D Books

I have about 400 books in my library and Thinkertoys (with Thinkpak) is the best book I've read so far. The book is full with creative tools and puzzles to play with. The book comes to me at the right time since I am about to start my own business and the book provides a lot of insight, ideas and techniques. Thank you Mr. Michalko for creating the "toys".

I loved the CRACKING CREATIVITY while THINKERTOYS was simply too much good for me. Soo many (great) tools i simply got lost. I need a few mental models that i can work with daily which CRACKING CREATIVITY did provide. This book provides soo many tools ... it's not for daily usability, at least not for me.

This is very interesting reading. It has a lot of facts that make you realize how much more you could be doing or how much better you could be thinking. I haven't done any writing, which is essential, but i've already put it to use in my daily life. If you want another perspective as for creaticity, this book is for you.

So I was reading one of the many great books by Jeffrey Gitomer. In his books about Sales and the one about Yes!Attitude, he stresses the importance of exercising the mind and being creative in your approach to relationships, both professional and personal.

And one of this top, oft repeated recommendations is Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko. It's clear within the first few pages that Michalko was challenging me to step out of my comfortable protective shell of assumptions about the world around me and see it in whole new ways.

The combination of Gitomer's motivation to master a positive attitude with Michalko's advice on creativity have transformed my life.

To check out one of Jeffrey Gitomer's book, consider Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS (Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Books)

This book is a must for anyone in business who is in need of fresh, limitless ways to create the ideas and creative strategies businesses need these days of uncertainty and complexity. I got my copy from my manager who gives one to all new employees.

I happened uponthis book while on vacation near the author's home. I found it delightful with an engaging story and pictures that can be examined over and over again. My son shared this book with his first grade class and the teacher called me to ask if she could keep it for a while to read to the other first grade sections. She raved about the book saying, "It is perfect for first graders". My only quibble about the book might be some mild sterotyping about what boys do vrs what girls do (boys build and fish, girls watch birds and play music)

I can say this book shaped who I am today. I always enjoyed inventing and drawing. These fantastical illustrations convinced me of what I should be doing in life. I had this book as a child and it was thoughtlessly discarded. It was out of print for years and I could never remember the title. Strangely, a friend of mine in college also had been impacted the same way by this book and reminded me. After that, I buy this book whenever I see it and give as a gift. I suggest you do the same.

My mother saved this book from my childhood. It was a favorite of mine. I liked to imagine a town where kids each got to be themselves. A place where they could really enjoy who they were without interference from adults or disapproving children. I would recommend this book for ages 8-11 years.

I have been looking for this book off and on for the last 15 years or so. This book was so much a part of my childhood. I remember it being in my church library and I would read it during Sunday School when I should have been paying attention to all of the God stuff. I spent hours imagining what my own hideway would look like.
When I was older, all I could remember was that it had Meadow in the title and it was about a bunch of kids who ran away to build creative forts.
I can't wait to get my copy and share it with my family and students.

As a child my husband got into his father's tools and fixed the door knobs and his mother's vacuum cleaner. Like Henry, he had two older sisters, and unlike Henry, only one older brother, and he did not mind being alone because he was always working on things.

My husband had mentioned this book before, and how about he used to tell his other classmates to read it because it was such a good book. He checked it out from the school library frequently. I ordered a copy and quickly read through it realizing why he liked the book so much: he was just like Henry, and now I live in his meadow, lol.

If you know a child inclined to work that is hands-on or making their own place, I am sure that they will enjoy this classic book. The illustrations are very endearing in that 1950's style. My husband thought it was the goldmine among his more expensive anniversary gifts this year.;P

This is one of my favorite horse stories of all time. It is about a young boy who makes a bond with an increadible horse. A must read for any horse lover!!!!

This is my favorite horse story ever! This book stands above all others for me and I will always remember it. My mom read this to me when I was 9 years old and still to this day, I have never read it's equal. Henry's writing is so beautiful, the story so touching and the characters so real. A plot unfolds about a young stable boy in Morocco and his golden-bay stallion who would one day be known as the Godolphin Arabian, who's bloodline still runs in race horses of today. It's quite possible a lot of this book is based on fact. A simply amazing story in all respects! I must warn sensitive readers however, there are some very intense parts of this book, some sad parts which are sure to make most people cry and a few parts where there is fairly harsh abuse and neglect of animals. Maybe not the best choice to read to very young kids, especially if they are the type to get scared easily. Overall, I would say the book has an excellent balance of tragedy and triumph. The ending is a beautiful one, both happy and a little sad but satisfying and well worth reading the story.

King of the Wind is a great book by Marguerite Henry. It is about a mute boy named Agba and his horse Sham. Agba goes with Sham on many adventures together. Agba goes with Sham from the royal stables in Morocco to Gog Magog. Sham also sires many winning foals and when he is gone, Agba goes back to Morocco.
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked it because it is about horses. I also liked it because it was full of adventure. It was sad and exciting and there were many parts where Sham and Agba were seperated. Agba was very brave for a young, mute boy and Sham kept him company with his firy spirit that only Agba could control.
My favorite part was when the cook tried to drive Sham. He wanted to show that he did not need Agba to drive Sham. He left Agba at the royal kitchens then set out. Sham bidded his time till the cart was groaning with goods and a young pig. Then "BAM!" He went wild and ran like the wind, sending the goods, the pig, and the cook into the air. The cook runs after first the pig, then Sham, then the pig, until he is so confused that he catched nither. In the end the apple woman cathes Sham and the cook is so fustrated that he sells Sham to a cruel man. I like this part best because it is so funny and shows Shams firy nature.

All of Marguerite Henry's books are classics, but I think this one, recounting the life of the Godolphin Arabian, a founding father of the American thoroughbred, is my favorite. I bought it for my own children and as I read it to them, I was taken back to the day I first read the story. Even after thirty two years, Sham and Agba still make me cry.

It's writing is simple, the words easy for a child to understand, but the story is so full of awe and respect for the great horse that you can't help but be moved. The illustrations are also some of the finest in children's literature. Wesley Dennis painted watercolor masterpieces for many (all?) of Marguerite Henry's books, but I think the works in this book are particularly inspired. Both the writing and the artwork are true treasures I am honored and delighted to be able to share with my children.

The Christmas I was nine, I got a boxed set of Marguerite Henry novels and while I loved all of them and read them day and night during the break from school, I think this one goes down as my favorite. A few years after I first read this novel, my family moved and I discovered it was also, by a nice coincidence, one of the favorite books of a girl I met in our new neighborhood, who went on to be my best friend to this very day. That connection, too, makes this a special read. However you might come to possess this wonderful book, I think you'll agree, it's one to be cherished.

King of the Wind is the story of a mute boy named Agba, who lives works in the royal stables in Morocco during the eighteenth century, where the Sultan has perhaps the finest collection of horses on earth: maybe the greatest ever in history. Among the animals Agba cares for is a colt who has long been Agba's favorite. This horse was born with a mark called the wheat ear, that is regarded among Moroccans as so unlucky, custom mandates that any foal possessing it be destroyed at once. However, this colt also is marked by a sign of extraordinary good fortune, which reprieves the death sentence and is there to battle the wheat ear in the animal's life: the good in constant yin/yang conflict with the bad.

As a gesture of goodwill, the all-powerful Sultan elects to send a shipment of his finest horses to his friend and ally, King George of England. As the horses chosen for the journey are prepared, Agba is given the chance to accompany these prized animals by ship to the far-off Christian kingdom. One of the colts hand-picked by his Excellency is none other than the omen-marked horse Agba has grown to love. The journey northward upon the ocean is undertaken, but an unscrupulous sea captain has shortchanged the Sultan's agents and not provided food for the equine passengers. Therefore, the cargo of fine desert steeds who are unloaded in England appear little better than half-starved nags, and never find their way to the royal court.

Cast out among beggars and in a strange, cold nation where he knows no one and does not understand the language, Agba refuses to leave his beloved horse's side and the happenings that come to pass in the life of the desert stable boy and the fine, though seemingly run-down stallion, form the basis of a delightful novel that is simultaneously a tale of a boy and his extraordinary horse, and a history lesson in eighteenth-century equine lore. In Miss Henry's story, fact and fiction meet as Agba's horse becomes the celebrated Godolphin Arabian, from whom roughly one-third of all modern thoroughbreds can trace descent.

I guess you can tell I really like this book, and I think almost anyone would as well!

I can't praise this book enough! I highly recommend it. I'm just sorry all of this research got started so late.

This is an excellent book that gives you hope, not only through real experiences but through the new brain research developments. It is easy to understand and read. At first I thought it was just going to be about case studies but the author gives you research based information in laymen's terms so it's easy to follow and understand. It gives you hope that today brain injury is not the end of the world.
Love this book.

This book is a must have for anyone interested in real effective self change. Beautifully written with a style and an ease unmatched by other books of the same subject. Doidge re-introduces the concept of brain plasticity and furthur validates it's benefits to individuals as well as medical communities through the explanations of current research and pivitol case studies. BUY THIS BOOK.

This book is packed with concrete evidence that should convince anyone who believed they could not continue to grow mentally and physically that they were strongly mistaken.

The history of Sigmund Freud's approach to the mechanisms of the mind has exhibited some tumultuous changes over the past century. Norman Doidge reminds us that Freud developed a thesis about the mind's plasticity over time. Freud's psychotherapy - irrespective of some questionable methods - was designed to allow the mind to search within itself and change outward behaviour by identifying memories hidden or repressed. However, after Freud, researchers using diagnoses of stroke or brain-injury victims, "mapped" areas in the brain for function. The first of these was the speech-producing region now named Broca's Area, after Paul Broca, its discoverer in the mid-19th century. Brain modularity, or "localization" as Doidge deems it, became the norm in brain research for decades following Broca. In this fine account of the history or recent brain studies, Doidge addresses a new concept being used to both treat and train - brain "plasticity".

Rewiring of the brain isn't a new concept. Among the more famous examples of how the brain reacts to challenges from the rest of the body is the concept known as "phantom limbs". Patients suffering amputations have complained of itchiness or pain seeming to emanate from the lost limb. V.S. Ramachandran and his colleagues have described this phenomenon in detail. "Rama" is but one of the researchers Doidge parades in a receiving line of innovative cognitive specialists. One of his more noteworthy is Michael Merzenich, who Doidge declares is the "world's leading researcher in brain plasticity". Merzenich followed the work of Wilder Penfield at McGill University in Montreal. Penfield used electrical probes to map the regions of the brain to identify which areas produced specific reactions. Penfield's work reinforced the consensus regarding "localization". Doidge goes so far as to deem neuroscience as long dominated by "localizationism" - a form of dogma. Merzenich, on the other hand used more refined equipment than available to Penfield, has made vast strides with closer detail. His work also demonstrated that "lost areas" in the brain have their duties taken up in other regions. The brain, he demonstrated, can "re-wire" itself - and in more than one way. The brain, then, isn't dominated by genetically assigned "localizations". It's "plastic" and able to change, through training or even using its own resources. In a sense, Freud's original concept has been vindicated by recent research.

Doidge follows the work of dozens of researchers who have revealed examples of this re-mapping activity. They investigate how stroke patients can learn to use limbs rendered unresponsive. The treatment seems bizarre - restrain the good limb so it will not replace the useless one. In a short time, the unresponsive limb begins to respond as the brain is forced to seek new pathways. Patient recovery has been almost spectacular, according to Doidge. He stresses that the theme is "use it or lose it" throughout the book, but is especially true in stroke victims. Where traditional therapy enhanced the capabilities of the working limb, brain plasticity demonstrates that recovering use of an affected limb should be favoured. This new therapy can be successfully applied months, or even years, after the stroke event. In this author's hands, these accounts read like a script for a car-salesman sitcom. He may be correct in his views, but nothing in brain sciences is entirely positive, as history has demonstrated.

There's more than just therapy in brain plasticity achievements. In Asia, particularly Japan, babies are born with ability to form the sound for the letter "L". Since Japanese doesn't contain any words with that sound, children lose the capacity to pronounce it. A new programme, using slowly sounded words can actually recover the pronunciation in immigrants to North America. The technique is an indicator of what Doidge refers to as "plasticity competition". Although the brain appears to re-route signals throughout the brain simply during daily use, there is also the possibility of patterns settling in and resisting change. Doidge refers to this as the "plastic paradox", and sees it as the way habits are formed and retained - even against good sense.

While Doidge has provided a comprehensive look at how recent research has overthrown the notion of "one area - one behaviour", there are numerous questions remaining. How does the mechanism work? What triggers neurons to reach out to make new connections? Is anything already in place displaced, or are idle synapses or dendrites now put to work? Does the old notion of our using "only 10 per cent. of our brain" - an cliché long dismissed by neuroscientists - have some validity, after all? Although two Appendices enlarge greatly on this overview - one on culture and another on "Progress", brain mechanics in this process remain obscure. This shortcoming requires vast amounts of further research but in no way diminishes Doidge's accomplishment. This book will remain a major element in the history of brain studies for some time. Written for any reader who has a brain, the author deserves the fullest praise for his accomplishment. The five stars is given a bit grudgingly, but this book requires the widest exposure possible. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

That last reviewer must not understand the concept of a memoir or is prejudiced. You write the story of your life the way you see it not the way someone else thinks you should. The author is this case tells how the molester manipulates his victims into thinking they are to blame, that it is a "game". That's why it could go on so long. Of course, he thinks it was and is horrific as does the reader. In fact, I'd venture to say, more horrific because you have a glimpse into the mind of a pedophile as the author uses his molester/father's writings. I haven't been abused but I've never read a better book that takes me there - the last taboo - that unfortunately too many children experience. Father's Touch is a must read! Where are you Oprah? James Fry lied but there are true stories that need to be told!

WAY too graphic so that the abuse is portrayed sexually from the child's viewpoint in my opinion... didn't get the impact that needs to be shown from the eye of the helpless child who is tormeted.

Too bad James Fry lied to Oprah. Memoirs are important and she is moving away from promoting them. Father's Touch is both a well-told story and educational at the same time. A must read for those interested in understanding the mind of a pedophile, as the author quotes from his molester/father's writings. This book shows the manipulative skill of molesters as well as the resilience of survivors in challenging the misconceptions of friends and family. I wonder why the victims must always have to answer why they are this way, why they made the choices they did. I am not a victim but I hope one day molesters undergo the amount of therapy that victims no doubt need to survive. Father's Touch is a one-of-a-kind memoir. Read it!

I just finished the complimentary ("Thanks!") copy of your book, and I must say I've never read anything as disturbing and frightening as "Father's Touch." I cannot relate; I'm a son and a father, but your background is one I could not even begin to imagine.

What strength, courage and bloody guts you displayed from a very early age. Having to deal with an abusive father, a manipulative Church, a school full of peers teasing and laughing at you; I think you showed in your book - whether intentionally or not - that you were infinitely stronger than you believed you were.

The book was compelling from beginning to end, a real page-turner. As someone who has not experienced any form of abuse, or been seen as "different" in any way, you must think I read your story with the same fascination as a bystander at a horrible traffic accident trying to see the dead bodies. Perhaps there's some truth to that. But your writing style was crisp, fast-paced and often humourous, and (like all great story-tellers do) I appreciated being transported into different worlds I was - am - completely unfamiliar with.

Anyone who has regard for the future can only view the destruction of a child's innocence as one of the most heinous crimes in the human lexicon of brutality. When this occurs in the family home and is perpetrated by a parent with an obvious duty of care, the betrayal and it's consequences are immeasurable.
Daniel and Jeannette D'Haene emigrated to Canada from Belgium in 1957 where they settled in a rural area and had four children. Ronny the eldest was followed by Donald, the author of this book, then Marina and Erik in turn. On arrival in Canada both Daniel and Jeannette were Roman Catholics, she more devout than he. Daniel felt constrained by a diktat by the church in Belgium the faithful should not read the 'Bible' which would confuse them. This must be peculiar to the clergy at that time and place, since the same was not true then in UK. Daniel was attracted by the Jehovah Witnesses who actively encouraged religious study and became a pillar of the local community group. Eventually he persuaded his wife with a mixture of rhetoric and beatings she should change her faith too.
Whatever the expectations and demands of the Witnesses, Daniel believed in his own home he was the master, and his wife and children, his property. They were expected to be obedient to every whim and caprice. At the age of four Donald was introduced to 'The Game'. This involved masturbating his father and was merely the beginning of ten years of prolonged abuse, during which more serious assaults occurred. In time the children would pool their knowledge and learn each of them were initiates in 'The Game'. Daniel informed his elder sons he would expect them when they were older to perform incestuously with their sister, after he finished with her. Each child was intimidated into silence and their innocence of moral certitudes exploited. When they learned what was happening to them was wrong, their father foisted the illusion of mutual culpability upon them. It was only when Erik, aged five, told his mother what his father had insisted on doing she became aware of the abuse. Daniel promised to get help, but continued molesting his children.
In 1973 Jeanette and her children approached the Elders of the Witnesses to gain protection for themselves. Their reaction was to 'excommunicate' Daniel without telling his family he had also confessed to bestiality. When the situation at home deteriorated still further, Ronny and Donald persuaded their mother to leave with all the children. Daniel, meanwhile, joined the Baptists and after a divorce, remarried and once again became a pillar of his community.
Without exception all four children suffered immense psychological damage. Ronny, temporarily became a 'control freak' like his father and left home before worse effects would be felt. Donald, by chance, reading a newspaper article discovered his father had actually committed a crime for which he could be charged. By then, at least thirty people in authority, knew the family's story and none had advised them of their legal position or alternatively to seek legal advice. Finally getting this from a policeman from Ontario, Donald instigated criminal proceedings against Daniel and obtained therapy for himself, Marina and Erik.
When Daniel came to trial, it was a complete travesty informed by incompetence, ignorance and plea-bargaining. He was sent down for two years in a reformatory, having sentenced his family to years of miserable flashbacks and psychological trauma. The severity of damage is evidenced in that it took twenty years before Donald could face his memories and write this detailed account of his childhood. To many fellow victims it will appear to be classical in the methods used by Daniel to control his family and the secrecy and shame they endured. It also highlights the confusion of sexual identity which often results exacerbated by the normal raging hormones of adolescence.
There is very little literature on the subject of father/son sexual abuse which is still for some a taboo subject. This well written and fluent book should be required reading for all engaged in the protection of children and the victims of today. These may care to know Donald more than survived his past and is today a successful art journalist, actor and TV presenter. Lawyers should also view the last chapters of the book as a textbook summary of how not to prosecute a case and judges can gain a refresher course on what poor administrative services can do to 'justice'. In this instance, Donald and his family were the victims of secondary rape by the very system which allegedly should have redressed their wrongs and protected them.
Although this matter came to trial in the early 1980's in Canada, whilst there is a better understanding of the evils of sexual abuse today, there are still errors of judgement by social workers and laxity in prosecution on both sides of the Atlantic.
Finally, the author should be commended for his courage in writing this book. To discuss the unspeakable acts committed by a parent and expose the induced guilt and shame created with undoubted finesse is a triumph of talent and the will over adversity.

The best reading experience is being taken to a different time and place by a protaganist who captures your heart. Possum propels you into her world with a unique voice. Her feelings become your own. Grieving and spunk combine in this rich character. No, not a character, church truth Possum is living, breathing real. I look forward to the rest of her story.

This tale has the ring of truth to a Southern girl who also experienced deep grief as a child. Ms. Laso shows her impressive talent not only by writing in the voice of a 10-year-old girl, but also by sprinkling in clever sentences that zing with insight ("Plus the big rock stuck in the throat ... it's hard to get past, words out or food in." "And the people left behind have to find the way and the will to crush the quiet before it crushes them."). Ms. Laso has accurately conveyed the dialect, successfully captured the sensations of grief and carefully balanced pain and humor to produce an honest, bittersweet account of an emotionally charged phase of life.

I loved keeping company with Possum and her Southern friends. The setting brought me back to the hours I shared with Lee Harper's Scout and the evenings I spent with John Boy on Walton's Mountain. Possum's narrative and Maria Lazo's lyrical voice told a tender story about painful life transitions- a timeless theme that's relevant in any era and local. In Possum's words, "I was so full of sorrow, I don't guess I would've had the strength to blow the dander off a danderlion." And yet, remarkably, eventually she was able to go "back to doing the things that needed doing, like shooing crows out of Momma's pecan tree, helping Daddy in his woodshed, and naming cloud animals, among my other chores and daily travels. Felt like I had a good hold on things." Learning how to get a 'good hold of things' despite loss and pain is a lesson for not only Possum, but everyone who loves.

Maria D. Laso's ability to draw in this reader to Possum's world was evident from the story's first line. Ms. Laso paints a vivid, textured portait of an earlier time and place that breathes with authenticity. Possum speaks as a child but with a wisdom not found in many of the adults in her world. I was truly sad the excerpt ended when it did. I long to find out what happens with Possum, her dad and the brown lady. "The Morning Come" is a first-rate work by a talented writer.

From the first sentence, Possum's engaging voice and perceptive nature drew me in. The "down home" language lends a rhythm to the sentences, creating a charming first person narrative of this coming of age story of a young girl growing up in 1930's Appalachia and coming to grips with loss, loyalty and love. Her mother and new baby sibling has died in childbirth and Liz Betty "Possum" and her father are left with "sorrow storming inside" and must, as Possum says "find the way and the will to crush the quiet before it crushes them." Possom's humorous turns of phrases resonate with the naive wisdom of an observant, quick-minded, self-confident young girl, and make for delightful reading.

The first chapter introduces Possum and her father each dealing with grief in their own way and the Crow Ladies who come "...fixing to stick their beaks in our business." Possum handles the Crow Ladies with resourceful mischief. In the course of the narrative of the next two chapters we meet Miz Justice, a near-blind old lady with a touch of the Sight, Possum's friend June May, who is ten, a year younger than Possum, and whom Possum describes as having "a coon's compass for a brain," and a Yankee lady, newly come to town, whose charm Possum mistrusts right away. In three chapters, skillfully written, Maria D. Laso presents what promises to be an entrancing coming of age story.

This book was received in excellent condition as it was listed on Amazon. Also, the book was received in a quick manor. Thanks!

I was VERY disappointed and, at first, pretty confused when I discovered the haphazard way this edition of the book is put together. Less than one quarter into the book, approximately 20 pages come up missing. Upon searching for them, I found other pages printed twice (some 20 pages), but the missing pages were NOT there. It was early into the story, and I was disappointed not to be able to get the whole story on such an admirable, loving, Christian family. The binding is new; pages were NOT torn out. It was actually bound this way!

When I was in fifth grade, I remember I was sitting in music class when the librarian stopped by to ask me to return this book. One of the teachers wanted to use it in class, and I'd had it out so long, no one else could get a shot at it!

I was an only child, very bookish and introverted. I read and reread this book. I married a guy who planned to become a Methodist minister (like Helen Doss) and we have four bio kids and two adopted from Haiti. I always wanted to adopt, which I'm sure came from this book. I was probably drawn to my husband at least partly because of the warm and fuzzy feeling about Methodist pastors that I had from this book.

Reading things as a kid, you pick up on the stuff you like and ignore the stuff you don't. The Dosses adopted most of their kids as babies (with some exceptions). They did have some difficult issues one summer when they took a Native American boy in for a vacation in their family. I ignored this part of the book, focusing on the wonderful and easy other kids. We adopted an older boy from Haiti and it's been rough for him and for us. I should have paid more attention when I was reading, maybe . . . We also adopted a baby girl, and that's been great.

One of my favorite books ever. I didn't know there was a new edition with updates on the family--I'll have to get it just for the updates, although I own an older copy. By the way, my parents never ever talked to me about racism. We had no friends of different races. I imagine I formed my beliefs that "we are all brothers" regardless of color, mostly from this book.

I read Helen Doss' heartwarming book in grade school and am thrilled to see it back in print. Carl and Helen Doss, a young couple struggling to get Carl through divinity school, adopt a baby boy. Without really planning it, they adopt eleven more children!

Mrs. Doss' book is more than just a memoir of her precious children; it's also an indictment of a social service system that, through prejudice, denied who-knows-how-many mixed-race children loving homes. So many couples could have known the joy of children and given loving homes to them in return. Her book helped raise awareness and open doors (and hearts) to the needs of "unadoptables." Thanks to families like hers, those policies are now dead.

I've thought of the twelve adoptees over the years, and wondered how their lives turned out. Mrs. Doss gives an update of sorts in this new, revised addition, but left out more detail for privacy concerns. I hope one of them decides to expand on mom's work someday. Five stars.

This book is very heartwarming and can touch anyones heart. This book talks about a couple that can't have children so then they go to another option which is adoption. First of all they are a very poor couple and can barely afford food. They go apply for adoption and get declined they then fix the problems with their financial needs and then apply again getting approved. They get their first baby boy, Donny. They have trouble taking care of him since their very afraid of 'breaking one of his bones'. But they get through after that they apply for MORE AND MORE children and go through troubles along the way. At the end they adopt 12 CHILDREN and get in an article in a magazine. This book was really nice and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read a comforting story...

I love this book for multiple reasons.
The first, I think, is because of one of the side characters, Spader. He's so dreamy!!! I love him soooo much!
The second is because the plot is just so fascinating. The idea that a world could exist that is completely on water is just so cool.
The third is because of Saint Dane, the evil dude trying to take over Halla(all existence, all times, all places, and all creatures, great or small). He's such an evil person I just could hit him. ARRGGG!
The fourth reason is because of Bobby. I think he's one of the funniest characters I've ever read about(yes, I'm saying he even tops Ron Weasley in Harry Potter!).
I love this second installment so much!
You should definitely surrender to your craving!! Way to go DJ!

I loved this book, it is fun and creative. I didn't want to put it down. This series is fun for all ages.

Before I begin, let me say that I'm an adult (to give this review some context).

I read "The Merchant of Death" (Pendragon #1) a couple of weeks before ordering this book. I enjoyed "Merchant". I thought it was inventive and unusual, and it certainly addresses issues that young adults face. I'm sure kids enjoy reading books where their peers are heroes.

This book is even better. I say that for two reasons. The setting of the first book is quite grim. That was appropriate for the story it told, but it was kind of a downer, reading about those people being exploited. This book's setting is incredible - a world covered entirely by water where humans live on floating, barge-like habitats. I love water, and if I could somehow visit that world, I would do so in a heartbeat.

The other reason I like this book better is that the new Traveler we meet is incredibly endearing. I like Loor. She's a great person to have at your side. However, the Traveler we meet in this story is very funny, and that makes this book a lighter read (in tone) than the first one. He's also flawed, though, which makes things interesting. I relate to him better than I relate to Loor. (Does she have a flaw? I don't think I've spotted it yet.)

Overall, I recommend this book with a big smile on my face. It's a good ride, the characters are endearing, the setting incredible, the themes well developed, and it leaves you wanting more.

See you at Grolo's! Last one there buys the Sniggers!

Pendragon by D.J mathhale is a great book that I would recommend to kids of all ages. It starts with a 10 year old kid playing with his mom in their back yard and the kid misses the ball and he runs after it and he comes back and his mom is GONE. Then he finds out that his mom is the world`s best DRAGON RIDER!! He hears a very loud roar and it was his mom's old pet dragon and it was his now and he takes a better look at it and it was the biggest red dragon the world has ever seen. So the very tall lizard tells him that his mom has been kidnapped by a very powerful human bean and they set of to TRY and save his mom. How I can describe Jack he is a very smart tech genius he just finds out he is the ONE. Well what he thinks the one means that he can Dodge bullets like a movie he saw. He finds that the dragons name is Alroce and the dragon is the last well only one of the red dragons left. And so Jack can fight this very powerful wizard so he starts training with his pet dragon.I would this book to anyone that likes dragons action and very intence sword fighting Pendragon is a great book that I would recamend to kids of all ages.

Bobby Pendragon is a 14-year-old boy, and he is like no other boy his age. After being swept away from his last mission on a territory named Denduron, Bobby finds himself on a floating city named Grallion in the territory of Cloral. This city is about the size of New York State! And it is a floating island in an ocean the size of this planet! So far Bobby has had a pretty goodtime, meting new friends and just hanging out on Grallion, until the evil Saint Dane shows up under the alias Zy Roder his mission is to take over halla, and rule it evilly. Halla is everything that ever happened, will happen, and time, which is everything. Bobby's mission is nothing less than to save the universe from ultimate evil. But Saint Dane is much more powerful and can con people into helping him. This team of 4(Bobby's Uncle Press who got Bobby into all of this, Spader his brand new friend he met on Grallion, and Loor the best warrior and a friend to Bobby, and of course Bobby) must beat Saint Dane and time is running out he it creating chaos on the habitats(the floating islands)so he can rule halla and the universe will be evil and Saint Dane's wish will be true. But Bobby is going to try to stop that. Bobby's 2 best friends (Courtney and Mark) can't talk to Bobby because he is in a different world so instead Bobby has giving Mark a magic ring that transports letters. So, to talk to his 2 best friends he writes letters of what's happening, and Mark and Courtney read them, and are with Bobby all the way. Bobby and the team are about to make their first move against this evil mastermind.

If you want to know anything about carnivorous plants this it. If anyone gives this book less than a 5-star review they should be shot(kidding). This book has the most comprehensive list of CP species and how to grow individual species than any other book I've seen. It has the soil, water, light, and climate requirements for every genus of CP, plus tips on where to grow them from a bog garden to a terrarium to a windowsill. It shows you how to grow every plant from Dionea muscipula (Venus Flytrap) to Nepenthes (Tropical Pitcher Plant) to most of the 130 species of Drosera (Sundew). You can truly know how to grow any carnivorous plant with this book. And to make everything better the author is the amazing Peter D'Amato who has been growing CP's for nearly 40 years and runs the California Carnivores nursery since 1989 (which happens to be the largest CP shop in the U.S. and the same nursery I buy my CP's from). Thank you Peter for this amazing book. Well worth buying!!! Trust me.

Whether you plan on growing these monsters or not, this is a fun book to read!

Having spent a lifetime maintaining aquariums (saltwater, freshwater and reef) and reading hundreds of "how-to" books regarding the same, I compliment Peter D'Amato on his ability to instruct and entertain. Beautiful pictures, clear information, and organized presentation make this book a perfect introduction to carnivorous plants. His enthusiam is obvious and infectious! I also loved the movie references.

These plants are the coolest! I can't wait to start my own blood-thirsty garden.

This is by far the best book available for growers of carnivorous plants from beginners to advanced growers. It is full of detailed growing instructions about each species in addition to general rules for growing these plants. The pictures are great and there is a lot of essential detail about their native habitats. In addition D'Amato has included a great deal of interesting background on natural history and cultivation. In short, this book is an absolute must have for anyone interested in growing these plants and I cannot recommend it enough!

Zeer goed boek,

Het boek is zeer overzichtelijk geschreven, al de bekende en minder bekende soorten zijn in het boek beschreven.
Maar het leukste aan het boek vind ik dat er bij elke plantengroep ook een beschrijving is over hoe je de soort het beste kan verzorgen en vermenigvuldigen.
Ook belangrijk vind ik dat het voor mensen wiens moedertaal niet engels is zeer eenvoudig te lezen en verstaan is

ik heb het boek met veel plezier gelezen!

I have read many reviews about this book, and now that I have gotten this book, I have to agree that it is packed full of information! I was not able to keep carnivorous plants alive before I read this book, and now they are bright and beautiful! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in starting a carnivorous plant collection!

I gained so much more from reading "Unsent Letters: Writing as a way to resolve and renew" than from reading this book. Compare the two yourself and you'll see what I mean.

Words provide continuity from generation to generation that surpasses our limited life spans to enrich the shared love of friends and family, to bind generations, and to offer hope to the future. Despite the power of words, many people are reluctant writers, uncertain of what to say or how to say it. To that end, authors JacLynn Morris and Paul L. Fair, Ph.D. bring their own writing skills, teaching experience, and research to bear, offering aid to the reluctant writer in FROM ME TO YOU.

Simple, easy to follow steps guide the writer through the process of conveying thoughts and emotions that might else wise remain unanswered and unspoken. Using the five basic elements enumerated in FROM ME TO YOU, writers can add depth and value to their messages. Concise explanations and the generous use of examples accompany each step, clearly illustrating each point. Many of the examples are both poignant and inspiring, aiding the prospective reader in finding their own voices and experiences. Difficult to write messages that reveal secrets or explanations likewise becoming easier to write with the aid of FROM ME TO YOU.

At last, a writing book for everyone! Whether your words are meant as a thank you, as an apology, to offer comfort or advice, or simply to affirm your love, FROM ME TO YOU will aid all writers in expressing themselves. Powerful, personal messages are our legacy to those we love, regardless of the purpose of the note, and can easily be strengthened by following these simple steps. One of the best writing resources I have encountered, FROM ME TO YOU comes very highly recommended.

There are times when conversation cannot convey your deepest feelings. You can hide your true feelings when talking to someone you care about. Written words can be gifts of the heart and the way you present them can make all the difference. The fact that you take the time to find a concrete way of expressing your feelings is what matters!

You might be reluctant to send an e-mail or put pen to paper, however if you follow the steps in this book you will find it is easier than you think. The authors give examples of letters for every situation. These letters go beyond "polite" words and are more honest and genuine. They express goodwill or reveal deep feelings. They also communicate the importance and value of your relationship to the receiver.

"Often, just the fact that a person puts time, effort, thought or originality into something to delight or help us makes a message wonderful." pg. 9

The authors show how you use five basic elements to make a message powerful, intimate, satisfying and meaningful. It doesn't matte if you want to express your feelings, give advice, forgive, answer important questions, thank someone or share a favorite memory. These five elements should be included in your letter.

While this book might sound like it is an emotional roller coaster ride, there are quite a few really funny letters. I loved the story of a mother who writes down the sweet and funny things her children do. She intends to give these memories to her children. I know this was such a delight when my mother showed me her notes of what I said and did when I was very young. It truly will delight any child to know their parents cared enough to find the time to write down these memories. It also helps children remember important details of their lives.

Another idea I really thought was wonderful was a letter an Aunt sent her nephew about all the wonderful books she had read that she thought he would enjoy. Of course she could have just reviewed them, yet she chose to specifically recommend books that had given her enjoyment, knowledge and comfort.

Some of the letters helped bridge the distance between friends and family or helped to heal a hurt. These are real letters people wrote at a time in their lives when hurt, anger or misunderstanding left them feeling as if they were stuck on opposite sides of a tightly closed door.

"Maybe the blur of our lives has left us hungry for tangible ways to hold onto what is and was-even as we move toward what will be." pg. 150

So if you want to connect with the people you care most about, "From Me to You" will show you how to share your memories, thank people who have helped you in life, apologize to those you may have hurt, inspire friends and invite people to think of you with love and a smile.

~The Rebecca Review

This book is a great help for anyone needing to write anything. Your correspondence will forever change to be more meaningful.

This book has been on my shelf to review for several months, but so many events took my time and energy that I am just now beginning to find my way back to words. My dad died January 5, 2002, and I gave the eulogy at his funeral. How do you share the love and life of someone so dear, yet bring comfort to others who are also suffering this loss? This book, this wonderful book, helped me to deliver a speech that gave the joy and humor that was my dad to others.

Rarely does a writer's reference book have the ability to encourage and inspire its readers or those who do not take up the "pen," to find the way to express emotions. Yet this book shows the joy and power of honest communications, and provides an easy to follow plan that helps all of us share our dreams, hopes, fears, and love with the important people in our lives. It also helps us realize that everyone is important, and to never take for granted the gift of friendship.

This book is an adventure through emotions, but it is so much more. Follow the principles, write the way you speak, be yourself, get rid of criticisms, and in doing so, you become the better part of yourself. Imagine, if you could read a letter and know what the reader was feeling; this book will help you see the ways to do so because in revealing ourselves, we gain self-knowledge and confidence.

Five stars are not diminished by the only difficulty I had, which was the very small size of the font.

Victoria Tarrani