Educators Books

I don't have time to write a review that will do this novel justice. Suffice it to say, I couldn't put it down, and the characters and ideas stayed in my mind long after I finished reading it. It was a completely beautiful, realistic, piece of literature. I strongly recommend it.

This book was so powerful, so filled with beautiful images, I read it twice. John, I met you at a St. Louis book signing. My autographed copy of Heaven Lake sits in a place of honor in my home library. As an aspiring writer of Asian culture, I am quite influenced by your work. Thank you and please gives us something new soon.
Steven J. Ferrill

I won't say never a dull moment, but Vincent's life undergoes so many changes in this book that it's a pleasure watching him learn from his naive decisions. He goes through so much turmoil, and morphs from a wishy-washy young man to someone with a backbone. I love the culture clash, the truth from the mouths of liars, and twisted redemption. A great book, and I've noticed that writers of most of the great books I've been reading lately acknowledge help from the societies and friends who have helped them along the way. I've always wondered how people write great books by themselves, but it doesn't seem like they do.

For me, this is storytelling becoming the art of literature. John Dalton does not use language to awe, nor tries to impress the reader with erudition. Only one of the (secondary) characters is neurotic, and the emotional and spiritual journey Vincent goes through is steady and reserved. "Heaven Lake" makes you laugh sometimes, and maybe cry sometimes, but it doesn't force you to. It is not a short novel, but I found nothing redundant. The book has a personality, clear and strong. Plus, ofcourse, the interesting plot and cultural context. I hope to read another book by John Dalton, soon.

Heaven Lake has an interesting concept. Vincent, an American in Taiwan, is offered a considerable amount of money to go to Mainland China and participate in a sham marriage. He will then bring back the foxy bride so she can be married a second time to a Taiwanese businessman. Of course it doesn't work according to plan, the lady being a fox in more ways than one.

But before the real story can take place, the reader has to get through 190 pages. At which point, most of what has taken place becomes of secondary importance, and all that investment in the early chapters really doesn't pay off. It isn't hard to imagine an alternate setup--involving, say, two chapters--that would have served as well. Vincent suffers enough, and errs enough, once the journey begins, to show the reader what kind of person he is. It's at that point that the setting starts to come alive, as well.

The most interesting character is Alec, the Scotsman, a man who is apparently programmed to self destruct. The time spent on the crippled Taiwanese boy would probably have been better spent on Alec. Not that Vincent was close to him. Vincent isn't close to anyone.

But it isn't at all a bad read once one gets past the thesaurus-powered first chapter. It's just that it would worked better with a tighter structure. One can imagine an agent or editor writing "The story starts here!" across the manuscript, half way through. But no one did.

This is a very good inspirational book about an underdog inner city basketball team rising up to be the best, coached by Bob Hurley--best high school coach in small, broken down parochial school. Kids all had problems and he taught character and perseverance as well as basketball. It's tells how the coach motivated and taught his players. Parts moved a bit slow but it's definitely worth your time reading this one!

Coaching (and teaching) tips I got out of it included the following:

*Always keep the bar high and require respect.
*Never let anyone slide--keep on them all the time.
*Coach all the players, not just the best.
*Make kids earn your respect and ignore them until they do.
*Give everyone a role--even those on the bench.
*Use drastic measures (wrestling practice) to punish sloppy playing.
*Use the drastic measure practice for motivating in the future.
*Let the players experience the glory, keep low profile as coach.
*Help players make good decisions concerning their futures.

Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

I read this a few years back and I really enjoyed it. I have always found books about geniuses within their little realm fascinating. Bob Hurley's success is not attributed to a new revolutionary school of coaching thought, but rather basic hard work, discipline and commitment.

Despite its small enrollment, St. Anthony's teams have been pretty stacked over the years. That is why I always thought the St. Anthony's mystique (i.e. Poor little Catholic school in Jersey City) was overblown a bit. Give anyone an MacDonald all-american and a couple of All-NYC type players and you'll have success at the HS level. But this particular season, the players at St. Anthony's were something a bit less. Good players, certainly, but not the highly recruited types that usually populate the top HS Programs in the country. Hurley guiding this ragtag bunch of ballers to the heights of success says alot about the guys ability to coach and motivate. Its a great story that would have been something less if it chronicled one of the other St. Anthony's seasons.

Indeed, Hurley is a tough coach that borders on verbally absuive. But in this day and age of coddled athletes, he's refreshing. He's unambigious about what his expectations are and kids respond to his style. He's not a mean, cruel guy he just wants to get the most out of his players.

It would be a good read for coaches of youngsters through teenagers.

What a great, inspirational book. On top of that, it was only $5 when I purchased it, so you can't go wrong there. If you enjoy basketball, I strongly suggest you read this book!

If you're a coach this is for you. If you're a sports fan this is for you. I loved it so much I bought a book for my entire coaching staff. And we are a hockey team! There are a lot lessons and values that Coach Hurley teaches. More importantly it's about life. He never let up on these kids and pushed them to success. Challenged them to succeed. At that age level they need guidance, they need someone to sponsor them. Then its up to them to follow the path Coach Hurley gives them. It's amazing how a time tested path still can't lead some kids. It's a struggle between the kids backgrounds and the future they can have
Wow what a great book. What I liked is that these kids are now in college so we can follow their careers.
The one player that sticks out to me is Sean McCready. Great talent, bad guidance (family). Now he is sitting out the 2008 season because he transferred. Coach Hurley was right!

I also loved the fact that he sweeps the floor. That's his time, and we all need our own time. But coach is dedicated to a school that is struggling. There is no way a school like this should be on the verge of bankruptcy. Coach could leave and make millions, but he doesn't. Because if he does the school will close.
BUY THE BOOK

Adrian Wojnarowski's "The Miracle of St. Anthony: A Season with Coach Bob Hurley and Basketball's Most Improbable Dynasty" is one of the best sports and leadership books I have read this past year.

St. Anthony's is a private Catholic High School in Jersey City, NJ, with 230 students (120 boys). Students come from an area where 16% pass the HS proficiency test and where the local drug-infested, back-sliding culture has a hold on the kids. Despite its size and location, St. Anthony's basketball teams have gone undefeated four times, have won two USA Today national titles, and 24 New Jersey Parochial state championships. The basketball program has developed 200 college players, including 5 who went on to the National Basketball Association.

St. Anthony's is a special and safe place under Srs. Felicia and Alan and legendary Coach, Bob Hurley - the streets stop here. Their focus in athletics and academics has been to help kids get to the finish line. They share a collective value that there is no shortcut to success.

While Sister Felicia and Sister Alan play prominent roles in the success of St. Anthony's, "The Miracle of St. Anthony" is mostly about Bob Hurley and the class of 2004 - the most athletically and socially underachieving team in St. Anthony's history. Yet, under Hurley's coaching leadership, the team went undefeated, winning the NJ State Championship and was named by USA Today as the top high school team of the year.

Hurley struggles with the problems of the inner city and sees the potential in these kids that they do not see in themselves. He has always been a disciple of John Wooden... fundamentals, well-conditioned, team play, and defense...and he has always been a no-nonsense driver.

He creates an expectation of performance and accountability that the kids will not find anywhere else in their lives, and helps them out the door to life with values and a voice to become the best they can. And despite his daunting ways, the kids respect Hurley and when returning after graduation, they always come home to the warm embrace of family. The relationship changes from tough task master to a friend.

"St. Anthony's" covers the entire basketball year from pre-season preparations to the championship game. Wojnarowski provides the ups and downs of the season - injuries, players leaving the team, tough wins, and all the key relationships that makes St. Anthony's the special place it is.

This is a great read for anyone interested in coaching, leadership, and basketball.

The economist Thomas Sowell IS a hero, as well as a tough guy, as two other reviewers respectively describe him here, not only for his formidable intellectual accomplishments, but more important, for his lifetime dogged insistence on seeing things as they actually were, and unflinchingly reaching his conclusions based solely on the data and the rigorous application of logic to that data, no matter where that led him. I have never seen anyone with a greater commitment to the truth and to intellectual honesty, discipline and integrity.

I read this memoir because I had always admired Sowell's columns in the Post,in which he never displayed any interest in playing to the public, or in advancing any personal agenda, or in gratifying his own ego, but , instead, a completely serious interest in telling the unvarnished truth. I was curious about the man behind the scowling face that appeared next to his columns.

I wonder where Sowell's confidence came from so early in his life, but maybe even he doesn't know, and he doesn't seem to be big on navel-gazing. But he is truly an exceptional man.

We would be better off if we had a lot more teachers - and students - like Sowell.

If you are interested in Thomas Sowell and enjoy some of his other books, then this book will be the perfect compliment explaining this great man's life. Built off of all personal accounts, Dr. Sowell takes you through his journey from a youngster to today's life.

Intriguing chapters include ones about being in the military, his son's inability to speak early on, and his mental conundrum about whether to get his PhD or not.

I personally enjoyed every page in the book and now feel like I know the man as a personal friend. Thank you Dr. Sowell!

This is an inspiring book overall, and for me personally. My views are very similar to those of Dr. Sowell and, like him, I'm a PhD economist. Like the author, I have worked in government, the private sector, and academia, so I very much understand the frustration he faced at various stages of his career and his reasons for moving from job to job during the early part of his career, despite taking pay cuts at various points along the way.

What I most admire about Dr. Sowell is his refusal to compromise, his consistently high standards, and his keen eye for the truth. These are what make him truly unique and, in my estimation, almost heroic. It is very difficult to make one's way in this world without compromising your standards and eventually giving in to mediocrity. A clearly brilliant man, he never tolerated stupidity from those who should know better. Most definitely a person to be admired and emulated (if that's possible).

Sowell's autobiography leaves a lot to be desired in terms of literary style. His writing is mostly stilted, and you feel that he is writing at you rather than taking you along on his "personal odyssey". There are far more "literary" books in this genre, two of which I recently read, one of which I reviewed: Into My Own: The Remarkable People and Events That Shaped a Life. Nevertheless, Sowell's book provides valuable insights and lessons from his struggles and circumstances with which he dealt.

Sowell comes across as someone who was, from a very young age, very aware of his situation with respect to others, and keenly knowledgeable of actions he needed to take to improve his lot. This he models when he advocate for a better class placement in elementary school, for example. The same goes for the rest of his career, including his stint in the military.

He demonstrates a very rational, economics-type mind, before becoming an economist, making decisions such as whether to clean his rifle for inspection based on the probability that his specific rifle would ever be selected for actual inspection. For someone like me who is generally a rule follower, its almost painful to see how Sowell "got away" with so much while most of the time he was just practicing good reasoning.

He leaves a lasting impression as someone who always puts principle before practicality, though he sometimes seems too uncompromising. But he lives and dies by the sword, and he more than once left a job or project for reasons of principle, most of the time with little to fall back on.

While his comments and anecdotes on academia, economics, politics, racism, social policy and other issues where interesting and stimulating, I was left wanting for more in terms of introspection or revelation.

I first became acquainted with Dr. Sowell through his weekly articles in our local paper and am really impressed by the things he writes about, so I jumped at the chance to get this story of his life. He is a black man who moved from a hard beginning to what I consider great heights. He is a man who will not compromise his convictions no matter the cost. A very inspiring read of a fellow traveler through this time on earth and I would recommend it highly.

A remarkable woman listens to the reality in her students and finds ways to reach the real person in each of them. Her affluent background and connections allows her to make the most of unique connections. The experiences of the Freedom Writers is inspiring and a clear statement that difficult students can have a richness to be realized. There is that of God in everyone and she sought it out.

Erin Gruwell is an amazing person. She was able to reach her tough students and make connections with them that "the system" had written off. Much as people would like to deny it, there is racism in our schools. If given a chance, I think that all kids can succeed. It's the stereotypes and told that you're stupid that brings a lot of these kids down. Poverty and their domestic situations don't help in the least either. Erin saw through everything and at such a young age! I believe it's people like her that truly change the world for the better.

Such an inspiring story for future educators. A must read for anyone thinking about the teaching profession!

I was assigned this memoir for a graduate Teaching in America course. Although I found the story touching and inspiring to a degree, I also found things missing from the book. The setting was in the 1990s (before No Child Left Behind), but were there others California standards? What happened to the rest of her students (other than those that have done appearances with Gruwell)? In any book such as this, you must not only pay attention to what is being said but what is not being said.

Many others have written detailed reviews. This is merely an attempt to throw mine in the ring. I will begin by saying that I do not believe this book was ever intended to be a "How To" manual, but rather it is Erin telling us her story. One reviewer's title stated it was "Difficult to Replicate." I would take that one further and state that it is IMPOSSIBLE to replicate (it is HER story!) and we would miss the point if we tried.

Her ability to take these kids to screenings, and meet screenwriters, and dine at the Marriott, and meet Miep Gies, and attend the Holocaust Museum was due in part to their geographical location. Granted, all of these resources were available to other teachers in the area -- but my understanding is that no one was taking "those kids." So her willingness to take these students to these places was a large part of what changed their lives. However, depending on where you live, some of these things just are not an option!

The bigger lesson is not to replicate (we would all try & fail!) -- but rather to figure out what is it that I can do, where I am, with the resources I have in front of me. Otherwise, we could excuse our inaction for lack of resources. For me this book served as a means of self-evaluation -- and I came away deciding that someone raised the bar, and it's time to step-up.

Initiation
This is amazing book and one of the best. I highly recommend.

I was very pleased with the service i received. The book arrived quickly and in the excellent condition advertised. Highly recommend this seller.

I've read quite a few books about philosophy, Atlantis, reincarnation, Edgar Cayce, etc., and this is one of the best so far. There are so many fascinating insights in this book.

Apparently because the author had been initiated into the Egyptian mysteries thousands of years ago she was somehow able to go back and remember those times. She reveals the answers to many great questions and mysteries.

The author had the ability to take a very internal experience and express it in such as way that others can relate to it. She ties in those memories from Egypt with her then current life on earth and shows how all of our past lives are interconnected.

It reveals many amazing things about Moses who she says was the last initiate and explains the significance of the biblical Exodus. She also explains how Moses parted the Red Sea and drowned the pharaoh and his army.

Apparently there were Atlantean devices inside the pyramids in Egypt at one time in the distant past and the Ark Of The Covenenant was one such device. The Ark as well as Moses' staff were made of a 'sort of bronze'. This was probably the reddish colored Atlantean metal 'orichalcum'. How interesting that the Atlaneteans were the red race.

It talks about how Atlantis was accidentaly destroyed by the black magicians and sorcerers when they abused terrible forces of nature. This to me sounded like a thermo nuclear explosion.

It explains the significance of certain geometrical shapes such as the triangle and pyramid. Who would doubt that the ancient Egyptians knew a lot about this ? This is undoubtedly where Plato heard about his famous geometric solids since Plato and I believe Jesus Christ also went through this initiation process.

The true origins of the zodiac are also explained.

There are many other amazing ideas in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in philosophy. I wish I could find a similar book about someone who can remember Atlantis in this much detail.

Jeff Marzano

Meditation Music of Ancient Egypt

The Atlantis Dialogue: Plato's Original Story of the Lost City, Continent, Empire, Civilization

The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Reader's Edition)

Same Soul, Many Bodies: Discover the Healing Power of Future Lives through Progression Therapy

Edgar Cayce's Egypt: Psychic Revelations on the Most Fascinating Civilization Ever Known

Edgar Cayce's Atlantis and Lemuria: The Lost Civilizations in the Light of Modern Discoveries

The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls: Unlocking the Secrets of the Past, Present, and Future

Initiation in the Great Pyramid (Astara's Library of Mystical Classics)

This book is very deep and no nonsense. This book has so much information on spiritual teachings from the ancient Egytians, it could be used as a textbook. Not a light read!

I enjoyed reading this book very much, a nice break from a lot of the dry esoteric books that I tend to read. If you accept reincarnation, then you should not have a problem with this book. It has been a while since I read this book, but what sticks in my mind are Elisabeth's Egyptian initiation experiences. The events ring true for me as regards what I have also heard regarding the ancient mysteries schools. Herein is the path of the razor's edge I.e. Tests and trials inclusive of death for divulging esoteric secrets. Elisabeth's reincarnation experiences include her making contact with a long lost love from Ancient Egypt. Her experiences going through war also made an impact on me. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a recent girlfriend of mine also read this book; she equally enjoyed reading this book. I personally dislike fiction when it comes to esotericism; this includes a lot of the new age stuff. Elisabeth's book, I believe, does not come under this banner. There is something very authentic about this book. You can see by the many other reviews that this book touches people, leaving an impact.

For those who enjoy reading spiritual books, I would also more highly recommend reading `Autobiography of a Yogi'.

Since originally posting this review I have read another of Elisabeth Haich's books [ASIN: 0943358035 Sexual Energy and Yoga]. I have posted a review for this book and given this 5 stars.

This is about the 7th copy of this book that I have purchased. I keep giving them away because the message is so poignant. It is a wonderful story of courage and acceptance in the face of death at too young an age. But - the story is not sad - the author finds the joys in life and the ability to face each day with a positive outlook.

I have read this book once a year at the end of winter since its publication because reading it is a great way to herald in the spring given its life-affirming message. As a disabled person, I find it particularly helpful, but I first started reading it a few years before I was disabled. I purchase at least one copy a year because I not only loan it out, I give it away. Such a gift it is.

I also want to say to the people who are disappointed that Simmons doesn't let us into his pathos and pain: perhaps Simmons did not spend a very long time in pathos and pain, let alone want to write about it (living it may have been enough for him). I am disabled and my disability has left me with little social contact (in fact even my spouse left me because of my disability), and yet I am a happy person. It's not that I don't accept or honor my grief, but I spend more time loving life back rather than standing in the crashing waves shaking my fist at God. I suspect this was Simmons way as well.

No doubt he could have written that other book and even made us laugh at his pain, but that was not the focus of his life. Research shows that happy people do not necessarily have more happy experiences--they just focus on those experiences more and are grateful just for the chance to be alive no matter the suffering. That's a lesson in and of itself.

Just a quick note to add my voice to others who love this book by the late Philip Simmons. As moving and beautiful and wise as any creative nonfiction ever written. As a professor of writing, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about life (and the death that makes life possible).

My brother was diagnosed with ALS this last October. I bought this book for everyone in my family...it has allowed us to cherish life and the moments we have with him. This is a great book and I recommend it 100%!!!

I didn't enjoy this book at all - its just not my type of book. I was expecting a biography of his life - but this book is a series of short stories about life in general, not necessarily the authors life.

I guess I just didn't read the back cover properly.

I was only able to make it through Chapter 7 (first 102 pages), and decided at that point, to read a chapter further on in the book to see if the author would drop what was a boastful litany of his honors received and high praise from others. Unfortunately, two pages into a later chapter I found no change, and decided to stop reading.

Mr. (Prof.) Franklin's career and experiences seem so unique and important, that I was really looking forward to this autobiography. I have to agree with the unfavorable review from Publisher's Weekly. I've never before read an autobiography where the author couldn't pause in expressing such a high opinion of his/herself long enough to get their story told! Perhaps this is what Pres. Gould of St. Augustine's College saw in him, prompting Gould to 'lecture' Prof. Franklin on not letting his ego get the better of him, as opposed to offering congratulations on Franklin's Harvard PhD.

I will have to try one of his non-biographical works at some point, as with his credentials, he surely would have his history down to a science. I only wish he'd been able to humble himself enough to make his autobiography palatable.

I'm reviewing the book at 2 stars rather than 1, as behind the bragging are real successes and accomplishments, at at time when minority achievement was terribly difficult in the larger, U.S. society. From that standpoint, it could be a good "yes you can!" touchstone for those who struggle to overcome the disadvantages of bigotry, in any form.

John Hope Franklin has been through a certain kind of hell prevalent in this country for centuries -- the hell of discrimination, the hell of being looked upon by whites as something less than human. Slavery was abolished in the 19th century after this country lost hundreds of thousands in a civil war. That uprising by the South still splits America, and African Americans have never truly been free.

Dr. Franklin, who took his Ph.D in history at Harvard, has written not only the scarred story of his people but of discrimination that has never ended. As a young boy, he grew up in a small town in Oklahoma that was founded by African Americans. His lawyer-father finally managed to move the family to Tulsa, after a now-famous riot in 1921 destroyed the Greenwood District, the center of black commerce in the community. Even today, there are no reliable statistics on how many African Americans died in that tragedy.

Throughout his illustrious career as an historian, teacher and presidential advisor, Dr. Franklin never wavers in his criticism of a "free" country that enslaves an entire race. Afterward, over a century of "Jim Crow" laws and traditions made blacks lead poverty-stricken lives in segregated schools, lunch counters, restrooms -- every aspect of life in America was separate and unequal.

But his is a criticism tempered with knowledge and love of his country and his fellow students, historians and citizens, regardless of color.

Here is a figure of history who, as a young boy, was not allowed by the white community of Tulsa to do even the simplest jobs, like delivering a daily newspaper, the Tulsa Tribune. Franklin delivered the newspapers by proxy -- only white men could be official carriers. Young Franklin did the actual work.

This was the same newspaper that, reportedly, supported legalized lynching of African Americans. During the Tulsa race riots in 1921, that same newspaper urged the Greenwood area be burned to the ground. It was.

He recounts another experience as a youngster in Tulsa. He saw an elderly white woman, who was blind, trying to cross a street alone. As a Boy Scout, Franklin knew it was an honorable deed to help her. She accepted his help, until she found out he was black. Then, she shoved him away and crossed by herself.

This was the atmosphere in which Dr. Franklin formed the fortitude to build a life that would fight for freedom, justice and equality for all. Through his long life, he continues the battle to change and better his country.

Sometimes, that battle became dangerous. During Franklin's college days, he recounted being part of a research team that talked with former slaves, plantation workers and sharecroppers. He and a fellow scholar were nearly lynched because they interviewed workers on a plantation in defiance of the plantation owner's orders.

This winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, paints a picture throughout his autobiography of a nation that has lost the talents of an entire race of people, simply because of its prejudice in every area of society.

In later life, he was reminded again of racist America. He says it best: "At age sixty I was ordered to serve as a porter for a white person in a New York hotel, at age eighty to hang up a white guest's coat at a Washington club where I was not an employee but a member."

Yet, when President Clinton asked him to chair the President's Initiative on Race, he did so willingly. Dr. Franklin learned another lesson: the national press corps refused to either report, or report accurately, the workings of the committee.

The Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and other major news outlets refused to send reporters to meetings of the national conversation on race.

"'For his entire year as chairman,' wrote a reporter for The Boston Globe, 'Franklin never met face-to-face with Clinton.' This was, of course, stunningly inaccurate,'" Franklin wrote.

This autobiography is, in itself, a national conversation on race and raises questions by which could hang the fate of the nation: in 2001 "...there were more young black men in jails and penitentiaries than in college...". The glass ceiling for African American employment remains. Discrimination in housing continues. The majority of African Americans still live in low-income neighborhoods.

This book is a poetic, evocative plea for fairness and growth as a nation. It remains a 'must read' for every American, no matter what race.

It has the rise and sweep of a great work of art, authored by a great and remarkable American, Dr. John Hope Franklin.

I purchased this for another person. As far as I know she is satified with the book according to what she was looking for.

I really enjoyed the written format and getting to know this man, his family history as well the impact of Black History over all. I've met him and to see this man at 90+ is amazing. A worthy book to include in your personal library.

Dr. Franklin shares his experience as a student, intern, volunteer, and educator in this poignant autobiography. The book is an excellent educational piece; it provides a view of a little-known segment of educational history as related to some of the top universities in America and abroad. Dr. Franklin's prose brings the reader to a point of understanding, of sitting in his place, feeling what he felt. It is a primer for all persons, regardless of race or ethnicity, who were not alive prior to the desegregation movement; it reminds us of how far we have come and how far we have to go.

I read about this book on a online community for back yard chicken owners(Shout out to ya all!!!) It was written by a member that I havent met.
And it is so well written. I barely get time to myself so a book for me is a treat. And this was a well chosen one.
Funny and written with wit. A look inside the "addiction" that is chickens.
Story begins with the demise of her marriage and the subsequent sale of her large home in the ritzy part of town. The promise to her daughter of chickens and the intense research her daughter then does. A move to a small, close community with the usual, and unusual dwellers. And the lengths chicken owners then go through for their chooks.

From delivery to first brooder, to first coop. It is a learning adventure for the writer, her daughter and the reader.

Very highly recommended for all pet owners and anyone thinking of beginning a life with chickens.

What a wonderful story about life and about living with chickens. Her descriptions are accurate, insightful, and very funny. Loved it!

This is a charming little book,with a happy ending..Perfect reading for a long trip on a plane, train, automobile..or a waiting room.

There are numerous self-help books on the market that enable people to cope with major life transitions - divorce, the death of a spouse, the move to a new neighborhood, the onset of empty-nest syndrome. Nothing attacks life changes better, though, than the wit and mirth of Caterine Goldhammer's "Still Life With Chickens". Her conversational style is hilarious and reads as if she is sitting across the table from you over coffee and talking about her move to a fixer-upper house by the sea. My favorite paragraph is her observation about the simplicity of life as seen through the eyes of her brood of fluffy chicks: "The chickens went about their little chicken lives, eating and drinking and pecking. When I picked them up, they settled into the hammock I made of my shirt and went to sleep. Their beady little eyes drooped and they leaned their little heads against my thumb. Chickens are masters at living in the moment. I should stop worrying about them, I told myself. I should bow to their greater wisdom."
A must-buy book for giving to friends who need a good laugh during difficult times.

Christina Hamlett
Author of "Movie Girl" and "Screenwriting for Teens"

It's rare to find such a sweet, satisfying read on the topic of midlife changes and detours. While there's nothing terribly new in this memoir -- we've all read about painful divorces and renovating ramshackle houses in far-flung locations -- Catherine Goldhammer's voice and the clarity of her writing make this book highly relatable to women in the throes of change. As an empty nester facing transitions of another kind, I melted into the pages of this book and found comfort. Wish I could find more like it.

Wow - everything you wanted to know about homeschooling but wouldn't even think to ask. It's almost too overwhelming, but it's a great resource. She even includes her own homeschool journal entries, just brief sections, from the late eighties/ninties as she was homeschooling her three boys. She really includes all points of view and covers every subject so comprehensively. My only complaint is that it needs to be updated to include more website info. - she does list websites when she can, but there were many companies in there that I'm familiar with that have a good site and she didn't list the address for it. But you really can't believe all the subjects she covers - nothing is left out from what I can see.

This is such an incredible book that contains an enormous wealth of information and personal anecdotes. Unfortunately, this book is now outdated, as is some of the information in it. Some of the websites are no longer valid and some companies who had no website at the time this book was published, now do have one. In all, however, this book is a fantastic starting point with wonderful ideas. I hope the publishers of this book will seriously consider updating it and if they do, I honestly feel that this would be one of the most important homeschooling books available to families.

she means complete. It is a great book to follow and use as reference for your homeschooling experience.

It needs to be updated big time. A lot of recommended resources on the internet no longer exist and some recommended books are not recommended by the amazon customers. I have a 2 year old and I want to get ready to home school my child, but seems like this book will be so much out of date by the time he becomes 10 years old!

I am so blessed to have purchased this book early in our homeschool experience. They weren't very many formal cirriculum packages I liked, but everyone I knew was using them. Now what? I found this book and I am able to build my entire cirriculum around the contents! Our library has most of the books I need, or can be lent from another library. It has helped our budget TONS! This is a purchase you will not regret!

This book is well-researched, and Dr. Kengor gives us great insight into the faith of Ronald Wilson Reagan and the role that his faith had in his public life. Kengor uses many of Reagan's speeches and writings as well as the memories of those who knew the Gipper well to reveal a man whose faith in Jesus Christ remained deep and consistent through more than 60 years of public life, both in Hollywood and in the political arena. Obviously, Reagan's faith had its greatest influence on his lifelong battle against Communism, beginning in Hollywood and continuing throughout his entire political life. During his "Evil Empire" speech, Reagan said "The source of our strength in the quest for human freedom is not material, but spiritual...And because it knows no limitation, it must terrify and ultimately triumph over those who would enslave their fellow man." The President once spoke before a group of evangelical Christians and stated that the Cold War would be won not with bullets, bombs or missiles, but through our nation's great faith in God. By the end of the 1980's, that faith had prevailed and the great Soviet threat had been all but defeated. Following Reagan from his early childhood to his triumphant mission to Moscow, Kengor illustrates how Ronald Reagan, as both a spiritual leader and as a political leader changed the world, and changed the course of America, for the better.

I just loved this book! It was not only an interesting history lesson, but one of the most spiritually-inspiring books I've ever read. I am planning to get "That Printer of Udell's" to satisfy my curiousity about this book that had such a profound effect of Reagan's childhood. I'm also interested in reading Whittaker Chamber's "Witness." Wow--one good book just leads to others! Anyway, "God and Ronald Reagan" is an amazing book that I highly recommend to anyone. (I'm under thirty, and I loved it, so I hope other young people will as well.)

I just finished reading the book, "God and Ronald Reagan, a Spiritual Life". Although I was voting when Ronald Reagan was elected, I was unaware of or had forgotten his mission and his boldness in speaking the truth. In a world now that has either forgotten the evil that Communism was and still is or has been duped into thinking that there no longer is good and evil just differing viewpoints, it was so refreshing to be reminded of the truth.

I was absolutely amazed at how forthright and uncompromising Ronald Reagan was. Professor Kengor does a superb job of setting the stage for all Ronald Reagan would do as President by describing in great detail his mother, his father, his church, his acting and time in leadership there, and his GE job which gave him great opportunity to hone his public speaking skills and his message of freedom of religion.

I was so impressed with how Ronald Reagan carefully chose his words and took advantage of the opportunities presented to him, especially in Chapter 18, "Missionary to Moscow". He just never backed down, even when his advisors told him should. And, the words of truth he spoke to the Communist USSR. He never wavered from his core of religious beliefs.

Truly inspiring! What a man he was! It is clear that Professor Kengor painstakingly researched and wrote this book, with the desire to be factually accurate and to show us another side of Ronald Reagan that was perhaps unknown to us. This is a book worth reading!

This is an excellent book outlining the spiritual life of Ronald Reagan. A subject not generally covered by the secular media. This is also a book about his contribution to the fall of the Berlin wall and the Soviet Union. A must read for history buffs who want to know "the rest of the story".

Ever wonder what shaped and made President Reagan such an optimistic, influential leader; here it is. Paul Kengor, in his 2004 biography of the former president, explains how Reagan's Mother Nelle, brought him up in the Christian faith; which led him to convert to it at a young age, and how his faith helped shape his Presidency and policies.

Reagan grew up in Dixon Illinois, graduated from Eureka College, became an actor who stared in 53 movies, governor of California, and later, #1 in the oval office.


It also includes background to Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech, his assassination, and meetings with Pope John Paul II, Mother Theresa, and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev

This Book Rocks! It will give you a load of insight into his life. His optimism will rub off on you.