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References Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

References
God's Gift Of Love: After-Death Communications
Published in Hardcover by Xlibris Corporation (2003-11)
Author: Christine Duminiak
List price: $31.99
Used price: $28.75

Average review score:

GOD'S GIFT OF LOVE (BOOK)
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-28
I LOST MY SON IN 2006 AND I HAVE HAD A HARD TIME DEALING WITH THE LOSS. THIS BOOK HELPED ME IN DEALING WITH THE GRIEVING PROCESS.

A must read for anyone grieving
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-10
After losing my mom, dad and husband, I turned to the internet to get some info on After Death Communication info. I found out about the unique website Christine had called Prayer Wave and I found a group of folks with similar experiences on ADC's to mine. I actually wrote and phoned Chris directly and she was so sweet and understanding and available to me. I contacted her about many things and was not sure if she would even be open to discussing further as there appears to be a distance between authors and their readers. She also referred me to Sunni Welles' book and that is fantastic too. All in all I have come to really respect and admire Christine's ability to communicate about spirits in ways that is essentially comforting to those of us who grieve so deeply, so deeply that it can stop one's life in midtracks if one does not understand or even receive the gift of an ADC. I have been blessed to receive ADC's daily and it is surely a comfort to me. I love sharing them with Chris in emails. Her book is fantastic and a must read. We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful gifted soul as Christine to bestow these gifts upon us. Thanks Christine..I consider you a soul sister even though we have never met! Love, Lynn

Highly recommended for those grieving the physical passing of a loved one
Helpful Votes: 20 out of 20 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-25
One of the hardest things in life to deal with is the passing of a loved one. I experienced this pain as a teenager when two of my good friends were killed in an alcohol related auto accident. In the 27 years since that time I have read many books on Near Death Experiences (NDE's) and After Death Communications (ADC's). The amazing thing I have learned is that life continues on after our physical death, just like the Bible says. Of this I have no doubt.

Christine Duminiak's book -- God's Gift of Love: After Death Communications -- is the best book I have read on this subject. This book relates the experiences of many ordinary people who have had ADC's with loved ones.

When a person passes on, that is exactly what they do -- they pass over from our physical realm to the Heavenly realm. Their spirit continues to live in a very real way. They can see and hear us, and they still love us very much. Christine's book shows the many ways our loved ones communicate with us to comfort and console us and let us know that they are doing great!

What a great joy to know that not only do our family members and friends live on after their passing, but we will too, when we leave this world!

In addition to helping those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, "After-Death Communications: God's Gift of Love" will also help many to strengthen their faith in ways they never could have imagined.

There are quite a few books available on the topics of ADC's and NDE's. The more you read, the more you will be convinced of the authenticity of this amazing phenomenon. In my humble opinion, Christine's book is the best one to start with.

If you are grieving the loss of a loved one right now, I would also recommend checking out Christine's Prayer Wave Website:

[...]

Be sure to check out the message board.

God's Gift of Love Through Christine & YOUR loved ones!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-17
My heart smiled all the way through this book! :) My copy is already worn out and is being read by friends of ALL faiths! :)

While reading this book I had so many ah ha moments that I lost count!

This book is very comforting....and at times it had me smiling, crying.......remembering and looking forward to the good times to come both HERE on earth and HOME with God and those who have already arrived on the other side. :)

Enjoy reading God's Gift of Love I know I did!

A Must- Have For Anyone who Has Lost Anyone
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-04
(...)


A Must- Have For Anyone who Has Lost Anyone
I received my copy of this unbelieveably beauifully written book just days before God called my precious mom home to Him.....while I am still in disbelief that she is gone... I believe through this book that she, my Dad and other 'lost' loved ones lives every day with me and through me but she cannot be physically seen....... I think the writer of this special book created out of love must be a very real and angelic person who has chosen to accept the privilege afforded to all of us if we open our hearts .....that is to communicate with our loved ones after they are no longer seen on this earth.....this book will give you hope and proof that our lived ones live on and miss nothing .......Thankyou for your divinely inspired writing.....you are truly an ANGEL.

References
God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)
Published in School & Library Binding by Topeka Bindery (1999-10)
Author: James Weldon Johnson
List price: $23.35
New price: $23.35
Used price: $28.64

Average review score:

God's Trombones: Poems That Galvanize the Soul
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-25
My soul is galvanized everytime I hear or read James Weldon Johnson's God's Trombones. I have directed student perfomances of this deeply moving African American text. "The Crucifixion," for example, tells the story of how Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Savior,my Friend, suffered death on an old cross so that I might have an opportunity to be more sensitive to the hurting. The "Prodigal Son" urges me to experience and, thus understand, that I must live with a redemptive consiousness. And, of course, I am compelled to understand, through the poem "Go Down Death" this reality: God does call His children home. Those who have suffered "long in the vineyard" are deserving of rest. For sure, God's Trombones is a poetic tribute to an experience that is Christian and African American. I thank James Welson Johnson for creating this poetic masterpiece. Let's continue to read it; let's perform it. Let's live within the context of the spirituality of the voice. Amen!

Historical Preservation - Community Backbone
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-10
The title says it all: "Trombones" represents the preservation of the history of the community backbone of prayer, persistence, and strength. The poetry gives some insight to the suffering of the elders, and speaks to the continuing fight for the full parity of the AfricanAmerican community in a country that was literally built upon the bleeding, sweaty backs of my ancestors.

Amazon is to be commended for participating in this historical preservation of a works that I would recommend as mandatory reading for generations to come - regardless of religion, gender, or color.

The Hope of God's Trombones
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-26
God's Trombones is a beautiful expression of the themes of the Southern black experience and God's constant, personal presence in their lives. The themes he chose were expressed in sermons and in Gospel music. For the black person, God was aware of their struggles, would bring them out of "Egypt" (slavery) and would eventually take them to their home "over Jordan". Death would be a gentle freedom for those who were weary (as in "Go down Death").

Johnson's introduction explains that he was trying to express the fervant Southern black preacher with his pauses and emphases. He has done both well.

This is a book to be read for its beauty and inspiration, but more important, it shows (theological inaccuracies aside) how an oppressed people trusted in God's gentle hand, and God's constant love for even the "least" of his Creation.

I recommend this for historians, teachers, lovers of poetry, and for its spiritual content, anyone seeking inspiration.

Just Wonderful
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-13
My dad teaches Sunday School and was looking for this book to incorporate into his lesson plans. I found it here at Amazon and fell in love with this book. Absolutely wonderful to read and very profound. Exceptional!

Unfamiliar Harmony
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-15
While James Weldon Johnson's theology is not always orthodox ("God thought and thought" - who could put a new thought in God's mind? unless it was God and, then, God would not be God - this insight compliments of E.V. Hill in his sermon "When Was God At His Best?"), JWJ's poetry and, especially, his Preface displays the harmonious beauty of a long tradition of African American preaching not generally known or appreciated outside of African American circles. If one really wants to become familiar with and, indeed, edified by the godly reaching of E.V. Hill (now deceased), Fred Luter, Tony Evans, Robert Smith and a host of unknowns who preach with substance and, sometimes, in the "whoop"ing style, then, Weldon's book is a must read. May Christianity never lose what God has brought forth in a substantial style which stirs heart, mind and soul.

References
The Honorable Imposter (The House of Winslow #1)
Published in School & Library Binding by Sagebrush (1999-10)
Author: Gilbert Morris
List price: $21.30
New price: $17.11
Used price: $6.42

Average review score:

Great book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-06
Gilbert Morris Books are wonderful, with romance, history and a spiritual uplift and reminder that exceed most books I have read.

Great Start to the Series
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-08
I have been a huge Gilbert Morris fan for a long time. I seemed to have read every other series he wrote besides his most famous one, The House of Winslow. I am most drawn to his books due to the fact that he likes to take historical events and add to them. His knowledge or rather maybe just the research he puts into each book is what makes his books all the better.

This book is just the beginning of Gilbert Winslow's family line. Gilbert joins a group of religious separatists in order to find out some information for a very high Lord of England. While the group's strict ways surprise Gilbert he comes to have a strong connection with some of them. Will Gilbert betray the group that seems to accept him as one of their own?

I absolutely loved this book; it was a great start to the series. I did not seem to want to put the book down, but to continue reading so that I could find out what happens next.

Follow Gilbert Morris as he spins the tale of Gilbert Winslow and the beginning of the New World!

Recommended with reservations
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-11
In this book a young man is hired by an English lord to spy on the Separatists living in Holland, particularly to discover the whereabouts of William Brewster, one of the leaders of the religious dissenters. Gilbert Winslow's task will lead him to travel on the Mayflower, and have to determine where his loyalties truly are. This is book 1 in the incredibly prolific House of Winslow series

This book is . . . nice. Not especially challenging, thought provoking, or whatnot, but nice. I like history, don't mind the religious undertone, good times had by all. Morris is a Christian author, but I've found that his stuff is generally not the `religion shoved down your throat repeatedly" variety, and since I'm a sucker for the nice romantic stories it's a win-win situation. So I would recommend it with reservations

Don't Start Unless You Wanna Be Hooked for Life
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-02
This book kicks off one awesome series. Gilbert Morris may be a bit long winded at times, but his characters are interesting, the history's cool, and the plot twists sneak up on you.

Gilbert Winslow sets out to spy on the Puritans, loses his heart and more to a Puritan and becomes a better man for it.

This is a great book...
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-18
This is a remarkable story. It is full of history and I learned a lot about the ways of life of the puritans from reading it. You will meet the characters you find in your history books in a way you never knew them before! I read it very quickly because the characters were so well developed and the plot exciting. The romance was wonderful, but this isn't a romance novel so it wasn't overdone. This is the first book in the House of Winslow series and it tells the story of young gilbert winslow who takes on a job as a spy to turn in one of the leading puritan pastors. It follows his journey on the Mayflower and the lives of the settlers. This story is captivating, simply put. Will Gilbert be able to turn in the innocent man even after he has come to love the Puritans? Will he go back and Marry Cecily and forget all about dear Humility? Everyone should read this book.

References
How to Probate an Estate (How to Probate an Estate: California)
Published in Paperback by Nolo.com (1988-08)
Author: Julia Nissley
List price: $24.95
Used price: $1.87

Average review score:

A Life Preserver in a Difficult Time
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-16
When a close relative passed away very unexpectedly, this book helped guide me through all the legal issues. In a very difficult time, it truly helped keep me afloat in a sea of the unknown.

Great, great help to me.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-27
My Mother passed away and we thought all the paperwork was in order and it was not. I got this book from Amazon and it has outlined every detail and possible stituation. I went and got all the forms and and in the middle of probate right now. Very, very well written for a simple probate case and non complicated estates.
If there are people who will contest the will or complicated properties, business deals; most likely, you will need a lawyer and probating yourself will not work. But if it is very clear and simple, you can probabe yourself. Great book, worh every penny spent on it.

Excellent Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-22
This book really helped my wife go through the probate process for her mother's estate. Highly recommended book!

practical book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-05
This is a great book for going through the probate process. It takes
you through the entire process and explains all the jargon. The only
problem I had with it is that if your probate includes anything which
is a little out-of-the-ordinary, e.g., heirs/beneficiaries who may contest the will, it does not help. However, one book cannot cover 100% of
the possible cases. This book probably covers 95% of the probate cases
and is helpful even if you are one of the "odd-cases" and you are not familiar with the probate process.

The BEST book on probate in California
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-03
If you can only purchase one book on probate in California, this book should be your first stop. I am in the process of probating my mother's estate and I will save at least $20,000 by using this book. There a dozens of forms, tips and tons of information on the subject. If you are motivated and organzed, this is the guide to help you avoid the high cost of attorneys in probate. I cannot urge you STRONGLY enough to use this book as your guide to probate in California.

References
How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters
Published in Hardcover by Jones & Bartlett Publishers (1994-03)
Author: Mal Warwick
List price: $42.00
New price: $29.95
Used price: $19.33

Average review score:

How to write successful fundraisng Letters
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-11-02
I have received excellent services nfrom Amazon in the purchase and delivery of the book under reference.
I have made other prior purchases from Amazon and my experience is that Amazon makes her services better every day.

Direct Mail Focused
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-19
I purchased the book looking for help with charitable fundrasing letter accross broad categories. The book is very detailed, but has a strong focus on direct mail for fundraising. This is the author's background, and the book is very technical with that focused topic.

It's the bible!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-09
Outstanding. Reminded me of everything I'm supposed to be doing in my fundraising letters but have forgotten over the years. It's the bible for fundraising letters!

Kirks Nonprofit Consulting Services
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-19
This is a wonderful tool that allows you to ask for donations "nicely." I really recommend this book to all who assist charities for a living whether on a professional level or as a volunteer.

You must buy this book
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-10
If you ever think you will have to write a fundraising letter, you NEED this book. Too many people think it is just like writing any other kind of letter but it isn't. There is a rhyme and, more importantly, a reason to it. Don't write a fundraising letter without reading this book first.

References
<i>Ulysses</i> Annotated
Published in Hardcover by University of California Press (1989-06-26)
Author: Don Gifford
List price: $95.00
Used price: $157.95

Average review score:

Great reading, even without the source
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-11
This book was a shock to me. It's not just a book of annotations, it's also a history of Ireland, literature, language, and nearly everything else Joyce decided to allude to in his masterpiece. I never would have guessed that just reading the annotations (without the source text) would make good reading, but that is certainly the case here. You do not by any means need this book to enjoy Ulysses, but it does give remarkable insight into the mind behind it

The essential guide
Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-11
I am still digesting "Ulysses." I read it while walking around Dublin a few years ago. It was marvelous to trace the steps of Leopold and Molly, and to see what they "saw," but the novel remains a distant pleasure to the reader. I must admit it is not the most accessible book ever written, but it gets four stars for its intent ... and that it is better than "Finnegan's Wake." Be warned: This book is not for the casual reader. But this annotated edition makes it all worthwhile. You'll get genuine, comprehensible guidance. If you must read "Ulysses," this edition might be most helpful.

Thorough, but not best for the novice reader
Helpful Votes: 30 out of 33 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-04
Gifford's book offers fascinating glosses and contextual annotations for Ulysses, but was not quite what I was looking for to help me with my first attempt at the book. The annotations are mostly disjoint explanations of specific allusions and references.

There are other guides to Ulysses that are better suited for the novice Joyce reader, helping the reader to keep track of the plot, the progress of the Odyssey and Hamlet corelations and explaining the shifts in style through the book. This kind of hand-holding may be unnecessary for more sophisticated readers, but for my first read, it was essential!

Essential is the key word to all these reviews
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-12
When I first tucked James Joyce's ULYSSES under my arm, Don Gifford's ULYSSES ANNOTATED was tucked under the other. (My biceps became very well developed because of this.) It took me an entire summer to read the books side by side but how worthwhile it was. Gifford's essential line by line, almost word by word, guidance made ULYSSES less overwhelming than if I had tried to tackle it alone. Once I got through ULYSSES the second time (the following spring) I was able to go to the more overarching analyses of Joyce's masterpiece. Stuart Gilbert's ULYSSES and Richard Ellmann's ULYSSES ON THE LIFFEY were particularly helpful.

notes only!
Helpful Votes: 64 out of 65 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-16
Just a heads up that this is NOT an annotated edition of Ulysses (as I mistakenly thought in purchasing)(duh). It is 600-some pages of notes only and does not include the text of the novel.

References
The Internet Kids & Family Yellow Pages (2nd Ed) / The Internet Kids and Family Yellow Pages (2nd Ed)
Published in Paperback by Mcgraw-hill Inc (1997-06)
Author: Jean Armour Polly
List price: $19.99
New price: $4.20
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

For Good Family Fun...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-11
...purchase this book. I was looking for web sites to enjoy with my nieces and younger cousins and decided to purchase a book which could "direct me" in the right places. This book is a wonderful addition to have if you have younger children and younger visitors and need a way to "keep them occupied"! Buy this book. It is very well put together! It is also worth every cent. The only thing it doesnt have that I would give it 5 stars is a CD ROM directory for the electronic version...otherwise go for it if you dont mind typing in the sites yourself!

A Fabulous Reference for Teachers, Parents, and Kids
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-15
The Internet Yellow Pages is a "must have" book for students, adults, schools, teachers, and public libraries. Parents, teachers, and libraries should have access to this fabulous resource. After all, most homes and offices have at least one telephone directory. Let your fingers do the walking with this fabulous Internet directory which includes over 800 pages of carefully alphabetized, categorized, and graphically appealing subjects that can be used for research and information gathering. Does your child or someone you know need to write a report? Possibly a state, gold rush, science, animal, or other type of school report? Look no further. Just get out the Internet Yellow Pages, type in the URL and you will be instantly connected to quality web sites without wasting valuable time using various search engines.Each site is full of great information that has been carefully reviewed as "kid safe" by the author, Jean Armour Polly and her staff.

In addition to the excellent educational locations there are also many sites that are fun to visit, such as, jokes and riddles, toys, sports, games and fun, rainbows, boating and sailing, to name a few.

The final section of the book is dedicated to parenting and families. This section includes subjects such as entertainment, movie, video reviews, education, baby-sitting, health and safety. All the information is carefully referenced in the final index and the bonus CD-ROM includes tutorials, for safe and fun surfing on the net. This is a wonderful book and a very good investment. It is a reference guide each home, school, or library should have at their fingertips.

C. Mendenhall Teacher Deer Creek School

Newer edition available than this one
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-25
Customers may be confused by the way this book is listed. There is a NEWER edition of this book out, I should know, I am the author! It's available here at Amazon. Look for the one that says 4th edition. The ISBN number of the new edition is 0-0072121858. It is also called the Millennium Edition.

A Great Place to Go for International Day
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-15
Our Girl Scout/Brownie International Day was a smashing success thanks to this book. Our troops were able to find information, recipes, songs and dances quickly and easily. We kept it at the Headquarters for a few months and everyone turned to it to find out about every country from Haida Nation to Iceland. The girls loved the website activities and the leaders loved the ease with which they could retrieve information. I also used her editorial blurbs to entertain the crowds between performances.

Families Will Enjoy Many Hours of Fun and Adventure!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-09
The 2002 Net-mom's Internet Kids & Family Yellow Pages directory offers kids and their entire families a number of refreshing, entertaining, and informative Websites. After a brief introduction readers are treated to Net-mom's top hotlists, top Websites, and safety tips for surfing the Internet. Then the real fun begins!

This 587-page yellow page directory covers hundreds of topics of interest to kids and their families. Websites offer information about animals, art, buried treasures, coin collecting and money, computers, food, foreign countries, American history, insects, interesting facts, the Internet, music, scouting, ships and shipwrecks, space missions, sports history, toys, transportation, weather, world leaders, and much much more. I took the time to visit some of the Websites listed in the book. Here are several that caught my interest:

Students will be in for a real gooey education at Silly Putty University. Here they will learn about the history, composition, and many uses of this still-popular toy - the toy with only one moving part. Students will also learn about the many varieties of Silly Putty currently available - the original pink, the 50th year anniversary metallic gold, glow-in-the-dark colors, temperature sensitive color changing colors, and an assortment of bright colors. When ready, students can elect to take the final exam in order to receive their Silly Putty degree!

After viewing the Silly Putty Website I moved on to Coin World , to look up some information about my favorite coin - the 1943 steel pennies. During the second World War copper was needed for the war effort so zinc-covered steel pennies were struck. However, some rare 1943 copper pennies and even rarer 1944 steel pennies were made. At least one 1943 silver-bronze penny was made! I performed some additional online research and ended up placing bids at eBay for some steel pennies - and I won!

As with any child-age educational material, parents should become seriously and creatively involved with the upbringing of their children. They should take the lead to protect their children at all times while they surf online. To her credit, the author advises parents to review certain Websites that contain sensitive material. Topics such as religion, politics, child development, environmentalism, and the creation-evolution debate sometimes touch upon controversial issues and require responsible parental involvement.

The author provides brief and concise summary descriptions of each site mentioned in the book and creatively relates topics of interest to encourage readers to dig deeper in their online researching. As I've found out for myself, visiting Websites like the ones listed in this book can be a good educational experience, as well as a bunch of fun for the whole family. Parents can sit down with theirs kids and have many hours of fun and adventure. This book is ideal for babysitting, daycare, home-school, and public school use!

References
Joys of Yiddish
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Pocket (1991-01-02)
Author: Leo Rosten
List price: $6.99
Used price: $1.57

Average review score:

sanitized for understandable reasons...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-01
For example, for an honest translation and etymology of "shaygetz" or "shiksa," see the Meggido Modern Hebrew-English Dictionary: "sheqetz: unclean animal, loathsome creature, abomination...."

Read this book and shep a little naches
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-27
I knew a few Yiddish words just from having learned them in life. I grew up in Los Angeles, so there were just a few in my vocabulary; had I grown up in New York, I'm sure I would have known more. I always found them interesting. At some point, I became aware there was a book out there called "The Joys of Yiddish." Then, some years ago, along came Mike Meyers on "Saturday Night Live" doing his hilarious character Linda Richman, whose vocabulary was liberally peppered with Yiddish words and, suddenly, Americans were using the word "farklempt" to describe a state of being overwhelmed with fond emotion.

I decided I wanted to know more, so I picked up a copy of "The Joys of Yiddish" and I keep it by my bedside. If I'm not in the middle of a novel, I can pick up Leo Rosten's good-humored, informative book and entertain myself with his definitions and illustrations of Yiddish words.

The book isn't meant to be an all-inclusive study of Yiddish and it isn't for people who speak the language. It's for English speakers who want to know more about Yiddish, especially those words that are readily used in English-language conversation.

I am surprised as to certain words that weren't included. "Farklempt" isn't in there, for example. There are other noticeable omissions. But, in the main, the list of words to be found is quite extensive. In the process of explaining what the words mean, Rosten uses a clever, innovative system of conveying how to pronounce them that I find quite useful. Also, he uses a lot of jokes and humorous stories to illustrate the meaning of the words. In the process, Rosten explains a lot about Judaism, Jewish customs, Jewish history, all of which is germane to learning about Yiddish and interesting as well.

Rosten doesn't mince words. Some of the entries aren't Yiddish words to be spoken in polite company, and he's careful to warn readers about that. Still, you need to know those words because you might hear them and you might not want to repeat them. There are also euphemisms for some and those are nicely explained. Leo Rosten is, in the end, a practical man and not unduly indiscreet in his explanations.

There are a few things here and there that may seem dated. The book was written back in 1968, and society has changed. But we older readers (I'm 54) will know that and the vast majority of what's in this book is spot on.

I have one regret. I should have read this book 20 years ago so I could have written Leo Rosten a letter telling him how much I like it. Sad to say, Leo Rosten died in 1997 not long before his 89th birthday. The title of the book is apt. I find it such a joy to read it, that I experience a bit of regret knowing I can't tell him so.

I have not read the updated version, produced with the efforts of a second author in 2003, but, frankly, I can't imagine reading that without having read the 1968 original first. The original book has told me a lot about the guy who wrote it, and getting a sense of the man by reading his words has been a true mechaieh.

Ha ha! This book brings back memories...don't worry, they were good!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-13
I still remember getting in trouble in school, for bringing this book in and teaching the other kids swear words in Yiddish. Alas, I wasn't even Jewish. One of the words, in particular, still lingers in mind, has something to do with anatomy and....no, I won't ruin the book for you, by giving away definitions or dropping words that you shout out your car window as some shmuck cuts you off on the freeway.....oh dear, I think I just broke my promise, in that last sentence. Oh well. Well, some things can still be left to the imagination, right? I mean, have you seen this book? It's thick. I don't want to start kvetching to you about how much my back hurt, after schleping it around in my backpack. I think that's why it gave me such tzurris, and I had to eventually see a chiropractor! Oy vey....but, as she said to me, "Your back? My feet!" But, I digress. At any rate, purchase this book today. Spanish isn't the only passionate language worth speaking, and you will come to learn that after reading the great stories and anecdotes that go along with the numerous Yiddish terms listed in THE JOYS OF YIDDISH, so you get a sense of the context in which they would be most fitting. Don't take it from me...take it from Leo Rosten. I think he could teach Yiddish Studies at some major university and make a lot of people proud at this point. Well done!

Get this edition, not the "improved" Lawrence Bush one
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-08
There's no need to repeat the deservedly fine comments already posted about Rosten's book. I simply wish to recommend buying this edition or any released prior to the 2001 "New Joys of Yiddish" by Lawrence Bush. While Bush does preserve Rosten's witty text intact, he spoils things by adding agenda-driven footnotes throughout. Bush castigates Rosten for making Reform jokes (please! I was raised Reform, and I found them funny) and ruins the witty "shadchan" (matchmaker) entry by going on at length about Jewish domestic abuse (a problem to be sure, but no more so than in any other ethnicity). Lighten up, Bush! Finally, he inserts commercials for Reconstructionism and Jewish Renewal, which are valid expressions of Judaism but are post-1950s American in origin and NOT a part of the old Yiddish culture Rosten celebrates. Stick with Rosten's original text if you can find it.

haha! This brings back memories...don't worry! They were good!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-13
I still remember getting in trouble in school, for bringing this book in and teaching the other kids swear words in Yiddish. Alas, I wasn't even Jewish. One of the words, in particular, still lingers in mind, has something to do with anatomy and....no, I won't ruin the book for you, by giving away definitions or dropping words that you shout out your car window as some shmuck cuts you off on the freeway.....oh dear, I think I just broke my promise, in that last sentence. Oh well. Well, some things can still be left to the imagination, right? I mean, have you seen this book? It's thick. I don't want to start kvetching to you about how much my back hurt, after schleping it around in my backpack. I think that's why it gave me such tzurris, and I had to eventually see a chiropractor! Oy vey....but, as she said to me, "Your back? My feet!" But, I digress. At any rate, purchase this book today. Spanish isn't the only passionate language worth speaking, and you will come to learn that after reading the great stories and anecdotes that go along with the numerous Yiddish terms listed in THE JOYS OF YIDDISH, so you get a sense of the context in which they would be most fitting. Don't take it from me...take it from Leo Rosten. I think he could teach Yiddish Studies at some major university and make a lot of people proud at this point. Well done!

References
Just Call Me Moose! Growing Up Italian in America
Published in Hardcover by Gondola Press (2005-04)
Author: Karl R. Bossi
List price: $23.95
New price: $19.28
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What a nostalgic romp!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-25
What a romp through my childhood days! I lived a few blocks from Karl's stomping grounds and it is totally amazing that we never ran into each other except finally becoming school mates at Boston Technical High School. The childhood memories he re-captures are authentic and true since they were the same ones I had, albeit mine was Irish/Polish. Our neighborhood was like a spaceship, secure, safe, interesting, diverse, and always going somewhere. Karl captures it all just right.
By the way, The Victoria Diner is still there, the booths and the great food are the same as always, even after 50 years. Amazing.

"Moose" brought back many memories for me
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-28
"Moose's" story of growing up in Boston in the 1950s brought back many memories of my own, memories which had become buried under 50+ years of later experiences. Though Karl and I have never met, we probably had plenty of opportunity to, since he and I attended the same high school (Boston Technical) and college (Northeastern Univ.). It was very pleasant to relive those times guided by such a master story teller.

The one part of the book that I didn't enjoy was reading of Karl's father's suicide, though this tragic event was important since it played such a key role in his personal development. I imagine it must have been very difficult for Karl to craft this section of his story. I commend Karl for having the guts to put it all down for the world to see. I don't think I could've done the same.

Part of my enjoyment in reading "Just Call Me Moose" was undoubtedly because of the many similarities between our lives (e.g., our mothers were born in the same year and attended the same high school, my father's name was Karl, we went to dances at the same church hall, and we both served in Vietnam). But I enjoyed the stories of his sometimes quirky Italian Catholic family just as much, if not more - even though I grew up WASP in America.

I believe that "Just Call Me Moose" will be enjoyed not only by folks in our age group, or who grew up Italian, or who lived in Boston, but also by folks of all ages, ethnicities, and geographic backgrounds. The major themes in Karl's book - family, humor, good times, bad times, taking responsibility for your actions, and the importance of memories - are common ones that will appeal to almost everyone.

Thanks, Karl, for a good read.

A no-nonsense realistic perspective of daily life even under the most extraordinary pressures
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-13
Illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, Just Call Me Moose!: Growing Up Italian In America by Karl R. Bossi is the haunting memoir that follows the author from boyhood in '50s Boston, and the terror of his father's suicide, to the jungles of Vietnam as a member of a bomb disposal team, to civilian life. Over the course of fifty years, he learned that it was impossible to live fully as long as he shut out the reality of his father's death. Just Call Me Moose! is filled with dialogue straight out of the author's memories, and a no-nonsense realistic perspective of daily life even under the most extraordinary pressures. Highly recommended.

Italian in Boston, Riveting and Inspiring!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-26
Karl Bossi writes a riveting and inspiring memoir that you won't be able to put down. Being from Rhode Island and traveling into Boston quite often, this book was especially interesting to me. He tells about the details of his life and how they have made him the person he is today, how the events and people in his life have influenced him. It takes courage to write a book like this and I encourage everyone to read this book. You will laugh, you will cry, you will never forget it.

A compelling story I could not put down
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-04
A compelling read, I picked this book up on a Saturday afternoon, put it down once to eat dinner, then read long into the evning until I was finished. As an author myself, I read a lot of books and Just Call Me Moose is not only one of the best books I have read the past year, it is one of the best ever. The author, Karl Bossi, uses a very artful style to show how a childhood tradgey could suddenly resurface in the most ordinary of situations during his otherwise adventerous life. I found his childhood experiences especially interesting because they rekindled similar long lost memories of my own that left me smiling. You may not have heard of Karl Bossi before reading Just Call Me Moose, but once you've finished reading his book you'll be glad you did. Review by Ray Ryder, Author The Rockwater Mountain Murders and The Spirit of Whiskey River

References
Looking for God in All the Wrong Places
Published in Paperback by Paraview Press (2003-03-14)
Author: Marie D. Jones
List price: $14.95
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Average review score:

Book Points God-Seekers in the Right Direction
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-13
Every winter, sometime around February, masses of people worship at the House of Oscar. Some don fancy dresses, others hold parties (complete with paper top hats and cardboard replicas of a little gold statue), still others simply shut off their brains and tune in their TV's to the annual Academy Awards ceremony. For weeks leading up to this event and for days after, all one hears is commentary about the look/dress/action/speech of the scores of gods and goddesses that walked the stage that night. And after the masses of people have picked clean all the Oscar glory there is, they turn to the upcoming baseball season to fulfill that emptiness they feel inside with a good old-fashioned sports god.

Are you one of them? Are you LOOKING FOR GOD IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES? Marie D. Jones can help you. According to Jones, "...our society can only see God in the pretty, the shiny, and the expensive. But God is everywhere..." (p. 57).

In LOOKING FOR GOD IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES, Jones enlightens the reader as to where God is really found, despite all the misguided attempts by society to find Him in only "the pretty."

Marie D. Jones, a New Thought minister as well as a licensed pastoral counselor with a master's degree in metaphysical studies, has given God much thought and study and is well-versed in the subject, which couples quite nicely with her lengthy experience as a writer. Jones has been widely published and is even a screenwriter who has produced a children's storybook series.

According to Jones, we as a society spend way too much time looking for God in places we'll never find Him - sports and movie icons, wealth, power, so-called "gurus," and co-dependent relationships, just to name a few. Her goal is to help the reader find the real hiding place of God, saying, "...you never have to go any farther than your own Higher Power within to find wholeness, abundance, and prosperity in all areas of your life" (p. 30).

While the subject of the search for God is a weighty one, Jones manages to keep it blithe throughout. LOOKING FOR GOD IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES is light on the dry philosophy stuff and heavy on the jokes, puns, and catch-phraseology. Still, Jones manages to make some good points that somehow worm their way into the subconscious of the reader and while he may think he may have gotten only a few chuckles out of the book, he just may find himself worshipping a little differently after the last page has been turned.

At the same time, Jones's jokes occasionally work against her ultimate message, as she pokes fun a little too personally and unintentionally sounds a bit taunting. Thus a sensitive reader might find offense at a statement that contains, "... a bunch of spiritually inept yuppies with bad shoes and worse breath..." (p. 82) and wonder if derision is working against the tolerance and inner love Jones preaches.

Furthermore, Jones uses real life experiences to back up or further explain some of her points of interest. This is a good technique in reaching the reader through having been there/done that just as the reader may have. However, Jones seems to have experienced it all - every trap, every bad habit, every broken hearted experience. Opening up one's weaknesses on paper can be healing and humanizing for a writer, but too much of a humble thing can take away from the message as a reader might wonder just how to trust a messenger who's so easily bent and broken.

The overall success of LOOKING FOR GOD IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES is that it's an easily understood and lighter look into spirituality that teaches its readers how to look inward and find God. It's a pleasant read unusual in its belief that you can find God and still have fun looking. If you've been struggling, looking for God in those wrong places, this book would be the right place for you.

Funny, direct and honest insight into the human struggle
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-08
With all the war, hatred, religious intolerance, bigotry, gay bashing, right wing crap in the world today, this book is a refreshing and honest look at why we humans fail miserably to be happy, loving people. The author doesn't mince words, and can be downright hilarious at times, but that never detracts from the importance of what she is saying - stop looking for happiness outside of yourself and live and let live!

Chapter titles are a hoot, based upon famous songs and phrases...great wordplay and clever use of structure and narrative. This writer rocks, and I will be looking for her next book in all the right places!!!

Funny, profound, and highly entertaining
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-29
I got this book from a friend and thought it was such a great read. The author takes on all of our bull and shoves it back in our face with such grace, humor and personal insight you can't help but smile and say "Yeah, that's me alright!" But she never talks down to you, or offends. Just tells it straight like it is, how we always seem to look for happiness and success in all kinds of stupid outside places, then wonder why we are so hateful, miserable, jealous, overweight, and angry when we get them? I love the balance between spirituality, progressive thought and good, solid helpful advise, and recommend this book to anyone who is sick and tired of religion, politics, celebrities and authority figures that tell us where and how we should look for our happiness - and ALWAYS lead us astray. TRUST NO ONE...BUT YOURSELF. Thanks, Rev. Marie!

Spirituality has to Ring True with your Essence Too!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-30
In our spiritual quest, many of us come to a point in our lives where we start questioning the things that we have learned, and we start asking the real question: "What is true for me?" In Marie Jone's book "Looking for God in All the Wrong Places," the reader is encouraged - no,expected - to look at things for themselves, to address the issues at hand about religion, politics,and other topics; and make an opinion from their own place of resonance with truth. Marie is not one to let the Higher Power be cast aside, but to cast aside the "God in a Box" view that many prefer to keep him in. There is a difference between spirituality, and religion. Thank you Marie, for showing we can and should speak out, each person is entitled to their own opinion, and that at the very least we can agree to disagree. Accepting oneself and contrasting ideas even when they do not fit into the crowd, and seeing that as a positive place, puts oneself above the crowd, which is where all leaders find themselves to be.

Review by Tiffany Snow, author of FORWARD FROM THE MIND - DISTANT HEALING, BILOCATION, MEDICAL INTUITION AND PRAYER IN A QUANTUM WORLD.THE POWER OF DIVINE: A HEALER'S GUIDE - TAPPING INTO THE MIRACLE.PSYCHIC GIFTS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - TOOLS TO CONNECT

Superbly written with wry humor and sharp insight!!!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-16
So rare is it to read a "religious" book that does not get all religious on you. This book is like an old friend, guiding you wisely and wittily along your spiritual path, helping you to avoid the pitfalls and road blocks and making you laugh out loud, too! If you are looking for God, and want to avoid looking in all the wrong places, then you need this book! Rev. Marie is a God-send!


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