W Books

I ordered this book for our library's collection (for education students, to help them understand all faiths their students might be), and I still have the habit of reading everything I order-and I'm very glad I read it.

The artwork is wonderful, but the real magic of this book is it's handling of many aspects of being raised Pagan. Young Rabbit has been raised Wiccan by her parents and each of the major rituals and Sabbats are examined from her point of view, as are their understandings of the dieties, how to deal with teasing, and stewardship of the Earth and other people. Stories of everyday life and ritual life are mixed in with explanations of Sabbats and there are great real-life examples of how to bring a child into Circle worship with parents. It makes me wish there was a larger family-centered Pagan community in my area to share with my son.
This is definatly a book written for an American child (it mentions the US more than once), but it would probably be appropriate for a UK Pagan, as well. Excellent resource for Pagan children up to about 3rd grade, for Pagan parents, and for educators or neighbors who have discovered there is a Witch in their community.

First of all I need to say that I personally know Lyon. But don't let that make you think I'm biased.

All of Lyon's books are fun and down to earth so they can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike.

Not only does she write children's books, but lives the spiritual lifestyle as well.

If you have young children in your life and follow the pagan lifestyle, I'm confident you will not be disappointed in this or any of Lyon's books.

Highly recommended!!

Beautiful art work. Execellent story and lesson for the pagan child or any child for that matter.

I've read this story to my daughter dozens of times, and while she is only 2 she loves this book. I've had to memorize it because she pulls it into her lap and pretends to read as she turns the pages. Okay, enough of the cute stuff. Lyon has captured essential pagan themes and practices in an absolutely terrific story about Rabbit and how she has learned pagan customs and festivals. If you have been searching for that book to help your child understand your beliefs, stop now, get this book. P.S. SHE ILLISTRATES IT TOO. This is one seriously talented author.

My daughter loved this book and i learned a few things as well. It's a great tool for teaching children about their parents' pagan ways and covers alot of info about the 8 sabbats, circle, goddess, etc. It's written in the form of a 'storybook' but with all of this info contained within the story. I would highly recommend it!

Read first copy I bought. This 2nd, 3rd & 4th are for my grandkids. They're are the ones inheriting the problems and, I hope, they will be living toward solutions. I especially like from p. 123 on, when Brown begins proposing solutions. Astounded that we humans, globally subsidize nonrenewables by &700 Billion ANNUALLY. Love the idea of carbon taxes rather than cumbersome regulation & enforcement. Kathryn Russell

Plan B. 2.0 is the most comprehensive book I've found yet on the converging crises that we are facing in the world today. In Part I of the book, Lester R. Brown lays out each crisis, explaining the causes, and then goes on in Parts II and III, lays out a rational, well-thought-out,practical solution to the problems at hand. I gave my husband a copy of it to use for part of the Critical Issues for Law Enforcement class he's teaching at our local university. As far as I'm concerned, every American ought to have a copy and read it often and thoroughly. We need to be aware of what we're doing to ourselves and others. The frosting on this cake is that he gives us the tools we need to remedy the situation...if we act now.

If you care about this planet and our journey upon it, this book is essential reading for the millennium ahead. I just wanted to add my five stars. Please read the other reviews for the overview of "Plan B: 2.0"

It's a real shame that the publisher did not take the trouble to load the table of contents into the product information section provided by Amazon, because that alone should persuade anyone that gets to this page that the book is a MUST BUY MUST READ MUST SHARE.

Each of the following section titles has six sub-titles that I will not repeat here:
1. Entering a New World
2. Beyond the Oil Peak
3. Emerging Water Shortages
4. Rising Temperatures & Rising Seas
5. Natural Systems Under Stress
6. Early Signs of Decline
7. Eradicating Poverty, Stabilizing Populations
8. Restoring the Earth
9. Feeding Seven Billion Well
10. Stabilizing Climate
11. Designing Sustainable Cities
12. Building a New Economy
13. Plan B: Building a New Future.

Although an updated version of the first edition published in 2003, this version can be said to be both completely new, and finally ready for public consumption now that Al Gore has put Global Warming on the public mind.

I still prefer J. F. Rischard's High Noon 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them for the general reader, and I still think E. O. Wilson's The Future of Life is one of the top three in this area, but this book by Lester Brown has the merit of consolidating and structuring detail in a manner I have not seen elsewhere.

I recommend the book be ready in conjunction with books by Herman Daly's Valuing the Earth: Economics, Ecology, Ethics and Paul Hawken's Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, in part because everyone is now starting to realize that green sustainability is in fact the non-negotiable first step for any business to survive into the next decade--natural capitalism.

Most intriguing to me, and the heart of the book on page 257, is the consolidated Plan B budget totallying $161 billion a year needed to meet all of the goals the author postulates.
BASIC SOCIAL GOALS
12B Universal primary education
04B Adult literacy
06B School lunch in 44 poorest countries
04B Assistant to pregnant women and preschool childen in 44 poorest
07B Reproductive health and family planning
33B Universal health care
02B Closing the condom gap (Bill & Melinda Gates can have this one)

EARTH RESTORATION GOALS
06B Reforesting the earth
24B Protecting topsoil on cropland
09B Restoring rangelands
10B Stabilizing water tables
13B Restoring fisheries
31B Protecting biological diversity

As the author points out on the next page, world military expenditures total $975B a year, with the US alone responsible for $492B (this was published before we all knew of the half trillion dollar cost of the Iraq invasion and occupation). Hence, the $161B a year total is a fraction of the total spent on out-dated military systems, and could be funded by the US alone if we had the right leadership and public consensus.

Personally, and based on other readings, I believe that the author is under-estimating the costs, and avoiding a focus on many other factors including the urgent need to eradicate transnational crime and end inter-state and civil war. This is, however, a superb start and ideally suited as a primer for any level of learning.

Readers interested in seeing a broader perspective that places the ten high-level threats (poverty, infectuous disease, environmental degradation, inter-state conflict, civil war, genocide, other atrocities, proliferation, terrorism and transnational crime) in the context of the twelve policies that must be managed as a whole by all nations (agriculture, debt, diplomacy, economy, education, energy, family, immigration, justice, security, society, and water), and that in turn oriented toward the urgency of keeping the eight challengers (Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Wild Cards) from repeating our mistakes, can check in at Earth Intelligence Network.

Rescuing are planet and our civilization is going to be a great deal harder than the author suggests, and is going to need a massive awakening by the public as to the "true cost" of all that we are doing wrong. I expect that we will succeed, in part from top down efforts by Al Gore and this author among others, and in part by bottom up efforts where individuals can get from the Internet the "true cost" of any good or service in terms of water content, fuel content, sweatshop labor content, and tax avoidance status. Noami Klein's books, No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs and The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism are recommended in this regard.

Over-all an absolutely superb piece of work that caps the author's decades of advocacy on behalf of the planet. There is no other person that has been focused on this topic with due diligence year after year.

I believe this author should be recognized, along with Herman Daly and Paul Hawken and Anthony Lovins and others, for their total commitment over decades.

We do have prophets for our time. Lester Brown is one of the most important among them. In his well founded search for truth and solutions for our demographic, ecological and economic problems of global dimensions, he powerfully opposes the four faces of destructive stupidity of our times: ignorance, refusal to discuss matters, denial, and faithful dysfunctionality. I made this book the present day Bible that must be read and discussed in my course on Bioethics: Perspectives on Human Life, at Le Moyne College, Syracuse NY.
Dr. Andrew Szebenyi S.J.

Shipped quickly and in wonderful condition. A perfect book for anyone studying about trauma.

This is a well written treatise of body responses and body memories which are particularly important in PTSD.

This book is wonderful. It is the best of many books I have read on trauma's effects and the treatment of trauma survivors. As a survivor myself, I found the book immensely calming. It illuminated many things I did not notice and explained so many parts of myself that I have lost touch with or no longer understand. Most importantly, it gave truly effective ways of communicating with myself and my body in order to calm myself and learn effective coping mechanisms.

Aside from all that, the book is just plain interesting. The mind-body connection is a fascinating thing. Wow!

I read this book after "The body remembers casebook" as it contains a lot more theory than the casebook, which is harder to read, but quite amazing. Still has examples of therapy sessions, its really good to see how theory works in practice. This is my favourite author on the subject, i would recommend to anyone, some really cool ideas, it makes perfect sense and has already helped me deal with my own traumatic experiences. Thank you Babette.

After 26 years of thinking, "I should be over it", I now know its part of my body, not just my brain. I remember yelling out loud, THATS IT, and thinking I felt better immediately. I wasn't a loser, basket case mental job, but "my body remembers". I gave the book to my therapist, hoping she can help others. I actually contacted author to thank her, and she has a new book in the process. Thank you, Babette.........buy it, or I will let you borrow it:)

I was standing in a college bookstore and saw this title as the text for a class on Asian history. I typically have no interest in this genre but this book was riveting. The detail and genuine quality of the author's words are unique. One expects a POW who was tortured to seek out the torturer for revenge not forgiveness. This story has a beautiful, eternal message to the rest of us who hold grudges over much smaller offenses.

What an incredible book I was not able to put down. I am a big military history buff and found the early pacific theater defeats very disturbing especially the battles in and around Malaya.

The treatment of Mr. Lomax was not surprising as the Japanese were ruthless. Putting this experience into such a personal and riveting ordeal makes this book a must read. Eric Lomax puts personal vivid perspective on the years after his ordeal that is often left out of most military history accounts of battle, defeat and capture.

This book is very cathartic and brought tears to my eyes. Forgiveness is a more powerful emotion and triumphs over anger and revenge.

An unforgettable story of endurance, cruelty and forgiveness. This is a story that stays with the reader, even years later. This is a true story of Mr. Lomax's experience during WWII. He was captured and tortured and almost died. At one time the only thing that kept him alive was practically throwing himself down a flight of stairs so he was transferred to hospital from the dreaded prison. After the War, Mr. Lomax, like many other Veterans was unable to lead a normal life with emotions. Having experienced dreadful torture at the hands of the Japanese he learnt to cut himself off from his feelings, in order to survive. All his life he never forgot the interrupter that was present during his torture, he dreamed of revenge someday. In a miraculous turn of events he mets up with this man, whom it turns out was unable to forget being part of the torture of Mr. Lomax, and it had haunted him all his life. The two men agree to meet, and the most remarkable thing happens they become friends, forgiveness and understanding occurs. This is one of the best books I have read about the POW experience during WWII, it is tragic, and yet has rewarding and true ending.

i also read this when it first appeared, was deeply moved and presented it to my wife's father, a ww2 veteran. i write this review today because a man george bush proposed for attorney general is about to be approved while refusing to admit that waterboarding is torture.

as every reader of this book knows, this is precisely the torture that was used on the author eric lomax, which terrified and impacted him for his entire life, and made it so hard for him to forgive even the interrogator present during it.

several reviewers have said this book documents how brutal was the japanese treatment of prisoners, and i agree.. how can we allow ourselves to become the same as those wartime enemies we have characterized as monsters? god help us if we do not object..

I read this book when it was first published about ten years ago and the moving experience has remained with me since I finished the final sentence. It is an incredibly vivid book that you will not be able to put down.
What Eric Lomax went through as a POW, and his eventual reconciliation with one of his torturers 50 years later displays a depth of humanity that is deeply moving.

This book that should come with a money-back guarantee. I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and not emerging from it a happier and more effective parent. As a working mom with three kids aged 10 and under, I can tell you, I wish I had read this book years ago - it would have saved me so much frustration! The book is short, well written, and a quick read. The message is simple and powerful, and the examples and anecdotes really help the reader to process the material. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I first took this as a course in 1991 for my own daughters sake and now as a licensed counselor in Orlando, Fl I have helped several hundreds of children and their parents with this 3rd edition of RCB. Most parents say it should be called Redirecting Children's and Parent's Behavior because it changes the whole dynamics of how to effectively communicate as a family. It teaches how to recognize the four motivations (for any age) for misbehavior and gives plenty of examples of how to redirect behaviors in a positive direction. The earlier parents use this knowledge, the better the results for a happy family environment. All actions have consequences, so I highly recommend implementing this jewel of knowledge.

I've not only read this book a few times, but attended Kath's workshop on Redirecting Children's Behavior! Great book, wonderful and very useful info that needs to be shared by all!!!!

I am the mother of a [...] son who has been diagnosed with Asperger's disorder. When he was 18 mos. I was at my wits end and my pediatrician recommended this book and the class that is available in some areas to take with it. It completely ghanged our lives! When my son was diagnosed at 5 we started to see a therapist to help with our adjustment and the school issues. He credited the book with how well adjusted my son was and said that had we seen him earlier he would have had me implement the same techniques described in this book.

I love that it helps you teach your children self-discipline. Other books suggest techniques that require you to be the "behavior police". That method seems to teach children that you can do wrong as long as no one sees it. I'd rather teach children to do the right thing from a stance of having made a reasoned decision with regard for the consequences of one's actions. This book teaches you how to create this process within your children.

Not every technique applies to every age but that just means that you will have a resource to return to as your children grow. I have recommended this book to countless friends and am buying my second copy.

A few years back, a friend of mine gave me a copy of this book. I read through it, liked what I read, and decided to try a few of the suggestions it contained. I was AMAZED at how insightful and effective the approach in this book is. I am a parent and I also work in a school, and this book has made a significant impact in improving the environment both at my home and at the school. More important than the techniques and suggestions outlined in the book, though, is its general philosophy: all misbehavior is communication -- if you understand the goal of the misbehavior, you can avoid yelling and fighting with your kids and instead "redirect" the behavior and discipline in a way that is more loving AND more effective. Eventually, I contacted the company that publishes this book and got trained through them to teach the corresponding parenting course -- also amazing. I strongly recommend this book to all parent of children or teens, as I feel that it's relevant to both age groups.

This book is one of the few that succeeds in revising the historical profile of king Richard by giving him the place he deserves. For centuries Tudor historians, particularly More and Vergil (using all the heavy artillery of political propaganda on behalf of their masters the Tudor kings) had drawn a caricature of king Richard, making him a monster, the incarnation of evil, not to speak of Shakespeare's play, as brilliant as false. This book proves that king Richard was a wise ruler, an excellent warrior (he decisively contributes to the final Yorkist victory over the Lancastrians in the battles of Barnet and Tewksbury in 1471), loyal to his brother king Edward IV, tender to his wife, loved by the people (specially by Northerners, by the people of York, where he was almost adored, while Henry VII and Henry VIII, the first Tudor kings, were much hated, which explains the constant rebellions of Yorkshire under Tudor rule) The tragedy of king Richard III has nothing to do with Shakespearean plot; it is very unlikely that he ordered the death of Edward IV's sons (the book provides an interesting appendix on the matter) and, of course, he had no body deformity. His tragedy was both personal and political: a man who saw the death of his beloved wife, son and brothers, a king who tried to rule for the people against the barons and paid a terrible price, the price of being betrayed at Bosworth field in 1485; a ruler who tried to take control of the political turmoil, hopelessly, as he found himself trapped in the turmoil, overwhelmed and finally swept away. However, he set the foundations of modern Britain, creating a strong State by undermining the territorial rebellious powers of the old feudal peerage, which were the cancer that had consumed the nation since the Beauforts had made a puppet of Henry VI, the last Lancastrian king, and which degenerated into the open enmity between the dukes of Somerset and York and the subsequent civil strife. Apart from reading a fascinating period of the History of England, this book made me seriously think of how easy it is to falsify History. Richard III is somebody who definitely deserved rehabilitation. Well done, Paul!

This is a very readable biography of Richard III. While more recent research may have overtaken some of Mr Kendall's conclusions it by no means diminishes his scholarship.

Richard III's life has been the subject of many works of historical fiction. Additionally, he appears in the works of Shakespeare, is dissected by Sir Thomas More and others writing during Tudor times. Variously lionized and demonized, he is considered by many to be either the tragic hero slain in battle at Bosworth Field or the murderer of the princes in the Tower of London.

To see Richard solely as either a villain or a victim is to ignore the realities of the period in which he lived and the circumstances whereby he came to the throne.

I recommend this biography to those who want to know more about the life and reign of Richard III or are seeking some historical background to some of the works of historical fiction in which he features.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Paul Murray Kendall writes an objective biography of Richard III from his childhood to his death on Bosworth Field in 1485. He examines contemporary accounts with an emphasis on the reports of Dominic Mancini, who wrote from his own observations. He reviews pro-Richardian or revisionist theories as well as traditionalist viewpoints in an attempt to provide an objective narrative about the king's life.

The book starts with the earliest known information (at about age 10) and continues through Edward IV's reign and into Richard's, ending with his death in 1485. Separate appendices deal with the disappearance of the princes Edward and Richard and Richard's character.

In a nutshell, the author characterizes Richard III as a loyal, honorable, talented (military skills) leader as well as a devoted and religious family man. These strengths, however, were offset by inflexibility - a mind that saw black and white, but nothing in between - and political naivete.

Kendall's analysis of the available information concerning the disappearance of the princes is objective and sensible. His conclusion: Richard probably knew what happened to them. If he sanctioned their deaths, he did so because that's what rulers did to deposed kings in medieval times. The times were cruel and Richard was a man of his times.

Equally objective is Kendall's assessment of Richard's character.

The book is an excellent introduction to the life of a fascinating man as well as the times in which he lived. Highly recommended. FYI, this edition is a reprint of the original work published in 1955.

I bought this book to help with my a-level history personal study. Out of all the books i have used, this has been the upmost useful. The quotes, references to sources etc help the reader to bind in all the information from the book into a easily readable story. Full of facts whilst interesting. Having use to the appendix was very useful because i needed information about the 'princes in the tower'.

It seems that you can find two camps comcerning Richard III - people who think that he was truly the deforemed monster portrayed by Shakespeare or those who think that he ought to be canonized. Paul Murray Kendall did an excellent job of rendering a portrait of King Richard III that does not revolve around the typical Tudor propoganda and at the same time doesn't clamour for sainthood to be bestowed upon him. Anyone who is looking for a relatively unbiased view of this misunderstood monarch should definitely look into this excellent source!

I whole-heartedly recommend Second Eden because it is a smart, entertaining, and thought-provoking story. It addresses some of the "big questions" that I have pondered for much of my life. Moreover, it gave me some very satisfying answers to these questions. Even though these answers were created in the mind of the author, just the possibilty that they could be true gave me a sense of serenity and meaning. After all, most of our beliefs come from what people have told us.

Also, any pilot who has ever taken to the air in a small plane and imagined himself a fighter pilot, will thoroughly enjoy the incredible aerial sequence that Mr. Austin paints in Chapter 18 between a sport plane and a helicopter. Having flown the exact type of airplane, I scrutinized the plausibility and was amazed at the attention to detail and accuracy of the scene. I read the author's biography and sure enough, he is a flight instructor. No one could have described the "dogfight" with as much excitement unless they had that first-hand knowledge.

Second Eden brilliantly ties together the philosophies of the world's major religions into a harmonius and satisfying conclusion. In fact, the jaw-dropping realizations that begin to unfold later in the book are described in such great detail and fit together so seamlessly that I was left wondering if Mr. Austin knows something the rest of us do not.

Second Eden is an extremely engrossing and satisfying read. I had just read The DaVinci Code last year and I wouldn't hesitate to match the two. His take on the Apocalypse and his creation of the Reconciliation Project are plausible and cause for consideration. The best thing about his intelligent writing is that it makes for a really enjoyable reading experience, and I read everything I can get my hands on. I am so impressed that I knew the author some few decades ago and that he is evidently fulfilling a long-awaited dream by writing a terrific story.

If you liked The Da Vinci Code you will love Second Eden. Austin is a great storyteller - he brings you into the story at the start and you come along for the ride. You will go around the world with this book. I found it interesting that although the book was written in 2004 it speaks of issues happening in the world today. I still get chills thinking about it! I can't wait for his next book.

Austin has penned an intriguing and creative title in "Second Eden," a story of spiritual revelation told through the eyes of a scientist and a tough-guy caught in a web of deception and intrigue involving a government cover-up and a healthy bit of science-fiction involving aliens, creation, afterlife and the Apocalypse.

I recommend this be on your beach reading list as it's a pretty short read (took me barely three hours), just don't expect the end-all of thrillers. The premise was clever, but when dealing with something this far-fetched and philosophical, it helps to have at least a cursory foundation in the real world, which this book lacks. Austin would have done well to better research the inner-workings of the US Government in order to create a more plausable Clancy-esque setup. Clancy's tales are so successful because they ground the reader in such meticulous research, assuaging the reader's disbelief and letting the reader fall into the world. Austin's problem is though the turning point and ultimate conclusion of the book are very satisfying, the journey there feels a bit clumsy at times, in no small part due to this lack of realism.

Another gripe is the characterization--the characters are paper-thin and the dialogue leaves much to be desired; the reference to Bogart and Ingrid between the male and female protagonists was cute at first, but after Molly saying "My Bogie!" for the 80th time, it tends to get a little annoying.

Pay little heed to these gripes, though; the metapoints of spirituality and truth are satisfying and cleverly presented, and if you can abide the unreality in it all, it's a fun little read. Pick it up and see for yourself.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

I, like most of you, read the description and some of the reviews and said, "I have to check this out!" Well, I did check it out and was very disappointed. Although it isn't 'bad' it isn't good either. I'll do this in convenient list form.

1. It was way too long. It had no reason to be so long.

2. Certain characters were pointless to the story.

3. Annoying dialogue. Why did I hate the characters I was supposed to like, and like the characters I was supposed to hate?

4. Boring. It tried to be a nonstop action fest, but all it did was confuse me on locations and characters.

The only good thing is the message of the book, I guess. You get this towards the last 1\4th of the book. Even the end was far too long. I am not a person who dislikes long books, I don't care how long a book is if it's entertaining and tells a good story, but this just didn't do it. Be cautious if you buy this.

This book does more than explore motherhood. It invites you on an expedition. When you read it, you explore all of the faces of motherhood. The interviews allow you to see motherhood from the perspective of adopted children and adoptive parents and mothers addicted to cocaine and overprotective mothers and young mothers and older mothers. It allows the reader to identify with some stories and to understand for the first time the perspective of other mothers. The expedition is wonderful.

All readers invited!! This book has something to satisfy everyone-and not just moms. No mother's story could be told without mentioning the fathers, the children, the friends-so believe me when I say everyone can profit from reading this book. It is definitely "STRONG STUFF" but not without tenderness, warmth, and love-lots of love-woven throughout. In their own words, a wide range of "mothers" volunteer stories about relationships, ancestry, joy, suffering, expectations, disappointments, selflessness and selfishness, successes and failures, regrets and no regrets. We are enticed to at least try a few stories by the author's poignant and articulate introduction about her own mothering experience and her determined evolution of this book. A word of advice-do not let the sometimes awkward and lackluster style of some of the presentations stop you. At first I was put off, until I realized the author had recounted these stories just as the women communicated them-truly in their own words. With each new section of stories by "theme", the author offered another introduction that presented various perspectives,issues and emotions relative to that group of stories. This makes each visit with another mother in another place and in another situation totally fresh. If you did not like the style, or could not identify with the experience of one woman, then just move on to the next, or jump around for that matter. Even though grouped by themes, I sometimes preferred to pick at random and found myself equally satisfied. Whatever you want or need you can take away from these stories. There are lessons learned/ignored, advice shared/disregarded, ideas to ponder/suppress and sometimes just moments experienced with tears, laughter, anger, resentment, gratitude or uneasiness. I can identify one problem--there is not enough!! I want more!! Most of these amazing and at the same time authentic stories are only beginnings, dangling participles. With the last period of these stories there is no end. These are real evolving lives and I feel like screaming sequel! epilogue! Please tell me what is happening now with these remarkable and yet ordinary women who bravely shared their story with me.

All readers invited!! This book has something to satisfy everyone-and not just moms. No mother's story could be told without mentioning the fathers, the children, the friends-so believe me when I say everyone can profit from reading this book. It is definitely "STRONG STUFF" but not without tenderness, warmth, and love-lots of love-woven throughout. In their own words, a wide range of "mothers" volunteer stories about relationships, ancestry, joy, suffering, expectations, disappointments, selflessness and selfishness, successes and failures, regrets and no regrets. We are enticed to at least try a few stories by the author's poignant and articulate introduction about her own mothering experience and her determined evolution of this book. A word of advice-do not let the sometimes awkward and lackluster style of some of the presentations stop you. At first I was put off, until I realized the author had recounted these stories just as the women communicated them-truly in their own words. With each new section of stories by "theme", the author offered another introduction that presented various perspectives,issues and emotions relative to the following stories. This makes each visit with another person in another place and in another situation totally fresh. If you did not like the style or could not identify with the experience of one woman then just move on to the next, or jump around for that matter. Even though grouped by themes I sometimes preferred to pick at random and found myself equally satisfied. Whatever you want or need you can take away from these stories. There are lessons learned/ignored, advice shared/disregarded, ideas to ponder/suppress and sometimes just moments experienced with tears, laughter, anger, resentment, gratitude or uneasiness. I can identify one problem--there is not enough!! I want more!! Most of these amazing and at the same time authentic stories are only beginnings, dangling participles. With the last period of these stories there is no end. These are real evolving lives and I feel like screaming sequel! epilogue! Please tell me what is happening now with these remarkable and yet ordinary women who bravely shared their story with me.

I read "Strong Stuff" straight through, urged forward by the compelling diverse stories of mothers, some of whom I identified with out of my own experiences and some for whom I felt awe and humility for dealing with challenges greater than I had ever faced. Ms. Moore let the power and dignity of the individuals' voices remain strong and alive in delivering their stories to the reader. If mothering is challenging, step-mothering is even more so, I believe, and as I made up what "mothering" was "supposed to be" in parenting a lovely stepdauther, I wish I had had these stories to guide me along. I gave a copy to my goddaughter who just graduated with a degree in community development; she immediately ordered copies for her colleagues in a regional women's development program, saying it was the best resource of its kind she had seen. For studying, for savoring, for reconsidering one's own mother experience, "Strong Stuff" is not to be missed!

In Strong Stuff: Mothers' Stories, Emily Moore provides a compendium of profound insights about women, their mothers, and their children. These are compelling and insightful stories drawn from 84 women and which will be of substantial value in helping the reader become the mother she desires to be; to better understand herself and her child; show her options previously unsuspected; benefit from insights and wisdom gleaned from others' experiences; see the lives of women from different cultures and life situations; and even help her decide if she wants to become a mother in a time when science and the women's movement have endowed today's women with biological and social choices respecting motherhood that previous generations of women simply didn't have access to. If you are a new mother, or are contemplating motherhood for your self, read Emily Moore's Strong Stuff: Mothers' Stories!

This is the first of the O'Reilly books I have been disappointed in. I bought the book for one reason-- to find out how to restore a / and /usr file system off a remote tape drive. Unfortunately the book does not answer this question, all of its examples assume the server has a local tape drive attached. The authors spend their time touting freebie utilities at the expense of a thourough discussion of the backup and restore capabilities that come with the operating system.

This book is important for System Administrators and DBAs. The book is well-written and have discussed all the major UNIX flavors back and recovery. The author went further by discussing the Backup and Recovery of major databases on these UNIX operating systems.
I give 5 stars.

As a former Unix system administrator, this book proved invaluable to me. Backups are a dreaded responsibility for most as they are not glamorous, but when a backup is needed, the administrator can become a hero or out of a job very quickly depending on thier backups. The author provides some deep insight into the art of backups, drawing upon real world examples that provide insight into the recommendations. The authors quips on real world backup stories is worth the price alone as there is great knowledge to be gained from someone else's mistakes and failures. Truly a gem that should be on EVERY system administrators bookshelf.

Even though I was still very new to Linux/UNIX, this book was able to help me create a fully automated backup routine as well as how to restore from those backups. I found the book very easy to read and not at all dry.

This is *THE* Computer System backup book. It contains all the basics of why you want to backup computer systems, plus many of the real world experience details. It is written from a Unix perspective, but is still applicable to Windows and other non-Unix environments.

I've been using this book as a general guide for several years now. It was a book I watched work it's way through the O'Reilly system from first announcement to general release. I bought it when it first came out. I have not been disappointed in it.

Many people think of computer system backups as a dry old musty topic of interest to nobody in particular. But 9/11 showed how important good disaster recovery planning and procedures could be to a business.

Some of the specifics are now a little out of date, but not by leaps and bounds. It is still very good for its core reason for being - Backups. It is very much less out of date than other computer books on the market today.

I have been dealing with large-scale computer system backups and disaster recovery for large employers for years... and I still consult this book regularly to make sure have not missed anything important. It covers all the topics you need.

This was actually the first Daniel Steele book I ever read. It was wonderful the story so well developed and the characters so full of life. In fact I have now read this book at least 3 times maybe even 4, truly a classic. Everyone should have this on their shelf to read when you get tired of just seeing words on a page that take you nowhere.

Audry is SUCH a great character! Her love of adventure and for her man, but her loyalty to her family is what really pulled the story together. Very enjoyable book!

I have read many of Danielle Steel's books. This has to be one of her best. It is about a young woman named Audrey who has been caretaker to her grandfather and younger sister. Then, she has this need to do some traveling, and see the world. She does so, first going to New York City (she lived in San Francisco). She meets two people named James and Violet, and she becomes a travel companion for the two. In England, she meets Charles, whom becomes her one true love, and they travel the world together, and no matter what threatens to break them up, they never give up on each other.

This is not as formulaic as many of Danielle Steel novels, but it is still wonderful and one of her best.

This book is so cool...it takes you so many places, you most likely have never been to. It's so fun to put yourself in this characters shoes & see what it's like. I love to read about countries I haven't been to...classic DS

I have been reading Danielle Steel for over 15 years and own all her books and this is one of my favourites - one I can read over and over again and still enjoy the story.
I was transported back to the 1930's and admired the bravery of Audrey travelling to China when it was probably a dangerous (and not "proper") for a young single woman to do so. This one made me laugh, cry and wish that all would go well for Audrey.
If you are a Danielle Steel fan you will love this one. Her earlier novels (like this one) are so much better than her later books. If you are new to Danielle Steel - this one is highly recommended. Enjoy!