Don Books

This book provides a really important aspect of the Estate Planning process for couples whose goal is to make informed decisions. I really enjoyed the author's balance in suggesting that women become more intimately involved in the family asset/financial activities. As an Estate Planning paralegal, I see many widowed clients who have an incomplete view, or no view at all, of what they own, or what their debt is like, when their husbands pass away - a very sad situation.

This book is a great segway into the wife verbalizing her respect for her husband's dedication to his job and that she wants to continue to manage the finances he worked (or works) so hard for if he should pass before her. I found myself looking at it similarly as if the husband was retiring from his position at work - he wouldn't want an untrained replacement who could discard all his hard work, resulting in the husband feeling as if the work he dedicated his life to was in vain.

This book really encouraged the wife not to question the husband's decisions regarding finances, but rather respect her spouse's life-long work to provide for his family. This would be honoring to the husband, in my opinion, if the wives opened a discussion with their husbands as an affirmation of their dedication to the family, and specifically the wife, for their loving support financially. Most husbands would crave the attention!

The surviving wife's independence is crutial to fend off the sometimes self-seeking children and "helpful" financial planners (many of whom are commission-focused salesmen/saleswomen), especially at her most vulnerable time in life. I would think that this potential alone would have husbands "jumping" to help their wives understand the family finances for themselves in order to protect their financial future.

I loved the worksheets; they truely enlighten women (single, married, or widowed) to the scope of all financial issues that are very important.

It is apparent that this book would be a really good wedding gift as well (planning before marriage chapter), especially since finances are high on the list of "issues to fight about." Starting the marriage with mutual respect for the family fiances, and continuing in the same manner, would surely strengthen all marriages.

Every woman should read this book - it is an easy read and extremely informative. I am amazed at how many successful women I know (some with higher-paying jobs than their husbands), trust their husbands to handle all their financial affairs without full knowledge of the situation. In my family, my father's exact words to my mother were "don't worry about it" and I can't tell you how many times she mentioned how those words made her angry. However, my mother stood her ground and eventually he helped her learn about investments and then they started discussing their investment strategy. Although he still did most of the investments, she was included in the decision-making process. Now after his death 2 years ago, she is handling everything herself but she likes to discuss finances with me - I think she misses the times when she and my father discussed the type of investments they were going to make.

As a former banker, I can tell you Helga's advice is sound. On a personal note, her way of educating you is encouraging and motivating. You will not be disappointed in this book.

As a Financial Counselor, I work with women to help them get conscious and connected to their money. This book pierces through denial and women's mythology that men should handle the finances. I think this book should be required reading for all women and recommend it to my clients. It is easy to read, powerful, and offers numerous practical solutions. Helga has turned her own personal tragedy into a gift to the world. I am a grateful that this resource is now available. It has the power to dramatically change lives.

Helga Hayse weaves together her own personal story with sage advice for women on taking an active role in their own financial future. She has a great writing style that's easy to read, but doesn't talk down to the reader. Her recommendations are thoughtful, and include some good general tips on how to have a meaningful and productive conversation with your husband.
My only gripe is that she writes (in a couple places)that "the odds of something bad happening are always 50%, they either will or they won't." Sorry, don't buy it, Helga. The odds of my computer blowing up as I type this is not 50% (implying that, on average, my computer would blow up every other time I write Amazon reviews).
But, that pet peeve aside, this is a great book that's worth getting, and worth holding on to.

I counsel both high school and adult students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The advice given in this important book is invaluable and I will strongly recommend it to my students of both genders.
I commend Helga Hayse for putting forth in such a clear, strong way that financial independence is essential to becoming an independent adult. Her authenticity is refreshing. Her discussions of self-deception, the price of silence, fear and repression of the subject of money, ignoring the obvious and so much more, are illuminating. I especially like her quote, "Children of parents who are not afraid of death are not afraid of life."
Just as Parent Education is part of the high school curriculum, I believe Financial Education along the lines of this book should also be taught. It is so essential to becoming independent.

A must have. Helpful not only in what to say to others, but also therapeutic messages for the reader.

I gave Healing Conversations to a friend troubled that she didn't " know what to say" to her family about her grandchild's scary diagnosis. She graciously received it and was pleased she didn't need to read the entire book because her specific concern is covered in a few short sections. She makes a good point. Readers under stress can find examples of numerous topics handily addressed in brief chapters about ways to support others through tough times. Other readers, particularly clergy or family educators, who simply want to feel prepared for helping others through the vicissitudes of life, will find reading the whole book helpful. It is a teaching tool about attitude and attention that the author dedicates "to each of you who, in a moment of uncertainty, take the chance to offer or to ask for a healing conversation."

Because life is complicated, even we who are not therapists find ourelves serving hurting hearts occasionally. In our personal lives, or in the course of regular work, official job descriptions may not cover it, but stuff happens! Requesting or offering acknowledgment and support for rough, uncertain passages presents occasions when we or others ask, " Please help me find a new way to see things because right now I can't even think straight!"

Suitable ways to respond in person and in writing are the focus of Nance Guilmartin's easy-to-read compendium. She coaches lay readers about being present in caring, appropriate ways for those experiencing a range of major and minor hard challenges, transitions and altered identities.

Her "Getting started" introduction reviews, in cogent paragraphs principles (summarized here) for healing conversations:

* Listen - actively hearing with ears, eyes and heart, suspending internal conversations and the impulse to ask questions

* Pause - to reflect, tap into compassion, and tune in to the other person "like putting the clutch in when you are driving a car with a stick shift. It lets you slow down just enough to engage the gears before you speed up."

* Be a Friend Not a Hero - Helping others through a rough time is not the same as rescuing them or rushing them.

* Offer Comfort - People can care without agreeing, disagreeing, fixing or prescribing how others should feel. Comfort allows room to be who we are at the present time.

* Be In Touch with Your Own Feelings - "Helping others feel comforted in our presence has a lot to do with what's going on inside us. . . we are able to sit with our own discomfort long enough to be with theirs. We are able to offer compassion to them because we can also give it to ourselves."

* Be There Over the Long Haul - Adjustment takes time. Sometimes a friend, family member, a colleague or a neighbor needs us to be nothing more than a sounding board--over and over again.

* Show Up Even When It's Awkward - It's okay to feel uncomfortable and helpful to be honest about it. Being a caring presence, letting the person feel safe, is the important thing.

* Be a Helpful Resource - Sometimes the sensible thing to do is refer someone to a resource that might answer needs better than we can.

* Take the Initiative - Taking the time to put ourselves in others' shoes is a helpful first step in knowing what is needed.

* Be Compassionate - Even if we have similar experience, we can't really know how someone else feels, what causes them pain, or what will help them. We need to be patient. Remember to listen to others' stories before asking whether it would help to share yours.

Through brief, interesting anecdotes, she helps readers see how the "getting started" guidelines play out in real situations. She helps readers understand and appreciate healing communication (especially conscious listening, shared silence, rephrasing and reframing) that can lift spirits about such life changing situations as caregiving, end of life, trauma, divorce, embarrassment, attempted suicide, anger, frustration, job loss, physical and mental health changes, retirement, bankruptcy, relocating, and a variety of other personal and work-related matters.

With a useful table of contents and index, the messy, irrational emotional whirlpool of topics is arranged in simple, understandable short sections of true life experiences with helpful insights drawn from them. Comments and approaches are suggested. Being correct is not Guilmartin's point. Being receptive and connecting with others in useful ways is what she is teaching here. Example after example of practical application of personal, attentive empathy show ways to help individuals heal. She discusses spoken and unspoken, judgment-free communication to help individuals gain strength and perspective.

Some of the anecdotes and commentary give additional practical examples of how others have worked through bewilderment or healing or have conceptualized a situation in a beneficial way. A letter from a leader of a nonprofit notifying her group of her cancer and asking for needed help, a list of helpful suggestions and requests from the wife of a hospice resident to his visitors, and some near death experiences are some examples. A few of the stories are a little on the sappy side, but illustrate her subjects well and are all worth reading.

The general contents may be basic and obvious to those who read lots of books like this, but the memorable examples are enriching. Healing Conversations is both a motivational refresher and a handy resource to recommend for others dealing with all manner of personal discomfort. It is a valuable reminder that we all are more than our roles, we're fellow humans first.

At this time when thousands of people are responding to Hurricane
Katrina, "HEALING CONVERSATIONS" offers us invaluable suggestions and guidelines for how to
ask for, offer and, yes, especially, accept help during difficult, sometimes mind-numbing, circumstances. These
stories enable any one--whether you are a volunteer, teacher, doctor,
student, government leader, lay counselor, or even just a friend, family member or confidant--to be more at ease when
dealing with the unimaginably difficult situations BOTH survivors and
responders are encountering during this massive recovery effort. If there ever was a time when this book can speak volumes to all of us, this is it.

David W. Oberdorfer, M.D., F.A.C.S., M.F.A.
Emergency Room Physician & Immediate Past President, "Society for Humanism in Medicine"

This book is a must read for anyone whose work centers around pastoral care and pastoral concerns. Often the most asked question is "what do I say when...." and this book gives you the answers through the telling of a story in such a way that one remembers what to say when. Not matter what faith community you are a part, this book belongs in your library and in your own home whether you do pastoral work or not. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

As a therapist I've learned through long experience that often the most difficult but helpful thing I can offer others is the gift of listening with full attention. That's very difficult for us because our own emotions run away with us when we're with someone in pain. We get scared or angry and we want to make the problem go away--by offering advice or by changing the subject. Nance Guilmartin has put together a very useful guide for how to deal with our own fears and take "healing conversations" to a deeper level where we can actually help those in pain--by being there with them and, with their permission, doing what we can do to help. I especially like her very practical and down-to-earth advice: "Show up even if it's awkward." "Be there over the long haul." I highly recommend this book; everyone will need it more often than they realize, because the opportunities for healing conversations are there every day.

This book was useful and interesting. Although I am conscientious about what I eat, I don't think I am interested in going to such extremes as this author would have you go. It did provide alot of helpful information.

If it's Not Food,Don't Eat It, covers all the questions anyone can have about eating correctly. It's easy to read and understand and makes a lot of sense about how processed foods have been a huge part of why most people have not been able to become healthy.

Zig Price.

This book was recommended to me by a chiropractor in my AP mom's group. I read it quickly the first time, let the ideas digest (so to speak), and am now re-reading it slowly and thoroughly. The message is profound and simple: what you eat affects you (in a big way) and to only eat real foods (i.e. whole and fresh). I've read "Plenty" and "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle", both of which I loved, and didn't know where to begin. This book is the link. Her writing style is straight-forward and empathetic. I've just started the five day diary, and will be going through the cupboards today to clear out all the Frankenfood. I'd love to gift this to every member of my family!

I think this is one of my favorite books on eating for health. Some read like encyclopedias and some are so self-righteous you feel guilty for shaving your legs or flying in airplanes. This is humorous and informative and full of ideas you can use right away, with lots of the statistics removed to sidebars so it reads smoothly and conversationally. My copy is well-underlined. My husband grabbed it first when it arrived and read it through in just two days. We already had a pretty healthy diet but there's always more to learn, especially the why's behind the decisions you make in the grocery store aisle.

Kelly Hayford has written a very practical book with an approach that is much different than other nutrition books that I've read. The idea of eating only real food is so simple and so common-sense that I'm surprised I haven't seen this advice much more from other nutrition experts. I've spent so much time reading labels for sugars, saturated fats, fiber, etc., but have never really given much thought to the long lists of chemicals on most labels. I just figured that they must be okay if they are allowed in food. Since Kelly's book opened my eyes, I have made major changes to the quality of food that I bring into my house, and I feel a lot better about what my children and I are eating. I do find, however, that if I take this type of advice too seriously, I get way too obsessed about food. I just try to follow nutrition advice like this as well as I can. (I will never get to the Level 4 described in the book, but Level 1 or 2 is better than I was a couple of months ago!) I stongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to improve his diet.

This product was shipped to me quickly and was in good shape when it arrived.

As a digital citizen and knowledge worker, I found this book valuable in explaining how, more than ever, corporations and their executives are being held more accountable by the public. And because information is instantaneous due to the internet, this book advises that corporations should have transparency plans built into their organizational strategies, lest they fall victim to bad press at some point. What is surprising, is unlike what companies want people to think, the average worker is now more empowered then ever to make companies have more integrity. The book also provides suggestions to planning around transparency and they site the companies who have come back after bad press. This book is complimentary to the books written by Peter Drucker and by John C. Bogle. Excellent!

This is from my blog (which is why it is written this way)

On the Flight to Fremont, I read "The Naked Corporation - How the age of transparency will revolutionize business". You likely think I must have issues since I always read about "naked" (Like "Naked Conversations") but don't worry - its not like that. In this age of Search Engine Optimization, I wonder if the authors thought they might get more hits but that is another topic.

The Naked Corporation talks about the transparency needed in todays post Enron, post Worldcom environment. The basic thesis of the book is that this transparency is good. I agree. It talks about the benefits to the company for being transparent and how it saves money and builds support for the company.

If I have a counter view, it is not to transparency it is to Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) which attempts to legislate ethics and in doing so imparts a huge cost and overhead which ironically might hurt the very shareholders they seek to protect. In some cases, SOX is like buying a safe for $1000 to protect $500 worth of valuables.

The book actually did make the point that often companies are not transparent because the law requires them to complicate things. Just look at the filings and annual reports of many companies. Warren Buffet says "you should be able to understand the financial statements of a company in a few minutes".

One part of the book I found interesting was the story of poor ethics and no transparency at Chiquita Bananas. Fortunately, they have moved to high transparency and appear to have mended their ways. (Fortunate because I like bananas).

One quote which I love (and will use) is by Warren Buffet "If you lose dollars for the firm by bad decisions, I will be very understanding. If you lose reputation for the firm, I will be ruthless." I have believed for a long time the reputation is far more important than money. I like many of Warren Buffets' philosophies and in a article some years ago, EMJ was cited as being a perfect Warren Buffet company. I am not sure when it comes to ethics though that selling sugar water (Coke - on of Warren Buffets' companies) would count as good ethics. So as with everything, I need to filter what I like about someone from what I do not. Learn from the good.

Authors Don Tapscott and David Ticoll examine the managerial implications of the age of transparency. Now that the Internet has enabled employees, suppliers, consumers, gadflies, critics and casual lookers to get and swap previously confidential information about companies, the business environment will never be its old self again. Companies have no confidentiality, no privacy and no way to dodge the truth. Those with nowhere to hide must to get accustomed to life in the open. It's not so bad. But to prosper in this wide-open world, managers need to understand that the new way of life has different demands than the old one. Although many of this book's recommendations have become fairly well known, we find plenty of insights that remain fresh and worth reading.

This is a very good book which has opened my eyes into looking for companies that are honest and transparent with their customers, shareholders and employees. This book calls companies to stop hidding behind secrets that destroy corporations (Enron and others) and start being transparent, by providing informaiton to your customers, shareholders and employees. Companies need to show that they are responsible to the environment, to their stakeholders and other corporations. This book is calling companies to be ethical in their daily transactions and gives example after example of corporations who have fallen because they tried to hide the truth. This book shows that we need strong ethical people to run todays corporations and we as investors need to reward companies who are starting to become transparent. At the same time we need to punish companies who are not taking responsibility for their actions and wrong doings. This book also points out that most investors are blind with their investments and don't even realize what their largest investment is invested in (for most people their largest investment is their pension plan, and I admit I don't know what mine is invested in). This is a very good book and has opened my eyes to at least see what's going on out there and provided me with the tools to do some research and make sure I reward companies that are making an effort to save our environment and be honest with employee's, investors, stakeholders, and customers. The one question I have is are we raising a generation that will be able to have the
qualities needed to run the corporations of tomorrow... Great book...

This book is just a opening for all who plan to go into the field of crimminal justice. It shows you what the departments are really like without fear of what people think Mr.Lachapelle wrote this book standing up for what is right and letting the rest of the world know!!! It's not easy and you won't make to many friends when you stand up for what is right, but I really respect Lachapelle for writting this book to share truth!! There is corruption within today's police departments so don't be decieved by others and what they tell you that the departments are good...
so now tell your friends to go buy this book, not because I'm telling you, but because you too would like to stand for truth and be different!!
The book is amazing. It shares a story of a great man who many respect for his courage,integrity and leadership.

Fight for what is Right with us!!!!
wwww.us-sia.org

I could relate to this so much. Because I was in Special Education and diagnosed with ADD, I could see that people did not see my strengths. Kevin seems to always pull out the good in others while most pull out the bad. His book has really helped me excel in life and understand how much I cna help other people. I ususally cannot finish reading a book, but this was so interesting, I could not put it down. I like how he doesn't proclaim to be all that, he is real, and has weaknesses like everyone else.

My name is Ulysses I am a tenth grade student at a local San Diego City High School. My opinion towards the book "Please God Don't Tarnish my Badge" is that it is a really good book. I enjoyed my time reading the book because in every page it had an illustration of Mr. LaChapelle with people that he has had an impact in their life. The book really made me stop and think of how I manage my life and the decisions that I have made and am going to be faced with in the near future. When I was reading the book I could visualize everything that I was reading about. It was like Mr. LaChapelle was reading the book to me. I would find myself reading during my free time such as lunch which is not normal for me to do. Personally I don't like reading, but this book I had to keep reading. I relate to this book because at one point in my life I decided that my career was going to be a police officer and up until today I know I can and will continue with my dream.


U.A.
San Diego, Ca.

I must admit that my review is a little biased because have I known the author for more than 12 years and he has some nice things to say about me in the book. Nonetheless, his inspirational message rings true.

Kevin's story is about how one man can make a difference. Whether he was working with gang members during his days as an El Cajon police officer or helping victimized consumers as the director of Special Investigations Agency, Kevin has stood alone to make a difference in the lives of the people around him.

After reading this book, you too will be inspired to make a difference in your community.

This book is an example of being true to yourself following the moral values you were brought up with. I like the fact that he didn't try to hide anything and how he shows the dilemmas that officers face on a daily basis. I wish there were more officers still that have such a great influence on a person that will make them strive to be better persons, and achieve greatness to the highest level. This book goes to show how one person can have such a great impact on those that surround you.. Kevin has a lot of guts to stand up to a powerful force such as corruption. He proves to the world that good ethical values still exist in the type of society we live in today. I enjoy reading about his experiences and what type of person he really is, and he is just as many others, joking around, being fun to be around, and serious when necessary. Kevin has the ability to reflect change in this book and in real life of how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you. I enjoyed this book so much, I finished reading it and have given to my family members to read. Great Job Kevin

I can't say more than I love Jessica! I was first introduced to her back in 1998 at my step mother's college graduation. I was only 16 and fell in love with her style, her words inspired me in so many ways and she has been my idol ever since. I recently met her at a barbecue and I was for the first time in my life star struck. My admiration for Jessica is limitless and I am patiently waiting for her to write another book. Good Job Jess...

Jessica Care Moore is the best, I am a huge fan. Not only are both of her books awesome, but she is unbelievably down to earth person. I met her a few years back when she made one of her very few visits to SF. Both of her books are great buys, I have tremendous respect for her DIY spirit. The closed-minded mainstream was not publishing her so she started her own publishing company. Go Jessica!!:)

Thanks to everyone who supported this book and other work from jessica Care moore. The new book is coming soon, The Alphabet Verses The Ghetto!
The Words Don't Fit In My Mouth saved my life. If you enjoyed this read, I would suggest reading Fast Cities and Objects That Burn By Sharrif Simmons. Peace.

Moore blows up the spot with her poetry! She speaks her mind and speaks it well. Her nonchalant attitude towards political correctness makes her thoughts more outrageous and vivid. The next Sanchez is on her way, so move!!!

Pure Passion and Perfection. Jessica has her own
Poetic Perfection. As a fellow writer from the
midwest, I applaud Jessica's passion, perseverance,
reverence for her art and love for her people. She's
a ball of fire, and God made her that way! Her words
jump out at you, they fill your ears, they dance around
you, dare you to question them. Sounds like truth, her
truth and the truth of so many of us: Black folks, women
folks, women artists, passionate people, visionaries and love makers. From one poetess from the midwest to another, Jessica, may your life be long, fruitful and ever
exploding from your creative vision! One love

Hugh Nibley was obviously a very brilliant scholar of religious and secular history and the associated languages. This book is a collection of his talks which focuses on how truly living the Gospel of Jesus Christ can help us to become like Jesus and our Heavely Father. Nibley's objective seems to be to help us understand what things are really of most importance in our lives when viewed from an eternal prospective. A reader of the book can only appreciate many of his references if he/she has received his/her temple endowments and returned to the temple often to appreciate the significance of the temple ceremony.

I enjoyed the book very much and feel that it has given me a deeper appreciation of what I need to be doing during my mortal probation in order to become what I want to be when this time has ended for me.

As a non-Mormon who was once a 20 yr temple going Mormon I have to say that it is funny that with all the truthsayers doing reviews and writing mormon books, after 8 years being outside the LDS Church and what do I do? I come full circle back to one of my favorite all time books: Approaching Zion! It's relavancy to the current state of our world economy which is based on a Monetary system that actually entices us to choose unwisely, creating further socio-economic problems for every human being (not just mormons) is the cause of the root problems we live under now. The Law of Consecration, if actually lived by the Mormons, would have kept me in the church, as seeking answers to my quest for justice and truth caused me to be spiritually motivated out of the limited church view. It turns out the answers I was seeking were historical as a start and related to larger core issues which are not addressed by any religious group at present - if it can be at all. It's a sad but predictable dilemma that once somebody has a great spiritual experience then others want to experience the same thing so methods and rituals are replicated so we, like robots, can fool ourselves into thinking we are as cool as they were! lol Joseph Smith actually said that to follow after the experiences of others without having the experiences for ourselves was the utmost folly! Religions which began as a stepping stone become stumbling blocks to further conscious living. It is the same with the United Order, the way of happiness or the Law of Consecration. Within the spirit of the "law" is an eternal truth: there is a way which if lived can make one happy. It can be described as an order formally but simply it is just a way of Being. It has been described as the economy of God, where those who live having "all things in common" were blessed, uplifted, full of joy and rich beyond money and profits. The times that groups of people were able to live in this way it seems that their core belief was not that Jesus is the Christ or any of that religous group-wish-think. The core acting belief was that we do love each other with a love unfeigned. Unconditional love for others and total acceptance of others beliefs whatever they may be were paramount. We eat, we share, we care. Now I have plenty of time to do research and study, write, invent things, whatever I love to do, whatever thrills me to spend my time at whatever I love to jump out of bed in the morning excited to do(the proper meaning of the word "WORK"; it is not menial boring labor; it is that which uplifts self and others). Right work is essential to happiness and the proper attitudes and values (righteousness) will automatically cause the cup within ones self to overflow so that others catch the fire also. It is a joy to live simply, it is affecting, spreads like thunder and brings immutable joy. The historical records are evidence of this though the records are small. The problems we have today are always the problems to reappear with the ideas concerning private property rights, money and then greed, avarice, theft, pride and other evils. Money has no place in a Zion society as it is just a piece of paper or rock or metal. Private property is unnecessary as well as "who can own the land or the sky or the water?" It is the unenlightened who think such things. The Resources (Rich things or goodness of the land) should be used to uplift the whole society, to lessen burdens and raise the standard of living for all beings. This is not limited to a larger home but was not meant to mean such at its core meaning. That which cannot satisfy is property. Who can gain the whole world but lose his own soul? No church and no religion has the key to building Zion. And here today, in 2008, we have to undo the damage that has been inflicted on our psyches our morals and our values by the current money based system which will not, never has and never will lead to happiness. I long for a Zion society and have committed myself to getting rid of any beliefs which hold me back from living it now not at some later date or when I'm commanded by some authority figure who sitteth in the temple as if he were God. As a mormon, I made a covenant in the temple to live it long ago and I'm doing so as best as I can. I stopped supporting our current monetary structure. I do not support the military machine which wastes resources and I've become active in politics such as might help alleviate the ruin on us slaves. Perhaps one day we will see that it isn't anything but beliefs that really separates us and causes us to serve the wrong master. Change your beliefs or discreate them entirely and watch how life will change! I loved Hugh Nibley's approach to Zion. He inspired my deep longing and spiritually encouraged me to delve deeper and be truly free. I don't own this book now but wish that I did. I used to own every volume in the series plus the Journal of Discources and other precious gems but if I had only 1 book of all of these I would choose Approaching Zion! Also see "Zeitgeist" the movie. It is eye opening and connected to this topic for those with ears to hear.

Dr. Nibley is Brilliant! Simply brilliant! Everything that he says in this book is outstanding. Face it people, both LDS and non-LDS, we simply cannot hope to dream about living in Zion based on the current situation that the world is in. We, as human beings, are simply too greedy to do so. And Zion is based completely on the idea that greed and money are non-existent. We cannot have Zion with the current political and economic mess that we have created, and Dr. Nibley shows us why. To the non-LDS reader, Dr. Nibley shows the joy in building Zion and the danger in denying it. To the LDS reader, Dr. Nibley shows the danger of denying the knowledge that they have gained by being exposed to the principles of Zion. He also details the principles of Zion and how people must live and dwell in Zion in order for the system and Law of Consecration to work. And he gives some very interesting history in detailing the history of Zion, including the city of Enoch. So this was a fantastic book written by an excellent scholar.

This is Hugh Nibley at his most personal and most challenging. Here he expresses his faith, insights, and commitment to trusting the Lord and taking his covenants most seriously. He hammers home again and again that we receive everything from the Lord and that we are blind to many of the blessings we have all around us. We refuse to take them because we are after the things of this world and are of no worth, though we have been warned to turn away from them.

Dr. Nibley implores us to begin living the Law of Consecration. He gives us no quarter. We know what it means, we know how to do it, and we know the covenants we have made. We also know the promises the Lord has made to us concerning this Law. I don't know about you, but I find this beyond what I can do understand or do in my current circumstances. Yet, I feel the need to ponder what the author is telling me and to move towards this principle of life.

These are essays and papers that were written since the 1970s. Many are published here for the first time (unless you read them as papers from FARMS). As I say, these are very challenging writings. Not because they are hard to understand, but because they are challenging in very serious ways. Dr. Nibley takes the gospel very seriously and literally. He points out to us that we have too often inverted values to our detriment. He deplores the way education has changed and that learning and thinking have been replaced by feeling and degree accumulation.

The last few essays in the book are among the most directly challenging to our present way of life. His discussion of Aristotle's notion of goods of first and second intent is wide-ranging and quite informative. The last essay on the atonement is quite beautiful and insightful. I think my favorite essay is his funeral address for one of his friends.

Nibley's plain speaking about his faith in the atonement and the challenge it presents us for our lives here on earth and in eternity is inspiring. The writings here bear careful reading and re-reading and then meditation. You will have to change your life if you take them seriously. And that is unsettling and that is what we ask teachers to do: to shake up our lives.

Dr. Nibley continues his great teaching.

ONCE AGAIN HUGH NIBLEY DOES IT AGAIN. HE IS MAGNIFICENT IN HIS RESEARCH AND COMPREHENSIVE CLARITY MAKING THE ISSUES BEING DISCUSSED CLEAR AND PRECISE.

This book is not for beginners, and contrary to the reputation of O'Reilly press, this is not for experts.

The book uses a simple way to discribe many cases of things going bad. But it stays on the superficial layer of the problems.

The paradigm it uses is describe the problem, ways to prevent it, and how to get off the hook. This may seem very tempting to read because of the easy way to analyse the content of the cases. I like the 3 step aproach, but I didn't see and substance of the way she explained and the conjectures of details each process entails.

The book in general is a simpleton... and its boring.

I was unable to find something I really needed from my usual sources, and turned to eBay for help. Sure enough, there it was! I was an eBay virgin, unsure and feeling very vulnerable. Should I try it?
This is exactly the point where "Don't Get Burned on eBay" comes in handy. Reading this book was like finding a good friend and a compass while wandering lost in the wilderness. I started out marking the impor-
tant points I came across but soon gave that up since there wasn't a lot that I didn't feel like underlining. It's crammed full of useful information.
One aspect that doesn't get enough play for the prospective reader in
my opinion is that the book not only tells you how to avoid the scams
and frauds, it also tells a newcomer how to buy and sell with the legiti-
mate people and do it right the first time. To me as a newbie, that was
just as important. And even if you read this and never do an eBay trans-
action, you will have likely learned something about mail-ordering from
anyone. This is a good reference that I will keep in my library.

I've been using eBay since 1999 as both a buyer and a seller. I was amazed at the amount of things I learned from this book. The policies at both eBay and PayPal have been updated significantly over time, and I'm sure like many other people, I was not aware of many of the changes. From tips on insurance and shipping to information on how to block and cancel bids, this book is valuable to any eBay seller. It also provides tons of information for buyers and sellers on how to avoid common scams associated with eBay. For example, I didn't realize that some people would actually switch a new item for an old and try to claim a return. I also didn't realize that eBay flat-out warns against using Western Union - and that even money orders are not secure in an age of easy counterfeiting.

The book is also filled with real stories of eBay snafus which clearly illustrate the author's points. In addition, the author's sense of humor makes the book a pleasure to read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that is active in eBay - even if you don't read it cover-to-cover, it would act as a great reference guide.

This book should be mandatory reading for every person who buys OR sells on eBay. Both sides need to understand their rights and responsibilities clearly, and understand what exactly to do when things go wrong. In addition, both sides need to know common scams, common problems, the ins and outs of insurance and shipping, and common payment issues. This book covers every important issue clearly and concisely. EBay should give a copy to every new user, and give them a quiz before letting them bid or sell.

In addition to being clear, the author has a sense of humor, which makes this not only informative, but entertaining as well. The chapter layout makes it useful as a reference tool, to which the reader can turn when she has a question. The reader should read the whole book once, but afterwards, it is easily used to refer back to for specific questions or occurrences.

I'm a librarian in a university library, and I evaluate books all the time. For its purpose, this is one of the clearest and best I've seen.

Whether you've been using eBay for years or have been afraid to try it, lest you be ripped off, this book is an invaluable tool. Unlike other books that deal with online subjects, it's actually fun to read. The wit makes these tips and tales very easy to absorb and remember while bolstering your eBay confidence and savvy.

I've been using eBay since 1998 and I still picked up dozens of new things and now understand some of the more esoteric features of the site. When I lent the book to my mom, who has shyed from the site because she felt it was too risky, she proudly made two purchases using only the book as a guide. I wish all DIY and instruction style books were this much fun to read, I'd know how to do a lot more things if they were.

It takes a lot to hold my interest because I am a graduate student pursuing a doctorate degree in education. This book was one that I simply could not put down. I read this book in one day. Every teenager and female with a background in sexual abuse must read this book. Any individual that has been emotionally scared by people they trusted should read this book. It paints a vivid picture of what it is like to be on a road of self destruction but recover to the point where one's life story can be told to others so that they would know that recovery is possible from emotional and sexual abuse for themselves.

This was an incredible book. I could not put it down. Diana's writing is just wonderful. The book was, for me, an excellent example of how God can take what was intended for evil or our destruction, and by His grace, turn it in to something wonderful if we give it to Him. Diana's suffering and triumph is inspirational. God's constant hand on our lives, as seen in this book, is awesome to behold. Our God is an awesome God. :-)

The author and I started out together our first day at kindergarten! Years later after being separated I read the authors book and I became the audience of one who has led a life destined of child like adventure and male survival. The book pictures the spirit of a champion. The character challenges the readers imagination. I applaud the end results for the main character in this book! There is a lesson to be learned through her overcoming lifestyle for all generations. "For those who think this is a man's world" Read on.

A powerful book...by a courageous author. Diana dares to "tell it like it was" and in doing so...brings the reader face-to-face with the awesome love of God.

The real life account of a heart yearning for love...and that heart's circuitous route to peace. If you are a "prude"...this book isn't for you! It reads like an Old Testament Story...with New Testament Grace. Thank you...Diana!

Romance with Jimi Hendrix...Romance with two kings in one life time! AWESOME! I have a copy, my daughter and my mother, we all have a copy of this book!

One of the nicest little books on Hummingbirds I have ever seen. I have just recently become interested in hummingbirds so this is a great little book to have.

We enjoyed this picture-story of a mother hummingbird. Excellent photographs and clear text. A book every (humming)birdlover will enjoy.

This is a great book - I bought it for my mom and dad as they have lots of hummingbirds. But I had to check it out before I gave it to them. LOVED IT!!

First, a wonderful memoir of their cat, "Happy Birthday", and now an even more surprising story, an example of patience, persistence, perception and love. The adventures of hummingbirds, an entire life cycle in vivid beautiful color, and amazingly intimate details (this from a new Yorker whose only contact with bird life is pigeons). I think you'll be as delighted as I was.
- Jay Maisel

This exquisite book is about loving and caring for what one loves. The Carroll's masterpiece springs from their love for Honey the Hummingbird as they daily devote themselves to watching her from her return from wintering in Mexico, the laying of two eggs in a nest on a clothesline which she had previously built and inhabited, the birth of her babies, which the Carrolls named Ray and Zen, and her nurturing of them until and after their fledgling flights.

Everything about this book is done with devotion and great care. The text, written by Noriko Carroll, is a perfect accompaniment to what seems to me genius level photographs taken by Don Carroll. There are special lighting effects as a background to many of the photographs, and Mr. Carroll explains in an afterword called "Photographics Notes" that a mirror reflecting parts of his flower garden was used to create these stunning effects. I plan to order another copy of this book, take it to a framer and request that several of the photographs be removed and framed, to be hung on a wall of my home.

The description on the inside of the book jacket cover is even unique. It is not the standard patois one usually reads. It is done with great care, depth and intelligence. It is the finest of its kind I have ever read.

You will learn a great deal about hummingbirds, and if you have a backyard feeder, you will find out the proper and best way to maintain it. You will become more aware of the hummingbirds in your yard and in your life. And, unless you have a heart of stone, you will end up loving them, if you do not do so already.

I heartily thank the Carrolls for their magnificent undertaking of introducing us to the life and ways of this wonderful bird and her offspring. It is their artistic skills, their intact sense of wonder and awe (which so many tend to lose in adulthood), and their capacity to love which has brought this book to us. Quite a gift!