integrate new and traditional technologies to unlock performance; Organize for rapid experimentation; Fail early and often but avoid "mistakes"; and Manage projects as experiments.

In the final chapter, Thomke looks at how some companies are "shifting the locus of experimentation" to customers as a way to create new value. This approach, sometimes referred to as "co-creation", not only raises productivity but helps fundamentally change the sorts of products and services that can be created. Innovation toolkits given to customers need to enable them to iterate through the steps of experimentation, be user-friendly, contain libraries of useful, pretested and debugged components and modules, and they must contain information abut the capabilities and limitations of the production process. In addition to the development of a customer toolkit, Thomke adds four other steps for shifting experimentation and innovation to customers and, very importantly, notes how the creation and capture of value also shifts.

One great strength of Thomke's book is the attention given to the managerial and organizational challenges of implementing new technologies such as computer modeling and simulation and combinatorial and high-throughput testing. As other writers have repeatedly emphasized - but many managers have not yet understood - new technologies *must* be introduced only in concert with revised business processes, structures, and management approaches. Iterated experimentation helps learning by increasing the number of failures. But if incentives continue to punish failures, the new technologies will be underused or misused. Financial incentives, organizational culture, and management communications will have to change if experimenters are to feel free to fail at the most productive rate.

Thomke illustrates and details the crucial role of organization, process, and management in realizing the potential of experimentation technologies with a range of illuminating cases. He devotes a chapter to these effects in the integrated circuit industry, examines the challenges faced by Bank of America in its bold service experimentation efforts, and shows how managers at Eli Lilly struggled with non-technological aspects of high-powered experimentation in the drug discovery process. A study of experimentation in the auto industry, particularly at BMW, suggests several lessons regarding the reality of technology introduction: Technologies are limited by the processes and people that use them; organizational interfaces can get in the way of experimentation; and technologies change faster than behavior. Thomke also shows how managers can look at projects as experiments, reiterating, refining, and learning from them as they proceed through the stages of design, build, run, and analyze.

"Facets of Unity: The Enneagram of Holy Ideas" by A.H. Almas is a transformative book.

The Enneagram reflects nine personality types that form spiritual realities for you to experience through your interactions in day to day life. Keys are given to unlock 'fixations' in your life in order for you to move on and experience personal life transformation. Great insights expounded about enlightenment.

Powerful for freeing you from limitations.

Even better when read together with "Nexus" a New Age novel that is a true psychological and spiritual adventure.

Nexus: A Neo Novel

Reading "Facets of Unity" was a transformational experience for me. I experienced my foundamental connection to all that is as I read it. Love and light became more real than the bed I was sitting on. My ego seemed transparent. I highlighted several key parts, and I regularly go back and read those when I need to reground myself and get perspective beyond my story.

This exploration is a most valuable contribution to the understanding of Gurdjieff's Holy Ideas. I found it to be very seminal and I am sure that for some time to come it will be an often referred source.

This is truthfully the best book ever. If you know anything about the enneagram, this book will let you know what the enneagram is made for. Alright, it's fun to think about all the frilly little quirks inherent in the enneagram that the "other" books like to get stuck on, but this book is actually the real thing. The JUICE. The whole point lies between these covers. If you are looking at this review, you need to buy this book. Get it used if you are low on money, just get it and read it.

Touching, warm, gentle and precise. Almaas explains how we get fixated on certain enneatypes, and also points the way out of fixations. Reaching far deeper than the 'standard' personality approaches to the enneagram, this book really opens the gates to those who are seriously pursuing the Work of self-liberation.

Our book club at church decided to take this book and have our monthly book review. I read the book and cannot wait to read the other two books Jennifer O'neill has written. It was great.

Though I don't have much time to read, I made time to read this book! Ms. O'Neill out did herself on this one, addressing life issues in a sometimes humorous always honesty manner. Her characters are real, her writing style is unique and her book is well worth the read. I highly recommend it!

"A Fall Together" is a wonderful story of the importance faith, family, and friendship in the struggles of life, written with all the passion that Jennifer O'Neill always writes with. I found myself constantly drawn back to the story until I finished the book, and now I am anxiously waiting for the next part of the story in the next book. As one who works with single again adults I found the struggles of Lauren, Irene and their children realistic and true to life. This is a great book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a great story.

Dick Bont

This book takes a while to get into - you must be patient and learn about each character individually. This is the first in a series so I got just a taste obviously and I was disappointed that I really didn't get to dive into the story line further. I do hope the next one will be easier to identify with earlier. I am a fan of Christian fiction, but this is my first book from this author. Overall, good reading.

I just finished reading "A Fall Together", what a great story. Funny how the two sisters reminded me of myself and my sister. I hope one day she will see Christ through my actions. And I have two teenage daughters at home that I'm consistently struggling to keep the doors of communication open too. Jennifer has blended this community and circle of friends into a wonderful story. It would be a great to see a story like this in film one day too. I'll be looking for the next book in the series that is scheduled to be released in Jan 2007.

Excellent story from an obviously gifted author. HF lives in a tiny town in Kentucky, where they seem to be as redneck as they come. Her mom left her to live with her grandma after giving birth to her at 15. HF is now about 15 and her only friend is Bo, a classmate that is too sensitive and feminine for his own good. HF has never been with a girl but is a lesbian. In this funny, witty and touching story we follow HF as she discovers herself and those around her. This review really can't do justice to this well written story with a unique and unforgettable heroine. Highly recommended.

I was browsing through a gay bookstore in atlanta and just happend upon this book. Now I can't get enough! The characters really come alive off the page and I think many who read will relate to either Bo or H.F. I know I certainly did! The books main focus is about a young lesbian in Kentucky but as a gay male I found the entire thing to be a true work of art! I really enjoyed Ms. Watts book.

The book Finding H.F. by Julia Watts is the story of a very unique sixteen-year old named Heavenly Faith Simms. Her religious grandmother, Gemma, gave the name to her. Though Gemma insists on calling her by Heavenly Faith, everyone else knows her as H.F. Abandoned by her mother as a child, H.F. is a social outcast at school... Later, H.F. discovers that Gemma had been communicating with her mother. And so, Bo and H.F. take a road trip to Florida only to find a new world and a new relationship for themselves. Along the way they make new friends and enjoy new experiences outside of the "southern U.S. bubble". If you like the book Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Luis Block, you will love this book. However, I recommend this book only to girls that are in the eighth grade and above because the details and concept require a mature attitude towards the theme.

Although I really enjoyed all of the Julia Watts novels, this is by far the best! This is a tender, funny, intelligent novel about the friendship between a young lesbian and a young gay man living in Morgan, KY. The novel explores multiple issues including tolerance of gays and lesbians in small town America, the views of organized religion on gays and lesbians, and what it means to be "different" in our society. I highly recommend this book, and I think it should be required reading for high school students or for anyone who remembers what it was like to be one.

I found this book by accident one day while browsing in a gay bookstore in downtown Atlanta. From page one I loved it. H.F. is someone we all wish we could meet. Male or female. I totally fell in love with Beau (why can't I find a man like that?) and just her journey, not just physically, but emotionaly is enough to touch us all. A lot of people find it hard to go from the city to the country or vice versa but Ms. Watts genuinely brings our characters, stranded in a small hick town in Ketucky, to Atlanta and beyond without a hitch. By the time I'd driven from the store to my home I was halfway through the book; stoplights ARE helpful sometimes. Excellent novel. Excellent writer. Im hooked on Julia Watts.

This book is a page turner. The author's story is one of courage and determination. Not only is he told he is seriously ill, but he finds his HMO offers no help. As his battle with his illness and insurance company unfolds with the pages, the reader is drawn into its intensity and overwhelming obstacles. I was amazed at the bravery of this man. He accomplished a feat few people in his situation would be willing to face. In my opinion, he is a hero. Read this book! You will find it fascinating.

Scribner's "Finding Hope" is a descriptive narrative which begins as the author is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. The reader climbs aboard an emotional roller coaster ride which makes this book difficult to put down; you'll find yourself reading it at every opportunity. Throughout the narrative, Scribner shares the difficult lessons he learned in his fight with HMO Medicine, even explicitly labeling some valuable lessons as "advice". Scribner battles the disease on any and all fronts. By "getting it together" on the physical, psychological, and spiritual fronts, Eric discovers a better way to live each day. We can all benefit from his learning and the joy he discovers in this amazing journey.

This is a warm, comforting book with gently taught lessons on how to manage with a rare cancer. The importance of finding expert doctors is gently but unforgettably remarked upon. The man has a generosity of character and spirit that makes reading this book a calming as well as an educating experience. He demonstrates by example an exemplary way of dealing with cancer, its many setbacks, and its many frustrations. WELL WORTH READING. Beg, borrow or steal a copy.

This is a warm, comforting book with gently taught lessons on how to manage with a rare cancer. The importance of finding expert doctors is gently but unforgettably remarked upon. The man has a generosity of character and spirit that makes reading this book a calming as well as a learning experience. He demonstrates an exemplary way of dealing with cancer, its many setbacks, and its many frustrations. WELL WORTH READING. Beg, borrow or steal a copy.

I highly recommend this book this book to all readers, whether ill or healthy. Mr. Scribner's true story will touch you deeply. He has the ability to draw you into his life with the written word. I actually felt I was present in many of the situations. The book is excellent and extremely informative. His factual account is awe-inspiring and offers encouragement to those who are battling their health insurance carrier as well as a lifethreatening disease. His courage in the face of overwhelming odds literally does give one "hope" when it seems there is none.

If you've ever kept a scrapbook of old photographs, you'll understand the fascination of this collection. Instead of grandmothers, aged aunts or toddler cousins, this book reveals life from the dimmest past. With photographs and drawings, Briggs and his colleagues have restored to view rare animals that lived in ancient seas. These are our earliest forebears, and for that reason alone, this book is worth repeated scrutiny. The images, with their stories of discovery and restoration, are offered in a spirit of shared discovery. These are very special creatures and it behooves us all to understand their value.

Although the book is targeted for professional paleontologists, the authors give us text nearly as illustrative as the images. They are part of the team who personally enticed many of these fossils from their lithic prison. Beginning with an account of Charles Woolcott's trek into the mountains of British Columbia, they go on to describe the environment in which these creatures lived. The significance of the Burgess Shale fossils, of course, is that they are images of soft body parts, usually lost as fossilization proceeds. At the time of the original find in 1909, such artifacts, especially ones of such ancient deposition were pricelessly rare. Woolcott himself understood their value to science, but never dedicated the necessary time to tease out their full secrets. It took Briggs and others, particularly Simon Conway Morris to apply the painstaking effort to recreate the body forms locked in the shale. In so doing, they overthrew a number of blithe assumptions made by a number of commentators, in particular Stephen J. Gould who had popularized the Shale finds, but sadly misinterpreted what they represent.

As you slowly turn over the pages of this book, reflect on the vast ages separating you from these creatures. The sea has always kept some bizarre secrets, but few can match the multi-spined Hallucegenia or mud-burrowing Ottoia. Haplophrentis might be mistaken for a Roman dagger lost in the sea until you read that its maximum length was but 30 millimetres long. A more formidable denizen of these waters is the Anomalocaris, with its hooked feelers and rasping mouth. Swimming in a sea with this half-meter long predator might not have been dangerous, but observing it might best be done from the beach.

This book is a clearly valuable contribution to our understanding of life's history and the process of evolution. It belongs on the shelf next to the other albums of family history. Take it down from time to time and simply open it at random. With half-closed eyes it isn't difficult to see these creatures in their daily lives, clutching rocks, swimming through the water, or burrowing into the bottom. They are your forebears, and deserve as much of your respect as does Aunt Matilda.

The Burgess Shale in the Canadian Rockies contains rarely preserved fossils of the soft body parts of animals, including many from the Cambrian. This reference provides good quality black and white photographs and illustrations of 85 of the 125 recognized genera of the Burgess Shale. Of interest, the proportion of the total Burgess Shale fossils a given specimen represents, is given.

This is a wonderful book. It is chock-full of photographs of Burgess shale fossils. The photographs are full page photographs and are accompanied by drawings that illustrate what the plant or animal probably looked like. The text is informative and easy to follow for a layperson.

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale" written by Derek E.G. Briggs, Douglas H. Erwin, and Frederick J. Collier and photographs by Chip Clark is simply a marvelous book about early Cambrian life some 540 million years ago. We get a rare look into life's past and what makes the Burgess Shale such a significant part of life's mystery is that these fossils, in most cases, are soft- bodied fauna and flora.

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale" is a snapshot into life's past and there are only a few locations (30) left that can afford such a look ( China, Central America, Greenland, Spain, Poland, and Southern Australia). Found in 1909 by Charles D. Walcott, high in the Rocky Mountains of Canada, now part of Yoho Park in British Columbia, who had a huge collection of these remarkable fossils shipped back to the Smithsonian Institution where he was Secretary. Today the Cambrian is among the most intensively studied intervals in the history of life, and the debate rages over what triggered the rapid appearance of most major groups of animals.

The photographs in this book are a major accomplishment as it affords the reader with an example of the fossil in question along with a line drawing of what this particular flora of fauna looked like. Thus, making the reader aware of what the authors are talking about.

If you've ever read "It's a Wonderful Life" by Stephen Jay Gould or "The Crucible of Creation" by Simon Conway-Morris "The Fossils of the Burgess Shale" will make a great companion book that explains some of the personalized conclusions that are found in these books and it makes it very clear as to what they are discussing. The preservation of soft-bodied animals is not evenly distributed through the fossil record. Thus, making this book all the more important concerning about what life was like.

The first few pages of the book explains where the Burgess Shale is and its significance and the major players in which have played an important part in the furthering the knowledge of these fossil remains, how fossilization probably occured.

The remainder of the book is devoted to the fossils of the Burgess Shale, with illustrations, discussions, full page photographs and reconstructions of 85 out of 125 recognized genra. The text accompanying the illustrations aims to provide an outline of the morphology, mode of life, and the affinities of the organism. There is ample identification of the sample fossils so the specialist can search for further data.

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale" is rated a solid 5 stars and is one of the best books that I've found for life in the Cambrian. You will not be dissapointed with this book as it delivers in spades.

"The Fossils of the Burgess Shale," the non-geologist will find this book fascinating and understandable - yet the author did not "water down" the facts for those of us who have the technical background in the fields of geology and paleontology. The only drawback of the book was that some of the species listed in the back were not included in the pictorial portion of the book. I do understand that if Briggs had placed them all in the book the volume would have been over a 1,000 pages in length; however, several of the species not included are equally spectacular!

The first third of the book provides a brief history of the site and it's significance within Cambrian paleontology; the remaining two-third portion of the book provides clear photographs and line drawings of the animals entombed in this special location. I have used this book in teaching about the Cambrian explosion. Students were awed by the content of the book. If you are interested in invertebrate paleontology; this book is a must!

Excellent compendium of seminal articles in the field of ecology. It has very nicely complemented the textbook for the course I am now taking, Introduction to Ecology, which mentions many of the articles reprinted in this fine collection.

A book with a wealth of information If a book like this had been availablewhen I was a student it would have saved huddreds of hours of library research, and I wouldn't have found half the information available in one book.

This is a great collection of papers. Some of the papers included in this volume are not easily available online in the PDF format, nor are they available in too many libraries for loan, making this, in my opinion, a must-have for the serious ecology/evolution academic.

You get a pretty good idea of the evolution [sic] of ecological thought thanks to the way the papers have been organized, where you can literally see concepts grow, develop, gain momentum, and then either get worshiped or completely rubbished.

And the book really is well-organized. It is divided into several sections, peppered with insightful commentary that enhances the whole experience. What really makes this book such a pleasure to read, personally, is the emphasis in the first section of the book on old, descriptive ecological papers, which is a type of publication that (for better or for worse) seems to be completely missing from modern ecological discourse.

I recommend this book to academic and armchair ecologists alike.

A nice compilation of papers that historically leads you through Ecology as a scientific discipline. The commentaries are useful and educational. It is timeless and a fundamental instrument for any ecologist, particularly at the early post-graduate level. The only drawback is that it could be more comprehensive (the editors state that they had to define criteria to cut out some papers from their initial selection), but the information in it can be complemented with good Ecology textbooks.

This book is a great compilation of some of the most fundamental papers in ecology. Every ecologist should own a copy. As a student, it provides a well-rounded insight into the history of ecological though. I highly recommend!