Companies Books

Wilbers is nationally recognized columnist on writing. His book combines the best ideas and examples on how to write simply, and on how to write well. He captures the heart and flavor of numerous other books on writing and rhetoric, and presents them in a simple, readable, understandable style. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is not only an easy read, but an enjoyable one. The examples of good and bad writing clearly illustrate a running theme in the book: It is not just what you say, but how you say it that matters in effective writing. My law partners liked this book so much that we distributed copies to partners and associates alike, and I personally gave copies to everyone in my family attending high school or college. At the present price, buying this book is a "no-brainer." This book is also well indexed, which makes it useful as a reference. I keep a copy on my desk.

Stephen Wilbers' "Keys to Great Writing" is a wonderful book. I've read most of the classic books on writing and this is by far my favorite. Even when presenting well-known advice ("Omit needless words"), the examples are fresh and usually better than wherever I first read such advice ("Elements of Style" in that case). Wilbers has a very sly sense of humor that pops through in many sections.

The book is split into three sections. The first covers the "keys to great writing" (economy, precision, action, music, and personality). The second covers "Elements of Composition." The last section is by far the smallest but was perhaps the most useful to me. It is on the writing process itself.

I enjoyed the book so much that I tracked down the author via email and paid him to review two chapters of the next book I'm writing. I wanted to see how well I'd done at taking his advice from the book.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

I bought this book for a guide to improve my writing skills for work as well as my module assignments.

Intelligent, well organized and fun to read, this book is a "must have" if you want to improve your own writing or help others to improve theirs.

I'm using this text for an on-line writing course. The author has put everything in easy-to-understand language and includes a bit of humor along the way. Excellent advice, hints, and ideas.

I first saw this cookbook back in 2001. A co-worker had purchased it at a garage sale. I must have photocopied at least 20 recipes from it. I accidentally lost one of the recipes (Chocolate Truffle Pudding, which was amazing), and I had changed jobs so I couldn't ask the woman to bring the book back into work again. Well... I did a search for it on Amazon and found it! I was so happy to have the original cookbook in my hot little hands! This cookbook is loaded, LOADED with gems. Everything I have made out of this book has been fabulous.

This is my favorite cook book - I reference it all the time. I highly recommend it for new & experienced cooks. I've used mine so much it is falling apart after the 10 years I have owned it.

Every recipe that I have used in this cookbook without exception has been wonderful! I especially like the Old-World Rasberry Bars. The cookbook is worth the price just for the beautiful pictures that appear every time you turn the page. The pictures of mouthwatering deserts, entrees, vegetables, etc give the reader an idea of what the finished product will look like. I showed my copy to my mom the other day and now she wants a copy of the cookbook. I would recommend this cookbook to the novice as well as the experienced cook.

I bought this book over eight years ago and still pull it out whenever we have dinner guests in our calendar. The full color pictures are inspirational even if you don't follow the recipe to the letter.

The preparation and cook times are very accurate -- great for when you have guests arriving for dinner at a certain time and the directions are easy enough to follow for when my 15 year old wants to try her hand at dinner.

This book is not just for dinners either! There are great dessert and sandwich recipes as well. All recipes contain quite a bit of butter (it IS a Land o'Lakes cookbook) so they are not for those cooking light, but are very tasty.

The skillet pizza is the only recipe I have not liked so far. My favorite recipes are the deep dish apple pie and chicken Kiev.

I just received this from Amazon the other day.

It is a plastic binder.
This makes it very easy to removed the recipe that you want to make without having to
Turn the book this way or that way to read the recipe and look at the picture.

The other wonderful part of this cookbook is that the pictures help guide you.

The recipes are only on one page and the picture on the other side.

I had this delivered while at work.
I had people clamoring at lunch to look through this cook book.

One person said that it made him drool and another lady stating that she was buying this
Cook book.

Another wonderful part of this is that you can add recipes to this as it is a binder.
This is worth the money I spent.

I have looked for cook books that have pictures and this one is a great buy.

Reading his words, we are saddened in knowing he is soon to die a martyr at the young age of 39 by the Nazis. Bonhoeffer fought for biblical truth, and against appeasement. He writes his thoughts (at times very deep and philosophical) from prison, when he entered in 1943 until extradition to another prison over two years later, just before the Allies' liberation in 1945. In his letters to his parents amazingly he is not bitter, but thankful and in good spirits. He was always hopeful. He finds joy in even the smallest of things. Some of the letters we will discover are slightly coded to get through the "checkers". The preface sums it up better than I can: "page by page, these letters show us a picture of life in a prison cell, as it was experienced in all its aspects, with the intimate details of an individual life fused into a striking unity with the disastrous events that were going on in the world outside, a unity produced by an outstanding mind and a sensitive heart."

Much of Bonhoefffer's letters were written to his dear friend Eberhard Bethge. Bonhoeffer expounded with difficult theological questions for Bethge........I would like to hear his answers. Bethge as editor writes the foreword and preface, along with what Bonhoeffer experienced during his final days. The preface is a short biography and explains how the papers came to be.

The two years Bonhoeffer spent in his dreary jail cell he consumed an immense amount of literature; he discusses his favorites. He also gives us a hint of what jail life was like: the solitude, the allied bombings (air-raids), the cell attendants, and his fellow prisoners, whom he does not justify their pathetic cowardly actions; he believed prison was no excuse for poor behavior. Other subjects he touches on is liberalism within the church, and a world that is increasingly existing without God. He believed his thoughts were somewhat odd and his poems needed work, but they were far from it.

This is a book of hope for all who will believe. If Christ is a lie, think of the millions who then threw their lives away in martyr for Him.

Wish you well
Scott

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "Letters and Papers from Prison" is the account of an extremely intelligent German theologian and pastor who was thrown into prison during WWII. The correspondence Bonhoeffer shared with his family members during the time he spent in prision (over a year and a half)reveals his character in a remarkably honest way. The love and concern he has for his family and his selflessness, even while sitting in prison, are a great testament to the Christian faith regardless of your theological position.

I read this book several years ago at the behest of my Pastor when I was still a man of faith. And although I've essentially fallen out of that faith in the last few years, I still consider this one of the most inspiring true stories I have ever read. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German minister who openly spoke out against the Nazis-and allegedly even participated in the plot to kill Hitler-was imprisoned in 1943 and eventually hanged by the German government shortly before the end of the war. This is a collection of his correspondence with his family and friends during his two years of incarceration.



The strength of this book is that Bonhoeffer was not only a truly courageous man who refused to abandon his principles, but as a Christian, he actually practiced what he preached. This seems to be rare these days and I think the reason that so many people resent Christians and Christianity is that they see so many of them as hypocrites. They constantly talk about God and peace, and righteousness, yet they are so quick to drop a bomb or condemn those that disagree with them. Bonhoeffer represents a pure Christianity of love and justice. This is my take at least and others might disagree with my assessment. With that said, this was a man who truly believed in his God and accepted with dignity whatever fate that God had in store for him. His courage and joy in the face of such a harsh fate is evident in his writings. So, even though I don't share Bonhoeffer's religious beliefs or some of his "ethics," I don't hesitate to recommend this truly inspiring book to believers and non-believers alike. My only warning is that there is a lot of theological discussion and those with little or no knowledge of the religion might find these parts a bit over their head.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Letters & Papers from Prison was a most edifying read, primarily because it stripped away the mystery and mythical aura that surrounded him, before and after his murder by the Nazis in 1945. The fact that his reputation is so universally well known is greatly due in part to his brother-in-law, the late Eberhard Bethge.

Having been raised in a very German household myself, I would hear occasional stories from my own father, who grew up in Germany at that time, about the German pastor who was a part of the plot to kill Hitler, the one who was the moral conscience who aided the conspirators while they tried to rid Germany of the diabolical dictator and his vile atrocities that were sweeping throughout the land, for nothing was sacrosanct.

Bonhoeffer, known throughout the Christian world for his books, The Cost of Discipleship and Ethics, among other treaties, pamphlets and sermons, was a great example in respects to how a man or woman can truly live an independent Christian life while working in the world and that heroism does not necessarily come from preaching the Gospel, but rather, living it or trying to. It also comes from incorporating nuances of those truths, big or small, into the daily activities of ones life and sharing that Christian goodness (in a healthy and practical manner) with people from all walks of life, irrelevant of class structure, education, ethnic background, et cetera.

In this book, Bonhoeffer's theological musings move from the act of suffering to the meaning of love, whether human, religious or even material, and the insights that he shares with some of his correspondents, especially Eberhard Bethge, is sometimes profoundly compelling, and one can endlessly cite the abundant source material to back that up. But while he was accepting his cross of suffering, knowing in a way that it was a gift, he had an agony for those whom he was separated from, specificially his fiance, Maria von Wedemeyer-Weller.

The overall profile of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as presented in this work, showcases an all too human man, sometimes short-tempered and impatient yet very religious, contemplative, moral, ethical and surprisingly creative. For an example of that, read his short fiction piece entitled: "Lance-Corporal Berg: A narrative" which is almost similarly reminiscent, style-wise, to that of the writer and author Erich Maria Remarque. His poems, however, were not that great, but it made him only more real.

Though I am Catholic and my interpretation of Scripture is slightly different, much of what Bonhoeffer wrote spoke volumes to me, especially in tackling the day-to-day challenges and experiences that life has to offer. I think he speaks to many people, and that is good, for what he has to say, by his life, writings, choices, down to his martyrdom can cross all ecumenical boundaries. And that is indeed a remarkable witness.

I bought the book looking to know more about Bonhoeffer's theology..and ended up learning more about my own. Though at times I didn't agree with his thoughts, I found myself agreeing with the man. These letters mix profound questions with small daily details of life. It is authentic and transparent in a way that typical straightforward "theology" books can't be. There is honest, articulate, and earnest faith in these unselfconscious and private thoughts.

We bought this for our nephew's 4th birthday. I must say that I spent at least an hour looking through the book before I wrapped it. I thought it was really cool and couldn't get over how the closer you looked, the more you would see. Aidan liked the book but was much more interested in his sea of presents on his birthday. However, my brother tells me that after a few days, Aidan went back to this book and started looking at it with my brother. He loves it and gets excited when he can figure out what the items are.

I bought all of Steiner's books for my three year old for Christmas. This one is by far his favorite. I love reading each page and he finishes every sentence. If I would let him he would sleep with this book every night and it's fun for adults to look at too!!

The creativity oozes from this book. You'll never look at ordinary products in the same way again. The creative author of this book takes ordinary items and creates unique display pictures. You or your child can spend hours looking at each picture to see which unique items are used, and how they are used. Great gift, and great for libraries to have on hand

These books are spectacular, we play "I spy" with them and see something new every time.

What a wonderful book! I bought the book as a gift for my nephew and enjoyed it so much I nearly didn't want to give it away! Needless to say my nephew was delighted and loves the book. It's a great way to spend quality time with the younger generation, you will get as much pleasure as they do, finding all the cleverly arranged objects. A great way to wile away a cold winter's eve.

John Ortberg is my Pastor...he is insightful, deep with a great sense of humor when presenting God's messsage to us.

"Love Beyond Reason" falls in line with how I've come to understand Jesus.

I would give it 10 Stars if it were an option.

I have been struggling with letting go of a loved one who is in the throws of alcoholism.
With the help of this writing, I have been brought deeper into my own healing as well as grown in faith & trust.
When we come to Jesus in answering His call to repentance, he accepts us the way we are, but loves us so completely that he won't let us remain that way!

I have read two other of John's books so far.
"If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat"
"The Life You've Always Wanted"
Each are equally insightful and encouraging!

I plan on making this a staple in my personal library and will give this book as a gift whenever possible.

Many thanks to you, John, for your faithfulness to the Lord and sharing your gift.

God Bless You!

Great book, a MUST read if you're trying to discover more of how much God loves you. This book explains an in depth explanation of God's love for you. Brilliant book.

This is a wonderful book that really depicts God's love for every individual. A must read by John Ortberg!

This book is amazing. I've read it slowly because I want to savor every word. I've been a Christian for a long time and usually I don't like sugar-coated Christianity, but the way this book talks about God's love really humbled me and made me realize the vastness of God's grace. This book discusses God's tremendous unconditional love and encourages us to have that same kind of love for others. One thing Ortberg said that stood out is, as I grow closer to God, am I becoming more approachable (more loving) or less approachable (legalistic and judgemental)? Really made me think about how gracious I am (or not) toward others. I've recommended this book to all my friends.

After having read several of Ortberg's books, I would have to say this is the one that really touched me.

John's gift for storytelling is simply wonderful. He starts the book by discussing our raggedness - but that is hardly the end of the story. He goes on to tell us how the greatness of God heals and redeems us - again and again. He uses biblical depictions that are rich in detail and apply to our lives today.

My favorite chapters were "The Lord of the Second Chance" and "The Roundabout Way."

In "The Lord of the Second Chance," Ortberg gives a detailed account of Peter's great failure and how Jesus restored him. It is a very touching depiction, rich in detail and emotionality.

In "The Roundabout Way," he explains that God is not as concerned with the journey as he is "who" we will be when we arrive at our destination. He discusses the possible reasons for the roundabout way, suffering and how this journey can bring us into a closer relationship with God. From my own experience in the "roundabout way," I can honestly say that I see things much more clearly now.

Another chapter that I found very provoking was the chapter on Grace and how even we, as Christians, sometimes forget that we need to extend grace to others as freely as God has extended it to us.

I have read this book over and over and plan to give it as a gift to several of my friends and family. I highly recommend it!!!

I needed this book right away for a Summer school class, and I received the book less than a week after ordering it!

This is the wonderful first edition of The Mathematical Experience written by Philip J. Davis and Reuben Hersh. However it is NOT the study edition which was designed for use in the classroom. The ISBN number for the Study edition is: 0-8176-3739-7.
The authors are Davis, Hersh, and Marchisotto

In my view, this book (which looks like a collection of articles gathered up under several rubrics) shares typical achievements and flaws of all popular-math literature; namely, it's enjoyable and enlightening as far as historical and philosophical aspects of the material presented, yet when they authors actually get to mathematics, it becomes fragmeted, jerky, and confused. Symptomatic of this is the chapter on nonstandard calculus: the historical narrative is very interesting, yet the math proper is confused and incomprehensible. Perhaps that is because it's impossible to express it fully and right in a popularizing context; perhaps it is so because I'm too obtuse to have understood it (but then the most of the target audience is probably no better); or maybe it's because the authors didn't do a terribly good job of it. The next chapter (Fourier analysis) suffers from the same.

Overall, I say, it's a good, although overrated, book. Read it, get what you can out of it and don't fret about the rest: the book is really a collection of articles, apparently written for different purposes, at different times, and for different publications; the quality of writing varies from section to section, although the overall structure and topicality are unquestionably very good. The book has an extensive and diverse bibliography along with a rather mediocre (close to names-only) index. Well, no book is perfect, including this one: overall it's solid four stars -- recommended.

The authors deal with various important aspects of mathematics and about practising mathematics. They also deal with the philosophy of mathematics. By and large, they do it engagingly. Specifically, they tackle why mathematics seems to 'work'; how a mathematician actually goes about doing mathematics; they offer some light treatment of a few mathematical topics, and they illustrate mathematical thinking as well.

This book is best read by students thinking about choosing mathematics as a career, or even just as a field of study. Although, any layperson will come off with a greater appreciation of what mathematics is, and what mathematicians do.

The Mathematical Experience by Philip J. Davis and Reuben Hersh
1981 Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston

Is all of pure mathematics a meaningless game? What are the contradictions that upset the very foundations of mathematics? If a can of tuna cost $1.05 how much does two cans of tuna cost (Pg. 71)? If you think you know the answer, don't be so sure. How old are the oldest mathematical tables? What is mathematics anyway, and why does it work? Can anyone prove that 1 + 1 = 2?
This is a book about the history and philosophy of mathematics. I'm certainly not a mathematician, and there are parts of the book I will never understand, yet the balance of it made the experience well worth while. The authors presented the material so that it is interesting and (mostly) easily understood. They have a creative way of making a difficult subject exciting. They do this by giving us insights into how mathematicians work and create. They live up to the title making mathematics a human experience by adding fascinating history. Frankly I was shocked when they pointing out how even mathematicians have made questionable assumptions and taken some basic "truths" on faith. They show the beauty of math in the "Aesthetic Component" chapter. Ultimately the question that comes up again and again is the question of whether or not we can really know anything about time and space independent of our own experience to make an adequate foundation for a complete system in mathematics. If you have ever wondered about the world of mathematics and the personalities involved you might consider this book. If you are a mathematics teacher you should read this book. If you are a mathematician you could find it quite unsettling.
It contains eight chapters, each one broken up into many subtitles so if you do get bogged down in the mathematics it isn't for long. There are 440 pages. I'd like to see a much more complete glossary for people like me who need it.

The only way to travel the Al-Can and the best way, (short of actually being there), to remember the great state of Alaska!

A little background, we are Air Force and we recently PCSed to Elmendorf, AK. We used the milepost to plan our stops and it was a lifesaver. Everything that you could ever want to know about any route to Alaska, the scenic markers, the stops, even road conditions and pullouts, they are all in there. A must for any traveler.

I bought Milepost 2008 for a friend, so I have not used it myself. However, I was so intrigued by the contents of this book, that I am have developed a strong desire to make the trip. The book is very detailed, and seems to cover everything one needs to know to tour Alaska.

Milepost was invalueable for my Alaska Highway trip.
the only drawback was Williams Lake had little mention and there is a lot of lodging and dining establisments.

Other reviewers were right. If you are driving to or in Alaska, you need the Milepost. Side roads and towns are included as well as major highways and road conditions. It contains EVERYTHING you can drive to, and more. It would take a a week nonstop to read the whole thing. Weather you are intersted in wildlife, views, fishing, trails, glaciers, etc, you need it. Period.

I bought it in 1984, then misplaced it, I liked the recipes, and with Summer coming, decided to by it again

What a great cook book full of good ideas for entertaining. The recipes are unique and easy to follow. This is a go-to book for potlucks and parties.

Ms. Chase has a fresh, innovative style in her writing and recipes. I enjoyed reading this book as well as trying out some of the yummy, creative dishes. As I was researching Ina Garten's website, I discovered that Ina herself finds this cookbook to be indispensible in her own food preparation and also in sparking her culinary creativity. If Ina says it's good, it's gotta be good!!!

I lost almost all of my cook book collection to hurricane Katrina. This is the book that I replaced first! I was so happy to find it here at Amazon since I have been looking for it for awhile. The recipes are those that I use over and over and they never fail to please.....Ms. Chase has a wonderful way with food that is both comforting and elegant. You will enjoy this book!

Looking for interesting foods, lush ingredients, reliable recipes? Sara Leah Chase has it in her blood; these recipes are perfect in their uniqueness, but are so do-able. The comments prefacing each recipe are helpful, and bring back many memories of my 15 Nantucket summers. Her recipes often include traditional foods with an inventive, flavorful twist. This book is also just plain enjoyable to read. Chase's attitude is Good Food + Warm Hospitality = Memorable Times. Best recipes: hummous, scallop puffs, swordfish kebabs, duck breast w/ grilled radicchio, cranberry-kumquat relish...and every dessert.

This is very funny stuff. I remember getting this book in college. It's still just as funny or perhaps more funny today!!

Kliban was definitely one of the best. I discovered his work in used book stores and was hooked the moment I saw it. What started was a manic tour to find all of his books. Next was convincing everyone I knew at the time that Kliban was a genius. Some bought, some flinched.

Kliban's work would have no home in today's "funny pages." It's entertainment for adults (he began his career with Playboy magazine) and his work is scattered with obscenity and nudity. None of it is gratuitous. One thing that heavily separates Kliban's work from other cartoonists' is its depth. Social commentary mixed with metaphysics mixed with surrealism. When he's funny he's gut-wrenchingly funny. When he's profound he's deeply profound (not many cartoonists' work can be called 'profound'). He also uses the pun in a way I've never seen before. He either goes over the top and makes you gag(e.g., "Why do you hang out with that sadist?" "Beats me!"), or is very subtle and hilarious (e.g., A buffalo saying "I never met an Indian I didn't like, with the possible exception of Kahlil Gibran"). His work is nonsensical, absurd and funny.

This book includes classics such as "The Birth of Advertising", "Patron Saint of Crullers", "Contaminated Pork Bldg", "The Hairy Family Singers", "Continuous Eye Persons", "Philosophers Looting a Small Town", and many others that defy description.

Kliban's closest equivalent in cartooning must be Argentina's Quino. If you're a fan of Kliban, most likely you'll appreciate Quino's work (though some knowledge of Spanish is helpful).

Sadly, a lot of Kliban's work is difficult to find these days. His "safer" books like "Cat" are readily available, but his more edgy work seems to have nearly vanished. Perhaps someday if mainstream humor revisits off-the-wall absurdism Kliban's work will be appreciated for what it was.

B. Kliban is a pre-Larson cartoonist with some similar traits. Kliban is much more cerebral, however. My college roommate had this book and "Tiny Footprints" and I was hooked. "Soup to Nuts" is a classic.

The B. Kliban book, "Never Eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head," was the most original, funniest and thought-provoking cartoon series that I've ever seen. For humor value I also like New Yorker cartoons, but they are locked in a kind of workplace suburban conventionality that seems less original than Kliban, and anyway they use multiple authors for their body of work.

A "predecessor" of Gary Larsen? Having had Kliban's book and then seeing Gary Larsen's series, Larsen's work is clearly derivative of Kliban, sort of like J.K. Rowling coming after J.R.R. Tolkein.

The book is still funny and mind-stretching, and my original 70s paperback copy is falling apart, so I'm taking the trouble to track down another copy.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned this book is at the top of the heap of original cartoon humor and actually represents a new way of looking at everything in terms of parody from the early 70s on. Buy it if you dare.

This was my roommate's book and I read it back in the 70's. It was so hysterical we used to laugh until we thought we'd wet ourselves. I sometimes think about funny cartons/sayings and I'm still laughing about it 20+ years later. I'm amazed I remembered the name of the book, but I did, so here I am. I'm ordering it today. I'm going to keep it at work, and when things get me down, I'll look at the picture of the "Wonder Weiner Works" and I know it'll put a smile on my face.

I purchased this book and its follow-up,More Nickel Quilts, after doing months of research looking to add the best possible books on patchworking scraps to my library that I could find. These two were it by a long shot - buy them both - you definitely won't be disappointed.

I was pleased with the condition of this book and the prompt service I received.

This is a must have book! And I would have to say that the second book More Nickle Quilts is just as good as the first. I have them both and love them! They have made me a scrap quilter over night. I was not a scrap quilter until these books.

Great book. I can't wait to make some of the quilts.

This book contains lots of new and refreshing ideas for scrap quilts. And the designs are just beautiful and inspiring! The "Morning Star" quilt is on my list for projects in the future. If you like scrap quilts, you won't be dissapointed in this book.