Journals Books

April's Journal is a wonderful story that both my kids enjoy. I have an eight year old son and a six year old daughter. They love the pictures and ask me to read the story to them over and over again. As a parent, I'm estatic about my kids asking for pencil and paper and participating in the writing process. This book is a must for any parent trying to get their children motivated for reading and writing.

This is a delightful children's book about encouraging children to read, write, and illustrate their own daily journals at school or at home. The story is charming and easy to read, and the illustrations are appealing to children by using the primary colors. The teaching tips for parents and educators serves as a teaching model and encourages a variety of choices to help children begin the reading and writing processes. I teach First Grade and I also teach at the university level in the teacher education department. I can use this book to model journal writing to my First graders and to iillustrate and instruct at the university classes. Marta and April, thanks for a great book!

As a special education teacher of learning disabled students I find April's Journal a valuable tool to use in my classroom. The child-like writing of April introduces my students to journal writing in an entertaining way. It shows them that journal writing is a way to express their thoughts and daily experiences in a simple way. I use it primarily with my 1st through 4th graders who are just learning to write or are still struggling with writing. The illustrations are delightful and complement the text perfectly. As April writes an entry in her journal there is a picture to go with it. This is the way primary teachers typically have their students write in their journal, so using the book as a model has proven invaluable. April is a darling little girl who writes about her everyday experiences.I highly recommend that every primary teacher use this book when teaching writing to their students.

Not only did I fall in love with April, but so did every student in my kindergarten class! April's Journal is a unique picture book that captivated the attention of each one of my young learners. April is a relatable character who invites the young reader into her daily life by sharing her thoughts that she writes in her journal. I found the topics to be thought provoking and age-appropriate for primary grade children. The section on "Teaching Tips", is extremely helpful and gives teachers and parents alike guidance on how to use the book to generate writing. It also helps foster the love of reading and writing in young children. I found this book to be creative and original. I highly recommend it.

When Robert Curoe was sixty-five, he came home for lunch one day to a most unwelcome surprise. His wife Joyce was in tears and handed him a letter from their daughter Carol: "Mom and Dad," she wrote, "I'm gay." Curoe was an Irish-Catholic farmer from Iowa. Catholic to the core, he didn't even know any non-Catholics, he sent all his children to parochial schools, he had sisters who were nuns, and in his mind homosexuality was a grievous sin. To say that he was shocked, he says, would have been a gross understatement. Confusion, dread, and fear filled their lives. Four years later this initial shock was "eclipsed" by Carol's announcement that she and her partner Susan were expecting a child by artificial insemination. The latter announcement forced their family to come out among their deeply conservative farming community.

Curoe was a loving father who wrote all six of his children a letter every week when they were in college. He sent his daughters roses for Valentine's Day. Somehow, we're not surprised that by the end of the story he's become a staunch advocate of Carol and Susan, and of the greater gay cause. Father and daughter take turns writing alternate chapters in this memoir, beginning with early years on their Iowa farm. Each chapter rehearses the same experiences from their own perspectives. The story they tell operates at four overlapping levels-- their extended family, their culturally conservative farm community, the greater arena of legal parity (health insurance, finances, housing, employment, etc.), and, of course, their religious perspectives as deeply committed Catholics. The memoir doesn't candy-coat the anguish and tears that their family experienced, and father Curoe is forthright about his regrets, failures, and baseless stereotypes in the early going. But many families with a similar story are not so lucky. They might improve their chances for a similar healing journey by reading this book. The book concludes with a list of ten resources for gay families, and a list of ten questions for group discussion.

This book is a must-read for all parents. It transcends gay issues and focuses on loving your children/family unconditionally. It is a great example of parents who moved beyond tolerance to acceptance and finally advocacy. Everyone should do their part to make sure basic human rights are available to all regardless of gender, religion or sexual orientation. This book goes beyond gay issues...I highly recommend it.

These are the stories that need to be told... the book is brave, honest, engaging and human. I could not put the book down once I started reading. I felt like I was reading my story. I wish to express immense gratitude to Bob and Carol for generously sharing their stories.

Carole & Bob,

Thank you for writing this wonderful book! I know too well the fears, worries and sleepless nights this journey has brought you. I too traveled Carol's path.

Kevin and I grew up together, and long before Carol realized where she would find her soulmate, lifemate, and lovemate your family especially Bob & Joyce taught me that being Gay was acceptable, loveable and I could be one of your own. Your family accepted me, back then, as one of your own. And that has carried me through many dark days back into the light that we all live in today.

Your words, your passion, your love will bring hope, faith and love to many in our family today and each day that one mother, father, brother, sister, or child reads the profound, painful, fearful and loving story you have had the courage to share with us today.

Many of our brothers and sisters will now have the courage to live the life that God has asked of them.

Thank You!

Love,
John

My life is so busy I don't always have time to stop and have a really long time in the bible. What a releif to know that I can hear what God is saying about me life...even while I am in the middle of my life. Funny stories to releive the stress, insights that are surprisingly real and time for my own personal relection with God. Get it! You won't be sorry, and you will laugh till your sides hurt as some of the stories.

Humor and depth are both in this book. I am laughing one minute and talking to God about my day the next. I really like the devotional variety. This is a great book to read or to give as a gift!!!!

Funny Funny Funny stories that anyone can relate too. What a way to motivate you to stop and listen for what God has to say about the events of everyday life. You'll want more...I did.

What a great gift this would be to give to someone. A lighthearted and humorous devotional. Easy to read and a series of stories that every woman can relate to. I especially liked the journals after each chapter.

As a Buddhist woman with several Catholic relatives, I was so curious how a Catholic priest was able to reconcile the non-dualism of Buddhism with the duality of Christianity. I was hoping that reading this book would provide that insight. Well, really, it didn't, except that maybe most Christians are misunderstanding the idea of non-duality. I don't know; I don't pretend to know. But after reading this book, I became almost obsessed with Merton; it takes such an unusual and open-minded person to just go with what he senses - sees, hears, feels - rather than by what he has been told. Such honesty is rare. His description of satori, as he experienced it, was incredibly vivid and open. And, of course, the end left me feeling that it shouldn't have been over; there should have been more. But I know that's just my attachment talking; it was as it should have been. Namaste.

I never tire of reading Thomas Merton. The Asian Journal is a poignant and tireless encampment with one of the remarkable men of letters of the 20th century. Colored throughout with Merton's search for a place of greater solitude (his dissatisfaction on many levels with the cheese factory his beloved Gethsemani abbey became being well known for some time before his death) -the redwoods of California, possibly Alaska- as the journal progresses one begins to feel in his words a kind of prescient kinship with his own accidental death, occurring in Bangkok before he had completed his Asian pilgrimage. Worthy appendices - the characteristic sweetness of his informal talk on monasticism given at Calcutta, and his lecture on Marxism and Monastic Perspectives with its prophetic last sentence "So I will disappear". Free of polemics, giving in its human searching, this is once again essential Merton.

THE ASIAN JOURNAL OF THOMAS MERTON reads in many ways like a travelogue but the one subject which Merton manages to return to constantly is contemplation. He has an abiding curiosity about the contemplative experiences of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and virtually all mystics from any religion. Merton is especially interested in Tibetan Buddhism. At the same time he appears to remain firmly rooted in his committment to Catholicism and very appreciative of the opportunity to pursue God as a Trappist monk.

The editors have added much helpful material - including copious notes at the end of each chapter and an extensive glossary of terms.

I recommend THE ASIAN JOURNAL OF THOMAS MERTON as an intriguing book which provides a clear snapshot of Merton's thinking during the final weeks of his life.

This book is a must-read for fans of Merton, and for anyone interested in encounters between Western Christianity and Eastern religions (particularly Hinduism and Buddhism).

Merton achieved incredible realizations and great insight into Buddhism despite the fact that he lived most of his life as a monk and hermit isolated at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky, USA. At the end of his life, invited to present a paper in Bangkok on the renewal of monasticism, Merton made what he called his 'Asian pilgrimage' and finally set out to see firsthand what he had studied in books. This journal took him all across Asia, to various holy sites, and to encounters with numerous religious communities. He met, along the way, such people as H.H. the Dalai Lama and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He records all of this, his encounters, and even more interestingly, his own reflection on Buddhism and Christianity, in this wonderful gem of a journal.

What would have happened had Merton lived a few more years? I often ask myself this. He was exploring not just the surface of Buddhism (even now, many decades later, the presentation of Buddhism in the West can be very superficial), but delving into its very heart -- mandalas, tantras, and so on, and probing into what their nature was and what this might mean for Christianity to encounter a spirituality that seemed at once totally foreign and alien, and yet at the same time the very essence of what Christianity means.

Merton was a brilliant individual. He does not succumb to easy platitudes such as "It's all the same thing" or anything like that. He respects difference. But he does also certainly see a deep and dazzling dynamic unity -- a truth -- that penetrates all of this -- and not just this, but every moment of our lives. That living power -- that is what is important, and he witnessed to this in his life and writings.

i bought this a a remainder at borders. it is absolutely adorable and for the price you cant go wrong. it makes a fantastic gift for mothers to be. it has 2 journals and a set of cards.

This is a gift package that parents-to-be and new families will love, with a gorgeous collection of photos and two journals to record the entire process of creating a family-be it pregnancy or adoption. Plus, the box makes a neat holder for all the "souvenirs" from the journey. You can't miss.

This is a gift package that parents-to-be and new families will love, with a gorgeous collection of photos and two journals to record the entire process of creating a family-be it pregnancy or adoption. Plus, the box makes a neat holder for all the "souvenirs" from the journey. You can't miss.

This is a gift package that parents-to-be and new families will love, with a gorgeous collection of photos and two journals to record the entire process of creating a family-be it pregnancy or adoption. Plus, the box makes a neat holder for all the "souvenirs" from the journey. You can't miss.

The book worked very well. My wife and her sister sang one of their songs in church. The song and piano sounded great.

BG is by far the best Christian Rock band I've heard! THeir harmonies are perfect, and thins music is very easy. I've already memorized a lot of piano parts and guitar parts, just because I love it. Please don't delay/hesitate to get anything BarlowGirl. I can't wait for their next CD! (And I know their producer, Otto Price, and he rocks too! Part of the credit to this album should go to him! GO OTTO! GO BG!) Thanks!

If you liked the first Barlow Girl CD, you'll like this on too. Their music has a full, tight sound and great harmonies. I absolutely love their version of 'Enough'. Most of the other songs were just fair to good. And some of them seemed a bit despressing. But I'm still giving it a 5-star rating because of the song 'Enough'. It's a really great song, and they did a fantastic job on it both musically and vocally.

I love this book. It not only has the greatest songs in it, but it actually includes the notes for the harmonies! The pages are easy to read and follow, and the songs sound great. I used several songs from the book in my church as choir introits. Its a little lower than on the CD, but still a fantastic book.

I must admit, I have had this book either by my bed or (forgive me!) in the bathroom for at least 20 years and am on my third - the other two worn out from too frequent reading. Lots of wonderful tidbits on just about anyone you can think of in history/literature/the arts/music. Highly recommended.

Has something in it for EVERYONE literally and for every occasion, you'll never be at a loss for words with this book!

I enjoyed this book throughly! It's an excellent resource for speech writing or for creating your own personal fables (to be passed on through conversation and lessons). I also liked how many of the stories were cross referenced when multiple people were involved, and how a few of them were retold in different ways when listed under different people.

My only complaint... (and this is a big one!) is that the list of celebrities and historical figures is extremely westernized. There are only a handful of eastern and middle eastern people represented. Even Eastern Europeans are greatly outnumbered by the British and American figures. And god forbid that we include anyone from the Southern hemisphere. I'd like to see more variety in the next edition, or even a companion book with some 'minority' focus in it.

BARTLETT'S BOOK OF ANECDOTES is not this reviewer's normal work having mostly stayed with fiction. In fact, I had no plans to write a review, but my spouse was leafing through the book and started laughing. Motivated to take a look and not let it be a coffee table piece, I started to read some of the quotes from famous, not so famous (at least in my circle) and infamous people throughout history. I found myself intrigued, enjoying the comments that are often serious and obtaining additional pleasure from a brief biography of the contributor. In fairness, I have not finished the anecdotes, but read a few each night to simply relax as the book reminds me of A&E's "Biography for the Millennium" even though there are contributors from before 1000 AD. However, though entertaining and a remarkable research book, readers need to consider the price vs. the value before purchasing this tome.

Harriet Klausner

Martha Smith is entertaining and light. A great read to lighten your heart and load after working outside in the heat all day.

I found this gardening memoir to be both feisty and funny. I love the way Martha Smith describes her "Mae West Memorial Garden". I could almost smell the lilacs and dahlias as I was reading. For anyone who loves gardening essays with a humorous slant this book is a must read!!

My husband and I are both avid gardeners and on a recent road trip, I read this book aloud to him as he drove and he almost wrecked from laughing so hard. This is a very funny book and the author knows too well the joys as well as the back-breaking hard work that gardening can be. My favorite chapter - "Canna lily kill you?" - a must read for gardeners who enjoy a spike of humor.

This is a must read for anyone who loves the joy of gardening and knows it's Nature's Prozac. Smith is a funny, witty, spirited writer and my only woe was that it was too short. Yes, 300 plus pages was simply not enough of her wonderful outlook on life and gardening and people and giving. As a writer and writing teacher, I'm sensitive to good writing and Martha Smith's work exceeded my expectations.

Please take my advice and read this collection. Then go out and get your hands dirty. You'll be in good company. I'd say more, but my garden and my dog are waiting!

This is the best devotional I have ever done. Beth Moore Really digs into scripture. Along with her personal input and encouragement, I highly recommend this bible study. This is the 2nd devotional of Beth Moore that I have done and will do many more to come. If you want to grow in your relationship with God, this is the devotional to get.

What a beautiful journal. I'm looking forward to starting this journal along with a dear friend of mine.

Once again, another excellent resource from Beth Moore! I purchased these books for our Bible Study Group to use at home between classes. Everyone loves them! They are thought-provoking and contain very insightful kick-off questions that cause the reader to think and pen their own thoughts. Each day's devotion wonderfully ends with a one-page section entitled "Respond with Prayer" where you journal a personal prayer to God based on that day's devotional. I cannot recommend this enough as an awesome devotional journal!

This Journal is a wonderful complement to the book. It has been very helpful in a applying what she talks about in the book into daily life.

Ed Wilson has added another brick to the edifice he's been constructing. For years he's struggled to enlighten us on our place in Nature. His building is a market where Nature's bounty and wonders are displayed. If we shop carefully, these goods will continue to be supplied. We must learn to read the labels with care and use what we take wisely. This collection of essays is part of the learning process. Reading them, one is struck by Wilson's expertise in choice. The writing is good, the subjects are worth your attention and you may come away better understanding how to browse in Nature's shop. Although the title of this book is something of a misnomer - it would be better labelled "science and society" - the compilation is enlightening in many respects.

The essays most directly related to society's concerns cover expanded roles for mathematical concepts, the emotional question of abortion, how we impact wild lands and how technology works to change our lives. David Berlinski offers a description of a mathematical artifact, the algorithm and how it affects our lives. A simple, repeatable instruction, the algorithm is now recognized as fundamental in both Nature and human culture.

Humanity's relation with Nature comprises most of the remainder of the essays. Human settlement of wild land is an topic of growing importance. Mark Cherrington's essay on this contentious issue in Israel might be duplicated in many parts of the planet. Bernd Heinrich describes the Endurance Predator, the animal whose unusual gait allowed it to occupy the whole planet. Human walking and running are unique in Nature. We test our abilities in these unusual capacities with games, and Heinrich speculates on how far those tests can take us. As we come to understand how Nature works in better detail, the impact on our cultures will be reflected in law, as well as the scientific world. Gregg Easterbrooke and Malcolm Gladwell describe new understanding of newborns and the unborn. How should the law be changed to reflect what has been learned about embryos and children?

What of adults and the natural world? Jerome Groopman provides a view of an unusual, but widespread human disorder, The Doubting Disease. Do you suffer from it? Our future health in many areas will be impacted by what we learn of our genetic base. Craig Venter, former president of human genome mapping firm, Celera, is portrayed in depth by Richard Preston.

No collection of writings on Nature would be complete without David Quammen. Here, he takes us along on his jaunt with Michael Fay as the scientist surveys the conditions in central Africa. Quammen's' ability to bring the reader into his adventures is unsurpassed. On this trek you share both his enthusiasms and painful experiences through his captivating prose. He adroitly captures the mood of the field scientist.

Regrettably, we can't say as much about the essay on Costa Rican macaws. While Barbara Kingsolver and Steven Hopp had a pleasant, interesting jaunt in the Central American jungles, the inclusion of this account in this collection seems almost far-fetched. It's a well-written story, but only sparsely appropriate here. Far more meaningful is Sandra Postel's account of water management. "Troubled Waters" is the story of just that condition, which is growing increasingly prevalent around our globe. North American water consumption is one of the major shames of our society, and Postel's survey should give every reader a moment's pause.

This is an excellent collection of articles compliled from different magazines (The New yorker, Harper's Magazine, Discover, Outside, Orion, to name a few); this adds to the readability. I feel that there is some article of interest for every reader (no just science geeks like myself).
This would be a great gift for anyone who is interested in science (nature, technology, psychology).

The Best American Series delivers another winner here, with a fascinating and varied collection of articles and essays from a variety of sources. You know you're in good hands when the editor is Edward O. Wilson, who is among the best writers out there to present scientific thought in a way the more educated of the masses can understand (although his intro to this book is rather self-aggrandizing). In addition to writings on many different scientific disciplines, you also get a variety of philosophical viewpoints, most of which are very levelheaded. The best articles in this book include "Abortion and Brain Waves" which provides the most well-rounded, informed, and realistic viewpoint on the abortion issue you will likely ever see (you surely won't get this from politicians or activists on either side of the debate); plus "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us" which gives a very insightful outlook on the future of humanity in light of genetic engineering, robotics, and nanotechnology (though this article is too long and loses its focus near the end). Other winners include "Baby Steps" concerning infant knowledge and education, and "The Genome Warrior" which covers the politics of the human genome project. The nature and ecology-related articles here are generally weaker, including Jane Goodall's sappy and sentimental "In the Forests of Gombe," and "Being Prey" which starts with a harrowing account of the author being attacked by a crocodile, but then awkwardly attempts to tie this attack to ruminations on feminism and vegetarianism (I have no problems with those doctrines, mind you). But those are just a couple of missteps in a fascinating and entertaining collection.

Edward Wilson guest edits the second in the Science and Nature Writing Series, and unlike many of the guest editors in the other Series (like the Best American Short Stories for this year), he does a phenomenal job, and shows us what this series is all about. The essays come from magazines who focus on the general reader rather than the scientist. The essays are informative. They teach the reader quite a bit and point out things that come to a surprise to most of us (such as the state of the earth's water supply). And they do it in an entertaining way. Above all else, the essays collected here are fun to read and not loaded with jargon the layman can't understand. A special note: Bill Joy's essay on technology and our future should be read at least twice and thought on long and hard.