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What a brave woman this author is. She bears her soul for all to read. Her heart wrenching journey leaves you feeling hopeful in the face of any adversity and truly empowered as if all things really are possible.
I count Connie May fowler as one of my living heros!

Haven't we all wished at one time or another that we had talked the significant others in our beloved's past?!?!


After knowing and teaching with Connie May for a number of years, I waited far too long to read Katie; Connie May had left the building. And I now long to share my thoughts with her.

Her compelling memoir strikes a chord with anyone who has walked away from the carnage of a love/hate relationships, and of the fear that forces one to stay too long.

I will say that Connie Mae's courageous relevations bring to the surface the consequences of failing to "out" the abusive for fear of sounding like a victim, even though, typically, an abuser--be their tactics verbal, psychological, physical--or any combination thereof, trumps the will of their partner with the ploy of taunting and by suggesting that "you enjoy playing the victim role."

These masters of their own game create a nearly unbreakable cycle by constant character atacks that serve to undermine ego structures,and emtional equillibrium. The resulting co-dependency morphs into a version of the Stockholm Syndrome, wherein ties to the captor are reinforced.

As anyone who has experienced this "crazy-making" life knows,it is a long, hard recovery, but failure to expose exploitaton is like an endorsement that permits him/her to move on to yet another target, whom he/or she will expertly convince that the former spouse,lover or colleague was "crazy" and presenting themselves, instead, as the abused.


Connie May's courage makes us all want to stand up and shout!

There's no question Connie May Fowler is a gifted story teller and extremely talented writer. Some passages are so searing and full of truth I've gasped when reading them. Unfortunately, the story she tells here is not fiction. I won't go into the plot because other reviewers have.
But I will say that this book will open up the eyes of readers who wonder why rape and domestic violence can damage people so deeply. In telling her story, Fowler goes further - also showing how 'teasing' and discrimination against someone because of the appearance of their face can cause deep and life-lasting scars. So far, the latter is a problem barely touched on by authors and psychologists.
Read this book with an open mind, and you'll find her story underscores how cruelty, shaming and bullying can almost blow out the flame of a promising human being before she even gets a chance to realize her own talent.
Conversely, this book demonstrates how kindness and compassion can help a suffering soul survive and even bloom.
Fowler is never pitiful and pathetic, and even when the most degrading acts are done to her, she remains a person with dignity.
Free from cruelty and shame at last and embraced by love, the real Connie Fowler emerges in the end.

Connie May Fowler's, "When Katie Wakes" is masterful glimpse into the soul of a battered women. I could not put this book down once I started and I finished it in an afternoon. A heartfelt account of one women's journey from both inner and outer torments to wakefulness and a sort of freedom, I would recommend this book to anyone. Fowler's easy writing style opens the door for us to descend easily into the hell that is home to the battered woman. Often wondering exactly what is was that kept a woman from mentally walking away from her abuser when she could physically do so, Fowler's insight has put the answer into perspective and I will never have to ask that question again.

When you get right down to it, authors like Connie May Fowler are not much different than the rest of us. Fowler bears the scars of a horrific childhood and early adulthood, one strewn with the wreckage of a shattered self-image fueled by the alcoholic abuse of her mother and the degradation of a hideous relationship with an older man. She, as have many of her readers, has suffered through despair thick enough to reduce her to attempted suicide and has faced the depths of self-abdication so profound that she began to absorb the very evil identity her tormented partner imposed on her.

What makes Fowler different from us, however, is language. In her hands, words make anguish palpable, sadness tangible, struggle imperative. As an author, Fowler is able to make sense of her life, and, in so doing, help us make sense of ours. "When Katie Wakes" may well be the most brutally coarse and ugly memoir you will ever read, but, at the same time, one of the most beautiful and impassioned pleas for individual integrity and indomitability ever composed. It is nothing less than a masterpiece.

Though Ms. Fowler credits her adoption of a loyal and loving dog, Katie, as the symbolic act of reclamation and reaffirmation of life, she sells herself far short. The grandchild and child of abused women, the child Fowler becomes the target of her drunken mother's rage. The Fowler children become adept actors, hiding the shame of family disgrace and brutality under the veneer of achievement. Keeping verbal assaults invisble, preventing others from recognizing the constant physical beatings absorbed by Mama, Connie's family life resembled "smoke and mirrors, deception and shame." A "wall of silence" shrouded suffering. As a child, Connie received sustenance from words and books, and her resultant triumph as an adult vindicates her choice. Her older sister, however, absorbs and internalizes the viciousness of her home, and, consequently, develops anorexia as an adult.

In a remarkable self-portrait, Fowler describes a wretched adult woman, unloved, unlovable, disgusting and repulsive. Her self-hatred is "untainted and unhinged." She believes herself "so ugly" that only an abusive, impotent, failed radio celebrity would be willing to love her. Yet, there is not a single note of self-pity in this wrenching memoir. Fowler reminds us that her mother's life, obliterated from a childhood rape, transcends her own in loss. Mama was "an angry woman who believed life had let her down. And it had." From disappointment to the target of her own husband's physical abuse, Fowler's mother recirculates and intensfies the pain, deliberately deflecting it on her children.

As a young woman, Fowler has not escaped her mother's imprint. Indeed, her chosen partner encapsulates her mother's jagged opinion. Tense is irrelevant when Fowler hears herself described as "stupid," or "an ungrateful whore," or a "lousy excuse" of a lover or daughter. When she hears her mother decry her existence, "I wish...I had died the day you were born," Fowler must come to grips with an essential life choice: descent into emotional self-immolation or ascent into a struggle for life and affirmation.

"When Katie Wakes" bravely portrays Fowler's battle for identity and wholeness. Her steadfast determination to "take responsibility for my own happiness, for my own sense of self-worth" is the best medicine for any person struggling to make sense of inner turmoil and despair. When she proclaims her need to discover "what my placer in the world should be," she speaks for any person on the cusp of a life-altering decision searching for the courage to embrace life's potential. This emotion-laden memoir is eloquent testimony to the ability of one person to wrestle life from death, hope from despair, the future from the past.

This is a terrific book with wonderful ideas on how to reach out to your community! The author encourages low-to-no-pressure ways to share your love of Christ with your neighborhood. It is an encouraging read that inspires you to get out and do good! I recommend this book to anyone interested in changing the world, one cup of coffee at a time.

As the author I want to share my thoughts on this book...

When it comes to being 'conductors' of the love of God there is no end to what can happen when God's Spirit shows up. He causes his people to fall in love with others. That love brings us each to a place of availability to God in reaching out to our surrounding community. This upward spiral widens until we are in touch with larger numbers of people. We end up loving great numbers of people in more profoundly touching ways - all because God grabbed us by the collar to begin with and wouldn't let us go until we were willing to express the love we received out to others. Therein lies the great joy of the life of Christ followers - greater fulfillment in losing than in winning - greater glory in coming in last than in coming in at a place perceived to be the top of the dog pile.
This book helps us to get this notion straight - we are the ones who find glory in coming in last. And it helps us set up a lifestyle of losing in a strategic way over and over by a multitude of serving projects that are proven to work. All the projects are easy and highly doable.

Try them and see. You may become a voice for serving in your neck of the woods as well!

Steve Sjogren

I'd like too much, so I showed to my friend and he got it from me.

I had another flash drive for 3 yrs and it literally broke down. Kingston is great! It has more memory and very easy to use. Just put it into the USB drive and open. I am storing all kinds of documents for each project I am working on.

I love it!

Share your love, and show everyone a little bit of Christ! You may be the only kind touch a person receives, and it could be something that opens doors to a different perspective on life. Jesus is an example we should all follow, and this book shows simple ways of performing tasks that will brighten the day of strangers, who will be curious as to why you're doing it. Break the ice with a bottle of water, a smile and a bit of happiness. Let Jesus' light shine!

I ordered the book at Amazon because the shipping cost was much less (to Europe) than if I would have ordered the book from Cisco.

This book covers most QoS materials used in Cisco 642-642 Exam helping candidates get to know about QoS theory and Cisco router and switch configuration for several networks components (LAN, WAN, Service Provider). With small errata you can get at Cisco Press makes this book an excellent resource for QoS students.

I was floundering in QOS in my lab preparation, so I picked this book up on the advice of an architect I work with. Since then I've seen it recommended by many very senior engineers, and I know why. If you have some hands-on with modern QOS (Modular QOS CLI...) you will get a *lot* out of this book. I poured through it in about a week and it filled in a ton of gaps. Great writing style, about as much a "page-turner" as you can find on a subject this dry.

I really appreciated the overview chapters, as I managed to get a patchwork knowledge of QOS, and the follow-ups were sufficiently detailed to give solid depth of understanding. Also, don't toss the CD out, it's not just some goofy test engine for the VOIP test. It has the first edition's chapters that were cut out. If you're working toward the CCIE R&S, this is really important as the CD contains the Frame Relay Traffic Shaping chapter.

If you're doing QOS or studying for the CCIE R&S, read this cover to cover, at least twice. Good stuff all around. I also have "End-to-End QOS Network Design" as well, but haven't gotten to it yet or I'd comment on the differences.

This is an excellent book for QoS. I recommend this for anyone interested in mastering QoS.

Well I originally bought this book to help study for the 642-642 QOS exam. I certainly used it for that and then some. It covered all of the exam topics pretty well and for me was an easy read. I might add that I ended up scoring a 905 on the exam, so it can be done!!
What I didnt realize was that I would use it even more after the fact for a reference on deploying QOS for customer networks. Definitelt worth the money for this book.

I bought the version of T W Parnells book that came with two audio CDs. I had two weeks to prepare for my postal exam and would not have scored in the top 5 percent of my testing group without this excellant book. The audio practice test CD replicated the exact time and instructions of the real test. I went into the exam knowing exactly what to expect and had practiced all of the helpful test taking tips numerous times. I finished each section of the test before the time limit, giving me time to review my answers and correct any mistakes. I am now near the top of the list of eligible candidates for employment with my local post office. I strongly recommend buying the pencils too. Thanks Mr. Parnell and good luck to everyone waiting to take the test. Buy this book and you will do great. Gary Fetters

WHEN I RECEIVED THE LETTER FOR THE EXAME I STARTED A LITTLE SEARCH FOR BOOKS TO PREPARE MY SELF FOR WHAT WAS COMING, AT ONE POINT I HAD 9 BOOKS AT MY HOUSE BUT NONE OF THEM WAS JUST FOR THE 473 EXAME. I'M SO GLAD I SEARCHED ONLINE FOR THIS ONE, THE BOOK IS SO EASE TO UNDERSTAND AND THE CD YOU CAN PLAY ANYWERE YOU WANT, HALF OF THE BOOK IS EXAMES PREP LAID OUT JUST LIKE THE REAL ONES, YOU CAN TIME YOURSELF AND BE READY. I DID IT, THE EXAME WAS VERY EASE FOR ME AND I FINISH ALL THE QUESTIONS WITH TIME TO SPARE. GREAT BOOK!

This is a fantastic book filled with great information, tips and wonderful practice tests....IF you ever even get a chance to take the post office exam. I ordered this book as well as another post office book a few weeks after applying for the exam hoping to prepare. Well, it's been over three months, the books came and I am prepared...but I still haven't even heard word back when I will, and if ever will be scheduled to take the exam. I didn't know this before (the book even states it) but it can take many months, even up to a year or so to be scheduled for the exam after applying for it. Even AFTER the exam (and passing), it can take YEARS to even get an interview. That's even if you get selected and you haven't been thrown out or forgotten about. You may even have to take the test again (and go through the whole waiting process and exam AGAIN). Regardless, The book is great and is a wonderful help and is essential if you want to do well (preparing) for the exam. I wish I could give feedback on how it really helped me, but I don't know yet. I recomend this book, but you don't need to rush out and buy it right after applying for the exam. You won't need it that soon. It won't hurt, but if you do, you will have PLENTY of time to prepare.

How can I put this? I got the job!!! If you only buy one book this year, other than the new Harry Potter one obviously, then THIS is the book to buy. Of course I am assuming that you WANT to have a job with double the pay of any other entry level job, immediate full benefits, and job security out the "wazoo".

I used Mr. Parnell's book as an aid in preparing for the 473-c postal exam. I read it cover to cover, went through each of the practice exams, and found that my confidence and speed improved dramatically with each testing. After grading my practice exams my scores went from the high 80's to the high 90's. This book is a godsend!

When I went to take the real exam, I wasn't nervous; I was prepared! I found that I was completely at ease and that I was able to focus on the questions, rather than the jitters. Mr. Parnell's book is precisely the same format and question types that you will see on the current exam.

After receiving my score back from the post office (6 weeks is about normal), I had my first interview within a month. The interviewer informed me that my score was the highest (unadjusted for military service) that he had seen! Oh, did I mention, I got the job!!!

I was SO satisfied with this study guide, I'm now looking at the other study guides in preparation for advancement exams to help with promotions to higher paying positions as well.

Buy the book. The very first hour you work at your new job will pay for it twice over. How can afford not to?

This book is produced in three versions to suit your study preferences. These are:

The Original Postal Exam 473 & 473-C Study Guide -- This version is text only. It has reference material and sample exams with many test taking tips.

Complete Postal Exam 473 & 473-C Training Program with 2 Test Prep Audio CD's -- This is the same book, but two audio CD's read it to you while you follow along in the book. Using two senses, eyes and ears increase the retention of information.

New Postal Exam 473 & 473-C Computer-Based Course -- This is again the same book, but there is a CD that contains both test prep classes and realiztic practice exams, you'll need an internet ready PC with Windows to use this version.

If you want a job with the Postal Service as a Clerk, City Carrier, Mail Handler, etc. you have to take the 473 Exam. You MUST score high if you want a career in the Postal Service, and in order to score high you need this book. This study guide was the best investment I have ever made. Straightforward and to the point, very precise. This is THE one and only Postal Exam 473 study guide to purchase. Using this study guide, I achieved a very high score, and could not have done so without diligently using this guide by Mr. Parnell. The audio CD is just like the actual test. The most valuable part of this book is the section on Coding and Memory, the strategies presented for this section have to be the best you will find in any study guide on the market. This study guide will help you to achieve a top score if you use it diligently. In addition to using Mr.Parnell's study guide, I purchased his Speed Marking & Test Scoring Pencils, and they make all the difference in the world! When I took the test, other test takers spent unnecessary time coloring in the ovals on the answer sheet. With the special pencils I purchased, I filled in the ovals in half the time! Customer Service is also top notch, Mr. Parnell is very friendly and knowledgeable of this test and the Postal Service. If you want a career with the Postal Service, start by purchasing this study guide, use it diligently, and you will achieve the score you want!

This book is packed with ideas on winning back customers. It takes CRM to a new level. The authors have a great understanding of what motivates the customers' decisions.

We have utilized Customer Winback as a tool in taking our organization to the next level of service recovery. As a healthcare organization renowned for service excellence, we found that this book assisted us in developing new approaches through the case studies and examples offered by the authors. The information provided is clear, straightforward and easy to translate to any industry. It is refreshing to read a book that focuses of the value of keeping existing customers rather than constant recruitment of new customers. I would highly recommend Customer Winback.

This book deals with the often neglected area of bringing customers back once you have lost them. Griffin and Lowenstein give the reader numerouse specific strategies and tools for winning back lost customers, saving customer before they defect and "making your company defection-proof."

As I have stated in my review for "The Journal of Consumer Marketing",each chapter summarizes the points succinctly in a method that allows the reader to digest the material for long-term memory.

This book is right for people who have,had, or hope to have customers. It is one of the most comprehensive books on getting,keeping and getting back customers that I have encountered. It is for people who teach marketing and for people who do marketing.

Customer Winback has great information and wonderful examples (presented in depth) of what companies can do to address a much-neglected area of customer service--winning back lost customers. It shows how this concept is just as important as emphasizing customer loyalty and customer satisfaction in not only maintaining customers, but keeping them delighted and coming back to buy more.

It is very well organized, well-written and covers a wide range of material. It also gives you many ideas to implement at your own company. Just one chapter provides you with more substance than many entire books. This is an excellent customer service book and a must for customer service managers. I recommend it highly.

Customer Winback has great information and wonderful examples (presented in depth) of what companies can do to address a much-neglected area of customer service--winning back lost customers. It shows how this concept is just as important as emphasizing customer loyalty and customer satisfaction in not only maintaining customers, but keeping them delighted and coming back to buy more.

It is very well organized, well-written and covers a wide range of material. It also gives you many ideas to implement at your own company. Just one chapter provides you with more substance than many entire books. This is an excellent customer service book and a must for customer service managers. I recommend it highly.

I first rented this book from the library, it was such a help and packed with so much information that I decided to purchase a copy to have at my finger tips at all times. It's filled with all kinds of information for any cook not just party information. Excellent book.

Denise Vivaldo has done it again with a party book that actually gives practical, step-by-step directions. So many books look great, but when you read through them, they are just fluff. Not Denise. Her book spells everything out in detail--even to the point of telling you how to fix burned food, overcooked vegetables, lumpy gravy, etc. Let's face it--mistakes happen. What can we do now??

I also really appreciated her correct table layouts for those of us, like myself, who are "table setting challenged." Oh, so that's where the bread plate goes!

I am looking forward to trying out her recipes. They look wonderful.

I love this book, it has a wealth of useful information with an excellent format. If you purchase this book, you will not be dissapointed.

by Judy Bart Kancigor, author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

from The Orange County Register
January 25, 2007

I am not a football fan. My idea of a super bowl is my mother's Val St. Lambert. But I do love a party, so if my centerpiece has to be the TV, hey, think of what I'm saving on flowers!

My Superbowl guest list is growing each day, and I'm getting nervous. Just how much food do I need for a crowd? And then there's the expense. Not to worry. With Denise Vivaldo's cookbook and catering guide "Do It For Less! Parties" I know I can throw a bash that won't stress me out and won't break the bank.

"People are not used to cooking in quantities," said Vivaldo, a classically trained chef and caterer, whose company, Food Fanatics, specializes in recipe development, consulting, and food styling for print, film and television. "It freaks them out to see how much food they've got. Is it enough? It is too much?" This book eliminates the guesswork with recipes given in chart form for 12, 25, 50 or 75 guests. "Remember, the more things you have on the menu, the smaller the portions you need to serve," Vivaldo advised.

But how much will this party cost, I wonder. "When people entertain, they spend a lot of money instead of keeping it simple," Vivaldo noted. "If you're having a lot of people, you don't have to offer a complete bar. Why not make one kind of drink, say Cosmopolitans, and add something non-alcoholic and some water and you've got it."

This seasoned professional, who has catered 10,000 parties (serving the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bette Midler and Prince Charles), reveals her tricks of the trade for everything from planning the menu to napkin folding.

"When we're entertaining, we're all our own harshest critics," she said. "But if someone else has set the table, the simplest meal is divine."

Vivaldo offers nine complete party themes, each with a menu, shopping list, decorating ideas (including invitations, table linens, favors and entertainment), time- and money-saving tips, an equipment list and a menu countdown, so you're not doing everything at the last minute.

"You don't need to spend a lot of money on matching linens," Vivaldo advised. "Look around your house. Everything doesn't have to match. Be creative. You can use a Mexican serape or even $10 sheets from Target. People don't come to your home to see your couch. They come for the company and a glass of wine."

For Superbowl I'll score with the Toscana menu: Classic Caesar Salad, Chilled Penne Pasta with Pesto and Pine Nuts, Italian Meatball Lasagna, Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter Sauce, Tiramisu, and Chocolate Almond Biscotti. Touchdown!

Vivaldo's game plan makes it all simple, starting with shopping for non-perishables the week before. I see two days before the game I can prepare the gnocchi dough and biscotti, with the bulk of the cooking the following day. On party day I have only to cook the gnocchi, reheat the lasagna and gnocchi sauce, toss the salad and brew coffee. Then I can relax and enjoy the game. Or you enjoy the game and I'll enjoy you!

"People make themselves crazy when they entertain," Vivaldo reflected. "If you could enjoy yourself more, you would do it more often."

CHILLED PENNE PASTA WITH PESTO AND PINE NUTS
from "Do It For Less! Parties" (Terrace) by Denise Vivaldo

1 1/2 pounds penne pasta (uncooked)
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
4 cups fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup walnuts
4 garlic cloves, peeled
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1. Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta in batches until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes, being careful not to overcook. Drain. Drizzle with a little olive oil if needed to keep from sticking.
2. Process basil leaves, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper with a food processor until mixture forms a coarse paste. Taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Toss cooked pasta and pesto together in a large mixing bowl (in batches if needed for manageability). Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
3. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serves 12 (options for 25, 50 and 75 in the book)

This has got EVERYTHING in it, no joke. From locations to amounts of food you need per persong at any party....budget pages... SO USEFUL! i am never going to let this book go! if you are thinking about getting it...don't bother...JUST DO IT!

This is a great, straightforward reference. It covers everything any person needs to know about dining etiquette without any useless "filler" material. The audio format is great and the speaker is one of the best I have listen to.

After a few months as a first year associate at my law firm, one of my former law school classmates told me that their firm had sent its new associates to an etiquette class. I decided that it might be a good idea for me to brush up on my etiquette skills as well, so I purchased this CD and also the Food Scholar Wine Basics CD. I recommend both for new professionals to prepare them for any "dining" situation they may encounter in their first jobs. These situations frequently fall into the "you don't know what you don't know" category of student knowledge.

I, for one, had very little experience in more formal dining situations upon graduating from school. This CD was just what I needed to get myself up-to-speed. It is well-organized and well-presented, covering a number of very specific situations that convey the elements of common sense and consideration that underlie all etiquette.

The author thankfully avoids spending time on how to arrange the seating at a state dinner. What he offers is practical, usable advice on the types of real social interactions that occur in all kinds of business. A very useful CD and well worth the price. Definitely five stars.

I will be graduating from college this year and have started to interview for jobs. I have a decent GPA, am in the career placement office every week for advice, and have spent hours polishing my resume. I thought that I had all my bases covered. Then I started actually interviewing for jobs. I have already had three interviews that included meals and two "mixers" with drinks and appetizers. It was a little overwhelming. I could tell there was an order to things I did not completely understand. A friend recommended this Dining Etiquette CD, so I ordered it. I had yet another meal during an interview after listening to it. It made a big difference. Knowing what to do at every turn during the meal was a confidence booster and I am sure it helped me appear more polished and professional. I HIGHLY recommend it, Two Thumbs Up.

A good etiquette book should sit on every professional's bookshelf alongside "how to win friends" and "7 habits." I purchased this book along with Essential Etiquette Fundamentals, Vol. 2: Wine Selection & Etiquette and The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success to cover all the bases. These books do an excellent job covering the important etiquette skills often overlooked in today's environment. Although often underappreciated, exhibiting proper etiquette signals to others (especially your boss and clients) that you are well educated, care about detail, and have respect for others. I highly recommend these books for anyone new to the business world or for those of us who may need to brush up on the basics.

The last book on CD my wife and I bought was terrible: mens' voices for female characters, etc. And what's the alternative on the radio? Pop music or Howard Stern? I spend twenty percent of my waking life in my car. I might as well spend it wisely. The Food Scholar is easy listening and presented in a way that makes the information easy to learn and remember.

This was a great buy. Much cheaper than purchasing in the school store.
Delivery was fast and reliable. This book is a great investment for anyone in fashion design or any other form of the fashion industry.

This book is a great source for aspiring fashion illustrators. I would highly recommend it. Teaches you how every aspect from shading, to creating fabric folds, to drawing lace, and plaids. In addition to this book I would also recommendDraw Fashion Models! (Discover Drawing Series), which briefly goes into how to draw flats.

This book is great. It's excellent help for anyone interested in sketching fashion figures or going into fashion.
Bina Abling has published lots of books, but each edition of this Fashion Sketchbook keeps getting better and more refined.

This book was exactly what I needed for my fashion illustration class. I received it in perfect condition. I really like it!

This is The authority on illustrating for fashion. Abling's attention to detail and artistic ability make her a perfect tutor on the topic, and every explanation is clear--it's the sort of thing where you look at the example, and it clicks in your head, "Oh, Now I see!".

The book goes over Everything you need, but in case you want to know exactly what is inside, here is a quick summary:

Ch 1: Fashion Figure Proportions
Figures on grids broken down in several ways, extensive work on proportion. Abling divides figures into geometric shapes: foot, head, hips, chest, upper arm, thigh; she then puts them together, showing how they fit and relate to one anther. It then goes further and shows how different poses and types of movement affect the torso (upper and lower), as well as different types/shapes of figures, from the elongated fashion figure to petite and full. The chapter also features a figure map, interpretations of anatomy, different poses and artistic approaches, balance, and movement.

Ch 2: Basic Figure Forms
Drawing legs, arms, feet, shoes, hands, fingers, and foreshortening. There are so many helpful diagrams from multiple perspectives, numerous poses.

Ch 3: Model Drawing
Gesture drawing, exercises on isolated sections of the body, angles, and more; balance line, supporting leg (where the weight is distributed so the figure looks planted to the ground, not floating around or unevenly/awkwardly perched), arms.

Ch 4: Fashion Heads
Faces, different ethnicities, facial features, dissection of the head with a map on the placement of eyes, nose, lips, etc. The head in different positions, from different angles; techniques to maintain proportion and balance: diamond technique, working with angles and planes of the face, shading/highlights/shadows. Hair: styles, hairlines, period styles.

Ch 5: Drawing Men
Comparison to female figure, legs, arms, hands, hair, gesture, dressing the figure, suits, and details on how the fabric falls, where to put certain features like the cuff, armhole, etc. Proportions, classic menswear techniques, fashion croquis technique, vintage styles.

Ch 6: Drawing Children
Proportions by age, with many dissections and comparisons, tons of helpful illustrations and examples. Infants, toddlers, children, tweens; heads, facial expressions, hairstyles, arms, hands, legs, feet, vintage styles.

Ch 7: Garment and Garment Details
Necklines, collars, sleeves (different types, lengths, etc), skirts (folds, fall of fabric, gathering, flaring, volume, pleats), pants (folds, gathering, lengths, fit), blouses, blazers, jackets, coats, ruffles, smocking, shirring, cowls, fur, quilting, formal gowns, applying the concepts to garments.

Ch 8: Accessories
Jewelry and how they sit on the body, eyewear, hats (male, female), belts (types, fit), trims, notions, closures, handbags, shoes (different angles, heel heights, types).

Ch 9: Basic Rendering Techniques
Working with stripes and other fabric types/prints. Shading, highlighting, rendering with marker, fall fabrics, more fabric types: shiny fabrics, flat/matte, sheers, layers, velvet, satins, chiffon, etc. Working with all black fabrics.

Ch 10: Color Rendering
Chapter features color renderings to show skin tones, menswear with marker, children; using gouache, using watercolors, rendering hair in color.

Ch 11: Drawing Knits
Necklines, knit patterns, treatments/embellishments.

Ch 12: Designer Sketching and Fashion Illustration
Poses: I-pose, S-pose, X-pose, T-pose. Attitude, "look" and feel, style, emphasis.

Ch 13: Drawing Flats and Specs
Layout styles, freehand sketching, proportion, chart on measurements by size: Women, Men, Unisex, Belts, Hats, Socks. Gathering, buttons, closures, top stitching. Mixing croquis and flat drawings.

Ch 14: Layout
Combining multiple drawings, elements, or figures; groupings,

Appendix
More necklines, collars, sleeves, armholes, tops, dresses, skirts, pants, jackets, coats, sleepwear, underwear, design details, ties, hats, waistlines, pockets, handbags, shoes, collars, cuffs.
One of the neatest sections in the book is titled "problem spots" and features examples of the right and wrong way to do various details. Showing examples of how amateurs or beginners make mistakes and then showing the correct way works So well! Better than explanation, this simple and clear approach is crucial.

This book is filled with immensely helpful diagrams, exercises, and demonstrations. Every part of it is useful to students and designers, and because it is so comprehensive, this could be the single most important book in fashion illustration. If you could only have one book on the subject, get Fashion Sketchbook by Bina Abling.

Author Lisa Belkin did her research, in this riveting book. Many who enter the field of medicine do care about helping people; doctors do care about their patients and are frustrated by health insurance, legal concerns and concerns for the patient and their families.

Based in a hospital in Houston, where Belkin did her research, you will not put down this book.

You will feel new empathy for doctors who agonize over the end of life issues with patients and their families.

i really like this book. touching stories that open your brain to different dilemmas in medical ethics, a subject i enjoy reading about. i lent it to several friends, all of whom loved the book.

I enjoyed the book. Makes you think about ethics a bit and the reality of financial constraints on the practice of medicine.

Lisa Belkin has created an amazing book here - she definitely did her research. The book consists of a few case studies of patients who pose ethical dilemas. Belkin takes you inside meetings of the ethics committee at the hospital, she takes you to the patient's bedside to see what the patient actually wants. Some of the patients she follows are a young kid who has been hospitalized for 15 years with a terminal condition, beating all odds by staying alive that long, several premature babies, and a man who was paralyzed almost completely after getting shot in the spine. It's a great look at medical ethics - Lisa Belkin's book asks all the right questions.

The book is in a very easy-to-read format - the stories of the patients she follows are all intertwined throughout the book. For example, you'll read about Patrick for 30-or-so pages, and then she'll switch over to update you on Taylor's story. She does this because you are reading the stories in "real time" as they happened; all of this took place in a certain time span in the hospital. It's exciting and fast-paced non-fiction - I read it in two days and didn't put it down.

It will break your heart, because often the ethics committee has to bring money into the discussion, as much as they would like to treat every patient as if money was not an issue. This book is SO worth reading, for anyone who is interested in medicine and healthcare at all.

This book will keep you wanting to turn the page and make it hard to put down the book. This is a great explanation of real life situations that patients and hospitals face everyday. Some of the situations that are hard for some people to understand why hospitals are concerned with matters like money and certain treatments of patients can be explained.

I'm the pastor of a Wesleyan church in the US and I have been learning to pray the Daily Office - morning and evening prayer. This little book is great for a travel prayer book, as it is smaller and much less complicated than the Benedictine Daily Prayer.

As a protestant, I have to adjust some of the wording about Mary and the saints, but that is a small sacrifice for the joy of praying with the larger church throughout history!

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who seeks to deepen his or her experience of God through dedicated times of prayer each day!

This book is a perfect introduction into the liturgy of prayer. It is basically a simplified version of the Liturgy of the Hours (simplified in complexity, not content). Each day of the week has morning and evening prayer. There are also prayers for mid-morning, noon, afternoon and evening. Also included is a very nice selection of traditional prayers (the Creed, Act of Contrition, etc.) as well as prayers for various occasions. At the end of the book there is a selection of quotes from the Rules of St. Benedict.

This prayer book is put out by the Benedictine community of Glenstal Abbey in Ireland. The book is a slim volume and is easily carried around. It is perfect for someone (like myself) who wants to develop the habit of prayer and needs a nice introduction to it. There is only one ribbon to move around and it just goes from one day of the week to another. The prayers and liturgies are fairly short and can be done in five or ten minutes. The prayers for mid-morning, etc., are perfect for doing in your car before or after lunch (in the parking lot, not propped up on your steering wheel).

If you are looking for a great tool to help you develop the habit of prayer and that is easy to incorporate into your home and work life, this is it.

Simple reverant prayers in the Benedictine tradition that brings the holy to the every day. A wonderful book to bring along whenever one is seeking a practice to remember the art of spiritual surrender.

The secular prayerful person may find in this prayer book a schema of prayer accessible to and useful for the person who cannot give up their day job for contemplative purposes. I keep a copy on my prayer table at all times, and find it very useful for constant prayer.

Unlike other such Books of Common Prayer or Monastic Diurnals, it is not overwhelming in its requirements. It gently and lightly suggests a system of prayer for every day of the week, and for the holidays, morning and evening, following the traditional monastic format which dates back before Saint Benedict. No wonder as Glenstal is a Benedictine Abbey.

It also includes much of the traditional prayers once so well known but now difficult to locate, in a very useful and handy lay out. Many of those traditional prayers heard at your grandmother-s knee and not heard since but cherished in memory are represented here, as well as suggestions for prayers at every occassion of the day.

Highly recommended for anyone wishing to introduce regular prayer into their lives (or the life which God has so generously lent to us) as a centering worship of recollection and peace in God-s love. An urgently necessary element of any prayerful life.

I have been looking for a good benedictine prayer book that is easy to follow, and practical for my Oblate studies, and the Glenstal book fits the bill. The monks of Glenstal really put clever thought in putting together this book of prayer for non-monks. Thank you for an excellent tool for lay-monastics, and anyone interested in a solid book of christian prayer.