Guides Books

This is the original story by Annie Proulx as well as the movie script. Great for fans of the film as a collector item.

I had to purchase this book for a college course, otherwise I probably would never have read it. I found it boring and realized that it's probably better suited for either men who like cowboy stories, or people who are into studying how to create a screenplay from a move. The screenplay stays very true to the short story. The best part about this book is the essay in the back by Proulx. I suggest you read it before you read the short story as it answered my main question, which is why a straight woman in her 60s would write a story about rough cowboys who were having trouble accepting their sexual orientation.

This item took you through the entire life of the book to the screenplay to the movie. It was great reading what the writers said about the project and how it was a labor of love for everyone involved. It was wonderful reading how devoted everyone was to the project. Much how the two main characters were devoted to each other.

In an effort to check out my approach to writing a book adaption to screenplay, I thought it would be a good exercise to experience how others have done it. After reading the Brokeback Mountain short story, then reading the shooting script, then watching the film, I knew I was right on target. It is invigorating to experience and understand the progression from story to screenplay to film. The book also includes backround information from the short story writer, Annie Proulx and the two screenwriters, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, which tops off the value of this book. Reading it is a great process, and once you've read the book, you'll appreciate the film even more.
-Catherine Busch-Johnston-

This is an excellent addition to anyone's book collection - not only do you receive Annie Proulx's wonderful story, but you can experience Larry McMurtry's and Diana Ossana's sweet, lilting and poignant screenplay. Ennis and Jack jump off the page, fictional characters who have somehow become real, as we are transported with them through the most beautiful twenty years of their star-crossed lives. No, it is not a story about gay cowboys....it is a story about two young men who find love and happiness in an unlikely relationship, and simply don't know how to handle it. The part of this story that always grabs me is that through a simple twist of fate, the entire ending could have been different.

I suggest this book couple with the movie - seeing the screenplay come to life through Heath Ledger's and Jake Gyllenhaal's performances is spell bounding.

It was a fascinating read to see the short story move from Annie's simple prose to screenplay. And the chapters at the end which discuss the story and the filming of this heart-wrenching story is worth the price. I highly recommend it. Thanks for listening.

Your books are a joy to read. You are a wonderful writer. I couldn't put down each one of your books. I loved all your personal stories and learned so much from you. We have a lot in common. Thank you for being so honest and open.

All your books are up there in my top favorite non-fiction list. The other two super heroes up there with you are Dr. Brian Weiss, "Same Soul, Many Bodies", and Dr. Elizabeth Kubler Ross, "The Wheel of Life", her autobiography and her best book ever. (Also "The Yeast Syndrome" by Dr.John Towbridge is a must read! Candidiasis is the main cause of everything from athletes foot to severe mental illness.)

I've never read or heard other people talk about some of the things you talked about in your books, although I've felt them, like wanting to go home. I also have a very deep rooted sorrow and I thought it was from child abuse, but I think you're right about it being a global consciousness we sensitives tap into.

I love how you make all the things that I thought made me weird, or weak, make me sound enlightened and desirable. Awesome.

I'm so happy to have found you and I'm looking forward to seeing how all this new information frees me and changes my world.

Thanks for all the love, learning and encouragement. You are so much fun, so warm and so charming. I hope I get to meet you someday, even if it's when we finally make it home.

Very enjoyable for knowers & seekers. I grew up in L.A., so it was fun reading for me.

I love this book! It's sound and grounded and keeps its simple enough to follow. Judith Orloff offers a possibility into healing and wholeness as part of a self-care program. Intuition often has answers that the intellect can't find. So when your left and right brain work together ... more healing is possible.

This text gives voice to a near silent wisdom that underlies human evolution in consciousness, i.e., health & wellness, and validates the lives of many intuitives challenged to make sense of a dominant world view. My mindbody, my cells, my emotions all respond to this intelligence in an life-affirming way. This is profoundly healing.

I feel very lucky to have stumbled across this book while browsing through one of my favorite local bookstores. I am a seeker trying each day to develop my intuition, look within myself for answers, and feel the power of our Divine Creator flow through me. I am a strong believer in the mind, body, and soul connection and Dr. Orloff does an excellent job in this book explaining our energy systems, the power of the mind to heal, and our very own connection to Source that has been with us since the time of our birth. We all possess the ability to heal ourselves and it is time we start looking within to heal any emotional wounds that have manifested into physical symptoms in order to catch our attention. Dr. Orloff is an amazing Doctor, healer and writer. This novel is very profound and sure to change your life!

This book was recommended to me by my doctor when I asked him some questions about nutrition. I quite enjoyed this book and most certainly feel it was worth my while. There's not much that's mind-blowing here, there's no easy or magic secret to good health, but it spells out proper nutrition clearly and concisely and does recommend some foods you may not know of or consider, like quinoa as an example. The book is based on years of research, and I have no doubt that anyone's health would improve by following the advice in Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.

This book is exactly what I was looking for: scientific information related to nutrition and health. It is clear, easy to read, and provides practical ideas for implementation. I have already changed my diet and feel great. I've even lost weight without trying. I really appreciate a book that takes all the research that has been done and boils it down into a readable text. This book has done that better than I expected.

With so much news constant inundating all of us on the most recent nutrition fads it's often difficult to decide what the right choices are when it comes to eating.

This book is an excellent source of advice citing which studies make sense to pay attention to and what sorts of dietary changes we can all be making to improve our lives. I purchased 2 copies, one for myself, and one for my parents.

This book does a wonderful job of taking the scientific information available regarding nutrition and puts it a format the lay public can easily understand. Very professional.

The quality of the books are excellent. I had a problem receiving the books, though. When tracking them I was told they were delivered, but I had never received them. I got connected with customer service through the website and they helped make things right by re-sending my order. These books came in the same time I should have received my other books. I feel confident that I can order through Amazon again and they will make sure that I am satisfied. Thank you, Amazon!

I purchased this book after reading the reviews... not sure if I went into reading this book with great expecations but the book didn't pull me in as much as I hoped. It's a good message, fast read with some good points... not enough to get a full 5 stars.

This book was purchased at a time in my life when I felt the title was written just for me.
The chapters are short and sweet and the content is good. It's nothing you haven't heard before, but it's nice to have it all in one place. There are some concepts in it I didn't agree with, but it was mostly applicable.
My only thing is that it's VERY short - which I guess could be both good and bad. I think the material was complete and thorough so I guess it's good if you're looking for a quick read.
I would recommend this book if the title fits your situation because it helps reinforce what you probably already know and may push you to do something about the situation.

While I was disappointed to get to the end of the book, I considered every page in there loaded with valuable insights and advice.

This book is the polar opposite of, "The Rules". Thank the Heavens!
In Barbara's book, you are applauded, not tolerated, for being your true self. Just think of the word Intimacy for a moment...phonetically it works out to In-to-me-see. In order to be in a real relationship (base word is relate), you have to be real with yourself before you can even begin to understand what it means to share with others. People say, "Oh yes, I know all about that!" If that's truly the case, then explain why the divorce rate is so high in the United States. If you're hiding your authentic self in order to avoid the possibility of rejection, you're not truly present in the relationship. Under such circumstances how fulfilled and loved can you feel? Why bother then?

Then there's the flip side - people hide parts of themselves and don't reveal things that they feel they have reason to be ashamed of, and their partner feels distrusted and cheapened due to the lack of faith demonstrated by their loved one. Perhaps this creates a chasm deep enough to be irreparable and a break up occurs anyway. One of life's ironies to be sure....ah, the wonders of the self-fulfilling prophecy.

I'm a very happily married woman...for almost 20 years now. Don't think a day goes by that I don't thank God for my blessings. Like another reviewer here, I was intrigued with the possibility of being able to help my single girlfriends realize their inherent value.

The message expressed throughout the book is healing, and you can feel it in your heart, not only the mind. Barbara is a very spiritual, tuned in woman and sets a wonderful example to womankind.

Keep up the good work, Barbara!

My wish for each of you beautiful ladies is to revel in your feminine power and embrace it.

I purchased this book because of the reviews it received. I have been trying to figure out the reason(s) for the bizarre behavior of the man I wasn't sure if I was dating (if that doesn't make sense, consider yourself lucky -- unfortunately, it makes perfect sense to The String Along). Was he passive-aggressive? Was he married? Living with someone? Playing the field? In the end, it didn't matter. What matters is that I read this book and was able to rationalize and even quantify his behavior. He received 8 scores on Reasons to Stay and 18 on Reasons to Leave with Skidmarks (when even 1 on the latter is enough to run fast!). The day after finishing this book, I left with skidmarks. It's still hurting, but this book helped me understand that, in spite of our strong chemistry, I was being strung along. Who knows how much longer I would have tolerated the hurtful behavior had I not read this book. I deserve better and so do you.

I wished I had found Barbara's book years ago. Being single for 10 years and dating, most of what she writes I've already learned through trial and error. I found a lot of validation through her book and answered many questions on why it couldn't or didn't work the way I had hoped. Save yourself from the dramas of dating and read her book. It's a quick read and highlights the key areas of "healthy" relating while taking good care of yourself. It's a must have for the woman that wants more in her relationship without giving up herself.

I give private Spanish lessons. Although this book may seem tedious at times, it really helps my students understand the patterns of verb conjugation and memorize verb meanings. I highly recommend it for beginners, or for those who would like a refresher.

This is an outstanding book that covers the Spanish Verb Tenses superbly. There are great explanations and examples to practice your understanding. I teach Spanish in high school and this book is at the top of my resource list. I recommend it in the classroom or for individuals wanting to improve their Spanish.

This is a must have book for Spanish learning. It's a great go-to-book and has everything you need. If you are studying Spanish you should have this book in the house... as well as the other books in this series.

This is a great reference grammar book, excellent for beginners and intermediate students of the spanish language, covering all aspects of prepositions and pronouns with numerous examples covering all types of usage. Very useful and thorough exercises in both languages, that if you manage to complete them all, you become a master of the subject.
This book along with the one covering prepositions and pronouns are the top best that I could find to assist me in my spanish classes.

This is one in a great series of Spanish study books. Lots of exercises so you can really practice. Also the organization makes for a great reference. My English grammar is terrible so I have a hard time figuring out what tense I want to use. The beginning of each section has an explanation of how the tenses translate. The pronouns and prepositions book is also great.

I am only about half way through this book and already have learned numerous things about the design of Java as a language and about proper usage of said language. This book is going to be a staple in my programming library and a book recommended to anyone I know working with Java. I am also looking forward to the second edition which is slated to be released in May sometime.

An indispensable, insightful, and well written Java book to add to your reference library. The second addition is due out May 25, 2008.

I ask all of the developers I manage to read this book, after having been introduced to it by a coworker. Great tips, and helpful in clarifying some of those "gut feel" things that come up during pair-programming.

It is incredible to read Joshua's insights. Forget about being a Java Guru or something like that. This book is pure joy to read if you are detail oriented, perfectionist or a student of art of programming in general.

I have started this effort of creating a distilled version of this book coupled with my own reflections at: [...]. To any curious reader though, any such effort is not a replacement for the book itself. It is a masterpiece.

- Kedar Mhaswade

I've been using Java since 1995 and have owned this book since 2001 and it's the only Java text I still turn to. I recommend every Java developer, no matter what level you're at, read this book and read it again every year for the remainder of your career. I doesn't matter who you are or how experienced you think you are -- you will learn from this book. I give "Effective Java" my highest recommendation. I cannot wait for the Second Edition.

I am very glad that I purchased this book at the beginning of my pregnancy. I am now 18 weeks and it has been great following along week by week as to the development of the baby! There are also helpful notes and information as to my own changes in health on a week by week basis. Very practical and informative.

The book is a must have for first time mom-to-bes. I carried it with me everywhere, learning all I could about what to expect from my pregnancy & the birth of my son. It is full of wonderful information. I highly recommend it. Who better to learn from than the Mayo Clinic.

This book was the most helpful pregnancy book I found. I have since purchased a copy of it for every friend/relative who is expecting and they have all found it a valuable resource as well. I highly suggest it. The information is laid out in a user-friendly manner and the real-life questions/answers are most helpful. I think that this book is a must-have for every pregnant woman, especially for first-time mothers!

I got this book when I was pregnant with my daughter. I also got Your Pregnancy Week By Week. Both were fabulous. I could read about what was going on and understand, with out the fear of What to expect, which I thought was a crappy book. I have talked with many friends and they too were frieghtened by what to expect, so I loaned out this book, and information without the fear. It is easy to understand, easy to find answers, and reassuring. Definitely worth your money! This is one that I want back for my second pregnancy!!

My wife and I really enjoy this book. It is plainly written in a relaxing and sometimes mildly comical way. The book is basically comprised of two pieces. The part we find most helpful is the survey of what is happening to the mothers body through the duration of the pregnancy. In this regard, the book is a blessing. My wife simply felt weird on many days - and it was great to know that she should be feeling weird, and that there was an explanation for why she felt weird. I suppose one can assume it is because of the pregnancy, but it seems satisfying to know exactly what is going on. Similarly, there is a large glossary that details specific side effects expectant mothers may endure (with explanations as to why) along with many tips for remedying or limiting the effects.

The second (smaller) piece to the book is a detail of the developing fetus/embryo. This could be satisfying to some. Those interested in specifics of prenatal development should look elsewhere. My suggestion would be to watch PBS "Lifes greatest miracle" for an excellent and beautiful account of the developing organism in the womb.

Overall, the Mayo clinic book is a great resource for mothers and fathers who want to know how to prepare and what to expect from a pregnancy.

This is a comprehensive book about the Apollo space program that does an exceptional job of capturing one of the most incredible times in human history. It was a time when the belief was that we could do just about anything we set our minds to.

Andrew Chaikin does an amazing job of capturing the courage, the commitment, the sacrifices, the driving motives and vision of the astronauts, supporting crews, wives and more. This 600+ page book hardly wastes a word. The book was so good it was turned into a mini series by HBO.

It is clear that Chaikin has a deep passion and respect for the space program and the people in it. He brings the truth to this writing without much dirty laundry being exposed.

This book deserves a place on any space buff's book shelf. It is also a great read for anyone interested in true life adventure of men who dared to sit on the top of rockets and go where no one had gone before. Highly recommended!

Here are a few other great books on the US space program:
Failure is not an Option - Gene Kranz
The Last Man on the Moon - Gene Cernan
The Unbroken Chain - Guenter Wendt

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

The Last Man on the Moon: Astronaut Eugene Cernan and America's Race in Space

Failure is not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond

The Unbroken Chain: Apogee Books Space Series 20 (Apogee Books Space Series)

I recently took my four year old son to KSC to see the launch of Discovery on its STS-124 mission. While I have always been one to make sure I have the TV on during a launch, I never dove much deeper than the average newspaper coverage. However, after taking the tours at KSC, a fire was ignited.
This book was the perfect fit for me. It covers every apollo mission without losing interest in the later missions. Obviously more time is spent covering Apollo's 1, 11, & 13.
Chaikin introduces the readers to many of the astronauts that while are not as well known as Armstrong, contibuted just as much, if not more to the program.
As it states in the description, the series,From the Earth to the Moon closely follows the book, but puts a more personal touch on the program while still providing enough information for the book to be used as reference for high school papers or a college thesis. It is the perfect mix of technical and entertainment. A Great Read!!

I'd like to be able to say that I like my own Apollo book better, but I can't. Chaikin's work stands alone in my mind as the definitive telling of the Apollo program. This is a book that entertains while informing- never an easy task, especially with science. Chaikin went to great lengths to assure accuracy... he is well-known by the living moonwalkers/Apollo CM pilots, and his work is respected by the few I was privileged to interview. Andy was also gracious enough to be interviewed for my Modern Marvels show, "Apollo 11," which made my interview roster complete. His ability to illuminate the history of Apollo is as dazzling in person as it is on the printed page. Buy it, read it, and re-read it. I do so at least one a year!

I bought this book after seeing ``From the Earth to the Moon,'' and found it to be a very interesting and informative overview of the American manned space program through Apollo. I would highly recommend it to anyone who may have been too young or not born yet to understand the accomplishments of the astronauts and all the men and women of NASA and contractors who were the real heart behind the Apollo space program.A Man on the Moon

The Apollo astronauts accomplished a feat which few thought possible. In a captivating fashion, author Andrew Chaikin offers a version of the Moon flights which most astronauts could not communicate.

The vivid details of the lunar features and the astronauts' private thoughts are brought to life in a way that makes you feel as if you are really there. The astronauts often stumble into "thrust-to-weight ratios" and "angles of trajectory" when they talk about their experiences. This is not what the public wants to hear. This book is the definitive book for mankind's greatest adventure.

Tahir Rahman, author of We Came in Peace for all Mankind
www.silicondisc.com

This book is the ultimate litmus test as to whether the reader is ready to be happy and have joy in his life, or whether he wants to keep crying in his beer.

If this book does not have you falling down on the floor laughing, then chuck it in.

I realize I'm probably one of the last people on the planet to discover this wonderful book, but I got to sing its praises, too. One of the best books I've read in a long time, and fitting as I am also suddenly into Doctor Who, which is quite similar. The Earth is destroyed one horrible Thursday in order to build a hyperspatial express route, and Arthur Dent and his friend Ford (who was stranded on Earth for fifteen years) start hitchhiking around the galaxy. Never have I read a book so clever and imaginative (dealing with the meaning of life pondered by mice, nuclear bombs turning into sperm whales, depressed robots and hyper-friendly computers) with such a clever and hilarious style (pokes great fun at our little species). Grade: A+

Our friend here is simply the best humorist printed on paper during the second half of the twentieth century.

Mark Twain and Bierce Ambroce should see him as a counterpart in heaven (or hell) I recommend this book to any reader, even if that English is not their native language, like me.

this book is the comp of the douglas adams series hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. it is hilarious well written and something just to put your imagination to work.

All the books plus a separate story together in one volume! What else could I wish for? If you enjoyed the movie, (okay, okay, there are always some differences between movie and book) you are going to love the books. It's that kind of ironic humour that makes you laugh through intelligent remarks, not silly statements.

I purchased this book simply to replace my original copy, which I loaned out and which was never returned. Reading this book has been a favorite part of my Christmas for many years. While I regret losing my old copy, I am thankful I will now be able to carry on this tradition.

It's a fun story about an untraditional Christmas play. It shows how good can come of seemingly negative changes and find some unexpected, meaningful outcomes.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

I like books and I don't know if this is my favorite book but it is excellent. We read it as a family every year at Christmas. It never fails to touch me. It is fun with a redeeming message.

I have read this book at least once a year for 15yrs and now I'm reading it to my kids. It's a quick read, I can't put it down.

This is a great, easy way to get into the holiday spirit. Even though the intended audience is kids, I enjoyed it as well!