Amy Tan Books

It's a fun book to have - a coffeetable book. I purchased it as a holiday present. I may end of keeping it and purchase another for the holidays!

I just ordered this book after seeing Emily Scott Pottruck being interviewed on a local TV news program. I also ordered copies for two friends who I share a special bond with as we volunteered at the Michigan Humane Society together. I understand that some people think too much attention is given to animals when there is so much human suffering in the world. To them I would say that our pets give us unconditional love, which is a very rare gift. My 26 year old son died suddenly in June of '06 and I know I could not have made it this far without the companionship of my beloved beagle, Piccolo. She always senses my moods and is ready to give me extra cuddles whenever I need them. I think I am a kinder, stronger, and better person because of her.

Tails of Devotion is more than just a coffee table book. This book does what few books on animals manage to do, which is to attempt to raise the level of human consciousness about the necessity for relationships with companion animals and the sacredness of those bonds. At a time when companion animals are still largely regarded as "property" by many, this book will add to the growing understanding of the need to treat companion animals as valued members of our extended human family.

Karen Leslie, Executive Director, The Pet Fund

I gave this book as a gift to a friend who is a true animal lover. She absolutely fell in love with the book. Some beautiful stories of people and their love for their animals. Highly recommended!

Emily Scott Pottruck brings the unique relationship that exists between pets and their people to glorious life in this beautifully written and illustrated book. 'Tails of Devotion' proves that the love which is shared between people and their pets crosses all social boundaries, and unites us all in a way that few other loves could ever accomplish.

The life-affirming story of Elizabeth, a homeless woman living in the Bay Area along with her faithful companion, Hero, alone is worth the price of this lovely book!

In addition, Emily Scott Pottruck is generously donating 100% of the proceeds from 'Tails of Devotion' to non-profit animal welfare groups! So, along with receiving this beautiful book (which you will treasure for years to come!), you will also have the wonderful feeling that comes with knowing that your purchase has enabled animal welfare organizations to continue their work to help less fortunate animals.

'Tails of Devotion' will make a wonderful gift for anyone who has ever known the joy of loving ... and being loved by ... a beloved animal companion.

A WONDERFULLY TOLD CAT-TAIL! THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE LOVELY AND APPROPRIATE TO THE PLAYFUL THEME OF THE BOOK.

This is a fantastic story. It sparks children and adults (I'm 53!) the imagination and creativity that will help make the world a more beautiful place. I hence started to write my own children's stories. Amy Tan is my inspiration, and I hope she becomes yours.

I am the mother of 2 boys and have little knowledge of "girl" books. I bought this book for 2 little girls ages 4 and 5. The parents of each girl said their daughters were thrilled with the book and asked that it be read to them twice the day the book arrived. I bought the book because I love Amy Tan's novels and assumed that a child's book would be just as engaging. Amy Tan's story and the beautiful illustrations did not let me down.

The most exquisitely illustrated book I've ever owned! A fun, fictitious way to describe how white siamese kittens get their colors.
It's a bit long for a bed time story, but really fun! Kids ages 8 or 9 and up may be able to read it themselves, but the beginners may have a hard time.

I've read Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club" and "Kitchen God's Wife" and had no idea that she's a wonderful children's author as well. I learned about this book from watching the same titled PBS series. The series is cute for kids, but the book is a wonderful story, rich in history and beautifully illustrated. Tan is a gifted writer that children and adults can appreciate.

Beautiful illustrations will entrance children of all ages as Amy Tan shows she can entertain both children and adults.

Amy has shown she can captivate children as well as adults. Her illustrations are beautiful and wonderful and my 5 yr old daughter loved them as well. Wonderful story.

I was drawn to this book as an Amy Tan fan and found myself fascinated by the illustrations. They are gorgeous and vividly detailed. The story, narrated by a grandmother, of her childhood adventures while growing up in China will give kids a tantalizing glimpse of another time and place.

In The Moon Lady, Amy Tan author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter, presents a small tale for young children which adults will also enjoy. Focusing on a story set in China, Tan brings her wealth of knowledge about China and its folktales as well as her love for this country and its traditions. In addition, the illustrations by Gretchen Schields add a wonderful dimension to the story since readers can also visualize the tale by viewing these pictures.

On a rainy day as grandchildren whine that they can't play outside their grandmother tells them a tale based on her own experiences as a child. Using this method Tan provides an allegorical tale concerning children and their wishes. Telling the children of her wishes as a young girl, Ying Ying tells the children a story about her own wishes at the times of the Moon Festival. And as all folk tales provide, Tan is adept at providing her readers with an adventurous tale compete with the mysterious Moon Lady and a moral to the story.

This is a good book for young children who cannot only learn about the Chinese culture but the saying "Be careful what you wish for." I also recommend this book at any age since it is also important to remember this as we move on in life.

Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. The Moon Lady was one of her picks.

Adapted from Amy Tan's best selling book, The Joy Luck Club, The Moon Lady is a perfect book for encouraging children to read with and talk to their grandmother. The book also very subtly encourages children to take more responsibility for their own lives. The story provides a model for parents and grandparents for how to create their own stories to help children learn important lessons.

The story begins as three girls, Maggie, Lily and June, are bored because they have to stay in on a rainy day and can think of nothing that they want to do. Their grandmother, Nai-nai, is with them. Nai-nai tells them a story about when she was a young girl in China, and she ran and shouted and could not stand still also.

The story is about the day she told the Moon Lady her secret wish. Then unfolds a wonderful story of a young girl's adventure on a special trip to see the Moon Lady. Along the way, she sees many things she has not seen before, falls overboard, is rescued by a fishing family, and finds her family again after meeting the Moon Lady. In the process, she has one of those epiphanies that make all of our lives better -- that she is in charge of creating her own future.

The story is filled with references to family bonding and what is and is not proper behavior. The story also shows what family life was like for a somewhat well-to-do Chinese family in China at the beginning of the 20th century. These references are made all the more realistic by a wonderful series of drawings by Gretchen Schields with bright colors, beautiful detail, and authentic depictions of the China of years ago. It's almost like living a beautiful dream.

Then Nai-nai takes her granddaughters out to dance in the moon after the story is over.

Of all the children's books I have read, I place this one in the top ten for the 4-8 age category.

A central problem for many children today is that too much television, too many structured activities, and too little free time leave them feeling lost when nothing is on the agenda. Our misconception is that they need regimented lives like those that soldiers lead to fulfill their potential. This book will encourage you to readdress that misconception, and focus on how to make your children more competent in thinking about others, being more independent, and designing their own beneficial activities. That is all very important to actually unleashing their full potential. When you are done, think about how perhaps your own life needs a little improvement along these same lines.

Enjoy!

Donald Mitchell (donmitch@2000percentsolution.com)

This book is great!I got it cause i needed a review and dint have the privilidge of time.Its very well written, goes through basic concepts in detail and makes it easy for the reader to go through it.Either you are a graduate student in need of some review or a clinician who needs an easy reference booklet, then this book is an excellent choice!!

the mohrman text is very concisely and accurately written. very helpful diagrams and well-written (but extremely dense) text. pretty essential for my med school physiology course

This book presents CV physiology very well. It highlights all the important concepts of the subject and includes good examples and adequate diagrams. The material is presented in a clear fashion. I wish I had this book during my medical physiology course, but I am glad I have it now and I plan on reading it a couple of times for Step I review. The only thing this book could use are some charts and tables, but in conjunction with BRS Physiology, I feel like I can master this subject for the boards.

Chinese American Children & Families: A Guide for Educators & Service Providers is a straightforward summary of Chinese beliefs and cultural practices that American educators, health care workers and service providers need to know when working with the Chinese-American community. Chapters address not only beliefs prevalent in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, but also how living amidst American culture has influenced the traditional ways of doing things especially for second and third-generation Chinese. Topics covered include cultural views of disabilities and emotional or belief-system oriented impediments to seeking help for a disabled child, folk nutritional practices, attitudes toward education, child-rearing practices, family composition and structure, and more among Chinese-Americans. A plain-terms, easy-to-understand overview, highly recommended for anyone who needs to work with Chinese-American communities.

This book is wonderful. It is the best book I've ever read. It is about a relationship with a mother and daugter. It is so realistic. I love this book. YOu have to read it. There is also a movie on this book which is fantastic.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE OF AMY TAN'S BOOKS- It is original- love the characters especially Kwan. I LOVE THE PAST AND PRESENT STORIES. AND MOST OF ALL I LOVE the fact that I look at my dog and wonder what unloyal man was he and how many loyal dog lives will he endure to make it toi Chinese heaven.

It has been years since I read this book but all the characters have stayed in my memory and often pop in my mind like a good Seinfeld episode.

i have enjoyed many but not all of Tan's novels. This was my favorite by far. the story drew me in completely and i felt i could hear the voices of the sisters so clearly. i didn't want it to end.

Tan's novel of the conflicts between two very different Chinese-American sisters spent 12 weeks on Publisher's Weekly's bestseller list. As in Tan's previous novels, we meet a cast of wonderful characters and explore their hopes and conflicts. It was not as good as The Kitchen God's Wife, but still a very enjoyable read.

In this story, Olivia, daughter of an American mother and a Chinese father, discovers that she has a Chinese half-sister. She meets 18-year-old Kwan for the first time shortly after their father's death. Kwan adores her new sibling and introduces Olivia to her Chinese heritage through stories and memories. Olivia finds Kwan's information sessions embarrassing, especially as she talks about past lives. As Olivia grows older, she can find a place in her life for Kwan's Chinese superstitions, spirits, and reincarnations. Eventually Olivia--now a photographer--travels to China on assignment with her writer husband, and Kwan serves as their interpreter. When the group visits the village where Kwan grew up, Olivia experiences an epiphany about Kwan's lessons: Our departed loved ones are lost only to our ordinary senses; by remembering, we can find them again anytime using our hundred "secret" senses. Definitely something to think about!

I don't know how Amy Tam came up with this story, but I'm glad she did. It was worth reading more than once. Gives me much to think about. Things are not always as they seem.

I've enjoyed all Amy Tan's books, but "The Hundred Secret Senses" kept me reading till dawn. The characterization alone is stunning...truly stunning.

The book is wonderful, so interesting. It is rather like Eat,Pray,Love with a chinese twist.

The AUDIO version of the book is a revelation: Amy Tan has a lively and lovely voice, she is a gifted mimic, and she does a fabulous job of reading this great book.

There are some very sad parts, you will definitely be moved to think and consider wider concepts, but it is completely delightful and thick with insight.

This book is a personal favorite, as it gives so much insight into Tan's writing and her views, but also because the essays are simply so enjoyable to read. The book is a collection of essays that spans her literary career and is filled with her own special brand of humor. Within the pages we find writing on her authorial intentions, her perspective on critics and scholars who interpret her writing and her intentions, and biographical essays. I can imagine using one or two of these essays as material for teaching a writing class. These essays are overall lovely, clever, and engaging. This book is not just for "fans only." If you weren't a fan before, you may become one after reading this collection.

I had no idea. I had no idea what a great writer she is, what an amazing person she is, how difficult her life has been. Now that I've read this book, I know. And I am inspired.

I highly recommend this book to any daughter, any Asian, any writer, and any person with an open mind/heart who wants to know a little bit more about an intriguing, challenging life.

so good I dont want to finish the book (2 pages each time I sit to read)

I've always enjoyed her novels, and The Opposite of Fate gave me an even deeper understanding of the origins of her work. I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear, in her own words, the true history of her family, her thoughts on her childhood, young adulthood, and even current day. She's a fun, funky, formidable, & fascinating woman & someone you'd love to know & introduce to all your friends. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to get to know her better!

I found Brian Souza's book to be very well-organized, inspirational and full of concrete examples. I know that others have a different orientation in terms of wanting or needing a stronger practical focus. However, I also know that many people need inspiration and a vision that will give them the drive to move toward worthwhile goals. I know this because I am a personal and professional coach and help a lot of people precisely with these types of issues.

I imagine almost everyone who is reading this has heard of the right and left brain split. The left brain is more linear and the right brain more specialized in synthetic type thought. What I find in career counseling and finding a path is that most people neglect the first part, which is a right hemisphere process that looks inward for values and a vision. This is precisely what this book focuses on. There are many books out there on "how to do" the left hemisphere tactical part of executing on a vision. My guess is this book was published because it meets a need in the market for more of this type of information.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this title was that it sticks to a simple formula. Just like in music or sports, mastering fundamentals is the key to high performance. The book also takes the important key concepts and illustrates them through interesting vignettes from the lives of high achievers such as Oprah and Lance Armstrong. This brings the concepts alive and seems to have a lot of value. Culturally, we have been telling stories to each other for 7,500 years and its probably the most natural way for concepts and principles to land deeply.

I get the sense that this author believes in what he says and most likely embodies the principles he is talking about. Some of the more useful topics covered are finding your passion within i.e. finding a personally meaningful vision, looking at the habits and patterns you might have that are self defeating, how to develop your abilities via self discipline, appreciating what you have and your unique gifts and exercising your capacities in the world. He also talks about giving and how you will get what you want in life by having something worthwhile to give that is connected to a meaningful purpose.

While I agree that means are as important than ends, you can't hit a target you can't see or that is fuzzy. This book will help you to get clear and give you a roadmap if you feel stuck. It will help you to find a way to combine your gifts and passions in a way that will meet the needs of others without abandoning your true values.

Another added value of this text is that it is riddled with excellent quotes, which you can use as affirmations. Personally, I think this alone makes the book worth its price. A few examples are:

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, this, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle

"The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in service to others."
Mahatma Gandhi

"We are always getting ready to live, but never living."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours." Henry David Thoreau

This book is also filled with many powerful inquiries that will lead you to a deeper knowledge of yourself, such as:

How do you want to be remembered?
How can you use your gift - today - to make a positive difference in someone's life?
How can you set up your rules for success so that you feel like a winner everyday?

I have some recommendations for more left hemisphered linear people who feel they don't need inspiration or this type of approach. Zen and the Art of Making a Living: A Practical Guide to Creative Career Design (Arkana) provides both perspectives, What Color Is Your Parachute Workbook: How to Create a Picture of Your Ideal Job or Next Career and How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything: A Workbook. Something even more skewed toward a linear approach is Goals : Setting And Achieving Them On Schedule, See You at the Top: 25th Anniversary Edition and Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth. I also like The Beginner's Guide to Finding Your Perfect Job: How to Discover Your Real Life's Work although this is strongly right brain focused with lots of visualization type exercises. You can also see more recommendation on my listmania lists under career and business categories.

Finally, I agree with the other reviewer that Stephen Covey's materials and Now, Discover Your Strengths are excellent resources. I feel they complement rather than replace this particular book and I respect that everyone is different and has different needs. I'm glad everyone's opinion is counted on Amazon and I appreciate the credibility and opinions of other reviewers who I sometimes agree with and other times do not.

I enjoy reading motivational titles, and this is one that I enjoyed quite a bit... Become Who You Were Born to Be: We All Have a Gift. . . . Have You Discovered Yours? by Brian Souza. If you've read more than a couple of titles on life improvement, you will have seen much of what's in here. But the packaging and style is excellent, and readers new to the genre will benefit tremendously.

Contents:
Part 1 - Discover It: How This Book Can Change Your Life - My Story; Find the Fire Within; Are Your Life Patterns Holding You Hostage?; How to Give Meaning and Purpose to Your Life; Have You Been Listening to the Voice?; Discover the True You You Never Knew; What a Face-Lift Can't Hide; Discover Your Gift
Part 2 - Develop It: What Really Separates Winners from Losers; The Secret of Top Achievers; The Unglamourous Side of Becoming a Celebrity; Are Your Dreams on Life Support?; Avoid the Goal-Setting Trap; Develop Your Gift
Part 3 - Appreciate It: These Are Extraordinary Times; Has America Lost Its Way?; A Little Perspective; Avoid Premature Aging with One Word; Appreciate Your Gift
Part 4 - Use It: Learning to Deal with Change; For Better or For Worse; Confronting Life's Struggles; How to Face Your Fears; How You Can Succeed by Failing; Get Your Groove Back; Use Your Gift
Part 5 - Give It Away: Follow Your Compass; The Essence of Success; The Secret to Happiness, Joy, and Peace of Mind; Are We Here to Serve or to Be Served?; Give Your Gift Away
Bibliography

Souza looks at the "gift" process as a five step approach. First you discover your gift, then you work at developing it. Appreciating what you have to offer and actually using it comes next, followed by giving yourself away through the use of your gift. Each chapter deals with a discrete component of the process, and involves looking at the life story of someone who has excelled in that area. The chapter wraps up with an applicable quote, the person you should remember for inspiration, and questions to contemplate in relation to what you've just read. With a clear and engaging writing style, Souza pulls the reader in and the meat of the content becomes something that just makes sense.

What I appreciated most about the style of his book was the biographies of the particular individuals. Granted, in all the examples the outcomes are what you'd expect with hard work and perseverance. But I didn't get the feeling that I was reading "revisionist history" that so often happens when you read the life stories of well-known individuals. Souza makes it clear that many "overnight sensations" and people who have everything had plenty of hard times where it would have been very easy to give up (and I'm sure many others have). Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Warner are but two of many that overcame stacked odds and still succeeded. Seeing how others have struggled helps put your own situation in perspective.

This is one of those books that I'll be re-reading a number of times. No matter how many times you see this material, you are always adding new experiences to your application of it. A very enjoyable read, and one that pays dividends...

The motivation "business" is filled with ways to do things "bigger, better, faster, cheaper, etc., etc." Yet for most people, the hunger persists for the "why", rather than the "how." Brian Souza, like many people, was a man in search of the deeper meaning of existence. Fundamentally, the question for Brian and (as he outlines in BECOME WHO YOU WERE BORN TO BE) for all of us is not, "How do we do things right?" Rather, the question is, "How do we do the right things?"

What are the right things? And how do we know what are the right things FOR US? How do we discover our unique purpose, our reason for being, and how do we stir the fires of passion, creativity, enthusiasm and joy?

In his well-written guide to self-awareness, that combines self-help advice, timeless wisdom, philosophical musings, and commonsense language, Mr. Souza outlines a process for success and purpose that embraces the totality of being: body, mind and spirit. In a sense, the principles are not new. However, the author organizes and synthesizes the material in an engaging manner, interspersing the message with inspirational stories of men and women (celebrities and non-celebrities), who have found clarity and focus in a world of competing temptations and confusion.

This is good stuff! The book lends itself to repeated examination, particularly with respect to the challenges faced by the individual reader. Mr. Souza reminds us that pursuing our passions, discovering our uniqueness, and creating our joy can be both practical . . . and visionary.

Brian Souza notes in his excellent book, BECOME WHO YOU
WERE BORN TO BE, notes that:

Just as musicians must make music, poets must write, and
artists must paint, we all have a unique gift designed for a
specific vocation that will bring both meaning and purpose
to our lives. True joy and happiness will continue to elude
us until we use that gift to become who we were born to be.

Souza then describes how he found this unique gift for
himself and, in doing so, shows how others can do the same.
He also presents countless real-life examples from such famed
successes as Lance Armstrong, Amy Tang, Richard Branson.

I gained so many valuable ideas from reading BECOME WHO YOU WERE
BORN TO BE that I'm going to reread it in the near future, if
just to remind me about the "no regrets" strategy that Souza uses
to make life's daily decisions:

By analyzing each decision closely and making a conscious
choice about which path we believe will lead us to long-term
happiness, we'll better our odds of achieving it. If you think
that at some point in the future you might regret a decision
you're thinking about making, choose a different path. You'll
find that this strategy is also helpful in breaking out of the
short-timer's mentality of doing only what's easiest today at
the expense of tomorrow. When you start with the end in mind,
you better your chances of actually liking where you're going to
end up.

And then there was this invaluable tidbit:
Imagine that every day is a holiday. But instead of presents, you
give a friendly smile to a passerby, you give the right of way to the
guy at the stop sign, you give a compliment to a stranger, you give
a meal to a homeless person, you rejoice in someone else's
success. It doesn't take much to brighten someone's day. All that
you give will be returned to you-and then some.

I also liked the many famous and not-so-famous quotes that were
used, along with the "questions to contemplate" that he presented
at the end of each chapter . . . for example:

If you could have any job, what would it be? If you could live anyplace,
were would it be? If you could do anything, what would it be?

My only nitpick with the book was that I think it could have used
a better job of documentation . . . Souza includes an extensive
Bibliography; however, I would have wanted to see reference
to the items he cites in the actual pages of BECOME WHO
YOU WERE BORN TO BE.

I read this book twice - I couldn't put it down - I found it to be exceptional.

Brian Souza tells it 'like it is' - in a compelling and honest way - authenticated by his own personal experiences.

As a Financial Advisor, Business Consultant and Coach, I see much of what he shares with my own clients.

I see far too many professionals today being swept up in the 'wave' - to achieve - to excel - to arrive. And in the process, they (most often) face high stress levels, broken families, depression and burnout. All in the pursuit of "lifestyle".

They suffer deeply because of it. They lose their real identity and true purpose in 'the chase', as Brian so accurately describes. More tragically, they lose sight of their inner talent - their God-given GIFT to humanity.

Brian's book triggered for me, another twist on this (my own opinion here)...

Despite the very high incomes that (successful) business owners and professionals can generate - most in North America, and beyond, are suffering from FINANCIAL ILLNESS.

And it's a growing disease that's rapidly getting out of control.

For example...

-- Reliable statistics are "showing" us that 90% (yes, 90%!) of the population reaches retirement age - at or below the poverty line - and that's an alarming reality, just by itself! I see these figures.

-- People today (including high rollers) have amassed "crushing" Personal DEBT loads.

-- Credit Cards are "maxed out" to the hilt - in the name of 'maintaining' lifestyle.

And it is "suffocating" them - it's like being in a prison of bondage.

Sadly - none of our Educational Institutions really teach the "cure" for any of this - they are "bankrupt" as far as giving us the very basic coaching and the knowledge we need - to enjoy FINANCIAL WELLNESS.

Personally, I believe that the final value of our lives will never be measured by - the size or price of our homes - or by the toys and things we accumulate. It will be measured by how we use - our time - our money - and our God-given talents - to "help other people" - and to "make this world a better place" - as we take our journey through life.

Along this same theme, Brian Suza's new book really 'lays it out' - and then presents a 'plan' - but more importantly - he also gives us large portions of both hope and inspiration (thank you, Brian).

This book is an important read - a BEAUTY - absolutely worth 5-Stars.

Sincerely,

Peter Arnold, CLU, CFC / Founder
Business Achievers Academy / Canada

This book touches my soul every time I open it. I have adopted two girls from China and I see their reflections on every page.

We are in the process of adopting a baby from China, and this book just made my heart break. The images are so beautiful, and the children are so precious! In my mind, they seem to be simply be waiting... We can't wait to give one of them a home.

As an adoptive parent of a beautiful Chinese girl, I became extremely upset when I viewed these pictures. But by the grace of God, my daughter could have been featured in this book. That thought and the pictures of these children absolutely broke my heart. The pictures are beautiful but left me with a sense of helplessness because you can't save them all....although you want to. I returned the book because it was just too upsetting. I was torn between giving the book 5 stars because of the impact it has, but gave it 3 so someone might read this review and think twice about viewing it. It was not worth it for me.

I purchased this book for my wife as we have adopted a baby girl from China. While these photos are from a different orphanage, the impact is the same. We did not get to see all the children at our daughter's orphanage, and they don't allow photos of the kids anyway. I recommend this book for any adoptive parents of children from China, or those looking into it. I will warn you, you will want to go back for more.

Words can't describe this beautiful little book, filled with beautiful little girls. I especially love the list of their names at the back, as they translate into English, things like Literary Excellence & Radiant Jade. The children do seem sad or at least suspicious of the photographer, and why not? It's probably not every day that some Westerner visits to take pictures. But there is mischief & hope in these little girls' faces, & just affirms my ambition for half my life to adopt from China.