K Books

Ahlquist's introductory text to Chesterton was a delightful, witty, and quick read which set me afire once again to read an author whom the contemporary world has lamentably forgotten - and not accidentally. I have before fallen in love with Chesterton and hope to continue to fall in love with this humble intellectual giant, the apostle of the people, of "common sense" as Ahlquist says. This text functions very well to whet anyone's appetite for Chesterton.

One of the marks of a great mind is a unity in thought, particularly over time - even when time realizes various conversions, like the life of Chesterton. In Ahlquist's bird's-eye view of Chesterton's major works, the general theme of Chesterton's levity and love for the obvious, simple paradoxes of life shines forth as a glorious beacon to the majestic thoughts of this man. The text on the whole is a delightful, yet not too serious, admixture of the author's musing with quotes of varied length from Chesterton. It is a joy to leap from subject to subject in this short overview, for that was the way that the physically massive writer would write, like the most free of angels, floating humbly above the fray of grave intellectuals. I highly recommend this text to all, from the complete Chesterton novice, to the junior who perhaps needs a re-expansion of his Chestertonian horizons, to the scholar of Chesterton who too can only benefit from stepping back to look at the great masterpiece that is collected works and mind of Chesterton.

No one will accuse Dale Ahlquist of being detached and objective about Chesterton's work. I don't think there is a serious word of critique in this whole volume, so if you are looking for a broad view of Chesterton, with perhaps even some suggestions that he might be lacking in some regard, then this book is not where you will find it. What Ahlquist does very well is bring the essential arguments that Chesterton makes across the spectrum of his writings together in a concise, accessible and enjoyable book.

This is a book you can pick up and peruse, read a chapter, put it down, pick it up a month later and begin again. The title says it all. Chesterton is presented as the Apostle of Common Sense so the things that you read sound like common sense whenever you read them. You don't have to remember a sustained argument that has gone before.

As a convinced Calvinist I flinch when Chesterton (and Ahlquist) oversimplify significant positions on free will, God's sovereignty and ultimately the quality of life associated with those who hold to different views on it. I don't get upset though because the principles that Chesterton is ultimately arguing for are actually inherent within Calvinism also. What he really says are basic principles of Christianity, not Catholicism, though Chesterton and Ahlquist equate them.

Chesterton's work is worth reading for his arguments on the family and distributive social economy alone. These are words our society needs to hear and we really ought to pay attention.

So, read the book - enjoy the wit and the superb command of the language that truly great intellect can muster - and learn.

This is a terrific introduction to a giant of the 20th century literary world. If you have any doubt as to the pertinence of Chesterton in the modern world, take a few moments to browse through this book. G.K. Chesterton's writings are still vital and alive today, and this book introduces you to the author's works. Well worth the investment of time to read this intro to Chesterton, and then delve into the books of Chesterton with great gusto. Enjoy!

This introduction of GK Chesterton should be a required reading for every High School Senior before graduation into a College Curriculum or as part of a required beginning College Liberal Arts Curriculum. My vote is par excellence for this soft cover issue*****!
It is truly "An Amazing Prophesy of Pertinent Issues of Our Modern World Today". It is a very easy to read beginning collected synopses ofG. K. Chesterton: The Apostle of Common Sense of GK Chesterton by Mr. Dale Ahlquist.

Friends, do you know who G. K. Chesterton. is? If the answer is no or if you only know a little about him, then it is time to buy this book. It is time to learn about the champion of the common man. It is time to learn about the champion of common sense. It is time to learn about the champion of life, liberty, and property. Chesterton fought for truth throughout his life using the most powerful weapons possible: truth, common sense, and laughter.

Dale Ahlquist is one of the foremost Chesterton authorites in America, and although you did not know it before now, he has done you a tremendous favor by writing this book. Chesterton wrote over a hundred books in his life, and for the beginner it can be a daunting task to figure out where one should start. Ahlquist provides a nice description of Chesterton's works in this book and how they fit in the larger scheme of Chesterton's philosophy and writing. If you are about to take the plunge into the writings of Chesterton, or if you have just started to read the writings of Chesterton, then you need to buy this book. You won't regret it.

We just lost our Golden Reteiever of 10 years totally unexpected due to cancer. She ran off to die. We were able to find her and bury her in our backyard. "Amy", the Golden in the book is like our Chantal who loved the Gulf beaches. For any Golden owner, this is MUST have book to help with the loss of the best breed of dog I've ever encountered.

I laughed and cried when I read this book. Vanderbilt truly depicts life with a Golden. My son was devastated when we lost our twelve-year old Golden; I sent him this book so he could, like the author, reflect on the joy of having one of these incredible dogs in our life. The author truly touches the sacred moments we share with these beautiful creatures. A must read for Golden owners.

You don't have to own a golden retriever to read and really enjoy this beautiful book. As a dog lover that I am, I read anything which has to do with dogs regardless of breed. This book is similar to "the dogs of our lives", a book which touches your heart and brings tears & laughter as you read it. Thank you Mr. Vanderbilt for sharing your memories with us.

This is a beautiful, honest book about a family's love for their Golden Retriever. While the humans in the story are skillfully drawn, the central character is Amy--a loving and loved Golden Retriever. I cried at the end of the book. The lesson of the book is that a much loved dog can have a dramatic impact on a family's life--even if she isn't a search and rescue or therapy dog.

I will admit right off the bat that the Chatham neighborhood that Amy and her human family inhabit is also my neighborhood. But I am sad to say that I never met Amy who sounded like a wonderful dog. All dogs are wonderful, in my book, and certainly in Arthur Vanderbilt's book "Golden Days." This is one of those tales where, although you know how it ends, you still weep at the end. Months later, certain scenes-- such as Amy's unusual love of bananas-- stick in the memory so that you feel you really knew Amy. "Golden Days" is a book about a golden retriever and it's also about those golden days of summer in a certain special place that Arthur Vanderbilt knows very well. I recommend this book for anyone who has ever cared for a dog. For anyone who has ever loved Cape Cod. In fact, I recommend this book, which is profoundly moving without being sappy, to everyone!

... is the story of Jessica Savitch, who was certainly the Golden Girl of Philadelphia broadcast news at one point and whose name lives on in infamy in this city. I was the little girl who looked up to her; my father adored her; my mother felt her to be a good career example. Thus was the face that fooled everyone, including herself. This biographer's work is extremely thorough and very well written. Every paragraph is captivating. I couldn't put it down -- and I knew how it ended.

I could barely recall who Jessica Savitch was, but I love biographies so I read it. It was a breathtaking journey into a young girl turned celebrity's life. I read this book in one day and I couldn't get her out of my head for weeks afterward.

In high anticipation, I watched the movie "Up Close & Personal" which was supposedly based on this book. Even though the movie was good, it really had very few similarities to the book. I was dissapointed.

I strongly recommend this book.

Alanna Nash's biography of Jessica Savitch is a fine work, richly detailed and competently researched. In reading the story of this gifted, tragic woman one recalls the old Greek dictum, "Those whom the gods wish to destory they first make mad." I recall witnessing that now famous Sunday evening news broadcast, many years ago, when Jessica appeared in a foggy, bewildered state. I was busy with a young family at mealtime but stopped to watch as she seemed to self-destruct on the air.

Jessica Savitch led a charmed life, was blessed by the gods at first. Beautiful, intelligent, and charismatic, she found all doors opening to her. She entered television journalism with expectations on all sides of great success. She died at an early age after suffering through miserable relationships and becoming addicted to drugs. This modern-day morality tale makes somber reading, but is worth your time. Recommended.

I've kicked around a little bit - I know how easy it is to fall into the crapper, but this book- my heart was broken for Ms. Savitch. A person who wasn't what you would call whole to begin with goes into television and that television becomes her whole life, everything secondary to it. A little instable to begin with, maybe if she came across the right people early enough things might not have been so bad for her, but she didn't get the help she needed in time and ended up losing herself in drugs and promiscuity, her compartmentalized life finally seeming to collapse on her at the end.

I was very interested in the technical people and the description of the jobs they did and tried to look a few of them up, many of them spending their whole lives in camera, sound, film and videotape, but there is not much of a public record, which I think is a terrible shame; I think these people would have a lot of interesting things to say about recent developments in their prospective fields, the shape of the job market, etc. It is a shame these people don't get more attention - are you listening, union bosses, ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.? As important as Ron Kershaw was to the industry in his years in it, there is zero to Google about him, and I only came up with one piece of film of him as a reporter in his Houston days on the Vanderbilt web site - a double shame!

Get the book - very interesting for myriad reasons. And be thankful you are not Jessica.

It was impressive!
I could tell that Alanna had doneso many researches and interviews to write this book.

Jessica Savitch was one of the most well-known anchor in the
American broadcasting history. After reading this, I felt like she is still alive and watching the journalists today.

If you want to be a jouranalist, you should read this
and learn the other side of TV world.
It's a stressful world. Besides, you need efforts, patience,
lucks, and talents.

Even though Jessica ended up her life with tragedy,
I think she lived her life hard.

I can't wait to read Alanna's new book.
She has done a great job to let us know how important
Jessica was for anchor-women.

Having had little information on the life of my great, great, great grandfather this book was facinating. I had no idea he had participated critically in so much of the civil war. Not only Warren's genius of analysis of conditions in battle, but his engineering skills were also very notable, indeed his accomplishment in cartography and engineering of the Rock Island bridge some could say eclipsed anything he did during the war between the states. The book is a facinating inside look at relationships between men of high rank and served to show that patriotism was not the sole factor in their decisions and exploits. Great leaders, sadly, usually have great egos and Warren was no exception. I also thought the final analysis of why Warren, though brillant, failed to achieve the greatness he was surely capable of achieving, to be profoundly accurate, in light of previous chapters of each battle. His broad understanding of the big picture came into direct conflict with men of lesser intellect, but higher rank, who had the "tunnel" vision to stay the course and simply overwhelm the enemy with shear numbers. I applaud this work of David Jordan and for taking so much time to research and write about a man the world did it's best to defame and hide in obscurity.

In "Happiness is Not My Companion," David M. Jordan performs his usual solid job in assembling a biography. Jordan is, as always, excellent when it comes to digging in primary sources and he does breathe a good deal of life into the rather obscure G. K. Warren. Best known for his role at Little Round Top, Warren led the 5th Corps of the Army of the Potomac during most of the Overland campaign before his removal at Five Forks. He also held a number of important staff assignments under Joe Hooker and George Meade. Jordan is able to offer an excellent account of Warren's Civil War career as well as his quest for vindication from being removed from command. Jordan also offers an excellent look at Warren's morose and often overly critical personality. There remain some problems in the book. Warren's role as an explorer is covered too quickly. The same can be said of his role as an engineer in the West after the war. Still, Jordan is excellent on Warren and the war. Anyone interested in the Union effort in the east would profit from this book about a leading and very unique general.

Solid bio on General Warren, like George Picket, known for Gettysburg and Five Forks, the latter in his casea great controversy. Warren was the opposite of the Confederacy's impetuous A. P. Hill, Warren was brave but detailed and thorough in his planning. Often thinking of his men's welfare, he frequently clashed with not only Meade but by war's end Grant and Sheridan. The author provides a healthy history of Warren's family and his time at West Point and his gallant service mapping the Black Hills among the Sioux before the war. The reader may be a little impatient to get to the Civil War and the controversy but you get there relatively quickly. Warren serves on McClellan's staff and stays as a staff officer as a topographic engineer through his famed role at Little Round Top. Warren then becomes a corps commander, although he seems ill suited personality wise for the task. His dispatches to Meade naively offer too much advice and seemimg less action than his superiors expect, which he never seems to fully appreciate. Jordan utilizes many primary resources such as reports and letters by Warren, his bombastic artillery Officer, close military friends, commanders and many other witnesses to give you a first hand perception of the man. Warren's was notable in refusing to attack Lee's fortifications at Mine Run, a little written about campaign that establishes Warren as a man considerate of his men yet suffering in the eyes of his his commander. Here the author could have offered more maps as the Mine Run campaign starts questions about Warrens propensity to inform and perhaps lecture. During the overland campaign, Warren alternately hesitates and attacks and the author describes the reasons for each, particularly the Confederate fortifications. Rhea, in his great series of books on the 1864 campaigns, probably describes best Grant and Meade's frustration with Warren but Jordan does well here in this 320 page book. Although aquiting himself well during the Petersburg siege, with some question at the Crater, Warren's 5th corps continues to actively pivot late in 1864 alternately with Hancock's 2nd to the western outside edges of Petersburg. A question worth asking here is why, if Grant and Meade already question Warren's timely ability to attack, did they not keep his corps east of Petersburg in a static position? This is not answered by Jordan but should have been explored. By late March 1865, he is ordered to maneuver around Lee's far right to support Sheridan that culminates in the battles of Dinwiddie Court House (a setback for Sheridan) and then Five Forks. This unusual collaboration between two Generals that mutually dislike each other is immediately antagonized by too many confusing orders from both Sheridan and Meade to Warren compunded by Grants independent control of Sheridan. Jordan points out well that Warren is succesful in his dificult manuevers in the face of the enemy yet Warren fails to report timely to Sheridan. Jordan covers the battle of Five Forks well, ironically Warren's best and most succesful attack, and the controversy of Sheridan sacking Warren after the battle was won. Jordan's reserach also notes Warren's colorful charge across the final breastworks with his troops happens just before his sack notice reaches him as opposed to what some historians describe as happening only after he learned he was sacked. Ed Bearss book "Five Forks" in the VA. series probably describes the battle best with an excellent map but Jordan does a fine job describing the battle. The latter parts of the book follow Warren's post war career and his unusual dedication as an military engineer refusing to leave the army for much needed income as a private engineer as he waits his day in court. Warren comes across as a festidious egineer more suited for that kind of work but his extended military career and his desire for a trial seem to aggravate his sensitive health. The trial, 16 long years later, is well covered as well as the political difficulties as Sherman, Sheridan and Grant act as roadblocks. Jordan paints Warren appropriately as a man of talent but lacking in perception that the war changed and that Grant and Sheridan were trying to bring the war to an end in a hurry, which contributed to the abrupt and disasterous decision by Sheridan ironically after the day at Five Forks was won. At Five Forks Warren was relieved not for his actions that were unknown to Sheridan at the time but for the reputation that preceded and sterotyped him in Sheridan's eyes. One of the last ranking officers who served with McClellan, it is unfortunate that Warren did not leave when Hancock did or at least recognize that Grant and Meade required less opinions but timely reports of action as did Sheridan. A sad end with a final victory, reversed court finding, coming too late as the book's title aptly professes, happiness was not be his his post war companion.

Before I review this one, let me admit that I've never been into book length biographies, even when they concern Civil War era figures, so this is a bit of a new experience. Keep this is mind when reading these early attempts at reviewing biographies. I picked up this bio of Gouverneur Kemble Warren for two reasons. First, Indiana University Press was having an unbelievable sale, and I managed to find this one as a brand new hardback for only $6. Second, I'd been looking to get into the biography arena by looking at men who commanded at division level or higher during the siege of Petersburg.

"Happiness Is Not My Companion" takes a look at the checkered career of Gouverneur Kemble Warren, a man who was stripped of his command at the moment of his greatest triumph at Five Forks. Author David Jordan covers Warren's life in some detail, though I thought that a closer and more definitive work can probably be penned at some point in the future. With that said, I enjoyed this biography, especially the section dealing with the Petersburg Campaign. Jordan keeps the reader interested while moving the story along. The author argues that Warren was wronged by Sheridan at Five Forks, but he does candidly admit many of Warren's flaws, though I suspect he may not have gone far enough in revealing these.


Gouverneur Warren was an extremely intelligent man, but his main faults, according to author David Jordan, were his difficulty in following orders given to him while at the same time giving frequent unwanted "suggestions" to his superior officers. Jordan downplays somewhat Warren's nature to frequently act with great condescension, which is to me his greatest flaw. Warren was born on January 8, 1830 in upstate New York in the little town of Cold Spring, just a short distance from West Point. That Warren ended up at the Military Academy is hardly surprising given his birthplace and his prominent family. He graduated second in his class, and was awarded a spot in the coveted Corps of Engineers. In this role, Warren spent the better part of the 1850's on expeditions to the west, where he encountered friendly and hostile Native Americans, including the Sioux, and participated in his first military actions. Warren had accepted a position to teach mathematics at West Point by the time war broke out, but he soon became Lt. Colonel and then Colonel of the famous 5th New York, Duryea's Zouaves. He led the men of this regiment as a brigade commander in the Seven Days and at Second Bull Run, and was afterward promoted to Chief Topographical Engineer and then Chief Engineer of the Army of the Potomac. It was in this position at Gettysburg that Warren perhaps gave his greatest contribution to his country. Warren, while out scouting on the Union far left, noticed the importance of the Round Tops and the fact that Confederate infantry were approaching. He immediately found the nearest Union troops, the brigade of Colonel Strong Vincent, and sent them scurrying for the crest of Little Round Top. They barely beat the Confederates to the crest and managed to secure this vital area for the Union. Warren was promoted to Major General after the battle, and he was temporarily placed in command of the II Corps while Winfield Hancock recovered from his severe Gettysburg wound. In the Mine Run Campaign of November 1863, Warren called off an attack that he deemed suicidal on his own responsibility. Meade was at first furious that Warren had disobeyed, but he agreed with Warren's decision after taking a look at the Confederate entrenchments. This first instance of Warren questioning his orders as a corps commander was only the beginning. Meade and Grant would grow exasperated with Warren on more than one occasion during the Overland and Petersburg Campaigns. It was during this time frame, while commander of the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac, that Warren had his greatest problems as a commander. Meade and Grant were on the verge of relieving him several times for his continued questioning of orders, or in some cases, his outright disobedience of these orders. Jordan quotes the diary of Charles Wainwright, the V Corps Artillery Chief, quite often during this time period. Apparently Wainwright did not much like Warren and was constantly critical of his commander. All of this was leading up to Warren's greatest triumph...and his greatest disappointment. Warren was placed under Phil Sheridan during the attack on Five Forks. Grant, apparently having grown tired of Warren's tendency to question his orders, gave Sheridan the right to sack the v Corps commander at any point and replace him with any of the V Corps division commanders. Although Warren moved his men up in a satisfactory manner, and although the V Corps was able to flank and drive off the Confederates guarding Five Forks, Sheridan relieved Warren and sent him back to Grant. Jordan discusses Warren's unceasing efforts after the war in his quest to see a court of inquiry convened. It wasn't until the early 1880's that Warren was able to make this possible. He had known that while Grant or member of his circle were in power that his request would never be granted, so he had waited until Rutherford B. Hayes was President to press home his request. In my mind, Jordan demonstrates pretty conclusively that Warren was not at fault in any way at Five Forks, though Warren's peers who oversaw the court were rather ambivalent in their findings, perhaps to appease Sheridan, who now commanded the entire United States Army. Warren died before the findings of the court were made public. He deserved better, from Sheridan on April 1, 1865, to Grant in the intervening years concerning the granting of a court of inquiry, to the men who finally made judgments on his behavior.

As I stated in the introduction, this is a good but not great book. Jordan goes into considerable detail, but I couldn't help feeling that even more could have been done. He also seems to go a little easy on Warren in some cases, especially when it concerns Warren's difficulty in dealing with subordinates and superiors who he felt were not as intelligent as he was. One trait I dislike more than most in my fellow human beings is condescension. Warren was filled to overflowing with condescension for quite a few people, and I would have liked to see the author get into this in more detail. Other than that, I thought he tried to be impartial, as a good biographer always should. The maps that accompanied the text were solid, and really a bit of an unexpected bonus as far as a biography goes. Anyone interested in biographies of Civil War generals will not be disappointed in this one. Those interested in G. K. Warren or in the later campaigns of the Army of the Potomac will also want to give this one a look.

For Civil War readers, Gouverneur Kemble Warren is not an unfamiliar name. He is most associated for his slow response in the Wilderness campaign where he was dismissed without, as we read, justifiable cause. This action was driven more by spite and the ego issues of Phil Sheridan, who failed to understand the issues causing Warren's delay at Five Forks. And then there was U.S. Grant's rigid blind faith in Sheridan that led him to summarily dismiss Warren, also without knowing all the facts. Jordan does a good job of showing the many facets of a general who was not only competent but ethical in his conduct of the war. While admittedly cautious and slow at times, he was still able to win battles and not needlessly compromise his men's lives. As a psychotherapist, it was personally interesting to see the psychology of this complex man, from his highs to his rages and deep depression. He was without question, intelligent and with great courage. He did have issues that could compromise his "generalship" at times but then shine at others. Yet, his leadership of men was done with character and ethical responsibility and discipline. I highly recommend this book as not only a means to understanding an excellent civil war general but also as a way to see how circumstances create decisions, both good and bad. To see how incompetent leaders can manage to survive and highly competent ones fall, all in a flash. The book, from the early days of Warren, through his Civil War battles, court of inquiry trial and, ultimately, his lonely and sad death, is well written, easy to read and, like a complex movie, shows us pieces of the war and its many unseen still frames that are so easily missed. The reader will come away with a greater understanding of G.K. Warren as well as the civil war. David L Mazzola

I consider selective mutism as an extreme form of anxiety disorder, much like the authors of this book and several of the reviewers.
However, there are reasons why children with selective mutism are sometimes "misdiagnosed" with autism spectrum disorder. Frequently, in my experience, the two overlap, especially in children with High-Functioning Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. I also say this from experience: I am diagnosed Asperger's as an adult, but could not speak fluently until I was 8 due to word-finding difficulties associated with autism. There was no diagnosis of high-functioning autism when I was a child, so they called me "elective mutism with autistic features". (Selective mutism used to be called elective mutism.) I had a great deal of anxiety in situations where I was expected to speak to others for years afterward, and frequently would not speak with anyone other than my parents and teachers.
I must say, though, that the authors did not include the techniques I have found that work best with children with either or both selective mutism and high-functioning autism disorders, including asperger's, who have anxiety about speaking.
Some respond very well to the use of masks. I try to have it be a mask that the child has made, with my assistance, and gradually modify the mask to look more like the child, or modify the base material from paper to nylon around a base.
Another good therapy tool is a sock puppet. Gradually make it look more like the child, such as by adding hair, eyes the same color as the childs', etc. Gradually try to fade the use of these as the child's anxiety decreases.
Best of luck.

What a find!! Helping Your Child with Selective Mutism is a well-researched and organized resource that is a must read for educators and parents alike.

This is the first book I would buy after receiving a Selective Mutism diagnosis. It's well written and organized in a logical step-by-step fashion. Well worth the money.

I also highly recommend Maggie Johnson's "The Selective Mutism Resource Manual". It's pricey by comparison, but worth the cost.

As a mother of a child with selective mutism, I can tell how helpful this book can be. Practical and comprehensive, it helps you rate your child's level of selective mutism and gives hints on how to work your way up the ladder of a child's social relationships. Feels good to see the progress. If your child is well described by the first chapter, then get a copy of this book for the teachers.

We have a 4 year old who did not speak at all in preschool for the first several months. We were very worried about her. Her teacher initially misunderstood her behavior, thinking she was just being uncooperative. I initially consulted the website, [...], and shared the information from it with her teacher. Together we implemented several strategies recommended on the website, including a teacher home visit, and realized some positive, albeit limited, results. I then found this book, and again shared it with her teacher. We had a very clear understanding of SM as a result, and implemented some additional strategies suggested in the book (like another teacher home visit, building on the friendships she had outside of school, being cognizant of classroom seating, etc.). To all of our amazement she is a little chatterbox at school now (same school year)!!! I am incredulous that implementing the simple suggestions on the website and in the book had such dramatic results, and highly recommend the book for parents and teachers of children with this problem. THANK YOU to the authors!!!

My daughters (3 and 4) LOVE this book and so do I. It has been one of our favorites for over a year. We also like others by this author.

My 18 month old daughter and I first heard this book at Story Time in the Library and we checked it out that day. We fell in love with it and I had to purchase it immediately to add to our collection. My daughter LOVES the sound effects and begs to have me read the "dancing" book to her. The book just flows and is so much fun to read, and the pictures adorable and brightly colored. This has become one of our favorite books!

I love this book! The illustrations are beautiful and cheerful. The rhyming text is fun, and the message is positive.

My two year old wanted this book read every night for almost a month. By the third or fourth time she realized that there was a lady bug on each set of two pages. She had to make sure she found the lady bug with each turn of the page.

My 3 year old AND I liked this book. We borrowed it from the library and it soon became one of our favorite bedtime books. It has a very nice rhythmic flow while still having a nice story. I highly recommend it.

Words cannot describe how much I loved this book. I laughed and I cried. This is written about Laura's walk with God and how show she incorporated her faith in cat shows. Very thought provoking. This is great for new or non-christians. Long time Christians will enjoy this book as well. Just have faith!!!

I loved, loved this book! So will you! Tender, funny, inspiring....enjoy it!

How To Have Purr-Fect Faith is a Christian testimonial from an expert in breeding, raising, and showing award-winning Persian cats. Expressing the author's reflections on what it truly means to have faith in God's unconditional love, and His involvement in everything His creations do, even the daily events of a cat show, How To Have Purr-Fect Faith is a bountiful expression of warmth, spirit, and abiding love. A moving and emotional narrative reflecting the author's deep conviction.

Purr-fect Faith is a wonderful story of Laura's journey of faith as told through her campaign with a national winning cat.
Her writing is interesting and captivating for all persons and was an inspiration to me.
I highly recommend this book.

This book is super. I have read it twice and will read it several more times. The way it is written is just great. Laura has written it in such a way that you want to read it through as soon as you start reading.I found myself not being able to put it down the first time,and just had to read it all the way through,and was glad I did. What an inspiration Laura is for us fellow christian cat fanciers! This book will sell, no doubt. Way to go Laura,for writing down what God had on your heart,and having the Purrfect Faith to go through with it!!

This book was needed quick for a college class - thanks for making it easily accessible without having to leave the house to search for it.

This was a very interesting story, I enjoyed this book better than Their Eyes Were Watching God, and that says alot. The story of John Buddy is a turnpager and you will not be disappointed. The best I've read in a long time.

I loved this story. The story is so true to life for many women who are with men, who don't seem to be able to get it together, unless there is a woman making it happen.

The husband is a great orator, but isn't the kind of man he should be. His wife is his long suffering mate. I just love Zora's use of black dialet. It is so beautiful.

When I read the following excerpt, it felt like something hit me in the head. I was moved beyond words. It goes something like this: "Ah done been in sorrows kitchen, and ah done licked out all the pots; ah done died in grief and been buried in de bitter waters. Ah done rose from the dead lak Lazarus. Nothing can touch mah soul no mo!"

I highly recomment it.

I got an excellent book from this person. thank you so much. great doing business with you.

I always thought of Toni Morrison as the leader, the queen, and the matriarch of black women's fiction, but the more I read of Zora Neale Hurston, the more I feel that everyone else must have taken their cues from her!

Her writing is enchanting and thought provoking, her use of "black" language is absolutely delightful. The story and the characters are interesting in and of themselves. What makes this work really shine is the language, and the heritage and history that it preserves. She takes care to write the way that people speak, resulting a unorthodox spelling and usage that at first I had to say out loud in order to properly understand. (My grandmother didn't have to do that, though, and for that reason alone, she loved Zora Hurston.) Ms. Hurston also uses words, idioms and phrases that are unique to black america, and that my generation would likely have lost -- the news of the "Black Dispatch," "Old Hannah" rising, "hittin' a straight lick with a crooked stick." Some of the sayings I remember my Grandmother using, and some I remember using as a child. I found all of them interesting and beautiful, and I am grateful to Ms. Hurston for finding them valuable enough to put down.

May Sarton is an author you must not miss. Not of you're a thinker (and do your own thinking).

This book was beautiful. I loved reading it. It felt delicate to me...the insights shared within the pages...but it was compelling. I picked it up and read a few pages whenever I had the chance. Loved it.

I've read most of Sarton's journals and this is by far the best. Her writing allows the reader to enter her mind. It's so honest, so raw. I've reread Journal of a Solitude a few times over the years; its one of those books to keep on your shelf, and read to get back in touch with the things that matter.

I read Journal of a Solitude shortly after giving birth to my first child. I was alone in a new neighborhood with few family and friends around me and felt completely estranged from my former life as a professional woman working in New York city. May Sarton's story - shared in such a real and heartfelt way - has always stayed with me. Where are the May Sarton's in today's world? She was an extraordinary woman who was able to connect with a broad audience of readers, through the authentic sharing of her thoughts, feelings and experiences. I miss her work but am thankful that she left behind a wonderful legacy.

If you're into reading memoirs, this is exceptional. Her clarity of thought and her ability to portray her feelings into words is unsurpassed, in my opinion. I enjoy her prose so very much. I can find myself relating to so many of her feelings and thoughts despite the difference of age and time. This is a great read.

To the person who wrote a rant about the illustrations being beautiful, but why is everyone white despite the setting. The reason is the tale is told by a white author; therefore, that author can do what he/she desires. And if the audience is mostly white, then they will want characters they can relate to and identify with. Not everything has to be politically correct. Must we make all old tales PC now too?! I don't see why every tale has to be curtailed to reflect political correctness. In fact, it wasn't that way when I was a child, and I don't want it to be that way for my child either. Go live in a country where you are the minority. We don't have to cator to minorities. There is no law stating this, and not many people like it even if they are afraid of saying so for fear of being slandered.

I read a huge pile of fairy tale books in one sitting, and this by far was the best of the lot. (It made me want to watch my copy of Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast) The tale is like Beauty and the Beast, Cupid and Psyche and Jim Henson's "True Prince" all rolled into one.

The illustrations are AMAZING.

The hero and heroine are strong and their love is even stronger, it was just a wonderful story to read and experience through the lovely artwork on the pages.

This book provides an original combination of the separate Beauty and the Beast and East of the Sun, West of the Moon tales. In this story, a lovely young girl marries a prince trapped, during the day, in the body of a lion. When an enchantment forces him to fly away from his beloved in the body of a dove, she sets out to find her lover once more.

Initially, I was going to begin this review with a small rant. Despite the fact that the characters in this book wear clothing, and live in palaces, of Indian or Eastern design, the people themselves are white white white. Why? Couldn't we have Grimm-like tale containing something other than the standard Caucasian skin tone? So there we go. That's my only complaint.

Onwards to my point. The illustrations in this book are a step above breathtaking. The pictures drawn by Laurel Long are so beautiful that every tiny centimeter is filled with the most delicate linework and livid colors imaginable. From the folds of the young lady's dresses to the iridescent clouds surrounding the moon at night this book is fabulously beautiful. The story itself isn't anything you haven't heard before. But even a mediocre story can be made vastly more interesting when the pictures are spectacular.

If you have any appreciation for the artwork of this genre of picture books, then you must buy this book. I have many picture books, and I thought Kraft was the best illustrator, until I saw this book. While Kraft's work is amazing and mysterious, the artwork done by Laurel Long completely blows my mind. I've never been in such awe looking at pages from a picture book. It amazes me how someone can produce this art. The detail all over the page is amazing. The whole set up with this rolling hills background to show many different things in in the distance is incredible. The story itself was interesting, but did not grab me as much as some fairy tales. But much as I love fairy tales, this is my most cherished fairy tale picture book because the artwork is the best. Don't get me wrong, I did like the story, just did not looove it. But no matter, because I am so glad I came acrossed this book due to the art, although I am glad to know the story too. Anyway, after reading this book, I looked up Laurel Long and have bought the other books she's illustrated, and she does not disappoint. Buy this book, and then buy the other two books I highly recommend by her, The Mightiest Heart and The Magic Nesting Doll, and enjoy!

An amazing story about a lady and a lion falling in love. Everyone should have a chance to read this book. This is a story that is like Beauty And The Beast and Cinderella combined. This book is one of the best books I have ever read, because the pictures can tell the whole story if you didn't have the words. This is a good book to read alone because it is good to see the details in the pictures up close. This book should have won the Caldecott Medal for 2004, but it didn't.