Literature Books

We are big Doctor Seuss fans and are attempting to get the entire collection for our daughter. Like the book, just too similar to Fox in Socks. Nothing but tongue twisters and no real story.
Great to have if your trying to collect all Dr Seuss books. If completing the collection is not important to you, I would only chose this if you don't already have Fox in Socks

Great book for my 1st grader, he loves the rhyming words throughout.

This book captures literary genius in the form of childish tongue twisters. It proves to be an excellent practice of diction and reading rhythm while providing extreme entertainment for the little listener. The love of words is the beginning of all great literary accomplishment, and this child's book is a step in the right direction.

This book was one of my husbands favorites when he was growing up, and now that we are expecting a child he wanted our son to have the same experience. He was so excited when it arrived that he read it to me as a bedtime story. The riddles start out easy, but by the end of the book your tongue is so twisted it's hard to say anything!! It's a lot of fun and we really look forward to hearing our son try to say these riddles when he learns to speak.

This is a really fun book to read. However, you REALLY have to pay attention to the words or you will mess them up. If you love tongue twisters, this is the book for you. It also is great for young readers, but they may become frustrated with some of the words. It's fun for little ones to listen to and to see how fast you can say these phrases. When you hear "faster, faster," well, you know you're encouraging reading in your child. A very fun book - I recommend it.

I am not a big reader. I get bored after a few chapters if the book is not interesting enough and I put it down, never to be picked up again. Not with this book. Hot hot hot. You are hooked from the very first page and can't wait to see what happens next. The descriptive nature of each scene makes you feel as if you are right there. Definitely a must read! I can't wait for the next book of Mo Flames!

Mo Flames is definitely a new author who is destined to take this literary game by storm!!

This book tells you all about Desiree and her quest to find a true soulmate. She starts out with Troy, a NFL player that is nothing but trouble from his fist connecting with her face every chance he gets. She finally comes to her senses and leaves him alone, gets married to another man Jamal and then starts getting busy with her and Troy's mutual friend Derrik...

Sounds like a bunch of DRAMA... well that it is.... Mo steps into many womens' lives with this uncut, hold onto your seat debut novel of hers and I can't wait for this sequel.... Please get this book! Much success, Mo!

You have to give it up to the sister Mo'Flames. It's hot when you first pick it up until you put it down. This is the first book that I read from the author and she don't have to worry - I will continue to support her by buying her books. I can't wait for her to visit our Book Club (D & K Book Club - Sistha's On The Go) when she's back in the tri-state area again. So she can give us some of the info on part two. I would advise everyone to go out and get this book. You think the cover is smoking wait until you start reading it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get you an ice cold drink, get cozy and relax - you will be there for a while!!!!!. Go Mo!!

If I were going to be brief, which is unlikely, I'd put my opinion into these few words... good book. I like her style. But since I don't mean to be brief, I'll go on, while trying to keep any spoilers to a minimum.

One Ain't Enough by Mo' Flames reads easily and manages to strike several chords of realism in a well-developed fictional storyline. Well under 300 pages, it's just right for reading at bedtime, on a lazy afternoon, on a plane, or on a road trip.

As some of you know, this is Mo's debut novel, and it packs a lot of spice in its punch. The story is told by getting into the heads of several of its characters all at once, and spins a few intricate webs of deception, many for selfish gain and/or self-preservation, while holding one's attention with pages upon pages of steamy love scenes. It is the epitome of a "sex sells" page-turner, indulging its reader in the formula that Mo' Flames uses well.

One might find it hard to sympathize, even less empathize with the main female character, Desiree, an obviously intelligent woman, but one who clearly cannot think on her feet, or with her head, apparently, as her near-too perfect, know-it-all, Rock of Gibraltar best friend, Brielle, reminds her on more than one occasion. Brielle's unwavering support notwithstanding, Desiree's missteps will either endear you or annoy you.

I liken Desi's poor decisions to those of the anti-heroine in The Coldest Winter Ever, Winter, who eventually slept in the bed she made. Unlike Winter, however, Desi's fate is not sealed by the end of the story. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Even with getting into her history, her heart and her head, Desi is a tough sell for me. Desi' questionable likeability, born of her "slipped and fell"/"can't help it" decision-making, is a good thing for any character. It makes her human and plenty fallible, which means that nearly any woman alive should be able to relate to her.

Desiree's husband, Jamal, while handling A LOT of triflin' business, even down to the final pages, is somehow a more sympathetic character than any of the others. Great job on this one, Mo'. Making Jamal the number one cuckold in the story is one of the things that allows him to do tons of foul stuff and still remain a compelling character throughout the story.

Derrik, for purposes of this review, is best termed as cuckold number 2, though he's only Desi's lover. He is the too-good-to-be-true character about whom many of us either write, read or fantasize. Very likeable, but not flawed at all. Too bad.

Troy, Desi's ex-boyfriend, and Derrik's best friend, can be summed up as the loser who wouldn't stay lost, in that he lost Desi, or rather, threw her away, and a few years later, recognizes his loss and takes steps to get her back, regardless of anything or anyone else, including his long-suffering wife, Mia, the story's main filler. Troy has enough flaws for all the characters in the story, but there are portions of the text that allow the reader to glimpse at his humanity. Very subtle and very well done, as in so effortless, it may pass for unintentional.

Other fillers of the story and its subplots are Angela and Rico, whose relationships with each other and the other characters are almost "Crash"-like. A little messy, but mostly tidied up by the end of the movie, I mean, book. Angela and Rico are mildly sympathetic, but thinly developed, which is why they make good fillers. Nobody really cares about them, but they move the story along well enough.

As well, there is a good delivery of ample dialogue, and the editing of the text is not bad at all, better than some I've seen in works from Zane, Michael Baisden, and others. Basically, Mo' Flames does it "Mo' Betta". Mo' Flames' skills are.

Any editing, plot or storyline inconsistencies that one might find in One Ain't Enough are very few and inconsequential to its overall flow. The ending is a very nice tease, and it will leave the intrigued reader with the intended question mark and looking forward to reading more from the talented writer who is Mo' Flames.

Mo Flames is hot, hot, and hot. Beware, a towel or even a cold shower maybe required when reading One Ain't Enough; that is how hot this book is.

Girl meets guy, falls for him hard, realizes he is not the one. Girl meets another guy and he is the one...maybe. Desiree Edwards, a woman who can help you make the right choices when it comes to your money, but who is there to help her make the right choices when it comes to love? Will it be her best friend, Brielle, or one of the men in her life; Jamal, her husband; Troy, her ex-boyfriend or Derrik, a mutual friend of hers and Troy?

Desiree's job requires her to do a lot of traveling, and though in the beginning Jamal was understanding and okay with it, the time has come where he really wants to begin a family. When his needs are neglected, Jamal finds a new body to warm his bed. Once he realizes he may have gotten more than what he bargained for, Jamal makes choices he cannot change and would come to regret.

Derrik a true friend, has been holding in his feelings concerning Desiree, because of her relationship with Troy. When they are stuck in an airport together, he sees his chance and takes it as soon as it is offered to him. As the saying goes, what is done in the dark, will always come to light, and when it does sparks will fly, but who will ultimately get burned?

What do you get when you put hot sex and two love triangles together? One Ain't Enough by Mo Flames. I truly enjoyed reading this debut novel. I was a bit perturbed when I completed the book, because it left me hanging and wanting more. Then again I anticipate her next book that I hope will not only tie up some loose ends, but stand up to the quality work Mo Flames put forth in One Ain't Enough. One Ain't Enough is not for the meek or the mild; I do recommend it to readers who can hang with the likes of Eric Jerome Dickey and Zane. This would be a good read to a person with an open-mind, who likes fast-moving drama, and who is not afraid to read erotica in its rarest form.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

Apr 5, 2008: Has all sorts of practical vocabulary for everyday situations: household vocabulary, garden care vocabulary, medical vocabulary and many other situations. Would be valuable to communicate with Spanish speaking employees who may have limited literacy, because it is a picture book aimed at adult immigrants. Has lots of words for tools, car repair and furniture that you don't get in high school textbooks.

I am an English as a Second Language Instructor. Every time we use the class set of Oxford Picture Dictionaries my students always want to purchase them. I get a lot of requests for these. I see the students using them all of the time. It increases their knowledge of English & their confidence. I highly recommend it for anyone learning English or Spanish!

I have found the Oxford Picture Dictionary to be a great help for teaching vocabulary words in my ESL classroom. The illustrations are very good and easy to understand. I would recommend it highly.

my daughter is learning Arabic and discovered the oxford Arabic picture dictionary, loved it and then requested the Spanish/English dictionary and loves it too!!With tools like these languages are a lot easier to learn-teachers should get discounts so that more young people can enjoy learning the different languages.

Wonderful English/Spanish Dictionary, my son really enjoys looking through the book and learning new words.

Where the heck did Clay Reynolds come from? This is one wild high-octane rush of Texas black comedy, betrayal and bloodshed. Tarrantino meets McMurtry. They'll never cram all this headlong action into a feature-length movie, and if they did it would fry you brainless. Read the book.

A fine plot,interesting,true to life characters and well paced make Players a super crime read.It is not yet up to the better Lawrence Block's or Elmore Leonard's,but I would rate it an 8 if not for the highly distracting use of colons in the punctuation.There are hundreds and hundreds of them.

1)This book is so far the only book that all the readers (including me) who tributed comments to the wonderful and so USER-FRIENDLY cool AMAZON.COM that from top to end, there is only an unique 10 or 10+ ratings. But why Amazon.com never included this wonderfully written book in their best recommanded 50 books? If all the readers of Amazon.com uncontroversially and wholeheartedly said this book is GREAT and only gave a 10~10+, it IS great, OK?! And you don't get any special credit by just writing a shallow negative review.

Players has got be one of the best books written in years. Reynolds ability to keep you thinking shines in this work. The plot is so well done and involved. It is one you will not be able to put down. A 10 without doubt!!!

I was recommended thru the e-mail for a chosen group to read this book. My God, this is the most wonderful book I've ever read, but I chewed it very slowly, because I didn't want to finish it too soon. For years I have been looking for such perfectly plotted, perfectly written, perfectly developed book! This is a real istant modern classic mystery+thriller, because it does not read like most of the so-called mysteries that actually written by retarded imbeciles & morons who dared to call themselves (mystery) writers and their mumbo jumbo craps mystery! This is a book written by a THINKING writer with mature logic. A very complex story twisted with plots within plots, but all were answered logically and completely, making the reading like watching a perfect onion peeled off grdually by a well experienced chef to the core. There was almost no flaw that I could find. This is the first book I could never guess what's gonna happen in the next page or next chapter. Like Carl Hiaassan in Florida, Mr. Reynolds por

A scholarly work giving an insight into (Non mainstream) Christian people's attempts to predict both the timing and the intent of a millennium.It has left the Holy Roman church virtually intact despite the attacks made against it; that is it does not pass judgement on the attitudes, teaching and actions of the church during the period presented.

I believed a history book such as this one would not get revised and ordered an old print of 1972 for an alluring bargain. Now I know better, but I was lucky. There was at least one revision, in 1969 of this 1957 book. Among other changes an entire chapter got included.

This by the time of this review half a century old book is on millennianism. Which has nothing to do with the last or the "current" turn of the calendar, but with the expectation of a paradisical kingdom to get introduced by the (returning) messiah, no matter when. Which would last for a millennium. The time frame is half a millennium, from the 11th to the 16th century. The book largely concentrates on north-western Europe, specifically France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Bohemia and England. Only occasionally referencing other territories.

Talk is about the crusades, especially from below. Poor masses embarrassing the official knights for their anarchic conduct, such as cannibalism and genociding Jews and Muslims, but also the rich Christian clergy. This book is primarily about the medievil class struggle. Ultra exploitation and general greed causing desperate mass movements with religious hope and frenzy. Norman Cohn elaborates on the social conditions and transformations from peasantry to urbanization, thus putting historical data into context. While most other authors highlight official history, i.e. the history of kings and popes etc., Norman Cohn focuses on the poor revolting. I have never before heard about a shepherds' crusade, yet there were two of them. Some of those crusades were directed against the Christian clergy and the establishment in general. That's why even today, official history lessons aren't that eager to teach about them. Some insurrections described include the flagellants (who were also genociding Jews), Beguines and Beghards (who inspired the term beggars), Thomas Müntzer, Anabaptists and all sorts of self-declared saviors. Their followers largely jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. Often literally, as the establishment punished with the stake quite liberally. But also for the mostly quick turnovers of the high aspirations of the brave new worlds into lethal absolutism. As such, the ancient Greek-Roman derived ideas of communism turned sour before the 20th century, namely in the European medievil Imes.

Many of the previous reviews put attention to the above. I have three thoughts about that. First, this book has been written and published during the heyday of McCarthyism. Obviously till today it is possible to read the book as anti-communist exclusively. Yet - second -, the author didn't critizise communism alone. In fact, the central focus is rather on the capitalist condition, which caused those mass movements in the first place. He isn't only warning about the dangers of system changes, but also of NOT changing at all. The Bible warns against greed at many places and unequality in general. The opposite has been and still is the condition of the world we live in. No system change is an easy quick fix. Because our meme pool functions within the very same parameters of greed, power and constructs of separation. Even in communism, no matter wether religious or anti-religious, some people quickly become more equal than others. This book is a warning against absolutism. Forcing one's views into other peoples' throats. It is a warning against ever more radical conditions and views until everybody (else) is fed up with those conditions, pushes them from the pedestal ENTIRELY and when in lack of a solution relying on the previous model. Which hadn't been reformed in the first place for nothing. That way, society is circling within the very same dysfunctionality, but under the illusion of system changes. The question therefore is: Were the Dark Ages' wannabe reformers too radical or not radical enough?

Both. As the third thing is that this book doesn't only critisize the radicals, but also the persecuting establishment (which executed atheists just the same). Both persecuting the mystics as sick. Who get described in this book as gnostics, stoics, Free Spirits, Ranters, Spanish Brotherhood of Muslims, Amaurians and by other terms. Unsurprisingly many reviewers blind these mystics as the same ill-advised fanatics. But the book isn't saying that. Though not really pointing out the opposite directly either. The reason for the misoverstanding is that mystics sound crazy to the masses of today no less than the absolutist loonies. Yet, they hold the key to enter the road for a real change. The basic message being: Everything in existence is God/Allah/Jah/the universe, etc, all separations are constructs of the illusory human mind. Overstanding that, equal treatment establishes itself on a different plain than a nice should-be command. The book does provide some mystical texts, including on the divinity of every human, every living thing, in fact everything and a hint of the illusion of the separation of genders (p. 325). The latter of which I find most interesting, as I wasn't aware that medievil Europe harbored a subculture knowing this. Eurocentered, the author puts all of these mystics in the derivation line of Neo-Platonism. Whereas in reality, all of this is derived from ancient Black Egypt.

Unfortunately the book isn't going into what sprang into my mind as a theory immediately and continuously while reading this book. The major religious concern of the masses is against greed and exploitation, still hinting at the Sodom story rather in this context. Whereas today, greed and exploitation isn't such a religious concern anymore. In fact, communism has become severely anti-religious. But the Sodom story is still featuring majorly in religious preachings. But in a completely different context. Most certainly the Noah-Ham story has been misinterpreted in order to justify the exploitation of slavery shortly thereafter. The book doesn't go into it, but mentions that the populace fought adamantly for the abolishment of serfdom anywhere - based on the Bible. It seems obvious that the Sodom story has been misinterpreted to divert attention away from "Thou shall not be greedy!" in the first place, away from the detesting of the rich, who included the Church. In that way the medievil subject of the book hasn't lost its topicality at all indeed.

If you want to find out more about general modern mysticism, read for example The Mystical Journey from Jesus to Christ and based on science From Science to God: A Physicist's Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness. On the schemes of exploitation no matter the superficial system, read Putting It All Together: World Conquest, Global Genocide & African Liberation.

This is an excellent book. According to the above it could be so much more - not only describing history, but changing the present. At the Imes of having been written, those issues couldn't get written about. As I-and-I (we) haven't left the Dark Ages yet, not really. "We" only think we have...

This is a brilliant and fascinating history of Christian millennial movements, cults and apocalyptically-motivated uprisings from earliest times up until the Reformation era. In the sheer bizarre freakishness of this tale of flagellants, messiahs, visionary madmen, heretical saints, reincarnated Jesuses, religious libertines, crazed hordes of rootless paupers, and genocidal prophets who sought to bring on the millennium in a sea of blood, this study is like a deformed sideshow mutant that both mesmerizes and disgusts you. However, it's more than just entertainment. I believe that it is a prophetic work.

The apocalyptic DNA strand was never eradicated from the human animal and will surely resurface in the Christian world when the conditions are right. Those conditions, among which are social dislocation, cultural deracination, political corruption, establishment-religion apathy and hypocrisy, have been rising to an extreme heat since the 1960s. Millions of people have been, and will continue to be, severed from traditional means of understanding the world and will find meaning by turning to the deviant and heterodox forms of Christianity that have proliferated in the past 30 years in America. The powerful leaders of these faith groups provide certainty, spirituality and carnal satisfaction with prophecies, visions, "miracles", divine revelations, new experiences via mind-altering practices, promises of earthly prosperity and a sense of belonging by exacerbating the hostility with "the world". Apocalyptic theology is an ever-present theme. The followers of these televangelist messiahs are peaceable enough now, but should their bellies ever be shrunken by an economic downturn- the last of the necessary conditions- we will see violent millenarian movements like nothing the world has ever known. If you're interested in what that kind of world may look like, read this book.

Cohn's "Pursuit of the Millennium" has aged well and nearing 50 years of age it is deservedly a classic. Its subjet might be considered by some to be esoteric: it deals with prophets from middle age Europe who led others to believe that the end of times was at hand, and that they had been chosen by God to purify the world in preparation for the Kingdom of the Last Days, and with pantheistic mystical anarchists who believed that they could do no evil because they had connected with their divine essences. In most cases these figures are virtual unknowns even for people who like history. The few that still turn up are Thomas Müntzer, the leader of the rebellious peasants who were exterminated in the Battle of Frankenhausen (a character in the historical fiction pastiche "Q" by Luther Blisset) and John of Leyden, the tailor who created a totalitarian kingdom of saints in Münster. For the revolutionary millennarians the tale is a bit repetitive, and it usually went like this: a former priest or a hermit with a violent disposition concludes, after meditating for a long time, that he is living at the end of times and that he is God/ he is a god/ he has been chosen by God or a god to lead the just and the good in a final, apocalyptic, war against Antichrist and his followers, to usher in the millennium of the saints announced by John the Divine, prior to the end of the world and the final reckoning. The hermit or defrocked priest finds some followers and eventually is able to take hold of a town or a castle, which he converts into a stronghold with the help of the rootless rabble. Then he proceeds to plunder from the rich (nobles and clergy) and to purge the unredeemed. Eventually the powers-that-be get their act together and dispatch an army of knights who, after a bloody fight are able to capture the prophet and his main followers, who usually are burnt or beheaded after enduring torture. It is peculiar that even thought they are always defeated and crushed, the sort of people who are drawn to this type of leader will rise up to follow them again and again.

Cohn's book tells the story in just the right detail. He shows that certain regions were particularly sensitive to the millennarian prophets. Many such arose in the Northwestern corner of Europe (Northeastern France, the Benelux countries, the Rhineland in Germany). He also shows that generally poor people have had rational aims: to use pressure in order to improve their lot by acquisition of certain rights. Only a minority has felt the attraction of millennarian revolutions, and these usually have been uprooted people without a settled role. Also, these revolutionary initiatives were able to succeed (even if for a short while) only in times of chaos or unrest (i.e., the Crusades, visitations of the plague or black death, economic crises, etc.). Usually the self-appointed prophets used the social disruption in order to further their cause and take advantage from the momentary weakness of defenders of the status quo.

Cohn is a sober commentator who shows that recent historians have sometimes ignored the evidence to further a political agenda. Thus, leftist historians sometimes refused to acknowledge some activities of the prophets whom they regarded as protorevolutionaries (such as their inclination to institutionalized promiscuity or their remarkably violent language), probably in order to maintain their status as predecessors of current "progressives".

An interesting conclusion from the reading of the book is that, contrary to what many think, ideas are not a neutral good to be chosen by informed customers in an efficient marketplace. Some ideas appeal to dark places in people's minds: these are dangerous ideas, and parents and teachers would do well to instruct their children, so that they do not succumb. One such idea is that "God" is in everything, and that when a person becomes aware of this he or she becomes entirely free and can follow his or her desires without any negative ethical implication. Another way of putting this is that nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so, as Hamlet said. This type of belief might lead a person to the most brutal behaviors without any perception that they had done ill. This is a very common opinion nowadays, and in fact both the millennarists and the mystical anarchists have their successors nowadays. Today, the center of millennarian agitation is surely the USA, were many people believe that the Book of Revelation (Apocalypse) is a play-by-play description of the end of the world and that they will live to see it happen. And many new age sects (including Scientology) appear to hold the belief that we can become gods and be free of conventional morality and ethics.

In his conclusion Cohn suggests that many radical movements of the XX century are in fact new versions of the old millennarian revolutionary heresies. There can be no doubt that this is the case: human motivations change little over time. What changes is the language in which they are articulated. In a religious era, the language and imagery were religious. in a godless age the language attempts to be scientific and logical. But underneath there beats the same old hope: the hope to see evil punished and evildoers destroyed, to be part of a chosen elite with a new understanding of the nature of reality, and an exhilarating vision of a better future through hardship and strife. We can all empathise with these feelings. Action movies, comic books, tragedies, country music and soap operas resonate for many of us because they take their inspiration from some of these elements. I only regret that Cohn did not expand the point, although other authors have done so, most notably Michel Burleigh, who in his recent two volume history on the clashes between politics and religion from the French Revolution to our days has shown that much of what passes for politics is in reality religion by another name, and how the most revolutionary creeds of the XX century were really millennarian sects.

And Cohn's perspective is so pertinent that it even explains the rise of Islamic fundamentalism tinged with visions of a holy war that will redeem the world and turn into the Umma, the community of the believers. The followers of fundamentalism have been the large masses of uprooted peasants without a clear role in a modernizing world, and their leaders have been intellectuals or semi-intellectuals who can understand how the world works but want no part of it, other than to redeem it in an apocalytic struggle. Their counterparts in other religions are very similar to them: people who want to find a meaning for lives that provide none, people who are sensitive to unfairness and who instinctively resonate with violence and retribution, people who yearn for zoroastrian visions of entirely distinct good and bad. As ever, for these people, the new millennium of peace and joy is just around the corner, although sadly it can only come about on mountains of corpses and through rivers of blood.

I have read this book several times: And each time I do; I am still amazed at the brilliant historical research of Christian millennial movements that Norman Cohn gave to the world. This book is timeless, and serves as a great warning to everyone. The apocalyptic movements from the earliest times of Christianity, to the Reformation was not only dangerous in its extremism, but what amazes me, is that it still among us: civilized though we may think we are. Everything is served up in this great book: flagellants, false messiahs, heretical saints, crazed visionaries, and insane prophets of doom. The belief that the apostles lived a life of poverty, and that all men had to share led to a struggle of class warfare, which in turn led to many wars and spilt blood. All in the name of God.

The pages of history are filled with the names of men whose desire for power, be it political or religious, lead many others into the abyss: Those whose own despair with the world around them are led to believe in the false messages and sense of security of divine righteousness. And as such, much blood has been spilled by these deceitful and crazed false teachings. These corrupters of truth have not gone away, they are still among us: No matter what their religion. And that is why this book is as important now, as when it was first published.

In the book, Norman Cohn's research gives light into the revolutionary millennial cults that spread into dangerous movements. Part of this was the mistrust of the established Church in Europe during the middle ages, and resentment of the aristocracy, whose ties and deep connections to the Church was seen as one of depriving the people of a truer and better life. And although these were legitimate complaints by the people, the fact that through there own despair, they were led by others to seek out equality in its most extreme form, is truly frightening. The millennial movements gained most of their members from the poor, and unskilled urban dwellers who were uprooted due to famine in many cases. Seeking the Kingdom of Heaven and God, however, led by demagogues and fanatics, the book goes into much detail of how, where and why these cults thrived. Highly highly recommended. [Stars: 5+]

Both our girls love this book. Our 4 yr old loves reading it to her 18 month old sister too.

My daughter loved the Yummy/Yucky book, and now enjoys the Quiet/Loud book as well (of course she likes the Loud better than the Quiet). Fun illustrations and simple concepts would be appreciated by almost any child.

A friend just bought this book for my son. It is the first book he has ever brought over to me to read. I read the quiet parts in a whisper and then read the loud parts...well, loud. He loves it. He also wants to go get my shoes when I read "Mommy's shoes are LOUD." It is pretty funny. Great book! Also would recommend Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

My 16 month old daughter absolutely loves this book. She will bring the book to me at least twice a day to read to her. The toddler in the book series is just so cute and adorable that I even enjoy turning every page. This book will also be a great for younger babies since there is a lot of color contrast in the pictures.

My child is too young to understand the words, but she is very entertained by the illustrations. They are wonderful. I recommend all of Leslie Patricelli's books.

The Rag Coat


The Rag Coat is a story about a young girl with hope who has always helped others and needs the favor returned. This story will have you counting your blessings. And the young girl is full of hope, and when you are done reading you will be too.

Detailed and colorful pictures are on every page you turn. For example, the cover with the coat shows how much details are in each fragment. This is a great story to read a loud in groups or just at home on the couch. It's especially on a cold winter night! The story makes you feel like someone is actually telling you. This book proves how hard times can bring people and families together. All of the quilting moms take time to help after the death of a loved person.
The Rag Coat is a great story to read aloud; as you flip through the pages, you see detailed and colorful pictures. This book proves how hard times bring people together. The main character Minna really brings the story to life!

I bought copies of this book for my two granddaughters and one for me too. That way we can read together over the phone. This story is so very special, well written with beautiful pictures. Both girls, ages 11 and 7 loved it, and so did grandma. This one is a keeper for sure!

I bought this book for my 6 year old son. We absolutely love this book. It is such a sweet story. It teaches an important lesson as well. If you want to teach your child to be compassionate towards others, then this story is a great way to begin.

Like some other reviewers, I cried as I read this book to my children. It is a touching tale of an 8 year old girl Minna who is coping with her father's death, trying to help her mom to overcome their poverty and dealing with humiliation of poverty. My daughter (8) said it is sad story with a happy ending - and it is true. The simple message "people only need people" stays in every heart long after you have finished reading the book.

Every library must have a copy of this book. It teaches children what is really important in life. People only need people and nothing else.

Gregory Davis has written a book that will hopefully dispel the most common misperception of Islam as a religion of peace. In no way does Davis proclaim all Muslims are violent or fundamental but he does detail the struggle between one set of values and another and how Islam is believed by Muslims to be the only acceptable religion. The reader will learn that there is no freedom of religion in Islam and how Muslims have a duty to Allah to replace all other religions with Islam through whatever means necessary.

While some of the more moderate Muslims will sit back and condemn us infidels for being "intolerant" to their beliefs (just read some of these book reviews!)they are also looking the other way at violence committed in the name of Allah. Muslims that believe fundamentally actively seek the subjugation or destruction of all other religions. It is something that the Western World must come to grips with to combat it.

This is an excellent book for anyone just starting to question what they've been told to believe about Islam and just how much it contradicts with what they see. The book is a fast read and will hopefully leave the reader wanting more information.

This is quite simply an excellent book. It is clear, concise, and includes the sources from which the information is derived. I have read many books on the subject of Islam and its political impact on the world today. This book tackles this complex subject with amazing clarity. The book does not read as a polemic or an anti-Islam screed. It simply analyzes the religion as a philosophy and a political movement from the sources which are most revered by Muslims themselves.
If you are trying to understand the ramifications of this religion and its implications for both believers and non-believers this is an important work. The work may be frightening to Westerners, but that is because of the religion itself and not because of some bias of the author.

One of the most helpful aspects of this work by Gregory Davis is his careful explanation of the concept of abrogation. That is, how the passages of the Qu'ran written later take precedence over those written earlier. For example, the Sura that says "there is no compulsion in religion" was abrogated by one written much later that completely nullified the gentler, more "peaceful" one so often quoted by politicians, muslim apologists, and other idiots. Apparently, even many muslims don't have a clue about this--or else they're being deliberately deceptive. I suspect the latter to be the case. Davis explains this and demonstrates how it is used/ignored to benefit islam. He also explains their endorsement of lying in order to gain advantage over their enemies. All the evil of islam is bound and rooted in muhammed himself. Davis makes this crystal clear. Bravo! Davis, for such a bold piece.

It is anathema in America to vocally criticize another's religion. But the critique of Islam is not restricted to merely religious doctrine.

It would be a joy to see an Islamic scholar attempt to debunk even one of Dr. Davis's numerous cogent arguments and conclusions. It simply isn't happening nor will it. Note one reviewer of ROP (a Muslim) attempts to invoke the "no compulsion in religion" Sura; conveniently excluding any mention that this Sura has long been abrogated by Islamic jurisprudence and Qur'anic expositors. Dr. Davis (a Stanford PhD) has, as have a number of contemporary scholars, exposed completely the fallacy of Muslim contentions that there is no "religious compulsion" in Islam. The distinctly Islamic ideological concepts of "abrogation" and "takiyya" will startle the reader who is making an intellectually rigorous and honest attempt to learn about the dysfunctional aspects of the Qur'an and Haddith. Why does Islamic law (sharia) punish with death a Muslim who sees the light and discards his/her Islamic faith?

130 pages of scholarly rigor will compel those in free societies to be further educated about a clear and present danger. This is patently not hyperbole.

Muslims can no longer be permitted to hide behind the veil of their religion; it is not merely a religion but a primitive totalitarian ideology. Therefore, the Qur'an and Muhammad (sunna/Haddith) are absolutely fair game and subject to critical examination and scrutiny requiring more substantive responses from Muslims than the typical proclamations of "anti-Muslim propaganda," and "religious prejudice."

Anyone who understands the value of classical liberal thinking MUST, at some point, address the inherent problems of Islamic ideology. Dr. Davis will have the most skeptical reader motivated to learn more.

It is astounding that we permit public education in America to teach Islam is a religion of peace. A Muslim may be peaceful but stop the intellectually fallacious notion the Islam is a religion of peace.

The evidence demands a verdict, and Dr. Davis has delivered. An astoundingly timely read. High School and college students can begin an intellectually honest and academically rigorous study of Islamic ideology with this book. I submit that for legions of readers, Dr. Davis will ignite an epiphany.

A true eye-opener. Many people are aware that, for Islam, the only acceptable form of government is a theocracy. That is, one in which religion dictates the laws. What few people realize, is that Islam has not abandoned its expansionist philosophy of the seventh century. It has simply lacked the means to further that expansion, until recently.

Yes, one can find verses in the Our'an which speak of peace with the other "peoples of the book", that to say, Jews and Christians. However, these verses date from the beginning of Islam, when it was struggling to
exist. Once Islam became well established in Arabia, the verses of the Qur'an instruct Muslims to make war on the unbelievers, and to spread the religion by force.

As the Qur'an is the word of God, it can never be changed. However, verses can be abrogated (made void), by later verses, although all of the
verses, both void and current, remain in the text of the Qur'an. Today's Islamist terrorists are but practicing the mandates of the seventh century
Islam, in accordanc with the dictates of the Qur'an. Their goal is to conquer the entire planet for Islam. The extablishment of an Islamic hegemony.

The Religious Affections is probably the most profound analysis of spiritual experience ever written - and by the most brilliant philosopher/theologian to ever come from North America (and possibly the English language).

Jonathan Edwards wrote this book after the Great Awakening with which he was closely involved. He wrote as both a friend, defending the authenticity of revivals - and also as a critique, warning against putting trust in things which were not certain signs of genuine Spirit-wrought affections.

His treatise takes three parts. In part one he defines his terms and gives twelve reasons why genuine religion (i.e. Christian spirituality - "religion," in Edwards day, did not have the negative connotations that it carries today) consists much in the affections. The affections, for Edwards, are more than mere emotions - they are the strong and lively inclinations of the will, seated in the human heart.

Part two discusses twelve things which are not certain signs of true religious affections. These are things which Edwards warned should not be trusted as evidences of grace OR discarded as evidences that the Holy Spirit has NOT worked in a saving way. They are not indicators one way or the other.

Part three is the most lenghty and examines twelve things which are signs of a true work of the grace, wrought by God's holy Spirit in the heart. This is where Edwards is at his best - carefully, logically, biblically, and passionately describing the true evidences of regeneration. His analysis is keen, his thoughts clear, his argument orderly, his scholarship extensive, his knowledge of Scripture profuse, and his understanding of the human heart profound.

This particular edition - produced by Yale and edited by John Smith - is the best critical edition in print. The introduction and notes on the text are very helpful, as Smith summarizes Edwards' arguments and backgrounds the Puritan writers and their books which Edwards quotes in Religious Affections. This volume also includes Edwards' related correspondence with Thomas Gillespie from Scotland - this being the first time the complete correspondence has been printed in the same volume with the Affections.

This is not an easy book to read. Edwards takes getting used to. But it is very worthwhile. I'm currently reading it for the third time and I continue to find it useful. I highly recommend it for pastors and preachers and all Christians who yearn for a personal and corporate work of the Spirit in revival and spiritual awakening.

This is one of the three Edwards works every Christian should read, along with Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and The Prevailing Notion of the Freedom of the Will... (the original title was a mile long!). Sinners is the shortest read, then this, then Freedom. This will help you understand the Great Awakening from Edwards perspective, while kindling in you a passion to know God more intimately.

This is one of the great devotional Christian classics of the 18th century, but it still packs a mighty punch today. It began its life as a series of sermons preached by Edwards to his Northampton congregation in 1742 and 1743, and was first published in 1746. Edwards discusses the place of religious fervor and feelings in the Christian life. For those who prefer a more staid and serene Christian existence, Edwards discusses the prevalence of such scripturally based affections as love, joy, desire, compassion, and zeal. He concludes this opening section by asking how can people sit and hear about "the unparalleled love of the innocent, and holy, and tender Lamb of God, manifested in His dying agonies, His bloody sweat, His loud and bitter cries, and bleeding heart, and all this for enemies, to redeem them from deserved eternal burnings, and to bring to unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory, - and yet be cold and heavy, insensible and regardless! Where are the excesses of our affections proper, if not here?"

After this stirring salvo, Edwards then addresses those who have gone overboard in emphasizing emotional experiences by giving 12 false signs which are thought by many to be indicative of someone who is experiencing true religious affections from God. Many people trust in the depthness of their emotions, the zeal for doing churchwork, the experiences they have had when a scripture verse came to mind, the appearance of love in a person's life, etc, but these things in and of themselves are not conclusive proof of God's divine grace.

Then in the body of the book, Edwards discusses 12 clear signs that God is at work in the life, and the chief sign is that there is a greater appreciation and love for God for who He is and not primarily for what you can get from Him.

Another sign that you are expression truly divine religious affections is that you continue to live for Christ every day. If you have one or two days in church where you feel genuinely inspired and then go back to living a life of sin, then you have not experienced a genuine awakening from God, because when God awakens you, you will be changed forever. Everything you do in life will be motivated by a selfless love for God and for His divine qualities and a selfless love for others.

This book was a shattering read for me because I have often looked upon the religious experiences in my life as proof that I was 'in the Lord,' or proof that I was walking with the Lord, when in actuality, a changed life is the proof.

I should also say that the book is a bit wordy. Many sentences are almost a whole paragraph long. You really have to concentrate to get the main idea in certain portions of the book. The reader not used to 18th century writing might have to adjust to these long and sometimes meandering sections.

But you will be greatly rewarded if you give this book the time and study that it deserves.

Jonathan Edwards penned "Religious Affections" in a day much like our own. Battle lines were drawn over religion of the heart and religion of the head. Edwards, the consummate scholar, but his biblical mind and spiritual heart fully into the task of explaining the scriptural, theological, and practical truth of the nature of spiritual conversion and spiritual growth.

Unlike many Christian scholars today, Edwards recognized the age-old (Old Testament, New Testament, and Church History) truth/tradition of the affections. He saw them as the relational motivation that impelled the soul. Further, he saw the affections, or our longings, desires, and thirsts, as God-created/designed core components of the healthy human personality.

He then traced the relationship between the affections, our cognitions, our volition, and our emotions. Brilliantly he demonstrated that we pursue (volition) what we perceive (cognition) to be pleasant (affections) and pleasing (emotions). In other words, the "action" is in the affections. Capture the affections through the imagination (the deepest aspects of our cognitive capacity) and you capture the soul.

To understand the biblical psychology of the soul, other than the Bible itself, this is THE book to devour.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Beyond the Suffering: The Story of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

An essential work on Christian faith and its natural manifestation in human emotion. Written by arguably the greatest Calvinist preacher to ever live.

I ordered the Omnibus intending to surprise my 8 year old daughter who has some of his famous children's books. When I picked it up at the store, I was surprised to learn that some of the stories had appeared in The New Yorker, and ... The Playboy! These are undoubtedly adult versions of his children's stories, with the same wickedly devious mind behind them. If, an 8 year old Charlie concocts a bitter medicine with household chemicals for his nagging grandmother, one can guess what he would do with highly potent bee protein as an adult bee keeper. You certainly need a wicked sense of humour to enjoy these stories but not since Damon Runyon's On Broadway was I so captivated by the short story. Recommended reading but certainly not for children!

i still love reading "the witches" ... but for a little more grownup roald dahl humor, the omnibus is great reading. and as it promises, it is good bedtime story-length (though you get so drawn in that it may end up stay up reading instead of stopping after one story)

Having been a devoted fan of Roald Dahl's from childhood classics like "Danny the Champion of the World" and "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" collection, I had had little exposure to his adult stories until happening upon this book recently. Lucky me for finding it. Every story was an incredibly inventive blend of character and plot, with a twist to every ending, each within the confines of a few short pages. Few other authors can match Dahl's creativity and imagination, Raymond Carver being the only other author I can think of whose short stories and ideas are as impressive in both style and substance. Do yourself a favor and pick this up - an absolute gem.

Roald Dahl has a reputation for being a great writer of disturbing, perverse short stories. This reputation doesn't quite do him justice. Yes, more than a fair share of his stories explore the darker side of human nature, but that's not what he's all about. I think it's more fair to say that he's a talented short story writer, regardless of genre.

Take for example "The Great Automatic Grammatisator." There are no gruesome deaths, no wives murdering their husbands, etc. But it's still a great story, and vintage Dahl. Here he pokes fun at his own profession, inventing a machine that can spit out full-length novels at the press of a button, simply by pulling from a list of generic characters, plot structures, and vocabulary lists. The commentary on the state of the writing profession is not very subtle, but it's hilarious nonetheless.

And that brings us to Dahl's wonderful sense of humor. Take, for instance, the following passage from the same story: "There's a trick that nearly every writer uses, of inserting at least one long, obscure word into each story. This makes the reader think that the man is very wise and clever." When asked where the machine stores all these words, the response is: "In the word-memory section," he said, epexegetically.

Or how about this exchange in "Pig," when a young man goes to the town doctor to request a death certificate for his recently-passed great aunt. "My God, is she dead?" "Certainly she's dead. If you will come back home with me now I will dig her up and you can see for yourself." "How deep did you bury her?" "Six or seven feet down, I should think." "And how long ago?" "Oh, about eight hours." "Then she's dead. Here's the certificate."

There are many gems in this collection, and not just the ones that you've probably already read like "Lamb to the Slaughter" and "The Way Up to Heaven." Read them all; only a few are disappointing. "Dip in the Pool" is fantastic, as is "The Great Switcheroo."

The one criticism I have of Dahl is that his children's fiction alter-ego tends to make an appearance every once in a while. A handful of his stories are either too simplistic or just plain silly, like they were written for a nine-year-old audience. Sorry, but I can't get into a story about a woman who finds a stray cat and thinks that the reincarnated spirit of Liszt is trapped inside. And occasionally the prose and dialog fail to connect with the mind of an adult reader. But that's okay. Dahl isn't striving for any fancy literary awards. His goal is to entertain, not exercise the mind.

Dahl is probably most famous for his stories for children: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, and MATILDA come to mind.

None of the short stories herein are that kind of story. At least four first appeared in PLAYBOY, and another 7 in THE NEW YORKER. Some are risque, but not all; one would have been suitable for ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, and indeed was adapted to become one of the strongest episodes of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS ("Lamb to the Slaughter").

Specifically, this omnibus contains:
- all but 2 stories from Dahl's collection SOMEONE LIKE YOU (the two missing stories are "My Lady Love, My Dove" and "The Sound Machine");

- 9 of the 11 stories from KISS KISS (the missing pair are "Mrs. Bixby and the Colonel's Coat" and "Parson's Pleasure"); and

- 3 of the 4 stories from SWITCH B**** (the missing story, unfortunately, is the first uncle Oswald story, "The Visitor", which provides the backstory for how the old lecher's diaries came into the author's hands, as well as Oswald's experiences in the Sinai with a Syrian female leper).

Consequently, see reviews of the 3 individual collections for detailed discussion of all the stories herein. To summarize, the OMNIBUS makes an interesting read for an adult who can stand some macabre stories (including mysteries where justice may not be done), but this is *not* suitable bedtime reading for little children.