Hearts Books

Charles Stanley is brilliant. I've read and heard so much from this man I can't properly review this book (borrowed last year) ... and his stuff blurs together for me. He talks about his life, tough childhood, and struggles ... he has a knack at meeting people where they are and giving spot on strength. Such a godly man he might freak you out if you are not ready for him. He was divorced. He keeps stuff real. This book helped me after I left my husband. I had little strength, fears, stress...this man helped greatly. Now I listen to him every morning without fail...and I LOVE music, but he gets me to flip over.

This book was recommended to me by an individual I trust. Alot of the book was not relevant to me and my situation, but I'm glad I read the entire book. It was a relatively easy read and quite inspirational!

This book was amazing. Charles Stanley points out who the source of our strenth is when we are in financial trouble, spiritual trouble, physical trouble, or whatever. He gives us point by point instructions on getting through the pain we are facing. When we are in a tough situation, hurting deeply or whatever, this book will teach us to rely on the power of Jesus Christ to heal our feeble and broken hearts!!! Get this book, and it will have an impact on your life today!!!!!!!!!

In tragedy we need to know what the source of our strength is.
When I lost someone I loved I needed to remember that Christ is the Source of my strength. Thank you Charles Stanley for your guidance and for sharing your knowledge of the word.
I have also found it helpful to use another Christian book to help me continue to heal. It is Write From Your Heart, A Healing Grief Journal.
The answers and the comfort are in the word and in Him.

this book was awesome. Charles Stanley is really compassionate in this book. He goes through different types of emotional pain and really delves into the Scriptures to bring healing to those who are in pain. It's so highly recommended! Get it!

What can I say, this is Rumpole III? As with one and two, always great reading! I miss the Rumpole's on PBS. I hope they rerun soon. The books, of course, are delightful.

Coleen from Kent, Wa

(If you're not already a fan, you will be after you read these tales!) Clever, funny, and moving - as always!

I certainly don't need to review "Rumpole of the Bailey." You know all about it. So, I'll just mention that he's especially good company when you fly. You can read a well-crafted story in what, 30 minutes? Ideal for airports and airplanes. Do this, sit for an hour, do that, sit for another hour, etc.

Horace Rumpole presents himself as just an Old Bailey hack doing run-of-the-mill burglary defenses and the odd car-heist case. In reality he defends the best in the Anglo-American legal traditions against modern forces (for example, the presumption of innocence) - and this was written 20+ years ago!

Rumpole is the lovable defender of the average man and foe to all stick-in-the-muds. His motto "Never plead guilty." It could just as well be comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Hilarious, warm, human, touching, self-effacing and ever-ready to pierce the pompous gasbag - that's Rumpole of the Bailey. Start with the First Rumpole Omnibus and work your way through the rest.

As an American lawyer, I wish someone would create an American legal hero to match Rumpole.

Guaranteed to tickle your funny bone and warm your heart.

The Rumpole books are wonderfully entertaining and well-written mysteries that revolve around an aging English lawyer named Rumpole.

For readers not familiar with the author, John Mortimer, and this series of short stories and novels revolving around Rumpole, the central character, I offer the following introduction.

The author, Mortimer, was an English lawyer who also is well known for his writing. He has written popular British screenplays and television adaptations such as Brideshead revisited. He has written novels. And he has written a series of short stories with a few longer stories about an aging English lawyer named Horace Rumpole. Mortimer's background makes him uniquely qualified for this series.

Rumpole's stories are usually interesting cases the title character has been involved in. The judges, various attorneys, the defendants (Rumpole only takes defense cases), acquaintances and family members are constant characters throughout the series. Rumpole is a cynic who sees the humour (British spelling in honour of Rumpole) and absurdity of modern life. These tales are also quite ingenious mysteries. These tales are loosely chronological, but you can read any of the stories in any order and still get what's happening because Mortimer always reintorduces Rumpole briefly at the start of each collection. Rumpole's wife, Hilda, - referred to by Rumpole as 'She Who Must Be Obeyed' - is a wonderful foil to Rumpole's cynical humor and obstinance.

The collections of short stories came out individually in books containing several stories, and later as a collection of a trio of these books called Omnibus editions. The first three collections - Rumpole of the Bailey, The Trials of Rumpole, and Rumpole's Return - are in the First Rumpole Omnibus. The next three collections - Rumpole for the Defence, Rumpole and the Golden Thread, and Rumpole's Last Case - are in the Second Omnibus Edition. The last of the Omnibus editions, the Third (and the one being reviewed here) contains the collections Rumpole and the Age of Miracles, Rumpole a la carte, and Rumpole and the Angel of Death. There are four other collections that are only available singly, Rumpole on Trial, Rumpole Rests His Case, Rumpole and the Primrose Path, and a prequel Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders. Every single one of these books is a joy to read. Finishing this series left me almost tearful that there were no more of these books and this splendid writing left to read.

Now this volume contains stories that revolve around more modern issues like euthanasia, civil rights in a world of terrorism and the like. But my favorite stories usually involve the humorous foibles of Rumpole's circle. 'Rumpole and the Tap End' is a rollicking story about mis-steps of Rumpole's former Head of Chambers who is now a judge. I love the character developments of these kinds of stories.

I often give Rumpole books as gifts and I re-read these stories occasionally when my spirits need a lift from paying the taxman, wondering where my youth went, filling out forms at work, watching my waistline expand as my hopes and dreams dwindle, and wondering why all the inferior beings around me seem to be so much more successful than me. I recommend these stories, and specifically this volume highly. There is also an old TV series that is extremely well done available if your tastes run more to watching than reading.

Follow Austy and Elise on a roller coaster ride of emotions and misunderstandings. I was enthralled with this book. The characters were fascinating, believable, and likable.

This story is wonderful. Full of everything that makes for a enjoying afternoon read. Not to mention the humor, I laughed till I cried. What a wonderful personality this author must have to provide that little dry humor throughout the book. If you want an enjoyable read, purchase this book. You'll have fun and get a great story to remember and treasure

I read the first chapter of this book as provided by the author (a great idea by the way) and while unsure, decided to give it a try. I was interested, in that the book was set in Seattle, and was on the prowl for some more escapist reading. The first couple of chapters were kind of rough, as the author struggled a bit to smoothly establish the protaganist's slightly off-kilter voice, but over the next couple of chapters as other characters entered the fray, and the main players were fleshed out, this book grew on me more and more, ending more strongly than it began, something that you don't find very often.

I'm generally irritated by books where the protaganist is consistently self-destructive, and I was worried going in to this book, given the plot description about unrequited love, but as the book hit its stride for me, my fears were allayed. The characterizations were solid, and supported in thought, action and feeling. There was romance, action, family drama, humor, angst. The emotions seemed real. The love scenes were heart felt. And this book ended up being just a joy to read (well-written, not meandering, fairly well edited). Plus, it gets extra credit for having a scene occur at a Seattle Storm game. I recommend this book highly, and await upcoming efforts by this entertaining author.

Lynn Galli has writen a smart, funny story with believable characters. We are treated to Austy's trials (literally, as she's an Assistant US Attorney) and tribulations as she settles into her new life in Seattle three thousand miles from her best friend and the woman she loves, or does she? FBI agent Elise Bridie makes an impression on Austy as her key witness on a case. While working on another case they forge a friendship that leads Austy to rethink her life in Seattle and love. Will she stay in Seattle or return to the love, friends and safety of life she had in Virginia? Are either Love or Safety real or just imagined for Austy? These are two of the feelings Austy must sort through as her old life insinuates it's self on the new life she is creating.

Austy is a character for sure. (pun intended) She had me laughing out loud with the inner musings of her mind. I couldn't put the book down and read it straight through. I agree with another reviewer, in that Austy is someone you want to be friends with and hang out with just for her comedic comentary on people and situations. I live south of Seattle, for now, so the landmarks were familiar to me and made me feel like I was right there with Austy, Elise and the others. I imagine hanging out with Austy and the Virginians say at Pike Place Market people watching would be a hoot.

Every great comedic team has a straight man that sets up the funny man. Austy is both, she is her own straight woman while her commentary and thoughts provide the comic relief in the midst of her life and interactions as she opens to new possibilities for herself.

Austy confides in us, the reader, as she takes us along on her journey in and out of the courtroom as if we are a new best friend. I imagine that the story it's self could be water cooler conversation for Austy if it wasn't about her. This book is sure to make you laugh and feel good each time you read it. I've read it twice so far and have told friends about it so they can get their own copy. This ones a keeper!

To Lynn Galli if you read these reviews, First off, Thank You for writing and sharing this delightful book. Secondly, I'd like to see a spin off book about Jessie, one of the Virginians.

Galli writes a wonderful story of Austy, an attorney, and Elise, an FBI agent. Austy carries a torch for her oh-so-married best friend, and Elise has to wait for Austy to come to her senses and what's in front of her.

It's a fun book. Austy is a wonderully complicated character--very three-dimensional. She gets into trouble with local criminals, and her Virginia (VA) friends come to help her out. And maybe do a li'l matchmaking at the same time.

Make sure you check out Galli's second book, too, "Imagining Reality." It's not a sequel to this book; rather, it is a parallel story about the VA crew and their loves and losses.

if you have high blood pressure get this book its a 10 ! knowledge is good for your health ! stay healthy ! go to saunna sweat you toxins!! and and excercise keep away from foods that have too much sodium like chinese food , can soups , processed foods ! eat natural and excercise and live to 100 !!!

This book offers a wide variety of treatment options (dietary/ behavioral modification, use of various supplements) in the treatment of hypertension, as well as a comprehensive review of the prescription medications available for this condition. I found the dietary suggestions quite helpful, and this is one of the few books I have read which offers sound advice on use of dietary supplements as well as their presumed mechanism of action.

I've used the Vaso-Guard therapy and it is working for me. The book is very comprehensive and I appreciate the holistic approach outlined.

I actually starting using the Dash diet and some of the supplements, not all. In a few days my blood pressure started to go down dramatically. It's amazing how much salt there is in everything. You really have to read labels and of course a lot more fruits and veggies!

All in all, very good reading. Nothing new here, just ties together all facets of controlling your high blood pressure: vitamins, supplements, exercise, diet and stress reduction. Presents a variety of programs and explains in detail how each can potentially lower and control hypertension. A good "how to" book to keep handy and refer to often. I have started the program and after only 3 weeks, my blood pressure has dropped. I plan to "wean" myself off the high blood pressure medication I am on now and go "totally natural".

Artifacts is well written. The setting is interesting and vividly described. The main characters are quirky and multi-dimensional and represent the kind of people that I would like to know. The author apparently knows about the field of archaeology and knows how to weave this knowledge into a good mystery. Based on this book, I bought the second in the series and enjoyed it, too.

A rivoting mystery about a strong female lead character with a problem: money. The story keeps you turning pages and leaves you satisfied while avoiding caricatures. Yes, Faye is a loner, but what detective worth his or her salt isn't? She's a scofflaw with morals, and her supporting cast is finely and sympathetically drawn.

Evans weaves in a multi-generational plantation history of Faye's home, Joyeuse Isle (cleverly named from a Debussy composition), perched on the hurricane-prone Gulf Coast of Florida.

Satisifying to feminists, history buffs, those with an interest in archeology and meteorology, and just plain old mystery lovers.

The author's background as a scientist, musician, and mom help her create a believable and well developed world full of characters to care about. Fans of Sue Grafton, PD James, and Sara Paretsky will enjoy this book.

I can hardly wait to read Relics, Faye's next adventure.

Artifacts is one of those books that isn't written, it is crafted. It is Evans' first book and it is packed with descriptive detail, multiple plot lines, and interesting characters with lots of back story. This book is a page-turner as the reader gets sucked into Faye Longchamp's struggle to save her historic home, solve the murders of two co-workers, solve the mystery of the disappearing skeleton and... but I don't want to ruin it for you.

Faye is a fascinating character. She has a background in archaeology and knows that the illegal artifact hunting she is doing to generate cash and keep her historic home in the family is wrong, but she is desperate. She is without family and doesn't have much of a support group or a safety net, but she has a goal and she is determined. Evans has given us so much detail about Faye and her situation that the reader has a great deal of empathy for her and her plight. As events unfold, Faye has to make some hard decisions. Evans clearly plotted this book carefully and keeps Faye's choices true to her character - she doesn't take the easy way out and leads the reader down paths that are sometimes unexpected but feel right.

This book is a delight to read. It is a wonderful blend of the past and present and, along the way, you learn a little bit about archaeology, flint-knapping, historic homes, slavery, and the illegal trade in artifacts. This is the kind of book you recommend to everyone you know - and anxiously await the author's next book.

Favorite character? That is a hard one. Joe, Liz, and Magda are all friends of Faye, are great characters, and are all given great moments in which to shine. I think it has to be a three-way tie. Did I guess it? Yes - but that didn't detract from the book one bit. Will I read another? Just as soon as it comes out!

[...]

Archaeology student Faye Longchamp is struggling to keep her ancestrail home of Joyeuse on Florida's northern gulf coast by illegally digging up artifacts on federal lands and selling them on the black market. However, one day she unearths a human skull and it doesn't look like it's been in the ground for a couple hundred years, more like only three or four decades, so it's not fresh, but not an artifact either, and judging by the head wound, this woman met a violent end. She decides to try and find out who the dead woman was on her own, as she can hardly go to the police and confess that she'd found the skull by illegally pot-hunting.

Then the next day two students on a legitimate dig she'd been working on wind up missing, then their bodies are found in shallow graves and she has to wonder if their deaths are tied in with her own dead person. And, of course, there is a very bad guy out there who wants to keep this all quiet, so Faye is in a spot of trouble.

ARTIFACTS won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence in Mystery and it is easy to see why. This is a story that will keep any mystery buff glued to his chair till the reading is finished. A darned good debut, one you won't be able to put down, that what this book is.

As an archeology-phile, I was predisposed to like this first mystery by Mary Anna Evans. But there is so much more there than just archeology and mystery. Her characters are decidedly physical and real, the disparate elements of her plot, with the helping hand of Fate, dovetail perfectly to keep you reading until all the loose ends have been woven into place.

Faye Longchamp is a tough, smart, gutsy heroine who still savors her few chances to be feminine. Joe Wolf Mantooth, the simple-hearted Indian who shares her home, is a complex, realistic hero. It takes all the wit and strength that either of them has to get through what life throws in their way.

When the book opens, Faye has discovered the remains of a murdered woman while doing some illegal "pothunting" on Federal lands. She can't rest knowing the woman is alone and unavenged, but how can she report her discovery without sending herself to jail? By researching the "case" on her own, until she thinks she has the solution.

But almost immediately, two students working on a legitimate excavation with Faye are shot to death and buried in shallow graves. Does it have anything to do with Faye's find? While she works to make enough money selling black market artifacts to keep up the property taxes on her ancestral home, Joyeuse, she is dogged by the spectre of a man who has killed before, by the large-scale artifact thieves operating just a short distance from her, and by the outside world which has only suspicion for people who live without need of society or technology.

"Artifacts" is a smashing story, blending excerpts from the journal of several generations of former owners of Joyeuse with the contemporary occurrences which Evans weaves into a perfect, but never simple, tapestry of a story.

Blue Planet I was disappointed to see that the book, promised to be unread, had indeed been read. I was astonished to see that the seller had placed stickers bearing his logo on the dust jacket -- three times!

Got this for my 7 year son who loves anything to do with whales and the ocean. Great pictures and interesting facts. It is a beautiful book.

I bought this book for my 9-year-old daughter when she wanted to learn more about the ocean. It's a very beautiful book with amazing pictures.

The Blue Planet - Seas of Life is the companion book to the BBC documentary of the same name. As has been mentioned in earlier reviews, the photography is stunning. The book is very concise, easy to follow (although at times it can get a little technical) and really, just fun to read.

Seeing as how it's the companion book to the series, it has a lot of shared information and is quite similar. Still, there is plenty of new information not mentioned in the series. There are, though, a few differences in the order of programs from the series and chapters from the book...


Programs:

1. OCEAN WORLD

2. FROZEN SEAS

3. OPEN OCEAN

4. THE DEEP

5. SEASONAL SEAS

6. CORAL SEAS

7. TIDAL SEAS

8. COASTS


Chapters:

1. THE WATER PLANET: With water generally so available to us at the turn of a tap, it is easy to forget how essential it is for life on Earth. Water, collected in the great ocean basins, regulates the planet's temperature and climate as well as providing numerous habitats for plant and animal life.

2. LIFE ON THE EDGE: Around the borders of the ocean, where the land meets the sea, lie some of the most challenging of the ocean habitats. From sandy beaches to rocky shores and river estuaries, waves and weather constantly erode coastal areas. While many creatures come here to breed, there are few permanent residents. Those that do live here must be hardy and adaptable enough to survive the daily ebb and flow of the tides, which transform their habitat on a daily basis.

3. TROPICAL SEAS: The warm waters of the tropics are relatively poor in nutrients and oxygen, making substantial stretches of the shallows somewhat barren. However, in certain areas, where conditions are favourable, seagrass beds, mangroves and the most diverse marine communities of all - coral reefs - can be found. The efficient recycling of nutrients in these habitats allows them to flourish.

4. TEMPERATE SEAS: The green, algae-rich waters of the world's temperate zones are some of the most productive on the planet. These intensely seasonal areas see an annual cycle of boom and bust that depends upon the plankton: a bounty for which many animals will migrate thousands of miles to harvest. These waters are also home to most of the world's seaweed and the underwater cliffs are festooned with invertebrates that are as colorful as any coral reef.

5. FROZEN SEAS: The perimeters of the frozen seas of the Arctic and Antarctic attract surprising numbers of birds, seals and whales. But most of these migrate away as the annual sea ice forms in autumn; only a handful remain to cope with the rigours of a polar winter.

6. THE OPEN OCEAN: Much of this seemingly limitless wilderness is a virtual desert, yet in the right conditions life explodes into intense productivity. This is a world in perpetual motion: plankton engage in an incessant daily migration from the dark depths to the surface and back, and many of the most powerful marine predators cruise these shelterless seas in search of prey. But simply finding food is not enough: somehow each species must ensure the survival of their offspring in this most unforgiving of habitats.

7. THE DEEP: Below 150 m (492 feet), where there is no longer enough light for photosynthesis, the deep ocean begins. By far the largest habitat for life on Earth, it is also the one about which we know least, since the enormous pressures and perpetual darkness make exploration extremely difficult. Until very recently thought to be barren, we now know that in these inhospitable waters lives a rich variety of extraordinary creatures that have adapted in a variety of ways for life in this challenging environment.


A great companion book to the series (can also work as a stand-alone volume) is well worth the time it takes to read it, (and it does take a while, seeing as how there's 380+ pages) highly recommended!

This was a very good book and it goes great with the Blue Planet video series. Ocean creatures are amazing. I bet you'll at least find at least one thing in this book you have never known before. If you love the ocean and want to know what's in it, this will be an excellent book to read.

This is a cute book and has personality in it for journaling.

This perpetual calendar without days of the week written on it is a great idea and in true Susan Branch fashion!

Susan Branch's wonderful artwork and stories that are throughout this perpetual calendar/journal always brings a smile. She comes from a large family, and shares creative and thoughtful ideas for entertaining, celebrations, and holidays that I find to be an inspiration. The binding allows it to lay flat, the paper used takes ink nicely, and the dated spaces are generous. Even after making good use of this same book for so long, I've never grown tired of it, and look forward to starting a new one each year. With the purchase of this one for 2007, I now have a row on my bookshelf dating to 1997!

This is the greatest, most beautiful book, calendar! I am going to be giving one of these to everyone for gifts! This book can brighten your day every time you open it, with the beautiful drawings and sayings. You will not be disapointed.

I just discovered Susan Branch's stickers/books/stencils/stamps/etc. I ordered this book for next year, and want to get one for my sister. It's so cute, and there are lots of Susan's drawings and watercolored leaves, flowers, and hearts...I can't wait to start using it. Couldn't find this in the bookstores anymore, so I ordered it from Amazon and got it within 3 days.

Thank you, Lori Paris, for weaving such a sentimental and enriching read. The reader is literally swept away and becomes a part of Sara Martin's heartfelt search for her birth parents -- people she only just found out about at the age of 21, on the sad occasion of her last remaining relative's death. Lori Paris does such an excellent job with rich detail that for the timeframe that you are reading the book, you morph into Sara's close friend, cheering for her to find her happy ending. And she does find a doozy of one -- not without her share of struggle and conflict, but the author wraps everything up very well at the rewarding and satisfying end.

Follow Your Heart is not only suspenseful, but also heartbreaking and hope-filled at the same time. Lori Paris is at a place where many dare not go, and through writing this book, the blessing that she received was to reveal the secret of the human heart, and that love fills our emptiness and loneliness. She took on a difficult subject in a sensitive manner. Because of its uncalculated emotions, she explored the fragility of not only adoptees but also their families with tender care. And in a gentle, loving manner, she brought out the hidden message of her book; that is, to teach the reader to take a chance on the feelings of their heart. She walks the reader down the path of pain, and in the process, discovers love and being loved by a new family, and encourages the reader to take a leap of faith and go on to a hope-filled future.

Paris has written a sweet and fictional love story about adoption. But this is not just a sappy love story. It is about loving and losing, loving again, and loving forever. This is also a must read for any Late Discovery Adoptee (LDA). There are very few books out there that touch on LDA's and their unique circumstances of finding out their adoption status as adults. Paris has a great command of the language and she carries you along. You feel like you are there with her and I had trouble putting it down. It has an incredibly beutiful ending that makes one hope for a better life. "Follow Your Heart" reminds us to do just that...follow our hearts!

Kasey Hamner, M.S., adoptee and author of "Whose Child?" and for LDA's, "Adoption Forum"

Follow Your Heart is a beautifully written novel. Sara has been living with her aunt since she was eight years old. When her aunt dies, Sara discovers the family secret. She was adopted. Lori Paris draws you into Sara's search for her birth parents. This is an inspirational and compelling story. A must read.

Sara Martin was orphaned at the age of 8 and lovingly raised thereafter by her Aunt Reni. Shocked to her core by Reni's sudden death shortly after her college graduation, Sara has yet another, potentially more monumental shock to come. A letter in Reni's safety deposit box addressed to Sara reveals the devastating news that she was adopted as an infant.

With a copy of her original birth certificate her only clue to her origins, Sara hires charismatic private investigator Dennis Miller to search for her birth parents.

As the novel unfolds, Sara eventually meets her entire birth family, including her taciturn and enigmatic father and his young son.

This is a charming, upbeat story about what COULD happen in these types of searches and the fantastic results Sara achieves, results which will enrich her life even as she herself breathes fresh new life into the lives of those she meets.

Lori Paris's characters, including the 4-legged ones, are warm and 3-dimensional, and I guarantee you will fall in love with them as you read this well crafted, uplifting story.

At last a guidebook for women with heart disease by someone who's 'been there'! As a Cardiac Rehabilitation nurse and heart attack survivor, I can attest to the validity of Kathy Kastan's experiences, information, and advice. Patients will find this an invaluable guide to understanding their fears, emotions, conflicts and struggles. While writing from a first person viewpoint, Kathy brings home the impact of heart disease in an understandable and empathetic voice with which readers will instantly identify. I had many "oh, yes, that's so true" moments; the knowledge that another woman walked this path and is such an example of survival is a powerful and motivating message. From the Heart is a must read for medical caregivers of women with heart disease as it provides unique insight and understanding of the hurdles and experiences women endure from event to recovery. I will encourage all my patients and thier families to begin reading this upon diagnosis and throughout their rehabilitation. It is an identifiable,informative,and empowering source of affirmation that recovery and renewal is within our grasp. Ann de Velasco, R.N.

Heart disease is the number one health threat that women face and yet, many women are still unaware of their risks and most don't think it will strike them. And once it does strike, it is often misunderstood since women's symptoms and experiences are often different than men.

Kathy Kastan is to be commended for putting her story, and the stories of other women, into a resource that is motivating, realistic, comprehensive and consistent with current health care recommendations for women with heart disease. It is a book that can help everyone (including health professionals) understand the life changing experience of being diagnosed with heart disease and learn how to re-invent themselves during their healing process.

Many thanks to Kathy for putting her story, and the stories of others, in print! It truly is a guide to not only surviving with heart disease but living life again.

I do not have heart disease, but found this book to be a tremendous resource with practical information for how to be in touch with oneself and go on after any life altering event. It offers valuable insights from the author as well as other people about coping with challenges in life and how to deal effectively with interpersonal relationships (family, friends and workplace). It is also a great resource for support services and provides information about the law pertaining to discrimination based on health issues, so that people can become better advocates for themselves. This book is as useful as a therapist. What a bargain!

FROM THE HEART: A WOMAN'S GUIDE TO LIVING WELL WITH HEART DISEASE comes from an author who underwent emergency bypass surgery at age 42 - and who had to not only physically recover, but had to find new ways to recover emotionally. It's the first written for women to focus on the emotional repercussions of heart disease rather than just physical symptoms and recovery alone, and surveys topics ranging from regaining a strong self-image and handling fears to telling others about illness and learning to rely upon one's body once more. From gaining support to learning how to exercise without fear, FROM THE HEART is an essential reference any women facing heart disease will need, and should be a popular public library lend.

This book is written by a woman, for a female audience. And that's just fine. But in reading it I find that only a small part of the book could be restricted to women only. Things like risk factors are just about the same.

The first risk factor is 'Age fifty-five or older, and postmenopausal.' For men this might read age fifty, and of course postmenopausal doesn't enter into it. But then the rest of the risk factors: blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, family history, weight, exercise, diet -- are identical.

Accepting the few differences in men and women, this is an excellent book on both the technical aspects (i.e. risk factors) and the emotional aspects (i.e. relationships with friends and family) - we men are not that different.

Javed Mohammed did a great service to all people when he wrote his book. The Islam he loves and writes about is the Islam that I have experienced in many parts of the world. He and Rumi would have gotten on well.

It opened my eyes about all matters Islam and also validated something that I have always suspected -- there are very many similarities between faiths that on the surface appear to be vastly different. I particularly enjoyed the perspective on Silicon Valley, the Art of Marriage Part II, the wedding speech, and the After Word.
Chiara DiGeronimo

Javed Mohammed has written an inspired and inspiring book. It contains messages for all of us as we aspire to live meaningful and moral lives Alison Weir Freelance Journalist

I am a Muslim living in the United States, and this book is the first one in a long time that made me feel proud to be Muslim. It also made me feel good to be alive. If you need a small book to carry with you for daily inspiration, this is the one.

Javed Mohammed is a friend whom I have grown to respect and trust in our sporadic time together. He is a thoughtful man, one who is dedicated to his profession and his religion. In this book he shares some of the inspirational thoughts, readings, and speeches that he has come across in his life experience. He shares them with us, providing insights and introspection that is well worth our time.

We can, after reading this wonderful volume, be ready to gather our own gems throughout the day. Tom Campbell (US Congressman - R/CA) put it well: "A must read for all American youth and adults. This book informs and illuminates the way through inspirational Muslim literature."