Works Books


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Works Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Works
The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking
Published in Paperback by Simon & Schuster (1984-03)
Author: James Krenov
List price: $15.95
Used price: $3.74

Average review score:

Must Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-30
A must read for all new woodworkers before accumulating all the power tools they think they need.
More than a great instructional book; it is also a philosophy.

Some people just call it furniture - author and craftsman James Krenov, however, believes it be an art form
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-08
Some people just call it furniture - author and craftsman James Krenov, however, believes it be an art form. "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" is a guide to turn what's nothing more than storage space to some into a work of art that can be appreciated for something far more than just a place to put things. Going over everything readers need to make a masterpiece of a cabinet, such as wood quality, good hinges, and more, "The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking" leaves nothing to guesswork, making it highly recommended to any woodworking enthusiast and community library woodworking shelves.

More James Please
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-31
Mr. Krenov's work speaks for itself. What is great about this book is he shares with us his feel for wood , and it's spirit. He is a wood fanatic. He is excited by its touch, look and feel. How long should I keep a piece of wood before I use it? Moisture content? Integrating the wood and the piece I am making?

Each persons experience of wood and woodworking is different. I have technical books, written well, and some poorly.

This could be called "Zen and the art of woodworking."

When I need inspiration I look to the masters. Mr. Kenov connects me to the wood.

Must have for every woodworker
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-27
I love all of Krenov's books. It's easy to find better books on tools or techniques but nowhere will you find books that breathe a love for wood and craft more than Krenov's (Nakashima's "The Soul of a Tree" comes closest.) I've read through each of his books several times and always pick up on something new. "The Fine Art of Cabinet Making" is a bit more advanced than his earlier works in that he covers coopered doors and frame-and-panel work but his philosophy is always evident. Krevnov's love for wood is infectious. After reading his books you find yourself `playing' more with wood. Wondering how things will work if you move this one way and that another. Instead of churning out furniture I instead start to think about the piece I want to make: what wood would look nice? What kind of pulls will fit? How will it sound when the door closes? Somehow all of this combines to make the journey (the making) as nice as the end product. Frankly I think most furniture makers will go broke trying to work like this unless you have a whole lot of cash behind you or can charge very expensively for your work. I really think, though, that these books should be on every woodworker's shelf.

Learning From A Perfectionist
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-26
James Krenov is one of woodworking's treasures - an acknowledged master craftsman who is open about both his aesthetics and his techniques. For many of us he is a role model who started out on a shoe string in Sweden and has gone on to create a whole style all his own. He is as devoted to teaching as he is to his work and has a gift for inspiration and straightforward exposition.

Unlike A Cabinet Maker's Notebook, The Fine Art of Cabinet Making spends most of its time talking about technique. The first 50 pages is a vast, rambling essay on wood and how to relate to it. His point, an important on, is that the process of selecting and using wood is every bit as important and any other creative process. If you pay attention you will get a deep dive into the way Krenov's designs come to be - a whole new level beyond buying some dimensioned lumber and whipping up a cabinet.

Then he introduces you to his workshop and tools. Krenov actually does use power tools, but sparingly. Many of us have been taught to value the clean, sharp edged work that a modern power woodshop can produce. Krenov is just the opposite, to him the marks of craftsmanship are part of the harmony of the work. Krenov makes his own planes, and spends a great deal of time explaining how to do the same yourself. I have to admit I'm quite happy with my Lie-Nielson's, but one has to admire the intensity of a man who wants everything 'just so.'

The remainder of the book covers details of Krenov's cabinetmaking, and it is here that you discover the extent of his quality. Whether it be dovetails, delicately curved doors, or cabinet backs, Krenov never settles for less than the best he can do. I admit to a few moments of extreme jealousy when he explains that he never clamps dovetail joints, but, as his discussion demonstrates, his attention to detail is such that he shouldn't have to use clamps. I just wonder how many years of practive it will take to accomplish the same thing.

For all that this is a technically focused book, it is also an inspiring one. A book that will have you eyeing potential lumber completely differently, and making yourself take the time to get things right.

Works
First Flight: A Mother Hummingbird's Story
Published in Hardcover by Andrews McMeel Publishing (2006-03-01)
Authors: Don Carroll and Noriko Carroll
List price: $14.95
New price: $5.75
Used price: $5.50

Average review score:

First Flight - Hummingbird Moms & Babies
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-07
One of the nicest little books on Hummingbirds I have ever seen. I have just recently become interested in hummingbirds so this is a great little book to have.

Unbelievable
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-10
We enjoyed this picture-story of a mother hummingbird. Excellent photographs and clear text. A book every (humming)birdlover will enjoy.

Fascinating
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10
This is a great book - I bought it for my mom and dad as they have lots of hummingbirds. But I had to check it out before I gave it to them. LOVED IT!!

Noriko and Don Carroll have done it again.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-20
First, a wonderful memoir of their cat, "Happy Birthday", and now an even more surprising story, an example of patience, persistence, perception and love. The adventures of hummingbirds, an entire life cycle in vivid beautiful color, and amazingly intimate details (this from a new Yorker whose only contact with bird life is pigeons). I think you'll be as delighted as I was.
- Jay Maisel

BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE, BEAUTIFUL BOOK
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-23
This exquisite book is about loving and caring for what one loves. The Carroll's masterpiece springs from their love for Honey the Hummingbird as they daily devote themselves to watching her from her return from wintering in Mexico, the laying of two eggs in a nest on a clothesline which she had previously built and inhabited, the birth of her babies, which the Carrolls named Ray and Zen, and her nurturing of them until and after their fledgling flights.

Everything about this book is done with devotion and great care. The text, written by Noriko Carroll, is a perfect accompaniment to what seems to me genius level photographs taken by Don Carroll. There are special lighting effects as a background to many of the photographs, and Mr. Carroll explains in an afterword called "Photographics Notes" that a mirror reflecting parts of his flower garden was used to create these stunning effects. I plan to order another copy of this book, take it to a framer and request that several of the photographs be removed and framed, to be hung on a wall of my home.

The description on the inside of the book jacket cover is even unique. It is not the standard patois one usually reads. It is done with great care, depth and intelligence. It is the finest of its kind I have ever read.

You will learn a great deal about hummingbirds, and if you have a backyard feeder, you will find out the proper and best way to maintain it. You will become more aware of the hummingbirds in your yard and in your life. And, unless you have a heart of stone, you will end up loving them, if you do not do so already.

I heartily thank the Carrolls for their magnificent undertaking of introducing us to the life and ways of this wonderful bird and her offspring. It is their artistic skills, their intact sense of wonder and awe (which so many tend to lose in adulthood), and their capacity to love which has brought this book to us. Quite a gift!

Works
Foods That Harm, Foods That Heal
Published in Paperback by Readers Digest (2004-03-30)
Author: Robert Dolezal
List price: $15.95
New price: $8.46
Used price: $0.87
Collectible price: $15.95

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Cooking info
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-01
Real eye opener for someone that doesn't have time for food research and a review for those that have.

Excellent . Book was a gift.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-20
This book came recommended, and it was sent as a gift to my daughter for her family. They are highly impressed with the articles. My teenage grand daughter is very impressed at the knowledge she has learned. Memaw

EXCELLENT TOOL FOR RAISING HEALTHY KIDS
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-05
I HAVE OWNED THIS BOOK FOR OVER 5 YRS NOW. I USE IT REGULARLY TO LOOK OP NUTRITIONAL PROPERTIES FOR THINGS THAT I EAT. I AM AN RN WITH HEALTHY EATING HABITS AND I JUST LIKE TO KNOW HOW DIFFERENT FOODS PROMOTE HEATH OR WHAT COULD BE HARMFULL FOR ME. I ALSO USE IT TO TEACH MY KIDS WHAT THEY ARE CONSUMING. THEY ARE NOW MORE WILLING TO TRY ASPARGUS AFTER THE PROPERTIES ARE EXPLAINED TO THEM. I LET MY FRIEND WHO SURVIVED BREAST CANCER BORROW IT TO MODIFY HER EATING HABITS. WHAT AN EXCELLENT BOOK. IT STAYS IN MY KITCHEN.

Full of Good Information
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-12
A reminder that you really are what you eat. Great reference on foods and their nutritional value. Much of this information is now available online. But, if you prefer a hard copy for frequent reference this is a great book.

BEST BUY EVER
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-11
I boutht this book in 1997 and still use it and have it handy all the time! i'm always trying to keep up my healthy habits and maintain a balanced diet. this book is a must have! it is written wisely and very easy to understand. it is written in alphabetical order and you can look up almost every sickness, foods, vitamins and minerals, what is good for what, what are the drawbacks and where to find them. for sickness what it is, what should you eat, what to cut down, what to avoid. etc. if you are a person like me and like to know what you eat, you must own this book! by the way i'm ordering today a 2004 copy for my mother in law who has recovered from breast cancer and is so much into eating healthy.

Works
Friends Are Friends Forever
Published in Hardcover by Thomas Nelson (1997-04-23)
Author: Michael W. Smith
List price: $12.99
New price: $0.40
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $12.99

Average review score:

makes a great gift
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-02
This small book is basically a small concordance that covers the basic scriptures on almost every subject (God's promises, promises for salvation,promises for spiritual growth,promises for your personal needs, promises for various relationship and eternal future), with some warmly advice written in between by the famous MWS. It makes a great gift to new christians and and to students that are graduating from h.s. or college.

Wonderful Book- A Must Read
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-27
This is just a wonderful book.......I recommend it to anyone who is a Michael W. Smith fan

Friends in the Lord
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-25
Michael W. Smith's book Friends are Friends Forever focuses on growing friendships that will glorify God. He uses Scripture throughout the book to back up his opinions and advice with God's Word. Smith tells stories of his own experiences and friendships to encourage Godly relationships among his readers. Excellent gift for a good friend in the Lord.

A review from a girl who knows
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-07
This book was the next to best book I have ever read. (The best being the Bible) I recomend that everyone read this book. It tells about real stories that for me hit close to home. If you know of a teen that is in trouble be a friend and give them this book.

Back to Basics!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-22
This book is very easy to read and it's contents are excellent food for thought. The ideal gift for a young person or someone graduating high school or college. The main part of the book is a section of Biblical promises for every situation imaginable and it is punctuated with notes by Michael W Smith, who is gifted when it comes to writing for young people. His advice and recounting of experiences he's faced are simple but profound, and very down to earth.

I was also very impressed with the presentation page at the front and autographs section at the back of the book. Definitely one to put on the shopping list!

Works
Friends to the End: The True Value of Friendship
Published in Hardcover by Andrews McMeel Publishing (2004-10-01)
Author: Bradley Trevor Greive
List price: $9.95

Average review score:

Friends to the End
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-29
This is a lovely gift to give close friends at Christmas. My girlfriends all appreciated it so much.

Buy all of Bradley Trevor Greive's little pearls of wisdom....
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-21
...and then throw out all your antidepressants. There's a book for every emotion one can go through in life. One caveat, however: If you're easily embarrassed, don't read these books to yourself in public. You will piss your pants with laughter.

Great friendship book!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
I gave this to one of my special girlfriends for christmas. She loved it and so did her 14 year old daughter. It says just what you want to say to your friend and the pictures are so cute. Well worth the money and I'll be buying more.

You've Got a Friend in Me
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-17
FRIENDS TO THE END is an inspirational picture book about friendship. The book contains all kinds of pictures of animals, mostly in pairs, reflecting the various ups and downs of life, the importance of friendship, and the joy of lifelong friends. The book is a bit, too sentimental for my tastes, but my mother gave it away as a small momento to one of her friends and she loved it.

Loved this book.......
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-18
This book was a joy to read with both of my dearest friends. We all got more than a few good laughs at some of the pictures and captions. I would recommend this book as a gift for a good friend.

Works
The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika
Published in Paperback by Oxford University Press, USA (1995-11-09)
Author: Nagarjuna
List price: $19.95
New price: $12.25
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Average review score:

Nagajuna: Theory and Practice
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-14
Nagarjuna: Theory and Practice

Nagarjuna was a philosopher of unparalleled excellence, both in the East and the West, and Garfield has presented his Mulamadhyamakakarika with clarity, competence and coherence. If you like philosophy, and are a serious spiritual seeker with an inclination for The Perennial Philosophy, then this book is for you. However, you will need determination and perseverance to finish this book, for it will take you six months to a year to master its contents.

Here is a sample of Nagarjuna's tactics. He begins by attacking causality. He dissects causality down to its root premises (a thing is caused by itself, by another, by both, or has no cause) and then he closely scrutinizes those root premises and demonstrates that none of them possess any "potency", or power, to force, stimulate, compel, oblige, constrain, drive, make or cause anything to come into existence. Therefore, they are "empty". That is, they have no inherent self-nature or essence to affect anything else. They are like Mother Hubbard's cupboard, there is nothing there. Therefore, if the causes are "empty", the thing created is "empty". But all that is theory.

But what about in practice?. Reading this book will change your thinking. You will unconsciously become a Skeptic, and will not be aware of the state of your own mind until you ponder an issue found in Nagarjuna's treatise. Only then will you realize that you are stuck between three equally unsatisfactory propositions "Things exist", "Things do not exist" and "Things both do and do not exist." Not to worry though. You will be experiencing precisely what Nagarjuna intended.

Garfield specifically declares Nagarjuna's intention, page 314, "This, of course, is the key to the soteriological character of the text: reification is the root of grasping and craving and hence of all suffering. And it is perfectly natural, despite its incoherence. By understanding emptiness, Nagarjuna intends one to break this habit and extirpate the root of suffering."


Excellent resource book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-09
For those desiring a 'meat & potatoes' study of the Middle Way, this is an excellent book.

Mulamadhyamakakarika
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-04
Next to the Heart Sutra (Maha Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra), one of the most important writings for Mahayana Buddhists, and this is a good translation and commentary (there is Ocean of Reasoning, but that is way, way too massive and far more than what is necessary). Stick with the basics and simplicity, I always say. For a book of this magnitude, pick this one. You'll have enough to study while still coming to grips with its message.

attachment to emptiness
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-21
i have not studied all of nagarjunas logic carefully in this book, it seems that he is arguing for the underlying emptiness of all things on the basis of his assumption of dependent or mutual arising. perhaps its a bit more complicated than this though. a cup of tea is not a cup of tea in itself. nor does the teabag have any individual or inherent identity, rather the teabag is a collection of collections without any individuality. just as my finger is a collection of cells, so a teabag is a combination of dependent things. infact he believes that everything depends on the presence or absence of something else. tea leaves depend on the presence of tanins, flavins, cells, maturation, drying, there is nothing inherently existent that could be called the individuality of the teabag. this of course defies common sense, but is reasonable. why cannot a collection be at one and the same time an individuality. ie one in many, or many as one. such an argument though would be contrary to nagarjunas thrust, which is to emphasise the existence of emptiness through dependence. ie everything that is dependent has no individual uniqueness (or soul) since all individuals are merely collections.

i am still studying nagarjuna, it seems that a statement such as "walker is not the same as walking, nor is it different from walking" can be argued any way which can. "walker is not the same as walking, if it were how could the two be told apart, nor is walker different from walking, or otherwise there would be walking without walker." it could be argued on the grounds of oneness that walker and walking are one and the same, that structure and function are inseperable. you could just as easily say that walker is the same as walking and that is why there isnt walking without walker. if nagarjuna says that legs are not the same as arms because they can be told apart he is right, because they can be told apart, but wrong because arms and legs are all part of one body and cannot be separated. so paradoxically one can say that walker and walking are not the same, but one can also say that they are the same (the same body/oneness).

it can be argued that walker is walking, walker is not walking, and as nagarjuna says walker is not the same as, nor different from walking. infact whatever you seek to prove, if you are clever enough, you can prove it. this is the nature of reason and logic. a donkey that is lead by the carrot of the person who possesses it.

i find his logic is clear (it is)infact, it is pure genius, but as with all logic one has to realise that at this moment logic is thoroughly illogical. though perhaps when he wrote it was thoroughly logical. logic being logical? logic being illogical? two sides of the same coin. if logical can be illogical why discuss something as important as emptiness using logic? this defies a common understanding of nagarjuna, unless of course he wished to impress buddhist emptiness upon the minds of the common people. or, perhaps he really did believe in the immutable logos (reason) of plato. that insoluble all pervasive notion of truth. personally i see that reason has its uses (many of them groundbreaking and earth shattering), but can often be used to say what you want, especially when it comes to philosophy.

i find the argument for emptiness grounded in dependent arising 'can' be compelling, or not compelling. its just how you approach it. in that a collection does not necessarily indicate an individuality, it could be seen as a collective, for example a sea sponge colony 'may' have no singular conscious individuality as the colony as a whole, but then a human being is a collection with a consciousness . but as i see it, dependent arising could be used as a proof against emptiness just as much as a proof for it. i believe that the buddha would have days where he took time out from such an approach, that is he would respect the agile logical display of nagarjuna, but have said "not on mondays nagarjuna" (but only if you dont mind my friend).

i dont think that the buddha was about dogmatising certain concepts and words such as emptiness, as useful as they may be. even freedom can become an obstacle to relationship and his word "liberation" can be in buddhism taken to mean many different things. it may just be that mental freedom and freedom from suffering are synonymous. emptiness is representative of water and air, but one should not forget the presence of fire, or gold (earth)(male elements)that are representative of fullness/form. to argue away form for emptiness seems unbalanced. just as to argue away emptiness for form would be unbalanced, though it may be an interesting excercise (and not too difficult). infact rising to the challenge if one looks in minute detail/huge magnification at an area of space one will find it a quantum soup, and not nearly as empty as one expected. infact buddha is implacable when he says emptiness is form for this could imply that there is no emptiness, only form. or visa-versa one could argue that all is empty.

i have also read nagarjunas, i think its called the flower garland, which was less a discussion of emptiness and logical proof for such, though his approach in the middle way comes across in this book too. no, i remember now its called the discourse of the precious flower garland.

i realise that my comments on nagarguna's mulamadhyamakakarika may seem disrespectful regarding the buddhist saint, and have no desire to show disrespect, but i do feel that all in all, though brilliant his arguments are not compelling ground for emptiness. this is because i am aware of the bias behind reason. there are other ways to illustrate emptiness. the buddhas "emptiness is form" for example is a much clearer statement of anti-logic, that i find very elegant. also the prescence of the zero in any effective numerical system requires a hypothetical emptiness.

i have no doubt that in the original tongue nagarjuna was a marvellous poet, sadly this does not come across in this translation or in "verses from the centre" a different translation of the same work. perhaps, in his poetic form his genius would have shone out as much as it does from his rational genius.

this is an interesting book to read, a fascinating insight into the mind of an early buddhist saint and an example of how one can use logic to prove anything, even that which intuitively seems almost impossible. but personally i dont feel it tells me anything, other than showing patterns of logic, which are a useful thing to aquire. i must say though that i am 'astonished' by the mans logical dexterity.

i would have found nagarjuna more interesting if he had tried to prove the existence of form and balanced this with a proof for the existence of emptiness. for in truth it is not balanced to prove the existence of emptiness without proving the existence of form. and you cannot prove the existence of emptiness without proving the existence of form, for emptiness is form. it can be argued that all is emptiness, but it can also be argued that all is form. whatever you look for is whatever you find. such is the nature of reality. seek and you will find.

infact... making things fun, and killing the buddhas word, i would say that "form is not emptiness, form is form" is just as true as "emptiness is form". this is the buddas freedom. playing with logic, one does not take reason too seriously on mondays, but... aah, on tuesdays it is profoundly important.

thank you nagarjuna for the encouragement you have given many.

love, flakey xxx.

Well worth the time ... but may not always seem so
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-16
Before you stare at a wall to practice suchness, you may want to spend some time acquainting yourself with this philosophical presentation that justifies your practice.

It will be no easy task. Both Nagarjuna's text and Garfield's commentary are challenging: I'm sure that would be true for the Western philosophers Garfield's commentary is targeted to and it certainly was for me as a lay person. But I persisted in what often seemed repetitious and tedious to find enough interspersed wisdom to make my patient reading worthwhile. This is not a book I could comfortably have browsed. Without Garfield's commentary, I might have quickly read over Nagarjuna's verses and believed I had understood much of it. Despite much that seemed cryptic, I'd have thought myself well educated in dependent origination, impermanence, emptiness, the self and other key Buddhist concepts. But, if I did that, I may have missed about 99% of what Garfield found therein.

A Sanskrit text by Nagarjuna translated into Tibetan and then into English by Garfield. A commentary informed by a tradition of Tibetan teachings. Understandings which may enrich one's meditation ... on emptiness. It is humbling to consider that Nagarjuna composed his verses in India about the 2nd century A.D. Such a thorough and penetrating analysis must have resulted from many challenges from others. That it holds up is something worth ... experiencing as one reads Nagarjuna and Garfield.

Nagarjuna's text is presented by itself, then again interspersed wihin Garfield's commentary. Garfield proceeds very precisely, keeping his interpretations closely tied to the verses at hand. Together they offer a tour de force in Buddhist philosophy. If you read this book and later hear someone say, as if it were a complete thought, that the self is an illusion, you should understand much better what the too often unstated context for such a statement is.

There are many valuable lessons: about the lack of inherent existence, interdependence, conventional and ultimate truth, dependent origination of all phenomena, the emptiness of even emptiness, even dependent origination as dependently originated, reification, of the self as a conventional designation. There are conclusions I found profound such as that "the conventional nature of conventional entities and their emptiness are one and the same". That "to say of a thing that is dependently arisen is to say that its identity as a single entity is nothing more than being the reference of a word", i.e. that its identity "depends upon verbal convention". Do I follow that? One problem may be that at the time I read such lines I may think I do but a short while later, I've lost it. This is not a book I would want to be tested on anytime soon after finishing it. I don't know when I will be ready for such a test. The answers may not be found through further study of the text and commentary but through meditation ... or perhaps some of both.

I recommend going back over after a first reading and making notes. Even then, it may take ... years ... lifetimes? ... for everything taught in here to sink in, but the intent is to enable you to internalize the teachings presented here through meditation so that it becomes more than philosophy but a way to live. A tall order but that is what Buddhist meditative practice, properly understand, seems to be.

I do feel I understand better from this reading, if only a little better, why meditation seems warranted. Being a less confused about that seems worthwhile.

Works
God in My Corner
Published in Paperback by Thomas Nelson (2007)
Author: George; Abraham, Ken Foreman
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Average review score:

How To Be A Champion In Life!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-27
Read this book!!!

George Foreman's personality, style and charisma make this perhaps my favorite book of all time. Why? Because George gives us a detailed look at his personal journey to finding spirituality and happiness in life and how he has shared that lesson with others in an attempt to improve their lives.

I liked George Foreman before reading this book but afterward, I achieved a higher sense of respect for a selfless man who gave up his boxing career to preach and follow the path to God. He even started the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in 1984 with retirement money that he had "tucked" away during his 8-year retirement from boxing. His goal was not to indoctrinate local kids but to give them a place to come and follow a productive direction.

Though George "un-retired" from boxing several times, he continued as a minister in his own local church and spreading the word of God in many ways. In fact, George illustrates that money, wealth and power do not necessarily create a sense of fulfillment; it's the spirituality that brings joy and contentment. George lays the advice out for his readers, plain and simple:

"I am convinced that God gives us all a chance to know Him. He gives us the opportunity and if we say "yes" to Him, He will choose us. But He won't force Himself on anyone".

"God is merciful and will always give us a new beginning if we are willing to change."

Clearly, this advice comes from a man who was transformed in that locker room in 1976.

A Knock-Out Comback
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-28
I have never been a fan of boxing, but the name George Foreman has become a household name. From boxing to grilling, George tells his story of being born in poverty, to living on top of the world, only to have everything lost and be penniless once again, and back on top. He deals with his issues of hate, and overcoming all his obstacles to be the man who lives Christ. Some of his writings become repetitive through out the book, but it is a good read of how a man's life was change,gone to Hell and back, and now pastors a church and operates a life saving center for youth.
I am glad that I read this book. You will see both sides of George of what he once was, to what he is now.

Highly Inspirational and Interesting
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-19
I'm a boxing fan, which was part of the reason I was interested in this book. But the author's story goes well beyond boxing. He book is filled with lessons to be learned from a man who was a most lost soul and a downright mean-spirited person. He found God, and his life was changed forever. But the story doesn't end there. Once he had a relationship with God, he still had to pick himself up time and time again. And it was his relationship with the Lord and his Faith that saved him.

The way he interjects his boxing career into the story makes this an amazing read. It's a biography filled with spirituality. And you'll learn a lot about yourself as well as George Foreman after reading it.

Book is a Knockout
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-06
Fight The Good FightForeman writes a great book about his life. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone. I loved the Big Bass analogy for success. A lake was stocked with many Bass at the same time. Several months later some of them were much bigger than the others. Foreman's explanation as relates to success also. The bigger ones were more hungry. Wow! What an analogy.

Inspiring, Uplifting Read
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-30
What a thoroughly uplifting and inspiring book.
This book has been a pure delight to read.
George provides spiritual solutions to lifes challenges via
his real life experiences.






Works
A Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America
Published in Paperback by McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company (2002-04-19)
Author: J. Reese Voshell
List price: $34.95
New price: $21.80
Used price: $19.50

Average review score:

Excellent Guide
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-29
As others have already reviewed, I am a fly fisherman who purchased this book to get a better understanding of freshwater invertebrates other than mayfly and caddis species. (For a highly detailed description of mayflies and caddis for the fly-fisherman, I would recommend the titles "Nymphs, volumes I and II".)

This guide is well-written and not too difficult to follow, even for the beginner. There is a focus on stream ecology and some tips on how to collect and identify various species. Be clear - the focus of this book is not specifically on fly-fishing, but more of a biological guide to aquatic invertebrates.

For a beginner, this book is a great place to start, but is also a nice reference for those with a little more experience. The color drawings are detailed enough to help determine the differences in various species. All in all - Excellent Book.

Excellent for Aquatic Naturalists
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-26
This books is easy to comprehend, and the plates are well defined. Extremely useful for ID'ing aquatic creatures.

A Guide for to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of NA
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-08
My teaching partner and I will use this in our Freshwater Ecology class at the secondary level. It is a great basic guide that will be used as a reference tool and identification resource at an introductory level. Excellent for the money.

Easy to use, beginner to entomologist
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-08
This book contains easy to understand pictographs for beginners, plus distinguishing characteristics for experienced entomologists. A major plus to any and every watershed association out there, and every limnology, water pollution biology, fisheries, etc. class offered at the collegiate level.

A definate must have for nymph fishermen as well!

Well done for a price that doesn't take a bite out of the pocketbook!

Great book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-08
This book is great for beginners or someone who wants to brush up on invertebrates. The descriptions are wonderful, as are the pictures. Highly recommended!

Works
The HarperCollins Dictionary of Mathematics
Published in Paperback by Collins (1991-08-28)
Authors: E. J. Borowski and J. M. Borwein
List price: $21.95
New price: $49.99
Used price: $13.99

Average review score:

Better tnan a textbook!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-04
I teach math in high school, and I have found this dictionary more useful than the textbook. The definitions are more precise and understandable than in a book designed to be understandable. It's compact, lightweight (because it's paperback) yet it's packed with information. It has been one of my better purchases this year.

Thorough Coverage of Mathematics
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-15
Well written and edited. Definitions and explanations are clear and to the point. As I flipped through the book, I ran into many, many entries which I did not understand, but in that regard, an unabridged dictionary of the English language has many, many entries in it about which I know nothing.

Nice Dictionary
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-29
I'm yet to find a better maths dictionary. Lots of definitions. Well organized/cross-referenced. As an undergraduate, I'm yet to look up something and be disappointed. Handy tables at the back.

It doesn't get 5 stars because of a few glaring misprints.

Great Dictionary.
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-15
My job requires extensive technical writing skills in the form of developing mathematical algorithms or creating presentations or other documentation that frequently requires that mathematical concepts be clearly defined for the reader. Even when you think you know a good definition for a mathematical term, this dictionary will likely give you a better one. Good reference to keep around.

This is perhaps one of the best, if not the best, mathematics dictionary. But it is just that, a dictionary of mathematical terms and phrases. Do no expect it to teach you any subject in mathematics. It would be great for any student taking a mathematics course. If the student runs across a term that he/she might have forgotten, the student can refer to this dictionary for a quick reminder.

Good reference, but an amazing toilet reading material!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-20
If you're anything like me, you enjoy reading while in the toilet, doing one of the necessities of human nature, this reference has a great "random open" feature, where you can just slide your thumb at any page and find an interesting term you can think and learn about, I dont know how much the shallow discussion to these complex terms is really useful, but it gives you interesting things to think about, it also contains some mathematics history and some information about famous mathematicians, the paperback cover provides for some nice comfortable format, this dictionary has replaced the old Almanac I used to open randomly when I'm bored.
A 5 star for the cuteness.

Enjoy.

Works
The High Road of Faith: A Personal Journey
Published in Paperback by 1st Books Library (2000-12-20)
Author: Carol J. Denego
List price: $12.42
New price: $12.42
Used price: $8.26

Average review score:

What a great reminder!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-22
This book is written very warmly. Not only do we all live in relationship with God, God wants a dynamic relationship with us! As our family copes with the turbulence of the times, He is right here with us. I couldn't put this book down, and I felt so much clearer and more hopeful for having read it. Thank you, Carol!

We are never alone.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-28
Carol Denego's first book is filled with charming personal vignettes about one woman's encounter with the vicissitudes of life, those events that fill our own storybooks with memorable moments of joy and sorrow, challenge and triumph. It is a friendly and honest book, guileless and funny in a way that touches us all no matter who we are or where we're from. Her message is deceptively simple: We are never alone, and life unfolds in perfection if we but do the journey. There is sweetness and magic in her stories, and they ring with the truth of everyday reality.

We are never alone
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-26
Carol's book is inspirational and gives the reader pause to "see a loving God" in every action and breath of one's daily journey. Her examples of her own life help the reader feel His presence and love. Her writing style allows the reader to ponder the book's meaning and not feel like you are being force into one view; rather to question, How is God's love and presence demonstrated in your life? You'll find yourself writing your own "High Road to Faith"!

A Book to Share
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-21
I could not put Carol Denego's book down. I felt like I was visiting with her, and getting to know a very good friend. Her life's experiences are inspirational. Carol's book, The High Road of Faith: A Personal Journey, is a book I am sharing with all of my family and friends!

The High Road of Faith: A Personal Journey
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-17
Upon hearing the title, what comes immediately to mind is the old Loch Lomond refrain which goes, "Ye take the high road, and I'll take the low road...and I'll get to Scotland "afore ye"... High road or low road, the intent is the same: to move forward on the road of faith. Consciously embarking upon a spiritual journey is a decision of strong intent, coupled with a sharpened sense of awareness that whatever we encounter along that road has a multi-faceted significance.

Carol experienced this, too, and shows us the importance of receiving each event in our lives--uplifting ones filled with song and friends but also losses and adverse events--as an opportunity to grow spiritually and develop our faith in an underlying purpose for our presence here on Earth.

In the best tradition of spiritual seekers throughout the ages, Carol's "gypsy" journey sends her to all sorts of places, both physical and metaphysical. Her earthbound travels take her around the world--from San Francisco Bay to Brazil, from Switzerland to Western Samoa, and from Hawaii to exotic Asian destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, and Mainland China and back again to Oahu.

At the same time, her spirit takes flight on journeys that are as passionate as they are, in the end, peace-filled as she learns to listen to "Spirit" and trust in a higher power to guide and keep her on that high road of faith through all of life's large, and small, trials.

Writing this review after the tragic terrorist attacks in New York and Washington brings home the fact that, as Carol confirms, "we create our world". Even a person or a nation as seemingly invincible as America can be momentarily caught off guard and dealt a devastating, if not lethal, blow that forces it to look inward to discover what circumstances permitted, indeed encouraged, such evil havoc. Spiritual cleansing requires deep and often painful introspection.

At the same time, being paralyzed by introspection and fear is not the answer. Carol shows, with a mixture of trust, curiosity, and humor, that she--and indeed any one of us--can summon up the strength to overcome uncertainty and self-doubt, breaking free of the past to embark upon our own personal, and highly rewarding, spiritual journey.

As Carol travels on towards new challenges and discoveries, another old Irish blessing comes to mind, one woven to strengthen the spirit and heal the hearts of all travelers on this, life's premier journey: "May the road rise up to meet you; May the wind be always at your back; May the sun shine warm upon your face; And rains fall soft upon your fields; And, until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand."


Books-Under-Review-->Arts-->Literature-->Authors-->C-->Conrad, Joseph-->Works-->69
Related Subjects: Secret Agent, The Heart of Darkness Secret Sharer, The
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