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I bought this book after listening to a segment on NPR's Weekend Edition with Scott Simon. After listening to Jim Gladstone and Scott Simon play some of the verbal games over the air, I was interested. I wrote the name of the book, purchased from Amazon.com, and have now played nearly all of the games in the past 3 or 4 years.

I have three children under the age of 4 and they are intrigued by the games, but they are much much too young for any of the games listed, but someday... someday.

I'm also the coordinator for the gifted and talented education program at my elementary school. These games are EXCELLENT for gifted students. Some of their parents report that my GATE students would rather play Sprouts or some of the games from this book than watch tv or play video games. Victory!

I look forward to nights, after my three girls are asleep for the night, when my wife and I can sit in the living room and playing "free" versions of Boggle or Scatergories. I love this book.

Buy it. For $10, you can't go wrong. (And it also makes a pretty good Christmas gift.)

Thanks to this great instructional book, no games boards or electonic devices are needed to have fun with your friends. Lots of great word and entertainment-based games. Ah, simple pleasures! Great (cheap) gift for your game-loving pals, too.

I bought my first copy of this book at a bookstore after browsing through it and discovering some old games like Ghost and Grandmother's House that I remembered playing with my folks as a kid. The new variations on these old games make them fresh again, and there are many other games that I'd never played before -- and which are definitely not 'just kids' stuff'; there's a game called Gravilex that's going to be a big part of my summer this year. I also appreciate the way the book shows you how to play famous board games like Boggle and Scattergories without having to buy the boxed games...It saves money and also lets you play these games anywhere, without having to carry around the box, board, dice, etc. This is a great little book to stockpile and give as gifts -- I'm going to send it to my nieces and nephews at sleepaway camp this summer (Since my chocolate chip cookies are now considered contraband!). In any case, a super little book and a really good value.

I decided to check out this book after reading an interview with the author at UsedWigs.com. I thought it sounded like fun for 10 bucks. Turns out that while some of the games are easy standards that I already new (Password, Ghost), the most interesting stuff here is brand new and really involving. The last board game I bought was Scattergories, which cost like $30...well, this tells you how to play that one without buying any special equipment (its obvious, but I never thought of it), so you end up getting dozens of games for less than what a single one costs when you buy the boxed version. Good deal. Smart stuff.

In this day and age of constant visual and aural stimulation--marketing and advertising messages, music of all sorts, cellphones, PDAs, you name it--it's SO refreshing to see that not everyone has given up hope. Jim Gladstone is obviously someone who values the grey cells, and puts his talent as a writer where his quirky interests are. Not only is this book FULL of original and updated games that often require nothing more than what many of us had on-hand in first grade: a pencil, some paper, a little extra time and a sense of playfulness (okay, and maybe a little competitiveness, too), it's also beautifully designed, durable and very portable. Buy this book and keep it in your backpack, briefcase--whatever you drag your stuff around in. Next time you're stuck on a plane, bus or even your own car and your sick of listening to the garbage on the radio or watching the fluff on TV, pull out Gladstone's Games to Go and give your brain a much-needed workout. For parents who've had enough of GameBoys and giant headphones that keep your kids as alienated from you in the car or on a plane as they are at home, Gladstone offers some fun ways to interact that won't cramp the style of even the most jaded teen or tween. And for the rest of us who just like a good, challenging game now and then (and hate it when dinner party conversation starts to wane), you're CRAZY not to have this book at arm's reach.

My 6 year-old has just become aware of Harriet Tubman and is fascinated with her story. Of all the books we found in the library this did the best job of really "telling" the story. It takes some liberty with describing her thoughts and feelings but it's authentic to Harriet Tubman's struggle and achievement. And, it's honest without being too scary for a youngster.

This compelling work of historical fiction describes the childhood and the dangerous journey of Harriet Tubman (1820-1913) along the Underground Railroad to freedom. The story describes Tubman's life from age 6 to 24. The author supplies vivid details about Tubman's parents, overseers, and her journey. An Author's Note and generous Epilogue supply an overview of biographical details not set out in the story. Numerous rich full-page pencil drawings by Karen Ritz enhance the text. I recommend this book to any school community.
Review by Don K.

5. The book is about Harriet Tubman and her getting free. She got taking away from her mother when she was young. She thought she would never get to see her mother again. But one day she got sick and they let her go back to her mother. She didn't have to go back because she never really got well. She finally got well enough that she could go outside.
6. I think the story is a great story and I thnk anyone should read it.
7.I think the story had irony in it because I didn't think that she would see her mother again and I didn't think she would get sick either.
8. I rated the book five stars because it's the perfect book to read and the book is for anyone.

My book is Go Free or Die. wrote by Jeri Ferris. The main person in it was Harriet Tubman . Harriet wanted to be free. Because she was a slave. She has been sold but they did not keep her long . Because got hurt to much. She does something about her wanting to be free. My favorite part is were she told her friend she went only were the lord send her. She said this because she had saved over 19 people and never lost one.

For school I was doing a report about Harriet Araminta Ross Tubman Davis. I looked up Jeri Ferris for a book because I had already read the one on Sourjourner Truth. When I read this book I got alot more info. than I thought I would. I did my report with no holes of info. missing. This book helped me so much, on my report I got an A+. It really really helped.

I bought this book for my sister who just had a baby. After reading through it, I am green with envy that she will have access to all the useful and practical information in this book! I had to learn so much through trial and error (the emphasis on error). I would have saved myself so much time and energy had I had a book like this one! Do you know how long it took me to figure out how to go out of the house with my baby and how much time I spent feeling guilty for not feeling totally, unconditionally fullfilled by motherhood?

I will buy this book for everyone I know who is having a baby!!

This wonderful resource recently received a Gold Parenting Resource Award from the National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA). Susan K. Perry, PhD wrote the following review: This compendium of ideas guides expectant and new mothers toward balance and a sense of control as they plan for and face the upheavals of new parenthood. A wide rang of issues is covered, and the tone is reassuring, helping both expectant and new moms relax. The tips are practical and specific."

Written specifically for expectant and new moms, Sheryl Gurrentz presents a superb and infinitely practical compendium of advice, tips, and techniques to care of the new baby and themselves. Especially recommended for women who seek to combine child care with career employment, Gurrentz demystifies early motherhood by covering a diversity of relevant subjects such as how much the body hurts even weeks after giving birth; what to do when feeling jealous that your partner goes to work while you are preempted by child care responsibilities for a new born; how to get a spouse to act like a parent and not just an assistant helper; how to protect modesty while publicly breast feeding; and what to do when life with a new baby doesn't turn out quite like you thought it would! Highly recommended reading, The Guilt-Free Guide To Your New Life As A Mom is an invaluable preparation while waiting for baby's arrival, and even more welcome when trying to adjust to baby after she or he has arrived to enliven, enhance, bewilder, and change your life!!

"We are the first generation of mothers to want the best of both worlds, whether or not we work. We want to be able to take care of our own needs and pursue our personal interests in a wide variety of activities inside and outside the home - while we're being great moms." ~Sheryl Gurrentz

While many books on motherhood focus on what you "should do," this book focuses more on how to make becoming a mother an enjoyable experience for YOU.

Is this possible? Can you really make time for yourself and feel guilt-free?

Sheryl Gurrentz has helped thousands of parents redefine their goals. She believes you can have it all. As a trained ?doula,? she has experience couching women before, during and after childbirth. She wants you to know what it will feel like to be a mom and how you can feel good.

She also shows you how to choose baby products, create harmony in your life, make time for yourself, get things done, balance responsibilities and make wise career choices.

The Contents Include:

Adjusting to Motherhood - feelings
Creating Life Balance - time for you, time for baby
Dealing with Physical Changes - what will your body feel like?
Enjoying Nursing - to nurse or bottle-feed, that is the question.
Choosing the right baby products - deciding what you need and how to select items
Managing Family Dynamics - You, Your Partner, the new baby, other children, grandparents.
Making Career-Oriented Transitions - Getting what you need from working, returning to work and becoming a professional mom.
Creating a Safe Home Environment - general baby proofing and safety
Going Out with Your Baby - daily trips and eating out
Traveling with your Baby - planning what to bring and adapting to places you are staying
Finding Baby-Sitters
Finding Child Care

The author encourages you to look at your positive and negative feelings. She suggests making time for a massage or getting a facial to make yourself feel great. Just because you are pregnant, doesn?t mean you can't spoil yourself.

Throughout the book she talks about:

Dealing with Physical changes.
What the difference will be between various forms of childbirth.
How to prepare yourself for nursing. I had no idea there were breast shields.
There is information in this book, I have never read anywhere else.

The "Deciding What You Need" section is extremely good. Sheryl also explains how various items are more practical than others. This will save you money!

Would make a great baby shower gift.

A Unique resource for every mom or woman considering being a mom. 20 Stars for originality!

You might also enjoy:

Win the Whining War and Other Skirmishes
The Answer is "No"
Survival Tips for Working Moms
The Summer Camp Handbook
Good Friends are Hard to Find

~The Rebecca Review

A look of skepticism crossed my face as a friend handed me this book to read. Being a new, sleep-deprived, working mom, the last thing I thought I could find was time for a little quiet reading, but once I started flipping the pages I was hooked. Sheryl Gurrentz brings her own wisdom as a mother to a fresh new look on parenthood. She uses a mix of humor and real-life testimonials that not only provide good information but priceless wisdom and advice for surviving the many adventures of motherhood. The book talks about everything from dealing with the physical changes after childbirth to evaluating your career and life balance. It is packed with important advice including a resource guide in the back of the book containing contact information for manufactures, organizations and associations that you may need during that first year of motherhood. This book would help any new mom get through the twists and turns ahead. It is a book that new moms will use and treasure.

This book is logic, well-reasoned, and has lots of footnotes pointing to research studies and reliable sources of data. Even if you disagree with their prescription for how to fix the problem, you will get a lot from this book by following along with their diagnosis of the problems facing our health care system.

The book's greatest strengths may also be it's greatest weakness. This book is "wonkish" -- filled with hard data and logic. If you're looking for entertaining anecdotes or emotional arguments, this is not the book for you.

...but only in the title. A well written book both describing (in surprisingly concise writing) the problem, as well as laying out a path towards fixing it. I can't say I fully agree with his proposals, but I am much better informed, and my views have been altered as a result of this book. In my mind, that is a terrific outcome for any book of substance.

Intellect with humility is hard to come by. Cannon and Tanner define a clear path for all Americans to have health insurance and they have the humility to believe in Americans as wise consumers. Different than politicians who 'know what's best for you,' they trust you to make prudent decisions for yourself. Free markets are healthy and they provide an excellent outline for cost savings and a healthier 'you' by putting you in charge of your own well being. I want to thank Cannon and Tanner for being Americans and loving freedom, especially in the face of fear mongering socialists. God Bless America!

"Healthy Competition" by Michael F. Cannon and Michael D. Tanner of the Cato Institute is a critically important book for both those interested in health care policy as well as for every American as we all eventually consume health care services.

Cannon and Tanner's book starts with a foreword by the Hon. George P. Shultz: "We begin with a riddle. What country's health care system offers the best health services in the world, is consistently criticized for not being accessible enough, and yet is so accessible that overutilization is leading to runaway costs?" The answer is, of course, America.

The following 147 pages offers a detailed analysis of what's wrong with American health care (government and insurance industry policies that lead to overuse of medical services) and what's right (the strong remnants of a free market system that encourages innovation, high quality, at an often lower cost). Both detailed and heavily footnoted, but also very readable at the same time, "Healthy Competition" strikes the right balance between a dense academic paper and a clarion call for action.

In concluding the book, Cannon and Tanner write:

"Despite its marvels, America's health care sector continues to present troubling symptoms: excessive costs, uneven quality, a lack of useful information for patients and providers, extraordinary waste, and enormous burdens for future taxpayers. An accurate diagnosis points to too much government influence and too little choice and competition. Proposals to increase the role of government would aggravate these symptoms. More subsidies or controls would drain from the medical marketplace even more of the dynamics that drive other sectors of the economy toward lower prices and higher quality. The only sure remedy is to restore those dynamics to the health care sector.

"Although there are dark clouds on the horizon, we are heartened by the creation and steady growth of health savings accounts. HSAs have already begun to change private-sector health care from within, and will enable a reexamination of the role of government in health care."

The last citation in "Healthy Competition" comes from a June 1, 2004 Harvard Business Review article by Michael Porter and Elizabeth Teisberg. It deals with the oft-heard argument that we somehow should not apply free market principles to the health care sector:

"It is often argued that health care is different because it is complex; because consumers have limited information; and because services are highly customized. Health care undoubtedly has these characteristics, but so do other industries where competition works well. For example, the business of providing customized software and technical services to corporations is highly complex, yet, when adjusted for quality, the cost of enterprise computing has fallen dramatically over the past decade."

Cannon and Tanner accept this argument while also embracing the argument of many of the proponents of government control of health care because it is special and distinct from other parts of the economy - they just come to the opposite conclusion, concluding in their last paragraph, "...Unlike software, wireless communications, or banking, health care involves very emotional decisions, which often entail matters of human dignity, life, and death. However, we do not see the gravity of these matters as a reason to divert power away from individuals and toward government. Rather, we see the special nature of health care as all the more reason to increase each consumer's sphere of autonomy. The special nature of health care makes it all the more important that we use the competitive process to make health care available to more consumers - and makes it all the more important to get started now."

Two side notes of a personal nature: on February 1, 2007, I introduced AB 245, a bill that would allow the tax deductibility of contributions to HSAs (California is one of only four states that do not treat HSAs as tax deductible); and author Michael Cannon is someone I have grown to respect from our first meeting in 2004 as Lincoln Fellows of the Claremont Institute. I suspect we will be hearing quite a bit from Mr. Cannon over the next few decades - and, if policymakers are smart, they will listen carefully to what he has to say.

Reviewer: Chuck DeVore is a California State Assemblyman, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard and the author of "China Attacks."

I enjoyed the book and found it presented a well organized argument for why it is so critical to allow the markets and consumers to experiment with new methods of controlling health care costs and improving access. I also appreciated the author's acknowledgement that health care is a special service that is critically important in our lives. That is what makes reforming the system so challenging.

The book makes clear that market based proposals to reform health care are designed to lower the cost of care and increase coverage. These are proposals that are critical to all Americans.

Que Theodor Mommsen era un genio no es nuevo , ni que se lo considere probablemente el mayor Historiador que jamas existio ( lo del Premio Nobel es totalmente secundario...), si bien puede defenderse que el impacto de Herodoto y/o algun otro sea mas Universal.
La obra es magnifica , si bien un poco densa en algunas partes por su natural inclinacion a la linguistica ...
Su vision Germanica ( barbara al fin ) es evidente en algunas secuencias , asi como el hecho que es un libro escrito a mediados del siglo 19.
Nada de eso invalida su lucidez y belleza , solo requiere del lector un poco mas de paciencia y comprension, la obra lo vale.
No puede decirse que luego de Mommsen no haya mas que hablar sobre Roma hasta 709 AUC , pero no va ser facil tener aportes de esta magnitud...
Ojala me equivoque y las nuevas generaciones encuentren y expliquen mucho mas , pero hasta tanto disfrutemos de lo mejor que tenemos, que se complementa con los pocos libros clasicos que sobrevivieron a la barbarie de siglos.
GAO.

That a publisher would complete a new edition of the entire Mommsen 3 volume "Roman History" in English as a single extremely high quality hardbound book is a major labor of love and a service to select scholars everywhere. This is still a very important work on the topic of Roman Republican history. However, that being said, John H. Collins' redaction of Mommsen's 3 volumes into a 600 page book published by Meridian in 1958 is the book that should be sought out. It is generally available here on Amazon from used book dealers in the $15.00 to $ 25.00 range. It covers the period from the end of the Punic Wars to the demise of the Republic. The translation is thoroughly lively and accurate and makes the work accessible and engaging and retains the stunning quality of Mommsen's writing as great literature. The greatest strength of Mommsen's work was in the period after BCE 250 and the Meridian edition both in paperback or hardcover is a magnificent read and covers the most important of Mommsen's intellectual contributions to Roman Republican history. The cover art appearing above is from the Meridian paperback not the book being reviewed here. At 10.2 pounds and 1703 pages, this item is a beautiful example of fine printing and and high quality binding. It also appears that certain reissue publishers are now making the complete work available but as four volumes and with less pages and weigh. That will mean smaller printer and lower quality paper. I own a 1908 edition of the complete work in English , and the only reason I suggest that one would want a copy of the complete work would be if they were involved with the intellectual history of "classical" scholars. Compared with Alan Ward's, "History of the Roman People," the current standard "textbook" on Roman History, Mommsen's work is historically fresh and vital and, yes, generally accurate after one hundred and fifty years. The unabridged work won the Nobel prize for literature in 1902 - The only history book to ever win the prize. If you read it, you will understand why.

First a word about Theodor Mommsen. He came to Roman history with a background in practicing law and as an MP and legislator. His position in the house was that of a -- how shall I put it -- radical liberal nationalist, a rare colour these days, where liberalism has become a term of abuse. He fiercely opposed the politics of Otto von Bismarck who just had defeated France and reunited Germany. So the perspective on constitutional law that underpins MommsenÕs entire work, came naturally to him, the old Roman understanding of history as the ÒCustom of NationsÓ had found a kindred soul and a speaker of supreme eloquence. In 1902, Mommsen received, as the first and only historian ever, the Nobel-prize for literature. (Churchill too had the Midas-touch for the language, he too was a politician, his compilations make a highly entertaining read, but his contribution to academic history was purely oratorical.) Mommsen was an outspoken opponent to centralization, bureaucracy and anti-Semitism, but had the misfortune to coin a phrase which later the Nazis should turn to their own advantage: in his ÒRoman HistoryÓ he described the Jews in exile as Òan element of national decomposition,Ó of course without suspecting that anybody could pick up on this and use it in a more current context. Mommsen didnÕt live to witness the damage. MommsenÕs most important contribution to Roman history is the editing and publishing of the monumental ÒCorpus Inscriptionum Latinarum,Ó which, if I am not mistaken, has reached by now volume 127. We lesser mortals are not likely to see this on our bookshelves at home, but for the archaeologist and historian it is an indispensable tool. It is a complete survey of all the epigraphs and inscriptions unearthed anywhere in the Roman Empire and an ongoing project since 150 years and for as long as we continue to discover more inscriptions. Through it we know, for instance, that Pilate was not, as the gospels claim, a procurator, but a legate, and hence not accountable to the legate of Syria, which explains a good deal of the reckless atrocities during PilateÕs tenure. From this collection we also gain statistical insights on the average distribution of epigraphs and, corresponding to it, the degree of literacy in different parts of the empire at different times. Mommsen himself considered as his main contribution his studies on Roman constitutional law and his editions of Roman law codices. He also discovered, edited, and published the Òqueen of all inscriptions,Ó Emperor AugustusÕ ÔRes Gestae:Õ the ÔprincepÕsÕ resume of his deeds and accomplishments. But what Mommsen made famous and earned him the Nobel-prize, had originally been a mere potboiler, produced with incredible speed. Then Mommsen stopped in the middle of the work, only to take it up many years later for a 2 volume appendix on the EmpireÕs provinces. And yet this ÒRoman HistoryÓ is the thing to have on your shelf, if you are interested in the subject. I still can recall my awe when I turned the pages for the first time. DonÕt get me wrong, this is not exactly a thriller, more a series of political and legal deductions on historical facts with a view on shifts and amendments in the Roman constitution. The story hovers in the background and Mommsen explains the meaning. But what explanation it is! The first few pages introduce us to ItalyÕs prehistory and deduce the paraphernalia of Indo-European migrations and early Roman society ÒsimplyÓ from the dictionary of the Latin language! It is mind-boggling suggestive. We hear of the early institutions, of KingÕs councilors who eventually formed the republics senate, but under the Etruscian Kings merely had the ÒrightÓ to say Òyes.Ó Not much of a right you may think and it did not include the right to say Òno,Ó but one can always keep silent. (ÓYou disagree?Ó -- ÒYes!!Ó Blimey.) Then Mommsen moves on to the Punic wars and to the elder CatoÕs prosecution of foreign cults on ItalyÕs soil, which created a precedent that affected the prosecution of Christians some 200 years later. Mommsen discusses in great detail the introduction of the revolutionary office of the tribune and how the Gracci used the Ôtribunicia potestasÕ to blunt the executive powers of the Senate and briefly managed to assume the position of an (elected) head of state who was not a consul. Their revolutionary legislation however was soon to be overturned in SullaÕs conservative counter-revolution, which in turn mobilized the popular parties to bring a certain Caesar into power. But even in MommsenÕs glowing eulogy Caesar is little more than a gifted politician and general whose political ambition made him commit high treason and suspend the constitution. Mommsen stopped here. Characteristically the end of the Republic and its democratic institutions was for him the end of history proper -- Mommsen could never bring himself to write about the emperors. In his eyes this would have amounted to little more than a gossipy chronicle of court scandals; and for this we have Gibbon. Still it would have been interesting. At times opinionated and irate, Mommsen had a knack for outrageous statements and we catch glimpses of it in his later survey on the Roman provinces. He called Domitian, who according to Tacitus had been the best hated Emperor of his period, Òthe most careful administrator who ever graced the empire.Ó Or read MommsenÕs comment on Euripides and what he thinks about the poetÕs influence on Hellenistic humanitarianism. It makes you put down the book and pause for a moment: ÒWhat did he just say? Is he serious?Ó I could go on and drool endlessly, it would never do justice to MommsenÕs work. If you canÕt shell out [the money] than go to your library and borrow it through the interlibrary exchange, but make sure you have enough time at your hand, really to sink your teeth into it.

I discovered Theodor Mommsen's magnum opus over thirty years ago as an undergraduate history major at the University of Florida. Although sentential brevity was not a characteristic of Mommsen's history, it was not a hard read. In some places, Mommsen's description of the Jugurthine War for instance, it proved to be as engaging as one of Harold Lamb's popular histories. The book was out of print at that time, and all I had at my disposal was a turn-of-the-century copy in the UF library. Ever after I have been on the lookout for an accessible, affordable edition of Mommsen's work. Alas, this edition is not it.

One of life's little mysteries is how this magnificent work fell out of print while Gibbon's "Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire" never did. Mommsen's Nobel Prize winning work exceeds Gibbon's as the day exceeds the night. Another of life's little mysteries is why this work cannot be issued in a buyer-friendly price range.

Mommsen's History of Rome is THE BEST book available on Roman History. It is incredibly well written (I think, but I'm not sure, he got a Nobel Prize on literature for this History book). Regardless of it's incredible literature value, this masterpiece definetly owns the first place between books ever written on Roman History. It revises the arts, the law, the costumes, etc. It is recomended to roman law students (Mommsen knew a lot of Roman Law), and obviously to history students and lovers. Theodore Mommsen's History of Rome will be the best piece of literature and history you will ever read.

As a parent, counseling school psychologist and American Indian educator I can attest that this book is what parents have been begging for. It is filled with insight, wit and practical help. If parents, teachers and administrators applied Sharon's strategies there would be no need for "No Child Left Behnd." Home Sweet Homework: A Parents Guide to Stress-Free Homework & Studying Strategies That Work

Having taught Jr. & Sr. HS for forty years, I know I would've been a much better teacher, helping parents & students, if I'd had this author's knowlege & expertise...A truly helpful guide for all!

This book has great ideas on how to help my children. It has helped us set up and maintain regular homework time. The homework wars have stopped. I strongly recommend this book to any parent with children of any age.

I think it is great that someone has written a book about how to help our children manage this fact of life but it does not change the fact that teachers are giving too much homework, particularly in elementary school and studies show that there is no correlation between homework and achievement. I would like to see a book written for teachers reminding them that there is more to childhood than homework and that family time and sports and scouts and religious school also have value. Unfortunately, many of our kids are unable to participate because of the load of homework they bring home each night!

This book is a great tool for all parents to use. It has reduced the stress of homework time greatly.

We all labor under lies, and these authors make a concerted effort to debunk them here. From common myths like "I must be thin to be happy;" "I don't have time to be healthy;" and "True love is like a romance novel" to the more probing ones, such as "I deserve to have it all" and "I can be young forever," they share personal stories, apply Biblical truth and encourage us all to break free. Insightful and uplifting.

This book tears away the curtain of lies women have become accustomed to hearing. These women talk candidly about their experiences in a way that will touch your heart. I can't be this open about my own life, but I'm so glad they could. They have provided insightful, practical advice for overcoming the problems each of us have. Not every experience will speak to you on a personal level, but I could identify with several of them. I think every woman should read this book and it would be nice if every man bought it for the woman in his life. I Can't Do It All, is a book you will read through more than once.

I must be thin to be happy. I don't have time to be healthy. I can be young forever. The more I do, the more God loves me.

Ever believed any of those lies? If none of the above, then I'm sure very few would not be able to identify with some other topics dealt with so capably - and honestly - in this book. Women sharing from their own hard earned experiences of life have to be listened to. The personal application sections at the end of each chapter gives the reader the opportunity to check things out for herself - and himself too! Highly recommended for group study and discussion also.
Mary Hawkins

As we learned in Logic 101, if you base a theory on a false premise you will end up with a false conclusion. I once heard sin described as the human tendency to believe the lies of Satan over the truth of God. So whether we choose to convince ourselves that drinking ourselves into a stupor will solve our problems or that having material things is a measure of our self worth, believing these lies becomes the basis for behaviors that lead to trouble and misery. The three authors of I CAN'T DO IT ALL! have taken a giant step toward helping to identify some of the most common lies that we have the tendency to believe --- lies that can lead us away from truth and freedom and into sin and bondage.

The table of contents reads like a mental "to do" list for today's busy generation as well as for many of us who still struggle with making changes in our reasoning. The chapters address such lies as: I deserve to have it all...right now; I can make my own truth; I don't have time to be healthy; True love is like a romance novel; The more I do the more God likes me. And, perhaps the biggest of Satan's lies: I don't need God. These and several other thought-provoking chapters provide the reader with much to ponder when trying to understand why life is full of stress and frustration. Tracie Peterson, Allison Bottke and Dianne O'Brian have crammed this small handbook full of Biblical truths that can be used to free yourself from the lies that have held you captive and never provided the promised results.

In a unique format, each of the authors addresses one of the lies that she believed, describes the problems it led to and the resulting stress and frustration that it caused. Along with the Biblical truth that challenges the lie, there is a list of questions and suggestions at the end of each chapter to help provide practical applications. So you're not just getting "take two proverbs and call me in the morning" advice. Many chapters also contain inserts with simple prayers such as: I keep saying yes to things when I really mean no, Lord, help me get a grip!

I CAN'T DO IT ALL! can be used to guide a Bible study or simply to help the reader break free of lies that control. It is a book about hope and healing, written by three women from diverse backgrounds who have a common belief in the goodness and mercy of God.

--- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. [...]

We try to do it all, be all things to all people, be all places at all times.We are women, we are capable and we are tired.

Tracie Peterson, Allison Bottke and Dianne O'Brien tackle the statement 'I can do it all' with truth and grace in this book.

With candor and vulnerability they share stories from their own journeys and guide us on ours. Fourteen chapters, fourteen lies we try to live and always fail. For it is the truth of the Bible that will break the lies. Then we learn it is only through Christ who strengthens us that we can do all things.

This book is an excellent resource for women's Bible studies, retreats and individual growth and reflection. Woven through the pages is truth, beauty and the grace of the God who CAN do it all. Read the book. You will see yourself on the pages. You will also find mercy and freedom on every page.

Much as I love novels, there are times when short, pithy, engaging non-fiction is exactly what I feel like reading. And I am well aware that there are damned few writers in the world who can claim mastery of both forms. Chris Bohjalian is one such writer, and "Idyll Banter" is a wonderful little book that illuminates an artistic paradox: that the act of sharing what is personal and private somehow irises the experience open into deeply touching universality.

I have long admired Bohjalian's work--"Water Witches" and "Midwives" are among my favorite novels--and I recommend "Idyll Banter" unequivocably. His brief, concentrated accounts of births, deaths, weddings, dances, and dinners in a very small town engage the reader in ways not immediately apparent. I've never spent time in Lincoln, Vermont, but I feel that I know these people, somehow. It isn't a rich place, or a perfect one, but it is genuine, and it is beloved, and, in Bohjalian's deft hands, it comes alive: complex, unexpected, deeply rooted in history and advancing winningly into into the 21st century.

The best examples of this sort of book creates a sort of envy, a wistfulness, a longing to belong, however briefly, to the place described. Bohjalian manages to create the feelings that we, too, all of us, might have a welcome share in a fulfilling and happy life in this community. And if not to Lincoln, then encouraging us to look again at our own neighborhood and our own families with newly opened and appreciative eyes. Really well done. Really well-written.

It is a pleasure to read such an upbeat book..I'm ready to pack and move..I want to live the simple life too...

This is a delightful collection of short essays focusing on the community of Lincoln, Vermont, where Bohjalian lives with his family.

Readers from New England will recognize and appreciate the many typically New England elements that Bohjalian observes in his essays: the woes of septic tanks and mud seasons, the black flies, the sometimes contentious town meetings, the uncanny quiet and stillness after the first winter snow. But while Bohjalian writes very specifically about Lincoln, Vermont, introducing us to his neighbors, his church, his country store, his subject is really the larger one of community and what constitutes a good life. Bohjalian does not idealize small-town life; he is well aware of the economic realities of rural America and writes movingly, for example, about the disappearance of Vermont's dairy farms. Nevertheless, his abiding love and affection for his town and its inhabitants make Lincoln, Vermont-and towns like it-seem like the ideal place to live, work, and raise a family.

Although these are occasional pieces, written, Bohjalian notes, as a break from his regular work as a fiction writer, these are tightly crafted, acutely observed essays. There is never an excess word, but at the same time, the pace feels unhurried. Bohjalian manages to strike just the right balance between humor and poignancy. He is especially funny when writing about his limitations as a handyman. Other pieces, especially the essay about the destruction of Lincoln's library by flood and the elegies (for people as well as a cat and a horse), are genuinely moving. Because the pieces are short, interesting, and self-contained, this is the perfect collection for dipping into.

For most people, Chris Bohjalian is best known as a novelist with books such as THE BUFFALO SLODIER and MIDVIVES to his credit. The people of Lincoln, Vermont and the vicinity probably best know Bohjalian as a columnist for THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS. Now readers outside of Vermont can read and appreciate his reflections in small town life in IDYLL BANTER, a collection of these columns.

Bohjalian is hardly the first person to leave a major city and find a different pace to life in a small town. He is also not the first writer to explore life in a small town. The essays do not include tried and true clichés but rather give an honest and refreshing look at life in general. Most of the essays are upbeat and thought provoking. Bohjalian is involved in each of them, yet the book is not about the author and his family. Rather the author and his family give perspective to Bohjalian's observations. Perhaps the most moving passages in the book can be found when he talks about the Church where he worships and the his reflections on the town cemetery

The book will appeal to a wide variety of readers, but it is my guess that people involved in teaching and public speaking will probably find the book useful. People involved in preaching and ministry will also find in the book excellent sermon and homily starters.

This book had me laughing out loud one moment, and sighing wistfully the next. The characters in it seemed so real -- probably because they are real! Anyway, I was very, very moved by the people in this strange and quirky little town. There are some touching and poignant stories in here -- and then some, like the one about the outhouse races, that are a scream.

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I struggled for five years trying to break free from my past, trying to get over an ex-boyfriend that I couldn't seem to let go of. This book guided me through healing from the trauma of that breakup and my inability to let go. I didn't think it would work (since nothing else had), but I put my all into it and gave it a real chance. I really and truly healed from the moment I completed praying through my list. I even felt healing in areas I didn't know I had pain. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with past intimate relationships.

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I bought 10 copies of this book and gave them to friends and family. If there is one book you buy on recovery and restoration from your sexual past this is the book to buy. If you are tired of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results - read this and once and for all hear the truth so you can move forward. This book, and Barbara Wilson's teachings, have been instrumental in the restoration of my former marriage after being divorced for 15 years! BUY IT!

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This book is the best book I have read about past sexual relationships and how to break the bonds that seem to never let go. Barb's story is truthful, honest, and, at times, painful. The book shows all of us how God can take a broken and wounded woman and turn her into a messenger of God. If you have ever had thoughts or images from past relationships with people or photographic/video images that you cannot seem to release, please buy this book. It will help you get rid of the images and the shame associated with them -- forever! Your freedom is right around the corner...