Bridge Books

A java nut is defined as someone who worships the community developed JSRs. This book brings the ultra-boring standard to life with quite a bit of humor thrown in. For a veteran servlet/JSP developer, this is indeed a perfect starting point for portlets. However, you do need to know about servlets to understand phrases such as "...like a servlet, a portlet lives peacefully in a war file..." on page 2. It gets better as you read and I simply could not put this book down (a rarity among all programming books). It comrehensively answers the question "I know all there is to know about jsp, now how do I code portlets?".

I do have some suggestions for improvememts though (although I suspect the author will hate this). Basically, I think there is much more to portal development than the JSR-168 (soon to be obsolete or augmented by a new JSR). The standard is silent on practical aspects of portal development like themes, layouts and the all important content management systems (CMS) needed for large sites (in fact, anything to do with a database persistence or system state and, well, data is missing in the JSR-168). Portal vendors, even the "reference implementation" Pluto, therefore need much more than the JSR-168 to deliver the required developer functionality...this virtually guarantees that any "pure" JSR-168 portlet you write will need to be tweaked somewhat depending on which portal framework you will deploy into. Conversely, if you are using a commercial vendor CMS to create a portal, you need to know zilch about JSR-168. You will need to figure out the database level housekeeping details by yourself (or pay the vendor to teach you...no free lunch even with the open source guys). So, beyond the simplest toy portlets, albeit a solid exposition of the JSR, you will need more than this book to get really going (mostly understanding your framework and container etc...especially to master themes, layouts and CMS).

Finally, thanks to Amazon, I was able to order this book directly from the author (pulpjava). In addition sending me the latest edition of this book for no charge, he even sent me a free book on java exams...THANKS!

A friend of mine attended his class. He said this author is great, he explains things clearly and seems really understand students' need. He knows where students may get confused and he spends more time explain on them. He said he felt the teacher know what questions students may ask. Before student asks, the auther explains.

So I guess a good teacher can write good books because he knows how to explain. I think I am right. I have read another porlet book and very disappointed. After I read this one, I really understand how to work on portlet development.

Like in college, professors good at doing research may not be good at teaching, because they never figure out why students do not understand this kind of simple things (These professors are too smart). Teaching is a skill. This author is really good at teaching, so he is good at writing a book to teach reader.

This book gives you exactly what you need if you're new to the Portlet API. It goes over all of the classes of the JSR168 API, with lots of explaination of how portlets work, and simple, but relevant examples, that make it very easy to understand how, why, and what is going on inside of a portlet.

The book starts off with the basics of PortletRequest and PortletResponse programming, and moves quickly at a good pace into deeper and deeper subjects, such as PortletPreferences, PortletSession and Validators.

The book covers everything in the Portlet API, is easy to read, and makes many of the advanced topics very easy to understand. The author makes learning portlet development simple easy, which is perfect, because so many other books make it so convoluted and hard.

If you're doing portlet development, you've got to have this book on your bookshelf, if not right next to your keyboard.

The author has done a beautiful job in writing a clear and concise text on portlet programming for the JSR-168 spec. I've taken plenty of training on portal/portlet development and applied it minimally. Reading through this text summarized and CLARIFIED all of what went on in class, and made it much easier to comprehend. The quizzes at the end of the chapters are great checkpoints to boot. I've been very happy with the series of books Mr McKenzie has put out. They are engaging and invaluable to me as a java/web programmer.

I knew nothing about portals and portlets until I picked up this book. It really is an easy and enjoyable read and easy to follow and understand. I recommend this book to any one who would like to battle the IT world of Java and portlets. Another great thing is, if you really don't understand something you can go to the web sites and watch the free tutorials the author has online, and no offence, but if you don't understand it after reading the book and watching the tutorials then maybe portal is not best for you. :)

This book is what took me out of the novice ranks to the advanced. Most of the experts and world class players I know will tell you the same thing. Defense being half the game is vital to a good well rounded player.
Set up in a match format, the narrator has the mis?fortune to defend on every hand. Kelsey, widely regarded as one of the best bridge writers ever, sets the play and poses a problem for you to solve. They will seem tough, especially to beginners. But as you solve them you are on your way to much higher levels of play. I am a very high level player now, but I still enjoy revisiting this classic on occasion.
Note: If you aspire to high level tournament play, this is an essential.

This classic bridge book is a must for every serious bridge player who wants to advance to the next level. It is not for beginners, and even intermediate players could find its concepts a bit too advanced. But for the bridge player who is seeking to reach the expert or near expert level, it is required reading. It focuses on the hardest aspect of bridge play, defense. The theme throughout is that counting the number of cards that declarer and partner hold in the four suits is a requirement for good defense. The hands are excellent examples of how to do this. The book is well written and interesting. It is one of the top bridge books of all time.

There are many very good books on Defense. This is still one of the best. A nice set of topics and problems. A few of the problems use bidding that wouldn't be mainstream today and thus are less likely to be solved.

The book focuses on visualization, rather than preventing a Criss Cross Squeeze (though there is a chapter in squeeze defense).

This is a book for good defenders. If you don't defend well, you need to learn how to defend before you read this.

Kelsey teaches you to practice defending well. And that means counting to 13, over and over and over again. And it helps. If you are indeed a good defender, this will help make you a very good defender.

The 15 pages on opening leads helped me more than the rest of the book combined. Right after reading the chapter, I played in a bridge tournament. Declarer had bid both majors and dummy had picked hearts, a suit I held A-x in. I immediately led the low heart, stopping declarer from ruffing spades while maintaining control, and setting the contract. It was almost exactly the hand Kelsey had shown on page 61!

That's the good thing about this book. There's plenty of examples that are very similar to what you'll find in actual play. It improved my defensive play noticeably.

All too often, bridge books present hands that look as if they were "set up." In order to get the right answer, you simply eliminate the "obvious" play. Not so in this book. Kelsey's hands look like those ordinary hands you might face in your local club or home game. Kelsey demonstrates that by thoroughly counting a hand (points, cards, tricks), a player can much more easily arrive at the killing defense. That's the major lesson in this book - counting, and Kelsey does a magnificent job of teaching it!

I'm both a teacher and a parent and I must say that Pat Wyman knows kids and the learning system in this country. I know from my students in class as well as my own son that each child has a special gift they can offer. Unfortunately, schools make everyone march to the same beat. Pat Wyman does an excellent job of both describing how things are screwed up in schools and what we can do about it. If your child has his/her own way of looking at the world, you need to support it any way you can. You can learn how with this book. Do your child a favor and start learning.

As a parent, I found the answers I needed in this book to help my children. My son was told he would never get his driver's permit because of a vision problem. But this book helped me solve this and he now has his permit and is driving us all around town. My daughter had 20/20 eyesight, but didn't like to read for pleasure. The Reading Inventory in this book told me "why" and what to do about it. I highly recommend Pat Wyman's book to every parent and teacher I know.
[...]

"As a parent and a teacher, the practical strategies and wisdom in Pat Wyman's book is the best I've ever seen. I use her strategies in my classroom, and students who were struggling, quickly achieve higher grades and test scores.
The section on solving reading problems, is for every parent and teacher. If we all used that information alone, I believe the reading problems in our country would end very quickly.
I've taught for over 20 years, and recommend Learning vs Testing to every parent, staff member and adminstrator I meet. My suggestion: buy this book, and schedule Pat to train every parent and teacher group in the country. This information is truly at the heart of meeting our goals to have every child succeed at or above grade level."
Cindy Moriarty
Teacher and Parent
La MIrada, California

It seems evident that Pat Wyman has poured her heart, her soul, and her 25 years experience teaching kids how to learn, into this book. I found the story about her own son, JP, at the beginning of the book particularly relevant. As the parent of a 16 year old son who has his own unique style of learning, I know how difficult it is for kids being subjected to the cookie-cutter style of testing and teaching at public schools. If your kid is a bit different, or a lot different, in the way he or she learns, and is struggling academically as a result, this book is a must read. When the author speaks about how all children, even those who are not doing well at school, have their own unique gifts and talents, I find myself saying a resounding "Yes!" Let's acknowledge these kids for the beautiful beings they are. This book is filled with practical tools and techniques for helping them express that beauty in the form of greater academic success and better grades. What more could a parent ask for?

Thank you Pat Wyman for writing Learning vs. Testing and sharing your knowledge!

I am very frustrated that it has taken 8 years to identify the real cause of my daughter's reading and learning problems and it is because of the information in your book that we were finally able to help her become very successful in school.

I am going to do everything in my power to ensure this information reaches as many children as possible who need the kind of assessment and strategies in your book.

My daughter showed signs of learning difficulties since she was 6 years old, and not a single test or evaluation by any professional helped us find the answers we needed. Finally, after getting your book, I was able to give her the reading assessment and follow the plan you recommended.

I learned the difficulty she is having in school is due to her vision - the way she sees the world. Everything she read was distorted and although we had given her regular eye exams for years, she never had the type of learning related eye exam you recommend.

After the proper exam, we discovered that her eyes are not working together properly. Because of the information in your book, I discovered that she needs vision therapy exercises and new eyeglasses to correct the problem.

Her optometrist, allowed me to look through a lens and read a document to experience what my daughter experiences when she reads. I almost was in tears when I saw double lines and words out of place.
It was very difficult for me to read. I had to close one of my eyes to focus and that was only a temporary adjustment. I thought, "How frustrating this must be for my child!"

I am so happy we finally know what the real cause of her problem is and how to solve it. My child was relieved by the knowledge her learning problem is related to her visual perception and not her mental ability.

Thank you so much for your commitment and dedication to the education of all children!

much loved deck of Tarot is this one that started with me in my first days as a Tarot reader and helped me spread love joy and medicine to so many. I had already 3 decks like that who ragged out and then I tried another deck but I missed the beautiful pictures and the warm feeling they bring - such nice kind loving approach is the only one that a good reader can take to their journey and reflect so wonderful from this unique deck. Oh if you feel like trying me with this one you can always contact me at: www.bitwine.com/advisors/theinfinitemind.

I have both the Medicine Woman cards as well as the book, and I am very happy with them. I have used them to gain insights and it is very useful. I highly recommend the cards and book to anyone.

The Medicine Woman cards are great. I recieved them in perfect condition. Thankyou!!

tarot decks are incredibly personal, but this speaks to my soul. it actually called to me while i was looking for runes in a metaphysical shop years ago. life fell apart, i fell apart, and now i've reconnected to it. i'd recommend this deck to anyone seriously into the tarot. prolly not for beginners tough. but if it speaks to you at all, than this is a must have.

I first encountered this deck at a local book shop in a sample display. I immedietaly fell in love with it. I went to the counter to buy it and they were out of stock. I then went on a search for this deck, going to all the book sellers and magical shops aroound, they were all out of stock, I was told numerous times that it was not a popular deck so they didnt carry it all the time. I then started calling stores 60 miles away looking for it, finally I found it and couldnt be happier.
This deck is simple, nourishing, wise, gentle, beautiful, peaceful, authentic, and filled with grace. Anyone on the wise woman path or path of gentle wisdom will find this deck valueable.

I became aware of this book while looking for something good to watch on TV and came upon the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" starring Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. I watched a bit of the film, then checked the TV guide and found that it was based on the books "Mr. Bridge" and "Mrs. Bridge." The movie looked good, so I immediately turned it off while vowing to get the books then watch the film. "Mrs. Bridge" was written ten years earlier than the "Mr.," so I decided to read it first. Actually, I don't believe it makes any difference which you read first - except, because of the last five anecdotes of the "Mrs. Bridge" book go beyond the ending of the "Mr." book, I might suggest you read him first. The style of both books is the same: a series of mostly short anecdotes strung together to tell the life of these individuals, each from their own perspective. They both love each other and their three children, who love them back, but their lives are so unconnected that they can't express any feelings. Their life stories encompass the same years between the two World Wars, existence in the same upper class home in Kansas City, contain the same experiences, yet which each focuses on in their own book is totally different. "Mrs. Bridge" has 117 anecdotes, the Mr. has 141. Yet, they hardly ever overlap. And even when they do, for example when describing their trip to Europe, they talk about different aspects of this highlight of their life, as if they went on separate trips. Mr. Bridge, when he can break away from his office, is a wonderful parent and husband. He provides all the monetary needs of the family and offers sound, sage, practical advice to each of them. Mrs. Bridge is a super mom. The kids, each different but ones you would be proud to have, find individual success, yet are hampered by their parents' inability to express their emotions. Mr. Bridge is aware of this shortcoming, but is unable to overcome it. Interestingly, though most of his life is spent in his rewarding lawyer practice, he hardly ever mentions any specifics of his long days at the office. He does express sorrow twice in the book, but only to himself. After seeing the cancan performed in Paris, he lies in bed next to his wife and bemoans that "something which rightfully belongs to every man had been denied to him." And later back home and suffering from a sleepless night he concludes, "all that he believed in and had attempted to prove seem meager, all of his life was wasted." Strong stuff. I wanted to shake him, smack him, and tell him no, his life was not wasted. But, judge for yourself. As for me, I'm going to watch the movie.

I read this right on the heals of Mrs. Bridge. What a pair. I couldn't put this book down, either.

Evan S. Connell's "Mr. Bridge" stands, together with its companion novel, "Mrs. Bridge", as one of the outstanding works of Twentieth century American fiction. The two works, taken together, form the brilliantly wrought portrait of an upper middle class marriage in the years preceding and encompassing World War II. Linear in its narrative and meticulously realistic in its style, "Mr. Bridge" tells the story of Walter Bridge, a financially successful, but emotionally stunted, lawyer who lives out his proper married life in the wealthy Mission Hills suburb of Kansas City.

Mr. Bridge recognizes that his life did not begin until he knew his wife, India Bridge. His marriage is, in this sense, important to him. But he cannot articulate his deep feelings for his wife and, ultimately, gives up trying to express any emotion at all. "So the years passed, they had three children and accustomed themselves to a life together, and eventually Mr. Bridge decided that his wife should expect nothing more of him. After all, he was an attorney rather than a poet; he could never pretend to be what he was not."

Cold and emotionally repressed, Mr. Bridge spends all of his time at the office, becoming involved with his family only when necessary to ensure that proper middle class respectability is maintained. He spends his time visiting the bank, scrutinizing his stock certificates and counting his profits. Indeed, he is so focussed on wealth that he surprises his wife and children with stock certificates of Kansas City Power & Light on Christmas morning, only to take the gifts back into his possession so that he can properly manage them.

Manipulative and controlling, Mr. Bridge persuades his reluctant daughter, after she has won a contest, to accept a pony as a prize, even though she would much rather have a bicycle. When the day comes to accept the prize, "Mr. Bridge could not attend the presentation ceremony because he was again spending Saturday at the office." Like his self-centered Christmas present of utility company stock, this prize, too, becomes cheerless for his daughter because of his need to impose his will.

Deeply bigoted, Mr. Bridge cannot tolerate Jews or Blacks very well. When he has an opportunity to take investment advice from an obviously successful Jewish stockbroker, Mr. Bridge, instead, becomes offended by the man's ethnicity and ostensible pretension to be a successful upper middle class man like himself. Reluctantly shaking the man's hand, Mr. Bridge "could hardly restrain a shudder." Resonating with antisemitic feeling, "he withdrew his hand, which came away stickily. He wanted to wash it. His hand felt moist and unhealthy, as if during those few seconds it had become infected." Similarly, when his wife shows him horrifying pictures of a brutal lynching in the South, his only reaction is to ask, "what was this fellow doing that he shouldn't have been doing?"

A fiercely conservative man, with political views as deeply repressive as his stunted emotions, he cannot tolerate President Roosevelt. He even suggests that while Hitler was insane, "some of his ideas were sensible."

Indeed, the repressed feelings of Mr. Bridge find their darkest allusions in his feelings about his daughters, feelings that suggest powerful undercurrents of the sexuality that is absent from his marriage. Seeing his grown daughter, Carolyn, one night posing naked in front of a mirror, he cannot get her out of his mind. "He reminded himself that she was his daughter, but the luminous image returned like the memory of a dream."

"Mr. Bridge", like its companion novel, "Mrs. Bridge", is a stunning work of realism, a crystalline pure narrative of a marriage without feeling, a life without love, a man without the ability to move outside the bounds of middle class probity and respectability.

Evan S. Connell's "Mr. Bridge" stands, together with its companion novel, "Mrs. Bridge", as one of the outstanding works of Twentieth century American fiction. The two works, taken together, form the brilliantly wrought portrait of an upper middle class marriage in the years preceding and encompassing World War II. Linear in its narrative and meticulously realistic in its style, "Mr. Bridge" tells the story of Walter Bridge, a financially successful, but emotionally stunted, lawyer who lives out his proper married life in the wealthy Mission Hills suburb of Kansas City.

Mr. Bridge recognizes that his life did not begin until he knew his wife, India Bridge. His marriage is, in this sense, important to him. But he cannot articulate his deep feelings for his wife and, ultimately, gives up trying to express any emotion at all. "So the years passed, they had three children and accustomed themselves to a life together, and eventually Mr. Bridge decided that his wife should expect nothing more of him. After all, he was an attorney rather than a poet; he could never pretend to be what he was not."

Cold and emotionally repressed, Mr. Bridge spends all of his time at the office, becoming involved with his family only when necessary to ensure that proper middle class respectability is maintained. He spends his time visiting the bank, scrutinizing his stock certificates and counting his profits. Indeed, he is so focussed on wealth that he surprises his wife and children with stock certificates of Kansas City Power & Light on Christmas morning, only to take the gifts back into his possession so that he can properly manage them.

Manipulative and controlling, Mr. Bridge persuades his reluctant daughter, after she has won a contest, to accept a pony as a prize, even though she would much rather have a bicycle. When the day comes to accept the prize, "Mr. Bridge could not attend the presentation ceremony because he was again spending Saturday at the office." Like his self-centered Christmas present of utility company stock, this prize, too, becomes cheerless for his daughter because of his need to impose his will.

Deeply bigoted, Mr. Bridge cannot tolerate Jews or Blacks very well. When he has an opportunity to take investment advice from an obviously successful Jewish stockbroker, Mr. Bridge, instead, becomes offended by the man's ethnicity and ostensible pretension to be a successful upper middle class man like himself. Reluctantly shaking the man's hand, Mr. Bridge "could hardly restrain a shudder." Resonating with antisemitic feeling, "he withdrew his hand, which came away stickily. He wanted to wash it. His hand felt moist and unhealthy, as if during those few seconds it had become infected." Similarly, when his wife shows him horrifying pictures of a brutal lynching in the South, his only reaction is to ask, "what was this fellow doing that he shouldn't have been doing?"

A fiercely conservative man, with political views as deeply repressive as his stunted emotions, he cannot tolerate President Roosevelt. He even suggests that while Hitler was insane, "some of his ideas were sensible."

Indeed, the repressed feelings of Mr. Bridge find their darkest allusions in his feelings about his daughters, feelings that suggest powerful undercurrents of the sexuality that is absent from his marriage. Seeing his grown daughter, Carolyn, one night posing naked in front of a mirror, he cannot get her out of his mind. "He reminded himself that she was his daughter, but the luminous image returned like the memory of a dream."

"Mr. Bridge", like its companion novel, "Mrs. Bridge", is a stunning work of realism, a crystalline pure narrative of a marriage without feeling, a life without love, a man without the ability to move outside the bounds of middle class probity and respectability.

simply one of the best books I've ever read. India will exasperate you and enlighten you. Through her and the other characters in Connell's masterpiece, you will have a feeling that your own life is unfolding before your eyes, complete with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It is simultaneously a disturbing and reassuring experience. Don't miss it.

If you want to be encouraged and uplifted this book is a must. God has not left us to do His work without enabling us with His power. This book explains with testiomony what that means...

FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE WONDERED WHAT FAITH IS ALL ABOUT, THIS BOOK IS A MUST. IN CLEAR, EVERYDAY LANGUAGE IT TELLS WHAT AN ELECTRICAL, AWE INSPIRING EXPERIENCE IT IS TO MEET THE HOLY SPIRIT, FACE TO FACE. YOU GO FORTH WITH A FRESH UNDERSTANDING OF GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. I READ IT WHEN IT WAS FIRST PUBLISHED AND HAVEN'T LOOKED AT LIFE THE SAME WAY SINCE.

When I first read this book several years ago, I was very skeptical about the gift of tongues and other physical manifestations of the presence of the Holy Spirit. This book taught me so much and answered so many questions I had about the Holy Spirit and his importance in a deeper relationship with God the Father and God the Son. I am most grateful for Dennis Bennett's ministry and the willingness he had to share it with us through his wonderful book.

If you know Jesus then this book is for you. It will change your life. It changed mine in 1982.

This book was handed to me, by someone in the prayer group that I was a part of at that time. I think everyone who has serious questions about the full gospel, or charismatic christian experience, should read this book, because this is one informed believer that didn't get into extremes after receiving "it"-namely, the operation of one or several of the manifestations, or gifts of the Holy Sprit.

I have only one cavet about this book. Please understand-the author of this book is A PASTOR. Full gospel believers who are Bible informed, know that a pastor in the christian faith, is an office of our faith-and must be called by, and empowered by-God. You can't twist his arm-he gives to whoever, and however he chooses to.

Dennis saw many manifestations of the Holy Spirit in his life, because he was in the office of a pastor. After reading this book, I was somewhat disappointed that I did not see some the same manifestations in my life, especially that of seeing others healed.

God DID choose to let me have a taste, in ministering to a lady, who I had ministered to for 3 years. She wasn't growing, and wasn't attending church regularly, and I felt that I had done all I could do for her if God didn't majorally intervene. I saw her touched as a result of my laying hands on her. So God did let me see it operate in the life of someone not called into the full time ministry.

I will tell you that I did receive the manifestation of devotional tongues. But I will also tell you, that if you are struggling with surreder to God on several issues at the time that you do receive, you will prob not majorally benefit from
this priviledge until you surrender ongoing, known sin.

Please do not judge your spirituality by what God did in this author's life. Let me say-God wants to move through whosoever will-but he does it his way, not yours, and in his time-not yours.

This is a wonderfully written book of poetry, some light others profoundly thought provoking. It is a book I keep by my bedside to read and reread passages. Hoover is able to write with a clarity that brings visions from the page into ones imagination. It is a book to hold close. it is a gift book for dear friends from a gifted writer. Corrine Carpenter, Bloomington, In

Peggy Nichols Nash, National Book Critics Circle

Elegaic poems in which ordinary life--love, pain, joy, death--
may reveal "a golden edge which someone, like Fra Angelico,
is painting every day."

Poet, scholar, musician, traveler, Hoover sees the wonder
and depth of daily existence. Her spare forceful language
gives life to Marianne Moore's dictum that poetry
is all nouns and verbs.

Not In Utter Nakedness is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. Lovely to look at, a pleasure to hold, this book contains poetry that is deep and melodious, touchingly personal and universal. In simple language, it offers lingering insights and images of one person's journey, and everyone's journey. It speaks of "The Gift" we are all given, "A gift of uncertain size and unknown shape . . . a mystery we gradually unwrap . . . Don't know how potent the dosage, Don't know how long it will last . . . No directions, No warning labels, Amount unknown, Dangerous . . . Worthless if not tried."

It's an honor to watch Hoover carry and shed burdens, seek purpose, and achieve a lightness that lifts us all up.

Joanne Hoover deals with the big themes--love, aging, death, the possibility of grace--but with delicacy, flashes of humor--"..life is the oddity/which keeps us from knowing"--and a light touch that create accessible and moving poems. Her imagery and settings are familiar and invite us into her day-to-day experience; but her horizons are limitless, and carry us far beyond. Simple language, poetry that speaks of enlightenment. And an eye-catching, beautifully designed volume.

Joanne Hoover's new book of poetry is striking in its clarity and accesibility, varied in its subject matter and often achingly personal.

She writes about an old dog whose paw is gentle "as she seeks to touch as much, it seems, for our need as hers." The true pain of age, she says, "Is not the joints but the joinings missed, the knowing that comes too late, of use only as a lesson for those who can't hear because the music of youth is too loud." She writes of "eagles rising in slow, sure circles higher and higher their wings almost still they know the freedom of those who ascend unhindered by thoughts of what is left behind." She talks about her time on Cyprus "among the oliveskinneddarkeyedblackhaired locals and guerillaleader landlord who lived below."

I picked up Naida West's "River of Red and Gold" at the California State Fair in August 2006 on one of the days she and other authors were promoting their books. She explained how she researched the historical events in her story and my interest was peaked. I'm no history buff, but, I found it intriguing and difficult to put down. Her descriptions of living conditions and the characters put a clear picture in my imagination. I didn't want it to end.

As I've previously written for a review for Eye of the Bear, these books are essential reads for historical novel buffs. Both books are long but fast paced page turners. Read my review of Eye of the Bear that living here among "Grizzly Hair's" people is exceptionally unique when reading these books. A lot of the places in the book still stand today IE: Sutters Fort in Sacramento and Sutters Hock Farm in the Yuba City area.

This book reminded me of Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry except that it was written more from a woman's perspective. The character development was thorough and they came to life in the imagination. The stories were rich in detail and haunted the mind even after the book was put away. It was an experience to read the book and I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to do so. I finished the book last night and immediately ordered The Eye of the Bear, this book's prequel.

As a great, great grandaughter of a 49er (JOHN GARLAND RICKER) I can now more fully appreciate the absolutely deplorable living conditions in the mining camps that Naida so eloquently describes in her wonderful narrative. Now I can understand why he spent less than two years seeking an elusive fortune in the gold camps of the Sierra Nevada foothills.

I feel this book is a reading must for my daughters and grandchildren so that they too, can better understand and value their heritage

Carleen Leise, Shingle Springs, California

I was so completely engrossed in this story that I had dreams about it each night as I was reading it. I found myself charged to learn more about mid-19th century California history. I looked at maps, researched the history of Indians in my area, found web sites on the Donners. I also felt completely horrified, on a physical level, at Ms. West's depicton of how white settlers raped and pillaged the people and the land. I felt compelled to somehow change history...the mark of a well-written and effective historical novel.

I also appreciated the author's choice to present her perspective of events from women's points of view (not to mention an ancient oak tree and the trickster, Coyote.)

I have a renewed inspiration to honor the land on which I live, and to honor those who lived here before me.

(a warning: be prepared for much sex...I started reading this with my young teen, and then opted out...he can read it in a few years!)

I taught this book in a 20th Century Fiction class, and the students loved it. I've also know book clubs who've enjoyed reading it. It's one of those rare books that does it all --appeals to young and old readers, provokes great discussion (about immigration, love, parenting, and morality), while being a compelling read. The characters are original, the story is intriguing, and the landscape is extremely well depicted --not just by description, but by how it shapes people. The most impressive thing about Ms. Pritchett's writing, though, is her ability to put into words thoughts and feelings that seemed ineffable. In reading this book, you'll discover a deep human connection, and realize we're not as alone or as far apart as we sometimes think.

I first read this beautiful book when it came out a couple years ago, and the vivid characters and landscape have stayed with me. Pritchett has a gift for creating characters you care about deeply-- intimate portraits of people who are somehow tough and tender at once, painted with raw, honest strokes. I love the narrator's, Libby's, voice, which is poetic and real and always striving to get under the surface to express how things really feel. A memorable read by a talented writer.

Laura Pritchett's Sky Bridge is a beautifully written book with a heartbeat. Readers who have enjoyed Barbara Kingsolver's Bean Trees and Animal Dreams, Billie Lett's Where the Heart Is, and Louise Erdrich's Bingo Palace, should make room for Pritchett's aching yet hopeful portrait of life in hard-scrabble life in rural Colorado.

If you give books to people you love, you will love giving this book. Especially now, when we have reason to wonder if the concept of shared American values still exists. Libby lives in this book as a reminder of what is good, true and enduring. She struggles in a situation that is thoroughly of today, but her character is universal and timeless. All of the action takes place in a tiny town in Colorado, but the young author's scope is huge. Buy this, and give it to everyone you truly care about. It will start wonderful conversations.

This is a book about LOVE: what it is - and what it isn't. It's about sex: how it can make you laugh - or cry; can fill you up with joy - or pain. And then the consequences of all of that: babies, children, human beings, citizenship ....
Sky Bridge is also about the consequences of abuse and oppression: just how hard living is for some people, in this case persons on the plains of Eastern Colorado in modern times, be you legal or illegal, American or Mexican.
Sky Bridge is about all those things told through the ruminations and conversations of a twenty-something female, Libby, who believes she is "stupid and ugly." Libby thinks this is so because her mother, Kay, has drilled that into her. Quite obviously, though, she isn't. Libby is remarkably aware, sentient, and intelligent. She is also loved by many: her boyfriend (who she rejects); her boss (who she betrays); her activist neighbor; her co-worker; her mother's boss, and her humanitarian friend. Seemingly, this doesn't make sense, but that is author Laura Pritchett's brilliance - she portrays the human condition as it is: irrational and confused.
As loved and admired as Libby is she feels isolated and alone, because those closest to her: mother, sister, best friend, all abandon her in different ways.
Pritchett writes beautifully, some scenes are simply gripping. And now, with this "illegal immigration" issue being put forth by politicians - this book is especially timely and a must read!

This story, set during the depression, takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride. After a fast action start, it settles into a quieter pace, giving the reader a great slice of '30's living while still advancing the plot. Then it makes unexpected twists and turns again at the end. All in all, a great read.

A suspenseful story you can freely recommend to others. Interesting plot, personable characters and no bleeped out words. Great read!

Want to take a suspenseful trip to Minnesota and experience real life in the small farm town of Rosemount just after the Great Depression? The Spiral Bridge will transport you there, along with heroine Tillie Tilden, a city-dweller hired to teach in Rosemount's one-room school. A diary Tillie discovers in the school wood room reveals chilling details that unravel a mystery surrounding her predecessor and impacts the entire community. A well-told tale that serves as the author's commentary on religious beliefs and moral issues of the early 1930's.

The Spiral Bridge left me feeling like part of a small town community in the '30s. Having a special needs child of my own, I was particularly taken with the character, Orville. And I cried in sympathy with his mother, Sally. This is truly a mystery worth reading with twists and turns that keep you captivated. It will be difficult to put the book down once you start.

Alvin H. Franzmeier's debut mystery novel, The Spiral Bridge, has its beginnings in Minnesota during the 1930's, in the midst of the Great Depression. The main character, Tillie Tilden, is between her junior and senior years in college. She is contemplating if she should take a job in the Minnesota farm country teaching in a one-room schoolhouse, in exchange for her senior year of college. Most of the book is set in the rural setting of the farm country, although some is set in St. Paul. The Spiral Bridge tells of Tillie's adventures during her first year of teaching.

The Spiral Bridge is not only a mystery, it's a romance, too. Writer Franzmeier skillfully combines the best elements of each genre. In the pages of the book, we become well acquainted with Tillie, and before long, she meets her boyfriend, Al, who quickly becomes a main character. Tillie is troubled by her mother's feelings toward Al. Her father, a veterinarian employed as a meat inspector, is a farmer at heart, as Al is in actuality; he's much in favor of their relationship. Tillie's mother, however, has no use for farmers. What a conflict!

But that's not the main plot. Helen, the teacher who taught in the small school a year before Tillie came, killed herself. Why? Many questions are raised concerning this. The author develops a wonderful plot line between Methodist, Lutheran and Catholic beliefs not only about suicide, but about other theological lessons as well. Your thinking will be challenged!

The book has 214 pages that are divided into 25 chapters. After you begin reading The Spiral Bridge, you won't want to put it down. I read it in two evenings and part of one afternoon.

Alvin Franzmeier has done a wonderful job of developing the main characters, as well as the supporting ones. While suspenseful in many sections, this isn't the type of book that made me afraid to go to sleep at night - I sure don't like those! The chapters led easily from one to the next; there was never any question about how each character was related (in the story, not necessarily by blood) to another. Some of the characters carried an accent from either their or their parents' native (European) countries; the author did a wonderful job of writing in the dialect when appropriate. In reading some books that lapse into dialects, I find myself hardly being able to figure out what's being said. Not the case in The Spiral Bridge!

The Spiral Bridge is a fabulous mystery; like any good mystery, the plot takes a complete turn close to the very end. I'm looking for more good reading from Mr. Franzmeier!