Journals Books

As the former director children's church at my church, I heartily recommend this book. The lessons are straightforward and easily understood and the craft/visual aids are simple and won't have you running all over town to find the components. If you don't want to weigh yourself down with bulky curriculum every Sunday, give this a try. Great for family time too!

There are several things I like about this book. The every-day, easy to find objects used in the sermons are items that children in my church quickly identify. The stories are interesting to adults and children and I don't have to add much to them. There are also special occasion lessons, such as Father's Day and Super Bowl Sunday. The book includes both a scripture index and a topical index that I found very helpful.

"China Teacher - An Intimate Journal" took me back to an era that's both remote and real. Life in Beijing in1980 as described by J.R.LeMaster shows like yellowed pictures in an antique photo album, but the accurate account of daily routines, news, and names of people I actually have met assert that this life was once reality.

The journal urged me to re-live that life and at the same time observe it through multiple perspectives concurrently: an American educator trying to navigate a foreign land with no frame of reference, wide-eyed young men and women who had been frequently reminded growing up that an individual was only a screw on the Party machine, a graduate student in Baylor living on her $600 per month pay working as a research assistant for Dr. LeMaster in the late 80s, and a high-tech professional who left China 20 years ago and who calls US home. I remember thinking our American teachers over-reacted to "trivial" things and now I understand that what was the "norm" then in China was shocking, and rightfully so, to a westerner. I remember the thrill I felt when I read Byron and Keats the first time and now I lament that my literature books are unpacked in a cardboard box in the garage. I remember seeing Dr. LeMaster as a teacher and a "boss" and now I feel that I know him as a person.

One of the most touching details in the book for me is when the author and his fellow western teachers realized that first time in their life that they were "minority" and felt isolated and helpless. It takes the same blind faith for an American to go to China 25 years ago as for a Chinese young man or young woman to come to US. It's a point of no return whether you physically returned to your homeland or not. I can understand that the LeMasters kept going back to China after the initial visit because China is the place that they can remake themselves and reconnect to humanity. I recommend this book to everyone who has or will put his/her feet on the part of planet called China. This book will help you experience China as an intimate journey in life.

American professor and poet J. R. LeMaster has written a powerful treatise of his impressions of his year-long visit to China as a guest professor. His fortuitous visit occurred in the 1980-81 academic year just as China was beginning to open its doors to foreign visitors, allowing him first hand to witness young people just beginning to awaken to new possibilities. The easy-to-read journal format allows the author to include actual detailed descriptions of daily life in China as well as many poignant classroom vignettes. The reader feels his frustrations, his empathy with his students, his appreciation of the Asian culture even though bewildering at times, and his personal battle with cold and sparse living conditions. Through the teaching of American literature, he guides his students, not to memorize in the ancient tradition of Chinese schooling, but to think and integrate ideas of philosophy, psychology, theology, and world history, emphasizing the general inner connectedness of all people of the world. His students, unaccustomed to self expression, gradually begin to respond to his personal warmth, compassion, and gentility. His love of teaching and his students is quite evident as he attempts to break through the centuries of learned stoicism. The author, while presenting in prose, reveals his poetic gifts in the beauty and vividness of detail. Several characters, many reappearing throughout the journal, are so compellingly presented that the reader is left to wonder what may have become of them in the ensuing years. While the book will have appeal to a wide array of readers, I personally recommend this book to all teachers and future teachers who view their profession as a higher calling to reach the highest potential of each student, no matter what culture. Reviewed by Ann Williamson Karaffa, Ph.D.

My husband and I got this journal for our wedding. We absolutely LOVE it and go back to read about our past Christmases every year. Now, I am trying to find it to give out to other newly married couples as a wedding gift and I'm having a hard time finding it! Oh - how I wish there were more being sold. It truly is a treasure that our family will cherish forever!

I got this journal book as a gift and it's ideal to record family memories. Perfect for the family with a new baby.

This is a great little book. It is a collection of trivia from the Civil War and early pre-War period, full of humorous stories (many about the often alocohol-related antics of the infantry of both sides), bizarre coincidences, and all sorts of obscure facts and figures. Most of the information is not repetitive; I've read a good bit on the Civil War yet most of this book's content was new to me. A friend gave it to me a couple days ago and once I picked it up I could not put it down. A great book for someone seeking light reading on the Civil War.

My husband has always been fascinated by the civil war. The only problem was that I quickly exhausted my Christmas gift ideas b/c he was already well-informed on the civil war and had bought most of the better books. It is not uncommon for us to watch a video on the civil war and have him say that he didn't learn anything new.

I took a chance on this book and yeah! he has had trouble putting it down and even said that 9 out of 10 facts were new to him. I would have been happy with 5 out of 10.

A really good book even if your not really a history buff. The book touches on many different things not just the battles, such things as the foot soldier's life, the Iron Brigade, Gettysburg: the civilians. The book however still talks about many important and significant battles of the war like, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, First Manassas, and Fort Sumpter. Every topic you read about will only be about 25 pages long but it is still indepth enough to give you as much information as you could want out of the topic your reading about. I personally enjoyed reading this book, and even if your not big into the Civil War their are plenty of interesting stories and pictures that will keep your interest in reading. You can hardly go wrong reading this because their are 17 different topics so if you don't like one you can go to the next. This is a great book and it fits in with the two others that complete the series. The History Channel and William C. Davis out do themselves again.

This work is so easy to review. It was an absolutely wondeful read. I think it would be difficult for anyone else to compile so much information in such an 'easy to read' format. This book lives up to the expectations you would have after reading "The Leaders." and "The Legacies," the other two books in this series.

My first "Climb" book was given to me as a gift. I have now given it out to at least 25 people. I find it to say all the right inspirational words for every occaission. Highly recommended read!

I was given "Climb" this past Christmas and put it on the shelf until March. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. While it is simple and to the point there is a lot of insight that is relevant to all readers. This is a book that I will give to friends who may be struggling and need a lift up. Small, compact and precise!! A book that I will reach for again and again when I need guidance and comfort. Highly recommend!

This is as good if not better than being in a classroom with the author. The information is handled in a very logical and sequential manner. The examples clarify learning. I have purchased several copies for my friends.

This compilation of essays previously published in JAMA is a brilliant sophisticated, clinically based intimate account of how modern medical knowledge, epidemiology and logic can be applied to the practice of medicine. It is clear and very readable. It has many insights, some of which are at first counterintuitive. It provides an unsurpassed answers to both the commercial "cost benefit analyses" of market managed care and the idiosyncratic academic/fee for service biases of traditional American medicine. A must read for any physician who wants a sophisticated approach to his/her vocation. Jeoffry B. Gordon, MD, MPH paradocs2@home.com

Until I read Dr. Meyer's book, I had no idea that historians spoke about history from the standpoint of imagination and dreams.

In a brilliant weaving of story, anecdotes, and history, Dr. Meyer introduces us to several historians who have used imagination, dreams, and intuition to make their historical discoveries. Drawing further upon the work of Freud and Jung, themselves interested in history as well as psychology, she creates a fascinating story of how history is written. This book is so readable, like talking to a friend.

In addition to Meyer's story telling, she is also a scholar, addressing other viewpoints of history including those historians who were in opposition to those colleagues who used imagination, dreams, and intuition.

History as known to most of us is political and sociological data. History as Meyer presents it, is about all sorts of people (not just politicians and military leaders): people who lived, loved, breathed, worked, and died. It is the story of people in their time and political/social milieus with touches of humanity. Their stories are part of our stories.

Dr. Meyer brings history alive with real people. That we all could have had teachers like Ruth Meyer.

Dr. Ruth Meyer's book is interesting and thought provoking. By inviting the reader to make a shift of perspective, the author establishes the link between history and individual and collective soul. The beautiful connections between Meyer's own and many historians passions and interests open up a new soul-historical scenario. History is not the same after reading it. I wish I have read this book when I was an adolescent and my history learning consisted in memorizing huge disconnected chunks of events.

Greetings,
I received my order in great condition, much sooner than I expected. Whether this is b/c you guys did a great job getting it out quickly, or the parcel service had extra coffee that morning, I appreciated the expediency of the delivery.
Thanks a bunch,
Have a great day :)
Billy P.
Augusta, Ga
P.s. The book, of course, was in great condition. Thanks again.

This is Volume 30 of the "Collected Works". Chesterton's editorials mainly cover political, social, historical, cultural and philosophical topics relating to World War I. As always, GK's insights are fascinating. Avowedly anti-Prussian, he lambastes the Germans at every turn. The more Chesterton writes about Germany, the easier it is to understand how Nazism and its horrors came about. Besides Germany, GK also deals extensively with happening in England, France, and the United States. All in all, a very relevant volume in this superb series!

I love this journal. It's fun and functional. I've gone through 1 and now I'm buying another!

The size is great - not too big, not too small. Plenty of space to write! And it has a sturdy hard cover. It also lays flat so you can write on both sides of the pages - easily!

This is my all time favorite journal. It's sturdy, and its a good size too (big enough to paste e-mails in, but small enough to fit in a medium sized bag) I'll probably keep on buying them until amazon or the Barnes and Noble I frequent stops carrying them.