Journals Books

I loved the first volume that Mark and Matt put together, and the second was even better. Being a post-GDW-collapse convert to Space: 1889, I didn't even realize that there had been a "Transactions" fanzine. I think that the new format does more justice to the efforts of Mark and the varied authors to improve upon the basic game materials than the fanzine. I think that the second volume would be more useful to those who are looking for more general information on Victorian Era Gaming and not just for Space: 1889. Loved it! Eagerly awaiting the 3rd Volume.

This volume collects the first four issues of the Transactions of the Royal Martian Geographical Society, a formerly-defunct magazine for GDW's late, lamented Space:1889. I regretted not acquiring these issues when they came out, but now I'm glad I waited. This combined edition is greatly superior to the originals: layout is improved, there are more graphics, and it is nice to have everything combined under one set of covers. The articles themselves are good-to-excellent in quality, and are frequently better than the material released for the original game. Many of the authors are professional historians or graduate students of history, and their depth of knowledge shows. The only thing preventing me from giving this product five stars were the facts that a: my copy (and mine alone, it seems, since I spoke with others who purchased this) was a little defective, and b: this product only covers Space: 1889--which was entirely fine by me, but might limit its appeal to other Victorian-era gamers who aren't great fans of the Space: 1889 universe. Future issues will broaden the coverage, I am told.

I am also told that the editors believe that this product was not 100% perfect, and that there is room for improvement. Personally, I don't see how. I found the product to be excellent, and welcome its release. And if volume 2 is going to be better than this, as the editors promise, it will be _extremely_ impressive indeed.

If you like role playing in the Victorian Era, this is a resource that you won't want to pass on.

There are all sorts of nifty things, adventures, floorplans, characters, cross over ideas, and background flavor.

Space 1889 was not the greatest game ever produced. The marketing of the game seemed weak. And, to be perfectly frank (pun intended), many of the illustrations were terrible! But, inspite of that and the demise of GDW (a tragedy in my not-so-humble opinion), the game lives on in the small enclaves here and there, joined by the internet.

I think that really says the ideas behind the game mechanics were brilliant. And I'm grateful to those who produced the game.

Transactions was a great fanzine. It, too, had an ignominious end. Now, with these compilations, it lives again. And better, far better than before!

This compilation has accounts of two miniatures games, which lend a great deal to the playing of the game.

If you enjoy movies like "Zulu", "Rogues March", "Beau Geste", "Four Feathers" and "the Light That Failed", you'll love this book.

This book is tounge-in-cheek funny. A must for all working in librarianship professionally or para-professionally.

I am an MLS student and have not yet made my mind up whether to work in reference or cataloging...my heart calls me to reference work, but part of me admires such cataloging luminaries as Sandy Berman, etc.

Moreover, catalogers of the new Era will have to be among the most computer-savvy, too. Like or no, that's the way it's gonna be.

Anyway, as with most of Will Manley's books, very funny treatment of his subject matter. He is truly the Dave Barry of the library world.

Before reading The Truth About Catalogers, I had no interest in librarians, and I certainly didn't want to be one. After reading The Truth About Catalogers, I still don't want to be a librarian. But I did find the humor to be accesible, the writing to be direct and amusing, and the illustrations to be cute. Mostly, I felt that Will Manley had captured the whimsical tone made so popular by Robert Fulghum (of the All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten fame). I found the stories to be less about Card Catalogers, and more to be about people. I feel that was the greatest strength of the book - I've never understood the Dewey Decimal system, but I laughed out loud at the exploits of people who obsess about it!

I'm a graduate student in Library and Information science major. Actually, my professor recommanded this book to us. After reading this book, I feel great. It deals with real situation in library and gives us a lot of helpful illustrations for each situation which we can encounter when we catalog a lot of resources. Anyway, you should read this book, if you want to be real librarian.

I'm a graduate student in Library and Information science major. Actually, my professor recommanded this book to us. After reading this book, I feel great. It deals with real situation in library and gives us a lot of helpful illustrations for each situation which we can encounter when we catalog a lot of resources. Anyway, you should read this book, if you want to be real librarian.

After reading this book I am both happy and relieved to say that I am finally on the road to figuring out our two reference librarians. I had thought that there would be no hope but this important guide clears up many of my long-standing questions!

Will Manley's "The Truth About Reference Librarians" is a must for stressed-out library students. Feeling pressured about your Information Sources exam? Pondering the absolute ridiculousness of LC Subject Headings? Wondering if an MLIS is really worth all this idiocy? Here's the book for you. Manley provides a selection of valuable resources: the signs of reference burnout (personal favorite: "You might be suffering from reference burnout if a patron asks for a good mystery and you offer her AACR2"), suggested epitaphs for librarians, and a list of technological innovations reference librarians *really* need (such as the odor-activated antiperspirant gun). Richard Lee's illustrations are a good complement to Manley's lively text

Just read this one, checked out from my local library. I'm not a librarian but my mom is, and I'm about to start working on my MLS. We both had a good laugh w/ this book.

The section on "stupid reference questions" made me howl. I pray I will be able to keep a straight face if I ever end up working in Reference. May end up choosing cataloging from the get-go! The 10 stages were funny, if a little depressing.

Think of Matt Groening's "Life is Hell", focused on Librarianship. That's pretty much the kind of book you have here.

When the journal _Booklist_ appears in our library mailbox, I grab it, open it, and quickly scan the table of contents for the page number of "The Manley Arts" column. Forget the book reviews -- they can wait until lunchtime. I *have* to read Will Manley first. He's the Dave Barry of librarianship, the Andy Rooney of bibliophiles, the Jerry Seinfeld of bookworms. His comments are always on the mark and usually make me smile and nod my head in agreement. Here, his observations about goofy patrons with bizarre questions and typical reference desk scenarios are accompanied by Richard Lee's funky illustrations. The result is the kind of honest silliness that should first be thoroughly enjoyed by oneself and then immediately shared with colleagues. Though this book is clearly one of specialized humor, anyone who works in a public service occupation will recognize some of the customer categories -- "Dorkus Completis," "Studentus Moronis," "Parentus Irresponsibilis," and the rest. If a layperson stumbles across these pages, let the outcome be that he/she learned that (a) librarians are people too and (b) that they have a good sense of humor. It might be a strange and twisted kind, but it is humor nevertheless. Thank you, Will, for encouraging us to laugh at ourselves.

Nice illustrations and humorous parody of the 12 days of Xmas. A good Xmas gift for the cat lover.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

What an enjoyable book to read (and of course sing) to children. The cat illustrations are beautiful and it is easy to identify different objects.

I think it's a cute Christmas book for cat lovers everywhere. It takes the familiar Christmas carols and gives them new lyrics as told from a cat's point of view. I loved it and didn't get bored at all. I bring it out each Christmas season to enjoy.

Parodies of the Twelve Days of Christmas are great fun - in this all the gifts are cats of different varieties or actions. The drawings are cute, amusing but uninspired. Still, if you need a stocking stuffer for a cat love (or to infuriate a dog lover) this is delightful.

My friend turned me on to the idea of writing down my thoughts and dreams in journals to one day share with my future husband, and immediately I was hooked. I have since filled five journals to present to him on our wedding night.

This journal was the one that started it all. I bought two and filled both in about a year. It was a great way to start the habit of journaling not simply for myself but for another person to one day read and appreciate. The journal itself is beautiful and very romantic, with gorgeous pictures scattered throughout. The author also includes starter topics at the beginning of each page to help inspire you. Some women might like this; I personally did not. I followed the topics for the first journal and then just crossed them out and went with my own train of thought for the next one. For one thing, each prompt only gives you ONE page to fill, which isn't nearly enough space for the prolific writer, so you may end up crossing some out anyway. For another, the topics repeat themselves, which is tiring after a while.

Overall, though, this journal is highly recommended for any woman who wants to chronicle her dreams to eventually give to her "One". All I can say is pick up this journal, pick up a pen, open your heart chakra and let your creativity flow. Your future husband will one day thank you for this gift from the soul. (At least, I very much hope mine will!)

I am a total sap & love romance. I saw this book and thought this would be an amazing gift to someday give my husband on our wedding day.

I purchased the journal and was very pleased. There are beautiful wedding pictures on every few pages of a dress, couple holding hands, couple at the altar, etc. VERY BEAUTIFUL. It provides you just enough lines to express your innermost dreams and hopes. With prompts like:
*Today I prayed for you that...
*My hopes for our future are...
*Today I wanted to tell you...
*When I think about you I...

I can't put it down. I play some soft wedding music at night and light candles, pray, and write wherever I feel like writing. I plan on keeping this a secret from my boyfriend and giving it to him on our wedding day. It will make a beautiful gift to him, one that our children and families can look back on.

I love this journal, I'm actually planning on giving it to my future husband so he can read what God has done in my life. Highly recommended!!!

this book that rebecca st. james wrote gives you a lot of advice of the way God want sd you to live your life!!I recommend this book to people because a lot of people in this world need to relize that they need God to be happy after they die!!!Well enjoy this book as much as I did!!!

Well Done! This is a must read for WWII buffs and anyone who enjoys a good read with insight into human behavior of captive citizens during war.

Warner skillfully crafts an historical novel from the little known true event of the capture of the natives and one white school teacher on the remote Aleutian island of Attu in Alaska and their subsequent internment in Japan during WWII.

The fictionalized Journal of Lila Ann Smith rings true bcause many of the incidents and descriptions contained within it are carefully researched facts. Through the unique character of Lila Ann Smith, Warner has created a voice for the Attuans and we get detailed insight into their daily hardships and characters.

I've been a fan of Warner's work for the past 30 years, so I'll admit my point of view is a bit biased. Nonetheless I can say without reservation that Lila Ann Smith is far and away Warner's most interesting and "real" creation. Much of Warner's past work encompasses very broad humor; his works of fiction often populated with outrageous characters who find themselves in outlandish situations. In contrast, the character of Lila Ann Smith is completely believable, especially when viewed in the context of her times and life experiences. The remarkable thing about this novel is that it draws on the very real, and terribly tragic, experiences of a much-abused community of Alaska Natives. Their story sadly illustrates the fact that truth can be stranger than fiction, which may be why Warner did not need to embellish the plot: it was terrible enough as it really happened.

I especially enjoyed the way Warner chose to reveal much, but not too much, about Lila and her companions. The ambiguities, discreet averting of the eyes, and unanswered questions scattered through the diary reflect just the sort of person Lila would have been. They also reflect the puzzling world she found herself in. Not all events would have been understandable or accessible.

This is a hell of a story told by a master storyteller at the peak of his prowess. If you want a good read, you won't go wrong here.

I have read most of Irving Warner's other writing, including the most recently published "In Memory of Hawks" and "Wagner Descending," and I believe that the "The War Journal of Lila Ann Smith" is by far Warner's most powerful work to date. In fact, I will go so far as to claim that this is an extraordinary piece of literature that will endure.

The War Journal is a historical novel based on the Japanese invasion of the western Aleutian Islands, Alaska, during WWII and the capture, transport to Japan, and internment there for the duration of the war of the Native American (Aleut) population of Attu Island. The Journal is based on extensive research over a period of decades, including the author's interviews with several of the Aleut survivors of the internment. However, this work is more than simply a historical novel. It tells the story through the eyes of a female schoolteacher (Lila Ann Smith) in her late fifties or early sixties who was captured with the Attuans and interned on Japan with them. Warner meticulously, endearingly, and with amazing believability and veracity develops the personality of this fictional schoolteacher. The War Journal is thus literature in the finest sense of the word. It is also an extremely powerful anti-war novel.

I feel that I am in a unique position to criticize this novel. I lived and worked in Alaska over a period of 20 years, and spent one summer in the western Aleutian Islands, including time on Attu Island. Like Lila Ann, I have traveled the length of the Aleutians by ship. In ironic addition, I have for the past four years lived in Japan only a 40-minute train ride away from the town of Otaru, where the Attuans were interned during the war; I have visited Otaru many times. I mention these things to emphasize how faithfully I thought Warner captured the moods and essence of Alaska, the Aleutians, the people of Alaska, and traveling in that vast territory. It is also amazing to me that everything about Japan rings true in this book. To my knowledge, Warner has never traveled to Japan, yet I found no false notes in his descriptions of the interactions between the Japanese and the Aleuts and Lila Ann.

There is something in this book for everyone. If you have never traveled to Alaska and want a feeling of what this magnificent state was and is like, this book will give you that feeling. If you simply like to read a good and rousing story, it is for you. If you are a teacher of English literature, a historian, or an anti-war activist, it is for you. Even though I personally am addicted to pulp mystery novels, once I started it, I couldn't put The War Journal down.

Here is the heartbreaking story of the resilience and courage of one woman, and a segment of American History that few people know about. History buffs will especially relish this slice of America-at-war through the eyes of this spirited lady who earned the respect of the enemy who held her captive.

Although already an old woman, at the age of 61, Lila Ann Smith and her husband, Osmond, traveled to the distant village of Chichigof on the island of Attu, the very last island on Alaska's Aleutian Chain. As the only Caucasians on the island, Osmond would be the Territorial aerographer and radio operator, and Lila Ann would serve as the schoolteacher.

In 1942, the Japanese military invaded America, and occupied the island of Attu for nearly two years. Osmond was killed immediately, and Lila Ann placed under arrest. Some of the other residents of the island were also killed during the invasion, though they didn't resist the invaders. Eventually, Lila Ann and the other Attu islanders were removed to Japan and held there for the remainder of the war. Lila Ann was a faithful journal keeper, and posted daily when she could, until 1945 when World War II ended. This book is based on those journals along with extensive research of this historic event.

Lila Ann's journals tell of having previously survived three wars, and now struggling to survive the fourth. Her missionary parents and brother were murdered in China during the Boxer Rebellion, and now as an old lady, she must undergo the deprivation and torture of a prisoner of war in Japan, struggling with the language barrier, starvation, freezing cold, and the loss of husband and friends

Be prepared to read through to the end...this book is hard to put down. Lila Ann was eloquent in her journal entries, and Warner writes with great depth and intensity of the honor and bravery required for Lila Ann to triumph against the odds.

I was married in 1996, and had this guest book. It was unique and had none of the usual "wedding" design features, i loved it. The cover and binding are vivid in color with ample space for long messages, not just a signature.The pictures are beautifully laid out on every turn.I pull it out of my cedar chest and realize why i choose it all over again.

I was really excited when I received this book. It has some beautiful pictures that make it very special. One thing that I thought might be a problem was that there were only spaces for 130 messages/signatures. Planning for 300 guests had me concerned about room for all their signatures, but not everyone took the time to write a message. There got to be a line out the church b/c it was taking too long for people to write a message. I love the book, but would recommend it for smaller weddings...so there isn't a long line to get in and sit down!

We got married in 1998 and used this wedding guest book. It is so much more personal than those fancy, ornate ones. We enjoy going back and reading the messages that were written to us. We love this wedding guest book so much that we have ordered it for my sister, who is getting married this November.

I bought this guest book because of the design and layout of the attractive pictures and the option for guests to leave a congratulatory note along with their names. It was the first guest book I had ever seen with that kind of format. My husband and I have moved a couple of times since then, and I've come across it while packing/unpacking. Every time I read through it, I am grateful for all of the wonderful comments our friends and family wrote to us on our wedding day. It will always be a treasured keepsake.

I just received my copy of What Girlfriends Do yesterday. I was lucky enough to appear on one of the pages of the book with my girlfriend that I have known since the Sixth Grade. I had been very anxious to see the final copy, and to see Laura's other photographs. I feel lucky to be a part of this fine book. While flipping through the pages, each photograph reminds me of different stages in my life and the various girlfriends I have shared special moments with throughout these stages. Laura did a wonderful job of capturing that feeling of friendship only women can understand. I like the size of the book and will certainly buy more copies to give to my Girlfriends of all ages.

This is a photographer who may well be the eye of a new generation. All you need do is see her images to learn that the computerized perfection of today's cameras means little compared to the emotion and joy she captures time and again.

Laura Straus's What Girlfriends Do combines wit, tenderness and good observation in photographs which giave a sense of the range and vitality of women's relationships today. The book is a perfect size for a gift for people who value the mix of fun and artistic sensibility.

The photographs in this book are absolutely beautiful. I absolutely love this book! While hinting of Cartier-Bresson and Sally Mann, this is distinctly the vision of Laura Straus. The wonder of childhood fantasy and potential, the balance of teenager feelings, the depth of adult friendships are all artistically portrayed in this attractive book. A great gift for girlfriends of all ages.

The idea of healing appealed to me and so did journal writing. I've wanted to write but needed something to get me started. I needed a little more motivation, some ideas on how to begin and encouragment to keep going. Susan Borkin's book, When Your Heart Speaks Take Good Notes helped me begin writing, keep at it and create miracles in my life.

Borkin's conversational style encouraged me gently and her personal disclosure made me feel like I was listening to a wise friend.

Two examples of the effectiveness of the book are that I eased some of my grief at the loss of a loved one and made strides in letting go of food addictions. I'm convinced that Susan Borkin not only understands writing but can help us use journal writing to heal the pain in our lives.

Buy it for yourself if you want to write and heal. Buy it for friends because it's helpful and a pretty book as well.

The idea of healing appealed to me and so did journal writing. I've wanted to write but needed something to get me started. I needed a little more motivation, some ideas on how to begin and encouragment to keep going. Susan Borkin's book, When Your Heart Speaks Take Good Notes helped me begin writing, keep at it and create miracles in my life.

Borkin's conversational style encouraged me gently and her personal disclosure made me feel like I was listening to a wise friend.

Two examples of the effectiveness of the book are that I eased some of my grief at the loss of a loved one and made strides in letting go of food addictions. I'm convinced that Susan Borkin not only understands writing but can help us use journal writing to heal the pain in our lives.

Buy it for yourself if you want to write and heal. Buy it for friends because it's helpful and a pretty book as well.

With wit and a delightful sense of humor, Ms. Borkin takes you on a journey to a better "you" though stories, exercises and powerful information. She has a way of cutting deftly to the heart of your own human frailty and yet leaves you entirely in control of your journey to health and a more fulfilling life. Compelling and refreshing, she offers many ways to explore life and the problems we all face. Not necessarily with hard and fast didactic answers but with thoughtful exercises, gentle guidance and profound insight, she shows you the way to listen to your heart. She guides you gently yet firmly to seeing through your pain and finding your answers and trusting your inner guide. Try a few of the exercises and be amazed, as I was, how much you learn about yourself. Not only did I enjoy her book, I find myself going back and looking for those little nuggets of gold that spoke to me so personally. I know I'll go back to this book again and again.

Susan Borkin has written a wonderful book on healing oneself through writing. The 70 exercises are clear and concise. I have shared this book with a number of women in my creative women's group as well as women I do a writing workshop with and they are as enthusiastic as I am. I am ordering 2 more copies today for a friend that wants to give them as gifts to her daughter and sister. I wish Susan Borkin lived on the East Coast so that both of my group's could have her as a guest lecturer.

For us young ones in our forties, who once upon a time kept a journal, a book like this one is a bittersweet reminder of reminiscence-and-regret that we did not keep up with them. I read this book in two sittings, and found myself in the unfamiliar role of a young man, experiencing a transformation not too unlike the one I, a mother of five and grandmother of one, went through in those years.

To begin with, I read this book because I was visiting my daughter and I was bored. I had minimal expectations. What I found was an uncanny reflection on my own life, and I was surprised at how unique yet universal Martin's work is. It sent me on a bit of a sentimental tangent, and I must say a needed one that I've put off for some time, through a wide variety of basic to complex emotions.

I really did enjoy the experience, and hope to read more of Martin's stuff soon, if he has any.

Read it. Loved it. Bought it. So that sounds backwards, but sue me, it's America. :)

I found so much of myself in this book, I thought it was about me. Sadness, happiness, rage, I related. I borrowed it from a friend at work, and it was really funny because the poems that she thought were going to me my favorites were really good guesses, but not my favorites. Poems like "Forbidden", "Saturday After Work" and "Antihero" hit me like a ton of bricks, but the ones I liked the best were the ones like "Day 11,736", "Regret", "Pretzel" and "Collusion" (oo, and "The Forgotten Words of God" too, very existential) were my favorites because they were a little more abstract and mysterious but still descript enough to draw conclusions by.

Anyway, I need to say also that although the title makes you think that the book is all about relationships, that might be a little deceiving. Some relationships are parent/child or other family relationships, some are about relationships with friends, pets, nature and experiences. There are a few poems that are just about fun. All of them put together are like reading a person's life as they grow up.

Anyway, pretty cool, and I think that this kind of writing should be looked at by high schools and colleges as a project for there students. I highly recommend the book because it's kind of like a movie that you can go back to and feel comfortable from watching it. I hope that made sense.

After the first few poems, I thought I'd made a mistake and should have borrowed another book from a friend who had pushed this one on me. You can tell that the first few poems were written by a teenager, and I was at the point where I was just going to put it down and watch tv instead. But then I read "Where Once There Was a Cage" and I found myself going from my cranky mood to just having a complete tearburst, and then I was hooked. I realized that the poems before that WERE written by a teenager, and that is the POINT of the book. It takes you from that awquard stage of adolescense and moves you forward, as if you were developing (not aging, so developing is the only word I have)from the perspective of the writer. Like, these are his thoughts and emotions from the most personal perspective that you can get in a book, as if you had the driver's seat in his heart and mind. And the book brings you places that I as a woman don't think men go to often enough, or at least I don't see it often enouth, but that's my issue!

There was some stuff that I thought he experimented with that didn't quite work for me. There are two poems that he frames into shapes, one of a dollar sign and one of a skull. I thought the dollar sign one was very funny, but it was gimmicky. The skull one was too bitter, but I guess that's an emotion too. The "Ode to a Rag Doll" poem was very touching, and for my whole life I wish someone had written a poem like "Forbidden" for me. And there are a couple of others in there like that, really good love poems. The two haiku poems were really good; one was very amusing and the other I just adored because my mom was Japanese and she loved eastern poetry and she would have liked that one alot. Theres probably more than 80 poems, so I can't review them all, and I'm not even mentioning my favorites (except for the Cage and the Forbidden poems).

The closing was very fitting. Someone else wrote that now she wanted to know what happens to the man next, and I hope I don't have to wait more than a decade to find out, either.

To summarize, I gave this book four stars because I think five star books should be classics or staples on everyones booksehelfs. But I am very glad that I read past the first couple of poems because it was so worth it, and it took me on a ride that I was in no way expecting. It was very emotional and fun. Each poem made me think about my experience through life, and like my life I didn't know what the next poem was going to be about, or how my life would turn. I related to it FAR more than I thought I would relate to a book of poetry written by a man. It wasn't an artsy-phartsy collection of poetry, it was just very open, honest, and I have to say really brave for the man to let you in the way he did.

I have read the book twice, and my advice is to pick up a copy and do the same. Bring kleenex and let a friend borrow it.

Fran

At first, I thought that "While Searching for Love and Self" was going to be some kind of "Sex in the City" style diary, denoting the author's experiences in dating. When I received my copy, I was surprised to open it up and discover that it's actually a poetic depiction of important moments in a man's life as he enters adulthood (I suppose the subtitle, "A Journal in Prose and Verse, 1986-2003" should have given me a clue). I was hardly disappointed! I read through it at a leisurely pace in two days. Then I read it again, from introduction to the back cover. I had at least a half-dozen epiphanies each time I read it. It didn't matter that I am not a man; the book centers on his (the author's) experiences, yes, but its themes are universal. It focuses on relationships, not only romantic, but also with family, relationships with friends, community, with pets (a poem that made we weep until my tear ducts were sore), and a rag doll he had as a little boy (which made me cry even though my tear ducts were sore).

The poetry is not complicated. It is easy to read and enjoyable, vivid, and what made it fascinating to me was that in reading it from cover to cover, you saw this man evolve from a seventeen year old to a mature adult. I have kept journals since I was 13, and reading this book made me wish that I had kept mine in poetic form too, or even better, made me think about taking my writings and converting them into poetry so I can relive my life in my words as I have relived his as an observer.

I highly recommend "While Searching for Love and Self" not only because I enjoyed it and will certainly enjoy it again, (and find more layers in it each time), I also recommend it because everyone will find forgotten memories and emotions in it. It's impossible not to.