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I cannot recommend it highly enough! My husband gave me this book for Christmas last year. It is truly one of the best devotional books I have ever used. I could hardly wait to read it each day. Every section, every Bible character, seemed to "speak" to me. I am about to finish it and frankly, am a little sad about having to find a new devotional book for 2007.
Charles Swindoll has such a way with words!

Charles Swindoll has done it again! This is a great book which includes a short scripture reading and a one-page devotional. I'm about to finish week 5 (there are 365 devotionals) and I am learning so much about Joseph and how he can affect my life. Moses is next! Charles has the ability to bring out so much thoughtful insight in a few well-chosen words. As with all of his other books I have read, it is almost like he is in the room talking to you.

If you haven't discovered Charles Swindoll's bestselling The Great Lives series, then you've been missing quite a treasure. In this in-depth, well-written series, Swindoll explores the lives of Bible greats such as David, Esther and Joseph. This new devotional, GREAT DAYS WITH THE GREAT LIVES, serves as a "best of" from the series.

Divided into daily readings, the devotional focuses on one Bible character at a time, beginning with Joseph. The short entries illuminate a particular facet of his journey, lessons to be learned from his life, and reflections on the legacy he has left behind. Along the way, short but valuable details are explored.

Swindoll writes, "Why does the writer add these details? First I think he wants us to know that Joseph was monogamous. He didn't fall into the trap of polygamy, like so many surrounding him --- even his own family. He had one wife, and she bore him two sons. Second, and even more important, the writer wants us to realize the significance found in the names of Joseph's sounds. Both names are a play on words. The New International Version footnotes state, 'Manassah sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew word for forget,' and 'Ephraim sounds like the Hebrew for twice fruitful."'

It's these kinds of little "insights" that add depth to the text. In addition to the life of Joseph, a variety of other stars from the Bible are examined. Moses's journey is recounted as an up-and-down adventure of both leading people and following God. David, known as a man after God's own heart, is treated with tenderness and care. Other sections of the devotional look at Elijah, Job and Abraham. Throughout the text, Swindoll isn't afraid to look at each person's life objectively. While he acknowledges a person's strengths and successes, he doesn't shy away from some of the more difficult struggles and even failures these individuals faced.

In reflecting on Elijah hiding under the shadows of a tree, Swindoll writes that Elijah was "not thinking realistically or clearly." He points out that the prophet had made some vital mistakes, including separating himself from strong relationships, getting caught in the "backwash" of victory, and giving in to self-pity. Such an honest assessment is extremely helpful and valuable for readers who may have explored or researched these Bible passages on their own.

Surprisingly, few individuals besides Paul are looked at from the New Testament. As a result, this book is largely a treasury of insights from the Old Testament, but that doesn't mean it should be missed.

Overall, GREAT DAYS WITH THE GREAT LIVES is an exceptional devotional that lacks much of the fluff found in contemporary writing. Instead, it digs deeply into the Bible and uncovers multiple treasures along the way. Whether you're new to the faith, a veteran believer, or someone who just wants to learn more about the Bible, you'll enjoy this valuable resource. Highly recommended.

--- Reviewed by Margaret Feinberg

The book does a great job of giving a broad overview of what Young Life is all about. I think every leader, staff member,field staff, etc should take the time to refresh themselves by reading this book. It is proof that no matter how much time changes our society, kids are still kids.

STUDENT REVIEW

The novel Help! I'm Trapped in Obedience School Again was fantastic. Todd Strasser put funny and enthusiastic parts all through the story.

In this novel, the characters were believable. You could almost experience their problems. My favorite must be Foo Foo because she is really, really funny. She jumps all over Lance. The author did a good job on this character with describing the dog and her personality. She is a lovesick, fluffy mop.

In the novel, the author did keep your attention. One of the ways he did this is all the problems popping up one after another. My favorite one is when Jake's in Lance's body.

Deanna Kelsey

Title: Help I'm Trapped in Obedience School Again
Author: Todd Strasher
Number of Pages: 118

This book is very cool and funny. I highly recommend this novel to people who like funny books. You should check this book out because when you start reading it, you can't stop turning the pages. The characters are Jessica, Mica, Lance, Jake, and Andy. It starts out when Andy wants to meet Mica (a new girl that just moved to the town), but he's to afraid to talk to her. I'm not going to tell what happens next, but It's a really good book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great book. It was funny and had a pretty good plot. Jakes freind Andy wants to meet this girl. He figures since she has a dog barowing his freinds sisters dog will help. The problem is the dog will just chase squirrels. So Jake switches bodys wit5h the dog. I can not tell you anymore. It whould spoil the whole book. Anyway it was really really good. Okay the plots kind of dumb but its still a good book.

Help Im trapped in obedience school again,by Todd Strasser was a very creative book.It was about a boy named Jake Sherman.His best friends Andy and Josh have a plan.If Jake swiches bodies with his dog,Lance he will get the nose piece from andy.The reason Andy wants Jake to switch bodies with Lance is he wants to meet Mica but Lance runs after squrriels.So he thinks that if Jake switches bodies with Lance,Jake in Lances body will chase Mica.find out if Jake gets the nose piece and if he will ever get out of Lances body!Will Andy meet Mica???Find Out!!!

The design of the flower arrangement is modern and well presentatble. The instruction of how to do is clearly illustruated. I enjoy every bit of it. It fits to the title.After reading the book, increase my enjoyment in arranging flowers.

This was my first book I purchased when I was ready to "experiment" in making a floral arrangement. I had success from the beginning because the book clearly explains the instructions with beautiful color photos. They have several floral arrangements,coursages,bouquets and even wreaths, all with instructions and step by step pictures to go with it. I love it, I would recommend it to anyone that needs a guide in making floral arrangments for the first time. It is also a good resource book for experienced florists.

This was the first book I purchased when I became interested in making floral arrangements. I had success from the beginning because the book contains very good step-by-step instructions with color photos. It contains instructions for several floral arangements, coursages, bouquets, weaths,etc. This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning floral arranging. It is also a good resourse book for the experienced florist.

This is a great step-by-step book for those of us truely at the beginning of learning flower arranging. The pictures take you from flower to flower on how to place each one. The arrangements are very simple and unimaginative, but very easy to follow. There are great models for arranging in different kinds of vessels, some a litte too odd for me. (Like arranging in a soup ladle.) The biggest missing piece in this book is the preparation work necessary to make your arrangements look fresh for as long as possable.

Clint Gaige has written a very memorable book in "A Kerouac Christ," and a difficult one. For one thing, there is an awful lot of internal dialogue and that's difficult to deal with because usually, when it comes to internal dialogue, a lot "gets lost in the translation," so to speak, but not here. Gaige handles Chris Bradshaw's evolving internal confrontations expertly. The Midwest Book Review called it, a "highly recommended...literary work addressing fundamental issues of purpose and existence within the context of a deftly written and memorable story." I couldn't have said it any better, so I'll just second that assessment.

If you pick it up, clear some time because this is a book you won't want to put down.

Clint Gaige's A Kerouac Christ is an original novel of personal growth and evolution relating Chris Bradshaw's quest to find the source of his disenchantment with his own life. This search leads Clint on a seven-year quest for answers to life's ultimate questions. But enlightenment comes at a price, one of confronting both internal and external demons, and the profound consequences of his conclusions. A Kerouac Christ is highly recommended as a thoughtful literary work addressing fundamental issues of purpose and existence within the context of an deftly written and memorable story.

As a person that normally does not read a lot of fiction, I was totally collected up in Chris' journey. I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and could not put it down! The characters were so real that I could see people I've known, people I've run into, or even myself at times. The way that Clint Gaige has addressed several society issues in this book were wonderful and at times, unlike a lot of fiction, were actually very thought provoking. This book does have two flaws, in my opinion: (1) It's hard to put this book down once you start reading it, and (2) I finished reading it too fast! I have never read one of Gaige's books before, but I can assure you that this will not be the last.

"A Kerouac Christ" is one of the most compulsively readable books I've read in a long time. I actually woke up early, couldn't sleep, so I picked up the book and started reading, that was at about eight this morning. I just finished, and I wanted to tell everyone that I think Clint has really written something that people need to read. It's not necessarily about the truth that the characters were seeking, but more about what Chris found in the end, after spending those years on his journey. The character of Chris was very believable, and I actually felt like I knew him by the end.

I was really impressed with the way Clint handled the consequences that came from the book Chris wound up writing, the two teenagers who took their lives after reading it. I've found this to be a difficult thing to deal with in this country, how people want to blame everyone and everything for the bad things that happen. People found fit to blame Chris Bradshaw for what he wrote, when he didn't even know that he had accomplished anything. The teenagers took his tale of what to him hadn't worked out in his life, and saw in it all they believed they couldn't accomplish. It's fairly ironic, the unforseen affects of what he wrote.

All in all, this is now one of my favorites, a book that I would list among the likes of "The Catcher In The Rye". Clint may not be today's Salinger or Kerouac, but his ideas are incendiary, and his words fresh. This is the kind of book you won't be able to stop thinking about.

Briggs-Bunting's book tackles a lot of real-life problems faced by adolescents. She has the gift, however, of solving them without lecturing or resorting to silly cliches or predictability.
With "Llama," readers get warmth, sensitivity and lots of fun without the overdose of warm-fuzzies that so many youth writers peddle. The fact that the characters are based on the author's real-life friends (two-and-four-legged) adds to the charm.
Highly recommend this.

This entertaining yet educational story is a great read for all ages. The author does a wonderful job combining animals and people both young and old and spins quite a unique tale. I applaud Ms. Briggs-Bunting for her being able to tell a not only educational but also interesting story (a rarity for today's children's authors). Excellent!

Llama on the Lam is a fabulous piece of children's literature. It is a heart warming tale about a cute llama and the adventures he has with a group of young kids. Though the book is aimed at children between the ages of 9 through 12, a person of any age will find it enjoyable. Young kids will relish the picturesque artwork, while young teens will be able to relate to the characters in the book. This is a must read for any child!

This is a story of a runaway llama and some kids who help capture it. It's a great story of friendship and there is humor in it, too.
I really enjoyed the fact there were different types of children in the story. One of the characters has Muscular Dystrophy, but he is protrayed as a real kid. In the author's note it tells the story of the real boy who is the model for the character.
The art is nice, too. The pictures of the llama are expecially good. He looks cute.

I really love most of the worksheet pages in this book. This is a book full of reproducible pages. The pages are great reinforcement pages to a middle/high school curriculum, but the worksheets are not dull and boring. They use higher level thinking skills and offer a little bit of interest by including secret messages and game-type worksheets, too. Highly recommend. Great homework pages. Easy to match up the skills with your curriculum since each page focuses on a single topic.

I use activities from this book almost every day. It can be used to reinforce current concepts or to review prior lessons. It covers a wide variety of topics and offers problems that are appropriate for a broad range of abilities (I teach 8th-grade math). It is a great way to engage students from the minute they walk in the door. The problems are great for challenging ALL of your students!

II find these math starters very helpful. I have been using them since the beginning of school and they have been a wonderful tool to help my students get back into the routine of school work.

Works as a supplement to make students think in different ways. A must for students accustomed to rote problems such as those contained in the Saxon Series.

Origami Treasure Chest is a real treasure. It contains easy to follow instructions and diagrams with illustrations of the finished origami models. It contains a variety of models with some variations for some of the models. The models are simple to intermediate. I recommend this book to origamists who want some easy models to create.

This is a wonderful book. I first saw it at the library and knew that I wanted to purchase it. What caught my attention was that the origami pictures inside were actual colored photographs--not drawn pictures. It definitely helps alot more when you see the actual photographs. It makes folding origami much easier!

I am not exactly very good at folding origami and the things I tried came out wonderful. This origami book is different from others I've seen because it teaches you how to fold useful things besides the typical animals. You can learn how to fold special envelopes, boxes with handles, wreaths, and decorations.

I definitely recommend you to get this book. It is excellent!

I do origami as a hobby, using the results for presents for friends and family. This has been my favorite origami books since I first discovered it. The instructions are very good; I have usually been able to understand them during my first attempt at a design. If you're just beginning origami, with no previous experience, there is an explanation of the folding symbols on the back of the front cover. However, there are no detailed beginners explanations, so, unless you feel up to it, you may not want to get this book if you have never done origami before. If you do have a little experience, this is a very good book. Some of the designs are more simple than others, and even the simple designs look good. I am always annoyed at "easy origami" books that are easy, but have horrible looking designs. This is not the case with this book, and, in fact, I have created some beautiful origami mobiles using only designs found in this book. There may not be as much variety in this book as you might find in other origami books, but you can be reasonably certain that you'll be able to fold all the designs found in this book. I have yet to encounter an origami book that I have gotten as much use out of as this one.

This is a wonderful book. I first saw it at the library and knew that I wanted to purchase it. What caught my attention was that the origami pictures inside were actual colored photographs--not drawn pictures. It definitely helps alot more when you see the actual photographs. It makes folding origami much easier!

I am not exactly very good at folding origami and the things I tried came out wonderful. This origami book is different from others I've seen because it teaches you how to fold useful things besides the typical animals. You can learn how to fold special envelopes, boxes with handles, wreaths, and decorations.

I definitely recommend you to get this book. It is excellent!

This book is a quick-read filled with great advice for putting together a team. As chairman for a committee in a business association, I was having trouble getting volunteers to do their share of the work. After reading this book, I implemented the steps the author lays out and used the techniques to handle members who aren't doing well. The ideas in this book are helping make our committee successful.

Well organized, easy to read with step-by-step guidelines for establishing a group. She also tells you how to avoid common pitfalls. Very well done.

Ever want to build a massive parallel super-computer? How about one comprising the best information processors we know - the human brain. How about a Mastermind Group!

Natalie Brecher's book is one of those "gems" that you find from time to time that is a quick read, but chock full of wisdom and insight. She has captured and made accessible the concept of synergy in a real Mastermind Team, and given us a step by step instruction manual to building our own team.

In clear language and forthright thought, Ms. Brecher gives us the 8 steps, the advantages for each step, and the pitfalls that await us if we are unaware. She eloquently makes the case for why we should even consider a Mastermind Team, then goes about helping us to know that we too can form such a team.

My Mastermind Team was formed in much the same way Ms. Brecher describes in her book. It has been an invaluable asset in my business. And in the spirit of full disclosure I must confess that Natalie is part of that Mastermind Team. What she has given to the readers of this excellent book is real, based in fact, and founded on experience. I highly recommend that you create a Mastermind Team and that your team read and understand what Natalie freely shares with you!

No one succeeds alone. This book gives you the tools and techniques to pull together a support group that provides a win/win for everyone involved. Natalie provides quotes of wisdom, the history of various support groups and the how to's so you can create your own mastermind alliance.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who desires to tap into the potential of being in a group in order to achieve more.

Teresa is a local author from Pike County, Ohio. She has done a great job with her first book. "Redemption's Song" kept me glued to it. I couldn't put it down. Once that one was finished, I couldn't wait to read the sequel.
It is a very good Christian themed mystery. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Sometimes I can be disappointed when a second book in a series comes out. Not in this case!!! From page 1 I was drawn back into the world of Jamie Steele. How refreshing to read a book where the characters learn from lifes lessons along the way. I only have one problem with this series.....waiting for Book 3!!!!

The second book in the Jenna's Creek series, Redemption's Song is the story of two prideful women in love with one man. Their obsession with their own desires and willful conflict with one another risks blinding them to their Christian faith in God. A profound saga about the consequences of sin and misdeeds, and the importance of keeping God in one's heart, Redemption's Song balances the misery caused by selfish behavior with the potential for atonement through God's loved. A heartfelt novel, reflecting the author's deeply held faith. Also recommended is the first book in the Jenna's Creek series, "Streams of Mercy".

The second book in the Jenna's Creek series, Redemption's Song is the story of two prideful women in love with one man. Their obsession with their own desires and willful conflict with one another risks blinding them to their Christian faith in God. A profound saga about the consequences of sin and misdeeds, and the importance of keeping God in one's heart, Redemption's Song balances the misery caused by selfish behavior with the potential for atonement through God's loved. A heartfelt novel, reflecting the author's deeply held faith. Also recommended is the first book in the Jenna's Creek series, "Streams of Mercy".

Wow. That sums this up in one word. The recipies are setup for a serving of 1 person. No division required for odd number of people, just multiply the recipie and wham! We've made dozens of the recipies and although I'm white, I've got a phillipeano friend that's telling everyone that I'm asian. The meals come out soo good I've got people asking us to cook for them. It's got helpful information for properly preparing rice, and other aspects of cooking that might be foreign to a lot of people out there. I definately recommend this for everyone.

I am not a Japanese but my wife and I love eating Japanese food. We bought this book and used it multiple times for cooking dinner. The instruction was clear and the result was tasty. Highly recommended.

PS: We usually just look at the photos in the book to pick the rice bowl that we want to prepare.

I picked up this book on a trip to Japan and didn't really expect much out of it. To my surprise, it's become one of my all-time favourite cookbooks. It's a great way to start learning about Japanese home cooking. There are also some great recipes for Korean and Chinese dishes. Every recipe I've tried is quite tasty and easy to prepare. It's also great when cooking for 1-2 people or when you're on the go. For years I've thought rice was a side bowl of dry and bland grains. Well, no more! Get yourself a decent rice cooker and get ready for a new way of preparing wholesome, quick, and delicious meals.

If you like rice dishes, buy this book. I'm no cook, but I've tried 3 different dishes in as many nights, and they all turned out great.

There're MANY simple, delicious dishes that you can cook up within an hour or less. All I've bought so far is sake (I have most other oriental spices, oil, and what nots).

I just had to get used to cooking w/o salt, cos you use soy sauce alot of times.

Buy it and enjoy it!