F Books

Having recently gone through a divorce, I read this book hoping to find some guidance and pointers on interacting with my children. I did find some good pointers (good insight into grieving process) but couldn't help to take offense at the way they portrayed men as not as capable as woman when it comes to caring for kids. I was happy to see the authors acknowledge that the court system in America favors moms, but they almost seemed to discourage a man standing up for himself, even accepting defeat as inevitable.

Each situation is different and asking questions such as knowing how to tell if food in the fridge is expired is simply playing into stereotypes. All in all, decent read, probably would not recommend it.

Really helped me understand what my children are feeling better. Wish I had read it sooner. Will provide reasonable steps to maximize a healthy relationship with your children.

This book has given me steps which I have started to take. Wish I had read it sooner, but its never too late. Straight guide to understand what is reasonable in an always a difficult situation. Highly recommend.

This book is written in plain english and is brutally honest. You WILL learn how to cope with the situation you are in and how to get so much more from your relationship with your children. You may be missing the most important advice of your life if you don't read this book, now!

I have shared my copy with several divorced women who all felt they learned a tremendous lesson, just as I did.

I bought this book for my husband, a non-custodial father who is suffering over the loss of time with his 9 year old daughter and from the actions of his extremely bitter ex-wife.

I read it cover to cover in 4 days after receiving it. What a great book! I SO WISH we had read this BEFORE we spent $10,000 in court fees because WE LOST and the book explains very simply why we lost and why we should not have taken our issue to court.

This book is a lifesaver for the man who has no "female qualities of nurturing" and a good reminder and support system for the man who does. It shows a "guy" how to be "like a mom" for his kids and encourages honest assessment of his lifestyle, abilities and goals in his and his children's lives.

It can be a little condescending to the man but my guess is that most men aren't like my husband who goes above and beyond the call as a non-custodial parent. This book made me feel good about the man I married and even gave me some relief regarding my anger toward his ex.

Wonderful read, highly recommended.

Although the title is Acting for Singers, actors and directors will benefit as well from Ostwald's excellent analysis of what makes a believable character on stage. The book is full of helpful exercises and explanations of what works on stage. Acting for Singers should be on the bookshelf of every performer.

I came upon this book while preparing for the North American debut of a 1640's Baroque opera in Washington D.C. The information in it is invaluable and succinct. Great for anyone trying to extract meaning from music and convey it to an audience. Well-written and containing excellent advice and exercises, I recommend it.

I have been a professional opera singer and voice professor for many decades. This book REALLY gets to the heart of the acting delima which singers' face. The index is very thorough, allowing the singer to find exactly the topic they are looking for easily. The book should be read cover to cover many times if the singer is new to the field of acting. (I find it helpful for each singer to ponder this question: Am I a singer who acts or, an actor who sings, or both.) An opera singer MUST learn to create operatic characters with which the audience can identify. Each Mannerism and gesture will change with each new operatic role one intends to interpret. This book should be a great help for the preparation of singers who aspire to act realistically and who wish to conquor this extremely demanding and rewarding field called OPERA.

David Ostwald's new book, "Acting for Singers," is an important and helpful guide for singers-in-training, for professionals learning new roles, and for seasoned performers who wish to infuse new dramatic life into their repertory. As a former arts administrator for San Francisco Opera and Affiliate Artists, Inc., I feel that Ostwald's book is equally useful for stage directors, conductors, teachers, and coach/accompanists who strive to make their highly collaborative art form appear as seamless as possible. Ostwald covers a number of pertinent topics including the foundations of believable acting, ways to improve concentration, and how to motivate a character's actions. Having judged many auditions over the years, I found the chapter on "Getting the Part" to be especially helpful to young singers who may not know how to dress for the occasion, speak to the judges, or introduce their selections from the stage. The author's "Ten Maxim's of Believable Singing" provide a concise checklist of wisdom gleaned from his years of teaching and directing. Ostwald's analysis of how directors and teachers can help their singers grow and flourish, including the sage advice of "Always be supportive" and "Never humiliate anyone," presents a pithy list that bosses in any business should read and take to heart. The text is lively, clear and well designed, with headings, bulleted points and enough white space to make the book's insights both accessible and memorable. Each chapter contains helpful exercises, summaries or trouble shooting techniques which will enable singers and their colleagues to create superior performances. "Acting for Singers" will likely become an indispensable, dog-eared companion for any singers who wish to breathe live and artistry into their characters.

Perry-Lynn Moffitt

"Acting for Singers" speaks to the problems that most all of us share in creative situations when we are speaking to a group or preparing an article or script for publication. We do not have to be singers to use the wisdom of Ostwald's mind and experience. These challenges are inevitably concentration, trust, projection, communication, and the self-doubt that most of us sometimes experience.

If you could see David Ostwald in action, you would recognize how his life is a demonstration of his work. When the groups at my seminars would get excited and several voices were talking at once in an exercise, David (upon my request) would clearly enunciate one or two words to the whole group in a tone that instantly shifted everyone's attention to the work at hand. The whole group loved David's wit and wisdom, his power to achieve the intended focus and hold it, plus his demonstration of an open mind, the will to learn and to share knowledge gained through years of a focused mind and experience.

David's whole life is filled with the qualities of concentration, trust, projection, and communication. This is the real power of his written words. I think this book will prove so useful that it will become an essential textbook for teaching acting to singers.

Even tho I'm a liberal, many of his concepts ring true. The way the book is presented is delightful.

This is a wonderful book. It shows us the joy,and sometimes sadness,which comes from being in a strong family.It also gives us wise political and cultural observations about what has made the USA great.It portrays the power of love. As WFBsr said, love for "God, Family,and Country in that order".In doing all this, it makes clear the profound good brought to this earth by disciplined,loving parents. It is full of awe inspiring history and stories about this great and hugely talented family. I laughed frequently,experienced sadness occasionally, and was inspired always. WFBjr was one my American heroes since my grad school days in Politics. I own more than 50 of his books and have cherished them all. Reid's new book will be a wonderful addition. I hope it can serve as powerful encouragement to all who love the American family and America itself.

I have been fascinated with the Buckley's since I first discovered a copy of National Review at a teenage friend's home in the 1960's. Throughout the succeeding decades I gobbled up anything Buckley. I must admit after reading Reid's book, that they are a different type of Irish American especially when juxtaposed with the Kennedy's of Massachusetts. However when you combine a heritage of Wild West frontier, New Orleans, Swiss heritage, oil money with a big heaping teaspoon of old fashioned Catholicism you get the Buckley's. You'll read this book with a feeling of nostalgia for a time and place that has disappeared forever just as the New York City of my childhood is long gone as well as the parents and grandparents who were once part of that world. Mr. Buckley writes with this nostalgic tone while at the same time still railing and kicking about what is wrong with this modern world. What would his beloved parents think of this non-republic USA, gay marriage, inarticulate President, Brittney Spears et al.? Alas, the Buckley's and their kind s we will see no more and what a treasure they were while these two generations graced our world. Thank you Mr. Buckley for a delightful glimpse of your wonderful world and a description of the family values that made this a great country.

Reid Buckley (RIP) has masterfully written an insightful memoir of a family (his own) that, along with many other families, formed the backbone of a once-great Country, a dynamic culture regrettably on the wane.

As one would expect, coming as it does from the Buckleys, this book entertains and informs, amuses and instructs, simultaneously opens the heart and breaks it with reminiscences quite common to us all. Primarily, Mr. Buckley's words address both the individual's and the culture's soul.

If you presume that the Buckley family of the passed and passing generations was comprised of elitist snobs, that presumption will be dispelled; unless, of course, you consider those who place God, Family, and Country (and in that order) first are somehow representative of primordial elitism.

One might ask: "How could one family produce so many creative and successful citizens?" The answer is to be found in the Buckley definitions of "citizenry" and "success." For that you will have to turn especially to Chapter 12: "The Mexican Impact and Its Legacy" and pages 253 and 254 (the Buckley inheritance contraindicating that of materialism). Therein is established a propaedeutic on both concepts.

You will love this book because it exemplifies what is being lost in the present generation of America; you will identify with the Buckleys and you will sense a loss. In doing so, you may be caused to engage in recovering what is being withered away. Reid Buckley, and Bill, etc., have left their fellow-citizens a legacy - a gift. This book is the culmination of their contribution.

Reid, once again, captures the truth of what our Founders sought. This time, through the personal story of his family, An American Family. What a gift he has given us!

This is a great reference book on both early origins on distilling in America and the Beam family - who comprise a large branch of the founding families of Bourbon distilling and still have many members working at various distilleries throughout Kentucky. A entertaining read and great reference for anyone who is interested in bourbon.

What a great book! I loved it and couldn't put it down. I feel like I was right there with Pacult as he traveled around with Booker Noe. I am not a bourbon drinker, but this book made me wish I had a little bit to sip as I was reading it. Alas I finished reading the book before I could purchase some bourbon.

I read American Still Life this Summer. It reads like a Michener novel. I prefer reading non-fiction but most non-fiction is boring and tedious. So I was pleased when I had a chance to read this book. It's a strong testament to our American founders and to the Beams, American icons, who 'took the pain' out of the daily struggles. Great Read!

This book captures a truly unique American product, and a family that was integral to the creation of the industry. As I write this review, Booker Noe's death was just recently announced. The personalities of the larger than life characters like Booker are wonderfully captured within the narrative. Even if you're not a fan of bourbon (philistine!), you'll come away with a great appreciation for the definitive American spirit (both the drink and the people).

This book kept me enthralled for an entire weekend. A great look at a family that created an entire industry with a distinctly American product, Bourbon.

As the story of a facinating family, the author gently takes you through the many generations of the Beams without getting you lost in a morass of detail. You remain excited waiting for the next turn in their fortunes, and you get a wonderful look at the many personalities involved in building the Bourbon industry over time in the process.

When I think about the book from a business standpoint, Paul Pacult succeeded in conveying the patience and the passion these people have for their product, and how they manage to maintain that passion, literally over generations. In a world of managing quarter to quarter, the Beams are a refreshing change.

A very-well written, facinating look at a piece of Americana. I heartily recommend it.

Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

Anybody who has enjoyed other writings by Alexander Skutch on the subject of neotropical birds will also appreciate this book. After all, where else can you find interesting and informative writing about these two large and important families of neotropical birds? Not only is there a wealth of data concerning behavior, habitat, etc - but it is all presented in Skutch's very personal style, and intermingled with intimate anecdotes that really put you right there in the forest with that Bicolored Antbird, etc. Read this book before birding in lowland rainforest in Central or South America, and you will be rewarded with a much greater understanding of what you are witnessing. If you haven't yet, also read "A Birdwatcher's Adventures in Central America", and "A Naturalist in Costa Rica", as well as "Birds Asleep" - all by Alexander Skutch.

Probably, the only reason I can not give this 5 stars is because I was spoiled by Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors." This is a sparkling piece of art. It is easy to see how Greek Mythology inspired Shakespeare. The Greek gods have human desires, impulses, and weaknesses. And often, their people suffer because of them. In this play, several characters are hindered (although unintentionally) by the bickering Oberon and Titania. It is easy to see the similarities between Zeus and Hera. The play also offers situation comedy, young lovers, frustrated parents, sparkling images, and a happy ending. CAUTION-ENTER THIS MYSTICAL WONDERLAND AT YOUR OWN RISK.

This was truely one of Shakespear's best plays. The way it was put into a movie was absolutely brilliant. I've seen few of his plays on film. But I bet even if I saw them all, A Midsummer Nights Dream would be my favorite along with Taming of the Shrew.

This is one of my favorite, if not my VERY favorite of Shakespeare's works. It is certainly my favorite of the comedies and I do not hesitate to rank this as one of the greatest works of literature of all-time. By the way, I LOVE this play. Oh yeah, have I mentioned that...well enough of that. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is one of the funniest plays of all-time. I was literally laughing out loud during the performance of "The Most Lamentable Comedy..." at the play's end. The "dream" world within the forest is a magical fantasy world in which the humans are manipulated by faries to fall in or out of love. Within this world, in which most of the play occurs, the powers of the imagination are heightened and the characters are helpless against their imaginations, which guide everything they do and say. This is one of the play's major themes: the imagination. Even out of the "dream world" the characters are guided by their imaginations. Duke Theseus (the plays strongest critic of such a notion) even admits that in order to enjoy such a performance (as the one put on by the unforgettable Bottom, and his comrades-in-folly), one must use one's imagination. I honestly believe that this is Shakespeare at his best. I would recommend this work to anyone!

Anyone who has read this play will say that it was a riot. What's even better than reading it, though, is seeing it performed live. My face hurt because I was laughing so hard! But if you do read it, and you have that problem about understanding what it's saying, not a big deal! The flavorful but easy to read dialouge makes it simple to understand what's going on. But, you can always get the New Folger edition that has explanations of certain parts on the opposite page (very helpful for when Shakespeare makes a joke that doesn't make any sense to us now). This play is laugh-out-loud funny and almost anyone can enjoy it.

I disagree with the reader who said there is no substance in this play. Certainly, all works of good literature have substance, espcially this one. One of the great aspects of A Midsummer Night's Dream is the fantasy that the characters are led to believe. Compare this to As You Like It, where the only fantasy is the fantasy that characters want to believe.

Derby is a great man....he is pretty silent about his service in Vietnam....most guys that were there are...he's my friend...I've known him for 6 years....he and his wife are great people...best I've ever known....I haven't had the chance to read the book him and his wife wrote..but did read Six Silent Men By Reynel Martinez. It's about they went thru in Nam....It's an awful good read..My son even loved it...Very well written...362 pages of what the men went thru...It really makes you think...Derby survived to write this book...I just want to say....he's a great guy...and I Love him and his wife...

This is a read I couldn't put down.You can feel what the author feels as he goes through all the exploits of his life. Its full of history of early 1900's life.Roaring 20's drama at its best.I highly recomend it to anyone that enjoys autobiograhys.

This is a book that rings as true as any of John Steinbeck's most memorable characters. A Bandit Called Derby is a son's tribute to his often wayward father's early years where Oliver Franklin Jones roared through Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Idaho bootlegging,gambling, and robbing an occasional casino or bank.
It's not a glossed over version of the Rip Roaring 20s but a hard scrabble look at the hellbent life and times of a reflective man, who after doing his time offers a better route for his children, including his son, Derby- a decorated Vietnam veteran, a former Airborne Ranger and Sergeant Major, and to his friends one decent man. I'm biased. I know Derby Jones and he's truly one of the good people. This book is not only a touching tribute to his father but a true slice of Americana and look at a time we thought we knew. Thanks to Derby Jones (both of them) and Derby's wife, Sheryl, we all just got a better view!

This was an excellent read. I got a genuine first hand account of how life during that period of time. For those who want to know what hard time was this is a book for them. Oliver (Derby) Jones was a hard man who's life was worthy of being told for all generations.

I thorougly enjoyed this book. It was an interesting sampling of "real" americana from a slightly different, but definitely humorous point of view. I recommend this read highly!!!!

Beginning each day with Fr. Behrens' meditations lifts my spirits and helps me find the humor, joy and love of God in seemingly ordinary things. His personal experiences and thoughts shine a fresh light on each day's Scripture passage. I also find that his vignettes of the daily lives of the monks demystify holiness and help me pursue it in my daily life.

This book is full of "story sparks" that only take seconds to read but open the doors to considerable wisdom and hope - with humor as a bonus. The deft way that each is connected to a few lines of well-chosen scriptures breaks open that medium as well, connecting it unforgettably to lived experience.

This book contains a daily dose of wisdom to go along with that morning coffee, toast and multi vitamin. It's easy to digest and helps nourish the mind and soul throughout the day. The snippets of scripture and Fr. Behrens life stories, cause us to slow down and take another, deeper look into ourselves and our past.

This gentle, faithful little book is full of wonders to be read, and re-read -- personal insights, quick asides, random thoughts, elegant sermonettes on life and living. James Stephen Behrens doesn't waste words; these quick essays are like Cistercian chapels, with no unnecessary adornment, nothing to distract the mind from the matter at hand. This makes you savor each word, contemplate each story. Sometimes, in this book, the simplest notions are the most moving -- why he thinks, for example, that the most eloquent prayer is one word, "Stay." When I started leafing through this book, I folded over the corners of pages I liked. Bad idea. Now, nearly all the pages are dog-eared. But the best news is that discovering this book has simplified my Christmas shopping. Now I know what to get people who seem to have everything: this little package of wisdom, a book that looks at commonplace things with uncommon grace.

I have just come to know James Stephen Behrens and it is a fortunate discovery! Although I have read comments comparing him to Thomas Merton, also a Trappist priest-writer,I find his bill of fare served differently. There is a profound simplicity in the reflections as presented in this book. One must chew the words slowly to savor the delicacy of the banquet Behrens puts before the reader. He has taken the common place and elevated it to the supernatural where it belongs. I cannot look at my everyday world with the same eyes since feasting on "GraceIs Everywhere."

Matthews and Foster do a wonderful job of educating parents and educators of gifted children. This book includes information on all aspect of the gifted child that a parent or educator would need to know. I highly recommend this book to anyone who works with or has gifted children!

Being Smart is a great introduction to giftedness, for the parent, teacher, even administrator, those who are brand new, and those who think they "know all about gifted children." Dispelling myths and answering questions along the way, Matthews and Foster step us through giftedness from identification to education, and into social / emotional. How to answer the tricky questions, how to support gifted kids in today's egalitarian world, and what to tell the kids along the way - Being Smart covers it all.

All the while, they meet their goal: share details on how we, parents and educators, can meet the gifted child's educational and social / emotional needs. Much more than just an introduction, Being Smart should be in every gifted book collection...

The preservcie teachers in my gifted education class at OISE/UT have found Being Smart About Gifted Children to be a very good guide in their efforts to understand gifted children. As their instructor, I appreciate the current research and practical ideas, which are communicated eloquently in straightforward prose. Thus, I would strongly recommend this book to teachers and parents interested in learning more about the psychology and education of highly able learners.

The preservcie teachers in my gifted education class at OISE/UT have found Being Smart About Gifted Children to be a very good guide in their efforts to understand gifted children. As their instructor, I appreciate the current research and practical ideas, which are communicated eloquently in straightforward prose. Thus, I would strongly recommend this book to teachers and parents interested in learning more about the psychology and education of highly able learners.

This new book is the best resource I have seen for schools and
parents about the issues that surround gifted children and their
education. If you buy one book about gifted kids, make this the one.

I got this book about a year and a half ago, and although it's not always the one I'm cooking from, a lot of my favorite and healthy recipies have come from it. Some of the ingredients can be a little tough to find, and there are a few recipes that need a little extra spicing up, but overall I've been extremely happy with everything I've made from it! The healthy eating and tips in the front of the book are also very helpful when trying to know what to feed your family to keep them eating right. It's like a mini class in nutrition :)

With family issues of need for lower fat/lower sugar diet, this cookbook offers easy and interesting recipes. I have tried several of the main dish recipes already and they have all been hits. Plus, one can figure out how to apply ideas in these recipes to others to modify them to be healthier. Excellent value!

This is a very good book on foods that are good for a healthy heart. I have added the book to my cooking library.

I am 52 years old my husband recently had a triple by-pass thus forcing us to change many bad food habits. Since the name Betty Crocker is enough to tell the consumer that it is a tried and true product I was very excited to see a healthy style cook book. Without hesitation I ordered it. I liked it so well I took it to my neighbor to look at. She then also purchased one. I have tried many recipes and love them all so far. This cookbook will be in my household for years to come and will someday look like my grandmother's old Betty Crocker cookbook.

Easy to understand, beautiful pictures, nutritional values for each recipe.