U Books

We've Come This Far is an insider's inside look at a pillar of African American Christianity, Abyssinian Baptist Church. Bob Gore's skill as a photographer and his commitment to his faith are evident on each page of this lovingly crafted work. In some cultures in the world, taking a photograph of a person is looked at with trepidation because it is believed to be an attempt to capture the subject's soul. And that's exactly what Mr. Gore has done in this book and there is no need for fear. The pictures and accompanying essays capture real life/real time moments in the broad scope of the life and spirit of this historic church.

I've never been to New York, and I've never been to a black Baptist church. But the spirit of this institution- its leaders and worshippers- absolutely radiate off the pages of this book. It is unbelievably inspiring. It would make an excellent gift for any liberal Christian activist you know, for a pastor or clergy member working hard to integrate the church into the community, or for yourself. The text is also beautifully formatted, and the history and descriptions are very accessible. The primary focus is always on the black and white photos found on almost every page. Beautiful.

The rich and vibrant history of Abysinnian Church and the Harlem community is revealed in this work by Bob Gore. The photos are of such superior quality that you can feel the message conveyed in the picture without using the text. With the additon of text there is a wonderful account of the Harlem experience, chock full of information about the history and the individual personal expressions of those who were there when it happened. This photographic journal is vibrant and colorful in both word and image. There are real accounts of Abysinnian Baptist Church's history, including it's spiritual, political, social and economic relationships with the communities that it serves. I urge you to consider this book not just for reading but also as an important addition to your library.

I've been to Abyssinian only twice, but was almost overwhelmed each time with the power of commitment and community. Bob Gore's book captures with warmth and intimacy the spirit of this special place and its people. It is the only church I've been to where I felt that power of love which Christianity must have carried through the centuries.

this book will move you. i have viewed many photo books and exhibits and have found many to be interesting and technically proficient. this book easily jumps those hurdles, but more importantly, the images on these pages reach out of their simple wood pulp shelter to touch your heart.

white, black, or blue; gospel lover or country western, you owe it to yourself to spend time with this group of deeply felt images.

buy two copies.

This book has great pictures of animals. The little one loves it. I do wonder why some of the previous reviews talked about different textures on the pages that the child can touch. The copy I got was just a plain old board book. It is still great and the munchkin loves it. I'm just wondering if there are more than one book with a similar name and someone got their reviews mixed up or if I ended up getting something else than what I clicked on. No big deal, just something I noticed.

I just love ALL the books in this series. My children just loved them when they were little, and if you've ever had babies you know how valuable a good book is -- you get to sit down for a while! They were fun for me to read and really fun for them to explore. In fact, I've already packed them away in their hope chests for when they grow up and have children.
Now, whenver I know anyone who has had a baby, these books (as many as I can find) are my gift.
Julie Clark Robinson, author of Live in the Moment

All of the DK (publisher) books have gorgeous photographs, and this one is no exception. The photos are sharp and bright and the animals are highlighted against a white background, which makes them look like they are about to jump off the page. The textures in this book are really unique too. So many of the touch and feel books have all the same textures (fur, sandpaper, etc). This book has really unique and interesting textures (e.g. a cool, rubbery, soft, smooth surface for the dolphin - it really feels like the skin of sea mammals I have touched; and a bumpy shiny surface for the lizard skin). My 14 month old daughter really enjoys feeling all the different textures and "reading" this book to herself. Highly recommended.

This book has the greatest variety of different touch sensations that I have seen anywhere. My 2 year old son received this for Christmas last year and it has been his favorite. The sticky tree frog was the best page for him. It did lose the stickiness quickly, but I found an adhesive at a craft store that was specifically for tackiness. I just put it on the spots whenever they wear out and then we have weeks of fun again.

My 4-month-old loves this book. She expecially loves the lion's long fur. She grabs it and will hold on for a long time. Needless to say, we spend most of our time on the lion page! But the other animals are neat too; a bumpy lizard, a smooth dolphin, a frog with sticky pads on its fingers, etc. This is a nice book to share with your child.

This book is real, deep and insightful. I find myself in awe of the personal courage of the men who ventured over Festung Europa during the darkest days of 1943 and early 1944. I read and reread this book whenever I need inspiration to face daunting and/or painful circumstances. I really wish that it was back in print.

Harry captures it all. Being a navigator in one of the most colorful bomber groups of the 8th Air Force in WWII, (if not the most colorful.) Harry is there as an original crewmember of the Bloody Hundredth. In a time where your life expectancy was 8 missions and you had to fly 25... Harry's a one off, what a story, what a history. Should be mandatory reading for anyone who claims to be American.. Well done.
Mark

Find a copy of this book somewhere, it is well worth the extra effort. Only the new WWII airwar novel, The Triumph and the Glory, moved me as much as Crosby's epic tale of the 100th Bomb Group

Harry Crosby's account of the 100th Bomb Group and the air war against Naze Germany from mid-1943 till the end is one of the most informative and thoughtful memoirs of those dark days. Crosby relates many stories in his accounts, of his own experiences as a navigator, of the impact that Curtis LeMay and other group commanders had on combat techniques, of the sometimes touchy relationships between AAF personnel and their British hosts, and some thoughtful observations of the nature of war and the overall bombing campaign.

Crosby with a degree in English and considerable writing experience writes lucid, stripped-down prose, and his accounts of navigating under difficult circumstances brought a reality than few other accounts--written mainly by former pilots--have done. His story of an early mission to Trondheim, in Norway, is a gem of the navigator's problems--of unexpected cloud cover, of flying over Norway where, as Hobler put it, one fjiord from the air looks like another, and the element of luck and chance in any mission. As a WWII navigator in the Pacific, these types of details were welcome, as was his understanding of the "place" of navigator's in the AAF pecking order. When I was informed in December 1945 that I was on a preferred list of those to man the postwar Air Force, I politely declined knowing that navigators would be highly unlikely to advance at the rate of pilots. (I did, however, remain the reserves for 20 years}.

What comes through most clearly, however, was the terrible losses that the 8th suffered in its campaign against Germany's manufacturing capacity and infrastructure, and of the courage and perseverence of those who served. The 100th BG, for example, arrived in midyear, 1943, with 35 crews; only one intact crew completed 25 missions, though a few other crew members from crews broken up because of casualities and other reasons also survived. Was it worth it? Did the damage done justify the loss in life, not only of the air crews but also those of German civilians and others killed by the raids. Crosby is a bit ambilavent--he joined the anti-war movement in the 1960s. Nonetheless, no one can take away from the aircrews, and those who did not return, their courage and belief that they were part of a grand but terrible endeavor to bring the war to an end and of the demented policies of Hitler and his Nazi cohorts . May they rest in peace.

Harry Crosby was a navigator in the 100th Bomb Group in World War II. He was one of the original members of the 100th, a bomb group that, because it ventured into battle with less training than groups preceding it, and because of its unenviable position flying in the lower part of the formation on many missions, suffered heavy losses and became known as "The Bloody Hundredth". Crosby uses his obvious skill as a student of the English language to recreate the drama, the humor, and the terror of flying B-17's out of East Anglia in the war. He describes many of the historic missions flown by the 8th Air Force as an eyewitness. I have read the book several times and it is good history as well as a good study of human beings and the stresses they face daily in war. I highly recommend this book.

The result of Evans and Avis's five-year collaboration is an extraordinary book, The Women who Broke all the Rules, containing stories based on ideas, motivations, and behaviors of 100 selected female representatives of the Torchbearer Generation (individuals born between 1945 and 1955). By utilizing an effective interview questionnaire, designed by the authors and provided in the Appendix, as well as by conducting extensive face-to-face interviews, Evans and Avis have accomplished a difficult task. They have successfully managed to combine four decades of thousands of childhood, adolescent, and adult memories into an enticing exploration of American social history.

Pleasantly surprising, these 100 Torchbearers are not easily recognized public figures, superstars, or celebrities. Instead, they may be readily distinguished as any one of our own trusted wives, older sisters, younger sisters, cousins, aunts, friends, and colleagues who have had to "reconcile their 1950s childhoods with their more liberated adult selves." Whether married, divorced, remarried, childless, with children, or invested in any other combination of personal realities, the self-made female heroes in this book are cleverly discussed within the concepts of "old rules" (e.g, "Your families' values, beliefs, and practices should be yours") or "new truths" (e.g., "Honor your traditions but act on what you think is right"). Understandable, engaging, and thought-provoking, this fine piece of work presents significant "choices" to think about and discuss with friends, lovers, or family members.

REVIEW: The authors of WOMEN WHO BROKE ALL THE RULES illustrate the lives of women born during the baby boom era (1945-1955). A captivating story, read in a single sitting, about women who challenged existing social strictures by forging into professional fields previously closed to them. Most important for my generation to appreciate is the fact that they had to do so without the benefit of role models and mentors, which they now have become to those of us born in the 1960's. To hear how these ordinary yet exceptional women triumphed after immense struggles and conflicts they encountered in their lives, left me with a great sense of appreciation for what they went through personally, as well as,what they accomplished for women who have followed. This book should be required reading for both high schools and universities so that generations coming after the baby boom era can be reminded that the innumerable opportunities that exist today for women must not be taken for granted. Dr. Susan Evans and Dr. Joan Avis portray the lives of these women within the context of "Old Rules"--existing social constructs, and "New Truths"- the discoveries made when breaking the "Old Rules." This method perfectly illustrates the broad social impact of their individual acts of courage and their trail blazing spirits. The actions of these women literally forced society to think and act differently. I recommend and applaud this book and thank the women of the baby boom generation.

What an incredibly well researched and well written book. For all of us who have struggled with living in a world different than the one we were brought up to live in, it really hits home and validates all those conflicting feelings that we have about who we are and what our roles are in today's world. And for the men who were raised by the same parents who raised us, and don't understand our struggle and why we aren't just like 'mom' this is a must read. And every marriage counselor who works with 'boomer' couples should read it, too.

As the daughter of a true Torchbearer, I deeply appreciate the candor, humor, and professionalism with which this book analyzes these women's lives. So many books have been written in the "spirit" of celebrating all women and their achievements, but they seem to be long on sentiment and theory and short on real research. Evans and Avis carefully structured their research to include women's persepctives about all areas of their lives but also leave the reader a great deal of room to understand and infer what s/he will. I also agree that most Torchbearers do not take enough credit for their culture-changing actions and attitudes, and I truly look forward to the day when (hopefully) my daughter and I can watch a "History of Women's Empowerment" program, and I can say to her that her grandmother was a woman who broke all the rules. More than any other I have ever read (and, as a psych major, I have read many), this book explains my mother as a member of this generation in a way I never could understand before. Plus, I now know that she really was part of a movement that, not unlike the civil rights movement, was part personal and part political. It brought Bell Hook home to me for the first time, without quoting her once.

I think this book is a must-read for all daughters AND SONS of Torchbearer mothers.

Just a hint, though, to those TB's rushing immediately to Amazon.com: You raised these kids, you know they won't read it if YOU suggest it : ) ha ha

One final note: I came to Amazon.com today for the first time ever (although I have previously used many e-commerce sites) expressly to buy 10 copies of this book to mail to my other 20-something girlfriends. Hey gen-x'ers: it's really THAT good!

Evans and Avis have started to reconstruct the last chapters of Simone DeBeauvoir's book "The Second Sex." When I first read DeBeauvoir's book in 1973 I was dazzled by her essays, particularly 'Situation and Character' and the 'Formative Years.' Still, I recall being disappointed by the chapter on the 'Independent Woman.' It puzzled me that she didn't seem to have much to say that was new, fresh or interesting, and I was hungry for that examination. Perhaps too, my American sensibility expected a kind of formula on how to proceed. In retrospect, I have reconciled that women had neither succeeded nor failed on a public stage long enough for DeBeauvoir to have invoked a deeper analysis. This book makes an important contribution in beginning to record and analyze stories from this transitional group that the authors so accurately call the torchbearer generation. I think other readers would enjoy this book as much as I did.

An amazing book. These letters provide a true snapshot of life from our country's beginning to 9-11. Even better these snapshots are from a woman's point of view, something that has often been overlooked. It's obvious that we American women come from hardy stock. This would be an interesting book for most men to read as well!!!

This is a fascinating way to reread the history of Amerca through women's eyes.Though the letters are written by different women from different
classes, one can readily continue the time frame. The story of the young girl who is sent on a mission to George Washington;the story of the treacherous trip via sailing vessel are both compelling. Highly recommended to women to read about the bravery of our foremothers.

I purchased this book for my mother-in-law for Christmas and she has said that it is a wonderful book. I had trouble finding the book until I went on Amazon.com.

I bought this book for my mom. She had brain surgery 3 1/2 years ago. Before her accident she was an avid reader, and loved American History. I bought this book for her, per the letters were short enough that she wouldn't forget what was happening in the "story", and I knew if she would be more likey to try reading more. Wow! She loves it, and her friends even read it when they come over. My mom is reading again, it might take her a half hour to read a page, but that does not matter. This book has change my mom, Priceless...

I bought this book for my mother, who enjoys it very much. Its easy reading, but powerful, insightful, and uplifting. Highly recommended.

The irony here is that neither Woodward nor Bernstein would speak with the author, despite having made millionaires out of themselves over the past 30-plus years by insinuating themselves into other peoples' lives and putting everything they've ever been told by anyone about anyone else between book covers. A bit of a double standard. Still, this look at how Watergate affected these two reporters is an engrossing read and a first class research job. Many many intriguing revelations for anyone who follows journalism and those who still like to read about the Watergate scandal. It's all tied up with a red bow because of the revelation in 2005 that Deep Throat was former FBI official Mark Felt, a secret that Woodstein kept religiously for three decades. Woodward's latest books on Bush are a bit boring, but that doesn't come across here. His Belushi expose remains his best, but this book points out that Woodward never again went outside politics in his reporting. Too bad. He should.

A MUST-READ FOR WATERGATE JUNKIES! We have all followed Woodward and Bernstein's careers through newspaper articles and the occa¬sional TV interview. Now Alicia Shepard has gathered all those data into a book about what Watergate did for them...and to them. It is a fascinating tale of young reporters who got sudden fame and fortune early in their lives, and how Woodward prospered while Bernstein foundered.
Shepard had access to their entire Watergate archives, and my only criticism of the book is its liberal quotations of that material. When "letters and telegrams" pour in from all over the country to them, it is not necessary to quote from so many. It slows down the narrative and you will find yourself skipping over most of these repetitive passages. All in all, it is a 266 page book that would have a much easier read at about 225. But if you love Water¬gate and all that came in its wake, pick up this book and read about how it careened the careers of these little reports to un¬known heights and depths.

When the five burglars bungled their bugging mission at the Watergate in June of 1972, they unwittingly changed not only our country's political history, but its journalistic one as well. Alicia Shepard has masterfully chronicled the successes and struggles, both professional and personal, of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the men who blew the lid off Watergate, in this informative and enjoyable book. She recounts their investigation of the scandal, illuminating a new perspective through extensive interviews with their editors. She pulls no punches in exposing their triumphs and their failures in the ensuring three decades, in their reporting, their marriages, and even their relationship with each other. The result is an eminently readable book that will leave you feeling as if you have finally gotten the inside scoop on the men whose names are synonymous with Watergate.

Alicia C. Shepard has written what should become the definitive biography of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Her book is scholarly without being pedantic and revelatory without being salacious. She skillfully shows how Watergate affected not only history, but journalism, and the lives of the two young men who doggedly pursued the truth. This book is must reading for anyone who wants to become a journalist, or who cares about what journalists do.

John DeDakis
CNN Senior Copy Editor, "The Situation Room"
Author, FAST TRACK
[...]

This book is a terrific explanation of the Kismet that brought Woodward and Bernstein together with the fortunate, and rare, backing of a committed publisher to chronicle truth in the midst of near-battlefield conditions. Read it and be amazed that it happened. Read it and be proud of journalism, many members of Congress, our courts and citizens reading, watching, and caring that our government, not politics, carried the day. It's so interestingly written that it shoved aside all the rest of the books on my "must read" pile.

Perfect pocket-size tarot deck when you're on the go and someone happens to need a reading!

This wonderful deck and book set from the winning team of Amy Zerner and Monte Farber can NOT be beat when it comes to being able to deliver tarot readings straight out of the box! The deck is gorgeous, a smaller (and comfortable to hold) version of Amy's gorgeous Enchanted Tarot, and the book is truly a gift in its own right! Monte's carefully worded, thoughtful interpretations ALWAYS pierce straight through to the heart of the matter and within a matter of minutes the reader is given an understanding of how the cards work that FEW other books have ever provided. Their vast knowledge of tarot, astrology, and personal enrichment shines through in every aspect of this work. You will never find a more positive, living example of how these things can be used to help shape and guide you in making changes and decisions in your life. The Zerner-Farber Tarot, the Enchanted Tarot, and anything else by this husband-and-wife team are always among my highest recommendations!

I really enjoyed this deck it is so beautiful!

I love this deck. very easy to work with and the artwork is breathtaking. I highly recommend!!!

I love this deck. very easy to work with and the artwork is breathtaking. I highly recommend!!!

There are many good books of reference on African American history published. However, this one ranks among the best. Well written, user-friendly layout, addressing a broad range of topics, this is recommended for a home or classroom library to teach that all members of a society contribute to its advancement and that our society must be inclusive of all members. Every child can be proud of his or her cultural and historical heritage in a country created by immigrants.

The author states in his introduction that this book is not to be viewed as a text book, but rather to be used as supplement. It's a rather comprehensive supplement with captivating text! This book is organized in easy reading segments that are all numbered 1 thru 1001 & also divided within 6 Parts (Sports, Culture and Religion. . .). I feel as if the author is talking with me personally. History boring? I don't think so with this book! I plan to use this book with homeschooling as well as "homeschooling" myself! Can't wait to learn more of what I missed in school!

It's not easy to write a comprehensive history book that is also engaging and user-friendly. Author, historian, and professor Jeffrey Stewart found the way. In 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About African American History, he pens a concise yet encyclopedic narrative that highlights the people and events underlying the amazing story of African American history.

Stewart organizes his work around six sections: Gretat Migration, Civil Rights, Science, Sports, Military, and Religion. This is a book you can read cover to cover or one article at a time in any order.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction .

This is a wonderful wealth of information written at a level that easily read and interpreted by students. It should become an addition to every classroom library.

Took me absolutely forever to read this book - months! But I loved it and certainly learned a lot. Stewart is to be commended for pulling so much information together in a marvelously cohesive book. Prints and photographs are terrific. And for those who want more on the subject, and there is more, believe it or not, there is a black history calendar, a desk calendar, also chuck full of history and info.

I fell in love with this book when I first perused it many years ago at the house of a friend. Whenever I would go over there I would grab it from off the shelf. It was very old, so I never suspected it was still in print. Needless to say, I was thrilled to obtain my own copy, which remains on my bedstand.

I love this book. The poems are great and I can find the poems that Anne says in the movie, "Anne of green Gables" and "Anne of Avonlee" I love the poems. I like These are the Times That try Mens Soals.

My father had an old copy of this book that he read as a child. He loved to read his favorites from this book, or simply recite them from memory. They are classic rhyming poems. Another favorite book of mine is "Poetry for a Lifetime", a beautiful volume which includes a number of these poems, including "Plant a Tree" and "Home". It has a much larger number of poems and is illustrated and has comments from the editor. I highly recommend both books.

I read this book as a child 40 years ago. The poems in this book are timeless classics. I look forward to sharing them with my own children.

This was my Dad's poetry text at college in the thirties. Every Christmas during his life he would read the 'holiday' poems to our family. I have carried on the tradition for my children and grandchildren and each year they await the reading of 'Bairnies Coodle Doon' and 'Jes for Christmas', two wonderful stories that bring forward the lives of children of a hundred years ago. If tradition is important to you and if you want to introduce your family to poetry as America knew it for the first 200 years, this collection if highly recommended.

Every time I find it Amazing!
How much Magic, Love & joy are in those books!
Every story- is a Gift!! :-)

I recommened you to read the introduction..
It is most touching, special and wonderful! :-)
"Good stories touch your heart in a special way no others can
and can transform your life forever!" (in my own words..)

If I could.. I would buy ALL of the books available!
(well maybe I can pass the one for Golfer soul.. ha ha!)

Thank you so much Jack and Mark- you Have changed the world!
Even here (in Israel) some people read your books..
and by now I have about 16 Chicken Soup books!
Not bad huh? :-) And I try to make those books known!
Optimism and good endings- is what needed here! :-)

Many of the stories are so touching- they can fix a whole day.
They can make me tear and appriciate my life more..
Make me want to Change The World for the better!
And also show all of my Love to the ones I love-
Not wait to another day or be affraid to show it!
and never forget the kindness of strangers!

Thank you Thank You Thank You! :-)

And for all the people here who don't know what to do- buy it! :-)
It's worth is! I promiss you! :-)

With Love and Joy!
Gil :-)

The stories in this edition of the book are my favorite. All of my friends have loved the autographed copies that I have given them. So many touching and tender stories, and even ones that make you chuckle.

I have purchased a number of the Chicken Soup series am I am quite pleased with them.

A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul

By Melody Beattie, Bob Greene, Edgar Guest,
Harvey Mackay, Pat Riley, and many more

Stories, motivational excerpts

Chicken Soup for the Soul is a fantastic, true book with hundreds of stories inside all about people's real live experiences. The sections covered in here are about love, kindness, parents and parenting, teaching and learning, death and dying, matter of perspective, overcoming obstacles, and elective wisdom. Everyone and anyone who reads this book can find stories that they can relate to, while enjoying them. Happiness and sorrow is merely a speck of all the emotions felt throughout this amazing book. When reading this you are able to learn the different kinds of situations there are and the everyday people who go through them. This book is extraordinary and unique; how it slams real life into your face and shows exactly how unpredictable life can be. It also shows us how we should value those around us, for we do not know when it is anyone's time to go.
All of the characters are real people who have gone through an event and have decided to share it with us. Each story has a beginning, middle, and end to it; just like life. Their stories are there to help others or to send a powerful message across that has once touched them. Each and every story is unique, interesting, and 100% true. So be prepared for any kind of emotions, because in real life you don't always know what the outcome will be.
The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul are all directly from those who experienced the story. They are all easy to understand and follow. The voice in each story is so strong that it actually feels as though the person is right there telling you their story; it's unbelievable! Though not all stories may be your type or make you feel comfortable, just skip them and move on to those that interest you more. There is something for everyone in this original book. After reading Chicken Soup for the Soul you will be able to truly see how precious life really is.

I have read several of the Chicken Soup books and love them all. A five star rating is not high enough, it should be ten! I recommend all of the ones that I've read to all of my friends and even give out the Chicken Soup Calendars as gifts. I want them to experience the feelings that I have when I read the books. (My favorite story is the one about adoption when a child says that an adopted child is one that grows in her mommy's heart instead of her belly.)