References Books

Of the many how-to books on writing that I've read, I am really pleased with this one. From the very beginning, I gleaned tips that I have never read before. It's written in a relaxed style, much like actually talking to the author. I highly recommend this book if you want to write for magazines.

Writing for women's magazines like Elle, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Day, Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, Reader's Digest and the rest of the big names in publishing takes more than technique and writing skills. It takes knowing what works and what doesn't. Donna Elizabeth Boetig demystifies the process.

>From links to resources and tips on how to slant a story to make it a must read, Feminine Wiles: Creative Techniques For Writing Women's Feature Stories That Sell offers sound, proven advice and a lot of experience in the trenches. Having made most of the mistakes from time to time, her timely and time tested methods illustrate how to take a so-so idea and make it stand out.

Boetig also gives the inside scoop on what editors like to see from writers and how to hook an editor with a winning query. She also explains the difference between gushing, a technique guaranteed to land a quick rejection, and plucking the right emotional string.

Savvy and honest, every writer needs a copy of Feminine Wiles if they're serious about writing that sells and keeps selling.

Boetig's lead coverline, "Creative Techniques for Writing Women's Feature Stories..." doesn't give the whole picture. I found it to be "Creative Techniques for Writing That Will Sell" - period.

I am a relatively new (notice I didn't say young) writer who reads every book I can find on How to Write, How to Market, and How to Paper My Walls With Rejections. Although I write mostly nonfiction, I give Boetig's "Feminie Wiles" a Blue Ribbon.

Her tips, examples, anecdotes, and words of encouragement apply (and appeal) to all writers. I will be using her book as a reference in my upcoming writing classes, and I will encourage my students to purchase their own copies. It is a gem.

Feminine Wiles may be marketed toward women, but the advice offered will work for anyone whether you are writing for women or Field & Stream. Boetig reviews the basic process for lining up an interview, dealing with editors, and writing what sells. This is by far one of the better resources for freelance writers on the market today.

As a freelance writer, I'm always looking to expand my interests and marketability. Boetig's book brought a fresh perspective with lots of real world helpful ideas. The packaging is clever and the voice is easy to read. I particularly like it that you do not have to read the book in order, but rather, open it to the page you need and benefit immediately. Organized well. Well written. Lots of helpful information. Highly recommend.

I thought this book looked more like how to be a feminist than anything else. I was so disappointed that it doesnt deal with issues my daughter cares about. She wasnt even interested in flipping through it. What a waste of money.

The Girls Guide to Life by Catherine Dee contains a plethora of information and anecdotes for young girls and budding teens that are both entertaining and empowering. This primer for young girls deals with issues such as self esteem, empowerment in the workplace, social rights and obligations, and general life 101 lessons. The guide celebrates the empowerment of young females through a variety of activities and uses real life examples to address the issues that all young women face today. A great field guide to life's basics that every girl should read!

Finally a book that addresses womens' issues and presents them in an easy-to-read and fun format for young women! It's important that girls know about these issues at an early age to help them realize their potential. This book is full of facts, quotes and stories, making it interesting to read and easy to pick up where you left off. Stories from real women help make the author's points credible and understandable. The book doesn't just talk about issues, it actually gives girls ideas on how to put their beliefs into action. I found The Girls' Guide to Life very inspiring, informational and empowering! I can't wait for my daughter to read it, and I plan to recommend it to all of the young women in my life. - Dale Salvaggio Bradshaw, co-author of Firestarters: 100 Job Profiles to Inspire Young Women

I think this is a good present for most teenage girls because it opens the door to further thought and purposeful decisions. Even if one is not a feminist, one could appreciate the information on topics like why sports are important, how to stay safe at home/school/street, and why math & science equals a bright future.

I appreciate the topics on self-esteem, what is physical beauty, and understanding and handling sexual harrasment.
Honestly, I wish this author would write similarly empowering and informational books for boys!

How refreshing to read a book which helps to elevate, educate and emancipate young girls of the world. This book speaks to young girls in a very human and comprehensible way. It teaches them how to be strong, yet not overbearing, healthy not bulimic, educated, self-motivated and just all round good citzens of the world.

The book is full of historical facts showing how females took on the world against all odds and succeeded. In the book readers are also treated with humorous cartoons, for instance their is a young lady who takes on the form of a puddle. At the end of the cartoon she is standing upright and shouting "I am not your doormat!" Its a beautiful evolution....

Also what impressed me are the worksheets and life exercises in the book. What a clever way for a young girl to track her progress, in addition getting life pointers and hints.

Help a young girl become a confident young lady - Give her this book!!!!!

Hats off to you Catherine!!! Keep em coming.....

Archbishop Tutu is a great man and worthy of highest admiration for his life of unselfish service. Sadly, though, this book (co-authored with Douglas Abrams) does not serve his life's work well.

The book is not intended to be intellectually rigorous; it's gentle, as a number of the five-star reviewers have pointed out. It's good at conveying some of the stress of Archbishop Tutu's experiences in South Africa, and the courageous actions there that brought down apartheid. But who is it really written for?

The 130-page book has eight chapters, an introduction, and a postscript. The chapters are entitled "God believes in us," "God's dream," "God loves you as you are," "God loves your enemies," "God only has us," "Seeing with the eyes of the heart," "Stillness: hearing God's voice," and "In the fullness of time."

Immediately in the introduction the authors [I use the plural, since Archbishop Tutu himself refers to "coauthor Doug Abrams," p. 134] make it clear that this book is not for Christians only: "While I write as a Christian, this transformation [of the world, to redemption] can be recognized and experienced by anyone, regardless of your faith and religion, and even if you practice no religion at all." For an eminent Christian leader (Anglican -- Archbishop Tutu identifies himself as "Foursquare in the Catholic faith that is enshrined in our prayer books, in our formularies, in the creeds," p. 107) to write a spiritual book intended for any variety of faiths, or none at all, is a formidable challenge. The authors were unable to rise to meet it successfully.

In attempting to write to a universal audience, they downplay fatally their own faith. The central core of that faith, as rooted in word and sacrament, is Christ's perfectly obedient life, atoning sacrifice on the cross, and triumphant resurrection, which provide a means for all to be saved from their sins, and reconciled with God. We see this in scripture, in the baptismal covenant, and in the eucharist. But this core of the faith barely receives a mention here.

God's incredible love is the subject of chapter 3, "God loves you as you are." Yes, God does love us as we are -- but how is that love most clearly shown? What a great opportunity to share with readers that incredible love of God: God so loved the world that he gave his only son, to the end that all who believe in him would not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Sadly, this core element of their faith the authors omit to mention.

So the book appears not to be for Christians. Did the authors mean for other faiths to read it and find hope and encouragement in their walks? This too is unclear. There's hardly any reference to the core beliefs of other faiths, and certainly no detailed attempt to draw together, reconcile, or unify disparate beliefs. I can't help thinking those who are not Christians would take away only the message that humanity might eventually arrive at peace somehow. But the details of how God will do this are unclear (God's has dreams for his people that will somehow be realized), and they're certainly not via the tenets of other faiths, so readers are left with the sense "let's hope so...", with no real basis for that hope outside the authors' Christian experience. I doubt whether this will be received well by those who are not prepared to accept the authors' Christian point of departure.

So it does not serve Christians well, by writing for a universal audience and removing the core of the faith; and it does not serve non-Christians well, by passing over those faiths (or atheism) so lightly that one might conclude that whatever one believes will be OK with God ("In God's family, there are no outsiders. All are insiders. Black and white, rich and poor, gay and straight, Jew and Arab, Palestinian and Israeli, Roman Catholic and Protestant, Serb and Albanian, Hutu and Tutsi, Muslim and Christian, Buddhist and Hindu, Pakistani and Indian--all belong." -- p. 20).

Its successes lie in the stories and narratives of Archbishop Tutu's struggles in South Africa, and for that, it's interesting and useful. But readers will seek deeper meaning vainly.

A must read!. . .This book, by Bishop Tutu, capture's God's dream is for us! He shares profound thoughts using clear, yet elegantly simple language which can be understood by all. Tom Weaver
God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time

It's rare to come upon literature with a pulse and a heartbeat on every page. This is one of those precious gems that I will read once a year for the rest of my days.

God's blessing in print. Hope again. Hope anew. Hope for you. Buy it. Read it. Live it.

Thank you Archbishop TUTU

Bill Dahl
Author, Creator, Editor
The Porpoise Diving Life

What an eloquent writer! Bishop Tutu writes so beautifully, especially when he describes the Love of God. The concept of transfiguration is explained in a passage about the cross which truly brought me closer to my Lord. Dear Christian brothers and sisters: read this book and be prepared to have your prejudices and fears about other people shattered by the Love of God.

I am leading a group study at St. John's Cathedral in Jacksonville, Florida using this beautiful book of meditations by Bishop Tutu. There are discussion question after each chapter.

My book of the latest coin values arrived in excellent condition and expeditiously. The book has proven to be a practical and user-friendly reference source and guide to the most current US coin values.

There is no better guide for the novice or professional coin collector. Reliable information and up to date pricing.

This is the first book a person should buy when entering into coin collecting. It gives a base to prices and where one might start.2008 Guide Book of Us Coins Redbook (Guide Book of United States Coins)

This is a very comprehensive, filled with pictures, easy to understand and follow guidebook for a beginner, as well as a serious collector.

I ordered this book for my son as he is beginning coin collecting. He took up that interest after seeing the collection that my grandfather handed down to me. The book was perfect for showing him what these coins are worth today.

"How to Read the Bible..." is a terrific tool in helping an individual understand what he/she is reading in the Bible.

This is a truly excellent reference book for anyone interested in the history of Biblical interpretation. Indeed, the book might more accurately be called "How the Bible has been Read," since for any given section, it gives an overview of traditional readings, both Christian and Jewish, followed by recent scholarship and biblical studies. The latter includes advances in linguistic and archeological scholarship. Kugel writes in a clear conversational style, the product, no doubt of years of university teaching.

Though I have only read about a hundred and fifty pages, I have found Kugel's scholarship outstanding and his writing clear and easy. As a catholic priest it has been a wonderful exposure to good Jewish thought and scholarship. I have found the contrast between the ancient inperpreters and modern scholars extremely helpful. I would be more conversant with modern scholars and not so clear on the more traditional. It is a great help to interpret sections of the Hebrew Bible.

Rev. Joseph Madden

This book attempts to integrate both traditional and modern views of the bible. It does this well. It creates layers of meaning that transcend the theological and is well worth reading for those not immersed in a particular theological approach to the meaning of this complex book

Well researched and written book. Understandable by layman as well as biblical scholar. Most enlightening and informative.

If you have read more than a couple of books on writing fiction, then you probably are already well aware of the fact that most of the best ones pretty much say the same kinds of things. The techniques of this ancient craft have already been thoroughly described by others. Morrell's book is actually one of the most original that I have read, and one of the most practical for someone ready to move beyond the basics. While I did not find all of his techniques equally helpful, many I found downright indispensable. It is still too early to say whether or not this book will help me achieve publication, but I can say that I found much of his advice tailor-made to solve many of the difficult problems in my current project. If you enjoy reading books on writing, this one stands out from the pack and is well worth your time.

I started to read this excellent book by David Morrell and then I stopped and read three of his novels: "Testament", "The Fifth Profession" and "The League of Night and Fog". Then I resumed reading this book about the business of writing and the technique.
David Morrell is a charming and interesting writer. I have read nearly every book there is on writing and David taught me many things I have read no where else. He also seemed like he was on my side, a fellow writer. I was sad when I turned the last page and that was it.

While David Morrell may be best-known for writing "First Blood" and the subsequent Rambo novelizations, "Lessons..." puts him on the map as a world-class professor of writing. He used to teach in the University of Iowa English Department that was located below the Iowa Writer's Workshop offices. However, his instruction here is contrary to that of most college creative writing workshops, in that he adresses writers of all genres (not just "literary" writers) in this book. For that reason, "Lessons..." will be of particular interest to thriller, science fiction, horror, and other genre writers looking for instruction outside of the university structure. If you enjoy this book, you should also check out Stephen King's On Writing and Strunk and White's The Elements of Style.

Morrell wrote some of the books that were so mind-enhancing that I wanted to infuse my books with that much meaning. "The League of Night and Fog" and "Covenant of the Flame" were both action-packed thrillers that had a resonance of historical events that shaped an unseen undercurrent of our times. "Assumed Identity" "The Fifth Profession," and "Extreme Denial" hold up as examples of espionage fiction at its best. And my favorite, "Double Vision" has haunting tone that reminds me why Morrell is a master in my short-list. He continues to bring out stories that make you think from rare perspectives.

"Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing" confirmed my appreciation of Morrell's craft. He discusses where ideas come from, how to extract the significance of your own experience and explore the depth of your ideas. His counsel on holding conversations with yourself is valuable advice on how to keep writing when you don't know what to write. Morrell's perspectives come from a solid career in the business. I always consider his novels a great place to look for a well-told story. So, when I read his "Lessons..." it's with a sense of having a famous-friend who happens to be an author sit and talk about the mechanics of a common interest. His insights are fresh and grounded in well-earned experience.

Morrell's "Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing" is right up there with my favorite how-to manuals on writing. It is a worthy edition in the club of Sol Stein's "On Writing," and "How to Grow a Novel," Bradbury's "The Zen and Art of Writing," Lawrence Block's "Telling Lies For Fun and Profit," and "Writing the Novel from Plot to print." A solid, practical addition to the Writers Digest series of nuts and bolts manuals for anyone driven to sharpen their craft.

A personal note to David Morrell: Thanks for letting me sit in on your class and over-the-shoulder consultant. You're an inspiration to me. I hope to sit in as a colleague some day.

Mr. Morrell's first chapter alone was worth the price. As a yet another baby boomer with a laptop, I've written two novels without fully understanding WHY I toil creating fiction. I know now the reason I write--the one thing. What a satisfying feeling to finally understand what keeps me motived and in sync with my inner drive. His other chapters are also excellent, good stuff and well written. Buy the book.

Russell Traughber
Irvine, CA

This dictionary was bought for my wife studying to become a Licensed
Massage Therapist. In the course of her Physiology studies it became
apparent that for the terminology being used required a stronger, more
precise definition to her study even more than her Physiology book.This
met her need and has been a tool that will become part of her working
library.
Jack Watson

I have had a Stedman's and Taber's medical dictionary for years (20+) and they had gotten a bit long in the tooth so I bought this book and Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary as I thought Dorland's looked slightly better than Stedman's. I decided to compare definitions of a word in both books and Mosby's definition was impressive enough to have me make the purchase (amiodarone was the word, a cardiovascular drug). I used it while studying for a recertification examination and found it by my side as I went through several other books.

This book was the single best resource I had after purchasing almost $1k worth of new books!

The quantity of definitions may not exceed Dorlands, but the QUALITY of the definitions is SUPERB. You get not only a skeleton, minimalist definition but a mini-tutorial of each topic. Just the dermatology related definitions alone with pictures kept me from buying a dermatology book. Definition after definition I looked up - and this went well over a thousand words, perhaps 2 or 3k words - resulted in getting an excellent authoritative discussion of a topic, giving the most salient points in a concise and highly readable form. I had in excess of a 99% 'hit rate' of finding highly useful information with each lookup. Doing this with Dorland's gave me the most trivial definitions in comparison, often little more than the pronunciation of the word and a circular reference to another definition. I gave up after about 100 words as an exercise in time wasting.

I put this book right up there with the Merck Manual as absolute must haves for any serious student of medicine - from the senior specialist to the beginning nursing student. I give it the highest accolades.

I have two more words for how this helped me study for my exam - THANK YOU !

I am glad I bought this one to cross reference and for more thorough definition for my med term course; it got lots of vivid pictures which I even like. I highly recommend this book.

I purchased the Mosby's Medical Dictionary and I am extremely pleased with it. It has many color photos throughout the book so you can see examples of diseases, skin disorders, etc. It is a great book, well worth the money, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

I got this book because it had such awesome reviews. I'm going to be taking a test in the near future, and you're allowed to use a medical dictionary, and I picked this one.

I've been taking practice tests. On the first practice test I took, the first 6 out of 7 medical terms I tried to look up weren't in the book. I was stunned, and several of them were pretty basic words that I just wanted to get a very clear definition of.

I'm not sure it's even going to be worth lugging this book to the test, or even keeping the book. I may just sell it and try another book.

Jane

"On The Air"
I've been after this one for some years but couldn't make the price tag.
Finally I found one of Amazon's amazing cut price sources & grabbed it.
It arrived at my UK address in as secure a package as you could hope for and for a third of its original price! It is as near mint condition as one could expect and is one great hunk of reading. I'll be older and feebler before I reach Z with this one! I can't say I'm familiar with all shows as a UK guy but it'll be interesting to plough through the many shows that either I never heard of or that never quite made it. It was mainly thanks to AFRS & its dedication to keeping the troops in touch with Hollywood & the stars during their wartime golden days that drew me (and thousands of other UK listeners)into the web of American radio and now thanks to those dedicated groups like YUSA and OTR much has been preserved to be recaptured & appreciated as if it were yesterday,again! A solid souvenir for all fans of this incomparable media of the mind.

Whether you wish to know about the great or the small radio programs of the past, this book is for you. It is more than a resume of the various radio programs but rather is a complete history. With the more famous shows, entries can be several pages. Each entry is well researched and seems to be very complete, from cast members to those "behind the scenes." This is the definitive work, in my estimation.

Being an old time radio fan for more than 15 years and having collected more than 45,000 programs I was looking for a reference book that allowed me to better track what I have and what I wanted to look for. John Dunning's book is that and so much more. The detail he has included for the series listed is simply amazing. From showtimes to networks to cast to sponsors to a behind the scenes type view of each series you're left feeling like you were there the whole time.

This book is a must have for both novice and serious collectors of these fine old programs. You won't be disappointed in the detail. If you're looking for pictures then this isn't the book. It is a beautifully written reference book that gives you insight to not only the shows themselves but the actors and actresses who starred in them.

Simply put, a wonderful read!

Highly informative, well written, entertaining, sometimes exhaustive. I read this through from cover to cover (several evenings) - a process that has not tempted me with any other encyclopedia! Brings back many memories while adding much information new to me. Great stuff!

This book has everything you could ever need to know about OTR. Meticulously researched. I asked my father in law about shows he used to watch and he named some I never heard of and he said were just local shows and wouldn't be in this book. Wrong! This book had them and even said that they were local shows. If you want an encyclopedia on old time radio, this is the one to get!

A good mixture of the practical and the inspirational. Excellent exercises for you to do on your own.

The subtitle says that this is a Guide for Busy Women--true enough, but it works for men too, and
just as well.

Highly recommended.

I could very easily dub this book, the best, however that is to be determined in the eye of the beholder. I can say with much conviction, that it is the book I turn to the most often for advice, straight forward answers and direction as well as a nice glimpse at a reality check.

Any writer will tell you that you don't write a best seller overnight, and this book will tell you that too. Unlike many other writing books available the pages don't contain advice at how to leave your 9 to 5 job and write the world's best novel. Instead the book is filled with useful, real advice for determined writer's to utilize and honestly get their pens on fire.

There are dozens of exercises to get you thinking and writing, with originality and flair. The book is well written and is a very easy book to devour in a short period of time. Except that you will more than likely find yourself reaching for it again and again to participate in the exercises and get you thinking on a more creative level.

A must have book for any would-be writer's bookshelf.

I had originally checked this out from my public library but found the information so useful that I bought a copy for my own personal library. Very good and practical information to inspire and motivate you to write!

I bought this book when it came out, read it, marked the heck out of it, and used its ideas a few times.

I plan to now read it again, and use it again, 3 years later.

The Power, Challenge, and Talent to Write, And Developing it, is important.

I like to write.

Always have, I guess, ever since I was in Elementary School ( early 70's ), then Junior High and High School ( mid/late 70's ), writng book reports, and then letters to the editor of the local paper.

For various reasons none of that ever translated into a career path.

I read somewhere that we are always afraid to start something that we want to make very good, true, and serious.

Rita Mae Brown once wrote: "Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts."

This book influenced the last 3 years of my blogging, on 2 blogs, and will help anyone who reads it.

This book will help you find the writer within, and find the time to write more as well.

This book offers run-of-the-mill exercises that fail to inspire one to write. If you struggle with the act of sitting down and putting pen to paper, this book will not change that. I would love to see a book out there that offers innovative exercises that not only inspire one to write, but also improves writing along the way. If anyone can recommend such a book, please message me.

I go to the farmers markets at least 1-2 Xs a week. This book makes it so much easier to find recipes that work seasonally. The recipes are good and the selection is well rounded.

Simply In Season (World Community Cookbook) is a cookbook that has a section for each season. Each section includes recipes made from ingredients in season. These recipes are health-conscious and mostly frugal. If you enjoy eating healthy and cooking/baking with fresh fruits and vegetables, this cookbook is for you.

Nicely done book. The book is broke down into four seasons. Each season has a list of vegetables along the outside edge on each page with the particular vegetable(s) used as ingredients in that recipe highlighted on that page. It makes it easy, for example, if you have broccoli and want some ideas on how to use it, flip the pages until you see broccoli highlighted and then read the recipe to see if if it something you are interested in. The recipes I have tried have been good.
A few more recipes with unusual vegetables would have been good because those are the ones I don't know what to do with. But over all a nice book. I would give it 4.5 stars.

This is my new favorite !!! cookbook. I really wanted a cookbook that would help me use fruits and vegetables that are in season. Out of about 20-30 recipes that I've tried from this cookbook, I've loved all but about 2 of them which is pretty good I think. One of the pluses is that the recipes are generally naturally low in fat and in salt. I would give this cookbook the highest recommendation I can! It's even better than More with Less and Extending the Table (the other two World Community Cookbooks).

While this book has a seasonal focus, it is so incredibly dairy and wheat-centric, one might think it was the product of the Dairy and Wheat Councils. I've never seen a book before that had such a high proportion of recipes that call for milk, dry milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, buttermilk, wheat, and soy. You would expect to see these in recipes--- but not in almost everything! If you cannot have wheat or dairy, chance are that you won't be able to use a large segment of recipes in this book. If anyone in your family has food allergies (wheat and dairy being the most frequent), don't waste your money. I found the recipes often dated, unimaginative, imbalanced nutritionally, and a huge disappointment. Even their chili recipe called for sour cream. Swiss chard with milk? Good grief. So-called "Hearty Broccoli soup" has an entire quart of milk plus 1 cup cheese but only 2 cups of raw broccoli. That would be more aptly named "Milk Soup with Broccoli". I expected this book to be far more garden, fresh produce focused but it isn't. This book has been VERY over-rated.