L Books

Unicorn girl is a delightful tale of a young woman with a nice family, who struggles to understand the past--including the death of her mother--and her future. An illness changed Leah on the inside almost more than the outside. Leah lives in a world hedged by magic and is unafraid to explore, to travel, and to find answers.

M. L. LeGette has a great sense of mythology and how that operates within culture and society. She has done a fabulous job working the folklore of unicorns into the story of Leah and her family. I read this book over a weekend while off on a business trip; what a joy--great escapism and heartfelt fantasy. I recommend this to all fantasy lovers: those who like Chrestomanci, Eragon, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and such, with love Unicorn Girl.

The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 1: Charmed Life / The Lives of Christopher Chant

Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Boxed Set): The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda's Secret; The Ironwood Tree; The Wrath of Mulgrath

this book is a magical adventure that none can resist. you start with a simple girl who lives the common life of a upper class child growin up in olden times and end up on an adventure with the twists and turns to keep you guessing. life comes bursting out at you from every page. Her feelings and emotions touch you, its like you're the one there going through every step by her side. And who wouldn't want to be, with elves and witches and knights as well of course unicorns. So many fantastical creatures and a world of fantasy where anything is possible.

This book is a must read. Unless AWESOME isn't your cup of tea.

I like a book with some combination of unicorns, horses, and a heroine with powers that set her apart. The Unicorn Girl has all three--it's page-turning fantasy with the works, only better. What makes this book so different and so very, very good is the haunting story of how the heroine grows irreversibly into her powers. Leah's illness and her transformation through it into a strange, adult beauty change everything, even her place in her own family. Deeply intelligent, moving--and I couldn't put it down.

This book is fun, imaginative, and hard-to-put-down. M.L. LeGette does a great job drawing you into the story more and more as the novel develops. The elements of magic and fantasy are wonderful and the story of a young girl growing into herself becomes a haunting journey of self-discovery as the protagonist is physically and emotionally transformed by her mysterious illness. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of fantasy and good coming-of-age stories!

I loved reading The Unicorn Girl! I was entertained, excited and charmed--my husband's reading it now, and we can't wait to give it as gifts to a few of our young adult friends. Not only am I certain they'll enjoy the intricate plot and endearing characters, but I also feel good about giving a book that communicates such a positive message about the "growing pains" that many young women experience. It's inspiring to read about how Leah deals with the magical events and strange adventures that challenge her sense of self throughout the novel: through it all, she's a character to both identify with and admire. I'd recommend The Unicorn Girl to anyone--if you're getting it for a young friend, you'd be missing out if you didn't read it first!

Terry Wise tells the story of her husband's illness and her grief and downward spiral into depression following his death through the lens of therapy. She shares not only her innermost fears but her exploration of them in an honest and insightful manner. Working through grief is exactly that-work- and Terry shows us just how hard this work can be. Terry's courageous story includes her therapist, whose tenacity permitted Terry to face and work toward conquering her demons. Waking Up is a glorious account of the therapeutic process and the determination of the human spirit to survive.

This was a *profound* book written with brutal honesty. Ms. Wise doesn't just captivate you from the first page... she holds you by the gut and pulls you into her life (and death) experience. There is nothing flowery about this book. It takes you right into the heart of her grief and pain... and more, it shows vividly how this downward spiral is such a slippery slope.

I was greatly inspired by Ms. Wise's struggle to hold on and her Therapist's indominatable quest to help her find the root of her devastation. "Cali" is a therapist who defies tradition and dares greatly. She *cares* about her patients.

But above and beyond all of this, I found myself in awe (and I don't use that word lightly) of Ms. Wise's bravery in writing this book. She opened up her very soul for her readers to see... knowing that others may judge or comment or misunderstand... she decided to do this with the hopes that it would make a difference for others.

Well, in this reader's case, she succeeded. Thank you, Ms. Wise.

Sad, shocking, gut-wrenching and immensely readable. It's high time we consider suicide and depression as the serious public health issues they are -- and not as taboo topics or "out of bounds" matters of privacy. Ms. Wise's story shows us the importance of breaking down the cultural/societal barriers to open and frank discourse. Her message is equally valuable to professionals laypeople alike: Look for the warning signs (which she outlines) among patients, friends and/or family and be assertive in stepping in to help.

Well-told story of a woman's journey back to sanity from the terribly place of depression. We can forget that we only think one thought at a time, and we can choose which thought we wish to think. When we remember it, just small changes of thought and consequent behavior can turn our lives entirely around. Bravo Ms. Wise.
A. B. Curtiss author of Depression is a Choice.

My dear Terry,
I had the privilege of meeting you during your CMI presentation in Phoenix AZ this past April 4, 2005. I bought a copy of your book that day, and how I wish I would have read it before I met you -- because then I could have told you in person what I thought of it. "Waking Up" is without a doubt one of the most powerful personal accounts of therapy I've ever read. I am astounded at the honesty in your writing, and at the courage it must have taken for you to decide to get it published. What is more astounding is that I don't think you realize what a gift you've given to the world. I wish every student learning to be a therapist would read your book, and every person who's ever been depressed or contemplated suicide, and everyone who's ever been thrust into the role of care giver, and every hospice worker and bereavement counselor who is companioning the bereaved -- and everyone who just wants to read a terrific book. I want you to know that I've told all my hospice colleagues about you, I've added your book to my list of recommended readings on the Articles and Books page of my Grief Healing Web site, and I will do everything in my power to help you spread your important, uplifting, life-saving message. I am honored to have met you, and I wish for you what you are giving to all the rest of us: nothing but the best.
With love and admiration,
Marty Tousley, APRN, BC, CT
Bereavement Counselor
Grief Healing Web site: www.griefhealing.com
Grief Healing Discussion Groups: www.hovforum.ipbhost.com

Heidi has compiled a masterpiece. While I have led a very successful career, I often had questions regarding my wealth and how to use it responsibly. This book gives very clear, concise advice on how life should be lived and I will make sure my two sons will read this book before they graduate from school. Thank you Heidi.

I found Heidi's book excellent. All the chapters were informative and gave outstanding advice. Accumulating wealth is half the battle - having wealth help you to live a happy and contented life is the other half. I will definitely be using the advice within the book and will recommend this book to all my friends.

This book contains some interesting articles about wealth management, but it's nothing I haven't read in magazines and newspapers. Also, a lot of the advice in the book is more relevant to high net worth individuals (people who are likely to be Neuberger Berman's clients) than for ordinary Joes like myself. Try to borrow it from the library - this is definitely not a keeper.

Preserve the assets you have and keep them growing in value. Make sure your wealth adds to your happines and fulfillment in life. Don't allow your wealth to overwhelm you emotionally and psychologically. This book will assist you in keeping your money a positive factor in your and your family's lives.

I'm a big reader of business and personal finance books. Wealthy & Wise fills a niche that no other one book I've seen does. It covers a lot but in a way that's not overwhelming. I liked the idea that each section is written by a specialist in that field since no one can be an expert on all these subjects.

A few of the chapter subjects were beyond my means (though voyeuristically I enjoyed reading some of the advice for the super rich), but the overarching message is advice we should all take to heart - Manage your wealth; don't let it manage you. This isn't a book of corny aphorisms, it's full of practical, useful advice to make your money make you happier and let it add to, not get in the way of, your relationships.

Diana L. Guerrero has a heart & soul that loves & that understands animals. I wish my kitty, Michel, could meet her. He is a friendly boy!
When I take my riding lessons my concern is about being a good rider but also making sure I don't hurt the horses.
This is a wonderful read. My cousin gave it to me on Christmas. By the day after New Years it was finished because I couldn't put it down except to visit with friends over the holidays.
In a way Michel has met Ms. Guerrero through me after reading her lovely book which reflects her beautiful soul.

A beautifully written glimpse into the psyche of both humans and animals. As a writer I enjoyed Ms Guerrero's descriptions of her personal interactions with both tame and wild animals and felt very much a part of her adventures. Prior to reading Diana's book I thought I knew my buddy, a 100lb Akita, very well. Now I not only notice my dog's subtle clues but have a greater understanding of their meaning. This is a "must read" for all lovers of the spiritual messages of nature.
Robena June Schaerf, author of Granton Manor and Morgan's Ridge

Don't think that Diana Guerrero advocates a new spiritual fad in advocating that we humans emulate animals. Aesop knew you can't be a human in dog's clothing. Guerrero asks us to stop, turn off the computer, TV, cell phone, and most of all our mental noise, and get attuned to the fundamentals through our animal teachers. She strikes the right balance between addressing humans' shortcomings and addressing the positive and negative qualities of animals. Authoritative, with intelligent discourse on nature, zoology, animal and human behavior, and religious teachings, this book is a great addition to your library as you search for higher meaning.

This book truly touched me! I'm a real softy when it comes to animals, but until I read this book I had not thought of them as "teachers".

A professional animal trainer, Diana L. Guerrero shares how she has learned as much from the animals as they have learned from her. In many ways, animals are far more noble than humans, and Guerrero illustrates this point time and again.

Read. Learn. And most importantly: Enjoy!!

Diana Guerror brings us a lovely introduction to many of the ways in which animals can heighten our awareness of our own caring, moral, healing and spiritual qualities. She illustrates these through specific animal examples:

Loyalty - dogs
Playfulness - otters
Power - bears
Heart - lions
Survival - wolves
Vision - eagles
Mind - dolphins
Wisdom - owls

This book is a good invitation to reflections on how we can be more mindful of many of these qualities in our lives, and how we can extend our investments in healing - ourselves and others - beyond our own species. It can serve as a good introduction to spiritual dimensions as well, particularly for those who might not be open yet to the broader dimensions of psychic animal and spirit communications.

Wow, by far one of the best books that I have ever read. I usually do not like history because I prefer to be more proactive and immersed in today's world. But the clarity on our society's current situation that this book gives by examining the roots of the movement to capitalism is incredible and was so worth my time that I had to take a week's vacation off work in order to make sure that I could focus to read this. The writing conveys only one thing - complete clarity into the world today. It is an incredible opus; I loved it.

There is no easy answer to the challenges we humans face in organizing and creating a shared activity to enable the greatest overall productivity and happiness. The evolution of humanity during the early Renaissance years provides the explanation for where and why we are organized in this way today. Understanding this time in this way (through the lens of the economics of that time period) gives a much greater appreciation for the world today that we have constructed. The most core problems of humanity - social mobility, equitable distribution of resources, stability, and collective cooperation, have never (and may never) become solvable. This book explains these dynamics so eloquently that I wish I had time to read it again and again - much like a great adventure novel that as a kid you just wished would never end and felt a real loss once it did and you had to re-emerge into the real world around you.

Braudel is phenomenal in his depth of understanding about how society of the 15-18th centuries operated. I can't recommend it more highly.

In The Wheels of Commerce, Fernand Braudel deftly blended history and economics with the result that neither suffers. His goal in this book, the second volume in his Civilization and Capitalism, 15th-18th Century, was "to analyse the machinery of exchange as a whole, from primitive barter up to and including the most sophisticated capitalism" (21). In the process of examining this machinery of exchange, Braudel also proposed an ambitious thesis concerning the origins of capitalism. The book itself is a monumental work, an impressive combination of statistical analyses and illustrations from primary sources.

Braudel's first two chapters, "The Instruments of Exchange" and "Markets and the Economy," investigated the role of circulation. In chapter one, he concentrated on the mechanisms by which goods (and money) were traded. Braudel explained that markets and shops were at the bottom of the world of commerce. Markets took place once or twice a week, and shops were open everyday. Fairs, the wholesale markets, were on the higher level. Participants traded large amounts of goods and settled their accounts at the end. Braudel pointed out the importance of fairs in the development of capitalism: "The fair itself created credit" (91). If one merchant had a negative trade balance with another merchant, he would either offer a bill of exchange (a promise of payment on another exchange) or defer payment with interest until another fair. Additionally, these bills of exchange could be sold to a third party if necessary, introducing speculation. The trading mechanisms of the fair were eventually consolidated into the large exchanges of cities like Amsterdam and London, and eventually these exchanges grew into the stock markets. Chapter two investigated the manner in which merchants engaged in trade. Braudel stressed the importance of trading circuits and the use of paper (especially in the form of bills of exchange) for profitability. One of the key ideas in this chapter is the role of distance on price. Price was not set solely by supply and demand, but was also affected by the distance the product had to travel. His insight into system was helpful. "Any capitalist market has a series of links in a chain, and somewhere near the middle there is a point higher and more remunerative than the rest" (193).

The next two chapters, "Capitalism Away from Home" and "Capitalism on Home Ground," dealt primarily with issues regarding production. Chapter three dealt with what could be considered the lower world of production. One of the key issues that Braudel explicated was the role of fixed and circulating capital. The fixed capital that was invested in production was tied up in equipment and other items, while the circulating capital was more liquid and included wages. Braudel also investigated the role of land in production and capitalism, noting: "The great landowner was not a capitalist, but he was a tool and a collaborator in the service of capitalism" (271). He also focused on the peculiarities of production in these pre-industrial years. In chapter four, Braudel investigated the higher world of production. His explanation of the development of banking practices, which would fund production, was illuminating, as was his discussion on the development of companies from private family business to joint stock companies.

Though the book focused on capitalism's development in Europe, Braudel integrated discussions on other geographical locales as well. Braudel did not present Europe as arriving at its capitalist system in a vacuum. He noted the role that other cultures had in aiding the formation of the European model, not just through trade, but also through Europe's adoption of foreign innovation. However, Braudel surprisingly downplayed the importance of double-entry book-keeping to the emergence of capitalism. He asserted that the practice did not spread quickly and was not universally adopted, giving notable examples (574).
Even though successful merchants were found all over the world during this time period (especially in Islamic lands that provided them with a favorable status), full-blown capitalism developed first in Europe. Braudel attempted to provide an explanation as to why this was the case. His thesis regarding this matter is the raison d'ýtre of the book. Braudel believed that three conditions were necessary for the emergence of capitalism. The first was a "vigorous and expanding market economy" (600). Braudel noted that many regions fulfilled this qualification. The second necessity, which hindered many prime candidates, was a strong hierarchy was necessary. This hierarchy encouraged the accumulation of wealth. Landed positions were not hereditary in India, China, and Islamic lands making the nobility's position precarious and the accumulation of wealth difficult. Braudel only mentioned two areas that fulfilled these first two necessities: Europe and Japan. However, Japan closed herself off to world trade, the third necessity. Braudel noted, "Long-distance trading ... was the only doorway to a superior profit level" (601). Braudel's case is a compelling one that must be addressed by anyone investigating this topic.

The Wheels of Commerce is immense, but immensely readable. Braudel portrayed for his reader a heady, exciting Europe, one in which the prime goal was to spend money faster than it could be made. However, even during his descriptions of the dizzying pace at which money was circulated, Braudel did not lose sight of his objective. His scope was large, but he remained precise in both style and purpose, obviating the befuddlement of the layperson (which I confess to being). The book is a balanced work, exhibiting a variety of historical methods. Braudel made extensive use of statistics and mathematical models (the book contains a plethora of charts and tables), but he also included numerous narratives regarding business practices of the time (demonstrating an astonishing knowledge of the primary sources). Because of the attention with which he supported his claims, historians of all stripes can admire this book.

Finally, the student of economic history should not overlook one of the finer aspects of The Wheels of Commerce. This book contains over 120 excellent illustrations from the 15th-18th centuries. The pictures, which vary from woodblock prints to oil paintings, depict the lives of those involved in commerce at the time. Not only do the abundant illustrations make this book a more attractive read, but also they provide the book with a certain level of completeness, giving the reader more tools by which he or she can comprehend the emergence of capitalism in Europe

In the first volume of this series, Braudel sets the stage for life and commerce in the period under discussion. Volume two of Civilization and Capitalism really gets the ball rolling. Or as much as anything ever gets rolling in a Braudel book.

This is fascinating stuff. But it is not easy going. The language is straight forward, but Braudel wanders around his subject, giving us mountains of specifics and following various side currents to their ends. The basic point of the volume is to outline, first, the difference between the market and capitalism, and then to trace the creation of capitalism in the markets centers of Europe between the 15th and 18th centuries.

Unlike many historian of this period, Braudel is more concerned with the world of finance than the world of production, which I find fascinating and innovative. If you care to know how the financiers of Amsterdam dealt with getting a ship in the ocean and bound for America or India, this is the place to look.

While not being an economic determinist, economics is at the center Braudel's work. Unlike many other economic historians, Braudel does take the time to deal with how culture (there a section on fashion in the first volume!) religion and other factors play into the shaping of an economic and social system. This makes for a deeply convincing argument when he demolishes Weber's idea of the protestant work ethic, but is less informed or convincing (and sometimes borderline racist) when he is dealing with non-western cultures.

I appreciate that Braudel didn't assume that by "civilization and capitalism" one can only mean Western Europe, but his sections on the rest of the world I found lacking. They did not have the erudition he exhibits when taking about Western Europe.

I found the book fascinating, but I think Braudel could have done with some editing. This book is not going to lay out point by point the creation of capitalism for you. You'll need to discover the steps through the examples Braudel gives. It's riveting if you're an econ and history nerd, but complicated and meandering work, which could have used a co-author (or a better team of research assistants) to handle the non western areas he covers and a editor to tease out the string of the creation of capitalism that subtly floats through this work.

There are various pretenders to the throne of explaining globalization, such as Thomas Friedman's recent The World Is Flat, but all such efforts seem shallow and pallid compared to the masterwork of the genre, Fernamd Braudel's trilogy Civilization & Capitalism, 15th - 18th Century (The Structures of Everyday Life (Volume 1), The Wheels of Commerce (Volume 2)
and The Perspective of the World (Volume 3)

I do not lightly suggest tackling almost 1,800 pages of reading, but there is simply no substitute (short of a master's degree) if you aspire to a true understanding of global trade's role in the social, political and economic history of our world. It is not a boring read--anything but, for Braudel's depth of research, breadth of knowledge and his appreciation for the limits of current scholarship are matchless. Where authors like Friedman incautiously grind whatever axe they set out, drawing upon work which supports their thesis, Bruadel is ever-cautious about drawing hard-and-fast conclusions from the data he has culled from archives' dusty pages.

What Braudel reveals is a world which has been disrupted by far-reaching trade for hundreds of years. Capital has flowed across the great oceans of our globe for far longer than most people realize, destroying local industries in favor of distant ones in the process. It is impossible to summarize such a rich, vast work, but reading even one of these volumes will give you a deep insight into the long history of globalization, and how entire industries and financial centers have been displaced time and again in the Arab Levant, in Asia, and in Europe. You will also come to understand the rise of European economic dominance, and how it cannot be so neatly attributed to guns, steel and germs, as appealing and powerful as Jared Diamond's thesis may be.

Braudel does not work to create over-arching explantions so much as present the archival facts he so assiduously assembled. (The books were written in the late 1970s; Braudel died in 1985 at the age of 83.) For example, he shows that prosperity, since at least the 1400s if not earlier, is inevitably found in those cities and regions where prices are highest. It is counter-intuitive at first--since shouldn't money go farther where prices are low?-- but the same is obviously true of our era. The most prosperous nations are those with the highest costs, and the poorest are those where prices are lowest.

At a minimum, this sheds light on the centuries-old exodus from rural to metropolis, and on the nature of prosperity itself. I recommend these volumes not just for their vast erudition but for the enjoyment gained from his unparalleled mastery of everyday life in distant lands and distant times. Not much has changed, it seems, except the speed of the ships and the communication between traders.

I don't even LIKE history or economics...but I love this book.

In the course of researching some historical background for an English Lit paper, I ran across two of Braudel's books -- this was one of them.

It was so fascinating that I read the entire book (even though what I needed for the paper was a few pages); and then I went ahead and bought my own copy, plus others by this author.

I rad this book 2 years ago. I found it fascinating as I always feard heights and flying (I mean, I used to sweat driving through a bridge). And I had to fly all the time for my job.
But I didn't want to post a review since the ones there were already compelling enough.
But here's my take. I am now a Private Pilot, I fly airplanes in the cockpit and I sleep when I am in the passenger seat.
It was hard, real hard. And I started the training few weeks after I finished the book.
It is a true story, as much as the book's one is fictional.
Thank you Captain Chance.

Wings of Discovery, by Captain Stacey Chance is a perfect book for anyone who has any fears about flying. This book gives you reassuring facts in the form of a entertaining story. Compared to the books about flying that just give you the facts and nothing else, Wings of Discovery adds human emotion to the facts. This book is perfect for people who want to understand how airplanes can fly, airplanes and weather conditions, and so much more. Captain Chance has given people who are afraid to fly, and also people who just want to know more about aviation, a remarkable gift! It comes highly recommended from me!

from a very anxious flyer i can only recommend this book,it covers all my worries but manages to "calm" them down and made me realise its just my mind fanning my fears!!ive now flown to lanzarote and done a fear of flying course(i thought i was nervous)some people were wrecks!this also helped immensely.im even going to paris soon ,instead of taking the bus 12hrs versus 1.5hrs on plane.Buy this book and you wont be sorry.

I read this book prior to a much-dreaded overseas flight, and found a remarkable amount of reassurance in its engrossing pages. Captain Chance not only delivers a story that revolves around some very interesting characters, but also relays easy-to-comprehend information about how flying machines actually fly -- something that many of us who have been fearful of flying were either misinformed about or did not fully understand. Thanks to this book, my last flight was a much more relaxed experience than it would otherwise have been. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has the slightest bit of trepidation about going up in a big ol' winged tube, as well as to anyone with an interest in or fascination with flying. I guarantee - you will be informed and intrigued!

Most of us have heard the saying, "There's nothing to fear, but fear itself." This rhetoric sounds good, but to actually put it to use is a completely different story. Fear can stop someone from experimenting with new activities, eating exotic foods, and traveling to foreign lands. But once you overcome the fear, you will most likely discover joy. This joy comes from the accomplishment of breaking the imaginary chains of thought which held you hostage.

Wings of Discovery helps to clip the chains of fear. The premise of the book is about overcoming the fear of flying. Although his father was a pilot, Mark succumbs to a horrendous phobia about flying. Then one day, he spots two ultralight planes having "fun" in the air. While the planes land, Mark tracks them in his car and introduces himself to the pilots. This marks the beginning of his adventure - pursing his passion, following his dream and conquering his fear.

Capt. Stacy L. Chance introduces the reader to a wealth of information about how the Federal Aviation Administration ensures the safety of aircraft. He also entertains by intermingling his vivid descriptions of the landscapes and scenery when his characters take flight. I felt as if I soared through the air, and watched as the coyote ran to keep up with the plane. For anyone really interested in learning to fly, I learned that airplane kits are available. I definitely recommend Wings of Discovery for anyone who wants to learn more about aviation, and to release any fears that hinder them from soaring to new dimensions.

Right off the bat I want to agree with the Minister in Colorado who stated that this book was more satisfying than "Purpose Driven Life". I too was somewhat disappointed by that book, although I do like it on some things.

But now this book. First, this book is more about LIFE lessons from Joseph than about Joseph's life. The Joseph story is one of my favorites, and I've read Swindoll, Getz, Anderson and others on Joseph's life. But as good as those are, they are soup and potatoes compared to this one--it's real meat!

This book could only be improved by an additional workbook. While there are study guides and questions in each chapter, this book will take you a while to appreciate. Every chapter goes through Joseph's life and teaches some of God's DEEPER truths such as effective prayer, election and free will, God's principle of a good leader, etc. The whole book could be summarized in Romans 8:28. So could Joseph's life.

So, if you want theology as milk soup, "Purpose Driven Life" is pretty good as far as it goes. If you're ready for something a little deeper--and you enjoy the life of Joseph--this book is truly awesome.

Get two copies. Keep one, and give the other to a college graduate heading out into the world. If they follow Joseph's 'road map', they'll never go wrong.

Solid!

ALSO RECOMMENDED: "God, Help Me Pray!" by the same author--not as long (or as expensive), but you won't find a better short work on praying!!

I'm a veteran teacher--21 years. I'm enjoying your book on Joseph. I was a teaching leader in Bible Study Fellowship for 7 years. Your understanding of doctrine is refreshing in a post modern culture. Thanks for spending the time to write the book. I'm giving copies to my children for Christmas.

I gave this book to a college graduate after ordering a copy for myself. When I first saw the title, I thought the book was just about the troubles Joseph had in Egypt. Though it is one of my favorite bible stories, I wasn't sure I wanted to read all about his troubles. Boy was I surprised.

The book is more about Joseph's lessons from life (and how we can use the principles) than his troubles. Because these lessons (or bible principles) are so relevant to us today, and contain nice illustrations, I thought it would make a great graduation gift.

I thought I knew the Joseph story pretty well till I read this book. Doing so made me appreciate how great Joseph really was.

Those who will get the most from the book:

1. Anyone wanting to REALLY get into the Joseph story.
2. Someone wanting 32 neatly divided and outstanding principles to live by. This is the best part!
3. Anyone who wants to teach the Joesph story. (You should not be without this book no matter what!)
4. Parents. Because the chapter 1 is almost an instruction manual itself on what NOT to do as a parent (Jacob).
5. Young people (college) who are graduating (IF they'll read it), because it truly is a handbook for life. Below college might be too young.
6. Anyone who is a leader of others. This is another chapter that's a book by itself. I gave a copy to my son's principle!

I must say that although I liked this book very much (my copy is falling apart), some chapters are deep, especially the discussion of election/free will. But the last chapter "Life in the rear-view mirror" will make you so glad you are a Christian, and the concluding 'Psalm of Joseph' is so realistic one might wish he really had written it.

ALSO RECOMMENDED: "God, Help Me Pray!" by the same author--not as long (or as expensive), but you won't find a better short work on praying!!

"...to be very up-front--I'm impressed! I outlined {for my book} nineteen priniciples that emerged from Jospeh's life...there are others in addition...which is obvious from your book. You are interested in principlizing--and do a good job at it!"

The following is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to the books author, Jerry Parks, after finishing the book, which I thankfully purchased after stumbling on to some positive reviews on Amazon:

[I just wanted to write you and thank you for your fine book on the life principles of Joseph. I stumbled on to it on Amazon and thought it sounded interesting, so I bought it. I read it once and my wife and I are now going through it together for a second time. The thing I like about it is that you kept it simple. It's very practical as a life manual using Joseph's life as an example. We read The Purpose Driven Life last year and thought it was good...but it left us wanting. I think the biggest difference for us, and why we like your book so much, is that Purpose seems to be very "me" focused. Ie: What is my place? What should I do? Who am I in Christ? There's nothing inherently wrong with that but I think new believers are the primary beneficiaries of it's narrow focus. Your book however, is full of deep truths on living a healthy, well-balanced, Christian life. Christianity is about service, and I believe you capture that by emphasizing how Joseph found his purpose, his place, his peace... in serving - God and others. We are so blessed in this society, and yet, as you articulate so well, we continually want more. Christians as a whole are not an exception. I was very blessed to read a book that wasn't just empty calories for the soul, but a good, filling, juicy steak!

One criticism I have is that there are a lot of textual errors in the book. I'm sure the computer didn't catch them in spell check. I would like to send you my copy with the textual errors highlighted so you can correct them for your next printing. I believe the book is awesome and don't want to see people distracted by the errors. I compare that to a child suddenly wailing at a critical time in a sermon. It doesn't necessarily diminish the entire value of the sermon, but it can distract from the individual point being made. Also, please let me know when you publish your new book on Romans. I bet it will be great!]

This is the first time I've ever felt compelled to write a review for Amazon, so obviously I think everyone reading it ought to take my advice and buy this inspired book. Better yet, buy three copies: One for you, one for your pastor, and one for someone who you believe God has called to a great purpose.

Wonderful picture. A great thing to add to any kids Library. I have enjoy this book with our 6 year old. She like the movie and she wanted a copy of the book. So I keep looking for the Wizard of Oz with lot of colorful picture and this one was right on.

Thanks so much

Racheal Kirkland

Before I buy any book I always read all the reviews, and go and look at them at a book store. I went and looked at all the available Wizard of Oz books. This one by far beat all the rest. The artwork is so beautiful, and it just keeps on coming, page after page, with lot's of double page spread pictures. There is a lot of detail and enchantment to the pictures. It really takes you to another place in your imagination. The stroy as everyone
already knows is a classic that every child will enjoy. I can't say enough about this book!!!!

The illustrations are beautiful and the story is condensed just enough to keep the interest of my curious 6 yr. old.

I love the Wizard of Oz books.... I just can't seem to get enough of them.... it brings your mind to a whole different world.... its great for young adults, teens, and adults.... I give it an A...

It was very hard to find the Wizard of Oz story for toddlers... it is certainly close to impossible to find it in stores! This book is beautiful and just perfect for the 3-4 year old I purchased it for. Wonderful pictures and story is perfectly written for toddlers to understand and sit through, captivate.

This was a great book, and told me everything I needed to know about wolves

Absolutely thorough, professional and superb information.

L. David Mech et al. weave a superb rendering of wolves and there ability to adapt and survive. They introduce the reader to several aspects of the secretive lives of wolves and discuss valuable conservation matters needed to preserve these remarkable creatures.

This book is a must have for any student of conservation and also for those who truely find wolves fascinating.

A superb book. If you want to know just about anything about wolves, you should purchase this item. Not an easy read, but hugely informative and well written with great photographs.

This book is mainly a scholarly work,with chapters by various biologist wolf experts,some of which are well writen and others more text-book style,and full of charts, graphs, tables and reference notes. If you love canines though-wolves or their dog brothers, you will want this book.Some of these experts have spent years studying and observing and living with wolves and they have extremely interesting stories to tell. Especially interesting are the chapters on sex,raising of young,survival and the domestic dog descent from wolves.Depressing is the number of wolves killed for no reason other then people wanting to kill.
A good encyclopedic work for canine lovers

I can not believe that nearly ten years has gone by since this book was first published. I thought that everyone had read this book, and more importantly was "using" this book. It took a room full of educators and parents indicating that no one knew of this book for me to write this review. It is less a review than a sales pitch, but it is a pitch that needs to be made.

From personal experience as both parent and teacher, this book changed my outlook on both. I have experienced considerable success at both, and it has to do with a fundamental switch in thinking. In fact, once you read this book, and get the point, you will see how simple it really is to help students become capable. But, everyone has to have their oars in the water and be working in the same direction.

Just yesterday, I heard from one my students that he and his partner won Bronze at the Canada Wide Science Fair. This is the third time we won Bronze, and incidentally we scored Silver a few years ago. This book helped me "coach" kids. I had little to do with the science, but I believe that I was influential in the primary aspect of this book - pointed out the paradigm of their only capabilities - their success.

I have an email from one of them, and it has squarely hit this point.

Earlier last week, at a wonderful seminar on Assessment by Damian Cooper, I was struck by the way that he also used questioning techniques of the participants, but as well the students in his videos. He uses the materials in this book to a tremendous advantage. I see strong similarities, and attribute his success for working along these paradigms.

Seven Strategies for Developing Capable Students is MOST DEFINITELY A MUST READ by any parent and/or teacher. It is a wealth of information, tips, and tricks, but more importantly allows any parent or teacher to focus on the student - making them capable, and feeling this as well.

Let me quote a passage which I see as prophetic as it is more of a problem today, than it was ten years ago.

"Parents often FEEL they must run to school to CONFRONT the teacher or principal with the responsibility of solving children's problems. This may be called for at times, but such occasions SHOULD BE RARE, and should only take place after we have done all we can to EMPOWER OUR CHILDREN TO DO ALL THEY CAN TO SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS."

The capital letters are my own, and should point to the emphasis for which I see as integral to proper parenting. SADLY, there has been an apparent increase in this type of CONFRONTATION. It is wrongheaded, and is actually bad for the student. While it might make the parent feel good, and this is also problematic, makes the child see a FICTION for which they must bring to the REALITY of life. It arms them with the inappropriate tools of success. When the school unions need to add language to their collective agreements that protect them from this type of confrontation, it is clearly a sign that there is a problem - a problem to the process of parenting.

"We do a DISSERVICE to children when WE communicate a perception that everything is SOMEONE else's problem rather than theirs. 'You are doing poorly in school because the teacher doesn't like you'. 'You didn't make the team because the coach is prejudiced.'" p. 53

While it could be rumour or gossip, I have heard that this is said quite often, and am shocked. There are a considerable number of parents who blame a teacher for many different reasons. As a teacher, there is no defense to this type of claim. The logical fallacies riddle the event, but it is nonetheless pointless to argue - a parent's mind is made up at this point.

BUT, I have spent 25 years at teaching, and NOT ONCE HAVE I EVER HEARD ANY TEACHER say anything close to this. I can't imagine any teacher being so very shallow that they would willingly and knowingly do this to a child. In STARK CONTRAST, to help a student who might even be trouble in a classroom, to experience success would be something that would help the student not be a trouble maker. It is in the teacher's BEST INTERESTS not to be like this, and for this reason, I believe that blaming someone is a parental fiction.

I believe that the problem with many students now-a-days is that they come to teachers with the meta-understandings or the paradigms of "shields up", if I can use an old Star Trek phrase, where there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, and they simply need to sort out who to blame.

This book will help anyone see the problem with this thinking, and get them to think towards helping the student develop a capable nature.

"The perceptions of being capable, significant, and able to influence one's own life are powerful confidence builders that instill the courage to take healthy risks, improvise, and transcend failure. PARENTS WHO INVEST TIME HELPING CHILDREN INTERNALIZE THESE PERCEPTIONS ARE GOING A LONG WAY TOWARD ENSURING THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND ENJOY LEARNING".

This book is WELL WORTH the read, and I hope that every parent read this. Form discussion groups, and share your observations and creatively work toward making this happen. It was relevant 10 years ago, and is more relevant today.

Some times faces are not deceptive. The face, they say, is the index of heart; and so is the book in hand. No kidding about this fact.

Was wondering why don't such creative visualization minds write a similar book for adults (i.,e other than children and parents).

Nevertheless, 7 Strategies is a value-added resource for the concerned group. I envy the readers of this book. This book directly works as a guide on the three R's: Responsible, Repectful and Resourceful.

For some strange reasons, I am always attracted by books with the magical number `7' (seven) in the titles or sub-titles. Remarkably, they often turn out to be great stuff. Some of these books have already been reviewed here & there are more to come. Partly, my obsession with the number has probably to do with my impressionable exposure since I was a kid.

When I was twelve in the early 60's, my first `blood-thirsty' movie was the Japanese cult classic, The Seven Samurais, which reportedly inspired the Hollywood epic, The Magnificent Seven. Both movies became my perennial favourites & I have seen them countless times. In both movies, a ragtag group of fearless fighters helped a poor village to deal with & outsmart a gang of marauding rogues.

In this book, the magical `7' (seven) takes on a more serious & sober stance. It refers to the critical attributes that are embodied in the seven resources & skills necessary for your kids/teens to become capable - responsible, respectful, & resourceful - in dealing with today's complex world.

Firstly, let me reveal the author's Significant Seven resources & skills of capable students:

- strong perceptions of personal capabilities;
- strong perceptions of personal significance;
- strong perceptions of personal influence;
- strong interpersonal skills;
- strong intrapersonal skills;
- strong systemic skills;
- strong judgment skills;

I have always hold the view that understanding perception is the key to peak performance.

Maxwell Maltz started the ball rolling by coining the term as `psycho-cybernetics', even though ancient masters in the East have known about it for a very long time. Edward de Bono, the guru of lateral thinking, calls it 'First Order Thinking'. Steven Covey relates some insightful anecdotes about perception in his `7 Habits for Highly Effective People.' Joel Arthur Barker, a process futurist/consultant, considers perceptual understanding as one of five strategic tools necessary for navigating your future. Other consultants, like Mark Brown, Philip Kirby, to name a few, have talked at length about the intricacies of perception & their impact on personal as well as business (or organizational) performance. In the field of stress management, the research people at Institute of HeartMath, creator of the cutting-edge Freeze-Framer Technology, have linked `stress' to `perception'. Even in the world of esoteric practices, Harry Palmer, creator of the expensive Avatar training program, thinks along the same lines, as far as reality creation is concerned.

Henceforth, it is exciting for me to note that these two authors have drawn an excellent & compelling parallel in the academic arena.

I fully concur with the authors that, in the case of our children, strong perceptions of one's personal capabilities, personal significance & personal influence are the precursors to building one's strong assets in dealing with a world that is hurtling at us with breakneck speed, & compounded by hurricane-force changes.

Surprisingly, the book, written by two educators by profession, is presented in very clear, easy-to-understand language.

I highly recommend this book to all parents & teachers. This book can help you develop the resources & skills for your children/students to become capable adults.

I would go further to recommend parents & teachers to take a look at the following books, as supplementary reading:

1. What Kids Need to Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Raise Good Kids, by Peter Benson;
2. What Young Children Need to Succeed: Working Together to Build Assets from Birth to Age 11, by Jolene Roehlkapartain;
3. What Teens Need to Succeed: Proven Ways to Shape Your Own Future, by Peter Benson;

Just when you thought you knew everything about teaching; along comes another book claiming to do it better.

Well, this little book packs a punch so powerful that you might well be forced to re-evaluate your thinking and un-learn some ineffective habits and replace them with some of the recommendations offered by H. Stephen Glenn and Michael L. Brock.

Even if you have been teaching for some time, these ideas are fresh and simple enough to begin applying during your next lesson.

Even though the advice is geared towards the parent, it can and should be thoroughly studied by teachers of all levels from Primary to University. An awareness of the comparative stages of mental ability and emotional development will enable the teacher to identify and adapt the appropriate approach needed.

The book is not long on theory, it cuts straight to the heart of the matters discussed with practical and concrete recommendations.

For example, a anxious and impatient parent at a Parent-Teacher Orientation meeting, wanting to know the single most effective thing they can do to promote their child's lifelong success in education, is promptly told:

"Sit down to dinner with the television off every evening for 30-45 minutes".

So, at least for me, its "Back to the Drawing Board"; time to clean the mental attic again on the road to becoming a better teacher.

Thank you, H. Stephen Glenn and Michael L. Brock for sharing your ideas.

Does your child's notebook explode upon opening? Does your child do homework every night after supper and yet bring home dozens of missing assignment reports from school? Does your child come home with the book but no idea what the assignment is? Or perhaps with the assignment and not the book? Does your child frequently have no idea what the words of an assignment actually mean? Does your child weep over the tedium of homework assignments whose worth they cannot comprehend? Does your child go off to school in the morning moderately happy but come home looking beaten down by life? Are you looking for help for such a child? If so, don't look for the answers in this book. There is not a whisper of how to help the organizationally-impaired student. (P.S., If anybody knows of such a book, or can write such a book, please let the world know.)