E Books

Flying Between Heaven and Earth provides us with a glimpse into a fascinating netherworld and, more importantly, provokes us to contemplate the reasons we're here on this planet. Gina Jones' exemplary writing skills give us richly developed characters to follow right to the end of this page-turner.

Whether you believe or not, the postulates Gina presents will stay with you long after you finish the read. Get ready for an enjoyable ride on Infinity Airways.

Two concepts were presented in this book, no, actually three, that make this an important book for someone searching and asking questions about what is going on and WHY?

The concept of spiritual creatures, angels and demons, having meetings and discussions about what to do about things on Earth is a very new idea for most of us. I thought that it was a war between good and evil. But, the more I think about it, the idea that Jones proffers makes a bit more sense. I can even picture all of it happening just as she describes. Good spirits and bad spirits argue about the outcome of things and do their best to influence us humans in this "free will" world. And may the most influential win it all. And yet, the idea that these "good and bad" spirits are just part of a larger "game" and are playing parts even makes the concept more interesting and compelling.

Another concept that fascinated me was of the "veil of forgetfulness". This is what happens when we, as multi-dimensional creatures enter into this three dimensional existence. Our "reentry" dazes us and causes us to forget who we are until we can awaken to our condition. Of course, if you accept the idea that we re-entered this existence by choice, you could argue that we agreed to forget ourselves for a time. How else could we expect to live here like this is all there is and we are playing for keeps?

And the third thing I enjoyed was how our guardian angels interact with us and influence us while we are living our day to day lives. And that all the experiences we have in this life are planned to teach us something. Of course, since we are in a "free will" world, we don't do the right thing too often and have to pay the consequences for our actions.

Okay, that is four concepts. But, you get the idea.

Jones writes in a lively style and breaks the book up into lots of chapters since most of us don't have long periods of time to devote to reading these days.

Oh, and I almost forgot, the Mayan Calendar is featured here and how it relates to 2012. Now, this is an area where a number of people have wildly different theories over its significance and what is supposed to happen when 2012 rolls around.

Ok... five concepts.

This book presents one picture and googling 2012 will garner LOTS of others. There are references in the back of the book to get you started.

This book is a gift to humanity. It is genuine, bringing hope and faith to the reader. I found that the minute I opened it, I was compelled, I could not put it down. It took me on a journey into what is truly and really important in our lives. Each chapter brought me to a realization, of how our lives intertwine with certain people and events that show us the miracles, that there is something more guiding us.

This book is a lamp in a great sea of darkness. It is the inspiration that gives us hope, in the end it will make your heart sing a new song.

Former flight attendant and later founder of the spiritual message-delivering company "Scene The Light Productions" Gina E. Jones presents Flying Between Heaven and Earth, an original novel of angels set in the bustling modern day. As the divine cosmic plan for the Earth nears its 2012 culmination, as predicted in the Mayan Sacred Calendar, global chaos, bizarre weather, worldwide terrorism, and an increased fear of flying permeate the world. Infinity Airways, an airline operated entirely by angels, strives to move people toward their higher purpose and aid spiritual evolution through opportunities to balance their heavy karmic and emotional baggage. Amid this divine work, one angel named Nicole, who volunteers to be an Infinity Airways flight attendant, unwittingly falls from grace when she becomes fully human. Caught in the war between Dark and Light, and enticed by the temptations of Darkness, she must learn to confront her human weaknesses and shortcomings in order to play her role to help save humanity in its final days upon Earth. An apocalypse story with a celestial twist, and a riveting read from cover to cover.

This is a story of hope and redemption. Did you ever wonder how an Angel earned the status of Archangel? I hadn't either until "Flying Between Heaven and Earth" landed on my doorstep. I was riveted and transformed by this 'factional novel'. It had been many years since a book spoke to me like this. Truth is woven throughout, like triggers, that ultimately brought me to a point of surrender, and a new level of awakening in my personal life. Gina's first effort at flying solo is an E-ticket ride. This felt more like riding first class in a hologram, while viewing a bigger picture than mankind could ever imagine. You will love this book! Now to see it come to life on the big screen. Stephen Spielberg, are you reading this?

Initially I borrowed this book from a friend and read it at bedtime. The short chapters are perfect for a quick read at bedtime, while waiting at the doctor, etc. Phillip Gulley is fabulous at taking the "normalcy" of life and applying Biblical principles to deepen the experience. His humor causes me to laugh out loud repeatedly. This is a fun and fresh way to look at the Eccelesiastes text. After devouring my friend's copy, I purchased this one to share with my dad. He is loving it as well!

Philip Gulley uses the words of Ecclesiastes, "For everything there is a season", as a springboard for essays on life. He happens to live in the small town of Danville, Indiana, where he grew up, so his stories have to do with the people and customs of his small town. Gulley is a Quaker pastor who holds to traditional values and the sovereignty of God, but this doesn't hinder his sly wit or wry observations on the absurdities of modern-day life. His choices of stories range from the addition of a screen door to his home under "A Time to Build" to a list of his prejudices and pet peeves under "A Time to Gather Stones Together". This is a good book to read a bit at a time as each chapter stands alone. It's also a good way to escape from stress and to get a laugh and a new perspective on life.

I was given a copy of this book by my sister, Mrs. Fruits, who is featured in the "a time to let go" chapter. I also have a signed copy. This is a wonderful book (along with Phil's others) to pick up when one needs a spiritual "pick me up". I have circulated these delightful books through the membership of my Episcopal church and have incorporated some of his stories into sermons. I am a Hoosier from Hendricks County who now lives in Washington State and it is often a nostalgic trip for me when I travel the roads and streets of Indiana in Phil's books. But anyone could benefit from these stories about every day people dealing with every day life.

This is an excellent book, as are all of Philip Gulley's. They are "feel good" books, and I enjoy them all. Although this particular book is not a story evolving around the local townspeople, as are many of his, it is still an inspiring read. I hope Mr. Gulley continues to crank out his particular type of humor/inspiration for years to come!

What a great book about the sweet simple side of life. It made me want to move to the author's small town and settle in with my family. I have enjoyed everything I have read so far by this author.

Frederica is one of Heyer's older heroines (not one of the silly ingenues, who of course can also be fun to read about). Frederica and the other characters in this book are very well developed and easy to love. Frederica is a wonderful, unselfish sister to two younger brothers. Alverstoke is a good man who has- up until now- led a selfish life in which he has never gone out of his way to help anyone. Can he learn something from her and her family (including the Baluchistan hound)?

Frederica is a funny book, but it is also a very romantic book. A satisfying read, a gentle comedy, and a book you will enjoy reading many times.

I've read all of Georgette Heyer's Regency novels, and I've listened to many audio books...including a few of Ms. Heyers!
However, I must say that this audio book, is one of the GREAT ones!! Clifford Norgate has an obvious talent for conveying emotions, while also utilizing diverse accents/tones to give Ms. Heyer's characters their own particular voices! He was even able to adequately portray the female characters' tones (which is often a quite difficult task for a male reader to successfully accomplish!). I found that I thoroughly enjoyed this audio novel...immensely!!! I even surprised myself with how well I could remember and anticipate the dialogue before it was spoken...even though I'd not read this novel in quite some time.
This is an audio book that I will treasure, and definitely re-"read" many times. I only wish that all of my Georgette Heyer favorites were as wonderfully rendered in their "audio versions"!
I greatly recommend Clifford Norgate as a "reader", and this book as a definite keeper!!! Frederica has always been among my favorite Georgette Heyer novels; and this version does it great justice!

I'm afraid bookjunkie said everything so perfectly and eloquently I have very little to add and yet I must add my voice to those who claim this as their favorite Heyer. In Frederica, you have an exquisite heroine - intelligent, humorous, well-looking but not a diamond, kind, and above all totally believable as a woman who could turn the world of an accomplished, arrogant, self-centered rake upside down. Heyer manages beautifully to make our hero, Alverstoke, all those things and yet absolutely marvelous at the same time. As usual, Heyer's secondary characters are perfection - interesting and amusing and so believable you feel she must know these people. This book is a must read for any regency fan - it is one of the best! An added bonus is that it hardly matters how much you pay for it - I don't think I could ever get tired of reading this book; I probably re-read Frederica twice a year: it never loses it's charm.

Never read or heard of G. Heyer until recently and Frederica was my introduction to this most talented author. This a sweet and fun story about finding unexpected love in the midst of family upheveal. The dialouge is hysterical. I laughed out loud on several occasions. Buy this book...you will not be disappointed!

Frederica is without doubt my favourite Georgette Heyer novel - and I like her novels very much! What makes Frederica so good? Simply that she has populated this book with wonderful characters, amusing dialogue, interesting historical setting and a love story which is gentle and fulfilling.

The basic plot is that Frederica, a rather managing girl with three brothers and one sister, all younger than her, is attempting to launch her beautiful sister Charis into society so that she can make a good marriage. Frederica enlists the assistance of her sort-of cousin, the Marquis of Alverstoke, in this - and he agrees to spite his sisters. Alverstoke is an uncaring, flighty rake who doesn't do anything for anyone else and is hugely selfish. Through his interaction with Frederica and her two youngest brothers, Jessamy and Felix, Alverstoke is brought out of his state of almost continual boredom and takes real responsibility for his adopted cousins.

The power in this story is the exquisite way in which Heyer portrays her characters. We are shown Alverstoke with all his faults, yet we also get glimpses into what makes him in some ways a good man - for example the honourable and fair way in which he treats his secretary, Charles, and in the way that he takes on responsibilities to his adopted wards in order to lessen some of the load on Frederica's shoulders. Although Frederica initially comes across as a woman without fault, as the story progresses we see her occasional blindness in dealings with her sister and her eldest brother Harry; Frederica wants Charis to make a good match but Charis doesn't want that for herself. As the story progresses Alverstoke becomes more responsible, more aware of the needs of others and more aware of the effect he has on them. He takes care to hide his interest in Frederica from society so that she is not teased about it. As for Frederica's feelings for him, we do not hear much of the story from her point of view but it becomes clear by things that she says that she considers him very important to her... until of course the end of the book when they become engaged and she discovers what it is to be truly in love.

There are many other sub-plots running along in the main story - the romance between Alverstoke's secretary Charles Trevor and Alverstoke's cousin Chloë Dauntry is one. The various men who offer marriage to Frederica because they see her qualities and the different way in which they are portrayed is great fun. But the central part of the book - the conversations between Frederica and Alverstoke - are a delight.

This is one of those books that you can read again and again and enjoy even more each time. Heyer has masterfully described the way that a bored rake, Alverstoke, can change his whole nature when he finally finds the right person, the woman who is a conversational match for him; I also think that her ability to gradually unveil the faults in her heroine, small that they may be, is also good - it's annoying to read books with `perfect' people as they are so unlike us.

Like all Heyer books, the historical setting, dialogue and description of places is perfect. This book is just a fantastic read in so many different ways - buy it!

I chose this book for my leadership development program at work. I enjoyed reading it, and found that it sparked a lot of ideas for things I could do to improve my own workplace. This book is short, funny, and to the point.

In this book, the author uses a short story to tell readers how a gifted boss and a great employee together can create synergy. The story starts with the author asking for help from a wise mentor, Max. He and Max spend a weekend together in Arizona, visiting different companies and talking with each other.

According to the Max, a gifted boss creates a magnetic work environment to attract great employees. He/She emphasizes goals and standards over procedural how-to rules. What is hired is help, not just time and efforts, from employees. He/she also cares about the personal development of employees by placing them outside their comfort zones. As for firing employees, a gifted boss helps them find new jobs.

In the book, Max also sheds light on a great employee. A great employee does not have to be expensive to hire. He/she is looking for a change and a chance. This great person is naturally productive and wants to be trusted that work will be done without constant supervision. He/she usually has one or more skills that are superior to those of the boss. As a result, great help is given to the boss through checking on the boss's work. A great employee also understands customers. He/she is entrepreneurial and is confident enough to seek measurement of his/her work and wants to be paid accordingly. Such great employees have to be courted by gifted bosses for they seldom change jobs. Courting here means a gifted boss has to be a friend and look for a chance to open up for offering a job to this great employee. This may happen after many years after they have become friends.

The author really understands how to be a gifted boss and the nature of a great employee. The story-telling writing style of this book makes it interesting and different from that of other books in Business.

This book is a great one for those involved in business. It takes you on a journey that will certainly change your ordinary views about work, salary, and boss-employee relations. The Gifted Boss is for those who want to make a change and to elevate standards in the workplace: the best workplace for the best employees!

Very wise and up to date. I bought 2 for my store managers to read. This book identified some of my attitudes and policies even though I hadn't identified them myself--for example Nordstrom's employee review system. Thanks.

I haven't read the book, but the example cited in the publisher's review, that of John Kilcullen, former chief of IDG Books during the 1990s, makes me hesitate. The idea that Kilcullen, one of the most heartily despised bosses in the computer book publishing industry, would be cited as a "Gifted Boss" because of a neat trick in luring in a name author, is sad. Go ahead and read the book, but skip over the parts about Kilcullen, he's no examplar.

The product was great and Woody's book store communicated great through email about the purchase and ordering information. The only thing is the number of days that it took to ship was confusing; I thought it would get to me sooner, but what the number of days meant was when it would be shipped as opposed to it arriving to me.

Sometimes, people who have been "handicapped" in some manner end up withdrawing into themselves. A few of them are downright miserable. Mad at the world for being stuck in the situation they're in... the best they can hope for (because they're depressing to be around) is to have people feel sorry for them.

Mark Zupan (who, hopefully, you know from the astoundingly-good, and deserved-to-win-the-Oscar documentary, MURDERBALL), is NOT one of those people. He doesn't WANT anyone to feel sorry for him. (In fact, he doesn't even want to be seen as a "role model," or an "inspiration," though [sorry Mark!], to a lot of people, he is.)

Mark was an athletic, fun-loving 18-year-old, having a blast in South Florida when everything he knew changed in an instant. Sleeping off a night of heavy partying in the back of his buddy Chris Igoe's parked pickup, he had no clue when his friend got in and (also drunk) drove off. Not too long thereafter, Igoe swerved off the road and Mark ended up flying out of the truck-bed, over a fence, and into some dense foliage overhanging a small lake. (Igoe had no idea Mark was in the truck bed, so when the police came, they never looked for him.)

Mark regained consciousness, only to find himself unable to move (he didn't know it yet, but he was paralyzed from the neck down), hanging upside-down from a branch with his nose just inches from the water... and getting closer by the moment. He hung there for 14 hours, before a workman heard him yelling for help.

And that's just the START of the story!

In the years that followed, he has not only become one of the star players of the sport known as Quad Rugby (a.k.a. Murderball), his attitude about his "situation" (whether he likes it or not!) has helped untold numbers of others* to better cope with their own situations.


* I know of what I speak. My young and lovely wife has been in a wheelchair for several years due to Multiple Sclerosis. After seeing the movie MURDERBALL --and *especially* after meeting Zupan at a tournament, her attitude went from "good" to fantastic. She's no longer "the girl in the wheelchair." She's simply my wife, who's fun to be around, and who's interested in doing the things she CAN do, rather than fretting about the things she can't.

-Jonathan Sabin

A fast paced, gritty look into an Athlete's brush with death and the long road to recovery. If you are looking for the next inspiration for a cheesy After School Special on overcoming adversity...don't read this book. If you are looking for a well written, insightful look into how one guy copes with tragedy and disability, then this is an excellent read. To say Gimp has texture is an understatement thanks to its subject, Mark Zupan, a quadriplegic athlete who was made famous by the documentary Murder Ball. Gimp details how this proud, perhaps arrogant athlete dealt with a tragic accident that cost him the full use of his limbs thanks to drunken night that resulted in a brush with death and a debilitating spinal cord injury.

Gimp does not spare us the details that are often left out of such stories including the uglier side of human emotion. The books subject faces Zupan's denial, doubt, guilt, fear, despair and loss as a result of his tragedy. While he ultimately comes to terms with his injury and recovery, it is not without some serious setbacks, some self inflicted. It is this part of writer Timothy Swanson's writing that really sets Gimp apart. He does not spare Zupan some hard looks into his darker nature to include arrogance, self indulgence and outright self destructiveness at times. If there is a villain in the book, it is Zupan himself and his own feelings of despair and anger. It is Swanson's description of Zupan's struggle with his own dark feelings and fears that give the story its power.

The book is not without its own sense of humor and offers a dark amusement that Zupan has for the hand life has dealt him. Gimp deftly shows Zupan's outlook on life which is headstrong and confident but not without his fair share of hidden frailty in the face of a near death experience. In fact, the description of the actual accident that describes Zupan clinging to life, literally perhaps, is the book's strongest section. I have many friends who suffer from war wounds, especially brain injuries from IED's or "danger close" air strikes and I can say from personal experience that Gimp does an excellent job at looking at how proud warriors (in Gimp's case a world class athlete), deal with injury and recovery. I recommend this book without reservation to certainly anyone who knows someone who suffers from a disability or who has seen the documentary Murder Ball. The book has broader appeal to fans of sports writing as well since the book leaves no doubt that Zupan is an athlete. The fact that it is an easy read and has a brisk pace is no small feat given that other works of this genre tend to drag on, lack direction and are often burdened with sappy and clichéd, touchy-feely housewife book club nonsense. Zupan's force of will as described by Swanson carries the book along as does the suspense of how he will cope with each stage of his recovery and his entrance into the world of quad rugby aka Murder Ball. I thought it was a great read and recommend it without reservation.

This is a great book. Inspiring, entertaining, hilarious, and real. Mark doesn't pull any punches in this. It is not a self-pity book nor does it try to lecture the reader. It is a real account of someone who is very inspiring, yet doesn't pretend to be what he isn't.

Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down. Awesome!!!

Mark Zupan makes you think about what you have, not what you do not have.

He may be in a chair, but he is not handicap. Mark Zupan speak frankly and openly about his life before and after. He does not blame anyone for his injury.

Make you think you life is O.K. and despite what happens you can survive and go on.

Life is not so bad.

This is yet another one of the books that was required for my Arts & Humanities class "The Horror Story"...I must say that I'm quite glad that I was introduced to this novel.

This book houses some of the greatest horror stories since the genre came into existence. I have a new appreciation for Edgar Allen Poe. Algernon Blackwood is an AMAZING writer, quite possibly my new favorite. There is even a story written by O. Henry!

This book could easily be considered a bible among those who are horror-genre fans. I can't say much else about this book other than IN MY OPINION it is worth the money you will spend on it and the time you will spend reading it.

They quickly notified me when they were shipping it and it showed up fast. The book arrived in excellent shape. I am very pleased with the level of service provided.

This book is, quite simply, the best collection of 19th and early-20th century short fiction of the dark variety in existence. First published in the 1940s, this single (albeit fat) volume is a goldmine of the roots of modern horror, a great way to see where today's horror heavyweights got their inspiration and influence.

Some authors whose stories appear within: Bierce, Blackwood, Dickens, Faulkner, Hawthorne, Hemingway, James (both Henry & M.R.), Kipling, Lovecraft, Machen, Poe, Wells, and many more, a good mixture of horror genre regulars and more conventional or 'literary' authors to whom dark fiction was a departure from the norm. If many of those above names are unfamiliar to you and you consider yourself a fan of dark fiction, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

[Sidenote: The book also contains two of my all-time favorite short stories from two slightly lesser-known authors: Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," and W.W. Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw." As far as I know, this is the only single volume that includes both. The latter story is, in my humble opinion, THE most perfect scary story of all time.]

Once again: Wagner & Wise's collection is the best thing of its kind.

If you're looking for a little fear on your pallet, this book will dish it out in buckets. The authors are old world craftsmen who wrote these stories on dark and stormy nights. As you read, the wind will howl, dead children will laugh, and the scurry of rats will make you look around your room. Drink a glass of wine, eat dark chocolate, and curl up to this one in bed. Dead men do write good tales.

There's little to add to what earlier commenters have written. But I do want to note that not only are the stories themselves awesome, but the collection as a whole serves as a broad and useful introduction to spooky stories. Many representative authors of the 'old school' are included, like Sheridan Le Fanu, M.R. James, Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, Benson, and the much neglected Oliver Onions. Lovecraft is, of course, there, too. The editor couldn't have chosen better examples to inspire readers to seek out more of the represented authors' works.

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

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

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

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

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

As other reviewers have already emphasized, this is an excellent English language resource for German grammar. An incredible amount of detail is given, and attention is paid both to general rules and specific exceptions, even down to the most obscure and archaic. Both difficult and simple grammatical terms are explained through examples in English, which makes this book an excellent tool for coming to a deep understanding of the German language.

As mentioned by others, this is no book for beginners. Only high-intermediate and advanced students should look into using this grammar, as it assumes a rather high level of proficiency on the student's part. However, for more advanced students, the explanations and detailed examples are priceless, shedding light on even the most complicated German passages.

A word of caution to teachers: please do not merely have your students read and memorize sections of this textbook. Hammer's Grammar is very complex and includes a large amount of exceptions, a number of which are no longer in common use. Classmates I've had have expressed frustration over having to memorize exception after exception to a rule that seems rare in itself. This book is best used as a reference for advanced learners, and ought not to be the setting in which general grammatical rules are taught. Rather than reading and memorizing, it would be better for students to study this book topic by topic, complete with class discussion, re-mastering the principles before moving on to the many exceptions.

There are also a number of slightly odd English sentences in this book that might confuse the reader. Beware, and proceed at a slow, steady pace.

I commenced learning German in college and concluded with enough credits to earn a minor. Two summers were spent in Germany taking intensive German language classes (Munich and Mannheim), while two additional summers were spent working as an intern with Deutsche Telekom in Frankfurt. Upon concluding my Masters in EE, I married a German and subsequently lived in Germany for 10 years. For 5 of those years I was general manager of my own consulting company. All of our business was in German.

Inspite of this background, on any given page of this manual, there are tips and tricks to assist me in refining my language skills. This book has it. If it is not there, you in all likelyhood don't need to know it. The themes are logically laid out. Any and every topic is easy to find. This book is highly recommended. Beginners should not resist having this gold mine in his library.

This is an excellent book for those working on learning German. * HOWEVER * If you are like me and were never able to gain a firm grasp of the English language while in high school you should get this book and a book called "English Grammar for Students of German" to use along side of this one to help you understand the basics in basic terms. You generally need to have a decent grasp of the mechanics of the English language before learning a foreign language. This book goes into great detail and is absolutely packed with information on the mechanics of the German language. Getting the workbook that goes with the book IS A MUST, as just reading about German is worthless. Get the workbook and work the exercises on a separate piece of paper. This makes it so you can rework the exercises again later if needed. Be diligent and work in the workbook everyday. As you go through out your day and have thoughts pop into your head try to think of how you would write a sentence in German that would equal that thought.

I am glad I bought this book as I will have to stretch myself to get through it. It's a great learning tool.

I'm a grad student who teaches elementary German. Born and raised in the U.S., I learned German as a second language. I've exhausted the grammars I own, but I know that there are still many constructions and subtleties I've never learned. This has become more apparent as I've worked in a department filled with Muttersprachler.

The reviews for Hammer's grammar made it sound perfect for my needs. They were right on! This grammar is 550 pages of DETAILED explanations illustrated by many helpful examples. I've only just begun the first chapter (less than ten pages) and I've already learned invaluable information.

Did you know, for example, that the gender of 80% of all German nouns can be determined just by looking at the form and/or meaning of the noun? I knew of a dozen or so clues, but after working through these first pages I have learned many, many more and am much more confident with using nouns I know for which I've never memorized the article. Only 20% of nouns actually need to have their gender memorized. I'm now working through similar tips for determining the plurals, which are equally easy to determine just by looking at the noun - once you know how.

There is also a small section tucked away in a corner that explains how to determine whether one uses an, auf, in, zu, or nach as a preposition to indicate going "to" a location. I thought these also just had to each be memorized for each possible case. Nope, it's very logical and this book will explain it to you along with countless other details that will bring your German much closer to a native level (like whether to use genitive, "von", or apposition in measurement phrases).

Now, if this is nothing new to you, Hammer might still be helpful (though if your German is really great and you only have problems that natives have, you probably just need to work through the various volumes put out by Duden). I know I've never learned this stuff, and I certainly don't teach it in my college courses. Hammer's grammar is likely too much for beginners (a bit like drinking out of a fire hydrant), but its perfect for intermediate and advanced learners who have questions that have just never been answered by their textbooks or by the grad students who teach them.

Also, the workbook is the newest edition, matching the grammar, even though the image here on Amazon is from the older edition (at least at the time that I am writing this). It has excellent exercises, and I do recommend it. For rounding out your vocab, I recommend Cambridge UP's "Using German Vocabulary." It is far more exhaustive than the vocab books by Baron and others.

This is the best and most comprehensive english language German grammar reference you can buy. It is definately not for Beginners. If you are an Intermediate to Advanced German student, it is perfect. You should also seriously consider the companion workbook Practicing German Grammar. For beginners to intermediate level learners, I highly recommend Schaum's Outline of German Grammar. Its easier to follow and doesn't cover all the minor nuances of German grammar that you won't need to know at the beginner to intermediate levels.

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

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

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

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

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

This was a great read; wonderful story about African-American history that young children will understand and appreciate, and that adults may learn a great deal from. Good length, tone, and wonderful illustrations. I sent the author a note and she provided me with a great reading guide via email!

Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria was an inspiring story that reminds us to never give up on our dreams and also to dream BIG and leave the rest to God. As a freed slave, it seemed highly unlikely that Martha Ann would ever be in the company of Queen Victoria. But after 50 years of dreaming, PREPARATION and ridicule, Martha Ann got just want she wanted -an audience with the queen. Not only is the story true, it is inspirational to everyone not just children. Kudos to Kyra Hicks for bringing the story to light and inspiring us all to dream BIG!

Readers of all ages will find Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria a fascinating journey through history as told through the eyes of our heroine, Martha Ann, who both captivates and inspires her audience. Martha Ann's Quilt for Queen Victoria is a must read especially young people as it teaches the importance of setting goals and following through on the work necessary to achieve them. Bravo to Ms. Hicks who had the foresight and the passion to share this most remarkable story.

What a privilege it was to read Kyra's latest work to my 5 year old. She absolutely loved it, asking so many questions and commenting on the beauty of the book itself. This book was such a treat for both me and her! It's educational, uplifting and sweet. I encourage my daughter to always reach beyond the stars and this book reinforces that. We will read it again and again and share it with others! Thank you Kyra.

Martha Ann's story is not only an inspiration to all, it is also a true story. A story reminding us that with determination, hard work, and confidence even the most seemingly impossible dreams can come true.

Born about 1817 in eastern Tennessee, Martha Ann Ricks was a slave. Her father was a traveling preacher who learned about the American Colonization Society, an organization that assisted blacks in beginning again in a new place - Liberia.

When Martha Ann was 12, her family had finally saved enough money to buy their freedom and they moved to Liberia. Once there Martha Ann was able to go to school where she joyfully learned how to read. At home her mother taught her to sew. However, these happy times came to an end all too soon when African Fever took the lives of her mother, father, and sisters.

As an adult and a married woman, Martha Ann went to the market with her husband where she saw British naval ships patrolling the coast to stop slave catchers from kidnaping blacks. So impressed was Martha Ann by the ships and Queen Victoria for sending them that she determined to personally thank the Queen for protecting her people.

An impossible hope? Yes, but Martha Ann fulfilled her dream.

Highly recommended for young readers.

- Gail Cooke