Other The Books

As a cronic list writer, I can relate to this woman. I was able to see Karen Rizzo's life change, grow, stumble and reinvent itself. What a treat. Laced with sadness and great joy, this humourous book is well worth the read! I really liked it!!!

What a pleasant surprise! I feel like I know Karen better than many lifetime friends and I really dig her! Don't tell Vince the Mechanic:)

A lovely book. So real. So touching. I feel like I actually lived it along with Karen Rizzo and her family and that's a gift. I can't wait for her next one. (There will be a next one, I hope??? I wanna find out just what happens with these colourful characters...)

...or the journaler, or the parent, or the child, or - you can see where this is going! As a list-maker myself I found this book to be comforting, but its insights would be available to anyone. Following Karen on her path from childhood through motherhood in bits, here and there, was an amazing experience. I wasn't so sure about the book when I received it as a gift - a book of lists? are you trying to mock me? - but it was a heartwarming journey through which I (along with other reviewers!) laughed and cried.

You could send this out to all the people in your life that end up on your lists and they'll love you for it. I read this book in one sitting, couldn't put it down really. It puts the small moments in line with the big ones and reminds you that they all add up to a grand life. I gave it to my mom and she laughed and cried, which she loves to do... this one's a keeper.

The final installment of Proust's grand `a la recherche du temps perdu' is a masterful and eloquent meditation on art, on the loss of love, and on the complex and enigmatic quality of experiencing relationships over the course of a lifetime. This is the period, the final breath of literary genius from the great Marcel Proust, who devoted his life to this great novel.

In `Time Regained,' the reader is permitted an extraordinary prolegomena on the writer's craft, a self-reflexive exposition of the literary form that prefigures post-modernity and the works of Brecht, Breton, Beckett, and all the rest of them. Proust creates a work that is more exacting, more precise and perspicacious than any work of aesthetic philosophy in the western tradition. He discloses that the art of writing is, in its essence, an act or translation.The artistic content is already contained within the mind and soul of the artist and the act of writing is an act of transporting the content to form.

This is a novel about time, and it requires time to read. In this way, Proust the reader develops a relationship with the work within the register of a temporal horizon, which mirrors the register of temporality internal to the characters and unfolding of the fictional universe that Proust has created. It is a joy to read.

Also included in this volume is Kilmartin's guide to Proust, a summation of all the central characters, events, and allusions in a la recherché for readers who (inevitably) get lost in Proust's complex literary web.

"Time Regained" is a dark ending to the "In Search of Lost Time" cycle, as Proust, sickly like his fictional narrator, unknowingly nears the end of his own life but senses its imminence. France, like the most of the rest of the world, is now a very different place. The Dreyfus affair is receding into the past under the shadow of the new war that has descended upon Europe, with Germany having ravaged Belgium and threatening to destroy London and Paris.

Many of the people with whom Marcel has associated throughout his life and whom we came to know so intimately through the pages of his chronicle are now dead, whether by disease, accident, old age, or the war. Those among the living include the Baron de Charlus, who sympathizes with the Germans and frequents a hotel that serves as a male brothel; Bloch, who has de-Judaicized his name and has assumed an English chic; and Odette and her daughter Gilberte, the latter now herself a mother, who have not so gracefully weathered the effects of aging.

Marcel himself is now an adult of at least middle age, and, as far as he is concerned, still no closer to achieving his goal of becoming a writer as he was in his youth. He has, however, started writing articles and comes to realize, as he reflects on the course of his life, that the intricate web of contacts he has made can serve as grist for his literary mill, should he decide in his waning days to take up a pen and make some contribution to letters. And, of course, over the past four thousand pages that is exactly what his author has done. Marcel muses on Time (capitalization intended), memory, and dreams as necessary elements in the creation of art, a product of so much personal pain and suffering that death can seem like a welcome reprieve.

Judging the novel as a whole now that I've finished all six volumes, I affirm that there is nothing like it, or even close to it, in literature; like "Moby Dick" or "Don Quixote" it resides in its own impenetrable legendary world of oneness. In my review of "Swann's Way," I compared Proust to Henry James, but I see now that I was way off the mark. James writes like he's throwing his weight around, imperiously demanding intellectual respect and forcing his reader into submission with his intentionally inscrutable compositions; Proust's prose, conversely, calmly and warmly invites the reader into Marcel's society and caresses him with the most delicate sensations and deepest emotions. Proust is closer to Henry Adams than he is to Henry James, but even this attempted juxtaposition is buffered by a wide margin.

Proust's style is so ornate that it is the most difficult of any writer's to describe, yet paradoxically there is nothing affected about it; he is quite possibly the most unpretentious writer in literature. He never tries to impress the reader with his erudition, even though he evidently has much, or make himself out to be something he's not; one gets the sense that what he writes is exactly what and how he thinks, as incredible as that seems. He uses humor without trying to be a comedian, sorrow without trying to be a tragedian. He is employing language simply to illustrate life and the world, and I think language has no higher calling than that.

A brilliant closing volume to the novel. It brings back the lyricism of the first two volumes. I thought in the volumes in between some of that earlier lyricism was sacrificed to the bitchiness of Proust's tone toward the aristocracy he was doubtless jealous of, and his askew view of love that stemmed from his obvious anxieties about having been homosexual. But the early lyrcism and charm of the first two volumes is largely revived in this final volume. And anyone interested in writing, as anyone who makes it to this final volume doubtless is, Proust's passages on the art of writing make rewarding reading.
The obvious flaws are that some characters who'd earlier "died" show up alive in this volume. Couples who had numerous children in earlier volumes show up in this volume having only one child; Marcel (the narrator) recognizes people and then subsequently, in the same scene, doesn't recognize them. I have NOOO idea why some editor didn't knock out these discrepancies and tighten the text. It really seems silly to me to be SOOO faithful to Proust's final manuscript as to include glaring errors. Proust was rewriting when he died. If he'd lived he would have corrected these errors and I think his intention should have been honored. But I'm still giving it five stars, since overall the experience of reading this last volume is of reading something truly brilliant.

Perhaps the most exciting publishing event of the century so far is the new translation of "In Search of Lost Time," as it is now (and more accurately) called. Finding the last two volumes is a bit of a chore, but search for ISBN 0141180366 or "Prendergast Proust" or "Ian Patterson" on Amazon. I haven't read it, but I am impressed enough by the first two volumes in this new translations that I have ordered the final two from England, where they are available in hardcover. Viking has not yet published them in the U.S. (and may not, in my lifetime) but Amazon sells the paperbacks of the British Penguin edition. They are somewhat misleadingly titled "In Search of Lost Time," which is the series title. This volume is actually titled "Finding Time Again," and the translator is Ian Patterson. (Each book has its own translator, for a total of seven. Vol. 5 contains two books and features two translators.)

I give this Modern Library edition only four stars because I am convinced that the new translation is superior. Indeed, it's not entirely clear to me who the translator is, in this case; evidently not Fred Blossom, who did the original English translation when Scott-Montcrief died before finishing the work.

The melancholy atmosphere that pervaded the close of The Fugitive is carried over into this final part of Proust's huge work. Whereas, in the preceding part, Marcel laments the loss of Albertine and his changed relationship with his long time friend, Saint Loup, the author's concerns are now much greater. France is in the midst of World War I, Paris experiencing night time air raids; and the distinction between the Guermantes' Way and Swann's Way has become even more blurred as both Gilberte, the daughter of a courtesan, and Mme. Verdurin, the insufferable salon hostess, have become members of the mystic Guermantes family. Furthermore, Saint Loup is killed in action and Marcel's hometown is occupied by the Germans. But in spite of the gravity of the events surrounding him, Marcel becomes even more self-absorbed. He still holds onto his drean of becoming a writer, but this desire begins to wane as he becomes convinced that he has neither the temperament, the knowledge nor the fortitude to follow a literary career. Then the pivotal event of the whole novel takes place: he is invited to a matinee at the new home of the Prince de Guermantes.

While waiting in an anteroom for admission to the Guermantes' reception, the author is beset by a series of sensory experiences that bring back several happy memories from his past. These recollections, both powerful and joyous, convince him that he has the ability to undertake a literary career, to be able to communicate those ecstatic moments from the past to readers of the present day. His melancholy lifted, he enters the reception to discover that his recent epiphany is only bolstered by what he finds. All around him are the decaying remnants of a fast fading aristocracy. Many of the characters that have been introduced to the reader throughout the course of the novel are met again, but now in the final years of their lives: the proud Charlus, now an obsequious old man; the Duc de Guermantes, described as a "magnificent ruin"; Gilberte, now confused with her aging mother; even Marcel becomes aware that he, too, is quickly getting old. But now seeing things with an artist's eye, Marcel becomes aware that each of these characters, as well as all those people remembered from his life, are "like giants plunged into the years, [touching] the distant epochs through which they have lived, between which so many days have come to range themeselves - in Time." Marcel's goal is clear. He will spend the rest of his life carefully bringing these giants back to life. In other words, he is ready to embark on the huge task of writing the book that the reader has just finished reading.

This part of the novel was published five years after the author's death and suffers from a lack of editing. There are many ellipses, contradictions, and time and place juxtapostion mistakes, errors that Proust would surely have tidied up if he had lived to see his work published in full. But these are paltry criticisms wthen compared to the brilliance of the total work. Unfortunately, Proust is little read these days, and many of those who attempt to read the novel are motivated by the challenge of a literary marathon more than from an awareness of the intrinsic value of the work (as I was). But regardless of the motivation, the effort (and it is an effort) is totally rewarding as the reader sees in Proust's world reflections of his own. It took me a part of seven years to read the complete novel, a period of time in which Proust's search for lost time and my own reminiscences often became linked together as the author's characters shared my own thoughts regarding things past, the specious present, and the eventual fate that awaits us all.

Kilmartin's A Guide to Proust, which is included in this volume is well worth the price of the book by itself. The guide consists of four distinct inexes to Proust's novel: characters, historical persons, places and themes. The scholarship that went into compliling these indexes is outstanding and makes it possible for the reader to spend several years (if he so wishes) in working his way through the novel without losing track of the hundreds of characters and personages included therein. One reviewer remarked, "buy this volume first"; I would only modify this advice by suggesting that the prospective reader get this volume when he purchases Swann's Way.

Being a Titanic fanatic, I instinctly built the model. I read the book, which was really great, and then the fun started when I sunk it. It is as if I went back to April 14, 1912, and saw the whole thing. I can't imagine the horror of what the passengers saw. I hope everyone who buys this feels the same way. 5 stars.

I purchased this for my 5-year old son who LOVES everything about the Titanic, the book was great, he read it in just a couple of days and learned alot. It has a lot of good information about the Titanic, the whole family learned something. The model is great, even for his younger brother. Great in the tub or pool. It was easy to put together. My kids loved it so much I am ordering another to send to a friend's child who is also interested in the Titanic.

if you think that you saw the who movie of titanic think again if you or someone else is a big titanic buff and wants to get a great model of the titanic than this is for you it sinks it breaks it is a marvel take it down to the deep end of the pool and sink the ship. I got one and let me tell you this thing sinks faster than it floats.

I love this thing, and so does my Titanic fanatic 5 yr old son.
When playing Titanic in the tub, he was always enacting the sinking part, which he was very particular about, insisting that the stern goes up, then it breaks in two, then the back spins around, and sinks as the front sinks as well.

When I saw this item, I just had to get it. And I wasn't disappointed at all.

It's a very detailed, hand painted model, and simple to assemble. The mechanism is ingenious. The two halves fasten together well, and the boat will float.

To activate the sinking, you slide a lever, which opens a simulated gash in the hull, right at the proper spot. This allows the water in, which floats a plastic float attached in a see-saw manner to a latch. When the water reaches a certain level, it trips the latch and the two halves fall apart, complete with jagged breaks!
It's really cool!

If you have a child who is into the Titanic, or even if you're a Titanic buff yourself, you'll love this!

The book is helpful and very well done to boot!

My son had to do a report on the Titanic. I thought I knew a lot about it, but this book is full of interesting facts and diagrams that taught my husband and I a few things! Of course, the model was my son's favorite part, and I have to agree that it's fantastic!

The scale model is 16 inches long, pre-painted, and has 19 accessories. It floats in the tub, you slide a switch on the bottom, and a jagged gash opens where it got "hit" by the iceburg. The hull then begins to sink, and the ship splits in two and both pieces "plunge" to the bottom. You can do this over and over again. My kids still haven't tired of it, and I'll probably be ordering another one for his younger brother.

Needless to say, this was a BIG hit with my son's class. He was proud of his demonstration, and I think it motivated him to work a little harder on his report. I recommend this product without reservation.

There were no winners in this race, as expertly laid out by author Bruce Henderson. While the rival "sides" in this debate may never settle, it's tragic to read how two strong men ended their arctic adventures (and friendship) in such rancor and misery. In the end, there's so much confusion to it that history will probably never give either the "prize."

One thing that caught me off guard was the despicable lengths to which Peary went to discredit Cook, even going so far as to coerce the eskimoes into confused statements and ensure the 'disappearance' of Cook's instruments. The whole story was summed up for me in the words of the two men themselves:

PERRY:
"I shall not be satisfied until my name is known from one end of the world to the other. I MUST have fame."

COOK (in dedicating his own book):
"To the Indian who invented pemmican and snowshoes;
To the Eskimo who gave the art of sled traveling;
To this twin family of wild folk who have no flag
Goes the first credit."


by the author of The Swan: Tales of the Sacramento Valley

This is a must for fans of arctic exploration. A terrific story, well told. The account is not an attempt to boost the claims of either Peary or Cook. Rather it is a riveting account of the facts as best we can know them, leaving the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. If you are familiar with the book or TV series "The Last Place on Earth" recounting the race to the South Pole by Scott and Amundsen, you will want to read this book. There are some obvious comparisons of the two men's personalities, but the overall story of "True North" is even more rich. One of the best nonfiction reads you are likely to encounter.

If you are a lover of Arctic adventure and history this is a must read!
Bruce Henderson does a great job comparing the two men who claimed to be first to the North Pole. Was it Peary? Was it Cook? This is so well written and interesting you'll find it hard to put down. I have always had my opinion as to who can rightfully claim the title of "First", but after this book, I changed my mind. You may do the same. Each explorers journey is detailed along with a close look at thier personality and inter-action with others. I guarantee you will love this book!

My wife bought this for me suspecting, as a land surveyor, I would find it interesting. I did ... and then some! Learned some facinating history of the race to the North Pole. Something we don't think much about these days. Cook and Peary's adventure has very little - yet much to do land surveying, (the mathematics/observations). Much of our profession's "roots" come from the U.S. Coast and Geological Survey mentioned in this fine history book. The story was absolutely enthralling! Thanks be to the author for taking us to the "end" with Dr. Cook - such a humble "gentleman"! Such a sad ending.

It is often difficult to translate history into a compelling story. Bruce Henderson, however, managed beautifully in True North. It was a terrific read, with all of the action of a adventure novel, but wonderfully documented and (near as I can tell) historically on point.

It was a post-hospital read following the birth of my last baby, and despite my exhaustion, I had a difficult time putting it down.

There is now a 2.0 edition of this booklet.

In my opinion, this book represents an extremely well thought out piece of work. Dr. Berens displays a rich amount of expertise in Temperament. The clarity of theory is remarkable and the quality of work for such a small book is amazing. Well done.

I really liked this booklet and would recommend it to all of my colleagues. I feel it has a strong message and powerful voice. If you have read Please Understand Me then this is a must have resource.

I found this booklet through a link from Please Understand Me and I have found it invaluable as a resource when I am teaching temperament and using the keirsy sorter. I would give it to anyone who has taken the sorter.

This book is easy to read, understand, and apply! Dr. Berens insights into personality (temperament) are refreshing. A much better framework then the "label and blame-men and women" jargon. A good read for all ages. I will give one to every student I teach!

The structure of the book has been well thought out,with short sections of the text above the vocabulary for that text and at the bottom there is a full commentary with grammatical explanations. There are full explanations of the progress of the story, with interludes explaining the action to come and explanations of both gods and humans. Altogether, I would recommend this book to any sixth form or university classics student.

This Latin textbook provides the first half of the Aeneid in Latin, along with plenty of footnotes and appendices to guide you as you translate the great epic. Each page contains five to fifteen lines of the Aeneid, and the remaining two-thirds of each page contains the vocabulary, grammar notes, and miscellaneous footnotes. You never need to turn a page or refer to another dictionary, so the tedious aspect of translating is removed. (My fellow students love this awesome aspect and therefore call it the "Pharr Out" edition.) The appendices provide all the grammar rules you may have forgotten or have yet to learn. Beginner and Intermediate Latin students can't go wrong with this book if they need or want to tackle Virgil's Aeneid.

This book is a great guide when translating the Aeneid. It has all of the poetic figures, grammatical notes, and vocabulary one needs for preparation for the AP Latin test.

I have found this text to be helpful, although at times somewhat misleading. Pharr's edition of Virgil's Aeneid is renowned for its extensive annotations throughout the entirety of the text (intended to assist students as well as intermediate translators). At times these annotations are more harmful than helpful. Many are either unclear or offer too much impertinent information. For this reason, students often miss the relevant information contained within and simply accept Pharr's translations of various phrases/words without actually translating for themselves.

I recommend this book for any Latin 3, or Ap Class! The vocabulary fold out in the back is very useful! Although some may argue Barbara Boyd's Book 10 and 12 Pallas and Turnus book is exactly the same, the vocabulary lists are scarce. Pharr also has vocabulary on the pages you are translating, that do not occur as often. He also has interesting points that refer to the latin in interpretation, and he points out examples of literary devices. This book is EXCELLENT for a latin student in any grade!

This easy- to- read- page- turner provides new insight into a truly great man. I had admired him for years, but with reservations, due mostly to rumors. After reading this one-on-one report by a man who experienced the good and the bad of Ted Williams, I came away with tremendous insight into a sensitive, caring, loving, beautiful human being. Who knew?? I'm grateful for Richard Ben Cramer's memories of his thought provoking time with Ted Williams, so the rest of us can realize that there was SO much more behind this man than his remarkable life in baseball. I have purchased this book for many of my friends, due to its' uniqueness, and they have all loved it as much as myself. This little book can be read in an evening, but packs a powerful punch!

In a paper-thin volume, Richard Ben Cramer manages to capture the many contradictions of the greatest hitter who ever lived and the last man to bat over .400, Theodore Samuel (Ted) Williams. His book is must reading for any Red Sox fan, and for that matter anyone who wonders why baseball heroes like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose, Joe DiMaggio, and Williams lead such dysfunctional lives, often estranged from their own families.

Contradiction: Williams respected authority (never argued with umpires and liked the military life), but he refused to conform to societal customs, e.g. wearing a necktie.

Contradiction: He was an obsessive perfectionist, but often half-hearted on defense or while running the bases.

Contradiction: He was a self-centered loner, but unfailingly generous toward charities.

Contradiction: He resented the Boston sports press, but wanted no publicity for his unselfish work for the Jimmy Fund.

Contradiction: He came from poverty, was poorly educated, yet became a dyed-in-the-wool Republican and establishmentarian.

One thing Ted never lost was his potty-mouth, which he used to rail against the "knights of the keyboard," Boston's habitually self-righteous sports reporters who attacked him not only for his lackadaisical defensive habits but even for his failure to call his mother on holidays (she was a Salvation Army worker who wasn't home, anyway) or stay home for his daughter's birth (she was born two months prematurely, but he was supposed to have known it would happen). The more Ted cursed at his enemies in the press, the more they'd dig up irrelevant dirt to throw at him. Things never improved. He also refused to tip his cap for the fans after a home run, resentful of earlier booing.

So why did Ted Williams enjoy such a renaissance in public aspect, especially in Boston? It wasn't because he changed as a person. On the contrary, as Cramer makes clear, his later life (with his life partner, Louise, whom he settled down with after three unsuccessful marriages), was filled with the same profanity, the same volatile temper, the same need to be right all the time that the younger Ted Williams exhibited.

What happened, apparently, was that the public was no longer exposed to the constant friction between Ted and the press, and so remembered only the good stuff: his .406 batting average in 1941, his home run that decided the All-Star game that year, and the home run in his last at bat in 1960, all of which were replayed via TV highlights regularly. John Updike's dissertation on the 1960 home run helped, too.

Cramer makes us understand Ted Williams. Like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Pete Rose and Joe DiMaggio, he was no scholar. Also like them, he was able to cultivate a specific skill set on the baseball diamond. He became (arguably) the greatest hitter who ever lived. Still, his lack of education and lonely childhood left vacuums in his life...he compensated for the first by having to be right all the time, and for the second by finally admitting to Cramer, "I was a terrible husband and father."

In the interest of full disclosure, the present writer met Ted Williams at two Red Sox fantasy camps.

Richard Ben Cramer wrote a somewhat controversial but well-researched biography of Joe DiMaggio. The major difference between this excellent portrait, and the latter project, was that we see and hear the protagonist in his own words. At times, it is a loud, booming voice full of life, stories, regrets, and accomplishments of one of our sporting legends.

Mr. Cramer does a masterful job weaving this interesting portrayal. This book is rather brief compared to the DiMaggio biography; however, it has more "life." The bulk of this work concentrates upon an interview that took place in 1986. It is written in such a way that the author fades into the background. In a strange sense, the reader feels present. As if we are sitting with Mr. Williams in his living room, and spellbound to imagine what will come next. The sheer force of his personality makes this a very entertaining and informative read.

Compared to the modern day ballplayer, Mr. Williams was indeed a rare bird. He had interesting and intriguing opinions about hitting, fishing, flying jet planes, marriage, lemonade, fickle fans, and the traffic patterns of the Florida Keys. ;-) He is both arrogant and enchanting, if one can imagine such a thing. Mr. Cramer draws out Williams in a way that writers of his own era failed to do. He showed him respect and deference, but like so many of the fish that Williams loved to catch, didn't allow him off the hook on tough subjects. In a way, this interview perhaps was a cathartic exercise for Mr. Williams.

The unfortunate circumstances that surrounded his death made this book quite pertinent. What do we think of him now? The best hitter to ever live, a true American patriot, a lover of the great outdoors, and a man who defined life in his own strike zone.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this excellent work by Mr. Cramer.

This book is deceptively short, yet like Ted Williams swinging at a baseball in his prime --- it packs one hell of wallop! Amazingly, the reader gets a very well-rounded picture of Williams the man, Williams the out-sized legend, Williams the S.O.B. and of course in his most famous guise as baseball's "greatest hitter who ever lived." The last man ever to hit .400 for a season with 521 career home runs to his credit (including one on his last ever time at bat), he was also the only man ever elected to both the baseball and fly-fishing halls of fame. His life was extremely rich and full and reads like it was five lifetimes rolled into one. A fighter pilot during WWII, many argue he may have even forfeited some of his best years in baseball to serve his country.... Considering his well-established contributions to the science of hitting, that's a scary thought! Anyway, if you're looking for a short and breezy read on one of baseball's all-time-greats look no further than this book by Richard Ben Cramer.

Ted Williams lived the kind of irrepressible life that Hollywood tried to invent for its toughest actors; old-skool masculinity personified, he was the finest baseball player of a generation (if not all time), a fisherman worthy of Hemingway's prose, and a lifelong Marine who served his country in not one but TWO deadly wars, the second of which nearly cost him his own life.

He was the eternal paradox, the New England sports hero with the "When Guns Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Guns" bumper sticker on his pick-up truck, the all-time All-Star outfielder who practiced his swing while playing defense, the surly bane to those in the sports press charged with selling his image to the Boston public, and the eternal cynic who could never fully give himself to the public's adoration because he would always hear the 2 or 3 boos among the thousands of cheers his very presence on the field generated.

This book does a fine job of encapsulating the highlights of Williams' career, covered sparingly among a (then) current interview of the man as living legend approaching his 70's. But the real joy and success of the book is the author's capturing the essence of the magnitude of Williams to the point that you can't possibly help but feel that you are listening to the man thunder away in your own living room, rather than from a far-off house in the Florida Keys (or from the more appropriate peak of Mount Olympus). Most enjoyable to me is the author's penchant FOR PRINTING WILLIAMS' QUOTES IN ALL CAPS (wherein I can't help but read them aloud -and at suitable volume- to my fiancee', much to her dismay).

We have a suitable account of Williams' life after his time as an active player and manager, but before his health began to rapidly deteriorate. It is a full portrait, balancing the more infamous qualities of the man with those that Williams fiercely guarded during his lifetime; that he was, beneath the callous exterior, as warm and giving a soul that baseball would be far more fortunate than it deserves to have as an ambassador today.
It's a joy to read, seemingly almost an afterthought in its brevity, but when considered that it was only ever supposed to be an article for Esquire magazine, it surely ranks among the finest sports writing of all time.

This book is very touching to read if you are a mother. It reminds you of all the special reason you are a great mom to your child.

My mom was quite touched to get this. Lots of feel good messages to make you look like a great son or daughter.

I paged through this book quickly one day & thought of the many similiarites that I had with the relationship with my son. The thought of the book kept coming back to me. My son is at college out of state so I ordered the book and after making some personal notes on a few of the pages, I sent it to him for his 20th birthday. I received a phone call the day he received the package and in a very soft voice, choking back tears I heard "Mom, I got the book - I want to tell you how much it meant to me". I teared up at his response. It is a Wonderful Book! It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. I think it is a must for a son and/or mother to have. What a tribute to sons and mothers alike~

Reading this book made me have a lump in my throat and have tears in my eyes. See how we shape the lives of our children.

As a mom of two boy's ages 4 and 7 I need to let you know how truly I enjoyed this books "reasons". Growing up haveing a wonderful mom I saved so many memories and things that I would pass on to a GIRL. Well as we all know we don't get what we always want out of life. When I came across this book i was surprised to see mom and son in the same sentence. I watch for commercials, books, sayings, even school activates that focus on a realashoinships between a mom and son....they are few and far between. I have grabbed on to my boys and try my best to be a great mom and friend. It was so nice to read this book i plan to keep it and share it with the boys some day. Thank you so much for writing about this and i hope to see more books on the same subject.I would gladly give this book a five.
A mom in michigan (with 2 boys)

Wonderful Ways to Love a Child
I wish I had this book when my children were growing up. I bought this for my daughter when she had her first daughter. It is a great reference manual with good suggestions for any parent on ways to guide your child as he or she grows up to be a well-balance, loving, child, - adult, and at the same time develop a close relationship with them.

Can you combine love and wisdom and deep insight while writing in a simple, inspiring style? Judy Ford has written "Wonderful Ways to Love a Child" in such a direct way that you feel warmed by her words at the same time you are inspired by them. I am so grateful that this book was written.

Jay Schlechter, PhD Author of Intimate Friends: An Antidote to Loneliness.

Many years ago when my children were in pre-school I bought your book.
When the kids were toddlers and I was tired and feeling swamped and

cranky, it helped remind me what was important and what was not. My
kids are in 8th, 6th and 4th grade now and life is busy and fun. I
pulled your book off of the shelf to find a quote for a friend and found
myself re-reading many of the stories. Your book centers me and sort of
re-sets my attitude toward parenting. Your stories are concise and
insightful; I appreciate your sense of family and fun. Just wanted to
say thanks for the times when your book has helped me.

Ms Ford. will stress the same point over and over again from very different angles. If you want your raise your kid as a responsible, caring, inquiring, loving and lovable adult, you shall not use fear, cohersion and guilt as the tools of your education. Chances are that you will fail in a big way.

Rembember that children are independt beings who need your support and guidance, not your control. Be open to what they came to teach you and both will benefit in ways which no words can precisely define, since they will take you to the world of the spirit.

The author makes sure that every parent who reads this book mustr a clear understanding that feeling love is not enough you MUST express it.

I wish I had read this 'gift' book before I spent so much money on all the other parenting books that I have bought. These little stories/anecdotes/lessons are very helpful reminders in aiding me to be a mindful, caring parent in this world full of distractions. I have just purchased this for all my mommy friends as a Mother's Day gift. I plan to keep this on my bedside table to read a new chapter everynight to remind me to provide loving, attentive companionship to my daughter. The stories are short and well written - even my husband with his very short attention span finds them wonderful.

I am another person who bought this book who doesn't even play Warcraft but is just a lover of Fantasy art. I've always loved the Warcraft universe, which seemed like an expansion of/variation on the fantasy universe first created by Tolkien.

When I got this book I was surprised by just what a hefty volume this is. This is a very thick book printed on the finest quality heavy-duty stock.

Not only did this book live up to my expectations, but I found that the great variety of styles and artists included has also helped me to clarify my own tastes in Fantasy art, and has even introduced me to some great new artists I had never heard of before.

The spectrum includes everything from the breathtaking photo-like hyper-realism of Clint Langely (check out his great new solo book "The Art of Clint Langely" by the way!), to the brilliant use of colour in the works of Jim Murray (very Bisley-esque) and Michael Komarck, to well-established artists like Todd McFarlane (--why are both of the pieces credited to him signed as "Greg Capullo"???) and Udon Studios, to the cartoony cuteness of the works of the book's editor Samwise Didier (sorry Samwise, but just gotta say YECH~!)

It was also interesting observing the differences in the variety of mediums used (--I found I preferred good ol' non-digital art.) And a few pieces of preliminary sketches are also included to give us a brief taste of the process from concept to finished work (In some cases I found I liked the initial sketch better than the finished product. Samwise Didier, you ninny, what were you thinking? [...])

The book is organized into sections according to Warhammer race of the subject of the painting. And in the back it also includes indexes of the works by title and by artist, making it easy to look up other works by an artist you may find you particularly like.

I am happy to highly recommend this book, and look forward to further volumes in this series (this book says "Volume 1" on it, hooboy!). I really feel like I got my money's worth with this one. Well done people!

And to all you publishers out there, I hope that other series of trading card art will be made into beautiful art books like this. (--Hear that Wizards of the Coast?) It's such a waste just having it on those tiny little cards. It deserves to be enjoyed properly like this!

And to you people over at Blizzard, how about some art books for Diablo and Starcraft too? I love them too!

I bought this as a gift. The person who received it just loves the book. He really enjoy the art work. So if you need a gift for someone who plays world of warcraft I'd recommend it as a good gift.

This is a wonderful book, and any fan of fantasy art, or Warcraft, would absolutely love it, I've had it for over a month, and i still open it up and just stare at some of the wonderful artwork. Just buy it, you won't be disappointed.

I am not a World of Warcraft gamer, but the beautiful art in this book drew me to it the moment I saw it on the shelf in my local book store. This book is filled with page after page of gorgeous renditions of highly stylized creatures and monsters that entrance the viewer. Discovering some of these artists for the first time was a treat for me, so much so, that I had to go online to find out more about some of them. This is a wonderful book with some great art in it. I highly recommend it for both WoW gamers and non-gamers alike!

I was looking for the perfect book to display the beautiful works of art I had seen in the world of warcraft franchise. This book certainly delivered. There is nothing low quality about this book. It included many of the pictures I'd already seen on the internet and many beautiful paintings I had never seen before. I'll let each buyer see for themselves, but the book is organized in a very simple and interesting way. It is so full of paintings, even after a month, I can look through and find a painting I'd never noticed before, and as an amateur artist, I find plenty of inspiration. A valuable book for any fan of warcraft or fan of fantasy art.