Journals Books

Donald Jack has created a rare thing, indeed, with this series of books that show the true human condition - that humor (and alcohol, apparently) is what makes the most horrible situations bearable. With the grimmest backdrop of the original WWI set of books - no mean feat, given that the series begins in the trenches - Jack keeps you in hysterics regardless, touching on semi-suicidal parachutes, dabbling with the wives of staff officers, baroque dentistry, pigeons, and other seemingly ludicrous subjects with grace, aplomb, and almost ritual silliness. When you throw historical accuracy in the mix as a bonus, well, it's a practically irresistible package. Poignant, incisive and wonderfully belly-laugh inducing.

My fav in the series of excellent historical fiction (the history is quite accurate, but it isn't the focus), it is full of ups and downs emotionally as well as aeronautically. The Bandy papers are very high on my list of great books since I came across them in my HS library in Carleton Place, Ontario (which could double for Beamington). Sad that so few Canadians are aware of these books. Guess it doens't fit with current trends.

If you are into undiscovered gems, check this series out. At least the first 6 books. Vol 7 was ok, 8 (Hitler vr. Me) was disappointing. Have not read the 9th yet.

I've read the entire Bandy series, and though they are all great, this is the best.

A fabulous ride from the first sentence, you will laugh out loud and excuse yourself from any shared reading room often. The characters are wonderfully written and I swear that no-one does drunken dialogue better than Donald Jack. I'm guessing he has some experience with drunkeness. In an observational role, of course.

Though an even more enjoyable read if you have an interest in vintage aviation or history, this books stands just fine on its own as a terrific work of humourous fiction.

Not to give anything away, but a wonderful meld of the usual comedic grace with a poignant touch of tragedy. You'll be laughing and crying and enjoying throughout.

I'm fortunate enough to have the entire series. It's a pity most are out of print now. This series would make an excellent BBC - style television series.

I had a school assignment for reporting the life of a contemporary female artist, and while browsing through the National Museum of Women in the Arts' website I ran into Hollis Sigler's work. I was greatly impressed by her art and her courage. I purchased the book and it is a wonderful memorial to Sigler, who embraced her fate and empowered herself by raising awareness of this devastating disease. The vibrant images and sensitive introduction by the artist are worth the money. I highly recommend it.

Creating art work that passes on a political message, that is spawned in part from social awareness, is almost impossible to do well. Holly was always an artist first, and the paintings and drawings in this book testify that she broke the rules to become the exception--while rendering her rage over her breast cancer she transcended it to make a thoroughly beautiful body of work.

Hollis Sigler has created a visual language, easily learned and powerfully understood, using images of a woman's everyday life to portray wildly varying emotions of a woman diagnosed with re-occurring cancer. "Hollis Sigler's Breast Cancer Journal" show's Hollis' own incredible strength in living and painting life to the fullest while concurrently fighting serious illness. Her drawings and paintings reflect the experiences of women living with breast cancer and those who care for them, while providing a means of immediate, almost organic emotional understanding to their families, neighbors, and friends. Hollis is brave, powerful, and very much attached to life. Her struggles are all of ours: through her art we learn to better understand ourselves. From 1994-1997 The Society for the Arts in Healthcare (SAH) sponsored with the National Museum of Women in the Arts a national tour to 24 hospitals of replicas, donated by Polaroid Corporation, of 14 Hollis Sigler drawings and painting about living with breast cancer, all of which now appear in "Hollis Sigler's Breast Cancer Journal." Hollis' powerful images provided a vehicle for patients and families, doctors and nurses, visitors, medical students and non-professional staff to consider breast cancer from a visually articulate patient's point of view. Kathy Miller of the Cancer Wellness Center in Northbrook, IL wrote at the time about the art and Hollis Sigler: "The art is thought-provoking for people of all ages and in all stages of health....Women have a lot in common -- her work says it all." Hollis Sigler's work is important, a series of visual statements with the same emotional validity as the writings of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross or the choreography of Bill T. Jones. I have shown some of Hollis' images which appear in this book during arts-in-healthcare talks to medical students in Ohio, patients in New York, and healthcare professionals in Japan. The images have always met with visual and emotional appreciation and immediate understanding from the audience. From the standpoint of this particular reader and member of the Arts in Healthcare movement, "Hollis Sigler's Breast Cancer Journal" is a Must Read!

This book is a success story, not in the sense of finding a tidy, happy resolution to a difficult biography, but of illuminating both the human capacity to act bravely and forcefully and the power of art to communicate about impossibly difficult things. "On the wall of deadly silence about the disease, I aimed to hang my Breast Cancer Journal. This work was an outcry." And it still is. Breast cancer is an immense epidemic, affecting more people than AIDS, yet it gets far less attention. It is just as complicated emotionally because of the way that death shadows it and the blows it deals to the literal form of femininity. Through her quirky, poignant, personal art, Sigler depicts a universal experience of how it feels to live with disfiguring disease, with loving others while ill oneself, with ignorance, with the trauma of treatments more drastic than the disease. She deals with the loneliness of illness and with the power of art to communicate, to create community, to produce social action. This is an instructive, inspiring and truly spiritual book.

Be aware that the reviews refer to the "Home Sweet Home" journal and project planner by Mary Engelbreit and not the organizer alone. The organizer is basically an accordion file that is meant to be used as a supplement to the journal. It is very nice but it's sort of like have a nice digital camera bag without the camera.

This is a beautiful book and a brilliant idea! Keep track of all sorts of information about your home for future reference. Paint colors, service dates, window sizes, installer names, etc.

This hard back journal for projects around the house and details on appliances is a very useful one. You can list the exact date, price and retailer where you purchased items for future reference instead of having to face the chore of 'going through the records'.
The same is true of projects that you're working on, there're places for workmen information and details on what kind of paint you used, what kind of trim you decided on so if you need to contact them later or run back to the store for an additional piece you have it altogether in one convenient place.
The illustrations by Mary Engelbreit are a nice addition to the the book but some of them took up a lot of room that could have been used for more info on that page. Other than that, this book is a winning combination.
If you're stuck on what to give as a wedding or housewarming prezzie, this should solve your quest.

My husband and I purchased a house built in 1915 last year, and the journal came in handy during the renovations. It kept me organized with spaces to write the room dimensions and layout, a place to keep wallpaper and fabric samples, and the phone numbers of the plumber, electrician, etc. It keeps all the manufacturer's info in one place--just in case you need to replace or repair in the future. I use mine as a brag book to keep around the house for my guests to see the before and after pictures. Makes a nice housewarming present too!

I love the simple things of life too and believe there is much wisdom there and many lessons to learn.
I lived in West Virginia for 18 years, high up on a hill on an old gravel road called Grass Run, surrounded by farmlands, corn fields and beautiful mountain scenery, and I was always the happiest when I was painting fences, white washing trees working in my vegetable garden, cutting the grass in my trusty riding mower, and hanging my wash out
on the clothes line to dry and I still think that white sheets blowing in the wind is about the prettiest sight in
the whole world ! But now that I am 84 and live in an upstairs
apartment in a small city,I really do miss it a LOT. I pray that the Lord will bless [the author of this book] real good and continue to use [her]beautiful talent to bless others
all around the world
G

That's what I thought when I read this book! Uncomplicated, tongue-in-cheek, and simple. This book is fun and sweet and even full of deep thought but in a way that catches you by surprise. The author is amazing in how she uses simple things such as a leaky faucet, or naughty rooster, or even a computer screen to show how God intervenes in every way in our life even when we least expect it. She is truly the Erma Bombeck of the Christian world. If you haven't read this book or shared it with your neighbor, you need to.

Shirley's light-hearted devotional journal was written to lift our spirits, when we need it most. Her simple thoughts, timely encouragement, and insights from God's Word will show us who we are in the Lord in the scheme of everyday living. You'll want to read this book and share it with your friends. I loved it and refer to it every day.

I loved this! It was a delightful read and it did make me feel good to read every devotional inside. She makes everything fun. Fun to be a christian. Trials don't have to be as hard as we think.

Fasinating book! Great history of the Youngstown, Ohio area during the start-up of the city as it rapidy grew during the 1800's through 20th century! Anyone with a desire to learn more about what Yougstown was about during the boom years should purchase this book, the history of Mill Creek Park, and Steel Valley.

I found the book to back great old memories of the greasy french fries and rattly old coasters. The old train was my favorite

Another fantastic trip back down the amusement park midway, courtesy of Mr. Jacques. This well researched and colorful book manages to chronicle the life and times of Youngstown's Idora Park - without reading like your typical history lesson. Filled with hundreds of pictures, this book is a must read for any amusement park enthusiast. Although I have never been to Idora, or even Youngstown, this book put me right back on Idora's midway and in the front seat of their infamous Wildcat and Jack Rabbit roller coasters.

Mr. Jacques' book also includes many unique behind the scenes stories and anecdotes from countless interviews and local archives. Personal photos and individual recollections of time spent at Idora Park take the reader back to a time when the traditional amusement park was the highlight of our summer days.

Anyone who lives in and around Youngstown, Ohio and those who are devotees of the amusement park tradition in America will find this attractive book to be both informative and nostalgic. The Last Ride... is an intelligent, intriguing look back through time to the park's opening in 1899 through to the fire which sealed its fate! The book is beautifully and thoroughly illustrated with copious photos and other interesting items; including a summary list of the events, groups, bands, etc. who were part of the park's history. This book is a must for everyone who's ever set foot in the park wither during its glowing years or during its decline.

It's indeed strange to read about oneself after 30 years-to relive those moments-to know for the first time that you actually helped someone you loved and to wonder why you did not express your feelings more directly in your personal relationship that lasted sporadically for those many years. David's years from age 14 to 21 or 22.

Despite the fact that I am already reading 3 other books concurrently, I am revisiting David Wojnarowicz for the umpteenth time. I simply can't stay away. I've found that there is no amount of time that can pass where I will have found that I'm still not in love with the man. And not just because I'm queer but because I am really, really, really in love with his heart and the everlasting life of his spirit. No other writer has touched me so deeply or influeneced the reconstruction of my ethics as him. I could only dream of living a life so passionately and generously, a life which is evidenced by this book.

Thank you, Amy Scholder (editor and introductionalist). I have just read a review of "In the Shadow of the American Dream" in one of Seattle's weekly newspapers, and I am so glad that I did. Immediately, my curiosity was peaked. Not having ever heard of David Wojnarowicz, I am now a devoted fan of his work. As an artist and a writer, David Wojnarowicz speaks with a rare truthfulness unlike any other writer that I have read in recent times. Wojnarowicz speaks of a world not many people are aware of, the world of "seedy Times Square" where he spent his youth hustling, desperately trying to make a living by selling his body to total strangers; the world of a gay activist, vehemently seeking to make the world a more tolerant place for all; the world of a Person Living with AIDS, conciously, creatively expressing his pain, his hurt and his sadness, but not without hope. "In the Shadow of the American Dream" is a collection of excerpts of the 31 diaries that Wojnarowicz spent his life writing, from the age of 17 until he died of AIDS in 1992. With writing such as "I saw a face in a passing car that looked like someone I once knew. It's like that when you move on to other places in your life--memories of faces fading like thin ice sheets in winter sidewalk puddles, they melt, become only a part of the water so you can't separate them ever again, but they do remain there." Wow! Like passing an automobile accident, you don't want to look (or read) but then you can't put it down. I highly recommend "In the Shadow of the American Dream" to anyone who is slightly interested in what artistry, activism, creativity, and hope really means.

These journals of David Worjnarowicz are an account of the famed writer, artist. They begin when he is seveteen years old and end at the time of his death. The beginning explains some of his troubled background: his alcholoic father, his street hustlering in Times Square at a young age, and so on. The entries are most appealing when David speaks about his relationship with other men, especially about his love affair with Jean-Pierre, a man he meet while in Paris. These entries are fluid, full of a joy that one is in touch with when in the throes of love. Eventually David leaves Paris and is back in New York. It is this particular time and place, New York in the late 1970's to early 80's do we see an extreme sexual behavior of many gay men. This is seen not only with this work, but in the photos of Mapplethrope, and many accounts of gay men that have lived in this time period. The other entries concerning his HIV status and all the myriad emotions concerned with the fatal disease are rivetting. The diaries are, at times, disjointed, and some of the early entries I feel really don't need to be within the book. However, the book reveals a man of true in insight, an artist who felt everything, and wrote it all down word for word. A very good book!!!

I can already see the positive effect the concepts in this book have had and will continue to have on my life. The book doesn't present thoughts from only a single point of view. You create your own life plan using very simple and basic principles. I look at people differently now. I have a greater level of respect for myself and I will never allow anyone to lower that level of self-respect again. I'm just not afraid to ask for the things I need anymore. This one tops my list because it really works.

I picked up this book about a month ago. I was able to read straight through it in about 1 1/2 hours and understood everything, however, I'm slowly absorbing it as each day I pick it up, flip to a random page, read a section, and keep that with me throughout the day. What I like best about the book is how it makes me look at my world and my actions differently; it makes me consider what I do more carefully and it keeps reminding me of all the chances I have every day to do what I want to do. The technique I have of reading a small section and absorbing that to the fullest isn't how one has to read this book. It provides questions for those who like to sit and ponder things or write about them, and it has affirmations for people who want to get the point quickly. I think this book gives few boundaries and excellent options for ANYONE to absorb the important messages it contains. I love knowing this book is sitting in my book shelf.

On a whim I picked up this book for leisure and ended up using it to take another look at my life. This beautiful book is small but absolutely crammed with remarkable insights. It could even be a magic bullet. Really! It makes so much sense. Dont' get me wrong. You still have to do the work. but it's so much fun to really pick apart the questions and feel the pieces of your life just falling in place. Now I carry this book everywhere with me. I ask my friends some of the questions in the book and we talk at a deeper level than we ever have. Anyone who loves life or wants to must read this book.

There is no denying the validity of the principles defined in this book. This is some fascinating stuff! It's refreshing and revealing all in one. Javahouse Journals is not a fluffy self-help book. It is a book that will make you think and put things in perspective. I keep this book on hand for a daily dose. A must read for anyone trying to fall back in love with life.

Janet Falon's Jewish Journaling book is like a clear road map for traveling from point A to point B in journaling.

It tells you how to get started---how to get back on track if you get lost---how to find alternate routes if you encounter detours---how to make the most out of the trip---and how to reach your destination.

You get 52 tools for journaling couched in a delightful read.

The Jewish Journaling Book is a refreshing blend of everyday inspiration with an infusion of Judaism. It inspired me to document my life's journey in new ways. A nightable companion must have!

Falon's book inspires the reader to keep a journal without the usual obstacles that one can come up with. You don't have to be Jewish to read this book; it will help everyone.

Janet Falon has done something amazing--she's made me want to keep a journal again. Written in crystalline prose (this woman can WRITE), Falon guides you through the whys and wherefores of keeping a journal and why doing it through a Jewish perspective can open you up and make your life more meaningful. I loved this book I bought a few more copies to give to friends.

I have a condensed version of this book published in 1983 that just broke me up. I spent many happy hours watching friends read passages as they laughed so hard tears streamed down their cheeks. Not that my friends are all the weird, you understand, just that the book is that good. (Actually some of my friends were not that crazy about it, sometimes it takes a thing like that to find out who your friends really are.)

Tragically, I lost the book a long time ago and occasionally thought of it over the years, wishing I still had it. Not long ago as I was cleaning out my office and the treasured little book turned up again!

I spent a half hour in hysterics re-reading it, then went to my computer to look it up and lo and behold, here it is still in print and 128 pages! My copy is only 32 pages. I'm ordering the full version immediately.

This is a hysterical and at times poignant little work that casts new light on an old social taboo. It is part journal, in which the young gentleman writes about his family, his friends, their cat called Drut and their dog called Albert Schweitzer, and part dictionary, in which an impressive variety of farts is listed and described, from the Alarm Fart to the Zipper Fart. In re-reading it recently, I found myself rolling on the floor every few pages. In this regard, I found the following particularly funny: (1) The Dog Fart: ýIt is necessary for a dog to be around for this fart to occur ýý (2) The Interrogatory Fart: ýSeems to say, ýOh?ý or, ýWell?ý It can be a very silly fart when you are alone ýý (3) The Sýcuse Me Fart: ýThis fart excuses itself as it is farted. It is about as close to words as a fart can get. The sound it makes is like a little soft whisper that says, ýSýcuse me.ý Itýs the most polite of all farts ýý As a masterpiece of scatology and coprofilia, this book is a delightful rival to certain passages in Chaucerýs ýMidsummernightýs Dream.ý I highly recommend it as a gift book.

This is one of the funniest books I owned as a child. A must have for anyone who thinks that farts are funny.

I was never so happy to find a book. This answered all of my fart-finding needs, such as... what is a fart? Where does it come from? Do monkies fart? All these answers and more were found in a concise, clear manner in this marvelous novel, "Joel's Journal and Fact-Filled Fart Book." I have never felt more happy or complete in my entire lifetime. Anyone who has ever wondered about farts should read it! It's a fartin' good time!

This takes less than five minutes a day and it is such fun to look back and see where you were on that particular day a year ago, or in my case, 2 or 3 years ago. Some days I don't journal, and the next year, I am so angry at me for not doing it! It is a timeless record of your thoughts, activities, weight, whatever you would like to keep track! I also recommend this as a very calming influence!

I love this journal. I bought one in 1997, and will need another in 2008, but I have grave concerns that this book is no longer being printed. Where will I get one?

Thank you, Ms. Koshiyama.

This is a wonderful Journal. It has become my family's Journal, from Josh's first words to passing our MCSE certification exams. I like to look back at what birthday gifts we gave friends and relatives from year to year so as not to repeat the same gift or idea.

A software version would be wonderful, too - because this would allow key-word searches.

Thank you for a wonderful idea!

Elisia@Delphi.com

Journal 10+ is a very innovative concept. Usually, keeping a diary requires you to make a commitment. I tried to keep a journal many times, but it did not last more than a month. I felt an obligation of keeping a full page of journal every day. Then, I found this Journal 10+. Eleven years of journals can fit in one single page. Each day of 11 years has four lines. If the space is not enough, there are plenty of bonus pages where you also can jot down your future plans or project ideas. You can come back to those ideas a few years later and review them. You also get address books and special dates pages. You can keep all your important information in this one book. The best part of the Journal 10+ is that you can skip a few weeks and come back to it without any guilt. If you are busy or do not feel like writing, you can take some time off. Since you know it is for 11 years, you can take your time and enjoy recording your memory. More than anything else, you can see how you would have changed over years. You become more affectionate toward this Journal 10+. I, myself, am very much looking forward to seeing my growth in the future. I hope you will enjoy it, too. I also would like to thank Ms. Masayo Koshiyama for her ideas. She reminds us of the importance of having an open mind for new oncepts.