The Party Books

My 14 month old loves to look at out Sesame Street screen saver. Until I found this series, she didn't have any other real pictures to look at. She is always intrigued by this book. It combines her 2 favorite things: babies and the muppets.

... But my baby *adores* it. She literally giggles with delight when I get it out. She loves looking at the babies; and it is not just any babies, I have lots of books with babies. Something about the babies in THIS BOOK really just clicks with her. We have read it over, and over, and over again. BTW I started reading this book with my baby when she was about 6 months old and she is now 11 months old. :)

Well, if I had to pick out a book, I wouldn't have picked out this one, but all my kids have loved this one to pieces! That's all that counts so I give this a 5 star!

The goosebumps started to appear when I reached the last pages of the preface. The author calls it a pre-chapter....I felt really close to Iraqi farmers and felt their extreme depression and confusion.

The documents the author saves from a burning police station helped me understand the depth Saddam went to mesmerize his people and control them. What a skank!

I am very glad someone shed a light on Ahmed Chalabi, the man of many faces. His FIF are a joke! The way this first-time author weaves his personal feelings and the facts and the emotions of the people he interviews is marvelous.

I am sure in the future he will implement his experience in another book. Chapter six is out of this world. Its title, Baghdad Bound Fragmented is very appropriate. He takes us through the zoo, the schools, palaces, hospitals, banks, and gives a clear picture on the reconstruction of Iraq. My all time favorite..was his disguise as a business man to buy a gun and supply us readers with an itemized price list of the weapons available on the black market in Iraq and their prices.

The CIA informants he meets are labeled Mutt and Jeff.in the book....very hilarious...I wonder what happend to them?

Its a user-freindly must read. Very Gutsy!..Shalom!

The Book starts with a bang as the author reveals his detailed experience with a masked CIA recruitment in Kuwait.

As a translator for the Times, the writer displays how print media conducted their reporting and takes the reader into a detailed edgy ride all the way from Southern-Iraq, Nasiriyah, and Baghdad and finally into Saddam's palaces. I felt like I was on the ground reporting with LA Times.

A daily timely choronicle displaying interviews with POW's, conversations with families of dead innocent civilians, and details on the death of journalists by U.S. freindly fire.

The author dissects the looting of banks, hotels, secrets of CIA informants trying to track down Saddam, and even goes on an arms shopping spree just to shed light on the unbelievable amount of weapons on the Iraqi black market.

I caught myself tearing,laughing, then tearing again as he weaves deep into the agony of Iraqis, the confusion of the coalition soldiers, and finally the minds of the Shia leaders, Coalition generals, and the Iraqi man on the street.

He describes his emotions and his teams' vulnerability as they get shot at and threatened by mortar attacks. He gets caught in the crossfire with the women and children of Basra who were used as human sheilds by Saddam.

Detailed documents and classified files presented in the book reveal the real face of Saddam's ruthless Ba'ath party, the nature of their executions, recruitments, and above all their manipulation of the noble IRAQI PEOPLE.

My favorite line: "Who will pay for Iraq's funeral" I also enjoyed the SADDAM PHOTO ALBUM.

before i begin the review, i must say that i am a bit biased. i worked with the international media in kuwait during the build up and subsequent war, and had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Fahmy. that out of the way... Great book!! for someone that lives right next door to iraq and being of the same culture, it was very refreshing to read baghdad bound from the eyes of an arab. the authors written experiences where not foreign to me in the sense that i could see those things happening in my part of the world, case in point, the way the farmers, poor as they are, would not accept any compensation for the food they gave mohamed and the crew of the Times. another example would be the wandering woman dressed to the 9's looking to get out of iraq, being trapped there while on a visit. i could go on and on, but i won't. suffice it to say, this book hits home in a major way, and i can't wait to see a movie version!

This book from 1964 is full of fantastic and timeless ideas for kids parties including party theme ideas, games, and recipes. The game section is the biggest part and has game ideas for children of all ages including the young ones. The book includes a list of all the games categorized by type (guessing games, races, games of skill and so on) and tells for what ages the games are appropriate. It even has a section for adaptations for handicapped children. It is very well organized and also has checklists and practical advice. I have used this book many times with excellent results.

I haven't even received this book yet but I can tell you right now it is something no home with children should be without. I wore my copy out and discarded it YEARS ago and cannot wait to receive this new one. I was so excited to find it on line. Thanks Amazon.com!

Compare this book with similar titles written in recent years, and you will find that sometimes the old ways truly WERE best! Most of the newer books list the same old handful of tired games revised to fit this or that birthday theme (e.g. "Pin the Alien on the Spaceship" instead of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey"). By contrast, the games in this book are ones that children truly love to play, just for the excitement of the games themselves!

Yes, some of the information in this book is definitely dated, but it will still help you plan the most enjoyable party your child has ever had. I spent a year kicking myself for not having stolen this book from our library before they chose to discard it (if only I had known that they were planning to!!!) Then it dawned on me that I could use the internet to find my own copy. Thank you, worldwide web! :)

We *love* to entertain but all-too-often find ourselves at one another's throats when company arrives, striving for perfection that is, realistically, unrealistic.

These two have the right idea...it's quality time with friends that matters most, but that can't happen in the quality of the food is lacking. Follow the path to ensuring both quality experiences...here is your road map.

Thanks!

The "platter approach" that is the basis for the recipes in this cookbook will help anyone who likes to cook for company. If you are among the fearless who choose to forego the caterer and boldly go into the final frontier (which is creativity), then this book will be indispensable for you in planning, cooking and serving your own dinner parties. And by the way, the recipes are fantastic too.

At last! A cookbook that guides you on how to feed a small army with style, and still have enough energy left to actually enjoy your own party. The dishes are delicious (especially love the spicy scallops), the recipes are easy to follow, and the results go beyond expectation. The professionalism of the two authors, and their sympathy for what a home chef faces, is apparent. I highly recommend this book, and am personally giving it to my entertaining friends for a holiday gift.

I sat down to read this book and quickly got hooked. I could not put it down.

It is a great narrative about life in Miami as a Cuban-American mother -- I know because this is my life as well. Ana Veciana-Suarez writes beautifully and has a gift for expressing those thoughts and moods that are the undercurrent of our lives. She describes Miami and the realities of the Cuban exile experience so that others can understand all of the textures and subtleties that type of existence - caught between two lives.

The daughter of refugees, she is caught in between the two worlds : the Cuban (Hispanic) culture and the American world in which she is raising her own family. She is articulate and precise when she expresses the Cuban attitude about "Baisbol" and all of the passionate history of that sport in our culture; her description of her parents and the tremendous struggles they faced in beginning a new life in the United States; what fishing on Biscayne Bay feels like; and the subtle complexities of family relationships. The reader grieves with her on the suddend death of her husband and childhood sweetheart. That chapter in particular tore my heart gave me a new appreciation and gratitude for the man I share my life with. She shares her surprise at finding love in mid-life and the complications and joys of being part of a blended family which is not only from different cultures, but also different religions.

The book is full of laughs, tears, and many smiles. I highly recommend this book. I know that I will personally be purchasing a few as Holiday gifts.

It is a great book!

In the book, "Birthday Parties in Heaven: Thoughts on Love, Life, Grief, and Other Matters of the Heart," Ana Veciana-Suarez provides interesting, sad, inspiring, wonderful, insightful, moving and humorous reflections from which the reader could relate or learn.

Inspiring are the chapters on the writer's parents.

In the chapter, 'My Father, Mi Papi,' the author writes about her father, who she describes as the "first man I loved" and "a man for impossible missions."

'Stitchwork' is a chapter where the author provides a beautiful description of her mother, a strong and courageous woman who has positively affected Veciana-Suarez. "In the face of necessity, you can do anything," her mother has said.

Hilarious is the chapter entitled, 'Cellulite, Schmellulite,' where the author writes about her experience in the gym.

Touching, wise and encouraging is the chapter, 'Open Letter to My Son (As He Leaves for College).'

Probably, most powerful is the chapter, 'Birthday Parties in Heaven.' Here, Veciana-Suarez writes of her experience when her first husband unexpectedly passed away at the age of 37, leaving her and their five children. Anyone, especially someone who has lost a loved one, can appreciate this chapter. The author, truly, writes from the heart and experience.

I was happy to read that the author was able to find love again.

Other chapters deal with baseball, parenthood, sisters, a mother-in-law, a household of different religious backgrounds (Catholic and Jewish), and much more.

Once you start reading the first chapter, you will look forward to reading the following chapters to see what Veciana-Suarez has to write about on other varying topics. There is something to take away from each chapter. It's like receiving a treat.

So, go ahead and treat yourself!

Fafa Demasio

Her carefully chosen words tug at your heart. Her raw experience, written from the deepest emotion, is universal. She crafts words as a Vermont craftsman cuts marble: so expertly you don't even realize how brilliant she is.

Here in Miami, Ana Veciana-Suarez is in a league all her own. Beloved and supported by the community after her husband's early death, she openly shared her pain and re-emergence with us all through her Miami Herald columns.

When she found love and married again, we as a community, each in our way, rejoiced. Her observations of merging her Cuban heritage with her new husband's Jewish background are both sensitive and humorous.

This book tells what her frequent columns did not. It reveals an even deeper side to a remarkable woman.

As a writer, I am in pure awe of her ability to say what she does. She never asks for sympathy. She simply observes -- and includes her readers as she shares.

If I were to choose only one gift for this holiday season to tell people around me that I love them, this wonderfully rich book would be my choice. I warn you that your tears will flow, and you cannot just plunk down and read this book all the way through. Like a fine wine or a decadent dessert, this small book takes time to savor and appreciate. It is worth every delicious moment.

This book delivers on the promise in its jacket cover with Rose's enchanting, lilting rhymes and Munsinger's uproarious and lively watercolor illustrations of a zoo full of animals putting on a birthday party for a delighted young boy. It is "a birthday present to open again and again." The irresistible rhymes include: "'But where to begin?' asked the shy tamarin. `Blow up balloons.' puffed the raccoons." Laughter or at least a broad smile will erupt when this verse is read in its full-spread illustration of eight raccoons eagerly blowing up colorful birthday balloons and cheerfully floating up to the ceiling with them while a bewildered tamarin looks on. Similar hilarious delights fill the entire book as the animals progress from setting up the party to a playful and joyous celebration complete with presents, games, and cake. But, don't forget to turn the over the last page or you'll miss a great surprise. Highly recommended for ages 2 to 6

Birthday Zoo is a joyful picture book by Deborah Lee Rose about the most exciting birthday celebration ever. A whimsical poem about fun activities suggested by various playful animal friends, and cheerful color illustrations by Lynn Munsinger make Birthday Zoo an upbeat, entertaining, and highly recommended picture book for beginning readers.

What do children enjoy more than a birthday party? Young folks find a visit to the zoo exciting. The combination of the two in "Birthday Zoo" is bound to bring smiles of delight.

Illustrated in engaging watercolors and presented in catchy rhyme, the story opens with a question, "`Hey, what's the big deal?'" noticed the seal." When it's discovered that the big deal is a birthday preparations begin.

"`What do we do?' asked the emu. `Make everyone happy,' said the okapi." And that's precisely what this joyful narrative will do as balloons are blown up, party hats distributed, and refreshments served.

At the last, imagine being wished happy birthday by a whole zoo!

- Gail Cooke

This book is the first book that comes close to giving a balanced view of the history of the Black Panther party, its problems and its ultimate demise. It includes a view by regular rank and file members. It is well worth reading for those looking for an alternative to those books written by Party leaders, informants, or critics.

This is the first book to attempt to discuss the legacy of the Black Panther Party. The fact that a second book, Liberation, Imagination and the Black Panther Party, managed to continue the work begun here without significant overlap shows what a rich legacy it was.

One essay, "The Black Panthers and the 'Undiscovered Country' of the Left" proposesthe novel idea that the Panthers had begun to emulate many aspect of an emerging nation-state by taking on the functions of provideng serverices for the community, setting up independent relations with other nations, etc., While this seemed to be unintentional, it does suggest the larger potential of the Party.

It's important to realize that there were many Black Panther "chapters" that were inspired by the Oakland Panthers but developed autonomously and had different levels of political development. The Oakland BPP attempted to gather them all into one big centralized organization but had neither the political experience ,or the time [they were attacked by city, state and federal governments almost from day one] to properly pull it together. The essays by some of the ex-Party members in this volume provide great insight into the different ways in with the BPP were able to speak to local Black communities while encapsulating the grievances and hopes common to them all.

The one weakness of the book is its defensiveness. The city, state and federal governments used the Panthers' militant politics and gun imagery to portray them as reckless thugs who covered up their criminal tendencies with political rhetoric. The authors in this book attempt to refute that by emphasizing the community organizing aspects of the BPP such as the free breakfast programs. However, none of the authors explored the question of whether the Panthers had a legitmate case for armed revolution in the US. By avoiding the debate, the authors seem to be ceding ground to the Pantthers' opponents.

This book should not be seen as the final word but as the beginning of an important conversation. Anyone who wants to understand post-60's political movements can't avoid the fact that the Panthers helped shape the debates that continue up to our time. Read this book to see how.

The Black Panther Party is perhaps one of the most misunderstood political movements in the U.S. due to government disinformation and harrassment and misperceptions magnified over the years that fiction is now considered fact.

In one volume, the history of the party from 1966-1982 and beyond is presented through original writings from rank & file members and those in leadership roles and scholarly papers that cover a variety of issues, including inner-party gender relations, how the party fit into the Third World revolutionary movement and the grass-roots movement in each chapter to assist residents of all ages with nutrition and health-care.

Perhaps most important is the extensive footnotes after each piece, which assists the reader in pursuing further material and dismisses any criticism that the author has some ulterior agenda by allowing opinion to supercede a conclusion based on research.

Founded because the power structure maintained what I consider a plantation mentality to Black people in general and Black urban areas in particular and ultimately destroyed by the same power structure due to its programs of empowerment and solidarity, the real Black Panther Party may never truly be uncovered.

But this book starts that process and it is as important a retrospective as any that has been published.

Not only British people should read this. It sets out the whole shape of post-Cold War culture, society and politics in the Anglo-Saxon world. If Britain got Blair, the US got Clinton but they are in many ways the same. This book shows how "political wars" have been replaced by "culture wars" and how conservatives are losing. It is original, profound and frightening.

Shows the shape of the politics of the post-Cold War era and how Britain's culture and society are going down the drain. A portrait of weirdos in power in the cultral nomenklatura and a chilling warning. Should be compulsory reading for an understanding of the not-so-brave new world of Cool Britania

Fascinating view of what is happening in England today. More a social commentary than a political one, but as an account of what is happening to England's traditions, values and culture today it is more horrifying than the exploits of Dr Hannibal Lecter. This is 1984 brought up to date and supported by a wealth of documentation from today's papers and other media - unfortunately unlike 1984 it is true. The author cuts between personal observations (savage on the Diana funeral and the media) and analysis. Also looks at things like films, sport, music, media and children's books as indicators of cultural health.

There have been major shifts and changes in the American financial world over the past two decades driven by the aging baby boom generation, the Internet and computerized day trading, global economic crises, and the "democratization" of the stock and markets. In Bull Run: Wall Street, The Democrats, And The New Politics Of Personal Finance, Daniel Gross examines how the changes in attitudes and policies of the Democratic party under the influence of the Clinton administration has led to an unprecedented period of sustained stability and growth in the American financial community, the rapidly increasing percentage of Americans owning stocks and mutual funds, with the result that today a majority of citizens have a personal stake in public equity and debt markets. Gross offers provocative opinions backed with true-life stories illustrating the new relationship and interdependence of politics and finance, Wall Street, Main Street, and Washington. Bull Run is highly recommended, informative reading for do-it-yourself investors seeking to understand American financial markets -- and what the on-coming decade might bring.

No Bull. Anyone with even a passing interest in national politics will find this book invaluable. The author, clearly a Jack of many trades, brings a wealth of evidence to show a shift in the political landscape that may well affect the outcome of the next election and certainly clarifies positions taken by each party. The stories, facts and humor made it eminently readable.

This book was a quick read and explained in an entertaining manner with wit and stories about the public policy issues and players in today's economy. There was a laugh a paragraph and it was a quick read. I enjoyed the characterization of his parents as academics who accrued wealth through TIAA-CREF.

I thought this book was totaly excelent. This book was mostly about Miko acting different and hanging out with a very popular boy named Cleve who hangs out with the Ones. The CSGs see Miko acting this way and get worried and decide to throw a party for Miko to make her feel better. Miko decides to totaly change her image and asks Rockett to help her but Rockett isn't so sure this is a good idea. I thought the ending of this book was excellent, I recomend this book to everyone. But make sure the read the 3 books before this one so you kind of know whats going on with the people at Whistling Pines Junior High.To find out what's wrong with Miko read this totally phat book.

I really liked this Rockett book! I found it to be more detailed and longer then the others and it was more entertaining. The storyline was captivating and it was great to see a character go through a major change. THe final climax was sorta unexpected, but so was the whole story! Find out why Cleve and Miko start hanging out and also find out why Rockett is spending so much time with Nakili and Dana, and actually getting along with Dana! This is a great book in the Rockett Series and i loved it!

This book tells about friendship and trust between friends. Rockett, a grade 8 studeny, wants to cheer up her friend Miko by throwing a surprise party for her, but things start to go very wrong. I like this book because it portrays the problems that pre-teens go through and how they try to solve them.