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i love this book, and i have read many books on the AT-- this is by far the best account.

'A Walk For Sunshine: a 2,160 mile expedition for charity on the Appalachian Trail' tells the story of Jeff Alt who walked the entire 2,160 Appalachian Trail to help raise $100,000 for his disabled brother. Embarking on an adventure few people would ever think to take on, you will be inspired by his adventures and learn about the simple way of life that might be better than the hectic stress-full ones that we deal with every day. If you are a hiker or just want to be inspired to do great things, this is a wonderful read!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A Walk For Sunshine by Jeff Alt is the story of his 2,160 mile trek-through on the Appalachian Trail, from the southern end in Georgia to the Northern end in Maine. This is the oldest trail in the United States, started in 1921. Jeff's dream since childhood was to walk it without interruption, but it was not until the end of his college degrees in marketing that he was able to do so and to accomplish the feat with an extended purpose. He has a mentally retarded, cerebral palsey brother who is in a care center, Sunshine, in Toledo, and Jeff decided to promote his walk and gather sponsor's money for equipment for Sunshine. With lectures, slide shows, newsletters, emails, and magazine and newspaper articles he gathered more than his goal of $10,000. He perservered through six months of blistered feet, rain, sleet, snow, heat, varmits, doubts, fears, and lonliness to go all the way to Maine. His book, a portion of which goes to Sunshine, is the fascinating detailing of the dream trek, which thousands wish to do and only several hundres accomplish. Jeff now sponsors annual fundraisers and leads short Appalachian hikes to continue to raise funds for Sunshine. He has raised now over $100,000. A really gripping and inspiring book!

Jeff Alt's AT book is a "must read" for any armchair hiker. It will get you off the couch and onto the trail. Whether you hike for charity or for yourself, this book will motivate you!

Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (2/08)

"A Walk for Sunshine" is a non-fiction account of Jeff Alt's thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in Spring 1998. The Appalachian Trail, also known as the AT, is a 2,160-mile trail through forests, meadows, mountains, and streams from Georgia to Maine. Hiking from one end to the other straight through takes 3-6 months. Jeff Alt did his walk in 147 days. He did this hike not only for himself, but also as a fundraiser for Sunshine, Inc., a group home for people with disabilities, where his brother lives.

The purpose of this book was for Jeff to tell the story of his hike and how he organized it as a fundraiser. Jeff kept journals throughout the trip and mailed them back home. He did an amazing job of compiling these journals into this book. It was written in an easy-to-read style with short chapters. I felt like I was walking the trail with Jeff. In 3-4 pages we had walked 15-20 miles. His fun storytelling and friendly, easy style made me think. Maybe I could really do this too.

Jeff stresses the importance of family and friends as the inspiration and motivation throughout his journey. Jeff did his hike for Sunshine, Inc., a group home where his brother lives with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. Sunshine organized a short accessible day hike to correspond with Jeff's hike. They sent cards and letters to him on a regular basis. His family arranged to meet him at various points on the hike. Jeff made it clear that he could not have finished this hike without them.

The unwritten motto on the trail is "Hike your own hike." Jeff takes that motto one step further in this book. He extends it beyond the trail. Anyone can reach their goals by taking it one step at a time and doing it their own way and from their own inspiration. A Post Script in the book talks about how to organize a charity fundraiser and life lessons Jeff learned from the trail.

This book really inspired me. As someone who has always wanted to walk the Appalachian Trail, I was so excited to read each page and really soak in what the reality of a three-month hike would take. Jeff makes the point that people need to take the time now to reach our goals--not to wait for retirement or when we have more time. Take the time to make our lives what we want. I recommend "A Walk for Sunshine" to anyone interested in reading an inspiring book about reaching goals.

The world we live in has little to do with what we see on the evening news. A wise person values truth above all else, and is willing to search for it.
This book will reward those who seek the truth. The true acid test of a person's wisdom is that their theories not only explain the present reality, but are accurate in predicting future events as well. Written over 35 years ago, this book explains how the world REALLY works. It's truth is validated on a daily basis by ongoing world events.
I've underlined more quoteable quotes and pure wisdom in this book than any other work of fiction I own.
A top shelf, dog eared, never give away classic.

I was thumbing through some books at my local library, when I came across the book Ceremony Of The Innocent by Taylor Caldwell, and I could remember reading that this was Stevie Nicks favorite book, so I decided to give it a try, and I am glad I did, because it turned me on to a wonderful author named Taylor Caldwell. Captain and The Kings is my second book of Taylors to read, and I also enjoyed it as well. I am now on the look out for other Taylor Caldwell books.

I have not received this book at this time. I hope someone will contact me about this. I have e-mailed back I have not received it. Thank you.
Bobby Thompson

Enjoyed this book and bought a copy to send to my mother an avid reader.

One of many wonderful books Taylor Caldwell wrote. This one makes you wonder who's really in charge of things.

After 6 weeks of being unbelievably depressed and being unable to figure out why I couldn't get over the loss of my little kitty, I purchased this book through amazon.com. Reading it brought me relief almost overnight and helped me know that I was not alone.

This book was a beautiful source of comfort when Jim and I lost our beloved cat, Dori, to cancer. I had lost pets in the past, but it had been 15 years since my last pet passed away and I had forgotton how devasting the loss of a much loved pet like Dori could be. I received the book while I was trying to cope with the decision to let her go and it helped so much. I want to thank Moira for such an wonderful book! Debbie

This is a hard book to read, especially when you have lost a pet or know you are going to lose a beloved pet soon, but it is very useful. Everything about it is kind and understanding, from the abstract cover that does not feature a happy dog or cat to the chapters loaded with advice about all those tough topics we'd rather not think about, including saying goodbye, euthanasia, what to do with the pet's remains, deciding whether to get another pet, providing for pet care in case you die or become disabled, and what to do if you're forced to give your pet away. We don't want to think about these things, but sometimes we need to know. Allen, a writer and pet lover with a master's degree in counseling, has produced a reference every pet owner should keep around, just in case.

I purchased this book a few weeks after the loss of my beloved black lab Java at 13 yrs of age. The pain I felt the morning I had to make the dreaded decision was visceral and made breathing difficult. It was beyond anything I had experienced and simply numbing. The book offered amazing insight into the grieving process and assured me the emotions were expected, natural and eventually the pain would lessen. It also addresses the guilt we feel and our questioning of "could I have done more" or "maybe I made a mistake" which are quite powerful.

This book is a must have guide for any pet owner. My prayers and thoughts are with all of us sharing the pain and loss of a beloved animal, both now and forever.

-bob

My best friend died 1.5 years ago and I still miss her terribly - she was my 15 year old cat. This book was very useful to me during my time of intense mourning. While I know that her loss was a significant and horrible event in my life, recognition of the death of animal companions is not common in our society. This book helped me to see that I was not alone in my grief and that it was okay and normal to feel such grief. I actually purchased several books on this topic and found this one to be the best.

I alternated between not being able to put it down and easily forgetting about the book for a few days. Maybe it was the length of the book (it's LONG) or the countless different characters in the book, I think I may have just been "lost". I wish the glossary of terms that is in the back of the book had been in the front of the book (I didn't know it was there). It may have helped to have read it first (so I recommend doing that). It really is a good story and Rumer Godden is a great story teller, but it wasn't until around the middle of the book that I was committed to reading the book and then by the time I made it through about 75% of the book I was hooked. I am tempted to put it on the re-read list because I do think I would get much more out of it the second time through.

Rumer Godden is one of those female writers who from the very early age was exposed to life overseas (India). From then on, she sets on a path of being one of the writers like Isak Dinesen and Doris Lessing. Woman highly sensitive to people and cultures around her, who really has no land of her own but is curious about anything and eevrything around her. Her personal life was equally difficult, so it is interesting to read the book about the Catholic nuns living in monastery in England, traditionally protestant country. In this book we come across main character, Phillipa Talbot, 42 year old professional woman who decides to leave her worldly life and high position in order to pursue contemplative life a monastery. This is a big step for her as she decides to leave her job, relinquish all of her personal possesions and submit all her property to the church, not to mention her conversion to catholicism. Surely, most of the nuns are skeptical about her actions as she is considered "too old" for vow of poverty and obedience and this huge personal transformation. But Philippa has her mind set and she is sure that this is due to her personal convictions not due to her sorrow, guilt, regrets or any other emotions that may be distractions from a true vocation of leading meditative life for the rest of her natural life. Over a course of a decade we observe Phillipa's transformation. It is an interesting novel. For non-catholics, like myself, I recommend reading notes first that explains monastery life, monastic orders, greetings, vows, dowries, etc. before reading the actual book.

I'd heard about this book from various sources, and finally found it on Amazon. I am completely thrilled with it's ability to tell a great story, it's attraction as a spiritual journey, and it's honesty about living with others in cloister is no different that with our famiies. A wonderful read! But, be forwarned...you may be 'encouraged' to vocation!

First off, there is no question of Rumer Godden being a master story teller, a woman skilled at the crafting of words, of putting pen to paper and creating a world so detailed you would step into. A world, in this case, centered on the religious life of a Benedictine community and all who live in it. The abbey, the House of Brede, is a place where cloistered nuns turn out to be very, very human. With a history of pain and sin these women have to find themselves, to find love, joy, and balance in serving God. It is not easy and a few will fail. To try to review this book, this work of art, is beyond me. It really touched me in many ways yet also made me ponder about what kind of lives the women would have had outside the walls of the Brede. Would they have had families? Would they have run simple shops or would they have gained great wealth? Would they have made the world a better place? Or would they have just added to the pain and waste?
Philippa Talbot, a woman who was successful, intelligent and respected, enters the abbey at an age much later than most. She journey from one stage of development to another is amazing but also slightly sad. Change can be both and sometimes is. Birthdays, weddings, and graduations are happy and sad, full of laughter and crying. So by the time we reach the end of the book we find ourselves wondering about life, ourselves and the What Ifs of our own choices in life.

This book does a good job of showing the struggles and triumphs of cloistered life. The day to day life of these women, although seemingly boring from an outsider's view, is anything but. I really began to care for the characters and the recognized the importance of the lives they led. I love reading books on cloistered nuns because you feel like you've been let into this secret, magical existence and this book did just that.

I loved this one growing up. Really. Amelia Bedelia always choose the funniest possible interpretation of words, and her name rhymes! What's not to love?

The one thing I'd be concerned about is that a lot of the usages in this book are going to be unfamiliar to your young kid. I don't think many of us say "draw the curtains" anymore, and even if we do, we probably don't often talk about "trimming" steak (with or without lace!) or "dressing" chicken, at least, not around our kids. Maybe we should, but we don't.

So this book might be better saved for read-aloud time than read-alone time.

My first grader love that book. He was cracking up and he had so much fun reading this book! He reads it without any help. It is a cute and funny story and if you child doesn't like to read this is a great book to spike an interest in reading.

I remember reading these books years and years ago! I'm in 10th grade and it's been more 5 years since I was in elementary school and yet when I go work at my old school I go back and read them again!

A fun (and funny) book which will delight kids with Amelia's well-intentioned but mistake-laden chores. Kids feel empowered because they are 'smarter' than the character and are able to cheer her on. In the end, Amelia's good deeds overpower any mistakes she makes.

I recommend this book for any child who is beginning to read on their own!

This is surly a kids favorite since I was a little girl! We join Amelia Bedelia as she starts her first day of work for the Rodgers. They rush off shortly after she arrives, but they've left her a list of things to do. Should be a snap, as all the tasks are simple and clearly stated...but that's what you think...Amelia Bedelia begins completing each chore in quite a literal fashion...drawing the drapes and much, much more! Younger kids (1-4) will like the silliness of it and beginner readers and more savvy grade schoolers (5-8) will like that's it's simple and clever/silly too! I recommend it without reservation! I'm sure Amelia will be with us, teaching fine lessons about the words we use and the many means they can have for generations to come!

This volumninous book and its contents are detailed and informative. The pictures are clear and frame the fish in their natural habitats. Ocean, reef and other habitats are also explored and pictured. A must have for any inquiring mind in the tropical water domains of the Carribean, Florida,and the Bahamas.

the book has extensive info on each fish species; great photos and a graphical representation for the distinguishing markings.
I needed to learn a lot of the species from the book in a short time and the book was really helpfull

It is an amazing book. When I get money I will buy the other book from this collection.

As book reader and Diver, I just love this book, It gives me all the pictures and characteristics for an accurate evaluation of the creatures I found under water. Great pictures, and outstanding charcterization of fishes.

This is a reef fish identification book. This sounds obvious, but that really is the focus here. It's not a book to teach you about fish behavior, biogeography, community ecology, or population trends. Author, diver, captain, photographer, and attorney (!) Paul Humann took most of the 670 photographs in this book, a real accomplishment for any diver, since the result of a blurred or indistinct photograph of a fish is to... go get another.

The organization of this ID book is by fish shape. He's got 12 "identification groups":

- disks and ovals (colorful)
- silvery
- sloping head and tapered body
- small ovals
- heavy body and large lips
- swim with pectoral fins, and with obvious scales
- reddish and big eyes
- small, elongated bottom-dwellers
- old-shaped bottom dwellers
- odd-shaped swimmers
- eels
- sharks and rays

Any fish watcher would see the "logic" of this organization, although it could make some ichthyologists squirm with these sets of artificial groupings.

The book is spiral-bound so that the pages, when opened, stay open. And the clay content in the paper makes it more resistant to water dripping from your wetsuit or your hair. Just make sure you wipe it off, pronto.

Now the photos... They are very high quality, and Humann is to be commended for taking, or selecting from other photographers, pictures that really pull out the details of the various fish . For example, the Sergeant Major has the delicate yellow along the base of its dorsal fin, and those frogfish must be viewed in both a camouflaged condition and in a setting where they are contrasted with the background.

Any amateur photographer will soon discover the difficulty in getting a full, close-up and lateral view of a fish. They tend to swim away from you as you get close, giving you a great view of the tail sweeping away. These photos are the result of a truly amazing amount of patience.

In an appendix, he throws in some sea turtles and dolphins or good measure, as well as a checklist for keeping track of the reader's sightings.

My ocean diving has all been in the Pacific, and it was interesting seeing species related to my own "friends." If I get the opportunity to dive in Florida, the Caribbean, or the Bahamas, this will be the book I throw in my dive bag... in a zip-lock bag, of course.

This is an excellent crochet resource book. Have one of my own and now have purchased one for a friend.

I think it's a very good reference book. I'm currently making a set of curtains with a pattern from this book and they're turning out wonderfully! I find no problem with the pictures at all!

Got this 4 months after I 1st learned to crochet. I love it--beautifully colored photos, very readable diagrams, plus the spiral binding & compact size make it a great "bring along" book I can just throw into a small bag with my yarn and hook. First I thought it might be too tedious to learn how to read the symbol diagrams for the patterns. THEN I discovered each right-hand page also has tiny quick-reference on its margin to remind me of the name of each symbol, so I didn't have to keep going back to the full symbol guide. I learned the Tunisian stitch in just minutes from reading this book! Soon I'll know how to read symbol diagrams, too!

As soon as you get this book, provided you have crochet hooks & yarn on hand...you will be able to make something using the simplest of stitches (chaining & single crochet) to more elaborate ones...no matter where you stand as a crocheter...the clear, straightforward diagrams & pictures will make you better before you know it. Worth getting & adding to your library.

I am new to crochet and have made a few baby blankets and a couple of sweaters. I picked this book up as a resource to enlarge my stitch knowledge after learning the basics in the Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker. I enjoy the variety of stitches in this spiral bound book ranging from Lace stitches to Squares. The best thing I like about the book is that it includes both Charted and written instructions so if you don't quite understand one the other set can usually help you out. I have made a sampler afghan out of the blocks section and am working on a custom wedding shawl for a coworker with the daisy lace pattern. Bottom line is that if you're new to crochet and know your single, double and treble crochet, this book is the logical next step. It is a good blend of easy to moderate stitches that pique your interest. If you are more advanced this book may seem a little basic and boring to you. But I would still suggest it as a refresher reference.

I was very impressed with this book! I had never heard of this author before and didn't know anyone that read this book so I took a chance...and I'm glad I did! This book was excellent! It was such a page turner! I'm a fast reader so I was done with this book in no time. I like the fact the author includes so many messages about practicing safe sex and HIV awareness in the book. Great read! Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Eventhough it seems like I've heard this story time and time again (you know the hustler's wife story) I still enjoyed it. It was not refreshing but was very well written and I was in love with Portia from the beginning. She was such a lost soul, tricking herself out like that but when she met Jay her entire life changed for the better. I loved it and poor Simone! I never ever saw that coming, but that goes to show you that you never really know what a man will do to you. If you have not read this please do. I loved the aids statistics that was included and the fact that there was a moral to this urban story made it a little bit better than the rest. I am looking forward to more from this writer, but I don't know if I will get the sequel because I don't know what else there is for me to read about these characters.

This book is sooo good! I read it in a day. Reading this book makes you wonder where in the hell is Jay and Casino at! I live in New York and just want to go to Brooklyn to find a "Jay" or "Casino! You'll enjoy every last minute of it!

This was a great read!!! I can't believe I was slipping on this book. I had it just sitting in my bookshelf catching dust for months. I regret that now! There was never a dull moment. It kept my adrenaline pumping fast! There was so much action and drama, I wouldn't know how to being to give a synopsis. So all I can say is READ THE BOOK! You won't be disappointed. I can't wait to read part II. Ms. Caroline McGill definitely has a new fan in me.

When I first saw this book I thought it wasn't gonna be good just because the cover looked kind of cheesy but once I started reading it I couldn't put it down it was so good! The book is about four friends Portia,Fatima,Laila,and Simmone. The drama is so amazing you won't be able to get enough. Caroline McGill is a very talented writer and I look forward to reading all of her books because she has a way of making her story just flow off the pages.

The absolutely best, most comprehensive reference for the serious fly tyer. It teaches you ALL the components of the artificial fly and 10 ways to tie each variation. No fly tyer should be without this incredible guide. Ted is the best in the business of writing about fly tying, fly fishing, equipment, etc... A consummate professional.

This is by far worth the money you pay for it. This book is mistitled however it should be the fly tier's bible. An absolute must for ANY fly tier rather they're new to the scene or been at for 50 years.

The fly tying bible! must I say more?

Very good and instructional fly tying book.
All aspects of fly tying techniques are covered and assisted with many pictures.

A must book for any fly tier. If you buy a book on fly tying this should be the one. Outstanding quality, and at Anazon price is a great buy.

As a new fly tier "The Fly Tier's Benchside Reference" has the information I was looking for. The text with the pictures makes learning new techniques fun. I would recommend this book to any one that want to learn fly tying.

This is a heart warming story which offers great insights into those great Yankee personalities of the 50's. The reader feels like he too is in the bowels of the old Yankee Stadium, chatting with Pete Sheehey, and enjoying the breathtaking thrills that only a bat boy embedded with a baseball dynasty could experience. Every Yankee fan should read this book. The great DiMaggio comes to life once again through the eyes the luckiest batboy on the face of the earth.

I read The Promise and it was a baseball fans dream, full of Yankee anecdotes and the sharing of personalities such as the batboys Ralph and Joe, the clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, big pete little Pete, Al Rosens stolen bat, the great Rizzuto, Berra, the antics od Stengle and martin, and the GREAT JOE DIMAGGIO- I aM AFRAID THAT BEN CRAMER'S BOOK ON DIMAGGIO WILL TRANISH HIS MEMORY. i HOPE NOT. WE NEED HEROES AND TO ME DIMAGGIO WAS A BASEBALL HERE AND A MANS MAN--

If you like tradition and the history of the game read Searching For Heroes The Quest oF a YANKEE BATBOY . i LIKED THE BOOK BECAUSE IT WAS INFORMATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL- The Yankees of the fifties were team players who played for the love of the game---A GREAT BOOK.

I read The Promise and it was a baseball fans dream, full of Yankee anecdotes and the sharing of personalities such as the batboys Ralph and Joe, the clubhouse man Pete Sheehy, big pete little Pete, Al Rosens stolen bat, the great Rizzuto, Berra, the antics od Stengle and martin, and the GREAT JOE DIMAGGIO- I aM AFRAID THAT BEN CRAMER'S BOOK ON DIMAGGIO WILL TRANISH HIS MEMORY. i HOPE NOT. WE NEED HEROES AND TO ME DIMAGGIO WAS A BASEBALL HERE AND A MANS MAN--

I HAVE BEEN READING SOME NEGATIVE COMMENTS ABOUT DIMAGGIO AND THAT MAKES ME MAD. THESE INSIDE WRITINGS SHOULD BE BETTER LEFT UNSAID. WHAT RIGHT DOES A WRITER HAVE TO REVEAL THE INNER MOST SECRETS OF A PERSON BE HE BEGGAR KING. IT IS NOBODIES BUSINESS TO READ THAT DIMAGGIO WAS GREEDY OR CHEAP.THAT IS WHY I LIKED THE PROMISE. IT DESCRIBED A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER WHO SYMBOLIZED GRACE AND STYLE-AN AGE OF INNOCENCE-WHEN PLAYERS PLAYED FOR THE FUN OF IT-