N Books

Max Lucado addresses a pretty fool-proof section of the Bible here. It's a decent book; however, like serving someone a hard-boiled egg, it's pretty hard to screw up.

It is a helpful book for anyone unfamiliar with Jesus' most simplistic yet profound sermon. But, for those already familiar with the Beatitudes, this book serves more as a good reminder than it does as a provider of new insight into Biblical text.

For that reason, I found the book lacking in intellectual/theological stimulation.

Max Lacudo explains the beatitudes in such a simple yet enlightening way one can't help but say "yes" as you read! He literally changed my life as I realized through this book that I too wanted to be up on the Mountain, and not left in the valley. And King of the Mountain is not the goal! For anyone looking to find the light this is the book! I keep extra copies to pass on and give as gifts. A wonderful book!

Great study on the beattitudes for small groups.
Chapters are short enough not to be a burden on busy people.

I read this several years ago, and just read it again. It is a great book over the beattitudes. Max Lucado does a great job of teaching through stories and this book is no exception. It gave me a fresh perspective a very popular Bible passage.

I have read this book at least 5 times. Without a doubt this book has the happiest ending a story could ever have!

This book was a delightful read not only because it was short and to the point, but also for it's many real-life examples. I've felt for a long time that prices need to be set to the customer's perception of the value of the product or service, so it was very encouraging to read a book where the author was able to break down the reasons and supply applications for this type of pricing he calls "Value pricing". As with an auction (a theme covered in the book) there is a price for every interested buyer, but it is not always the same for everyone. Just as only one person is willing to pay the highest "winning" bid, there are those who will pay more for any product or service than the average customer. This book helps you to identify those people.
Rich

The suggestions about add-ons, segmenting your buyers and really trying to assess the value of your product when you price it were helpful. The problem of "goodwill" opened my eyes as I think this isn't an uncommon way that profits are bled from businesses. After reading this book, I'm really thinking more and more about getting to know my customers in terms of (1) what they want and (2) precisely how much they value my product. This is a great first step to obtaining optimal pricing. This book gets you thinking and can stir your creativity about how to better price your good/service.

Key to Mohammed's thinking is to set different prices for different customers having different valuations of what they are willing to pay - eg. matinee and evening prices for movies, early-bird prices at restaurants, discounts for those willing to order airline seats ahead of time.

To minimize sales staff giving away profits it is useful to show them the differential profits/product (and hopefully link their compensation to the firm's profits). Beware of sales-boosting gimmicks (eg. frequent-flyer miles) that can be "gamed" by focusing on high-volumes of low-cost purchases. One can test different strategies via eg. varying coupon offers placed within catalogs.

Other important concepts include add-ons (warranties, financing), differential pricing according to location, and taking a long-term perspective (eg. fairness during disasters and temporary product shortages).

"Cost-plus" pricing is not one of Mohammed's recommendations - however, it is increasingly utilized by successful low-cost retailers such as Costco and Wal-Mart. Setting prices using data about alternatives/substitutes is a suggested approach - however, Mohammed does not go into eg. focus-group assessments of how much specific options or new products might be worth.

I am a small business owner and get involved in pricing daily. This book provided extremely useful insight into how to make the most money from each deal. An easy read about a topic that is all too often neglected by the small business owner.

Rafi's treatment of the subject of pricing was just what I needed to open my eyes to a whole new set of strategies for increasing profits. As a former Corporate Engineer and Manager turned entrepreneur, I needed a more thorough understanding of pricing and found exactly what I was looking for in The Art of Pricing. I appreciated the easy to read and entertaining writing style along with the many examples presented in the book. Books that make it easy for me to remember new concepts also make it easier for me to quickly apply those concepts in real world situations. I will be honing my new pricing skills for years to come. The Art of Pricing has become one of my favorite books to recommend to others.

There are many editions of Roget's Thesaurus, but this is one of the best. The print is large enough to easily read, and in each section there are several alternative words or ideas suggested. For example, if one looks up the idea "event" other closely related ideas are listed, and when one goes to the word section that reflect the idea of event, several alternate idea selections are listed with their corresponding number location (not just the word, but the word idea and its number location). This makes researching the concept much easier.

All in all this is the best thesaurus I have seen. Other thesaurus's which are more dictionary-like simply do not have the range of words and concepts that Roget's reflects. Believe me, if I had taken the time to research a few words for this review it would have been a lot better!

If you need a thesaurus get a Roget's, and this is one of the best Roget's you can buy. Plus, the price is good.

AD2

Bartlett's Roget is such a useful resource for me I recently bought a second copy. Unfortunately, the second copy proved to have a number of missing pages, a sad fact discovered after my 30 day return had expired. Enjoy the book - it's marvelous! - but check that it has all it's pages before you dig in.

The Thesaurus literally arrived the next day (and I think I ordered after the 12nn deadline). I was pleasantly surprised. I would do business with them again.

Upon first seeing (and hefting) this volume, I was impressed by its size and hopeful of its contents. After all, it has 1400+ good sized pages, and weighs... well - a bit! "Wow! What a resource!" I thought. Turns out: only 848 of those pages are the actual thesaurus, the other 567 are an index. To be fair, that Index is a useful addition; as I, for one, haven't mastered the left-brain heavy savoir faire apparently necessary to navigate the typical thesaurus. Likewise, the volume itself is useful. I looked long and hard before buying it, and think it is certainly one of the best on the market. This is by no means your `quick and dirty' Roget's Pocket version. It provides a lengthy treatment of most words I've had occasion to investigate. With Bartlett's, I bought The Synonym Finder as what I intended to be a supplemental companion volume. Using them together, however, I find they very often duplicate the exact same synonym lists. The major difference is that - for me - the latter is easier to use. To be fair, Bartlett's does have some special interest sections, such as a 4 ½ page list of Phobias: listed by name and type; or a list of "Children's Games and Party Games," etc. To be honest, as well as fair: in the year+ that I've used this volume, I've never had occasion to use that feature. To be positive as well as negative: in that same period of time, I've never sought a word and not found it listed in either volume. That's not `less than impressive' as I write for a living and do so on an advanced level, so the words I seek are not common fare. Finally: to be practical, the price tag attached to this item is quite reasonable, in my judgment. My advice is this: Both Bartlett's and The Synonym Finder are excellent volumes. Buy whichever one your brain will find easier to use. But don't buy both.

As a student, translator, and writer, this thesaurus has become one of my best friends. It is organized in a very creative way, with an index in the back referring to the various sections of the book's body, where terms are grouped by topic. In the index, you look up the word for which you need related words, and then you choose between the many terms under that heading, each with a distinct variation in meaning. You can thereby turn to the section that best relates to the meaning you are looking for.

Once you've turned to the section referred to in the index, you not only find an extensive list of synomyms for that term, but you also have, on that same page, words that are related but which fall in different parts of speech. That has been very useful for me. And since the terms are grouped by topic, you can look through neighboring entries and pages of entries, finding all kinds of similar and related words, whereas, in a traditional thesaurus layout, the only thing adjacent to your entry would be those words that start with the same letters.

In short, what makes this thesaurus so wonderful is that you have access to an extensive range of word power, since the words referenced in the entry you're interested in are not limited to the space just below the word itself: they are spread throughout the book in logical groups, and the index quickly directs you to the sense of the word that you are interested in.

I got 7 of these books. 6 for my Dr.'s office library, one for myself. I was referrd to this title after my son suffered a serious illness. The book has invaluable information.

Dr. Perlmutter is a board-certified neurologist and yet he writes in language we can all understand. If you really follow what he says, it works! And it is not a difficult plan to implement. So get the book, don't let it sit around and get dusty, read it, do it! "Try it, you'll like it!"

Here's one of the few board certified neurologists who will tell you he thinks cell phones and other electromagnetic fields are very likely bad for your brain. Too many others buy into the official pronouncements, and accept that it's OK to keep using your cell phone until the proof of harm is overwhelming.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in keeping their brain healthy for many years to come!

So glad I came accross this book.
So easy to read and absorb the helpful information this book is full of cover to cover! :)

This is really two books. One a memoir of Leila Ahmed growing up in Cairo and how she finally settled in the USA. It is a fascinating story, involving and informative about life in Egypt, much more diverse and interesting than I had ever realized.

The second theme of the book is an analysis of the concepts of Arab identity and the experiences of Arab women. It is interesting,more academic in tone.

Well worth reading both for evocative descriptions of Cairo and growing up and for Dr. Ahmed's thoughts about her identity as an arab, as a woman and as a moslem.

I needed this book for a course I'm taking, and not one local bookstore had it in stock. I logged on to trusty Amazon, ordered it, and had it in my hands (with assigned reading completed) before my next class. The memoir itself had started pretty slowly (alot of Egyptian history), but has taken off quite nicely.

I thought that this book was amazing. I've read many books about Islam but I think that this book actually gave me a sense of what it means to be a Muslim. Sometimes when reading about religions we often only get an overview of the practices and beliefs of a religion but we rarely hear from believers of a particular religion and how they incorporate the beliefs of their religion into their everyday lives. For me, it was also interesting to read about Egypt during the 40's and 50's because it was something I have never studied before. It was interesting to see the religious diversity in Eygpt and how quickly that all changed with the rise of Nasser. Another thing I had never realized that Egyptians practically had the title Arab forced upon them, but most would never otherwise identify themselves as Arab. I think this book really exposed me to a world and a lifestyle that I had never known existed, and I think this is a must read for anyone who is open to seeing a new perspective on their world.

I enjoyed very much reading this book. The level of description used is capable of transporting you to Leila's birthplace and enjoy her life's journey. This book reads like a novel even though it is a biography. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Pre- and Post-Nasser era in Egypt and how it affected the Egyptian middle class of the time. Another book about Egypt during that era I would recommend is Samia Serag El-din's The Cairo House. Happy reading!

I wasn't sure what I would find when I chose this book. But Dr. Ahmed's thoughts on creating her identity and the societal forces that crafted her upbringing are astounding. Her tale of defining herself as a woman, an Egyptian, an Arab, a Muslim, and an American resonated very deeply with me.....

Not so long ago I saw Caribbean Elegance at a friend's house. My friend was gracious enough to lend it to me to read. After reading it, I felt I should have my own copy, so I ordered a copy from amazon.com.

Not only is Dr. Connors' narrative comprehensively informative and enjoyable, but Bruce Buck's photographs are absolutely beautiful.

Together they have introduced me to a heretofore, to me at least, world of fascinating furniture and decorative arts. Kudos to Dr. Connors and Mr. Buck.

I look forward to acquiring the rest of their work.

I have owned this book for over a year and always thought it was an excellent book but wasn't inspired to write a review until just recently, when I received a new book I purchased called "Caribbean Style". This book, "Caribbean Elegance", is everything that the other book is not. I love this book! The photography is incredible, encompasing everything from the smallest furniture detail or accessory, to entire historical exteriors & interiors, and exquisite scenery!
The text gives a detailed history of the settlers and islands, really giving you an understanding of how the various styles of West Indies architecture and furnishings came into being. It also distingushes the furnishings by their various European influences, such as Spanish, English or Dutch, among others. As an interior designer I found this book fascinating and educational. But even for someone who just has a love of the islands, the photography alone is worth the price of the book.

This book has great pictures of West Indian furniture and its focus is only on the furniture. I was looking for some ideas on how to design using this style, but not much can be gotten directly on how to do this from this book. However, I did come away with a good sense of the various influences on the West Indian style.

This book had some interesting facts, but as an interior designer who was looking for inspirational pictures for room designs I thought it had moderate value.

This book was exactly what I was searching for. Not only is it visually stunning, but it provides a wealth of historical information on Caribbean style and furnishing. A wonderful resource if you want to understand how this very unique style of interior design came to be.

Beautiful story about how a family deals with the loss of someone they love. Excellent writing and character development, I was sucked in from the first chapter and was crying by the end of the book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that has lost someone close to them.

Thank you for this wonderful, wonderful book. I wanted to stop reading it because I was afraid I'd be too sad but I couldn't stop once I'd started.

Dear Readers --- If you want to spend a few days curled up with a book that may change your life, then "Dear Zoe" is, hands down, the paramount choice. Have a full box of Kleenex nearby, though; I became a human waterfall while reading this book, empathizing with this young girl and her pain. I saw so much of my ownself in her, even though it has been decades since I was that age. Yet, I too went through the soul-shifting lifechange that was 9/11. I know my worldview will never again be the same after that day. I can distinctly recall thinking that was the beginning of the end of the world, and I spent the whole day on the phone gathering my husband and girls to come home so we could die together. God, how quickly we forget! I/we lost an innocence, a groundedness that day. We took so much for granted. This book reminded me, however, that one terrible occurrence, such as the death of a loved one, can shift one's world in much the same way. Additionally, my husband and I have raised three daughters, and I saw so much of each of my own girls in these three. A note for the author: Mr. Beard, you somehow managed to insert yourself into the psyche of a 15-year-old girl and you were right-on with frightening precision. I felt my own past exposed and I don't know how you did it, but seeing you do it was redeeming. Kudos to you and yours for tapping into and laying bare for us, the readers, the angst of a teenage girl! Lastly, I do not often buy books to keep; I usually read from the library. However, this is one book I will buy to keep on my shelf and to loan out to loved ones, with the only request being that it come back to me so that the cycle can continue.

"Maybe 'Z' is the shape of everyone's life," writes Philip Beard. "You're going along in what feels like a straight line, headed for one horizon, the only one as far as you know, and then something happens..."

But my zigs and zags were few in Philip Beard's slim novel, "Dear Zoe." On this level of writing, it's smooth sailing. Beard is a skilled writer, and his style is seamless enough that he accomplishes the very difficult writer's task - not only of crossing genders in this first person narrative by a female, but with the voice of a very young female - all of 15 years old. And he does it convincingly.

So convincingly, in fact, that I felt myself as reader engage as I should, that is, to lose awareness of self and surroundings, soon immersed completely into the storyline and characters. "Dear Zoe" is a letter, written across time, from one sister to another. Zoe, however, will never read this letter. Zoe is gone, killed in a car accident, and this letter is, perhaps, how older sister Tess copes with her loss, her grief, even her guilt.

This extended letter is about Tess but also about her extended family. It is family like any: not without its dysfunctions, not without its baggage and broken places, with elaborate wounds and still healing scars. When a member of a family unexpectedly dies, everyone grieves, each in his or her own way and own pace, and it can at times meld a family together, at others rip apart. Beard portrays all of this messy and zigzagging process, but without any melodrama, always sensing when to draw the appropriate line.

Then comes the true test. Nearing end, the storyline veers into an event in American history that is almost impossible to mention without imploding into melodrama. When I realized the backdrop this author was setting up for his story, I nearly winced, but, wait, what's this? Oh, my. Beard makes it work. Work so well, in fact, that he accomplishes the individualizing of something nationally, even internationally shared, and brings it down to one heart, one life, one experience, felt by one person at a time. This personal tragedy is of a size, immense and miniscule at once, that each reader will be able to absorb and comprehend, and through comprehending the miniscule, the immense suddenly gains full impact. Just as numbers that trail off into endless zero's at some point become incomprehensible, so perhaps we as human beings cannot truly comprehend tragedy unless it happens one soul at a time, passed gently on from one hand into the next.

Having accomplished this feat, the author, and "Dear Zoe," has earned my highest recommendation.

On September 11th, 2001, nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in numerous acts of terrorism against the United States. Even now, five years later, people still ask the question, "Where were you on 9/11?" I remember watching, on that fateful day, news coverage that left me horrified, aghast, and haunted. Where was I on 9/11? At work, on a day that started out like any other and quickly turned into one that no one will ever forget.

If you asked Tess DeNunzio, the fifteen-year-old girl at the center of DEAR ZOE, where she was on 9/11, she'll be quick to tell you that she was at home with her younger half-sister, Zoe, waiting for the school bus like any other day. Except for that one moment, when she let her gaze wander elsewhere, and Zoe ran into the street, into the path of an oncoming car. For Tess and her family, 9/11 is a day they'll never forget.

DEAR ZOE is Tess's letter to Zoe, her way of healing from her sister's death and coming to terms with the changes that have taken place in her extended family. This isn't a story about September 11th, 2001, in the ways that most of us have come to view that day. As Tess puts it, "...just like all the people who go to New York and cry over the rubble. I want to tell them all to go home. I want to tell them to go home and hold their children or their lovers or their parents. I want to tell them that they are using that place as an excuse to be sad and afraid when there will be reason enough for that in their own lives if they just wait."

According to recent facts, nearly 150,000 people die every day. That's about 1.8 people every second. And yet no one seems to remember the other 147,000 people that died on 9/11. That includes myself. Until reading DEAR ZOE, I had never stopped to consider that there were other people around the world who were grieving for lost loved ones who had
nothing to do with an act of terror.

Thanks to Mr. Beard, I now have a new way of looking at that day in history. I also have the story of Tess and Zoe, which will stay with me for much longer than it took for me to read the book. Love, loss, regret, and forgiveness mingle within the pages of DEAR ZOE to form a story that, quite possibly, you'll remember even five years later.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Great book for ages 4-9 if your kid loves dinosaurs. Be careful with the pages though, this is a paperback and the pages will rip easily if a 2yr old gets a hold of this book.

I bought this for my 4 yr old daughter last year for Christmas 2006. She was almost 4. She loved it and still goes back to it, to look at. It is a great book with wonderful illustrations and very good information. I highly recommend it for ages 2 up to about 9 or so.

Our grandson loved this video. Its a nice change from all the other stuff they watch on TV.

I like any kind of books or dvd's about dinosaurs. I find it to be very interesting about how they lived and finally died off.

An adequate generalized book for kids. Beautifullly illustrated. The categorization is interesting although completely unscientific...obviously that is intentional...it's a worthy addition to a child's library.

I can't believe I that I am just now finding out about Myles Munroe. This book was a true blessing in helping me to realize the value of the visions that I have been blessed with. This book truly answered many questions that I had about where to go from where I am now. What should my next step be? I thank God for this book and the anointing placed on Myles Munroe.

Yes, this book is a blessing. It is a godly means of tranforming your mind. Be blessed.

Myles Munroe is an excellent author and this book will give help you with what God has given you to do. My goal is read all of his books, all of his books are great, he's one of my favorites.

If you want to really, fully understand how and why one is given a Christian spiritual gift like purpose and vision you will truly enjoy reading this book....it's hard for me to put it down...and I'm only into the 3rd chapter. Myles Monroe has been given a rare gift of explaining the actual "mechanics" of various spiritual gifts in terms that are so plain and understandable....I've read his book on prayer as well "Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer" it was TERRIFIC!! I can't wait to order another one of his books when I get through with this one.

I can't get enough of this book, every page is an "aha" moment. It's taking me to the next level. I think the book was written just for me, answering/addressing the questions I've had & couldn't seem to figure out the answers.

I got the boxed set of four when I was around 8 or 9. At the time, my mom thought I thought I should read them when I'm a little older. So when i was 11 I read the first two. I liked them a lot. Well, my birthday was a few days ago. It's been awhile sinc ei've read the Elsie books cause I just lost intrest. For my birthday I recieved the Oringinal Elsie Book 1. I personally think I'll the oringinals a lot better, especially since now i'm a lot older. But if you're still a little young, but want to read the Elsie books, tehse one's are better for you. Their dialouge's a lot easier to understand, bigger print, bigger book, etc. But if you're older, read the oringinals.

Elsie's Endless Wait is an inspiring book about an 8-year-old girl who has a stronger faith in God than most adults. She withstands harsh criticisms from her family. "What is the meaning of this, you little good-for-nothing?" She waits faithfully for her father, who has been away for years, to come home, never losing hope. "How I wish he would come home." Elsie's Endless Wait inspired me to be a stronger Christian, because of a little girl who has faith enough to move a mountain. I absolutely could not put this book down. I recommend it to every girl.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I was reading it to my girls and after I finished their chapter for the night I took it into my room and read the whole thing. I did not want to put it down. Of course I finished it for my girls and they just love it too. They always ask for me to read more! I highly recommend this book. I'm going to be purchasing the whole set as soon as I can! I want this book to be a part of our collection!

This book is about an eight year old girl named Elsie Dinsmore. Her mom passed away right after she was born. Her dad couldn't handle the pain so he moved away. Horace (Elsie's father) left Elsie to be taken care of at his parent's home. There Elsie is faced with many problems. Elsie turns her problems to God and he helps her through them. All Elsie wants is for her dad to come home. She wonders, will he come home, will he love her? I love how in this book Elsie looks to god amongst all her problems, and how He always helps her through. This is the best book that I have ever read. There is not one single thing in this book that I didn't like. This book is the first of eight books in the Elsie Dinsmore Series, A Life of Faith. I plan to read the next seven of these books. This book reminds me a lot of the Bible. It is all about God and it tells true things about what God does for you. This is a great book for girls thirteen and older. But I bet boys could enjoy this book as well. This is the best book that I have ever read and I hope you get a chance to read it.

This book is about a young girl named Elsie Dinsmore. If you like christian books, and books that go back in time; this book is for you. Elsie is a young girl, about 8 years old. She lives with her grandma, grandpa, aunts, and uncles. She lives with them because her mother dies when she was a little girl, and her father is away in Europe on business. Her grandparents think it was a mistake that she was even born, and neither of them trat her very well. Her aunts and uncles also arn't very nice to her. Read this book to find out how Elsie deal with all her troubles and how God has helped her through everything. This is the first book in the series. It was so good I can't wait to read the next.

What i liked about this book: I am really into all the christian books, and this one really shows you how God can help you through anything and everything. This is one of those books that you just don't want to put down. I also like how it goes back in time. It doesn't happen n present day.

There is nothing about this book that I didn't like. All round i though this was a really great book!