Barbara O'Connor Books

This is one of the finest atlases of peripheral blood cells I've ever seen. The photomicrographs are clear and definitive and the verbal and visual comparisons to aid in differentiation are excellent. Well organized and easy to find what you are looking for. Because the author used actual photomicrographs rather than drawings, she put this atlas head and shoulders above the competition.

I had the pleasure (and panic) of being trained under Mrs. O'Connor herself at Yale before she retired. This lady knows her stuff and has a slide collection that's incredible. We use this book in my lab all the time. Great photos. Highly reccomend!

This is an excellent reference book for those learning to evaluate peripheral blood smears. There are sections for each cell type that focus on morphological characteristics of each maturational stage utilizing written characteristics, photomicrographs and an illustrated line drawing that labels all of the distinguishing features. This is invaluable for the learner. There are also separate sections on comparative morphology, enabling the learner to distinguish cell types that are similar (blasts vs reactive lymphs for example). Examples of many RBC and PLT morphological variants are also noted.

I have used this book extensively for training of Clinical Laboratory Scientists and Pathology Residents, and recommend it highly.

An outstanding book for differentiating between cell morophology in the maturation cycle. For Hematologist that read manual diffs. its a must!!

I read this book to my daughters, ages 8 and 6. Wow! We couldn't put it down. Life in a car makes for desperate times. My daughters were shocked to learn how hard Georgina's life is and that she could be a real girl somewhere in the US. We found ourselves thinking of her in between our readings, wondering how she was coping and what would be her next move in her hairy plan to solve her family's terrible dilemma. I anticipate that my daughters will read this book again on their own in the future and I am certain it will bring tears and smiles in the end just as it did the first time.

"How to Steal a Dog" is a powerful novel that takes a clear look at a number of issues, both societal and moral. What do you do when circumstances force you to live in a car? What responsibilities does a young person take on in such a circumstance? How does she deal with friends--old ones who suddenly look down on her, or new ones that befriend her?

I believed the narrative voice one hundred percent, and the characters all come alive on the page. A wonderful read!

Georgina is so desperate to stop living in a car with her mother and younger brother Toby that she concocts a plan to steal a dog for the reward money. But will her conscience allow her to go through with it?
And, once she does, what if her plan falls apart? O'Connor portrays her characters with realism, compassion and humor, in this tale that will keep readers in suspense as they root for Georgina to make the right decision.

Lure `em in with a cute dog and then hit `em hard and fast with a realistic story about how it feels to be homeless. It's the old bait n' switcheroo. Not that Barbara O'Connor's book, "How to Steal a Dog" plays anything but fair with her young audiences. After all, the first line in this book is the incredibly memorable, "The day I decided to steal a dog was the same day my best friend, Luanne Godfrey, found out I lived in a car." Bam! Right in the kisser. There's not a child alive, boy or girl, who isn't going to want to know more after those twenty-four words hit the page. O'Connor has created a nice little novel here with an ending that could have stood a little more padding. But while I feel that there were a couple off moments here and there, on the whole this is a new take on the question of whether or not a person can justify a wrong if they see no other way out of a predicament.

First of all, Georgina is not a bad person. If you saw her in school you might think she was a kind of unkempt and dirty person, but that's just because she, her little brother Toby, and their mom have been living in their car ever since their dad up and left them. It hasn't been easy for Georgina, of course. Her best friend Luanne has been distancing herself lately. The family's never safe and Georgina's having a really hard time getting her schoolwork done. If only there were some way she could get a lot of money for the rent of a new apartment. Then Georgina sees a MISSING poster for a dog offering $500 and it all comes together. Of course! The perfect solution! All she needs to do is find a rich dog, steal it, wait for the reward posters to go up, and then collect the money for her family. But every perfect plan, no matter how well executed, is bound to run into some unexpected mishaps along the way. Georgina is not a bad person, but she is a confused person. One that's going to have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy.

The ironic thing here is that, in a way, Georgina is exceedingly talented at what she does. O'Connor has her heroine writing dog stealing rules in her notebook that supplement the narrative beautifully. Her rules regarding finding a dog (avoid barkers and dogs that don't look loved) and ways in which a person should scout out a potential dog-stealing location are on the ball. And when those same rules come back to bite her in the butt later on in the story, you can see why. Planning is one thing. Executing, another entirely. Georgina is so good at her planning, in fact, that my credulity was stretched just a tad when she fails to remember to get the dog food and water. Still, with a myriad of things on her mind it's not impossible that when planning out her details she'd miss some of the more obvious needs.

The book essentially asks the readers whether or not extraordinarily bad circumstances are an excuse for bad behavior. It's a morality tale for fifth graders. Throughout "How to Steal a Dog" you definitely identify with Georgina. Little brothers are always annoying, but no more so than when they're sharing a backseat with you, rather than a bedroom. Now for the sake of the story, Georgina holds off on returning Willy longer than either her character or the book itself can really justify. I mean, once it becomes clear that the money is not forthcoming, there's no reason to put her through any additional mental anguish. Eventually Georgina and Toby meet and semi-befriend a homeless man that stands in as a kind of Thoreau-esque conscience. In him, Georgina is able to examine her own actions and assess the damage she's done. Really though, the character that I thought received the most interesting story arc was the woman Georgina stole the dog from in the first place. Known here as Carmella, she's overweight and not particularly attractive, but her love of her dog Willy is instantly recognizable. I liked O'Connor's decision not to have Georgina seriously befriend this woman after her dog mysteriously "disappears". She doesn't grow overly attached, though she does come to worry about how her actions have affected another human being.

Still, there were other things I didn't understand. Georgina constantly looks worse in school due to her circumstances. She apparently wasn't able to salvage her hairbrush when the family got booted out of their apartment. As the book goes on she gets nastier and nastier. How hard is it to locate another hairbrush? And wouldn't her mother want her kids to look halfway decent so that the authorities in the school didn't get suspicious and start calling the authorities? Then again Georgina's mom seems to be under a great deal of stress. She might not even be able to see past herself to notice her kids' increasing sloppiness. I did feel that the ending skidded to a halt without tying up a lot of loose ends though. It's a quick finish and then you wonder exactly whether or not the peaches and cream ending is really going to be as happy dappy as Georgina implies.

It's a bit of a tangled book, but that isn't to say that it doesn't make for a good read. Personally, I feel a revision here or there wouldn't have been out of place, but as it stands I hope kids discover and read it. Books about homeless kids have basically ground to a halt since the heyday of the Reagan era. Looking at the selection of children's fiction sitting on our bookstore shelves you'd swear that homelessness had been entirely eradicated in this day and age. This book puts a problem into perspective with a clever premise and a rewarding story. It isn't a perfect creation, but it may well be a necessary one. I appreciated the effort.

The book was in great condition and was sent very quickly; thank you.

The combination of memorable characters, quirky situations, and beautiful prose makes this book a true winner. I've been recommending it to everyone I know who loves short fiction. These stories of people moving forward through their lives or gripped by inertia are heartfelt, sad, and hilarious. The writing is poetic, very visual, almost cinematic: I'm sure Hollywood is going to pick up some options on a couple of these stories. It's a treat to read such good fiction.

This is such a great book! It's a new collection of short stories from the winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction. And it's funny - I'd be reading along and then come to a passage or sentence that was so funny I'd laugh out loud - and really, how often does that happen? One of the things that's special about the book is that the characters are really different from story to story. They, and the situations they create for themselves, are truly fresh and original. Short stories are the new, hot thing and I'm glad they're being rediscovered. All my friends are getting this book for Christmas!

The first time you read these short stories, you may find yourself missing subway stops or receiving curious glances from fellow commuters as you try to suppress your smiles and outright laughter. On a second reading - and these stories will repay multiple readings - you become aware of the craftsmanship of Sutton's writing. Sutton is not just an excellent stylist , but a stylist whose prose serves her message. The hard clarity of her writing is the perfect vehicle for the tough and unsentimental tone of these stories. Whether in the jaundiced observations of a divinity school employee sent to pump a donation out of a dying woman ("The Rest of Esther"), or the evocation of an emotionally fraught romantic triangle ("Risk Merchants"), Sutton's blend of spare eloquence and "tough guy" pose recalls Martin Amis more than any contemporary American woman.

Very True Depiction of the ever growing injustice that is taking place everday in Minority Communities around the county while everyone just sits around idly not doing anything to change it. I highly recommend this movie to anyone, but especially blacks and hispanics, so that you can see how easily it could be you or someone that you love going through a similar situation. This movie makes you wanna get up and start a march or just want to do more to change the unfair practices used against Blacks and other minorities in the "so-called" name of JUSTICE. We need to all come together to make a change. This is how moved the movie made me. By the way, mandatory maximums and minimums should be abolished! Well, I hope you check out the movie which has an awesome cast of actors to highlight a heavy issue.

This is a great movie that everyone should see. Not just blacks, but latinoes, Asians, and even whites to open eyes to a truth that goes overlooked. This movie basically tells of the "new slavery" for minorities, the prison and so-called "Justice System." There's no justice. This movie is a must see, and needs to air on BET and other public airways, in order to get the message out.

This is an excellent movie. One that shows us how to rally the people and give us the strength to stand up to the power structure of this nation and fight for justice, if we truly want to. A great movie. I was quite inspired.

This is a lovely story for kids and adults. Join the four menehune named Aka, Peke, Elema and Puluke as they run into a nene (goose) egg and decide that this would be a great meal. Our four friends, however, are out of luck when the egg hatches and a baby nene emerges and adopts Ake as its mother. What are four little menehune to do? I was very fortunate to have stumbled upon this delightful folktale and to see the menehune struggle with situations that are beyond their control. The illustrations are very colorful and truly lovely. This is a great read and would be a wonderful gift to any young (or older) reader.

When I was a little girl, my grandparents went to Hawaii. When they returned, they brought me this book as a present, and it soon became my favorite. I would ask for it each night we went to visit my grandparents. As I grew older, I almost forgot about the little men of Hawaii and their goose. Years later, my grandparents' house had to be sold, and this book was one of the few things I took with me to my house. Perhaps someday I will read it to my children....

Assembled, compiled, organized and co-edited by Carol J. Dempsey (an instructor in Biblical Studies and Theology, University of Portland) and Mary Margaret Pazdan (Professor of New Testament, Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis), Earth, Wind, & Fire: Biblical And Theological Perspectives On Creation consists of twelve papers by experts in their fields that together provide the reader with a compelling dialogue between feminist exegetes and theologians on the subject of creation. Common themes running through these diverse contributions concerning distinct texts in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures celebrate the biblical traditions of creation inclusive of plants, animals, non-human and human life, as well as the male and female genders. An impressive body of academic and theologic work, Earth, Wind, & Fire is a testament to the creative artistry of God within the Judeo/Christian tradition, and highly recommended reading for both seminary students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the Genesis story of creation as interpreted and reference in both the Old and New Testaments.

O'Connor has crafted what may be her most heartfelt and engaging story yet, with a memorable cast of characters who spend a few lifechanging days together at the Sleepy Time Motel in the Smoky Mountains. Short chapters with alternating points of view blend into a smoothly woven text that reveals just the right amount of backstory to expose the dreams and difficulties which have led the assorted travelers to their common destination. A great classroom readaloud or gift book that invites readers of all ages to "sit and ponder" the mysteries of friendship between generations.

Amazing story with so many characters woven together to create a wonderful storyline. Although the characters were different ages all of them taught each other an important life lesson. I read it in one day and couldn't put it down! Tremendous read-suggested for read aloud in an intermediate classroom or even book clubs. It will lead to excellent conversations.

My son read this book after he completed the 3-year primary program. He really got a kick out of reading about the woman who started it. Now that he has finished his first year of traditional public schooling, he thinks Dr. Montessori was a very smart lady. He often voices a desire to go back to her type of classroom! This book is also a quick, easy read for parents who don't have much time, but have an interest in the woman, the philosophy, and the history of Montessori education.

I read this book to my son when he was 5 years old. Not only did he understand what was read to him, he retained a lot of information about Ernie Pyle. Ernie was a very interesting person, and my son was absorbed with the book. Now that he is beginning to read, it won't be long before he reads it again on its own. Barbara has a way of making a story fun and interesting.

"Peggy Sue Got Married" is a classic. It is a great, funny and cute film. Who would have thought that Coppola could produce something as good as this and do it successfully. Peggy Sue is going to her high school reunion. She hits her head and revisits her high school days. Peggy Sue has a choice, travel the once traveled path (get pregnant young and end in a broken marriage) or take the alternate route. Will she follow her heart or her head? Will she rediscover love? This is a great film. Kathleen Turner is great in it as the too- mature- for- her- age- because- she- has- already- lived- it-teenager and Nicholas Cage is great at playing the brainless, funny and just about confused teenager and adult. This is one of the only Nicholas Cage movies I like. The film is succeeds because it has great character development and a very well carried out storyline. It is a movie that is good to this day.

I love this movie...I love it because it lets me go back to 'visit' my Grandmother, who I miss every day of my life. But when I am watching this movie, I am somehow with her again, even if only for a few moments. It also lets me be a 'kid' again...remembering a time long gone by, but never quite forgotten. For me, this is a movie sprinkled with tears but rich with wonderful memories of yesterday. Let's face it, we all would love to go back to a previous time and place, even if just for a moment. This movie is the next best thing.

Ok, let me start off by saying that I definately feel that Peggy Sue Got Married is your classic "chick flick". It has all the elements that women love, and men can't understand.

Peggy Sue is divorced from her high school sweetheart Charlie, and is very unhappy, but finds herself going with her daughter to her high school reunion anyways. She faints and when she wakes up she is back in high school in 1960!

She keeps trying to break up with Charlie, since she knows how their future ends up; but Charlie refuses (how romantic).

All in all she remembers why it was that she loved Charlie, and realizes that no matter what they are destined to be together. When she returns to the present Charlie is there and apologizes for everything they have been through and wants to try to work things out.

This is one of the best endings to a movie. Her going back in time didn't change anything, but made her realize that she and Charlie belong together. It doesn't erase everything they have gone through, but when she wakes up she is ready to try again, as is Charlie. It didn't magically erase their life and trials and create some fake happy-go-lucky, corny ending... but gave a (somewhat..) realistic ending.

An excellent, excellent movie!!

This is one of the very best things I have ever seen Kathleen Turner and Nicholas Cage in. Peggy Sue Got Married is a romantic time traveling twist on that point in all of our lives when we have one of those "if only I knew then what I know now" moments. In Peggy Sue's case, that second chance happens at her high school reunion. Can she change things? Is her fate out of her hands? Watch this charming, funny and poignant little movie to find out. And the mucic is really good, too.

Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) is facing the prospect of her 25th high school reunion. Making it even worse, she and her husband, high school sweetheart Charlie Bodell (Nicolas Cage) are in the middle of a divorce because Peggy Sue has finally gotten tired of his affairs. And so she shows up with her daughter Beth (Helen Hunt).

Things are actually going well until Charlie shows up. Then Peggy Sue wins homecoming queen. It's all too much for her, and she faints.

When she comes too, Peggy Sue finds herself back in 1960. She's eighteen again and reliving the last few months of high school. Between panic attacks about what this could mean, she tries to grasp her second chance at her life. Can she avoid the last 25 years of pain? Does she really want to?

The movie walks a fine line between comedy and drama and never quite seems to strike the right balance. There are some very funny bits, but those just make the drama seem more over the top and over wrought. And the comedy is stuff we've seen done elsewhere better many other times.

The cast features a number of early performances from actors better known today. Besides the ones already mentioned, we see Jim Carrey and Joan Allen, for example. Most of the cast is fine. My biggest problem was with Nicolas Cage. For some reason, he gives Charlie a weird nasally voice. Frankly, it makes me wonder what Peggy Sue ever saw in him. On the plus side, he gets to show off his excellent singing voice.

Finally, there's the story. It works. But it is left too open ended. That's probably caused by an ending that is way too abrupt to deal with everything brought up. It asks all kinds of questions, but the answers are thrown at us so fast it doesn't really explain how the characters arrived at them. As a result, the ending goes from being open ended to unsatisfactory.

The movie isn't bad, but it's really not good either. It's certainly fun watching if you are a fan of the current work of this young cast. But if you haven't seen it, you haven't really missed much, either.