English Books

Social anthroplogist, Kate Fox, has observed the English (she is one) in in all seasons and conditions, and particularly in the places where they are most comfortable. Her books include PUB WATCHING with Desmond Morris, and PASSPORT TO THE PUB; The Tourist's Guide to Pub Etiquette. The book is witty in its analysis of the ways of English conversation and behaviour with its unwritten codes, and of weather-speak, reflex apology, ironic-gnome, money talk, and panaroid-pantomime rules which belie the underlying scholarship and serious study. It can be taken up at random, however, to delight the reader with its anecdotes and many acute observations.

In defining the characteristics of Englishness the core appears to be the Social Dis-ease, the short-hand term for all their social inhibitions and hang-ups. They can be over-polite, buttoned up and awkwardly restrained, or loud, crude or generally obnoxious. Humor, however, is the the most effective built-in antedote to the SD. They do not have a global monopoly on humor but it is the sheer pervasiveness and supreme importance of humor in English every day life and culture which is distinctive. When in doubt, joke, particularly when earnestness is threatened. Response to earnestness is cynicism, ironic detachment and a squeamish distaste for sentimentality.

She has it right in my book, speaking as a fellow Brit who is fearsome of all forms of political correctness. You really must read this eloquent and funny book on human behaviour

A pleasure to read and to smile at some of the most British ways of seeing life and smelling the weather!

I've only just begun reading, but so far, it's been quite enjoyable. The author writes with humor. I've some British online friends. I've been able to use tidbits from the book when joking around with them.

Although international industry analyst firms aim to use similar methods when writing their research, winning sales recommendations still means connecting with the `go-to' analysts in national markets. I tend to recommend Kate Fox's book, Watching the English, to those trying to cross the cultural divide when briefing industry analysts here.

Fox is an Oxford-based anthopologist who is better known for her studies of English behavior at the race course and in the pub. It is popularly written, well structured and thoroughly researched. Fox goes deeper than the usual observations about Britain being, like Japan and France, a rather high context culture. She picks up three sets of attributes which might especially hamper those from low context cultures, like the US and Germany, who try to build rapport with analysts in the UK.

1. Reflexes in British culture include humor, moderation and hypocrisy. The first two are easier to work around. Humor is always on, even in rather formal business settings, and most interactions will be peppered with tepid humorous gambits: it's quite unlike most other cultures. Moderation is also an obstacle: paradigm changes are seen as risky rather than bold; what is new is often untested. Hypocrisy is a key element of our `negative politeness', in which not making the other person uncomfortable is often more important than being honest.
2. The general outlook is empirical, and therefore seeks facts, proof and experience. Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh's downcast friend, is a role model when it comes to the pessimistic and doom-laden scepticism of many English folks: perfectly confident projections of the future tend to be discounted. Class consciousness pervades organisations. Especially in London, many cosmopolitian organisations might be staffed largely, or even principally, by foreigners. Even in those businesses, an invisible pecking order will exist the classify the English (and a few French, who meritocracy provides metadata for mapping on to British class structures).
3. The English value fair play, courtesy and modesty. Aggressive, winner-take-all, attitudes are often seen as blinkered, comic and dangerous. Courtesy is a major flaw of many visiting business people, especially in their assumption of hierarchies in analyst firms: I often see spokesmen ignoring women and younger analysts and addressing their comments to only the analyst they feel is most senior. Modesty is also likely to give rise to misunderstandings: because no-one likes a show off, the tendency here is to underplay one's hand with irony. One might say that one `knows a little about semiconductors', which could easily mean that the person is a leading authority on the subject. In the US, business people often open conversations by dropping names and terms to locate each other on a pecking order; because English analysts will often not spar in this way, and do not feel obliged to show what they know, US spokespeople might leave a meeting with a highly able analyst still unaware of that analyst's knowledge and perceptions.

I had read Barzini's well known works on the Europeans and thoroughly enjoyed this book on the English.

The approach is academic yet palatable, laden with insightful observations and well deserves consideration as a work of anthropological interest. The author maintains an objective distance and professional methodology which impart a delicious irony; we are conditioned to primitive cultures as the provenance of these studies, she turns the focus upon what some may argue as the bastion of civilization.

As a guidebook to a cultural understanding of the English this work is invaluable. The expose on class is penetrating and amuses as there are unexpected twists; such as decorating your home or garden with a modicum of lower class objects, the inside joke apparent only to the cognoscienti.

This is such a great book to go with such a great song! The illustration is wonderful as well. I definitely recommend it for little ones.

This book is wonderfully illustrated. The colors are so vibrant and shiny! My 6 year old grandchild just loves it and if you know the melody to the words, they'll love it even more. A wonderfully, positive outlook on life for children in such a uneasy world today! A must have for kids today!

OMG--this book is awesome... I first saw this book at my daughters preschool. the children loved singing it at storytime. I buy this book for my nephew/nieces, and friends children for birthdays. I also bought this for the Kindergarden teacher... Its very basic, and the illustrations are very colorful.. My daughter is 8 now and still gets it out..

My baby is 9 months old. A few weeks ago our teacher read this book to us in our mom and baby class and all the babies were mesmorized by it's beautiful pictures, accompanied by the music of Louis Armstrong that was playing in the background. I quickly found it on Amazon and ordred it for my baby. We've read it together several times and he always lights up and squeals excitedly when he sees it. I love how versatile it is because I can read it, talk about the pictures, "sing" it, or play the song and just follow along with him. I am planning to enjoy this book with my son for a long time to come. The only minor issue for us is that the book has regular paper pages (I couldn't find a board book version) so if I let my baby play with it he would instantly destroy it and he sometimes gets frusterated when I hold it in front of him but out of his reach.

As a K-5 music teacher, I use this book to provide a visual aid as I sing "What a Wonderful World" to the kids. They love it, I love it, and it is a wonderful way to learn song! The pictures are a little on the hokey side and illustrate a puppet show (Satchmo included!), but for K-3, it is age-appropriate and enjoyable.

Alligator baby
I read the alligator baby. It was a woman who had a baby in the zoo. The parents keep going back and forward because they thought they grabbed the baby but they grabbed baby animals. This time the little girl went and got her little baby brother back. This book is five stars because it is funny!

Another weird book by Munsch.

Kristen's clueless parents drive to the zoo instead of the hospital when her mom is in labor. Three times, they ignore their daughter's warnings that their son is another's, and three times they get whapped in the face by the not-a-people-baby.

Finally, Kristen has to save the day, which she does in a quick and admirable way (the illustrations in the zoo are funny in and of themselves, by the way). Everybody gets their own baby back, and we're told that everything is fine from then on... until Kristen's mom had twins. (Uh-oh.)

This book is so absurd, you can't not love it. I really recommend it to anybody having a second child. It's a wonderful change of pace from standard "new baby" books.

My 20 month old daughter loves it. I'm not sure that she connects it to her 2 month old brother, but she sure enjoys having us read it to her. She pulls it out again and again and screams along!

I read Alligator Baby. I liked this book because it has funny pictures. In the book I read that the "gorilla grabbed her mom's ear and the father's ear and they both yelled Aaaaaaahhhhhaaaaa!" This helped convince me that it was a good book.

I love Robert Munsch and this is one of his books that the kids in my 2nd grade class loved the most!

I just happened to glance at this book while browsing in BAM the other day. Just the title made me look at it. I started reading it, and started quietly crying right there in Books-A-Million! (luckily it wasn't crowded) I read the examples and symptoms of a chronically nice person...and it's like they wrote the book about my life. It shocked me so much...I would call myself a 'textbook' case. Actually, it scared me a lot...thinking of process it will be, but intrigued me also. I think now I'm to the point where I can start really reading it and incorporating techniques, and trying to work out some big issues in my life.

Fortunately and unfortunately for me, my husband is a very assertive person...and just a couple of days after I first saw this book, he told me he can barely handle how I am like this, because he sees a stronger person in me.

When I read that it destroys relationships I thought 'Well, at least that part's not like me'...and was proven wrong 3 days later. I guess all I have to say is if you feel any way like I did, just do it: Get the book and look forward to the process. As cliche as it sounds, just admitting that I needed to work on some stuff in my life was a big step. But it doesn't require BIG steps. All you need is one little baby step at a time. I may not be MUCH better in 2 weeks, but check me out in 6 months...there will be progress :)

Good luck and God bless everyone out there
There's life to live so let's live it for once
-Jan

An excellent read if you're a chronic nice guy.. A great book if you want to become more confident, direct and effective in relationships.

Michael A.

In reading the cover description, I could identify with the book immediately. The author gives some helpful tips and exercises to learn to be more assertive. I was so impressed with the content, I sent it to others in my family who might enjoy the information.

Sure, it's good to be nice, but you may be "too nice." If you are clingy, care too much what others think of you and minimize the bad personalities of the people around you, then your niceness may be hurting you. Authors James Rapson and Craig English recommend seven practices that will put you on the road to a more balanced emotional life - many of these approaches will be familiar to readers who have engaged in any sort of meditation or self-awareness exercises. Lists, sidebars and quotes make the book's ideas easily accessible - although integrating these practices into your daily life will require some work. We recommend this book to self-help beginners who are tired of having sand kicked in their faces and wish to develop their tranquility and strength of character.

After reading Anxious to Please I had insight into some of my mother's behavior. My memories include her obsessive baking of desserts and giving them away to coworkers, neighbors, doctors, anyone she had contact with. She often couldn't pay her bills but always had money to buy the ingredients for her gifts. It is obvious now that she was one of the original "chronically nice" people. She wanted to be liked by everyone (except perhaps family members who were locked into a relationship by blood). None of these people became real friends.

My husband also identified his father as one of the chronically nice, though he treated his wife very poorly. He gave big parties for extended family and acquaintances paying for literally truck loads of liquor. His dad also bought people (would be friends) gas for their cars. Generous to a fault? The family was not well to do, and his mother worked in a factory.

This book will, no doubt, give others insight into themselves and into friends and family. I suspect many people will recognize relatives, who might not have always been nice to them, but who gave away time and things to strangers in a quest to be liked.

Dana Paulinski MSW

One Tuesday Morning & Beyond Tuesday Morning, book series by Karen Kingsbury excellent books relating to
September 11, 2001 - highly recommended

Received this book within a few days of ordering. Like new condition. I am very satisfied with this purchase.

It is an awesome book. I stumbled on to Karen Kingsbury kind of accidentally and it was one of the best things I have ever done. She is an excellent writer. This book must be read after One Tuesday Morning.

Great. A must if you have read One Tuesday morning.

Karen Kingsbury did it again. Another fantastic story. Another, I can't put this book down until I finish it. I loved it! Great Christian fiction!

I was astounded to find that this was the authors' first novel. This was a definite page turner that kept me wanting more. I can not wait to read the next book by Gabrielle Pina. Congratulations on a beautiful story and I hope there will be many more to come!

If you liked Cane River (Lolita Tademy) and In Search of Satisfaction (J. California Cooper), you'll find that the characters in Bliss might have sprung from the same line in this saga of African-American women doing their best to survive and ensure success for future generations. It's a shorter read, but I appreciate the fact that Gabrielle made every word count - excluding all of the extra plot-dragging stuff that I usually just skim through anyway (excessive description, irrelevant sub-plots, etc). As a writer, I studied this work and was intrigued with how she crafted each chapter to lead into the next almost seamlessly. You won't be disappointed!
Encore, Ms. Pina!

As a writer it is a pleasure to have someone read your stories and receive some type of emotions from them. This book is a story that was enjoyable, right to the point of the telling and a writer who is now on my favarite author's list. Great story about believeable characters. Word of mouth whether it's about a book, movie or music,is how you know it's a good book etc.
Yo don't sleep on this book or this author she was readable.

It's been some time since I read a book this well written. I was hooked into the story from from the very first page. The comlexity of the characters make for a great story of deceit and lies.

The ending left me with several questions, so I re-read the first two chapters for answers. This is when I realized the genius of the way the story was told. I loved it!

Bliss is a beguiling story of love, protection, hatred, sacrifice and some of the selfish agendas of three generations of women. The story is primarily centered on two of the women but the cycle of pain is explained and understood through the first generation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel because it is so well written and the characters are so well developed. The author craftily keeps you guessing and anxious to know what's going to happen next. I also enjoyed the fact that the author didn't keep you guessing that you lost interest nor leaving loose ends untied too long. The story line is refreshing as a different dynamic in relationships is explored.

My only criticism is that the ending is abrupt and disturbed the wonderful pacing of the story established early on.

This book is eye-opening! I have been an avid fan of Harry Potter for years with many reads of the entire series under my belt. I teach a Harry Potter class to elementary & middle school aged kids in the summer (which is why I bought this book). It is so much fun to realize how deep the HP universe really is! I can't wait for volumes 2 & 3 to come out.

This book is wonderfully organized and easy to use. The information is totally fascinating and the questions range from moderately to extremely challenging. There are also some great pages of trivia about the trivia answers.

For all who want to explore even more into the world of Harry Potter, this book is a great buy. Highly recommended!

for someone who is wanting to enjoy a challenging afternoon this is the book for you.Rachelene Maltanese has formated her book in such a way that the beginning,casual and the serious readers of the Harry Potter series will tested in their knowledge of potions,spells,curses,witches and wizards and myriad other topics by her Salamander,Phoenix and Dragon levels.this book is highly recommended for any HP group disussion or just to bone up on your knowledge, or lack thereof.So purchase this product, sit back and enjoy

I got this book for my 3 kids, ages 11,18 and 22 who are all Harry Potter book fanatics and used to sit around and make up trivia questions to try to stump each other (especially the older 2). They all have enjoyed taking the quizzes and it is both challenging and entertaining. I would definitely recommend it for those who think they are well versed in Potter minutia--you might be surprised!

I'll come right out and admit that I expected this book to be a cakewalk. I've read the entire series of books multiple times, and I was convinced that I'd have no problem answering even the difficult questions. Well, I've been well and truly humbled.

Ms. Maltese has gathered an incredible range of facts and tidbits from seemingly nowhere. The book itself is divided into individual quests, or areas of knowledge, then further broken down into three levels of difficulty: salamander, phoenix, and dragon. I knew I was in trouble when I started missing phoenix questions!

Fortunately, the answers are supplied at the end of the chapter, along with some fun trivia bits. I actually went and double-checked some of those answers for accuracy, and the book was right every time.

This book would be a great at a party, or for a fund-raiser trivia quiz. I think this would also be a great idea translated into other languages, since many of the character names are completely different in each country.

My hat is off to Ms. Maltese and her impeccable research skills. I challenge all Potter fans to try their hand and test their Potter knowledge!

Having just finished this book, I'm going to skip ahead and say: I am delighted.


Skipping backwards, however:


- The simple skill levels provide an excellent ladder into the suprisingly voluminous information within: Young fans will be thrilled to be quizzed as Salamanders (Level 1), drawn on to learn more and graduate to Phoenixes (Level 2), and even adult fans will be challenged by Level 3, the Dragon.


- Hint boxes on almost every page make sure the reader isn't left to flounder if they're lost (or tempted to cheat!). They don't chivvy, scold, or insult, but instead encourage lateral thinking to get at the answers.


- However, the best part might be the extras. The answers are not simple, dry solutions; they are complete and filled with additional content and facts, making it a surprisingly useful reference.


- Trivia Tidbits! Never let it be said that curiosity, once fanned, was allowed to fizzle. The "tidbits" are actually quite meaty asides that often bring in real-world comparisons, point out the historical fact and mythology woven through the Harry Potter books, and encourage outside research and reading.


A wonderful idea for parents might be to purchase the book prior to a birthday and use the questions as a party game. This would work equally well for teenagers, and even adults. Harry Potter appeals to nearly everyone, and this book makes it fun to share trivia and thoughts on the series with friends.

The story was good- a man comes to a small English village to claim his inheritance and encounters a mystery and puzzle.

The concept talked about in the book was really intriguing to me. In medieval times parishioners were asked to pray hourly, so that God would be brought into what they were doing. But many average people did not know how to tell time. So church bells would ring on the hour to remind people to pray, and some people carried a little book called the Book of Hours to read a short prayer while the bells were ringing. Then they would go back into what they were doing.

Because the whole point of life is not to make every day like church, where we sit and listen to a sermon and sing; the whole point is to bring God into your everyday life. Bring Him into your cleaning, your working, your playing. Bring Him into the fun parts and the drudgery. That's how we have a relationship with God.

"We Christians are simply beggars who happen to know where other beggars might find bread."- from The Book of Hours, p. 309

I love this quote. I am far from perfect. I am far from all-knowing or all-powerful. But I know where to find the knowledge and the power. It's in Jesus Christ.

So I'm thinking about getting a chime set on my phone, to ring a short phrase at the top of every hour. Maybe it will help me bring God into my life.

Don't let the size fool you. This is one of Davis Bunn's finest pieces of work. I read too fast the first time, because I wanted to see what happens. There will be no hurry the next time, because savoring the beautiful writing will be a delight to all the senses, and deserves full attention.

Shortly before she died, Brian Blackstone's wife implored him to save her family home in Oxford, England. But when he arrives, Brian finds foreclosure on the house nearly complete because of the enormous death tax. An intriguing, suspense-filled novel that made it virtually impossible to put down. One of Bunn's best!

Well worth your time to read! No sooner had I begun this book, I realized I would ber rereading it.

I loved this book! I've been a Christian since I have been 15 years old; however, I have not really been into Christian fiction because I've found more enjoyment in Christian non-fiction and secular fiction. Also, from my past experience, it seems that Christian fiction has been too syrup-y sweet and too preachy. I absolutely adore this book. The story line is wonderful. It has romance, suspense, mystery, drama....all rolled in one. The book also touched me by how God works in our lives to put us on the path that He feels is best for us ...and all the while we can glorify Him by helping and being of service to others (those lovable and those unlovable also). I highly recommend this book. I also look forward to reading more of T. Davis Bunn's books and also other Christian fiction.

So this is somewhat conservative, wrapped up in a mystery, and even more, the setting is England? Hmm. Wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into, but I couldn't get my nose out of it once I started! I always look forward to reading Bunn's work, so when the opportunity presented itself to borrow this from my DAD'S church library, I took it. If you happen to come across this, take the chance.

Brian Blackstone trudges reluctantly to his inheritance. The reluctance is because his beloved wife left it to him. Would this bring back painful memories? He soon realizes that he doesn't have too long to enjoy what is his, because it just might be up for auction. Then the good doctor, Cecilia Lyons decides to get involved, immediately disliking Brian upon meeting him. But there could also be a possible interest for him in her mind! But this isn't all about romance, so can that idea. Yet there is more to all this than meets the eye. And then the riddles begin to appear. Clues! What's going on? Could there possibly be something valuable about this, or is this just a cruel joke? I'm here to tell you that this is full of surprises, littered with treachery here and there, and it doesn't let up. It is great!

Bunn reminds us that with faith in something higher than ourselves, that there is always hope and a future. That's regardless of age or circumstances, or regardless of whoever YOU are for that matter! God has no limits. God, just like this amazing read, has great surprises, and they won't always come in the way we think they should appear. The surprises will exceed what we expect. That's exciting! Go through this with your favorite tea or coffee. Read it with an open mind. And an open heart!

I just bought this book and already have learned so much i cant put it down.
Lots of great advice from an expert. I already have checked out the web site she recommends and hope to get started as a freelance proofreader soon.

It sounds corny, but this book made me believe in myself as an aspiring copyeditor. The chapters on freelancing are especially helpful for someone with no experience and no idea how to break into the industry. This is the book I had been looking for!

This book is easy-to-read, straightforward, and so informative. I've been able to build my at-home business as a freelance proofreader much more quickly than I anticipated; all thanks to this invaluable resource! Learning the ins and outs of copyediting and proofreading is made simple, quick, and fun.

easy to read and great info on editing and how it can work for me and my career. enjoyed learning from it...highly recommend it.

I've been doing some freelance proofreading work, but I didn't know how much I still had to learn until reading this book! Sue Gilad has a lot of information: everything from grammar rules and spelling mistakes to the differences between copyediting and proofreading (glad SOMEONE could finally pinpoint the differences!). This book is clearly written and a wonderful resouce. The only thing I think it could have improved upon was the secion for finding freelance jobs. In Gilad's online book Paid to Proofread (paidtoproofread[dot]com), she offers more in-depth suggestions about creating a resume from zilch, and also ofers more in depth info about approaching editors. On the other hand, the Dummies book contains way more information about resources and grammar. All in all, this is the most comprehensive and clearly written book on proofreading I've read.

This book is a perfect messiah's handbook (ala Richard Bach's Illusions). Succinctly written by an 'itinerate woodcutter' each page contains a gem of wisdom. I have had this book over twenty years and it has been revisited often in my quest for awareness and spiritual growth. I purchased it as a gift for my favorite aunt. A must have book for spiritual seekers.

a highly unique exploration of interesting systems of thought and philosophy. A one-of-a-kind sort of book, for sure.

I dicovered this wonderful book (or maybe it discovered me...) when I was 16 in a B. Dalton's bookstore during a lunch break in High School. Immediately I felt this book was like my mentor during the remainder of my teen years. It's the kind of book that you can open up to any page and find wisdom, beauty, strentgh and love. The style of writing reminds me of the Dhammapada with a dash of Heraclitus' philosopical prose.

Some of my favorite passages...

" Get to know the truthful, if you would become accquainted with beauty."



"Let go of everything you're holding onto

now let go of everything else."




"security is quicksand

can it really be ANYone's ambition in life
to become one-half the couple in the life insurance ads?

security. life insurance.
how much are you worth dead?

more than you're worth alive?
hurry up and die, then

hurry up and be born again."





"Do not be afraid to love."




"Decision-making is a vice. Some addicts reach a stage where they do almost nothing but agonize over decisions.
It's a subtle form of hesitation.
Like all addictions, the only cure is cold turkey.
You could spend the rest of your life trying to decide whether to take the cure."



"take everything that is strong in you
and put it to work
set it free
never mind what anyone thinks
take all your muscles
and stretch them to their limits
you'll amaze yourself, how good you'll feel
and how much good you'll do
just by radiating pure energy outward
-contact high the ultimate form of communication-
you are beautiful
be
be
be!"

This book predates most of the post-modern self help books we see on the shelves in bookstores or advertised in the media. Most of the authors of post-modern self help are focusing too much energy on manipulation to achieve a re-defined version of love and abundance. I personally feel it's an imitation of the "real thing", but then again I wax nostalgic over the simple hippie philosophies that came out of the 60's as notably this book attests to that. Even though I wasn't born until 1969! But a lot of things that came out from the 60's are truly classic. This being one them.

"This is God speaking", says Williams at one point. Well yes, reading this book does rather feel like that much of the time. "Das Energi" is a mighty powerful and inspirational read. A dynamic (VERY dynamic) mix of Zen ideas, taoism, positive thinking and maybe a bit of Christian morality thrown in for good measure. However, some of the language does place the book firmly in the late sixties and early seventies (man!). Its still brilliant.

Paul Williams presents us with quick, sharp "blows to the head" such as "Beware means be aware.", "Vote with your life. Vote yes.", "Stop showing off. It isn't what you do. Its what you are that matters.", "Babies see things as they really are" and so on. The uneven format of the book (could be a sentence on one page, a short paragraph on the next, then a short essay on the next) helps you to think more consciously in itself.

Having read the book several times over, I finally realized what was missing for me. A sense of humour! An inspirational classic such as "Illusions" by Richard Bach for example, has the same enlightening quality but gives you a good chuckle too. Still, this is an extraordinary book and I thank Paul Williams for it wholeheartedly. Read this and WAKE UP! ;o)

i found a copy of this book in a thrift store in okc when i was 17. for a year i would read it everyday. after the southern babtist had their way with me i was looking for some truth. i found this book and formed my belief system around it. it has guided me thru life and now that i have learned more about life from experience, i'm glad mr. williams book was there to arm me. i emailed paul williams and told him how his book changed my life and not only did he write me back but, sent me a copy of waking up together. he's an awesome guy still trying to change the world.