E-Books Books

I very good book. Very comprehensive and a big change from all the other golfing books!!

Train smart guys! This manual is fantastic. If you're gonna train, you should seriously take this into consideration, at least as a template. The bread and butter is the fact that he addresses postural distortions and biomechanical tests, which I can say 80% of the trainers in the US don't do.

the book came as represented very new wonderful condition and timely; but with a 30% discount which was hard to find elsewhere

If you golf or train golfers this book is a must. Hands down the best most complete book on golf conditioning on the market today.

The Fitness Professional will find themselves refering to this book ever so often as it covers all areas from the reason why one should be conditioned for this sport to flexibility tests, the importance of stretching and how to warm up for golf (- an area most often skipped by golf enthusiats) functional exercise (- and the importance of it) strength & power exercises. An important aspect is also that exercises should be progressed from flexibility to stability to strength and finally power to enhance performance and be injury free. The diagrams are excellent for convincing and explaining to clients. Infact the concepts in this book has carry over to any other sport that requires you to move as an integrated whole!!

I won't go into all the details of the book since the other reviews describe it very well. All I have to say is that I was a bit hesitant to purchase it at first since I was afraid it wood be too dry of a read. I recently purchased another science/health relatad book and it was a terrible read.
I'm about halfway done and find myself not being able to put it down. A friend of mine even commented that a book about germs could not be that interesting. Well this one is! It is very well researched and lays out the facts without being (in my opinion) alarmist.
I would hope everyone has a chance to read this book. I only wish our media networks would present this information the way Jessica Snyder does.

As opposed to all the lengthy ones, let me just say this book is absolutely FASCINATING. I thought the detail level was just right, not too much, but enough to be convincing. READ THIS BOOK.

I purchased this book because I heard an interview with the author on a Scientific American podcast and was intrigued. I've known a few people who contracted MRSA not too long ago and so I was interested in learning more about the topic. When I read the book, it did not disappoint and I found myself not wanting to put it down.

The book covers a number of topics that have been puzzling us recently: Where are these super-aggressive MRSA infections coming from and how did they become resistant to antibiotics? Why are so many children developing extreme allergies to certain foods? The answers are more complex that I originally thought and many go against conventionally held beliefs regarding germs.

Many people I know have the impression that all germs are bad and therefore we should eliminate them through the use of antibacterial agents (soaps, disinfectants, etc). However, research shows that we need these "microflora" as much as they need us and we would be unable to survive without them. There are, in fact, "good germs" and "bad germs" and in our quest to eliminate all germs, we often wipe out those who keep the bad guys at bay.

The book begins with a history of what we know about bacteria and how we've tried to combat disease. The next section presents the idea that we are, in fact, an ecosystem for millions of bacteria. The author explains how we become colonized with microflora from birth and beyond. The main parts of the book explain why our sanitation methods and over-use of broad-spectrum antibiotics may be causing us more harm than good and how we can change our methods to be more successful at combating the bad bacteria.

I found the information in the book entirely fascinating. I had no idea that two distinctly different bacteria could swap their antibiotic-resistant genes so that a bacteria strain that had never been exposed to a certain antibiotic could suddenly become immune to it. Also interesting is that children who grow up exposed to animals (through farm-life or pets) are less likely to develop serious allergies or auto-immune diseases such as Type-II diabetes.

The book provides a wealth on information from hundreds of studies to help the reader understand what we know about germs, how they work, and how they can outsmart us. I walked away with a completely different perspective on germs and their role in our lives. This is a book that everyone should read!

Lastly, I should mention that the author did an excellent job of presenting factual information gathered from hundreds of studies in a manner that was very interesting rather than dull. Also, I don't think a reader has to have a medical background to gain insight from this text.

Starting at birth, the new, innocent body becomes home to a host of microscopic invaders. These days, at that same instant, forces are brought to bear to stop or repel that horde. As Jessica Sachs explains in this comprehensive account, we are only learning the first lessons in what microbes mean in our lives.

Perhaps the first thing readers should take from this book is that "antibiotics" don't contend with viruses. Those costly drugs only fight bacteria, a more complex and elusive critter. Another difference between bacteria and viruses is that we generally need the former, but not the latter. Which means we'd best be cautious about trying to ravage them with chemicals. The number and variations of bacteria in our bodies seems countless as you follow Sachs' account of who they are and what they do. Or fail to do. Most of us grew up with the "bad germs" litany drummed into us. "Wash your hands before dinner!" and "Don't play in the mud!" still echo in our minds after many years. The point was to "prevent" germs from entering our bodies. It turns out that Mum's cautions weren't always on the mark - Mummy didn't know best after all. We needed those bugs - they help us stay healthy.

Jessica Sachs guides us through the findings of scores of scientists' work that has revised the approach we were taught about "germs" in our childhood. Eating mud, something many of us were at least verbally chastised for, turns out to be a good thing, even a necessity. From birth, the introduction of certain microbes initiate processes the body needs to keep going. For most people today, it's well known that microbes in our tummies are part of the process of digestion. Escherichia coli is known to be a true friend - in controlled numbers and certain strains. What's less known is how many other bacteria the body relies on to get certain jobs done. One of those jobs is keeping the immune system properly tuned. A lazy immune system is unresponsive or unable to react to invasion. An overly ambitious one can turn on its own body and destroy it.

Both friendly and destructive bacteria live in our mouths, eyes, skin and elsewhere. Over millions of years, the body has come to an accommodation with those creatures, generally striking a balance ensuring survival. This balance has been severely offset in recent years, due to a "cleanliness" obsession that arose when it became clear that some germs were responsible for diseases. This idea was effectively demonstrated by UK researcher David Strachan, whose research led to what is now called the "hygiene hypothesis" - respiratory illnesses result from lack of cross-microbe activity to build immunities. In short, rich, small families were more prone to allergies than large, poorer ones. As Sachs points out, humans in our society overreacted to the new knowledge about disease-causing germs and sought to eliminate them all. The imbalance has led to many tragic situations, and initiated a guarantee that more, perhaps worse, situations are in the offing. What are we to do about it?

At the end of a superb compendium of case histories, research investigations and depictions of the scientists themselves, Sachs arrives at glancing into the future. The path is vague and unclear, chiefly because we have changed the past so drastically in our present - particularly in North America. European research has offered some pointers, but the microbe population here has already been distorted beyond restoration to past conditions. This situation indicates drastic new approaches must be tried. Perhaps the most disturbing for many will be the development of bio-engineered treatments. The realisation that bacteria can not only pass antibiotic-resistant genes among their kin, but provide them to other species means "scatter-gun" forms of vaccines must be developed. We will likely have to imitate Nature, applying the gene transfer process to counter what human-produced "superbugs" are doing to us. Clearly, the suffering public must be kept fully informed about the options and their implications. The education process begins with this book. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I've read a number of books on microbes in recent years, including

Bakalar, Nicholas. Where the Germs Are: A Scientific Safari (2003)
Biddle, Wayne. A Field Guide to Germs, 2nd ed. (1995, 2002)
Ewald, Paul W. Plague Time: How Stealth Infections Cause Cancers, Heart Disease, and other Deadly Ailments (2000)
Heritage, J., and E. G. V. Evans, R. A. Killington Microbiology in Action (1999)
Karlen, Arno. Biography of a Germ (2000)
Murray, Patrick R., et al. Medical Microbiology (2002)
Oldstone, Michael B. Viruses, Plagues, and History (1998)
Shnayerson, Michael and Mark J. Plotkin. The Killers Within: The Deadly Rise of Drug-Resistant Bacteria (2002)
Tierno, Philip M. Jr. The Secret Life of Germs: Observations and Lessons from a Microbe Hunter (2001)

What sets science journalist Jessica Snyder Sachs' book apart from these fine books is the intense detail and focus that she brings to the work and the fact that her book is up to date with reports from the latest research. Written for a general educated readership, it gets a little dense at times and there's a lot to keep in mind and to understand. But I think the time and effort are worth it. I must warn you however, it does get a little scary. If you are prone to hypochondria or to paranoia, I would suggest you skip reading this since it appears that we are teetering on the edge of any number of possible microbial disasters.

At the same time there is also the promise of a level of understanding of how drugs, bacteria and our immune systems work together, or are at odds, that will lead to healthier lives for all of us.

Some of the topics covered:

--A bit of the history of medicine before the germ theory of disease rose with Pasteur to the balmy times circa 1960 when some authorities were predicting the end of infectious disease, to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria that characterizes today's world.

--The interaction between bacteria in our intestinal tract and the fact that we could not digest our food or even live without the benign bacteria that help us. Sachs quotes Nobel laureate Joshua Lederberg in this regard: "'It would broaden our horizons if we started thinking of a human as more than a single organism. It is a superorganism that includes much more than our human cells.' Lederberg calls this cohabitation of human and microbial cells the 'microbiome...'" (p. 238)

--The "hygiene hypothesis," in which certain diseases such as allergies, asthma and immune system disorders are thought to arise because we keep our homes too clean, and our children do not have the exposure to common germs early and often enough to build up a proper immune response. In the case of allergies and autoimmune diseases, apparently exposure when very young to would-be allergens "teaches" the immune system to regard them as harmless. Without this exposure the immune system may go wild. Sachs' treatment of this murky subject is the best I have read.

--Bacterial mutations, including the exchange of drug resistant genes between species within our intestinal tract. (Bacteria do have sex on occasion!) This rather sobering part of the book explains how bacteria manage to elude our best defenses and prescriptions. Implicit is the fact that we do indeed live in a bacterial world that has in toto a greater grasp of biochemistry than perhaps we will ever have. They've had two or three billion years to perfect their defenses, so we have our work cut out for us.

--Various new methods of dealing with microbes including new drugs, infecting bacteria with viruses, inculcating ourselves with good bacteria to keep the bad out, bioengineering new benign strains to replace the dangerous ones. This approach is called "probiotic," that is, "proactively replacing the body's trouble-prone bacteria with strains and species of our choosing, even of our own making." (p. 193)

--Enhancing the immune system so that it better fights harmful microbes while at the same time leaving its own tissues alone, checking inflammation and autoimmune disease.

Some interesting info:

Our intestine when empty of food harbors about 15 trillion microbes; when full, perhaps 100 trillion! (p. 44)

Babies typically get their first intestinal bacteria by riding face down out of the womb, picking up a bit of the inhabitants of mother's stool. (p. 53) Babies delivered by caesarian section have more allergies than vaginal birth babies and may have a tougher time setting up a stable flora in their digestive systems. (pp. 99-100)

It is now clear that healthy tissues in our bodies are not necessarily microbe-free. In fact, I learned here that the way the immune system works sometimes is to ignore resident bacteria that are not causing any trouble. Furthermore, our immune systems can get used to some pathogens and just leave them alone after awhile. In fact sometimes real trouble starts when the immune system goes into high gear and tries to rid the body of every last germ. A case in point is the plaque build up in the arteries of some people in reaction to the presence of harmless bacteria. In other people the immune system doesn't respond and there is no plaque build up leading to heart attacks.

The fact that "it's not bacteria that wreak the deadly damage of sepsis, at least not directly." Instead, it is "a person's own immune system...." (p. 221)

This is an outstanding book, engagingly written, meticulously edited and proofed, with a plethora of endnotes and an excellent index.

Invaluable guide to the turning year from the grandmother of womens' spirituality in the U.S. Includes several holidays from ancient traditions for every month of the year, and offers beautiful rituals that honor the earth. Simple rites that anyone can do alone or with friends. I've used mine so much it's falling apart, finding inspiration in the coldest winter, in the hottest summer, plus lots of little-known facts about the origin of holidays.

It is not a book that you have to read cover to cover in that order but a seasonal book that gives you ideas to incorporate into your own personal practice.

I have studied the wiccan path for a number of years on my own but only recently have been fortunate to have the guidance of an excellent teacher who recommended this book. I have enjoyed what this book has added to my teachings and to my everyday activities.

Z Budapest is the founding mother of the women's spirituality movement. Her Dianic craft is a lovely religious tradition which teaches us harmony with nature and human beings. Her book became an instant classic. Please treat yourself to this work.

A very special book, that gives ideas for feasts and holidays through the year. Every month begins with a Goddess who tells the story of that month, and then the days of the month follow with feast for all kinds of Goddesses. The nice part of this book is that there are so many different feasts and Goddesses, everyone can find a Goddess of her liking here.
The only thing that I can say against this book is that sometimes the historical information is not correct, due to Budapest's overwhelming feminism, that gets a bit irritating after a while.

Religion is not something passed on by genetics - it's not unheard of to be at odds with the religion of your ancestors. "Growing Up in Mama's Club: A Childhood Perspective of Jehovah's Witnesses" is Richard E. Kelly's look at growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, a practice that he quickly began to put himself at odds with as his own intellectual status grew - his own objections to their practices. A thought provoking look at family when religion splits them, "Growing Up in Mama's Club: A Childhood Perspective of Jehovah's Witnesses" is highly recommended to both religion and memoir collections.

Richard E.Kelly's novel was an eye opener. After teaching grade school for many years, I now realize how JW children's belief system works. His book has answered many questions that I wondered about over my teaching career. This is a pertinent novel for everyone to read but would really help school staffs. Not only is this true story an educational journey, but it presents real spirit needed to rise above dire circumstances. My book club has chosen Richard's novel to read next year. His study questions will be a great help in discussing this inspiring piece of literature.
Joyce Hodges- preschool and kindergarten teacher for 36 years.

"Who can it be knocking at my door?
Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more.
Can't you see that it's late at night?
I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right.
All I wish is to be alone;
Stay away, don't you invade my home."

(Lyrics by Men At Work)

Easily recognizable by their tracts and immaculate appearance, Jehovah's Witnesses have been going door to door for decades, spreading religious dogma, doing their bit to share their interpretation of the bible, and looking for converts.

For obvious reasons this isn't the easiest task in the world, and when you consider that this is all done on a voluntary basis, ( in the sense that you don't get paid) it becomes even more remarkable that people would be motivated to rise to the challenge.

To quote British comedian Tommy Cooper:

"The recruitment consultant asked me 'What do you think of voluntary work?' I said 'I wouldn't do it if you paid me.'"

This book offers insights into "The Club" through the eyes of a young man whose mother fully embraced JW doctrine, and found the spiritual guidance that she was desperately seeking at that time of her life. Naturally, his mother expected her family to join her on the path to eternal life in Heaven, and despite early resistance, she succeeded in converting her husband, and together they set the rules for their children.

Young Dickie was an unwilling participant, quickly concluding that something seemed wrong with some of the rules and beliefs, which would sometimes change drastically depending on the Club president at the time. Mainly to please his mother, he remained with the Club for sixteen years, abiding by the strange rules for the most part, participating in the long and frequent Club meetings at the Kingdom Hall and performing his door-to-door duties. At the same time he found himself leading a double life, as he never fully embraced the teachings of the Club and wished to lead a more normal life.

Despite having his parents' religious beliefs forced upon him, he managed to make the best of it, becoming an accomplished public speaker and perfecting his interpersonal skills. He also formed his own opinions on "the truth" as preached by Club members, and observed how some rules seemed not to apply to the upper levels of the hierarchy.

From this book, the reader will have a better understanding of this controversial religious group, the administrative structure and its influence over its members. Well written, easy to read, humorous in places and shocking in others, anyone considering joining JW or any similar group should read this before making a final decision.



Amanda Richards, May 5, 2008

This well-written story of one man's experience growing up as a Jehovah's Witness reads like a novel while informing like a scholarly paper. The work by this former Bethelite has unusually good descriptions of those involved, which bring the story to life and help the reader become involved in the plot.

The most valuable feature of the book is it effectively conveys what it is like to grow up and be an active Jehovah's Witness. Both the good and bad are related with candor--and much of each exists, as Kelly documents. One point made clear is that many good people exist in the Watchtower movement.

An especially revealing section describes how Kelly's father, once an active opposer, became a Witness, effectively showing why and how someone would become involved in an organization that many people consider a deviant cult. It also shows the problem of using untrained persons, such as Kelly's father, as mental health diagnosticians and therapists, a role forced on them as elders. A point that came through in almost every chapter was the Watchtower teaching that the end of this world and the promise of the new was upon us, and we should live like Armageddon will be here tomorrow or sooner. This is the history of every Witness who lived in the 1950s and 1960s.

This story is told with insightful understanding, even compassion, not bitterness as is common among people who were reared as Witnesses. As an ex-Witness, I could relate to Mama's Club as Kelly's experience parallels mine. I too endured the conflicts and tragic effects at school and home over the restrictive treatment of holidays, conflicts that are unnecessary and reminiscent of the prohibitions in the Torah, such as prohibiting cutting fingernails on the Sabbath unless the torn nail is bleeding.

A recent Pew survey of 35,000 Americans found Jehovah's Witnesses "had the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition" in America, lower then Catholics, Jews, and all other religions. Kelly's excellent book helps readers understand why this religion loses so many members, and, on the other hand, what attracts people to it and why they stay in spite of the problems in the organization.

Jerry Bergman, Ph.D., MSBS, L.P.C.C.

I am always interested in reading works where an author shares their lives, and opens their hearts to others. In this book by author, Richard E. Kelly, we travel with him as he grows up in the faith of Jehovah's Witness religion. Richard shares the story of his mother's first encounter with this religion and how she began her quest to bring all of her family members into her faith.
Openly, he tells of the inward struggles he went through as a child, and a young adult. He is frank and honest in his writing, giving respect to his mother, yet freely revealing his own inward battles.
The story is at times sad, other times humorous, but always intriguing as you walk the road with Richard. Often, no matter what faith ones parents maybe, we all must follow our own hearts and make our own decisions. To follow something only to please someone else is never satisfying to one's Spiritual existance. Richard's words, that are definitely from his heart, will bring release to many as they themselves walk towards their own choices of faith.
Very well done, a work I feel will be of value to many.

I was given this book by the author, who is my cousin. He is an extraordenery person but I was stunned by the quality of his writing and the subject matter. This book missed winning a pulitzer and has not been made into a movie because of technical problems. His Mexican friends do receive stipends but this tragically underrated masterpiece and the gut-wrenching stories of those prostitutes need more exposure.
I started by reading this book's sequel, "The Zone of Tolerence" (Red Light District), while David was visiting for a family reunion, so I asked he and his wife, Cindy several questions. She is the railroadman's daughter he became engaged to in this book. They later visited his prostitue and other types of friends mentioned in both books. Cindy was surprised that characters were real and that these bizarre tales were true. The Stuarts were not blessed with children so Lupita was David's only brush with fatherhood. David and Cindy have taken in strays from the University of Mexico. Foreign and domestic students drop out of colleges all over the county but because of this couple's compassion, many in New Mexico have been helped back on track by free rent and encouragement. Cindy was also trained in Archaeology but became a university administrator. Her doctoral thesis researches why students drop out and how a university can prevent this loss of talent and increase the certification of potential taxpayers. In my opinion it was fortunate that David did not marry Marta, the prostitute, or Iliana, the waitress made pregnant by another man. Judge this question for yourself while these books return you to that magical time of lust-fired first love and clouded judgement.
I agree with the other reviewers. David acted in a way that later triggered catastrophic conquences. I acted the same way in the states but, in a location where people are barely surviving, small mistakes can push kids over the edge. Not having a 911 emergency system killed Lupita, not David. Ditto for the the victims of the auto accidents-- moaning while the police stole their luggage.
What you also don't know is that David was assaulted and almost killed before he made his escape out of Ecuador. His notes were written in uncoded English so they could be read by the American educated elite who were doing the exploitation he was documenting. For starters, the peasents were sold with the land and a landowner's first rites with Indian brides was enforced. The horse rolling over him was another problem. While riding over the mountains on a mule train, Indian women would try and trade or sell their babies for food. David could not purchase food for these children because the packed food was for other starving people. Giving the women this food would only encourage them to try and escape the mountains and die on the way down. "No babies", was the non-negotiable rule of the mule skinners. This book is titled, "The Ecuador Effect", University of New Mexico Press.
These two books about Mexico now serve as a documentary of what Mexico was like before drugs poisoned and altered its social fabric. The only other book that changed my attitude was "The Corner" by David Simon and Edward Burns which chronicles the lives of addicts on one drug corner of Baltimore. If you readers need a manicured happy ending without warts, best stick with boy-meets-girl fluff fiction. Pain-on-page is real life. I feel it is my duty to read these types of non-fiction books, even if there is little, or no chance of improvement. Books, like the ones I have mentioned, are not a part of American, light-impact, popular culture. Is that why our problems rarely get solved?

This is a genuine can't put it down and hope it never finishes, wonderfully intelligent, joyful, intense, sad, emotional, laugh out loud book. This is one of a very few books that I'll ever read a 2nd time - and a 3rd ... We came to San Carlos (15 miles from Guaymas) in 2005 and loved the area so much we are building a house here. We go to Guaymas several times a week and it's surely changed since the author's Chronicle days - but it's still a lovely little city. This is a true story - and that's why the characters and situations ring so true. Much recommended.
Note - the titles are a little confusing but there is another "Guaymas Chronicles" book - the 2nd "half" of the story - Guaymas Chronicles - Zone of Tolerance.

As a chronicle, I would say the book is written exceptionally well. If it were a work of fiction, I would say the author failed to generate sympathy for the main character, himself. Because the chronicle is written so well, it may seem you are reading a fictional account that doesn't quite measure up. It is what it is. An exceptional recanting of a true story.

I won't give any spoilers but this was a great book, full of emotions and well written.

Stuart's book is at once touching, funny, and heart breaking. It tells the story of his life in Guaymas, Mexico in 1970 and how his life was changed with the influance of a scruffy street urchin who he made his Mansasera. Although only 10 years old, she knew more about 'la movida' (the moves' than he ever expected. Together they enter busdiness and manage to 'do things for people'. Together with an assorment of other colourful characters, Stuarts portrait of life in Guaymas is one of those books that is contagious - buy it and get one for a friend.

The wartime adventures of William Rasmussen amazed me. His unflagging spirit in the face of so much adversity is inspiring.

As the ball turret gunner of Hell's Belle, a B-17, he was in the most dangerous and exposed part of the plane, a plexiglass bubble underneath the midsection. When the plane is shot down over Germany, he manages to escape from the tight space of the turret with only moments to spare.

Captured by the Germans, he, along with other members of the flight crew of the Hell's Belle, spend a month in an interrogation center and federal prison suffering hunger, the cold of winter, and deprivation. His captors want information and, though they have a begrudging respect for the fact they are American fliers, they put Rasmussen and the others through a variety of intimidating tactics and punishing activities in order to get information; no one cracks.

They are moved to Stalag B-17 and spend 15 months in squalor and under scrutiny. Rasmussen's descriptions of prison life are genuine and straightforward. He spares no details and sugar coats nothing. A forced march through Austria follows.

Two anecdotes resound for me especially. When Rasmussen is forced by his captors to withstand the cold without proper clothing or blankets, as a means of getting him to give them information, Rasmussen notes, the cold has no effect on him as he is from Cedar, Michigan, and he's used to the cold. It's a classic Man vs Nature scenario and Nature does not beat Rasmussen.

At one point, after the prisoners have dealt with a German informant, Rasmussen starts a rumor about an escape. The inmates know it is a ruse. Rasmussen starts the rumor, knowing the guards will learn of it, just to make the guards work harder and longer. His plan was a brilliantly executed nuisance for the guards.

Through the entire recounting, the courage, determination, intellect and humor of William Rasmussen, just an ordinary guy from the upper Midwest, never fail. Hell's Belle is the kind of book I did not want to put down, and yet, when I finished it, I wished there was more.

This book is very well written. While following the experiences of Bill Rasmussen, the reader comes to appreciate the courage it took to be a crew member on a B17 flying missions out of England during the war. It was a time when the equipment wasn't so high-tech and the planes flew on guts, teamwork and willpower. Surviving Stalag 17B required the same strengths. You wonder if you could be as strong in these situations. This story will make a good movie.

Hell's Belle is a captivating and extraordinary account of William Rasmussen's experience as an American flyer and POW in Nazi Germany during WWII. Dr. Randall Rasmussen has translated his father's memoirs in a way that effectively conveys to the reader the tremendous courage and spirit of these young men who endured severe hardships while serving our country. What a fine and honorable dedication to William Rasmussen. I highly recommend this book.

Hell's Belle is a captivating and extraordinary account of William Rasmussen's experience as an American flyer and POW in Nazi Germany during WWII. Dr. Randall Rasmussen has translated his father's memoirs in a way that effectively conveys to the reader the tremendous courage and spirit of these young men who endured severe hardships while serving our country. What a fine and honorable dedication to William Rasmussen. I highly recommend this book.

This is a great read. The authenticity of this story comes through on every page. At one level, it is a story of just one man, but really is a tribute to all the soldiers of WWII, and the people at home behind the war effort. The absence of spite or anger for his captors makes the story all the more powerful. I will have my teenage daughters read this book as a reminder of the sacrifices have gone into the making of America.

This is the second-to-last book in the "Henry Huggins" series (if you count "Ribsy," the solo story of his dog, and set aside the Ramona and Beezus books...)

In this volume, once again Henry shows his determination and pluck as he sets a goal and works hard, very hard, to attain it. Actually, he pursues two goals: to save enough money from his new paper route so that he can buy a sleeping bag, and to build a clubhouse with his friends Robert and Murph. Henry learns to balance work and play, and wins the respect of the adults in his world. He also has to contend with the ever-annoying Ramona, as well as her sister Beezus (whose feelings he hurts when he agrees to make the clubhouse a "no girls allowed" zone).

Once again, Beverly Cleary gives a glimpse into the world of children that is both entertaining and emotionally honest. The innocent, white-picket fence world of the Kennedy-era early '60s may be a far cry from what life is like now, but these stories are still fun to read and pleasantly free of a lot of the violence and other baggage that define more modern kid's fiction. Wholesome and all-American, also funny and human, these are timeless stories that can help open the world of literature to inquiring young minds. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

Looking for books that will challenge an 8 year old boy that is a good reader but doesn't like fiction. The Henry Huggins series is just the ticket. Although the stories are somewhat dated, nevertheless they are well written. The stories have humor in them and they contain object lessons for their readers. I can say that a boy for sure will find them interesting.

I think Beverly Cleary did a good job writing Henry and the Club House. Henry and the Club House is part of a series of books. This book is about a 11 year old boy who has a paper route. But, some times he forgets his paper route. One day he forgets his route and his mother has to do it. He has lots of problems but his biggest problem his Ramona. Ramona is a four year old girl. Every day Ramona is upto something. Henry has to get an idea to get rid of Ramona. In Henry and the Club House Henry has to deal with Ramona and a clubhouse that he is working on with his two friends Robert and Murph. I think every one from 7-11 should read this book.

Another fine Henry Huggins book...and sadly we only have two left about Henry before we have exhausted this series. We simply love these books, my daughter is anxiously waiting until we get to the library tomorrow to pick up Henry and the Paper Route and we'll top off the series with Ribsy. Like other Henry Huggins books, this one is divided into chapters (7 to be exact) and each chapter is practically a short story in and of itself...the chapters build up to an overall theme/goal for Henry. In this particular book, it's building a clubhouse and buying a sleeping bag so he and his friends can sleep in the clubhouse.

The chapters start out with Henry forgetting about his paper route and winding up riding through town in a bathtub, then Henry and Ribsy making the acquaintance of the new neighborhood dog, we follow them on Halloween night, on a day of collection for his newspaper route, through his building of the clubhouse (with a strict No Girls policy) and his run in with Beezus and Ramona as a result (hilarious), Henry's clever "solution" to Ramona's pestering, and how he wound up with a little shadow! Overall the stories are clever and humorous in a way that I think kids genuinely appreciate and relate to!

Where does he find materials for his clubhouse? How does it turn out? What's up with that huge stuffed owl? What's it like to ride through town in a bathtub? How hard is a paper route? Will Henry ever get that sleeping bag? If you want to know you simply must read Henry and the Clubhouse, you won't be disappointed! These stories were written in the 1950's and 60's, so money matters are a bit off, but the rest is charming and the overall themes, humor, and childhood joys, frustrations and embarrassments have held up so wonderfully over the years...these books are great for girls and boys! I give this one an A+, another fine Henry Huggins adventure!

I just finished reading Henry and the Clubhouse to my little boy, who will turn six next month. He loves the Henry books (we've read 5 or 6 now), but I think I love them even more. My mother read these to me when I was 6 or 7, about 28 years ago, and I hadn't picked them up since. Now, as I read them to my son, every scene comes back to me with all of the humor and warmth that pervade each of Beverly Cleary's books for children. The author has remarkable insight into how the minds of young people work. Reading these books is an absolute delight.

I just loved this book! Gillyanne is somebody I can really relate to because she is really crafty and really made the suitors work hard to win her hand in marriage. She took two of them for a ride they would never forget and also would not want any other man to know about!

Just after her marriage she also surprised her new husband in the bathhouse and it was very funny how the author described the men's reaction to her entering where they were bathing and frolicing with the village whores.

It is a very tender love story and should appeal to most fans of historical romance and especially fans of Hannah Howell. It did get a little bit boring when she continually described how the young men had to fight to keep the people in the clan alive and to rebuild their keep. All in all, I give this book two thumbs up!

deserves 5 stars by all means. I also liked that men were so approachable and open to new ideas.

Highland Bride

I liked it very much! Good storyline and it makes me want to buy all Hannah Howell's books during same approximate time period and setting (excepting the vampire stories).

I loved this book. It is my favorite so far of the highlander series by Howell. The characters are interesting and likable, and had me laughing out loud at times. I thought the plot and story were stronger than in Highland Warrior and so forth, but the series is good. Writing in the Scottish accent can be challenging, and is somewhat unnecessary throughout the book. I would like it better if it were used just for emphasis when needed. In general it is a very enjoyable read.

If you like this, you might enjoy Lisa Kleypas as well.

This is by far my favorite book of the series so far, I have about two or three left to read, but to date this story out shined the rest. It didn't feel that way at first, it wasn't until I got to the end of the book that I could truly appreciate what I had read. What makes this story so remarkable is Gillyanne's cunning and adaptive nature. When she aquires the land between three fueding lords, she finds herself bombarded by the three men demanding she marry one of them. Being a woman with ideas and thoughts of her own regarding marriage, she turned them down and in doing so had to face their wrath. You will find yourself pleasantly amazed by the ways she manages to keep each suitor at bay without shedding any blood before finally giving up and choosing the best of the three. The rest I leave up to you to discover on your own, but I truly reccomend this addition to Hannah Howell's brilliant series. It was my favorite, and it could become yours.

A lot of the approbation or criticism of a book like this has to do with the accuracy of the translation, which is something I'm not an expert in. What I can say about it is that this translation reads like a novel. It leaves you with the impression that Herodotus is telling you a story, rather than the impression that you are reading a bit of ancient Greek literature translated by some stodgy classicist.

The story itself is excellent. Basically, it's the story of the rise of the Persian Empire, culminating in the war with the Greeks. It covers things like the battles Marathon, and Thermopylae. But it's much more than that. Herodotus surveys the geography and cultures of the people who existed during that time. Much of what he recounts is hearsay and mythology, which I imagine can be frustrating for the historian but is actually very entertaining and fascinating for the general reader. There are also numerous short stories interspersed with the larger narrative, especially in the earlier chapters.

This is a fantastic book, which I think even people who normally wouldn't read classics would enjoy. In fact, I think this books is most comparable to a book like "The Lord of the Rings". If you enjoyed that, and you like history too, then you'll probably like this book.

Having had a couple years of Greek in college (just enough to be dangerous) I have to say Grene's translation looks to me the most literal and readable at the same time. The old Rawlinson translation is stylish but not as close to the Greek as Grene. de Selincourt's Penguin classics effort loses style points compared to Rawlinson, and yet manages to perhaps be even a bit further from the Greek. Waterfield's Oxford classics just reads as flat and featureless as the Wall Street Journal's finance pages, and yet isn't very close to the Greek either! Grene alone seems to open a contemporary English speaker's ears to hear how Herodotus would sound if you were actually a Greek speaker of the 5th century BC (and isn't that exactly what we want our translators to do for us?). I like his point that with the Homeric overtones, Herodotus should sound just a bit "odd" a little archaic, yet lively. I think Grene hit the mark right on the head, and of course Herodotus himself is a gas. Totally entertaining, and highly recommended.

On a side note, does anyone know how to pronounce Mr. Grene's name? I realize he's Irish, but it's an unusal name and I've never heard it pronounced...

I have always thought of Herodotus as boring, full of digressions and hot air. He is, however, the First Historian, and therefore needs to be digested by any educated person. I first tried the Rawlinson translation,The Histories (Everyman's Library (Paper)) managed to struggle through it, but found it turgid and indeed boring. I then looked at Walter Blanco's translation in the Norton Critical Edition.Herodotus: The Histories : New Translation, Selections, Backgrounds, Commentaries (Norton Critical Editions) Blanco's version is easier to read than Rawlinson's, but is full of modern American casualisms which seemed incongruous. Blanco's version is also incomplete, and if I were going to read Herodotus, I wanted to read his entire story, just not selections. Some of Blanco's omissions are significant, including most of Book IX, which contains most of the incidents that link the history of Herodotus to that of Thucydides.The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War

I then read David Grene's translation. I still found the early sections on the history of Egypt and Persia and all the digressions about the Scythians and Libyans tedious, but Grene's language is easy to follow and appropriate to the subject, and as I continued reading the narrative began to flow and became quite enjoyable. (I haven't read the MacaulayThe Histories (Barnes & Noble Classics) or SelincourtThe Histories (Penguin Classics) translations.)

R.G. Collingwood in "The Idea of History" The Idea of History: With Lectures 1926-1928rates Herodotus, with all his faults, as superior to Thucydides. This surprised me, as I had always heard Thucydides held up as the paradigm of what a true historian should be. But Collingwood has a point. With all his digressions, myths, and tall tales, Herodotus does his best to evaluate his sources and then tries to tell us as best he can what actually happened, without taking sides and without pointing morals. Thucydides wants to teach and has a definite moral point of view, which no doubt influenced his selection and presentation of the facts.

Herodotus should be read and digested by every educated person, and David Grene's translation makes that easier to do.

David Grene's translation of Herodotus' "The History" is a good version of the Greek historian's magnum opus.

The Introduction provides context for the translation to come. It is useful and functional, although Knox' introductions to The Iliad and The Odyssey (Fagles' translations) strike me as better at putting the work in its place. Nonetheless, the Introduction is serviceable. Grene notes of Herodotus' work that" "There are two worlds of meaning that are constantly in Herodotus' head. The one is that of human calculation, reason, cleverness, passion, happiness. There, one knows what is happening and, more or less, who is the agent of cause. The other is the will of Gods, or fate, or the intervention of daimons."

In the History itself, Herodotus ranges widely geographically, and considers many different countries. With these, he discusses in detail such varied matters as hygiene, sex, culture, animals, religion, geographical features, and so on. He appears to have tried to ascertain as best as he could what the actuality was and what hearsay or rumor was. One of the more interesting examples of this is his effort to understand the role of Helen in the Trojan War (2, 120). Here, he doubts the veracity of Homer's rendering of the causes of the war. He believes that Helen never did go to Troy, because Priam would not have been willing to risk his empire over one woman. At other places, he clearly states the different versions of some incident and then renders his own best judgment as to what he thought the reality was. In short, he did not simply retell tales that he heard. When he is not sure what actually happened, he says so (e.g., 1, 49; 1, 75).

In the end, Herodotus has done a great service for many generations, by putting down, as best he could, his understanding of the history of the various actors of his time and before. The reader will find it difficult to keep all the people and countries straight. The volume features a useful set of maps, providing a sense of the different countries mentioned, as well as the travels of armies on conquests.

The book moves ahead in a majestic trajectory to ultimately describe the Persian-Greek War, with Xerxes leading his great force into Greece. Herodotus provides detail on many aspects of this conflict, which the Greeks eventually won, after battles at Thermopylae, Salamis, and Platea.

For an early effort at history, Herodotus' work is important to be aware of. And Grene's translation makes the work accessible to readers today.

The translation, as I see it, makes this classic contemporary but also brings one--perhaps--into ancient minds that are like ours but also unlike ours. Nothing will ever be perfect here until educated people in this culture become scholars of Greek again, like that'll ever happen.

Kudos to Sally from Florida down below who is reading such Classics to fill in the gaps in her education. Sally, you are scarcely alone and I can cite endless examples of recent conscientious graduates from decent-to-great schools who feel the same way. Curiously, while we have been emphasizing education in the cultures of other "peoples," we've simultaneously been ignoring or actively dismantling the history and traditions of this culture. I'm stunned that anyone can complain about Euro-centrism and related bug-a-boos when few college graduates know anything at all about Euro-American history or culture!

While most of the stories in Ms. Arielle Ford's book were touching it was not exactly what I expected I always thought soul mate is somebody who is really your other half, someone who fills that void within your heart, that very special person who makes you more whole than you already and with whom you have ties to from past lives and future lives. You share that unbreakable cosmic bond. When you see them there is just divine a spark between you that literally lights up both your worlds and the world becomes a heavenly place. Or then maybe I am just a hopeless romantic.
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This book is truly one of my all time favorites! I've read it about 4 times now and I still get a lot out of it. I stumbled upon this book about a year ago, when I was going through a really difficult break up. I (like a lot of people) hit that moment where I swore there was "no real love affairs, no unconditional love and no such things as soul mates!" (For a hopeless romantic who never gives up on love, that's pretty bad.)

I was really, really hurt, but when out of my pain I decided to read this book I was amazed, touched, and healed. I felt hope coming back into my soul again. I felt renewed, I realized that there are such things as unconditional love, and soul mates. I regained lost hope for my romantic future.

This book is great, Arielle Ford did a wonderful job compiling all these stories and I commend her for not being judgemental of alternative relationships and including them in this book. I sincerely hope she does another book like this with more wonderful stories for hopeless romantics like me.

Gemini :):):)

Beyond the woo-woo New Age feel of this... I do believe that sometimes God is trying to tell you something when coincidences happen too often to be random. Whether you believe in the new physics of love from Dr. Henry Grayson, or in allowing The Circle by Laura Day to lead you to love, or perhaps feel that Attracting love in is the name of the game (there is a book on this too) .... maybe some people ARE meant to be. Squire Rusnell documents this in his "God winks" books too. Since I am writing this on the birthday of my own lost love (see my review of Laura Day's Practical Intuition in Love, Happy Birthday Giovanni, I still love you my favorite Pisces/Aries) ... I'm all for this book for those who are meant to be. So savor and cherish a memory. Don't forget the hot chocolate to warm your heart.

I found a copy of this book at a thrift shop a few years ago.I am open to new age and spiritual philosophies but not a big freak on it.I really liked this book,very uplifting.I held on to my copy,torn between keeping it to myself and sharing with friends.It is a great gift for someone still searching for true love or for that matter someone getting over a broken heart.

This book will remind you how magical and sacred love can be. Whether you're married (or single and looking) this little gem will give you a renewed sense of hope and refresh your perspective on romance. How wonderful to realize that love is more than an ecstasy; but also a unique opportunity to develop oneself spiritually. After reading these stories, it seems the universe has a plan that we all have a special place in. An absolute delight, I'd give it six stars if I could...