K Books

When I was a young girl I enjoyed reading and re-reading "The Forbidden Door." It is my opionion that adults will enjoy this endearing tale as well as young folk. Through reading about David and Laura's adventures on the other side of that forbidden door, I learned the importance of family, friendship, honesty, courage, and making sacrifices. After reading this book, who could ever forget such a wonderful character as Prince Nimeon!? In fact, there have been a few times that I believe I have actually seen the "blue road", and it always makes me homesick and hope that one day I will see Nimeon, Grandfather, David, Laura, and all these other enchanting friends on the other side. Jeanne K. Norweb has made a delightful tale come to life! This is a well-written Classic in my opinion, so read it for yourself and see if you don't agree. One question I have is: Mrs. Norweb, where are the sequels? =)

The vision of another world portrayed by this book is engaging. It is difficult to not be ensnared by the pictures this author draws with words. We bought this book to take on a mountain vacation. It was to be entertainment with out TV or phone. It more that lived up to the task. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who wants to escape and be entertained. Absolutely delightful!

I remember reading this book when I was 13 and I would give anything to get a copy of this book again!! This is a must have for any house with children.

I believe I have read this book more often than any other book on my shelves. About once a year, I feel a longing for the land of the green dragons, and the book draws me back within its pages. EVERYONE should have such an experience, and EVERYONE should have a friend like Nimeon! Frankly, everyone should get to meet dragons! ;)

I'm so glad that after months of seeing this little book on the shelf at my local bookstore, I finally took pity on it and brought it home with me. It touched me in a way few books have in my life, and I'd hate to be without it!

I read this book when I was much younger and it changed my perspective on life! Not only is it entertaining it is extremely thought provoking.

Hilger gently introduces the uniniated into the not always gentle world of the religious. An excellent first effort, and I look forward to the next Sister Abigail mystery. Ms. Hilger, your reading audience awaits!

Great plot, super characters, and prose that seemed to come from heaven itself in places. My only complaint was the novel's length. I hope subsequent installations of the series have more pages to turn. Bravo to Ms. Hilger for a job well done.

A couple of stories to work on, and such a direct approach to the faith of the nuns in the story. Most mysteries that involve nuns focus much more on the mystery, the story, the plot, the characters, etc. Faith - and true good and evil - usually get short shrift. Not so here.

This book was such a GREAT read. Ms. Hilger's portrait of Sr. Abigail as a fiesty but tender, spiritually adept but humorous and real nun made her come to life--I hated to say goodbye when I ended the book and I hope the word series on the cover means at least a DOZEN more!! I also enjoyed the story within a story. Ms. Hilger took the time to present her readers with not only good entertainment, but something to think about as well. Evil is chosen and He (Jesus) truly is everfaithful.

I loved this book completely and absolutely. From Sister Abigail and the nun with the orthopedic shoes to the story within a story Ms. Hilger used to weave this incredible tale. I couldn't put it down and for ONCE I WASN'T DISAPPOINTED over how a mystery ended. Read it and meet a wonderful friend in Sister Abigail.

The book is about a girl named Franny. She is a mad scientist and she went back in time to change her middle name. At school she won the science fair and they announced her name: Franny Kissypie Stein. She didn't like because people laughed at it. Then she traveled back in time to when she was first born. She changed her middle name to Kaboom. Then she went to the future and sees herself as a teenager. The theme of the book is don't make fun of people's names.

This is one of my favorite books. I used to not like reading, but then I read this book and now I like to read. I recommend this book for kids age 8 and up.

by Matthew

This was my first foray into the word of Franny K. Stein. My grandson read me two chapters every night and you know what. I enjoyed it as much as he did and now he is reading the entire series. It has made an "avid reader" out of my 7 yr old grandson....isn't that what a children's book series should do. Start your little ones with this one - it will not disappoint. Only drawback are the black and white pictures but, this too is getting them into bigger and better things to read in the very near future.

Yet another hit from Frannie's lab! My three girls (ages 3, 6, and 11) loved this book! The 11 year old loves that Franny is wise beyond her years but still naive. The 6 year old relishes the fact that Franny is gross but not too disgusting. Franny makes even Mom and Dad laugh with all her lab experiments gone wild. And with all the line drawings by Benton even the 3 year old enjoys it! A great girl to teach us all that tolerance for those around us who are different is ALWAYS the best way to be!

The Fran With Four Brains is book six in this great series of adventures following one of the most interesting and well written child characters to come along in a very long time. For those who have only read this great book and are wondering which of Benton's former books in the series to buy first, I'd recommend Jim Benton's first three Franny K masterpieces Lunch Walks Among Us, Attack of the 50-Ft. Cupid or The Invisible Fran.

I work as a library assistant and when I have asked kids if they enjoyed this and other books in this series the answer is always yes. That's pretty rare for a series of books, but this series is that good! I've checked these books out myself to see what all the fuss is about. These books all can be enjoyed by adults as well as kids, a feat not always done by junior fiction writers, even with the really popular amongst kids books. I didn't read these in order either as there's a long wait for some titles, so I'll point out they all have individual storylines so if this is the first book you've come across it can easily be read first.

Franny Stein is an interesting character who doesn't follow the stereotype little girl who plays with dolls, has tea parties with stuffed animals and the like that many authors seem to want to write about. No Franny is a very intelligent girl more interested in bats, snakes, spiders, monsters and her number one passion, being a mad scientist. Interests that gel with many a real life boy or girl these days and lets be honest, always have. The length of these books are fairly short and take my word for it these books are so good you'll probably want to get a few of them, if not the whole series. They seem to be a lot cheaper buying as a box set (where you get the first four titles, obviously not including this one) which at the time of this review seems to retail for about the same price as just two Franny K. Stein books.

In her sixth adventure Franny is getting frustrated that her mother is forcing her to spend more and more time on activities away from her lab, such as soccer, cooking and playing the bagpipes. She comes up with a brilliant plan and creates three robot versions of herself. She instructs them to master the tasks while she concentrates on her lab experiments. Only problem is with the robots so ful of energy, her mother is getting really tired. Being to young to have seen the Terminator movies, Fran is unaware of what happens when humans try to turn the machines off, or down. The machines see only one solution, rid the world of Fran and her family. It is up to Fran and her lab assistant Igor, to win the war against the machines.

This is the sixth book in the Franny K. Stein series and it is just as great as all the others. My 10 year old daughter has been reading Franny K. Stein books for the past several years and has enjoyed this one tremendously. Highly recommended.

In writing a review of this book, I must first state that I am probably not one of the greatest fans of the 1960s TV series. With that said, I also confess that I didn't exactly hate it either. It was an entertaining show produced more than forty years ago that was initially hard for me to remember. What I like best about the book is the enthusiasm of its reviewers, and their skill in thoroughly describing and reviewing the good and not so good elements of this old series. Also admirable, is their successful rekindling of my interest in the show. Proof of this rekindling is the fact that after reading Volume I of the series I readily bought the first season DVD offering and have been regularly watching the shows. Volume 2 is probably even better written than Volume 1, and I recommend both books to fans of the series, and anyone wanting to know more about the series. When the episodes for Season Two get released on DVD this book will become even more valuable. For the record, I think the old series was superior to the 1990s movie starring Harrison Ford. David Janssen was very well cast in the show. He was a much underrated actor.

A must read for all Fugitive fans. What is unique about this book is that each episode of season two is reviewed in detail and given a poll rating on a scale of 0-10. Follow Richard Kimble and Phil Gerard along with Bob, Kitty, and Ken. Season two has many classic episodes including World's End, Nemesis, Escape into Black, The End is But the Bginning, The Survivors, and May God Have Mercy. This book will be an excellent reference guide to the DVD collection when released.

Volume II of The Fugitive: Views And Reviews, picks up where volume I left off, with more insightful and fact filled reviews and debate of the second season of "The Fugitive" one of television's greatest dramatic series. Also contains viewer poll results for each episode.This volume covers the second season which ran from1964 to 1965, including many classic episodes like "Man In A Chariot", "World's End", "The End Is But The Beginning", and the all time classic "Escape Into Black" from which the cover photo is derived.A perfect companion piece to Volume I which is currently available and a must have for true Fugitive fanatics.Bobbynear

This is the best episode guide yet on The Fugitive. The authors go into such detail and raise points I would never have thought of. I'd recommend it to all Fugitive fans. I hope another three books will follow, for seasons 2, 3 and 4!

The authors of this book put in painstaking effort to review each episode of The Fugitive starring David Janssen. They personally watch each episode more than once, research background information, and blend in their views stemming from what they have gathered from the characters and storyline before each episode, as well as real-life parallel history to either confirm or deny plausibility of plot.

I recommend this book very much as a companion to any Fugitive fan who is going through one or all of the episodes.

Mitch

I had been looking for a book that explained the technical aspects and the sales techniques of commercial real estate. This book combines them both. There is a lot of meat in this book instead of fluff. I highly recommend it!

Whether you're a real estate agent selling commercial and investment property or an investor purchasing and selling commercial real estate, the field of Commercial Real Estate Sales and Investment Property Sales is very complex, with a language all its own.

Challenges in commercial real estate sales include mathematical projections, return calculations, zoning issues, legal issues, contract issues, environmental inspections, tax consequences and the entire minefield lately of commercial mortgages and loans.

In the "Fundamentals of Listing and Selling Commercial Real Estate", Loren Keim, the author, has made the complex understandable with an easy-to-read book. An excellent job, I give it 5 stars!

Commercial real estate is an extremely complex arena loaded with a minefield of legal, financial and emotional pitfalls investors, buyers, and sellers of commercial property must avoid.

Loren Keim cuts through the fluff in his new book "The Fundamentals of Listing and Selling Commercial Real Estate" to highlight and explain the basics of commercial real estate transactions from how a commercial property should be analyzed and compared with other commercial real estate, how the income of the property should be analyzed and what financing methods are available and how to talk like a pro with all the commercial broker and investor lingo that's thrown around in the real estate industry.

This particular book should be mandatory to read for any real estate agent planning to represent a commercial property or an investor. The explanation of marketing commercial real estate in the Internet age, and the samples and dialogues alone are worth the price of admission.

Excellent book for a career in commercial real estate or investment real estate. Well written, lots of great examples, including explanations of 1031 exchanges, income analysis, site and property analysis, and more. Everything you need to be a success in the field of commercial real estate.

In the past, I had been disappointed when reading other books about Commercial Real Estate. I've seen real basic introduction books, books that define investment and commercial terms, but don't really explain them, and books that just paste together checklists about selling investment property or commercial property.

This book was totally different. "The Fundamentals of Listing and Selling Commercial Real Estate" was entertaining. It was understandable. And it helps lay out exactly what to do in order to succeed in commercial and investment real estate.

The Fundamental's part of the book is the best resource for commercial brokers I've ever seen. There are explanations of each subcategory of commercial property, not just the basics, and the terminology associated with each subcategory is in easy to understand language. There are wonderful explanations of all the various ways to calculate return on investment, why each one is preferred by some investors or commercial real estate buyers, and how to look outside the box for commercial financing sources. There's even a section on negotiating leases, the benefits of various types of commercial leases, and what clauses are practical to add.

The Practical part of the book lays out a complete game plan for success in your career, including step by step instructions for some prospecting and marketing methods, sample letters, and dialogues. It even lays out how to write a letter of intent and full contract.

I can't tell you how impressed I was with this book. If you're selling commercial real estate, this SHOULD be part of your library of information.

I loved this book. So wonderfully written. Albeit the author took some liberties with the stories, I think the idea of the book is very well executed. I loved reading about Shiva and Ganesha and Vishnu and Parvati as if they were people who lived just down the street. So much of Hindu lore is very difficult to digest, but the author does a great job of delivering the myths and the moral point of each story very very well. Well done.

Fairy tales from the East lent us insight into a new range of contemporary issues and new responces to these temptations, character flaws and daily errs. Through these mythological stories and the choices these characters make, we are invited to be in both the situation and each character in tne story. Their choices then become our story. It is a unique tool for checking in with our values and coming to greater clarity about "what if" I were placed in such a situation myself. Good reading for all ages and an ideal gift for conscience raising without being rude.

Beautifully written! The timeless quality of these ancient myths shines brightly through Ms. Kapur's lucid prose.

Ganesha Goes to Lunch is a grand mix-up of Gods and mortals... all doing the best they can considering the limitations (and non-limitations) of their realities. The treat is that we are afforded a front row seat and, while enjoying ourselves all the while, suddenly discover that teachings of profound wisdom have somehow been assimilated.

A wonderful and imaginative journey with the power to inform, inspire and - ultimately transform the reader. Thank you, Kamla Kapur for the (wild elephant) ride!

Ganesha Goes to Lunch by Kamla K. Kapur is a collection of twenty four stories drawn from the oral tradition of mythical tales in India. The stories are retold in contemporary language, and maintain the essential structure and characteristics of the folklores. Kamla's choice of stories ranges from tales about why Ganesha has elephant's trunk, to the marriage of Shiv-Parvati to the creation of Brahma and universe. The story of the friendship of Sudama and Krishna is retold as is the tale of Vishwamitra-Vashisht rivalry.

The Bharatiya (Indian) tradition thrives on stories passed on from generation to generation. Each generation adds its own experience to knowledge and reinterprets the understanding passed to them. The Hindu myths by their very nature don't have absolutes. They represent Gods or men trapped in their vices, roused or limited by their virtues, acting in response to the demands that existence as humans on earth demands from us. The attempt is to create examples as prototypes to deal with contradictions and complexities that daily strife, be it in war, peace, family matters, need, greed, valor, and amorous desires lead us to. This had lead to several epics about avataars or incarnations, and as humans Gods lead exemplary lives, faulting at times, and suffering for them. In Kamla's collection, the gems from the boundless sea of folklore are picked, polished and repackaged to lure Western audiences as well as those Indian readers who have learned most from English education and English Literature.

The book has a number of pictures and illustrations, which allow a non-Indian reader to visualize the God or character in question. We Indians grow up with these tales, and somehow we imbibe their lessons into our being without realizing when or how. The modern age has brought a slew of stories and media into our household, and in these times, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the shallow characterizations and sensationalist serials. The demands of materialistic modern life, makes it even more important for us to connect to the spiritual wisdom of centuries, the philosophy both rich and humbling is present in highly entertaining form in these stories. Kamla Kapur's effort is commendable in both the spirit and the style of execution.

While most of these stories can be read out to children, a few characterizations are little more sensual than I would have hoped for. The discussion about Shiva and Shakti, the male and female powers, is done quite boldly, whereas my encounters with these stories as a child were in an understatement, and in euphemisms. Perhaps the retelling must respond to the contemporary world, where the Victorian writing, the euphemisms are considered trite and cliched. The tale from Ramayana, incorrectly mentions that Hanuman brought Sanjivini (or the hill with that herb on it) for reviving Ram (I am certain that it was needed for Laxman). Aside from these quips, most of the stories are brief and well written, and will form a good reading for people of all ages.

Myths by their very nature appeal to the heroic, and the virtuous elements of our being. Kamla's rendition ensures that the heroic and mystic elements are distilled into a reader's consciousness. The simplicity of language, the delightful imagery, the translation as if of whole oral tradition of myths into this eclectic collection speaks volumes about Kamla's craftsmanship and reverence for these tales. While the tales are derived from Hindu myths, the structure, the impact, the ideals, the virtues they inspire transcend time, space and religion. I enjoyed these, and so I hope you will too.

Planning on retiring someday or already retired, the information in this book will help you use your money in the most intelligent way possible. Of all the "retirement books" available, you will find information and planning tools in this book that are not found elsewhere. Since we are all concerned about having enough money in retirement, it makes sense to do the best we can to save, invest and spend money for our maximum benefit. The information in this unique book gives us the tools to do that.

After giving each of our four adult children copies, I've now got comments back from them. They said they appreciated the many suggestions to help them save more as well as the simple calculations to know how much to save for retirement and when to start Social Security. A son-in-law said it was very easy to read--more like a novel than a financial book. A daughter said it was very good from a woman's perspective. Another daughter advised a neighbor to a copy as well.

The author is a designer of a website dedicated to retirement planning and that shows in his book. He has a detailed knowledge of what it takes to build and later utilize a nest egg, and spells it out in plain language for the reader.

What I liked about the book: The plethora of information about creating my own nest egg and how to preserve said nest egg, and eventually how to tap the nest egg. It did these things better than any book I have ever read.

What I didn't like about the book: Some of the charts were way too complex and detailed. They were nearly impossible to decipher.

All in all it was one of the better books about retirement I have read. I also finished reading the FUNNIEST book about retirement I've read, "Race You To The Fountain of Youth."Race You to the Fountain of Youth: I'm Not Dead Yet (But parts of me are going fast)

Hebeler's writing style is easy to read.

I have read over 200 books on investing/financial planning, and I would put this book into the top 10....with regards to general financial planning information.

Hebeler covers all the basics including saving, investing in index funds, and Social Security.

I particularly liked his list of Lessons Learned:

1. Look hard for low costs and taxes.
2. Don't invest in anything that eats, floats, drills, or is appraised with a magnifying glass or scale.
3. Avoid partnerships and tax gimmicks
4. Be wary of someone who wants to manage your money
5. You have heard of someone who has a foolproof method
6. Don't buy individual stocks and don't time the market

As a general intro to investing, you really can't go wrong with this book.

To compliment this book.....I would suggest a couple good books on index fund investing and asset allocation.


Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Financial Life and Beat the Pro's
The Richest Man in Babylon
Bogle on Mutual Funds: New Perspectives for the Intelligent Investor
The Millionaire Next Door
The Four Pillars of Investing: Lessons for Building a Winning Portfolio
A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing, Ninth Edition
The Coffeehouse Investor: How to Build Wealth, Ignore Wall Street, and Get On With Your Life
The Bogleheads' Guide to Investing

This Financial non-fiction reads like a novel. An easy read that is extremely informative and useful for planning and executing your retirement. Readers will benefit by the many thousands of man hours or research and analysis that have gone into providing this resource. The many different types of investment are reviewed and the real world effects on growth by inflation, taxes and fees are illustrated. The book also provides much relevant information about all the relevant topics surrounding retirement planning, such as IRAs, tax strategies, Social Security, pensions etc. Chapter 2 titled "Be Aware of the Environment" is very eye opening and relevant in today's world. This book is very easy to use as a resource and provides many clear Appendixes designed to allow the reader to make some simple calculations to either check the present status of planning or to run simulations based on changes or differences in assumptions. Entertaining as well as informative.

This is the best book for moms to read. I received mine when I was in the hospital for 2 weeks and I read the book from cover to cover in one sitting. I couldn't see my kids during my stay at the hospital but the book made me vow to be a better mom once I was able to go home. It also got me through days when I was at home with my own three children and babysitting 5 others all at the same time. So inspiring and encouraging like other reviewers said. Makes you laugh out loud and cry your eyes out too. Every mom should read this especially on days when you feel like you can't take another second of motherhood. I've bought 3 more books since and given them all away as gifts.

I purchased this book for a friend of mine that was a new christain and she absolutely loves this book.

I bougt this book because, as a busy mom, I really don't have a lot of time to just sit and read, so the one-page mini-devotionals were great. However, once I started reading the first page, I could not put this book down. It made me cry at certain points, but laugh at others. The stories touch your heart and you will find yourself nodding, "I've been there before!" Awesome book!

Great book to read. Incouraging and inspiring. I've bought three of them, so far. Two to give others. Every mom should read.

Humorous. Thought-provoking. Inspiring. As a mother of three girls, I figured I'd try to squeeze in a few pages at a time - but I couldn't put it down! If you want to say "Thanks! I love you!" to your mom, grandmother, or woman who has influenced your own life, give them this devotional book. The format is simple: a quote and Bible verse on the left page, a short anecdote on the right. Some pages made me laugh out loud. Others (as my pastor likes to say) made me say "ouch!" The Acknowledgements section in the front of the book credits people for the quotes. I found myself flipping back and forth to find out who offered such words of wisdom on motherhood. Two of my favorite quotes are "The best time to give children your advice is when they are young enough to believe you know what you are talking about." And "Give your troubles to God; He will be up all night anyway." A great mother's day gift!

While working one night, John Dortmunder accidentally sets off a burglar alarm, an occupational hazard for a thief, and winds up hanging from the rafters of the local convent. Although the occupants are an order of nuns who have taken a vow of silence, they manage to let John know that in return for not turning him into the police, they would make use of his specialist skills. They want him to rescue a young nun who was taken from the convent by her father and is held on the top floor of a 76-storey building.

Dortmunder's flair for getting himself into and out of impossible situations are highlighted again as he attempts to breach the defences of a building that seems as impenetrable as any well guarded fortress can be. The ever-changing motley crew that he works with is made to seem even more motley by the inclusion of the skirt chasing (but never catching) Wilbur Howey. Tiny Bulcher is again along for the ride in all his menacing glory as are two regulars Andy Kelp and Stan Murch.

It's the humorous ways in which Dortmunder deals with setbacks that gives the book it's charm. Interest is added by limiting the field of play to one building. How to get in, save the girl and then out again is the problem he faces.

This is yet another satisfyingly entertaining entry in the Dortmunder series that proves this time that he has a caring side, or maybe it's just his guilty, greedy side rearing it's head again. Whichever it is, it's a pleasure to see it.

Good Behavior provides a reversal of fortune unlike any other that veteran burglar John Dortmunder has ever experienced.

His problems begin when his new partner, O'Hara, turns out to be incompetent at cutting off the burglar alarm. Dortmunder finds himself unexpectedly racing across rooftops while O'Hara is arrested at the bottom of the fire escape he has foolishly taken when the police arrive. After falling down one roof, he comes to a dormer and climbs in . . . only to find himself on a rafter over a roomful of nuns. Having been raised at an orphanage run by the Bleeding Heart Sisters of Eternal Misery, this depresses him . . . along with his sore ankle. The nuns rescue him with a tall ladder, and he finds himself speaking in pantomime . . . until they discover that he can read and begin writing notes. They have taken a vow of silence, and only speak for two hours on Thursdays.

Having noted his burglar's tools, they point out that perhaps the police should be called. But, they have a greater need for a burglar: to recover Sister Mary Grace who was abducted by her father to be reprogrammed into a corporate executive in the family firm.

Alone in the penthouse of a 76 story skyscraper, the sister has been fighting off the deprogramming and her father. By smuggling notes in and out with the cook, the sisters know where she is. Dortmunder agrees to spring her. Then, he becomes discouraged because no one will want to help him for no gain.

Just as he's about to tell the nuns that he cannot do it, they share the security codes for the building with him, which Sister Mary Grace has smuggled out. With that information, Dortmunder knows he can break into any part of the building, which is full of lovely jewelry and antique stores. With that kind of potential swag, his usual partners can be rounded up (Tiny Bulcher, Andy Kelp, and Stan Murch) plus a new alarm man, Wilbur Howey, who has just gotten out after 48 years (10 years for burglary and 38 years for continually escaping) who is very excited by seeing any woman. They also add an inside partner, J.C. Taylor, who sells off-color books and turns out to be critical to freeing Sister Mary Grace.

The burglary goes smoothly . . . but Dortmunder runs into unexpected (and potentially lethal) opposition as he nears the penthouse. Like all Dortmunder stories, the end is filled with fast and furious improvisation.

There's more than the usual humor in this story due to Mr. Westlake having the silent sisters as a running gag. But they communicate just fine, unlike the police whom Dortmunder is trying to outwit.

The plot develops slowly, which makes it more appealing, and the twists and turns keep my heart pumping rapidly. I don't remember a story about Dortmunder that is as engaging the positive human emotions. I think you'll like this one, if you have enjoyed any humorous stories about criminals.

After you finish this story, think about where you think that communication cannot be made. How might you overcome that limitation? Try imaging that you cannot speak, and see if that opens up any new ideas.

This book, about career crook John Dortmunder and his attempt to rescue a nun of the silent sisterhood is one of the best Dortmunder novels Mr. Westlake has ever written. The atmosphere is tense, since the book is about rescuing somebody as well as getting off with a lot of money, and having to put up with the nun's fascist father. This book is an enjoyable reading for all.

Westlake is one of the funniest authors I've ever read and this is one of his best novels. Beware because it will make you bust out laughing in public places if you read it there (people on my bus think I'm crazy). Absolutely worth the high price you might pay for an out-of-print.

John Dortmunder becomes St John when his latest caper drops him into a convent. The sisters see it as divine intervention so they ask him to rescue a kidnapped nun from her tyrannical father who is having the Catholicism deprogrammed out of her. Only Dortmunder could gather a group of thieves to rescue a nun and end up facing a mercenary army set for a Central American Revolution. Full of hilarious incident after hilarious incident, this is the Dormunder gang at its best.

Found this one on the shelf in a middle school during a conference with a teacher. Amazoned it and only wish that it had been out when I was in school! It's a strong read for little ones, but isn't that what school about?

Self-experimenters in science and medicine often fostered discoveries and advancements which hastened the invention of much-needed cures, yet are seldom discussed: that's why middle school students will find Guinea Pig Scientists so important. C.B. Mordan provides black and white illustrations to this gathering of biographies and discoveries which charts bold experiments which helped change the world - and risked the lives of scientists.

We all know that inventions must be tested. We hear a lot about testing of product and drugs on animals. But did you know that some humans were and still are willing to be the "guinea pigs". This book is a biography of nine scientist how did just that!

Guinea Pig Scientists is a wonderful introduction for putting a face and an exciting story behind a particular science. I expect many children (and adults) to go read further about different topics or the scientists because their appetites have finally been whetted.

Guinea Pig Scientists contains nine chapters, each on a different scientist who made a difference by plaicng themself in harm's way to varying degrees. The book is hardly in depth, but it covers the most important aspects of each scientists methods and what was learned from them. This would be a great book to use to get adolescents interested in scientific inquiry. It is an engaging read, and the gross out factor will bring in even reluctant readers. Be warned: not all of the scientists survive their experiments.