Y Books

This book inspires me to be a better person. Cheers to Greg and David for writing something totally worth reading. Cheers to Greg and all of his pals who have lived this truly inspiring story. Bravo!

As a voracious reader I have read the masterworks of many literary greats and been engulfed, if not transported, by the prowess of equally great, though not necessarily noteworthy, authors and storytellers. Three Cups of Tea is unequivocally the best story I've ever read (could be that this is where my head is these days). Beautifully written, it's one man's tale of a failed attempt to summit the most razorous of Himalayan peaks and how that failure lead to his benevolent efforts and selfless success as humanitarian. Greg Mortensen, Director of the Central Asia Institute established stateside, is a real American hero. His mission is to combat poverty and subjugation with education - "books not bombs". CAI has built over 50 schools, particularly for girls, in the most rugged and sequestered terrain of Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan in the last 15 years. The alliances he's forged and relationships he's built with the most unlikely cast of characters is a real testament to Greg's passion for his work and a genuine belief in the fundamental and universal human need for self-reliance.

I found this book on the bottom shelf in a bookstore at the Albequerque Airport and I hadn't read ANYTHING about it beforehand but only now have seen other Amazon reviews. I am a teacher at a school in a suburb and have recently seen a major decline in the educational values of students and parents in our district which not only saddens me, but scares me as well - especially when I realize that these kids will grow up to be adults in our society. I commend "Dr. Greg" for his passion in educating the children in these remote areas. My hope for all who read this book is that they would become more aware of the ramifications of uneducated people in their own community as well as around the world.

There is very few books that can move you like Three Cups of Tea. This book also educates us...

I thought it was an excellent book. It gave me incredible insights into the countries of Pakistan and Afganistan. Greg Mortenson is promoting education for all children, especially girls. Hopefully this will lead to less terrorism in the world. I recommend this book to everyone.

I bought this book as a gift for my 16yr old niece. The very next day, she told me how much she loved the book. She even cried reading it. I think it's nice to find reading materials that can move the minds and feelings of teenagers.

I skimmed through the book before I gave it to my granddaughter who just turned 13. I thought it had some well written stories that a teenager can relate to and a lot of food for thought. She was so happy to get it, since she had the one for pre-teens also and really liked it.

Once again, "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books has a hit. This is a wonderful gift for young teens with its easy read of short stories on pertinent topics and experiences teens face. Teens I have given it to as a gift have loved it and purchased the next in the teen series. Also a source of good talking points for those anxiety ridden moments or social issues teens face.

I am a teacher in two high schools and I like to read the stories of the book to my students from time to time to inspirate them and reinforce their teenage self esteem! I suggest it to all teacher to make the same with a nice calm background music.

I recomend that you read this book because its stories are touching, sad, heart warming, and pretty much every other emotion you can feel. You can learn a lot about different in life, and how people got through them. :p
zoe r.
lanier ms

What a story! What a writer! I could not put this book down. Colin Channer is a talent. I cannot wait to read his next adventure.

The book was well written, great humor and very relatable for anyone who has ever been in love or would like to be. The only thing is that the cover does not give the book any justice. At first glance you would think its one of those trashy romance novels, however its about more than romance, its about true love and the romance behind it.

This novel was a soulful journey. It connects with the reality of relationships and with all of its struggles and triumph. I was drawn into the characters from the opening page. He tells this tale with a poetic spin. His words unfold beautifully and each character takes on a life of its own. I think readers will find a little bit of themselves in this book. I loved it!

This book is a beautiful experience. It is one of the most passionate and real books that I have ever read. I couldn't put it down and I wish that it was longer. The emotions of the characters are so strong that they leap off of the page. This book makes you want to go out and fall in love and hope that you experience half the passion and true love that these characters experience.

Colin Channer to me is like a modern day Picasso with a pen. His dialogue is compelling, soul-stirring and purposeful and his characters are engaging. You can almost close your eyes and imagine yourself seeing the story unfold as if you were a fly on the wall at a gallery in New York, a beach house in Jamaica, or the Streets of London. This is the mark of a truly great storyteller.

Our main character, Fire, is a "simple" man with a "complex" life. By simple I mean he wants what any sane person would want, a circle of good life-long friends, a fulfilling life, and someone emotionally and physically available to share it all with. So, when he meets Sylvia, he feels like he has found the one. What he doesn't know is that Sylvia, an engaged magazine editor, is all but disengaged from her own true desires for her life. Soon we see that complications abound, and the journey they take throughout the story takes the reader on a cross-continental journey in search of introspection, true meaning and, possibly, true love.

An interesting point is that Channer's characters are written from their souls - what drives them to do the things they do is less about their gender than their emotions and their pasts. With such a multi-faceted story, several layers of conflict, we still get a crystal clear picture and understanding as to why things unfold teh way they do. It is a believable, gripping, page turner, and Channer conveys it effortlessly.

Waiting in Vain, simply put, was one of the two best books I have read in a long time. The other was Satisfy My Soul (also by Colin Channer). As an aspiring writer, I wish my prose was as naturally beautiful as Mr. Channer's. Until it is, I will keep devouring his work in hopes that some of his literary poeticism rubs off.

I bought this book for one of my children for a summer reading project. I needed a specific version and was glad I could search Amazon by ISBN. The book arrived quickly and the price was reasonable. I'm sure other family members will enjoy the book when the projcet is complete.

except for the Bible, this is the best.
It is the full and undiluted version from the first english translation.
read it, learn it,live it.
j

Although the story is well known to me, the editing of this audio book was so confusing. I absolutely could not follow it. Too much is cut out.

Story has good twists, but there are too many French places and people which makes the audio confusing.

The book is excelent reading but please get a different version.
This version only has 580 or so pages where as other versions have over 1,300 pages. That means that this version is only half the story.
So much gets lost in translation already don't cheat yourself even more.

I could not put this book down! It made my cry a couple of times but it does have a happy ending.

It really sucks when you have to struggle and this poor woman was sick and couln't help what she had to do. But they way children are treated in orphanages and foster homes are outrageous. People wake up these children just need love and compassion.

Since I first read this book over 15 years ago I've read the book over 10 times. I read it three times the first year. I felt it was an amazing story, very touching, and able to tug at me each time I read it. The strength and courage that the author had was amazing.

I just finished this book--what an emotional ride. I was worried it was a story about parents who actually put their child in a cage. But it is not about parents abusing children; more about a child's survival, love, and connection, all while living in a harsh and deadening world.

If you are going to read this book, be ready for it to open your heart, bring about deep-seated emotions, and be impossible to put down.

I could not put this book down once I started reading it. From page one it drew me in and took a hold of me in this young mans life and his family's ordeals. I never have felt more grateful for my own upbringing since having lived through Jennings eyes. He only had his "doggy" and that was his only escape from the cruel world around him. After I was done reading the book I was so offended by orphanages and the way the treated children I wanted to find out where he was at, who were the nuns who hurt him, I was angry and really wanted revenge for him. I think we all need to open our eyes to the system and help these children out and make sure this abuse does not happen these children belong to all of us and do not deserve this, they all deserve a better place with some family. Jennings deserved a home with a real doggy from the start and I ached for him.

Been reading Last Days of Summer for a couple of months now. Don't use a bookmark in order to lose my place every time I pick it up. I don't want to finish it! It's that good and I'm going to miss it like a great old friend, when it's read.

Oddly enough, the rereading works pretty well. "Last Days" is filled with so much humor, charm, silliness and stats that I find new life in every old chapter I misread - although misread is the wrong word. I do it on purpose.

It's about baseball. It's about the 40s, Broadway with Merman, coming of age in Brooklyn, Hollywood pin-ups, coping with bullies, FDR and Eleanor, The Green Hornet, The Shadow, Reese and Di Magio, and resistance to blending concurrent American cultures. But, mostly, it's about baseball, serving as father-figure for growth.

I still don't know where fantasy ends and reality begins here - or how it`s combined. But, that's why I won't finish. I don't want the world that's been created for me to be explained just yet. For now, I just want to continue living here for as long as I can.

Mr. Kluger, thank you! And MKA, thank you for finding it for me.

This is one of my favorite books. I usually don't read a book more than once, but I've read this one a couple of times. I recommend it highly.

I can not remember when I enjoyed reading a book so much. I probably should not have been reading it while working out at the gym. I was getting some very odd looks as I laughed aloud.

The book takes place from 1940-42, formative years in the life of Joey Margolis, an extremely precocious 12 year old Jewish boy growing up in Brooklyn. He is a prolific letter writer and an even more prolific schemer and wiseacre. Joey decides that he is going to get the NY Giants' new third baseman and phenom, Charlie Banks, to take him on a road trip and the scheming letters begin. The entire book is in the form of letters to and from the characters - including FDR and his press secretary. Eventually Banks becomes something of a big brother to the boy and the wisdom that is interchanged in the letters between the 24 year old and 12 year old is priceless. Joey even gets the young Protestant star to stand in for his father at his Bar Mitzvah!

This is not the typical book about being Jewish in Brooklyn in the 40's. Those are merely props to the story and in the relationship. It is about a wonderful relationship. What starts as pure hilarity becomes poignant. Most amazingly, the poignancy does not diminish the hilarity and laughter will continue until the last few pages. Although the ending is a bit predictable, it could not have ended any other way.

Once you pick this book up, you will have a hard time putting it down. It will carry you laughing all the way until... Highly recommended. Sometimes you just have to wonder why a book is not a bestseller.

What a gem! This is a wonderful look at another time, yet has something to say to everyone, full of life, humor, true glimpses into human nature, and a poignant and hope-filled ending. It is a very fast read, thanks to its humor and its invnetive use of correspondence to tell the story. A perfect little book for a plane or train ride, reading at the beach, or whiling away evenings before sleep.

I picked this one up after reading another title by the same author. I don't have anything to add to what's already been said about this amazing novel--except that when I was about 20 pages into it, I went out and bought a second copy for my 15-year-old so that we could read it together. It's just that kind of book.

I was given this book to read by a friend at my church, and I reluctantly took it because I am not a huge reader. After the first chapter, I was hooked and couldn't put it down! There is a lot of good instruction, and the part I like most is Jim Cymbala backs up the instruction with real-life experiences and results. Granted, not all results will be similar to his, but he shows the foundation on which to build your life. I highly recommend this book (I bought one for my father, brother, and father-in-law).

You can't not believe this man. It is not the most impressive thing that he built up a huge Church starting with about 10 people in a dangerous area of New York.
It is not the most impressive thing that his wife, who has no training in music, helped to write, guide and direct, songs for one of the world's most loved groups, i.e. The Brooklyn Tablernacle Choir. What is a most impressive to me is that they have stayed right where they started about 25 years ago, continuing to be instrumental in thousands of changed lives of former drug addicts and pushers, prostitutes and pimps, gangs and gangsters, gays and lesbians in what is - except by the grace of the Holy Spirit - still in a dangerous area and with quite a few potentially very dangerous parishioners. People feel embraced by YHWH's welcoming Love in Cymbala's Church. And I believe it is His Love that protects them and moves them all.

With that background I knew I wanted to hear what this man has to say.
I wasn't disappointed. The message is simple as he would say himself:
Prayer, and lots of it, first. Everything else later.

Someone said, "Prayer is not preparation for the work. Prayer IS the work." Cymbala agrees.

One of the more inspiring books I've ever read. It makes you want to meet with Christ and see the power of what He can do. Read if you want to be humbled and empowered.

A few years ago, I wasn't just asked, I was TOLD to read a book called "Breakthrough Prayer," by Jim Cymbala. It didn't look like a brilliant title. But "Breakthrough Prayer" was simply amazing! Since then I've read "Fresh Power," and this book has simply been waiting on my shelf for me to pick it up. I finally did, and it is pretty awesome as well. Jim Cymbala is the pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and through the power of prayer, some awesome things have happened.

It had to start with a leap of faith. Asked by his father-in-law (and won't we do ANYTHING for the in-laws!?) was a question. Would Jim preach four Sunday nights at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, where things had hit an all-time low? Hmm! What would you do? Jim took a leap of faith. And there were times where he felt like quitting. But through it all, and still today, he is the witness of modern day miracles on the meanest streets.

Now, "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" is considered a classic by some people. And not because it talks all about Jim, his wife, Carol, and what He did. This is about an awesome God who broke through, just like He did in the days of Moses, Elijah, David, the days we seem to think are over. He tells stories of people like Charles Finney, D.L. Moody, men without a college education, who stormed the gates for Jesus Christ!

Stepping out in faith, and trusting is all God asks us to do. Jim Cymbala did just that. He illustrates the power of prayer. And time after time, you don't see Superman tales. You see ordinary people in the service of an extraordinary God. That's what makes this special. God writes the story, and we live it out! That's awesome!!!

Cymbala's book more than anything is a call to prayer and earnest seeking of God. As a young man in the early 1970s he began pastoring the fledgling Brooklyn Tabernacle having had no formal training. Through his own brokenness and seeking God, he came to understand that God would bless the ministry and continue to bring people for them to minister to and introduce to Jesus if they would truly seek Him and not rely on their own devices or abilities.

As a result, the Tabernacle saw a great deal of growth and tremendous Christian ministry opportunities were opened to reach out to the people of Brooklyn and New York City as a whole. From the very beginning they made the cornerstone of their church the Tuesday evening prayer service during which they called to God and sought Him. Many extraordinary events occurred as a result and continue to happen today.

People who were once very closed towards Jesus come to true repentance and a real relationship with Him through this ministry. The Tuesday evening prayer ministry is so important that Cymbala will not accept speaking engagements if they keep him away from the prayer meeting more than one prayer meeting at in a row.
As a result of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and direct them through seeking Him in prayer, they see lots of really cool stuff that could in no way be scripted.

Prayer is also an integral part of their Grammy award winning choir ministry with the weekly rehearsal incorporating at least 30 minutes of prayer to the practice.

Far from being a feel good type of book, Cymbala challenges the reader and today's churches to truly come before God and passionately seek Him in prayer and study of the Bible. He mentions various trends and how some churches try to cater to popular culture and make things cool and hip and while those things aren't bad in and of themselves, he emphasizes that it is a mistake to promote these flashy programs and neglect the ministry of prayer. Contrastingly, he points to the early church "These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer..." Acts 1:14 When believers and the church is in constant communion with God, He tends to work more actively and mightily.

I highly recommend this book as a reminder on the importance of prayer as well as a good high level overview of the history of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

I bought this for someone at a time when they were seriously contemplating suicide. This person had basically shut down. It was like nothing was getting through anymore. The Blue Day Book made him genuinely smile. That meant everything in the world to me. I knew he was still in there somewhere. It is now several years later and he is doing well (in case you're wondering). And maybe the book didn't save his life, I mean I can only attribute that to God. But the book is the first thing that was able to shine a light into his endless darkness. I guess it goes without saying that I HIGHLY recommend this wonderful little book.

The Blue Day Book is the ultimate coffee table book. It always lightens my days when I'm feeling down. The pictures are well matched to the sayings.

One has a picture that is a little racy. And the Hallmark version has that picture substituted. The pictures are funny and worth a laugh, but this is definitely for adults. There is a children's version that is equally funny.The Blue Day Book for Kids: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up

Bradley captures every emotion and feeling and soothes the reader. The photos help us along as well. After purchasing this book and "A Teaspoon of Courage" I read them and sent copies to my sister.

If you've got photographer friends, this book will be an inspiration for them. But the black and white photos also provide a great pick-me-up for anyone you know who's down in the dumps.

The volume describes myriad ways in which we all may feel under the weather sometimes--all of them illustrated with fetching postures and facial expressions of a large group from the animal kingdom--polar bears, pigs, lambs, monkeys, mice, dogs, kittens, lions, hippos, camels, sea lions, penguins, pelicans, even an anteater--and so on.

But the bottom line is that life goes on--and that people are "only young once...and never old twice." In other words, pick yourself up and enjoy life to its fullest, despite your blues, while you can.

Fabulous.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

This book is an incredible story of survival. I have seen the movie also. I would recommend both!

One of those amazing stories that makes you realize just how much the human spirit can take, and still survive. And just how inhumane we humans can be towards each other. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put this down.

Szpilman reveals the tragedy of Jewish life in Warsaw under the German occupation from 1939-1946. Szpilman's autobiographical work was first published in postwar Poland in 1946 but then quickly removed from circulation by Polish authorities. An accomplished pianist before the war, Szpilman played for Polish Radio during the siege of Warsaw and later within the Jewish ghetto to provide food for his parents and siblings. With the systematic liquidation of Jewish life in Warsaw and separation from his family, Szpilman's life took a series of surprising twists. As the reader views life in the ghetto through the eyes of a survivor, his escape from the ghetto before the Jewish up-rising and his ultimate survival consistently depended upon a timely combination of luck and sympathetic acquaintances B including a German army officer.

Included with Szpilman's memoirs are excerpts from Captain Wilm Hosenfeld's diaries and Wolf Biermann's own brief commentary. Hosenfeld's equating of National Socialism with Stalinist Communist and Biermann's emphasis on Szpilman's willingness to break with his past detracts from the overall quality of this work. Nevertheless, this work is well written and will retain the reader's attention to the end.

I could not put down this book, and read it in two sittings. Wladyslaw Szpilman, the famed pianist and composer, describes his harrowing account of life under Nazi terror. As a Polish Jew, Szpilman was considered by the Nazis to be entirely subhuman, and it is a miracle he survived the persistent and random acts of violence that surrounded him. He was nearly sent to a death camp along with his five family members, and somehow was pulled off the Birkenau-bound train to a grim prospect of survival. The images in this book are harrowing, such as the depiction of the shattered skulls of little girls, victims of the Nazis' "preferred" method of killing children by picking them up by their legs and swinging them into a brick wall. Imagine the horror....Szpilman's account is so matter-of-fact at times that you wonder how he survived. The fact that he did is a testament of human endurance, but also the ways of fate. There were occasions when he survived simply by the luck of the draw in a Godless universe.

Why do I consider a first person account detailing the horrors of the Holocaust to be uplifting? The events described by the author are harrowing and nearly unbelieveable to the degree that I was astonished that the man, in the end, survives. Perhaps that is why I am so uplifted by this story. He survived. He defied evil by daring to live. He also dared to pick up the pieces of his shattered life and continue to live. He does this without any fanfare or obvious heroism. I think that is what makes this particular telling of the Holocaust so remarkable. The author writes it in such an unremarkable fashion that it forces you to sit up and take notice. By simply stating that the caramel was his 'family's last meal together' makes you pause to reflect on such an event. Beautifully written. Highly reccommended.

As a side note, Roman Polanski's adaptation of this book is truely brilliant. Adrien Brody's portrayal of Szpilman is awe inspiring and heart wrenching to watch. Both men do the book and Szpilman's memory justice.

I nearly fell asleep while reading this book. It only gets more than 1 star from me because of the somewhat predictable plot twist at the end.

This book is the first chapter book to interest my six year old. The characters, five sisters, each have their own personalities which are drawn in detail and carried through all of their adventures. The stories are sweet, focusing on everyday life in a poor jewish family at the turn of the century in New York (on the lower east side). The traditions will be familiar to an educated jewish reader but the setting just diferent enough to make it interesting. My daughter demands it every night and now cant sleep without her nightly dose of "naughty Henny and her sisters."

This book is just as entertaining as it was when I read it as a child! The book arrived quickly, in fantastic condition. Thanks!

Sydney Taylor's classic book for middle readers is set in the Lower East Side of New York City and depicts the life of a traditional Jewish family in the early 20th century. All-of-A-Kind Family is the first in a series of novels about the lively family and is a sweet, charming read. The story takes the reader through most of year and involves not just the family but their friends and acquaintances, too. The book opens with a chapter about going to the library, and the children's librarian (or "library lady," as the girls like to call her) is a gentle, recurring presence. The children's adventures include a trip to the market, scarlet fever and an outing to Coney Island, where one of the girls gets temporarily, and happily, lost. Meanwhile the story meanders through a year of Jewish holidays and teaches the reader a little about each one. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Shabbat and how Taylor contrasts the hubbub of shopping and preparations with the simple serenity of the day itself. The family relationships struck me as very true and believable- for example, Papa's ambivalence regarding the present the girls get for his birthday and his quick turnaround struck me as realistic and human. I can imagine any parent reacting the way he did initially and then rallying in the end. I appreciate Taylor's honesty about her characters throughout the book, too. It's a great book for anyone and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and sharing in the further adventures of this fun, busy family.

All-of-a-Kind Family was a turning point in the history of Judaic children's literature - the first mainstream book with Jewish characters! In memory of author Sydney Taylor, the Association of Jewish Libraries gives out the Sydney Taylor Book Award each year to the best in Judaic children's literature. See lists of winners at www.sydneytaylorbookaward.org.

Also, you can hear an interview with Jo Taylor Marshall, the daughter of Sydney Taylor, on The Book of Life podcast's October 2007 episode "Catch Me a Classic!" Jo shares memories of the real people who became the characters in the series. Tune in at www.bookoflifepodcast.com!