English Books

I couldn't put this book down. I read it in less than 24 hrs. The flow was great! It kept you wanting to turn the page and the love that developed between Toni and Jonas was excellent. Will definitely be buying more books from A. Byrd.

THIS BOOK WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL,THE RELATIONS AND RELATIONSHIP THESE 2 INDIVUALS SHARED WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! I KNOW THAT THIS IF FICTION ( MAKE BELIEVE) BUT DAMN HOW I GOT CAUGHT UP!!! I DON'T KNOW IF I'M P.M.S.ING OR WHAT, BUT THIS BOOK HAD ME GOING THROUGH THE SAME EMOTIONS AS THE CHARACTERS !!! TOO INTENSE!!! TO THE AUTHOR I LIKE YOUR STYLE!!! I'LL DEFINITELY BE CHECKING OUT MORE OF YOUR BOOKS AS WELL AS YOUR PROFILE PAGE, THE MEN GURRRRL!!!!!! TO EVERYONE OUT THERE THE BOOK IS SOMETHING SPECIAL,LOVELY!!!! THE PROFILE IS THA BOOOMMM!!!!

WOW! GREAT! AWESOME! WONDERFUL! FANTASTIC! There are not enough one-word adjectives to describe this book!!! Extremely well-done, Adrianne...as usual.

'Feel the Fire', the third book in the Unforgettable series, picks up where 'The Beautiful Ones' left off, and tells the story of a heart-broken Jonas Hinton and his journey in finding "Ms. Wright".

Coming behind the success of 'Unforgettable' and 'The Beautiful Ones', 'Feel the Fire' does not disappoint. Continuing in the same interesting way of story-telling as the first two books, Ms. Byrd takes the reader on a passion-filled 'Harley' ride to happily-ever-after. Sparks fly between Jonas and Toni and the chemistry between the two is so amazing, you are not going to want to put this book down and when you are finished, you're going to want to start all over again!

Both Jonas and Toni have issues that they need to deal with, but 'Feel the Fire' is certainly a story of "a funny thing happened when I wasn't looking..."

I am definitely looking forward to the next one!

She has fas become one of my favorite authors. Her books always deliver. I actually haven't read the pre-quels for this novel, but luckily she included enough info for me to get through it. The characters were funny and relatable. He was initially being driven by his need for revenge against his ex, while she was just a hard nosed lawyer trying to get her private practice off the ground. There was passion, humor almost everything I believe an romantic novel should have.

Feel the Fire indeed!!!
In this book when get to catch up with the characters from the Beautiful Ones. Jonas was left at the alter and really hasn't healed. Jonas plans to seek some "revenge" on Solomon the man who took his bride away thinking that this will put him on the path to getting over Ophelia and then he can truly heal. The revenge plot doesn't heal him. A woman by the name of Toni takes care of that. Toni on the ohter doesn't "do" relationships and she keeps Jonas at arms length but of course that doesn't last for long. The sparks fly between these two Toni and Jonas were HOT together. One word MOTORCYCLE. Run to get this book! You will not be disappointed!!

Very good information. Gives the reader a step by step process of getting clients without insulting intelligence.

I own a small business and I am looking to find more clients. This book is a must have for anyone who wants to offer services to businesses. I have already found this book to informative, simple to understand, and it has given me new skills to market my business without all the expense. Although I haven't done this for 28 days, I already have some leads on new clients just by doing some of the steps mentioned. Any one who offers a service related business should read this book. Truly a lifesaver!
Thanks

This book demystified marketing for me. I read other marketing books, but could not then commit to one course of action. In plain language, C. J. Hayden helps you to pinpoint where to focus your energy. Then she helps you to develop a step-by-step plan based on your needs.

If you are looking for a book about how to write a great sales letter, this is not it. If you are looking for a way to develop a low-maintenance business development plan, buy this book. You can spend as little or as much time as you want on this program. She explains how to get the ball rolling, and reminds you that development can be an ongoing activity.

Thesis: With this 28-day marketing program, you will locate, land, and keep new clients in greater numbers than you've probably ever dreamed possible. It includes steps that are easy to follow and practical for professionals and consultants.

Structure: A 28-day program described in ten chapters spread over three sections: The Setup, The System, and The Strategies.

Here are some sections I found especially valuable:

What Really Works? Effective Marketing Strategies (Ch. 1; pp. 5-21)
C.J. delivers a great lead-in that primes the reader with sound and specific information about what to consider. She speaks to the "hows" and "whys" behind marketing. Graphics such as the one on page nine ("Marketing strategies for the service business") make the material easily accessible to reader, helping break down any possible barriers of intimidation.

You're Ready...Let's Go! Putting the System into Action (Ch. 6; pp. 85-127)
This chapter leads the reader through the entire 28-day process with excellent details and tools (such as the worksheet on page 89) to help track progress. It's the culmination of the previous two chapters that discuss building your own system from a menu of tried-and-true marketing ingredients. C.J. tells you (1) what marketing ingredients to choose from, (2) how to choose what's best for your situation, and (3) specifically how to put the plan in action.

Following Up: When You Have Plenty of Numbers But You're Not Calling (Ch. 8, pp. 171-184)
This chapter is one of four in the third and final section: The Strategies. These four chapters help the reader focus on practical solutions for common problems encountered during the 28-day program and beyond. Chapter Eight focuses on breaking down barriers that cause inaction. It provides practical solutions to help the reader actually follow through on acquired leads.

It's easy to get overwhelmed with business and self-help books because authors provide a wealth of suggestions and no clear path. This is where Hayden's book stands out. She breaks everything down from the six marketing strategies and setting up measurable goals to selecting ten doable activities.

The book also includes two worksheets that work with the program for easier reviewing and tracking progress. While you can follow the program alone, she recommends having support from someone other than family. It could be a coach or a colleague in the industry.

The organized and methodical program guides you through each step. Reading the how doesn't take long and the program begins mid-way through the book. The latter half of the book describes the activities you can do while following the 28-day program. So you won't get overwhelmed at the thought of "too many pages to read."

I worked on it as soon as I started reading the book. Having this guide took a lot of pressure off of me as I know exactly what to do once I'd put my plan together. Not many business books have urged me to take action and this one succeeded. I know that after a month of following this process, I'll see positive results.

While the book sounds simple, and it is — it takes work to make it happen. Instead of taking the long route and learning from trial-and-error, Hayden provides you with a direct route so you do the activities and don't worry about overdoing it.

Some people may not like strict rules. The book isn't like that. It's okay to adjust the plan so you do six or seven activities instead of ten. It helps you figure out where you're stuck in the marketing process and provides the tools for working past it. The book is over five years old and its contents are as relevant today as when it first came out. I can say with certainty that anyone who follows the plan will get great results.

Shel Silverstein's poems are always truly a delight. Some of the collections, however, contain poems that are not quite appropriate for the very youngest listeners. A Giraffe and a Half IS targeted at the youngest audiences.

As the poem goes on, the titular giraffe is exposed to a more riotously funny situation on every page (a rose on his nose, glue on his shoe, etc.) My kids were laughing hard, and completing the rhyming phrases by the time the tired (and ludicrously attired) giraffe is rescued from visiting the mole in his hole, and divested of all his rhyming add-ons by various (also rhyming) people and animals.

This is a great book to read aloud to your children--just remember to take a BIG breath at the beginning of each page!

I am a preschool teacher for four year olds. There is nothing better than having a group of children completely engaged in a book, laughing over it and finishing my sentences. This book was asked for again and again and is a class favorite. It is a great introduction to rhyme and poetry. I think we all have it almost memorized!

Recommended by a teacher and read by a teacher the first time to grandson. High marks and great interaction by grandson who's three.

i neice LOVES this book! a classic for me and now i can pass it on to her...aaahhhh!

Read this to my Kindergarten students and before I got halfway through the book they were "helping" me read it! They ask for it often. What better recommendation could there be?!?!?!

Lamb Chops...What do lamb chops have to do with this story, well everything! Lamb Chops is the vaudeville routine that brought fame to this comedic duo in the late 1920's. I have the link to a You Tube movie short that was filmed in 1929 for this popular routine here. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFcsdgkg54 ) In this clip and others that I've seen with Burns and Allen, I think Gracie is the reason that they had so much success. She was so natural in her role as the "ditzy dame". She was good if not one of the best funnymen to a straightman role. This book takes the reader back to the waning days of vaudeville and the beginnings of film, radio and television as the new media for bringing entertainment to its audiances. George Burns takes us back down memory lane with a personnal love story that lasted nearly 40 years. His memories include many places and friends that I as a reader enjoyed visiting. I don't read love stories usually, but this love story is one that I enjoyed and won't soon forget.

In our disposable transient society of today, it is a refreshing change to see a love and a marriage that lasted so long. As time goes on, it is becoming an even rarer event.

In this book, Mr. Burns fondly remembers his wife, Gracie Allen. The stories that he tells about her, how they met, and how they managed to stay together so long were interesting to read and entertaining.

I would recommend this book to all ages. It is easy reading and also tells somewhat of the history of vaudeville, radio, television, and movies.

If you love old Hollywood, read this book. If you loved George & Gracie, read this book. If you want to read a true life love story, READ THIS BOOK. I just love the inside scoop on the old Hollywood that George dishes out. I never knew Cary Grant sold neck ties before becoming a screen idol. Harpo Marx (the quiet one) wanted one child in every window to wave goodbye or hello when he pulled up in the drive. George wasn't all that impressed with Marilyn Monroe.

This book is an easy read and so hard to put down.

Growing up, I really only knew Goerge Burns for the occasional television special he would host. Other than that, and his "Oh, God" movie (which came out when I was very young), I was relatively unfamiliar with him.

In the mid 80's, when I was about 10 years old, I found that a local radio station would run old time radio comedies from 8-10pm, and as such, I used to fall asleep nightly listening to the like of Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, and, of course Burns and Allen.

I finally just purchased this book from and Amazon bookseller about two months ago, and honestly, it's as good a $2.95 as I've spent in a while.

As other reviewers have said, many times bigraqphies can be a bit on the dull side, but George really did well with this. It is an easy read... a page turner. It's very interesting to get more insight on what a great performer she was, and how natural it came to her. One always got the feeling that even though she was delivering her "dizzy" Gracie charater, that underneath that was a very smart, clever person. This book certianly backs that up, and it backs it up with all the warmth and affection George Burns had for his wife.

I thoroughly enjoyed this not only for the story of Gracie, but also as a way to look inside the life of an entertainer at that time. I neverquite understood before what it was to work the vaudeville circuit, but there is a ton of insight in this book.

This is a must read for even the most casual fan of old time radio and the celebrities of that era.

I glanced at the reviews here to see if my opinion of this book was just a fluke, but they pretty much bear me out. I didn't expect this book to be nearly as good as it is. On second thought, though, it's not that surprising. This pair was magic and it was seen in everything they touched, the prime and lasting example being the without parallel Burns and Allen Show.

Burns and Allen successfully weathered many storms, making the transition from Vaudeville and stand-up comedy to radio and later to television. The earliest TV shows are the only ones available on DVD, but in later seasons they really hit their stride. In this hilarious and ground- breaking show, George would turn on the TV in the den to see what Gracie was doing, and regularly chat with viewers about events in progress. Gracie would walk in the wrong side of the set and regale viewers (or listeners) with non-stop comedic patter, malapropisms and surrealistic humour (ala Ernie Kovaks) with George as the straightman and pinnacle of style puffing his ever-present cigar.

Even as an octagenarian he could still act (Oh God, You Devil) but as a nonogenarian (92) he could still write. This marvelous memoir is not only the most delightful reading I've had in a long time, but makes me all the more want the Burns and Allen show on DVD. This book was a bestseller in hardback, but is now unaccountably out of print. Yet many readers would love this book, and would enjoy making the acquaintance of the remarkable Gracie Allen.

After a bad experience for my wife, I bought this book for her and I. I feel that husband's should read it as much as their wives, since what happens in this office effects both. It should be a State requirement to be in every OB/GYN, office, or required reading at least in regard to Fibroids and Endometriosis,is concerned. If every doctor believed in handling patients like he does, there would have been no need for the Patients Bil of Rights.
This book is written in very simple terms and very good explanation's to every aspect of diagnosis, treatment, and anesthesia. A very honest author, with a great group of people offering advice from their areas of practice.

I've read a LOT of books on women's health - seems they are often written too casually by laypeople (with lots of anecdotes that may or may not be true). The ones written by doctors are often too long and too technical. This book bridged the gap perfectly! The Dr answered not only many questions I had, but many questions I didn't know I needed to ask. I was at first disappointed that my library system didn't carry this book -- but after I bought it from amazon.com, I was glad I had. I was surprised to find it an interesting read: definitely a keeper!

I bought this book several years ago, and it remains a favorite recommendation for others. Information is presented clearly and is easily understandable. Furthermore, Dr. Parker has a website that you can visit to reinforce the information in the book and contact information if anything needs clarification.
A must have for women and ob/gyns alike!

A very useful book. It discusses various gynecological problems and bladder problems, diagnosis, and treatment options. Unlike many books on the subject, this book includes newer treatment options, for example, totally laproscopic hysterectomy techniques that can preserve the cervix, and allow faster recovery. Discusses the risks of various options; even includes a few statistics.

I love this book. Its like having an owners manual for your female parts. It was easy to read and covered all the problems a woman faces with their reproductive system. I bought lots of books when facing a hysterectomy, and this book was clear and to the point without scaring me to death. It will stay on my shelf because it covers common problems like fibroids, embolization, ovarian cysts, abnormal bleeding, common bladder problems, hysterectomy options. Its written clearly and helped me talk to my Dr.

Dr. Mardy Grothe has written yet another book that will delight linguaphiles. In fact in his introduction Grothe says, " This book is aimed at readers who have a deep interest in seeing language used in creative ways." This latest volume, _I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like: A Comprehensive Compilation of History's Greatest Analogies, Metaphors, and Similes_, includes nearly 2,000 quotations.

Since Grothe became a voracious reader more than four decades ago, he has collected hundreds of thousands of quotations, some of which appeared in his earlier works: _Viva la Repartee_, _Oxymoronica_, and _Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You_.

_I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like_ follows the same format as Grothe's previous books. The introduction acquaints readers with the figures of speech included in the book. Grothe clearly explains the similarities and differences between analogies, similes, and metaphors, and he recounts their earliest known appearance in history. His explanation is perfectly seasoned with illustrative quotations.

The body of the book is divided into fifteen chapters, each of which includes analogies, similes, and metaphors on a particular theme, such as definitions, relationships, stages of life, stage and screen, politics, sports, and -- of course -- the literary life. Again in the format of his earlier books, quotations included in the first part of each chapter are enhanced by discussion and historical anecdotes. It is interesting to see nearly identical quotations from widely separated contemporaries or to see various ways that a similar idea is expressed -- the idea, for example, that love is mental illness. Equally fascinating is to see the wide range of things to which one other thing can be compared. Love, for example, is compared to a cigar, a snowmobile, measles, a game of poker, and dozens of other things. The latter part of each chapter presents additional quotations, usually without explanation. The book concludes with an author index.

Grothe advises readers to read the book slowly, as one would amble through an art museum, "taking the time to savor the observations and to admire the skill that was required to create them." Once we have tasted these morsels, it's nearly impossible to resist the desire to share them. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. --Victor Borge

Modern English is the Wal-Mart of languages: convenient, huge, hard to avoid, superficially friendly, and devouring all rivals in its eagerness to expand. --Mark Abley

Grothe's explanations and quotations would serve to instruct and inspire writers; however, parents and teachers might want to monitor young people's use of the book since -- especially in the "sex" chapter -- some body parts and functions are named and described.

I am glad that Dr. Grothe has found such an effective way to share his collection of quotations with the world!

Yes, relationships seem dangerous or at least irritating at times. And our choices often appear murky. Want a surprisingly quick and satisfying exercise for making wiser decisions next time? Try it by opening to any page in this witty new book by Dr. Mardy Grothe. (Relationship Is Like a Shark is one of his chapter titles.)

Once a Big Man on Campus (BMOC) Dr. Mardy Grothe took a dramatic approach to self-discovery. Seeking deeper meaning for his life, he abruptly resigned as president of his fraternity, vice-president of the student-senate and from several social clubs. He even moved off campus and spent all his spare moments, not in dating or with friends but in reading Emerson, Thoreau, Camus and more.

"Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use."
- Charles M. Schulz, writing for Charlie Brown

To reinforce his self-discovery, Grothe thumb-tacked to the wall of his room his favorite quotations. That practice morphed into typing them onto his computer and continues to this day, a habit for which thousands of us are grateful. His newsletter of quotations and the remarkable stories of the people behind them is the mental candy break for many of us.

"Life is like a cobweb, not an organization chart."
- H. Ross Perot

After devouring Grothe's first three books, Never Let a Fool Kiss You or Let a Kiss Fool You, Oxymoronica and Viva la Repartee, I dove into his fourth "intellectual smorgasbord" I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like, and you will too.

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships."
- Henry Winkler

With chapters on wit, sex, stages of life, humor and the human condition, this may become the book you open to try my college professor's suggested exercise - figuring out what you really want to do. Or, more deeply, what you are about in this life you are living. His droll chapter titles include The Lights May Be on, But Nobody's Home (Insults & Criticism), An Actor is a God in Captivity (Stage & Screen).

"Luck is the residue of design"
- Branch Rickey

"Love is a kind of dementia with very precise and oft-repeated clinical symptoms."
- Louis de Bernieres, Corelli's Mandolin

By the way, my favorite story in his book begins the chapter, Humor Is the Shock Absorber of Life.

"Gratitude, like love, is never a dependable international emotion"
- Joseph W. Alsop, Jr.

The quotes in this post are culled from over 2,000 gems in his book. For those much-needed mental vacations, keep this book within easy reach on your bed stand or in your bathroom, study or kitchen.

Mardy Grothe's new book, I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like, is a first class meal in the back row of the plane. It's a waterfall after three weeks in the Sahara. It's a brand new Beatles album at an estate sale. It's....it's....you see why I like this book? I need help with my metaphors!

Seriously, this book is a gem. The historical and literary references make it more than a book of great quotes. It's fascinating reading and a terrific tool for would-be writers. Pick it up and start reading anywhere. It's harder to let go of than a hot date at the prom.

-- Greg Tamblyn, Motivational Humorist, recording artist, author of "Atilla The Gate Agent." [...]

Atilla The Gate Agent (Travel Tales and Life Lessons from a Musical Laf-ologist

Saving the World from Whiny Victim Love Songs

I could peruse this latest book by Dr. Mardy for hours and never tire of it. As a writer who enjoys quotations of all sorts I have long been a big fan of Dr. Mardy Grothe's weekly column. With i never metaphor i didn't like, he has so won my heart that it is now and always the first place I will ever look to discover helpful quotations to illustrate or embellish my thoughts. So long Bartlett's, you've been replaced. Simply reading the pages of this book is a vastly entertaining experience. Like many who enjoy cooking, I appreciate perusing cookbooks. For a writer, a book of quotations is not unlike a compilation of recipes, and just as worth reading for the stimulation it provides. I especially appreciate the further explanations he appends to the quotations as they do much to help me to learn more about a variety of interesting things. All hail the Master Chef of Cordon Blue wordsmithery: Dr. Mardy Grothe and his wonderful i never metaphor i didn't like.
Tasha Halpert author of Heartwings: Love Notes for a Joyous Life.

I enjoyed every metaphor, simile and analogy in this book-- but why, pray tell, did he have to ruin them by explaining what they mean? Anyone literate enough to buy and read this book should able to understand them without having them explained. But he overloads on the explanations. The pleasure of a metaphor, etc, comes from thinking about the meaning. He gives them, then right away tell what they mean like he's teaching a bunch of school children. He talks down to his readers. On page 181 we read " Courtship to marriage; as a very witty prologue to a very dull play." Then he proceeds to tell us dummies what a prologue is. Same all thru the book. I guess he thinks the people who read this book are stupid. If he had left out the explanations it would have been so much better.

Thanks to Tom Jones for providing an invaluable resource for today's Managers -- both in Government and Private organizations -- for advice on addressing today's workplace problems.

Those of us who are not CEO's or even at management level will find this book useful. It helped me recognize the signs of dysfunction in our organization, as well as identify methods to affect change or influence work behavior from a lower-level employee's perspective. I especially like the personality profiling information, which gives an explanation and a tolerance for the ways my fellow workers perform their work and react to pressure in the workplace. We don't all have to be the same to function as a cohesive and productive unit. Our strengths, weaknesses, and uniqueness can be useful when combined to make powerful teams and successful changes. I recommend this book as a helpful tool for any level of employee.

Excellent book for the OD professional and the manager alike. In his usual very effective style, Dr. Jones' "lessons" are very readable, practical, and understandable, with just the right mix of humor, metaphors and stories. His use of actual experiences serve to effectively demonstrate the "real-life" usefulness and value of the techniques he describes. Every organization experiences dysfunction, to one degree or another, and can, therefore, benefit from the guidance Dr. Jones provides in this book.

I believe that any reader will easily recognize the corporate situations that the author describes - it's the stuff we live with every day at work. The "aha!" comes along with the author's insightful discussions of HOW and WHY these situations come to exist, and why they are so very frustrating. But the best part is the practical "here's what you can do about it" discussions. This book shows you how you can have some impact, how these situations can be addressed constructively.

During my long working career I have partcipated in numerous courses, got advice from the best consultants and read lots of complicated theories. This is the first book that gives clear and practical advice to identify and solve the problems of an dysfunctional organization. I recommend Jones's book warmly to everyone who is interested in improving the quality of the activity of his organization.

I use this lexicon over any Bible dictionary or other lexicon I've found, as it's the most historically accurate and un-indoctrinated version to date. Provides an excess of great information about the use of many words, their historical significance, and has a very wide coverage for such a small book. If you're looking for a portable lexicon, this is your baby.

I cannot do without the intermediate Liddle&Scott in my Greek studies: it is so useful: clear and comprehensive explanations, examples provided, verb forms presented in their different forms as separate dictionary items, which greatly facilitates finding the exact verb, in short, I recommend this dictionary to anyone studying the ancient Greek (I have used other dictionaries, like Benseler's Greek-German, or Veisman's Greek-Russian, but I like the Liddle&Scott the most.

Liddell and Scott's lexicon is available in three versions, the complete large set ("Great Scott)", this intermediate sized volume ("Middle Liddell"), and an abridged version ("Little Liddell"). I use the version of Liddell-Scott that is found on BibleWorks 7. And it looks to be this "Middle Liddell" that is the version on BibleWorks. And I would say this size provides sufficient material without being overwhelming.

Liddell-Scott gives the basic definition using one word or a short phrase. Shades of meanings are represented by giving more than one word or phrase for the basic meaning. When a word has more than one basic meaning, these are numbered using Roman numerals and listed individually. Reference to classical Greek authors is given for each of the various meanings or shades of meanings.

Being based more on classical Greek than NT Greek enables this lexicon to give definitions for words that might not fit with pre-conceived theological ideas. And that is good. Sometimes, a word has been traditionally translated in manner that does not reflect the original meaning of the word. So this lexicon takes one out of preconceived notions and back to how the word was actually used. And that was very helpful in finding exact definitions of words for my Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT). It was in part because of this lexicon that I rendered "ekklesia" as "assembly" rather than "church" and "hagios" as "holy ones" rather than "saints."

So I would highly recommend this lexicon.

Twenty years ago I earned a bachelor's in Greek. This was the only lexicon I needed (aside from using Autenreith's for a couple Homer classes). I still use this to this day. For a time I even had a copy of the "Great Scott" but it sat there unused...so I sold it and don't miss it. This one, the "Middle Liddell" all, and probably more than, you'll ever need.

This is an excellent work. It is unfortunate that in some fields, the tendency is to always prefer the latest and greatest. This lexicon was produced in the late 19th Century, but is still the best single resource one can get. The Intermediate Lexicon of Liddell and Scott has just the right balance between portability and coverage.

The massive LSJ is updated and covers everything, but you'll tear your rotator cuff trying to lug it around. Bauer, et al, has everything you want for the New Testament, but not Classics. I am a fan of the Oxford pocket dictionary for different reasons, but for serious work, come on, do you really want to try using a pocket lexicon in a language whose development (covered here, anyway) spanned close to a millennium? This one volume covers Homer through the Hellenistic Period.

Speaking of which, it is a great resource, but not perfect. Depending on your field, there are some specialized lexicons I would recommend. Lust/Eynikel/Hauspie's _Lexicon of the Septuagint_, Bauer's _Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament_, and Abbott-Smith's _Manual Lexicon of the New Testament_ all incorporate early 20th C. papyri discoveries. They also have references to location within the literature they serve, and can act as a poor man's concordance. These other resources are useful because assigning existing Greek words to Hebrew/Christian religious concepts sometimes changed the meaning of those words in those communities. While the Middle Liddell has brief but sound definitions, I think these others are needed if you're working in Biblical Studies.

The quality of this Oxford University Press volume is outstanding. It will withstand many years of hard use. While the font is small, it is quite legible, and the printing and paper quality are very high. It's even reasonably priced! Once you have all the other specialized lexicons, you may not reach for the Middle Liddell as often, but if I was restricted to one Lexicon for all-round use (and thank goodness, I'm not), this would undoubtedly be it.

This is one of the bases for the movie "Wonderland" but reading this book will creep you out on J.M.Barrie. You might never really like Peter Pan again. Author had access to his papers, letter, diaries etc. Very weird stuff.

Prompted by the movie "Finding Neverland" I wanted to learn more about the Davies family and their relationship with Barrie. My research lead me to this book. The tragic story of the boys and Barrie was an eye opening read. Birkin is an artful weaver of ancedotes, interviews and history. While I was reading the book I got lost.I started feeling like I was an intimate friend of the families, instead of curious observer. Furthermore, Birkin's website has been updated with more pictures and media files. The website coupled with the book really saturates you into the life of the 5 boys and the mindof the man who loved them very much. A beautiful account of a flawed and tragic life.

I read this book over 15 years ago in an attempt to find out who the author of Peter Pan really was, and what his life was like. It was not a pleasant or easy read. I wanted to forget all about it and just have the enchantment of "Peter Pan," but as with the real life of the author and photographer of "Alice in Wonderland," the truth can wound deeply. But lies and half-truths can never reveal the relationship between biography and art, so one must often face much disturbing information in order to understand the art itself. This is not to say that art is reducible to biography; it is not. There is, nevertheless, a kind of dialectic (God, I do hate to sound so gawdawful jargony, but when it so plain, other words just do not work) between the life of a genius and the art of the same individual. The truth of art can only come from the struggle between an artist's vision and the life that made such a vision a necessity. Yes, a necessity: there are those artists whose lives were so fraught with sheer catastrophe that revelation through a skewed fantasy can be so powerful as to take on a "life" of its own. And this is why it is so grievous to "paint-over" the unpleasant details of such a life. There was a recent film with an appropriately disturbing title: in the attempt to not really "find" Neverland in Barrie's life, the art itself is drained of its truly tragic roots. At the time such "nice" little fantasies are presented, they seem so harmless, but they are not. Successful attempts to eradicate truth can also eradicate the depth of the art itself. "Neverland" is a word that begs a little attention: a land where children "never grow up." This is not to say that they physically die - no - instead they live their lives, as did Barrie, in a desolate, lifeless, and desperately lonely "land" and try, from within their internal isolation, to bring others along for the rides to nowhere and "never." Where else could such a person bring another? If one lives in "Neverland" of the mind, there is nowhere else to lead another - nowhere else to go. And if we do not face unpleasant truths as they are revealed in the crucible where life and art meet, we learn nothing further from the art. It is better, actually, to know nothing of an artist's life than to be fed untruths. I would suggest the readers either read this book and/or see Peter Pan, but would urge them *not* to see Peter Pan after experiencing a false represenation - no matter how "well-performed" the falsehood is presented. The play or story would be meaningless. The truths, whatever you choose to make of them are here in this book, like it or not. And once the genie is out of the bottle (such as when you have been fed a disingenuous Hollywood film or other disingenuous account), to refrain from the truths of an artist's life is a violation of the art. No one can any longer understand or be truly moved by Peter Pan, much less try to interpret it based upon a sugar-coated Hollywood paint-job. And the effect goes on: if other artists were inspired by Barrie's work (perhaps because it touched the nerves of their own catastrophic lives), and all we have is a candy-coated film, their art and whatever in their lives might have inpired their interest in Barrie's work is also distorted. I do not know if truth sets anyone "free," but I do know that untruths distort and harm. And then the distortion goes on . . . This book cuts deep, but struggles for truths, which is what a biography of an artistic genius should try very hard to do.

Having found this little book before the advent of the film "Finding Neverland" I was able to read it originally without comparing it to the film, always a good thing. The film, of course, changed much of the true story as films usually do. This book standing alone as far better, but note, it is not a happy story with a happy ending, it is a tragedy, and no one is left unscathed.
The photographs, almost all, were taken by Barrie himself, and are absolutely wonderful. He had a natural artistic sense, and his unposed photos of the five Llewelyn Davies boys, Michael, George, Peter, Jack, and Nico at their play, stay with you. They are dressed in the Edwardian clothes of the time, or in costumes they wore in the elaborate make-believe games they played with their childlike grownup friend Mr Barrie, and those are truly memorable in themselves. Often they are playing with J.M. Barrie's large dog, and one can't help but think of the big dog, Nanna, in Peter Pan, it's acutally quite eerie, seeing that the play "Peter Pan" itself wouldn't be written yet for years.
J.M. Barrie came from a lower class Scottish family, and in childhood lost an older brother to illness. His mother took to her bed griefstricken, for a long period, and once, trying to cheer her, young Barrie put on the older brother's clothes and went to see his mother. For just a moment she thought it was the older brother, and he seemed to see happiness in her eyes; for all his life, the message stayed with him, the boy who would never grow up was the loved boy.
He was a strange, brilliant, gentle, childlike man. Highly regarded in his own time, considered a great playwright, equivilent to George Barnard Shaw in his day; and very prosperous due to his books and plays, married, but childless, and probably not very happy in his marriage which would end in divorce, one day in Kensington Park he saw one of the five young Llewelyn Davies brothers. They struck up a friendship, based on Barrie being quite willing to talk to a child on the child's level. Soon after, he met the rest of the family, who were impressed to meet the famous playwright. Their family was also upper class, well to do, but would soon lose their father to cancer, they would thenceforth be in precarious financial straits. Barrie immediately became a combination father/ big brother to the boys. He also became close friends with their mother Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, but not, I suspect, to the degree the movie implies. It was all about the boys, their innocence, and something he wished to capture and hold on to. His obsessive photography of them makes that clear.
Tragedy struck again, unbelievably, when their mother died of cancer as well, at a young age, after a relatively brief illness. By then Barrie was such a part of their lives that his continued influence, and the benefit of his money in seeing to it that all five boys finished school in the manner befitting their "class", was accepted by the boys' extended family. He stayed involved in all their lives indefinitely, though it is interesting that he had his favorites, and the two who were not favorites resented and disliked him as they grew older.
The book stops with the boys' growing up, though he did stay involved with them as a surrogate parent. Tragedy did hound the family, but unlike some reviewers I am not sure that it can be blamed on JM Barrie's role in their lives. In fact, without him, financially they would have far worse off.
It is true the boy named Peter resented that the play was named "Peter Pan", and of course he was teased at school, and Barrie probably should have thought of that. (Of course without Barrie he most likely wouldn't have been at Eton to be teased.)
Two footnotes: all the proceeds of the play went to the Children's Hospital in London for 100 years, until recently with the 100 years anniversary, the copyright ran out, and now it is in the public domain. No proceeds of his biggest success ever went to Barrie.
Also, the girl's name: "Wendy", was first used in the play. It was an unknown name before that. Barrie used it in memory of a young daughter of a friend who was named Wendy, and who died at age 5. (Not known where that family got the name from, or if it was a nickname.) It was not a name known previously and "Peter Pan" popularized it.
Its an excellent book, an opening via the photographs into another long-gone time, a sad story, but not I believe, due to Barrie. I believe he meant well, and tried his best to be a friend to that unfortunate family. He had his demons as do we all, but to "love" children, in that era, to befriend them, and even play with them when they were pre-teens, could still occur without any implication of perversity; and even to sleep with a child, the concern of one reviewer, was, at the end of the Victorian world, seen as a pure and innocent act, like a parent and child might sleep together...I think it is hard for us in our cynical age to see things as the late Victorians/Edwardians did. No whisper of scandal or of anything improper ever came from any of the five boys, their family, servants, or anyone else connected with them; and I think had there been it certainly would have come to light. I believe he truly loved the boys, and they in turn, after he knew them several years, and had observed their play and their natural talk and style, influenced him to write his masterpiece "Peter Pan".

I found this book to be a well-researched and moving account of not only Barrie's life but also the lives and deaths of the original "Lost Boys". After reading this book, I read Peter Pan again in a whole new light and enjoyed it even more. I think reading this book is essential in order to fully appreciate the entire Peter Pan experience as it truly helps to bring the characters alive.

Just like The Winter Child and The Faeries of Spring Cottage this is very lovely book. Both adults and children will enjoy the pictures and lovely story. This is a must have for all children and Froudians.

Wendy Froud is every bit the genius as her husband. This book is absolutly enchanting. Her dolls and her vision coupled with Terry Windling's adorable story create a world that young and old will want to escape to time and again. A must have for all fans of Frouds and faeries.

An excellent book for children. My daughter loved the heroic faery. The illustrations are first rate. After getting this book for my little girl, I tried out Terri Windling's "The Wood Wife" which is written for more adult readers. I am glad I stumbled onto Ms. Windling's work. Both books were excellent. She is a very good story teller.

The book refers all to faeries, the story is good but what I was interested on was the art. Wendy Froud created the dolls for the story and since my interest is doll making, this was a great book full of details. She has another book named "The Winter Child" in which she uses the same dolls but there is different story line. If you are interested in books with great pictures, this is the one or if you enjoy reading good stories to children you will greatly enjoy it. Wendy Froud is the wife of Bryan Froud the great illustrator of "Good Faeries, Bad Faeries" and "The Faeries' Oracle".

Sneezle, you ask? What exactly is a Sneezle? Well, Sneezle is our little root faery hero, that's who! This is a wonderful book with a very good lesson that teaches us that everyone in life has been put here for a reason. Sometimes it may seem that certain people in life have better luck, are more beautiful, are thinner, have a better voice, etc but this book shows us that there is something special in everyone, even when we least expect it. Sneezle shows us that the pure of heart will always prevail over the forces of evil.

The artwork in this book is also PHENOMINAL (please forgive me if my spelling is incorrect.) Every time I look at the pictures, I find something new. The creatures, the landscapes, the settings are all GLORIOUS! Although this is a "children's" book, I highly recommend it for both the young and old at heart.