Works Books

highly recommended. beautiful photos - clear instructions - gorgeous designs. As a vintage ribbon work lover, this book has it all.

when you want to make a gift special this book will have your flowers very creative and lets you pick those special colors with out a lot of mess. great book

Excellent. Very easy instructions and easy projects. I was immediately able to make beautiful flowers out of ribbon. Highly recommended.

This book is all you need to know - materials, techniques, inspiration for projects. If you'd like to learn ribbonwork, this is the only book you need.

This is the 3rd book I've bought on making ribbon flowers and it is certainly the one to make it easier for you. Her flower directons make your ribbon flowers look like the ones you buy.

I hadn't read Rebecca Woolf's blog before I read this book. I immediately sought out more, more after wiping the tears from my eyes. Rebecca's eloquence inspires me so much. I haven't been this turned inside out by a memoir since Anne Lamott's Operating Instructions.

Girl's Gone Child, written by Rebecca Woolf, was one of the first blogs I ever read on a regular basis.

In some ways -- OK, LOTS of ways -- my life couldn't be more different than Rebecca's, but I connected with her writing instantly. It didn't matter that she was a 20-something and I was a 40-something. It didn't matter that she had been a "wild child" and I never was (though I always wanted to be!). Her stories about her motherhood and life experiences resonated with something in me -- she touched a place in me that was strong yet hesitant, opinionated yet ambivalent, a mother struggling to still be myself.

All that and more comes through in her memoir, Rockabye: From Wild to Child. While Rockabye is partly a story about her journey to and through unexpected motherhood in her early 20's, it's also a tale about how surviving her childhood shaped her as a woman and mother.

Nobody has an easy time in middle school or high school (unless you were the perky cheerleader with the perfect body). But Rebecca digs deep into her youth in an honest and compelling way that, for better or worse, pushed me to think hard about how my own school experiences and related trauma, more in the distant past than hers, still inform my life and my motherhood today.

Rebecca's writing is honest and raw in a way that makes you appreciate the honesty and openness she brings to her story, but also niggles the reader's brain to go a little deeper about who we are as people and parents, and why we are that way.

As Rebecca grappled with her decision about what choice to make about her unplanned pregnancy, she had an inner conversation with herself while waiting for her first doctor's appointment. That bold internal dialogue led to this truth:

You will never regret a decision you make with your heart.

When I read that, I started crying. Not because I was upset, because I knew she was so right. I struggle with life decisions all the time. I can't help it, I'm a Libra. But her words reminded me that if I can focus on making my decisions, big and small, with my heart -- as Rebecca does and shows us how to do in Rockabye -- I'll be OK.

I have to confess, I did get a few sneak peeks at some of the Rockabye chapters. I was lucky enough to be in Rebecca's online writing group for a while (I was not the most active or productive member, but she welcomed me anyway).

Rockabye is a journey of powerful self-discovery as she makes her way through becoming a mother to her son Archer (who is one of the cutest little boys on the planet, BTW). So when you're tempted to worry about whether you should look at yet another parenting magazine for motherhood advice, take a little advice from the pages of Rockabye, and look to your inner self.

Reading her book gave me another thing -- the good swift kick in the pants to write more about my own mothering experiences. Sure, there are a lot of stories out there, but all our experiences are unique and more of us should write about them and, as Rebecca reminds us, to embrace them, even on those days when we think we won't survive until our children's bedtimes.

Rebecca, thanks for taking me on this journey. You'll never know how much your book meant to me.

I read this book in one sitting, and my only complaint is that it wasn't longer! I stumbled across Rebecca's blog a few months ago - I'm hooked! Wonderful style and heart! She is very honest with the changes in her life and emotional world. Loved it!

I have been reading the authors blog for a few years now. I was very excited to finally read her book. It was a real journey. You are taken to highs and lows and lots of laughs along the way. I read this book in a matter of hours. I highly recommend this book. Especially to newer moms. She tells it like it is.

Awesome, great fast read that is very easy to relate to. The truthful heart warming tale of a new mother and her choices and battles.

If cars, rock-n-roll,and the birth of those two cultures even slightly interests you, this is the book for you! The author, who also put out another great book, art of modern rock, really shows just how much rock-n-roll and the car culture have been intertwined since the birth of rock-n-roll to the present time.

I'm not a huge fan of coffeetable books. They always seem to have an air of pretension about them (or I do ha ha), but "Rockin Down The Highway" does NOT come across that way. It's packed full of cool photos and info that draws you in and doesn't leave you feeling like an outsider. Even you're not a fan of rock music and hot rod cars, this is a great book to while away the time with...and maybe have a cup of coffee while you're at it.

Awesome book. It's about time that someone wrote about the marriage between music and cars and the people that drove them. This author really did his homework. I've done my share of reading about cars but there are photos in there that I've never seen.
Worth every dime.

Rock `n' roll is cool music, of that we can have no doubt. From Chuck Berry and Elvis, to the newest stars of 2006, rock n roll does, in fact, appear to be "here to stay." And cars have been a big part of rock since the early days. Whether you were revving up your Little Deuce Coupe, if you were Born to Run, or Born to Be Wild, or just roaring down the road in your Little Red Corvette, the cars have been there all along.

Paul Grushkin's book, Rockin Down the Highway celebrates this marriage of cool with photos, stories, cartoons, art and much more, bringing cars and rock together in a big, very attractive package. The book is as fun to read as it is to look at, with all varieties of entertaining anecdotes and tidbits from Mr. Grushkin and other contributors, ranging from well-known rockers and rock writers to ordinary rock fans recounting the pleasure of the open road, stereo blasting out their favorite tunes.

This is a big, lovely style book, lavishly illustrated and beautifully composed. It would go beautifully on the coffee table of any rock fan!

There are plenty of books on automobile history and culture and plenty on music history, but what makes Rockin' Down the Highway: The Cars and People That Made Rock Roll an impressive study is not just an oversized format which packs in color photos on every page - some 1,000 of them - but an attention to surveying the connections between cars and rock music. It's the first illustrated, book-length history of the topic and includes many photos not previously seen in print, coming from a notable rock historian who uses posters, photos, ads, album covers and more in the process of analyzing the attraction of fast cars and fast music to a teen audience. An outstanding, sweeping presentation which will prove a 'must' for any comprehensive rock library collection.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is for anyone who has ever fallen in love with this wonderful city, that is any who has ever, however briefly, been there.

The format is, as it is for all the "Then and Now" series to show vintage photographs paired with modern shots of the same view. The captions describe the scenes, giving short historical backgrounds. Anyone who has ever spent any time in the city will recognize some of the modern views and will probably find themselves interested in the vintage shots giving the history of the scene. Those who are planning a return visit just might want to slip this slim book into their luggage to take sightseeing. It also just might make a welcome reference for anyone reading about the old days in the City or watching an old film set there.

Lovely to look at and reasonably informative. Will be most enjoyed by fans of San Francisco. I can't see midwesterners enjoying this book. But if you live in or have visited the city by the bay this may be the book for you.

I received the book as a gift vut I would gladly paid for it.

This book is wonderful. A must have whether you live in the Bay Area or have visited here. Worth every penny.

These are a great series of books, I own each of my Favorite cities in the US. Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. It is really cool to see old pictures of the cities compared to current pictures.

I'm not using "conservative" in the current political sense, obviously. Everybody knows that John McCain has less than a snowball's chance in Gomorrah of winning in SF. I using the term conservative in its root meaning, something like "saving what was valued in the past." Preservation and conservation have the same Latin root. San Francisco has conserved more of its past than any western American city, and I could make a case, I think, for its preservation of more old-fashioned city life even than Boston or Savannah.

Except for the tiny downtown financial district, San Francisco "looks" old. The vast majority of houses, churches, and schools were built in late Victorian styles and have been lovingly restored in the same styles. Even the relatively "new" streets of the Sunset are old-fashioned now, predominantly in modest Art Deco style of the 30s and 40s. And it should be no surprise that ATT baseball park is a booking success, since it's strikingly old-style brick in construction, with a street car stop at the front gate.

San Francisco is a bastion of old-fashioned independent mom 'n pop businesses. There are thriving corner groceries and open-air once-a-week markets: independent restaurants ranging from very cheap to ultra expensive, but hardly any chain restaurants in the neighborhoods. The big chain grocery stores like Albertson's struggle to stay open in competition with locally owned stores like Andronico's, which has six stores around the whole Bay Area. There are more independent fitness centers and gyms in the neighborhoods; 24-hour fat farms are not the norm in SF. There are no malls that would be recognizable to most Americans in downtown or neighborhood San Francisco. The only malls - and very small they are by US norms - are on the suburban fringes.

Even Boston is cut up by freeways today, though the traffic is no better managed than when I lived there in the early '60s. Seattle is sliced in half by its ineeffective central freeway. San Francisco is the place that blocked freeway construction in the late '60s. Several freeways have been demolished in SF in the last ten years! Streets in SF are narrow and parking is tough, but a measure to build more parking lots was recently defeated at the polls, and any attempt to chop wider streets through SF would meet with armed resistance.

Baseball is the number one sport in SF. The fans of the football team pour in from the 'burbs to the hideous modernistic but crumbling stadium just at the edge of the city. The basketball team plays in Oakland. Any town where baseball rules has got to be considered conservative!

People in SF are conservative dressers, especially by California standards. I know women who live in LA, who carry clothes they consider drab to SF when they visit, so that they will not stick out like the inflamed rear view of a peacock's tail. One never sees "his and hers" outfits on the streets, especially not pastels. Men wear less bling per capita in SF than in Omaha. A neck chain and an open shirt would get you sneered out of polite society in SF.

Sweet old-fashioned window boxes are everywhere in SF. Street tree plantings are lovingly maintained. Open space is all-important to San Franciscans, and it's by stubborn resistance to development than SF has preserved more open space (finangling the take-over of decommissioned army, coast guard, and navy bases) than any comparably populated region of the USA. Nature is inherently conservative.

The half-mile strip of upper Haight Street, which gets the attention of the "screaming heads" on TV and radio, is not populated by San Franciscans. It's the runaway and stumble-away refuge of the discontented - the "poor abused confused missused" - of all the dysfunctional "conservative" families and communities from Modesto to Miami. They come to SF to enjoy the true conservative values of privacy, tolerance, and neighborhood friendliness.

My copy of this book is worn, tattered and well-loved. I am even using it as a pedagogical tool in the Scientific and Technical Communication class I teach. When, oh when, will some publisher be smart enough to swoop down and republish this rare gem and its Humanities-based cousin, Culture Made Stupid?

Tom Weller turns science on its head in this timeless tome. The more you really know about science, the more you will appreciate his sometimes subtle, sometimes outrageous, humor. Although there is a version on the web, nothing beats the original.

I agree with the other reviewers: HOW could this comic masterpiece have gone out of print? We have kept it in our hall bathroom for at least 5 years and it never fails to elicit laughter. I think it just gets funnier and funnier -- Weller's parody of Science is so satirically accurate, it's scary. The illustrations are hilarious as well. A fabulous antidote to gullibility about "science."

I suspect that if you could somehow assemble all the photocopies ever made from individual pages in this book by businesses, labs and research houses around the country, you could reassemble the entire book. Every page is a gem. Weller's sense of the style and form of a traditional high or junior high science book is impeccable, and his sense of humor is inspired. "Science Made Stupid" is hysterical and a classic!

All other reviewers are correct. This book is a classic and while I'm glad I didn't have to pay current used prices for it, it's worth doing so if you don't have it. Just be forewarned, it's not terribly long, so you won't be getting a giant tome.

One thing that no-one's pointed out - while its style is very similar to science books etc, the humor of this book was really driven home when a friend was doing a paper on Creationism. He found a book that this one clearly EXACTLY lampoons, from size and layout to ink color to picture style - everything. This makes the blast of Creationism all the better. I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it, but the "Evolutionist vs Creationist" bit (p. 65) is completely hilarious, especially as the "Evo" side of the argument is actually one part of the book other than the copyright that is played straight.

It is a tragedy that this is out of print. It's one of the funniest books I've ever read. Anyone with any knowledge of science whatsoever finds it hilarious, and I show it to anyone and everyone who I think can appreciate it. No-one's ever been disappointed. Three thumbs up!

I struggled with the concept of second innocence (still do); however, the premise is that we can maintain or recapture a sense of wonder, delight (whatever you want to call it) throughout our lives. And it is this sense of wonder that keeps us growing and allows us to become truly wise. I'm old enough to know wisdom when I see it and young enough to appreciate that innocent wonder in children. Izzo takes us through various aspects of our lives and shows how a sense of wonder keeps us young while allowing us to truly grow older with grace.

At first, this book seemed to me to be trite, full of little aphorisms and such. By the time I reached the end, I finally understood the underlying message. As with our personal relationships, what counts in our daily living ARE the little things. The author presents this insight with a gentle hand that matches the mood of the message. Thank you, John Izzo, wherever you are.

"John Izzo has written yet another fantastic book that has profound impact on the reader's daily life. Upon finishing the first reading, I turned the book over and began reading it all over again. A few weeks later, I picked it up and read it a third time and I just could not stop talking about it! This truly is a book that will not stay on a bookshelf for long.
Written in such a way as to remind us what we already know, but do not practice, Izzo's simple views on life can help the reader realize the full potential of their lives. His compelling stories are useful tools to view our own lives, jobs and families with more kindness, while discovering the peace that was always within our grasp.
A rich, thought-provoking book such as this could very well make the world a better place - one reader at a time." ~ Lillian Brummet, co-author of the book Trash Talk - a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

Just wanted to thank John for writing inspiring words that convey wonderful foundational thoughts and feelings. I too am a great believer in an abundance mentality and try to live and act in the "now" every day.

If the population of our world would take the time to slow down enough to contemplate and realize that we all (most?) really want the same simple things from life, what a great place this world would be.

Author writes about rediscovering the wonder and joys of life. Based on his own experiences including death of his father, first love, a family suicide and other compelling stories, Izzo cheers you on to reconnect with and learn from your own life stories. It can be difficult at times to maintain optimism and grace in a world filled with cynicism but Izzo's inspirational book certainly helps you down the right path.

In my book, "Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins", I devote an entire chapter to the eighth Crusade. The political events of the time, the celestial omens that were seen in the heavens and depicted on coinage of Louis IX and that of his brother Charles of Anjou, combined with the influence of Charles of Anjou on Louis IX, all came together as the basis for the decision by Louis IX to land at the Bay of Tunis for his final crusade.

As part of my research, I read numerous books on the history of the period, and I found that Runciman's book, "The Sicilian Vespers," was especially useful. There were many items of interest in his book that added to my understanding of the history of that time.

Marshall Faintich

Sir Runciman once again delivers informative historical narrative that is thorough and equally entertaining. The political intrigue of the 13th century, involving virtually all of the Mediterranean powers, provide just the detail needed to grasp the causes and affects of the Vespers revolution. Sir Runciman deftly weaves the varied characters and their roles together into the story that pulls the reader in and keeps their attention. There are a confusing array of political players in the drama but Sir Runciman's story-telling style helps avoid confusion and makes the intricate connections required to better understand the period. Very well done and a wonderful addition to any library.

Herein, outstanding British historian Runciman explains in considerable and fascinating detail the story of the Sicilian Vespers, and its profound impact on the history of Christendom. What comes across most dramatically to this reader in Runciman's wonderful account is the love of intrigue and political striving of the 13th century Papacy. Here, we see the several Popes of the period acting as petty Italian Princes in their attemtps to further their own secular power. And the upshot of these attempts came to be a profound weakening of the unity of Western Christendom that ultimately fructified into the Reformation of the 16th century.

Another amazing aspect of the story Runciman herein records is the stunning skill and subtlety of Byzantine diplomacy. At the time, the Byzantine, or Later Roman, Empire was yet reeling from the devastation of the hideous Fourth Crusade. And, yet with little remaining military power at their hands, the Byzantines managed to avert what would have been another disasterous Western "crusade" from destroying Constantinople. Here we see also a natural alliance forming between Aragon, later Spain, and the Orthodox East. One could make a good case that this was also the natural alliance that so frustrated Napoleon's design, when he was harried by guerrila warfare in Spain, and by Holy Russia's Biblically courageous defense of Mother Russia.

We strongly recommend Sir Steven Runciman's excellent work to all who would understand this very important, but little discussed, background to modern European history. God bless.

What an excellent history. It's a careful, economical but thorough recounting of events among a huge array of far-flung characters. It's not difficult to read, but rereading helps fix the cast in the mind. (The index is excellent, but a list of characters would have been helpful, although that sort of user-friendliness would definitely have been at odds with the book's Cambridge gestalt.) Sir Steven is very sparing of analysis and conjecture, so that when he does essay a mild synthesizing comment, it is all the more powerful and organic, having grown from the "objective" account and selections of incident. His final thesis -- that the medieval papacy foundered during this period due to its cautious, conscious decision to eschew centralized surrogate command (through the Hohestaufen empire) in favor of decentralized partitioning (the original balkanization) that fed and inculcated a nationalism that was ultimately much more debilitating to papal power -- is both startling and inevitable. Besides the masterful overarching view of European history, the book also is fascinating and illuminating about Sicily in particular, and its polyglot zealotry.

Runciman's writing is absolutely amazing in this volume which treats of Europe in the mid-to-late thirteenth century. I devoured this book in a matter of days, fascinated as I am with Sicilian history and culture. Runciman gives a fantastic view of the Kingdom of Sicily after the fall of "The Kingdom in the Sun", or the Norman Kingdom based in Palermo. From the benevolent king William the Good to the villanous Charles of Anjou, Runciman presents all of those occurances which led up to the Sicilian Vespers, or the systematic destruction of French power over the Sicilians on Easter Monday, 1282. A must-read for all those interested in the history of Europe in this era.

This is a life altering read about one of the most common and baffling problems. Dr. Josephson's approach to sinus relief is both new and innovative and gives the reader both hope and relief. The answers are so simple when put into use everyday.

After following Dr. Josephson's program and suggestions, my sinus problems improved significantly and I enjoy a new found breath of fresh air! Highly recommended it to my family and friends.

This book is approachable by a layperson and which covers most of what a sinus sufferer should know before seeking treatment. It provides a good overview of the anatomy, a brief description of surgical evaluation and intervention, and detailed descriptions of medications and recommended lifestyle adjustments

I'm a patient of Dr. Josephson and he strongly encourages patients to read this book so I read it. Before reading my review, I recommend you first read the best review I could find, written by Walt Ballenberger who is founder of PostNasalDrip, "a resource web site for sinusitis sufferers like himself". You can find the review at the following links: [..] Ballenberger's review identified a number of questions which were unanswered in his book. By talking with Josephson in person, I was able to get answers for some of them.

LASER
The book doesn't explain the tradeoffs of laser vs. traditional cutting instruments. Before Josephson, I saw an ENT who recommended laser to lightly cauterize the turbinates in order to reduce their tendency to swell when inflamed (the scarification reduces the membrane's elasticity). Dr Josephson is not a proponent of laser except in certain cases. Although a laser is self-cauterizing and therefore reduces bleeding, it causes heat damage to surrounding tissue (more than the damage caused by a cutting instrument) and instrument setup adds time/cost to the procedure. Only where the decrease in bleeding outweighs these costs is use of a laser justified (e.g. when the patient has many small polyps). I didn't ask him but I'd imagine that the thermal heat injury would likely cause more damage to mucus-producing goblet cells and mucus-transporting cilia cells than cutting tools.

SINUPLASTY
This book doesn't explain the tradeoffs of sinuplasty® vs. traditional cutting instruments. Sinuplasty® is a proprietary tool made by Acclarent which uses a thin balloon similar to an angioplasty balloon to open the sinus passages. As in heart vessels, the balloon is placed into position and inflated, then deflated and removed. According to Acclarent's description, this results in permanent widening of the critical areas leading into the sinuses while leaving the nose lining unharmed rather than destructing this lining as occurs in typical sinus surgery. I would have to imagine that if the pressure applied expands bone than it certainly will crush the membranes and must do some damage to them and the cilia which are so necessary to remove the infection and mucus (mucociliary clearance) which is the whole basis by which the sinuses protect you. When I asked Dr. Josephson about what the pressure does to the membranes he said that he knew of no studies that showed what the effect of the balloons on the membranes and cilia were. It turns out that Dr. Josephson is trained in sinuplasty but relies almost exclusively on FESS (endoscopic cutting instruments, as described in his book). He pointed out that unlike angioplasty, which operates on only soft tissue and requires a stent to hold open the expanded tissue, sinuplasty expands a passageway or sinus by dilating bony openings and pathways--widening one passageway by crushing an adjacent sinus cavity. He speculates that such pressure fractured cells could result in a problem later such as mucocele formation--the procedure was too recently developed and long term studies were not available. In addition, while sinuplasty can open up a closed frontal, maxillary, or sphenoid sinus, it cannot open up the labyrinth of the ethmoid sinus. If the ethmoids are closed, functional FESS may be required in conjunction.

FUNCTIONAL ENDOSCOPIC SINUS SURGERY (FESS)
Josephson doesn't much describe his surgical techniques in this book, which makes it difficult to compare FESS with alternative approaches. Dr Josephson says Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) uses microcutting instruments to remove bony partitions and to widen openings into the frontal, maxillary and sphenoid sinus when necessary. I asked how he expands the passages to closed sinus cavities. He explained that, in my case, he would remove the wall between the passage to a frontal sinus and an adjacent ethmoid sinus cell (rather than crushing the ethmoid cell as in sinuplasty). This would be more controlled than expanding a balloon (as in sinuplasty) and avoid creating a new closed cell which could become a cyst. While FESS changes the connectivity of the cavities, it avoids potentially closing off the adjacent cells. He claims that research shows that mucus transport from the now-opened frontal sinus to the ostiomeatal complex is preserved with this method. This book should include and expand on these descriptions. I also asked in what cases the membranes grow back which seems important when polyps are removed from sinus cells, leaving bare bone walls. He replied that they quickly grow back. This book should include pointers to research validating this claim.

SINUS ANATOMY
This book describes the sinuses as cavities which clean and humidify inhaled air. However, the diagrams show the sinuses as dead-end spaces off the primary airway connected only by tiny passages. Why does air travel through them except a small amt via turbulence? Although I suspect they do indeed clean and humidify inhaled air, it would be helpful to me if the book resolved this seeming contradiction.

CAT SCANS
The book includes a series of diagrams showing an idealized representation of the sinuses and other organs. I found it very difficult to relate my CT scans to these idealized diagrams even though I'm quite good at 3D visualization. It would be helpful if this book included a link to an online series of example CAT scans with annotation explaining what's what, how the structures relate to disease symptoms, and (assuming some patents get post-operative CT scans) what the structures look like after surgery. Josephson told me that he had a CT review in a draft of the book and Penguin Publishers needed to make the book shorter and insisted that he cut it out. Eventually he plans to put it on line.

Overall, an excellent book and highly recommended.

This book is very informative, but a lot of the book deals with how the sinuses work, and how they are subject to irritation. While this is not bad information, it is dealt with too often. I basically wanted this book for relief of my problems, and in that respect, it is quite thorough. However, just skim through the first few chapters to get ideas about correcting your sinus problems.

Sinus Relief mow is the most comprehensive book i have read on the subject. It is the first book that links Sinus Problems,Allergies,ASTHMA,SLeep Apnea,and Gerd (gastroesophageal reflux) i suffer from most of these problems and have been treated for years by many different physicians. And no one has made these connections which Dr Jordan S Josephson makes. He is brilliant and i am living what he describes. I am using his book asc a feference and have been following his five step program. I am already seeing a difference. I like the fact that DR Josephson combines the best from traditional and alternative medicine to bring relief for these problems If you suffer from any of these problems this book would be the best investment that you can make. It has many tips that woll help you with your problems. I am going to actually make an appointment to see DR Josephson. I like the wat he thinks. It makes sense.

In the interests of full disclosure, I should reveal that I am a patient of Dr. Josephson's. In fact, he recently performed a FESS procedure on my sinuses.
It needs to be noted that Dr. Josephson practices what he preaches. Before we arrived at the decision to perform the surgery, I followed each of his recommendations, including a long use of antibiotics, smoking cessation, the use of an air purifier and a humidifier, etc., etc. Only after these actions failed to result in a "cure" for my sinus problems did he recommend surgery. True to his word in the book, post-surgery did not require packing and I hope that the procedure will result in long-term improvement. In the meantime, I constantly refer to Dr. Josephson's clear and coherent book to guide my treatment.

I was amazed at the speed of delivery, i had expected a paper back copy and received a hard back copy, it was well packed and in pristine condition. I am very pleased with the service i received.

As a non-religious person (I had a Buddhist and Christian upbringing but grew to be non-religious in my adult years), to me what is most moving about the life of Gladys Aylward in war-torn China is how she persevered in her efforts to integrate herself into a new culture in a foreign land, at one of the most tumultuous times in history, while still maintaining her own faith and managed to convert others to her religion by first grasping others' perspectives and understanding their experiences. Somehow she lost her cultural baggage (literally and metaphorically), got over it, and quietly learn the locals' ways of life by interacting with them on a personal level rather than positioning herself as a high-and-mighty missionary preaching to the ignorant natives. Mentored by an experienced missionary with a no-nonsense attitude, Gladys learnt and grew to love and respect the local ways of life, with an open-minded freshness that came from a curious mind and a generous personality. The contrast of Gladys' warmth and integration with the local culture with another older missionary who never learnt a word of the language despite decades of living in the country is startling. Aylward showed genuine Christian humility and from a timid and clueless parlour maid grew to become an assured and resourceful woman whose virtues shown through to all who came across her, so much so that she was given a Chinese name signifying 'the virtuous one'. This is the part of this small book that I most enjoyed - she really is a 'small woman' in the best sense of the term, by leading others through her quiet example.

The Japanese's bloody intrusion into the tough-yet-idyllic existence of this rural community is honestly and harrowingly rendered, the cold-blooded cruelties of which constrast sharply with, and overshadow, the narrative on the budding romantic relationship between Aylward and the Nationalist general. Here she reminded me a little of the character Maria in the Sound of Music - one whose love of God did not prevent her from loving and being loved by a man, even in the throes of war.

All in all, an epic tale of a woman's life in a foreign land, how she grew to love her new-found life and how she was loved and respected by all around her in return. The major feat she pulled off towards the end, taking 100 orphaned children with her to safety while playing cat-and-mouse with the Japanese army, did not seem so improbable when one sees how she has grown and developed under the grace of God in spite of the unexpected turns in her life path. This is a small book that would be appreciated by anyone with an interest in experiencing life in war-torn China beyond the official statistics and male-driven narratives, as well as by people who are looking for a heart-warming story about the fortitude of the human spirit in the face of adversity, with the heros being an unassuming woman and her orphaned children. Above all, this book would be loved by both religious and non-religious readers, for this slim volume depicts the humble story of an unpretentious missionary whose spiritual grace crosses language, cultural and religious barriers. An absolute gem.

This is the story that the movie The Inn of the Sixth Happiness was based on. After I watched the movie I wanted to read the book & I can say the book was just as great if not better than the movie. The book is a very plain, simple appearing story, but let me say it packs a powerful punch...so don't judge this book by it's cover!

This is a true story of an insignificant English maiden who went to China to tell the Chinese people of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Alan Burgess weaves a masterful tale, including harrowing escapes, a clash of cultures and customs, extreme poverty and deprivation, amidst an enchanting background of picturesque cities tucked in the misty mountains of Northern China, official Mandarins on palanquins, and the dusty mule trails that tie it all together.

There is even a love story of Gladys and a Nationalist army officer tucked in between the bombing of her town and the marching of 100 children refugees over treacherous mountains to Sian (Xian) in search of an orphanage to care for them.

You'll not be able to put this book down, and you'll laugh and cheer for the glorious work that God does through this determined and hardy woman.

If you are interested in China and the missionary experience, this is a book you must not miss. It is extremely easy to read, you'll finish it in no time!! If you have read about China this book may give you insight into one of the most remote corners of the country. It is also a story of incredible bravery and sacrifice to others.

I always believed the missionary effort in China had been quite hopeless, but reading this book made me see the way one "small woman" influenced so many lives, leaving a lasting impression and truly changing people for the better through patience and above all, a lot of intelligence.

Excellent choice of subjects (small living creatures) and excellent photography. The editing, printing, and text are very good. Makes an interesting and attractive coffee table book that becomes a content book when you pick it up. And, a reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Dr. Naskrecki's photography and the reproduction of it has created a book full of rare jewels! He is an entomologist with an eye for beauty and humor...all in the persuit of science. This book should be shared with children that they may learn what magic can be found behind a leaf or under a stone. His writing is concise and informative. This book is for everyone who appreciates what we have been given on this planet!

I bought one for my nephew's birthday. After looking at it, I had to buy another for a different nephew. The photos are MAGNIFICENT!!! Very enjoyable.

I want to join all other reviewers in praising this book as one of the most beautiful books on animals, period! Simply put, this book defines the word "magnificence". A must have for all nature lovers. Get this book along and "Rainforest" by Thomas Marent and you'll be amazed of the wonderfull creatures that inhabit this world. This awesome book is well worth the few bucks it costs. Save the rainforests, before it is too late!!!

This book is outstanding... Period! The work that went into this book results in a standard that will be incredibly hard to beat. Even though this is a serious work in natural history I certainly WOULD recommend this as a gift for a younger child, because they would be thrilled with the photographs all by themselves. Fun to read, this book is primarily a book of nature photography. And Oh, what photographs... the book would be worth every penny just for the photos of these small animals. If nothing else have your local library obtain this book.