T Books

This is the first step towards healing & improvement if you really love each other.

This book has been replaced by Susan Page's more recent book "Why Talking is Not Enough," which is basically "If We're So in Love..." with a new title and expanded ideas. This book has the "5 Sacred Actions" of a spiritual partnership; the newer book has "8 Loving Actions." All the other ideas are the same. There is no need to buy both books. But definitely buy one of them, if you're interested in a marriage book that presents a different, new, and substantial way of looking at your relationship and yourself. Susan Page offers real wisdom (not a word I use lightly)!

As a pastor, I have given away many copies of this book to people struggling in intimate relationship--and I've used it in my own marriage.

There are many classics of spiritual wisdom and many nuts-and-bolts self-help books on relationship. Susan Page brilliantly combines the two. Her gift is to translate spiritual ideals into practical, understandable, and eminently achievable goals for everyday living in spiritual partnership--the Buddha channeled by Ann Landers!

Read this book, apply its lessons, and transform yourself and your relationship.

If you are seeking to feel love in your heart but feel blocked because your partner is clueless, uncooperative, self-centered and blames you -- or for any reason "because of him/her" and you suffer because it feels like no matter how hard you try, the patch doesn't hold -- this is the book that teaches, guides and encourages you how to get back to the love, how to create powerful and healing changes, how to feel safe and connected with yourself, how to look at your partner again with loving and how to work with yourself in your own healing and strengthening. And, your partner is not required to read the book, work the suggestions or be molded by you. You reclaim your power and your energy investing in what can truly make a deeply valuable, loving, rich and life-changing difference--you work with you. I've been working these techniques for over 20 years, in marriage, and have been learning about and thriving far beyond I ever thought possible. It didn't take long for small miracles to begin AND they continue to unfold and to grow for both of us. Susan Page has offered a truly generous gift with this book for all people--currently coupled or not.

I found this book when browsing through the many relationship books and decided to give it a read on a whim. My boyfriend of 2 years and I have been struggling recently and I needed help.

This book is all the help I could want AND MORE. I feel so positive and recharged about our relationship ALREADY and I just finished reading it. I KNOW that what's in this book can help my relationship and I know it could help others. This is a MUST BUY, even if you aren't having PROBLEMS right now... The Sacred Acts will help keep you from having HORRIBLE problems in the future.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I'm a civil war historian -- and i can't even put into words how important it is to read this book.

Trust me, you will love it.

Author Alan Nolan has brought the story of the Iron Brigade to life in this excellent study of this famous group of hard fighting midwesterners. Nolan's information is valuable and everything is backed by references. Nolan's style is concise. It was nice that he didn't dwell on subjects like battles or politics not involving the Iron Brigade. He kept the book's chapters flowing and informative. He kept biographies short while the movements and changes in command structure through out the book were covered very well. The fighting at Gettysburg was probably the best coverage and most descriptive although it was most fitting considering it was the brigade's crescendo in battle. Overall, Nolan's book is a valuable tool, reference and history of the Iron Brigade that many people could benefit from reading. 5 STARS!

The author successfully weaves together regimental histories with grand strategic movements and anecdotal observations of the common soldier. All this gives a feel for the the tension and struggle faced by the "heroes" of this story-- the officers and common soldiers of the Iron Brigade. Common men of uncommon bravery and valor. The reader is able to follow the progress of each regiment within the Brigade through Nolan's fast paced, dramatic narrative. A fine reference and requisite companion to Herdegen's "Four Years with the Iron Brigade," since it puts the diaries in the larger context of Brigade movements. I appreciated Nolan's work all the more after Herdegen's book, and wished I had read them together.

Nolan's book about the Iron Brigade is a fantastic account of the brigade's history, covering its intriguing stories off the field as much as on it.

The book is very easy to follow as it begins with the creation of every regiment in the brigade and ends months after Appomattox.

By using primary accounts and concise analysis, Nolan covers the relationships between the ordinary men and their officers, the relationships between the regiments, the relationships between the brigades and divisional/corps commanders all the way up to McClellan/Hooker and more. In addition, the politics in the brigade and the Army of the Potomac as a whole are covered, and all of this without even getting into the combat history of the brigade.

Nolan covers in depth every combat the Iron Brigade was engaged in while it consisted of just Westerners, and the Epilogue in the book deals with the addition of non Western units to the Brigade, the dissolution of some of the regiments and the mustering out of notable officers through discharges, wounds and death.

In Nolan's interpretation, although it keeps its name, the Iron Brigade is no longer THE Iron Brigade after all the casualties at Gettysburg and the addition of Eastern troops to the brigade on July 18, 1863. Thus the combat from Brawner's Farm to Gettysburg is covered in depth concerning the brigade's actions. The book has exceptional maps for the actions of the brigade on the battlefields and casualty counts for every regiment. The chapter dealing with Day 1 of Gettysburg is the book's most poignant and gripping battle account.

The notes in the book are nearly 100 pages and are nearly as interesting as the narrative itself. In the notes are extended discussions on casualty %s (the Iron Brigade as a whole suffered the most battle casualties by % than any Federal brigade during the war, the 2nd Wisconsin suffered the most by % of any regiment, the 24th Michigan suffered 80% casualties on July 1 etc.) and Nolan's explanation in how he dealt with discrepancies in battle records and accounts. In the epilogue's notes, Nolan offers up post-war details of the officers in the 5 regiments.

One of the best parts of the book is how Nolan really takes issue with Glenn Turner's book on Gettysburg due to its pro-Confederate slant. Turner claims the Iron Brigade was "swept off" the field and calls Old Man Burns, the old citizen who came onto the field and fought with the Iron Brigade, a "cowardly" "bushwhacker" despite fighting in line and being wounded three times during the battle.

This book is perfect for anyone interested in the Civil War or anyone interested in the military history of Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.

Nolan's "biography" of the battle-torn Iron Brigade contains the most stirring description of the 1st day of battle at Gettysburg that I have ever read. His account of the bravery and heroism of these men is exceptional. At times I got a bit confused trying to keep track with whom was in charge of which regiment/brigade/division, etc., but this information is vital to the history of the brigade. This book also made me aware of the under-appreciated accomplishments of Lt. Col. Rufus Dawes who should be accorded the same recognition as other noble Union leaders during this battle, such as Chamberlain, Hancock and Warren.

This is not to say a thing against either of the two TV two versions of this play, which I saw and loved, but to say that when I first heard the play it was on a recording with the voices of John Gielgud, Penelope Browne, and Richard Burton.

I thought I had never heard words spoken by human voices that was so alluring they were close to opera. Hearing them was like getting drunk on words. I can't find that audio tape now that I used to copy the library recording, and I wonder if there is any way of tracing that performance and getting another copy? I remember Gielgud's way of expressing tedium of the party that was to mark the last night of his life and Jennet's. "Tedi-UM, Tedi-UM, Tedi-Um, on a falling scale, or naming the party "ice bath of pleasure." Yet he was in love and bordering on desperate when he told Jennet that when she had rejected him after a brief pause: "I'll chalk that hesitation all over the walls of Hell."
And about the future, which they didn't think they had: "I can give you generations of roses, here, in this wrinkled belly," He murmured, putting a rose hip in her palm. Wonderful, indeed.

Centering around the notion that two antithetical people are nonetheless in the same kind of predicament makes an interesting subject for a story, comedy, or otherwise. What makes this play such an entertaining read, play, and piece of literature, is also what keeps it from being an enduring classic. Language can be a beautiful but it can also be ruined by needless toying and that's exactly what the lead character, Thomas, does for large portions of this play. The two leads are so conceited about their lives and goals and proving things to others. I guess that's the reason the play is both laughable and exhausting. The characters in the play concede to truths and judgment not by reason, they can just ignore it no longer. Everyone in this play, with the exception of Richard, is unsensible and their actions are unpredictable in tradional terms, but the one thing you can count on is that they won't do what someone else wants them to do, they will always do the opposite unless it's already what they set out to do. This is classic comic folly, however, it doesn't come out that way because of Fry's language taking center stage.

As a previous reviewer put it "not everyone will enjoy reading "the lady's not for burning" I'll take it a step further and say that not everyone will find it essential, because I don't. Although I enjoy it and am thankful I read it, I think it's a disposable play, that depends on virtuosic acting and an uncanny knowledge of the English language.

I had the pleasure of seeing John Gielgud and Pamela Brown in "The Lady's Not For Burning" when I was teen-ager. It has been a pleasure to relive the joys of this delightful play once again.

It's 14th Century England and Thomas Mendip is tired of the world. He just wants someone to hang him so he can leave this life for good. He keeps telling people that he's the devil himself and the only way to send him back to Hell is to kill him. But the village leaders have bigger problems to worry about. The daughter of a local deceased alchemist, Jennet Jourdemayne, is certifiably insane and the townfolk think she might be a resident witch. It doesn't help that on the day that Thomas begs to be hanged, the beautiful Alizon Elliot is arriving to greet the son of the mayor to whom she is engaged. Thomas and Jennet are forgotten while the preparations for Alizon's arrival take place and that night during a ball for Alizon, Thomas and Jennet meet. The fates collide and they fall in love. But Jennet's supposed to be hung. What is a devil to do?

THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING is hilarious, but the comedy takes a backseat to the witty wordplay. The characters are secondary performers and the real star of the show is the language. One would probably assume that THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING was a product of the English Renaissance, perhaps even a missing play written by Shakespeare himself. But it's just good ole Christopher Fry's twentieth-century version of a Shakespearean-type comedy written in grand form.

Not everyone will enjoy reading THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING as the delightful language might be too much for some to understand. However, if you like Shakespearean comedy or just have a love for the English language, then THE LADY'S NOT FOR BURNING might be something worth your reading.

Charles Williams once yelled something to Christopher Fry from the top of a London bus. I forget what he yelled but I'm surprised they couldn't communicate psychically, for Williams and Fry were soulmates in more ways than one. Critics find both obscure and obtuse, overly given to purple prose and awkward phrasing. Readers who want to be banged over the head don't like either author, but those who enjoy sublety and coaxing a text to give up its secrets often enjoy their whimsical wordplay, even if they find their works overly freighted with ideas.

Both writers are given to many-layered interpretations. One writer found in Fry's play A Phoenix Too Frequent an almost allegory of St. Paul's contrast between the "law" and "grace" in the book of Romans (in a full allegory everything corresponds to something else, which is not the case here). Charles Williams' plays are works in progress that are worked out dramatically on the stage. His most famous novel, Descent into Hell, develops the story around the attempt to put on a play.

Charles Williams would find nothing odd in these resonances between himself and Fry, both members of what he called the confraternity of poets, or between author and reader, whom he would say were linked in the web of souls. This language yearns to be spoken, almost as an incantation, and this potential energy longs to turn to kinetic action on the stage. Our age, given unto despair, finds both writers alternately too somber and too flippant. But for readers who, like Fry and Williams, find themselves out of step with modern (or post-modern) sensibilities, these plays may be just the thing. Maybe that's what Charles Williams was shouting from the London bus.

I highly recommend this book for anyone studying or teaching the life of David in I and II Samuel. It gives an excellent portrayal of the character of this very human man as he tries to please his God.

Explores the spiritual formation of King David from his earliest experiences with Goliath to his time in the desert running from Saul to the death of his son Absalom and his eventual death. Makes a great adult study in a small group or Sunday school context.

I found a copy of this book in my in-law's attic. I looked through the contents and decided to read the chapter on Friendship - David and Jonathan. Peterson is profound in this chapter. His comments on friendship as an expression of spirituality were so insightful that I am viewing my relationships with others in a new way already. I was even convicted that my friendship with my wife was not sufficient by God's standard. Wow, what a difference one chapter can make. I can hardly wait to buy this book and read the all of Peterson's reflections on the life of David. I like this "earthy spirituality." Give it a try, you might like it too.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Is the Bible passe, or is it still relevant for today? Does Christianity mean the triumphalstic life? What is the end goal of being a Christian? How can I live an authentic Christian life?

Eugene Peterson (the author of The Message) reflects on the life of David in this book and looks at what we can learn. Every chapter contains important lessons to being a Christian, and areas that we are to reflect on, and how we interact with God in our relationship with Him. The life of David becomes a platform for us to learn about our spirituality and relationship with God.

The following are some facts about David:
- The David story is the most extensively narrated single story in the Bible. We know more about David than any other person in the Bible.
- The life of David showed the humanity of this man after God's heart, and there are many themes that run through the life of David, e.g. parents, relationships, danger, murder, temptation, adultery, pride, humiliation, children, wives, rejection, sickness, justice, fear, peace, death...
- David did not perform any miracles.
- David sinned more than Saul, yet he was known as a person after God's own heart.
- David was known as a man served God's purposes in his generation (Acts 13:36).

The story of David is simultaneously earthy and godly. It shows us that we are never more alive than when we are dealing with God. David was an unfortunate parent, an unfaithful husband, and if we look at him from a purely historical perspective, he was a barbaric chieftain with a talent for poetry. But David's importance isn't in his morality or his military prowess but in his experience and witness to God. Every event in David's life was a confrontation with God.

Spirituality and humanity cannot be separated. We can't grow spiritually without understanding our humanness. We can't grow humanly without understanding our spirituality. David shows us that we can't be human without God. Understanding all this gives hope to many Christians that God looks at the heart, and it is about having a relationship with God. There are many lessons to learn, one of the most impactful to me was David's years in the wilderness.

It seems that all of God's leaders will at sometime go through a wilderness experience at least once. The wilderness experience is not something that any flesh likes, but it is an experience that can sanctify and consecrate the flesh. "Wilderness is the place of testing, the place of tempting" (pp. 75). In David's wilderness experience, he was being set apart, made holy, for God's use. The more he dealt with God, the more human he became (pp. 75). The wilderness was an attack on the flesh and a thrust towards dependence on God. In fact, David seemed most "spiritual" in his days in the wilderness.

Wilderness spirituality also includes being with the company of people we would not ordinarily choose to be with, and who would not ordinarily choose to be with us. (pp. 96). God uses others to point us to Him. If we see that the wilderness is filled with people we do not want to be with, we would have missed God. But if we see the wilderness being filled with God, we would not miss the people in it. "The wilderness taught David to see beauty everywhere. The wilderness was David's school in the preciousness of life; through wilderness testing David learned to see God in places and things he would never have thought to look previously. The wilderness immersed David in beauties so profound that a cheap revenge was unthinkable. The wilderness trained David in loyalties so binding that a broken oath was impossible. The wilderness exposed David to the presence of God in the most barren piece of rock so that no thing, and certainly no man, could ever be treated with scorn or contempt." (pp. 77-8) We cannot be naïve about the wilderness; it is a dangerous place. But we must never avoid the wilderness; for it is a wonderful place (pp. 80). "Hardship brings out the best in David. Suffering can, if we let it, make us better instead of worse" (pp. 198).

If you have ever felt discouraged by your own imperfections in your Christian walk, read this book! David is about as earthy and real as a person gets. As another reviewer wrote, the chapter on the friendship between David and Jonathan is also insightful and valuable. Eugene Petersen explores the reality of David's life situations and choices, and how his relationship with God was affected by them. In so doing, he highlights how God grows us and walks beside us throughout all of the trials of life, even those we bring upon ourselves. Ultimately, despite everything, David remained "A man after God's own heart" proving the existence and endurance of God's grace and acceptance, and that there's hope for us all!

"Leaps of Faith" is a work of love. It is warm, funny, sweet and moving, with elements of suspense and drama. Rachel Kranz tackles major themes of race, sexuality, family and betrayal. She searches her characters with great affection for the best they have to offer and finds an array of human qualities that contribute to a most satisfying reading experience. The book is stylishly written, but in a friendly, down-to-earth way, and at the end of the nearly 600 pages, I only wished for more. I can't wait for Rachel Kranz's next book.

Kranz's remarkable novel is a hefty mix of comedy, politics, and the daily grind of love in all its forms. Flip's psychic boyfriend Warren doesn't fully support his fledgling acting career. Rosie, Flip's sister, is juggling what could be her first union strike with her so-called dating life. While Flip and Warren's relationship struggles, Warren's estranged sister sends her biracial daughter into Warren's life, causing him to adjust to life in totally new ways. Kranz changes viewpoints through the story, making it a mosaic of life in New York City, and this is one of the strongest aspects of the story. The most potent aspect of the story is Warren and Flip's love. It's incredibly tangible in its constant variations from positive to negative to inbetween. Like real life, their love is inconsistent with one saying something honestly to the other, and watching as it's misunderstood. And it's this honesty that resonates with the reader, drawing us further and further into the book until it's unquestionable that this book would be set aside. If you want to give yourself a fulfilling, joyful treat, grab this book and settle into a comfortable chair.

Leaps of Faith is truly captivating. Its plot is rich and moving. Its characters are endearing and vividly alive, especially Warren and Flip. However too much emphasis is placed on the union and the strike. Also, the side stories of Tanya and the lesbian couple in Flip's theatre group seem irrelevant. But the relationship developments between Warren and Flip, between the couple and their respective sister, between the couple and their little girl,Juliet, makes the book shines. The strength in Warren and Flip's relationship culminating to their "marriage" is rare, touching, deeply emotional and beautifully told. I hope Kranz will invest her talents in another novel soon.

Set in the vibrant Chelsea and Hell's Kitchen neighborhoods of New York City, Leaps of Faith explores gay and lesbian relationships, struggling actors, racism and union activists. There's something for everyone in this novel, but the author invested so much of her own experiences, I wonder if she has anything left to contribute to subsequent novels.

Warren is a professional psychic, raised in a wealthy family who only partially accepts his gay lifestyle. He is suddenly saddled with raising his sister's French bi-racial 8-year old daughter, Juliette, after his sister admits herself into an asylum in Paris. Although he is totally unprepared for this role, he adapts quickly to it and learns to love Juliette totally. The central theme of the novel is Warren's volatile relationship with Flip, 13 years younger, struggling actor, and the love of his life. After much angst and soul searching Warren and Flip decide to pledge their troth to each other, and many humorous scenes are built around their "wedding" planning.

Flip's sister Rosie is also struggling to come to terms with her love relationship with a much younger man of a different ethnicity. She is also a determined union activist and struggles with some serious health problems. I found the chapters relating to the clerical workers strike at the university to be overdone and boring, and some skillful editing could have made this section of the book more concise and entertaining.

The structure of the book, which was told in multiple voices, allowed you to have insight into the perspective of multiple characters, and was a useful device until the chapters relating to the strike. Moving rapidly from the voice of one character to another character, none of whom were adequately fleshed out, was confusing and tedious.

But, all in all, the book was amusing, quick reading and gave some fascinating insights into New York, the gay life, the theater, and the behind the scenes union organizing. A little less detail in some areas could have shortened it somewhat and made the pace more brisk.

I loved this book! It's a real page-turner. Ms. Kranz has captured the pulse of New York City with an exquisite array of pitch perfect voices running the spectrum of sexual orientation, gender and political position. It is epic in scope and yet very detailed and personal in each of its unique points of view. She has written a novel about intimacy and how we construct our intimate relationships that is political without being preachy. Her insightful glimpses into actor's lives, union organizers, traditional and non-traditional family structures and the web of relationships that keep them together are both painful and heartfelt. The characters have lingered with me long after the last page has been turned. The book reminds me of a fine tapestry, rich in texture and pattern, its story-lines beautifully woven together into a satisfying whole. I highly recommend this book!

Melody Beattie tells of her exeperience of great human tragedy with integrity and brutal honesty. Her book ends with a greater understanding of the human heart and with a message of hope.

Melody Beattie has great infornation in this book to help you help yourself

This book has been the most helpful book that I have read since my 15 year old son died of suicide in May 2006. She knows exactly how we who have lost children feel. It gave me hope. She made me feel more "normal". I have read Melody Beattie for years and was deeply touched by this book. I would highly recommend it to all bereaved parents.

Melody Beattie's book is a profoundly poignant, honest, courageous, heartfelt, and inspiring journey from being shattered at the loss of her precious 12 year old son, to learning how to embrace life again, and how to love and live fully.

It is not an easy journey, and takes time to adjust, and plunge wholeheartedly into the life circumstances you are facing NOW, so that you can re-claim the love in your heart that you can give both to yourself, and others who do need you.

I was deeply touched at how Melody shares generously with depth, and inspiration that anyone who is suffering from loss will gain tremendous benefit from reading this beautiful gift to humanity.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is in grief, as well as to grief support groups, so you can re-gain your life set by Melody's example. It is a beautiful and genuine one.
Barbara Rose, author of "Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE" and 'If God Was Like Man'
Editor of inspire! magazine

Melody Beattie's book is a profoundly poignant, honest, courageous, heartfelt, and inspiring journey from being shattered at the loss of her precious 12 year old son, to learning how to embrace life again, and how to love and live fully.

It is not an easy journey, and takes time to adjust, and plunge wholeheartedly into the life circumstances you are facing NOW, so that you can re-claim the love in your heart that you can give both to yourself, and others who do need you.

I was deeply touched at how Melody shares generously with depth, and inspiration that anyone who is suffering from loss will gain tremendous benefit from reading this beautiful gift to humanity.

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is in grief, as well as to grief support groups, so you can re-gain your life set by Melody's example. It is a beautiful and genuine one.

Highly recommended! Barbara Rose, author of, `Individual Power' and `If God Was Like Man'

I read this book new and several times since. I've given away a few copies which is why I'm here on Amazon again. I hope they don't run out.
I WROTE CONSUMERS REPORT a while back about publishing an updated edition. They didn't respond.

As the other reviewers say, this book is hands down, the best book on drug history available. Unlike other books about the history of drugs and drug policy (i.e., Musto), this book is not dry. It covers most drugs, including licit drugs (which is very important), and this man has great insight. This is the right way to write about drug policy. I have no idea why this book was never reprinted; it is truly the best drug book that exists.

I read this book in the early '80s. I say that it helped me survive my period of drug experimentation. Now as a father I don't endorse the use of drugs but I do recommend this book so that the reader could make an informed choice.

Even though this book is nearly 30 years old, everything it says about the drug problem is still relevant today.

This publication outlined a clear-cut set of recommendations that if adhered to, today's drug problems would have become a long forgotten memory.

This book is a must for the collection.

I went through alot of 'Drug Education'. I thought I knew something. I didn't. I learned more in one night from this book than I did in 18 years of being a youth in the Drug War. Read this cover to cover and now try to get everyone I know to read it.

The complete story of a legend: Canned Heat. When you read this book, you are with the band year after year. Great itme for anyboby like the music.

I thought this book was really well written and all the stories told throughout were very interesting. Love Canned Heat and it is kind of sad in a way, but it's good to know what happened. Fito rocks!

Being a serious blues player and fan I've never been partial to Canned Heat's music though I'm pretty familiar with it. I did buy the LP Hooker and Heat, which I like. Alan Wilson was a fine harp player for sure and John Lee Hooker was in good form. I'm not going to run out to buy any Canned Heat CDs now, but after having read this book I'm sorry that I never heard Canned Heat live. I once read a comment about Son House to the effect that he doesn't play the blues, he IS the blues. Canned Heat, more than any act in history, based on Fito's account, lived the blues. These poor devils went through a seemingly never ending litany of tragedy, death, injustice and suffering in their incredibly long existence (which continues to this day) and yet they survived. That, after all, is what the blues is all about. Surviving tragedy with strength, humor, love, and often drugs and/or alcohol IS the blues. Few blues performers (and no bands) have paid the dues that Canned Heat has paid. This makes Canned Heat pretty special in my opinion.
Fito's account of the band's journey through the ups and downs of life and show biz is heartfelt, wise, funny and very well written. The book is the best rock biography I've read in a long time, maybe ever. I found myself really caring about the members of the band including the many who only briefly joined and left. The accounts of self-destructive core members Bob Hite, Alan Wilson and Henry Vestine are tragic and inspiring at the same time. Fito doesn't pull any punches when discussing any aspect of the band, it's members or the many managers, wives, girlfriends, bar owners and fans that the band came in contact with. He's a wise soul who understands human nature very well and it comes out in every page of this informative and entertaining book.

I usually don't like biographies too much, but with Fito De La Para, it's different! It's about one third biography, and two thirds the saga of Canned Heat and it's members, and their ill fates. It tells about the life and death of Alan Willson, one THE greatest harmonica players of his time, and fleshes him out in a way that just listening to the old albums can't do. The same thing happens with "the Bear," Bob Hite, and Harvey Mandel, and each of the later members that replace them. Many, Many great pictures! It's drugs and chicks and death, just like the title says, but Fito retains hope throughout, and is a bouyant narator who takes you on his personal ride from illegal alien to superstar to heir to the "World's Premeir Boogie Band!" I read it all, then handed it off to my Dad, with my brother waiting in the wings to grab it next! Get it while you can!

Written by Canned Heat drummer Fito De La Parra, this book is a tell-all tale of rock and roll excess. Only a Latino could pour his heart out the way Fito does here. His love of the blues, love of his fellow band members, his anguish at the deaths of Hite, Wilson and Vestine are expressed here vividly and emotionally. Of particular interest are some great stories about their most loyal fans; bikers, as well as the usual alcohol abuse, over-the-top drug use, and dalliances with females, some of them groupies, including the Plastercasters, The Butter Queen and sweet, sweet Connie. A must-read for all fans of rock and roll, blues and " the road ".

This is one of the best Christian devotional books I have ever read. It is unique in its presentation of events in the life of Christ and the author's spiritual insights certainly draw one closer to God. I gave a copy to my pastor and he recommended it to fellow pastors, as well as friends and family.
Gert McIntosh

I find this devotional to be so touching and thought-provoking. I have purchased one for my husband, daughter, and two friends. I only wish I had bought more. In relation to the scripture, Mr. Gire ties Moments with the Savior into every day life and hin doing so this book helps me to know how to pray more effectively about different matters in my own life and in others for whom I pray. It is very insightful and highly recommended!

I have received more graces through this book than any other in my library. Ken Gire knows how to make the Bible come alive in very real, truistic ways. A definite +++

By far my favorite devotional book. Gire, through his gift of story-telling, brings to life the characters and situations of those Christ touched in his time here on earth. The prayers that end each chapter help me examine myself and fix my eyes on Jesus. This book is wonderful for those who only know the name of Jesus and seasoned Christians alike.

On seeing other interesting reviews, I briefly need to quote Ken Gire in his exceedingly well-written glimpses! 1) An Insightful Moment of the Fields: "He lies there so meekly...Coming to us in the weakest of ways. He placed himself at the mercy of creation, at the mercy of a census, at the mercy of us mortals, even at the mercy of animals." After being immersed in sacrifice, I find An Intense Moment in the Desert: "The desert is where we face the strongest and most seductive temptations in life...where the enemy is most formidable, and where we are most vulnerable."

Ken uses descriptive adjectives so artistically. He seems truely sincere, never boring. With the Insightful Moment at Nazareth, he creatively expounds upon Jesus reading the Prophet Isaiah in the Synagogue.

"Nazareth was Jesus' hometown. (Just in case my first readers may not know the fact) Nazareth's obscurity is surpassed only by its austerity." With few words he sparks my imagination!

Two more dramatic moments compelled my total attention: Gire's
Intimate Moments With Peter and Insightful Moments of Character, focused upon the Beatitudes! Describing his Fishing with the disciples, Gire writes: "Above them hover squawking fluries of herons, cranes, and cormorants waiting to dart in and steal away what they can of the catch." (To any salt-water fisherman that cuts it deeply)

Finally, An Insightful Moment of Character: "The Crowds were comprised largely of outsiders. Hardly pillars of the community.
What did they hear in His voice when he preached? What did they see in His Face?" Then his answer comes in outline form: "He was poor in spirit...He mourned...He was meek...He hungered and He thirsted for righteousness."

"If the world persecuted Him; What would it do to His followers? Similiar thots are included in his most Intense Moment about the Mountain-top, with more creative embroidery. Poor in spirit, mournful, meekness, hunger for rightousness... being merciful, being pure in heart, also a peacemaker." What a wondrous way to end my Commentary...Awesomely full of Intimate, Instructive Moments with Jesus! Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

David Niven was not always a star. He had to go away and learn his trade in "B" movies before being allowed to enter the big time. He learnt that trade well but, unlike some who were destined to become greats of Hollywood, he also put his entire acting career on hold whilst he served as an officer in a fighting unit throughout WW2.

This book tells the first half of his life's story and what a story it is. Like every biography ever written, the best bits do not happen at the beginning, so some readers, therefore, might find it slow going at first. Though many will not. But then we meet the rich and famous stars of Hollywood from another era and learn a little about each of these people and their various relationships as we move from one to another and sometimes back again.

Written in David Niven's own hilarious style, there is so much humour here that you "will" find yourself insisting others read this book. In fact, it is so funny - especially his descriptions of the wrong use of English words by foreign movie directors, one finishes the book in the knowledge that had David Niven not become an Oscar-winning movie star, he would easily have achieved great success as a writer.

The underlying theme, of course, is David Niven's life and, as one reviewer has already said, this book leaves you wishing you had met this man. Me too.

NM

Celebrity autobiographies are exercises in exhibiting the overexposed. However, dignity and discretion are assumed by the reader. Consequently, the author is oblidged to spend the entire book repeating, in essence, "I don't mean to brag but..." Also, celebrity autobiographies are famous for their creativity. David Niven's is pretty par for the course. I doubt if more than 25% of the incidents included happened exactly as described, if at all. All the better for the reader. The truth is usually rather dull or unpleasant. The narrative itself is very readable in a relaxed chatty style. Who knows if he even wrote it himself. You never know. Maybe he wrote the bare bones out and gave it to a ghostwriter to pad it and make it sound like "David Niven" wrote it. Wouldn't be the first time. Who cares? It's a fun story filled with famous people being interesting.

David Niven was not always a star. He had to go away and learn his trade in "B" movies before being allowed to enter the big time. He learnt that trade well but, unlike some who were destined to become greats of Hollywood, he also put his entire acting career on hold whilst he served as an officer in a fighting unit throughout WW2.

This book tells the first half of his life's story and what a story it is. Like every biography ever written, the best bits do not happen at the beginning, so some readers, therefore, might find it slow going at first. Though many will not. But then we meet the rich and famous stars of Hollywood from another era and learn a little about each of these people and their various relationships as we move from one to another and sometimes back again.

Written in David Niven's own hilarious style, there is so much humour here that you "will" find yourself insisting others read this book. In fact, it is so funny - especially his descriptions of the wrong use of English words by foreign movie directors, one finishes the book in the knowledge that had David Niven not become an Oscar-winning movie star, he would easily have achieved great success as a writer.

The underlying theme, of course, is David Niven's life and, as one reviewer has already said, this book leaves you wishing you had met this man. Me too.

NM

Let me explain what I mean.

First of all, from the very beginning pages of the Book, I could sense the smooth flow of thoughts, pouring out of MAN Niven, not ACTOR Niven.

Second, I could also feel for MAN Niven and what he went through in his youth and early manhood.

David Niven is a born storyteller. He should have dared direct movies as well. He would have succeeded splendidly because one of the very first requirements for a director, both on stage, as well as on camera, is to know how to tell a story, and tell it in a coherent and organized way.

That he had chosen not to do it, means that he was aware of his limitations and probably preferred to stick with what he knew best: acting.

I bought this book just by chance at Heathrow, while traveling to New York, feeling bored to death by the many security checks and formalities to be undergone these days, in order to be able to travel from point A to point B on the globe.

I had absolutely no idea what it was all about, but the title intrigued me, also because I had heard about it some years ago, but didn't pay appropriate attention to it at that time.

So, here I went and bought it. Finally on board of my flight carrying me to the U.S., I opened it and before I knew better, I had already landed at JFK having read half of it.

I could have blasted the pilot for that, but it wasn't his fault. I am a slow reader. I have to savor all the finesses contained in a book, given that the same is worth the effort. Believe me, "The Moon Is A Balloon", is such a book.

During my entire stay in the U.S. I carried the book around and kept on reading it - I should actually say - devour it. When I finally came to its end I felt disappointed.

Not by the book and magnificent tales and accounts it contains, but having come to a point where there was nothing more to read.

This is a book that will leave you with a "hunger" to read more about MAN David Niven and what he has to say about his experiences.

It is not just what he says, but how he says it.

The descriptions of the people he met, the places he visited, the moods and colors of his world, all come to life vividly.

Perhaps because I am a stage director, interested in directing movies, I may have a distorted vision on this, but I could actually visualize what David Niven was describing.

Various wild images a la Charles Dickens, especially at the very beginning of the book, sprung out of my mind (even "The Turning of the Screw" popped up - go figure why...).

Then, while he was describing his experiences with the schooling system in England, I visualized sorts of crazy images half-ways out of "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", mixed with "Blackboard Jungle" and/or "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" - the male version that is.

Later the encounter with his first love affair (I won't reveal more about it, you must read by yourself), I had flashes of "Of Human Bondage" and "Great Expectations".

His Malta adventure in the Army, almost sprung out from very early forties war movies, or thirties movies with Clark Gable.

Now I realize how deformed my professional mind is, but indeed I could feel being transported there, in his "Balloon", in his world, and felt part of his tragicomic life.

David Niven takes you by the hand and leads you into his secret garden, in which you discover the ugly sides of life, but also the very splendid tiny little pleasures that make his and everyone else's life pleasurable and indeed, worth living.

It is funny to think that David Niven's "Balloon" closely resembles to the one Jules Verne's created in "Around the World in 80 Days", and while this was a total work of fiction, Niven's own takes you much farther, than just around the world.

It takes you into a lesson of lived life, told by a human being who has truly learned from his mistakes and learned from them what life is truly all about.

The lesson though, never comes from a pulpit, it comes as a highly entertaining and fascinating account of experiences, at times very funny, at times very grim, but never, never boring.

I was stunned to finally witness that even a person like Niven, that was alive for most of my lifetime, could still enthrall and grip me with his writing style.

I usually have always avoided reading modern authors, or biographies of modern personalities, except maybe Science Fiction books (Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury or Arthur C. Clarke), since they all seem to resemble each other.
It is a continuous ego-trip with lots of whining and gossiping involved, but no true and genuine life experience and wisdom shared, and if is at all shared, it is in the form of "...let me tell you how to change your life, into a successful business-like one...".
Lots of preaching from insignificant and dull people I wouldn't even like to meet in person, even if I had a chance to do so.

David Niven never preaches, he just tells you how it was and the ways he managed to work himself out of trouble and into a very useful and respectable life.

I absolutely love his book.

Alas, David is not among us anymore, because if he were alive today, I would absolutely want to know and meet him in person, and perhaps even work with him.

I am over fifty, but I get a sense that with a person like him, I could still learn a lot in matters of life and how to survive even the most adverse of situations in it.

Dear readers, allow me to suggest this book to all of you. You won't regret it. This is not just another boring autobiography.
This is a man's heart opened up to the world, for the best and the worst.

David Niven's soul lies in his lines and comes alive when these lines are read.

Bless you David, wherever you may be, my thoughts are with you.The Moon's a Balloon

I just want to quickly add to all these other five-star reviews that this is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. David Niven candidly bares his vulnerabilities and lets us in on the obstacles and hurts he endured. I read this at a time that I felt I was drifting and this made me feel much better. There are amusing stories about Hollywood and the rest of the world in the old days. Blessings to David Niven. It's a breeze of a read and I envy those of you who have it yet to enjoy for the first time!