Communications Books

I bought this book because it was a textbook for a sportscasting class that I am currently taking. The insights and working wisdom in this book are phenomenal! I can see why the professor, an ESPN alum, chose to use this as his textbook. The interviews are well written and explain not only the subtleties of sportscasting, but also hammer home the basic fundamentals of good sports broadcasting. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to broadcast, from little leagues to the pros.

Probably the best primer on breaking in. I use this text in a course I teach. Well recommended by other collegues.

Len Clark station manager of WUEV-FM, A Practical Guide for Success for Beginners and Professionals Aspiring to the Next level Tom Hedrick and Diamond Communications have published the ultimate text for students interested in pursuing a career in sports broadcasting, and for practing broadcast professionals. This step by step guide offers insight and advice to help individuals each and every step of the way.

This book gave me more info than any other book of its kind. I would recommend this book to anyone. Even if you weren't already interested in sportscasting before reading this book--you will be by the time you finish!

If you are just starting out in the business , this is the book for you , due to its insight on not just the game itself , but the before (preparation) , during (working with others) , and after (reviewing your work) aspects of the job. For those who have been in the business , but are looking to take that next step , this is the book for you. My first time out after reading this book , my interviews were crisper , my work with others was more professional , and the end result was a more solid product. If you are serious about sportscasting as a career , this book will give you the insight to help make it happen!

I enjoyed reading this book and putting some of Brook's ideas into action. How easy it is to forget the simple things in life can be the most important times we can share with our children. You don't have to spend money to have a strong bond with your family it only takes time together. Thanks Brook for opening my eyes to things I failed to remember.

When I think about violence among teens and the utterly essential role that parents play in raising children, I wonder what specific steps we can take to do a better job, and to live more humanely.

I've never found a book with practical answers -- until now, that is. Brook Noel should run for President. Her heart is in the right place, her excellent writing comes from that wonderful place, and her practical steps for how America can get back to basics make total sense.

How can we improve our lives and give more to our children? The policy wonks wonder and scratch around. Noel has figured it out. If you want to improve your own life and add heaps of love to your family life -- in short, if you want to get your priorities straight -- read this book.

There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. ~Freya Stark

Brook Noel has created a Family 101 manual that reads more like an enjoyable idea book. Throughout her writing she shows a talent for selecting the important priorities in family life.

Many of the idea present new opportunities for growth, like her idea about a gratitude journal. She delves into interesting ideas about why we should laugh more to combat negative feelings and improve our health.

I loved her story about her daughter and the "I love you" story. She also presents important information about brain development in the first three years of life. Other helpful topics:

Eliminate Morning Madness
Sanity Saving Family Meetings
Chore and Reward Systems

Back to Basics is the perfect book for new parents or for anyone who is trying to heal their family and solve some of the main problems that occur in daily life.

~The Rebecca Review

I saw the author speak in Vancouver, Washington where she gave the keynote address at a local parenting conference. She was down-to-earth, friendly, and very encouraging. I'm glad I read her book. The book's introduction "Cherish Your Wood Chips" is a classic, insightful look into the priorities of a loving parent's heart -- and probably well worth the cover price of the book just for the thoughtful message of the intro.

Back to Basics addresses a core problem in America, the disintegration of the family unit. As a father and husband, I have been frustrated at the difficulty of maintaining strong family values, relationships and interaction. Our society doesn't place high emphasis on fixing family unit problems rather it spends a tremendous amount of time treating the symptons - higher crime, delinquency, higher divorce rates and more time with therapists. If we fix the core family and it's value systems - a lot of the other problems are diminished.

Hat's off to Brook for creating a book that addresses a fundamental issue in america today.

By taking the reader on a journey through her own follies, adventures and heartaches, Patrice Dickey traces the twisted pathway from shadow to joy. The author exposes her own vunlerabilities as a mechanism to extend a hand to to others seeking to make sense of the madness in their lives. The book combines engaging prose with meaningful revelations, and the author's obvious wisdom never assumes a "preachy" tone. Certain to appeal to readers who would prefer to learn their next lesson from someone who risks experiencing a richly lived life.

Ms. Dickey's BACK TO THE GARDEN: Getting from Shadow to Joy is a warmly written guide that approaches the daily struggles of our anxious age with compassion and common sense. The book is both a courageous journaling of one woman's self-healing and a generous how-to book for others wishing to follow the path of honest self-assessment and direction.

Back to the Garden is like an easy visit with a friend..... just a meandering through life.. thoughts.... tools.... experiences with spiritual eyes to see and experience it all.

A gentle jewel.

Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (9/07)

Imagine coming to a beautiful garden. You need peace and tranquility. You desire to take in the beauty and peace of knowing that you are not there alone. You have entered a garden with many paths within its borders. Once visiting this garden, you will want to return often -- coming "Back to the Garden" is very simple -- all you need to do is open the pages of this book.

Like in a garden, where the grass and flowers grow, you will grow when inside its pages. You will find the different paths to self-awareness, self-discovery and self-acceptance. You can be at peace with your thoughts. "Back to the Garden" is a collection of many different stories about people from a wide range of walks of life. These stories will encourage you and give you an opportunity to take on a different perspective. When you read some of these stories, you will find that others have fought incredible odds and won.

Patrice Dickey has won numerous awards for her educational excellence. She shares how you can break from the shadows and come into the light of a happier life. With the many short stories in their own individual sections, you can come "Back to the Garden" and find just the morsel that will help you at any given time. This book is a must have for anyone who desires to feel true joy. Patrice Dickey has been truly blessed with a way of educating others into seeing the joy and contentment in life. She is very encouraging and helpful. Joy definitely flows throughout the pages and your life will seem different after being here. There is an accompanying CD by the same name where Patrice has selected stories so you can visit the garden when riding in your vehicle between appointments or anytime you need a pick-me-up.

The garden gate is open. Read "Back to the Garden," and come in and savor the time you have in this beautiful place!

This book is a gentle, empowering, easy-read on how to journey into a more self-empowering way of living and being . . . written from the heart. The book declares that the path is open to all . . . not just a priviledged few . . . and the expansion of one's life, which comes down this path, is well worth the effort, even with the inevitable bumps and bruises one will encounter along the way. You will cherish your life more and have confidence in the potential it holds, after you read this book.

Without getting too syrupy, Dick Summer's CD's leaves you with a feeling akin to the long drive home after an everything-went-just-perfectly first date when you were eighteen (or 48!). Like the Supreme Court justice who couldn't define pornography but "knew it when he saw it", or the "fact" that anything spoken with a British accent sounds "smarter", Dick's work is endearing and personal and defies categorization.

I just listened to this Cd again after about 30 times . His voice is the sound of a soft summer shower as you are walking through a forest ; as sensual as a first kiss from the girl you admired for months but were afraid to apparoach;
Dick Summer is the the only one that could dull your nerves and at the same time heighten your senses! Thank You , Dick Summer!

If you grew up in the northeast in the '60s and '70s, you know that Dick Summer was the king of late night radio! He wasn't a bombastic monarch of the airwaves, but a soothing, reassuring and entertaining storyteller. When I first found out about this CD, it was like meeting up with an old friend! You'll enjoy these stories ESPECIALLY if you have company at bedtime ; )! They'll definitely enhance the experience. Even if you're not familiar with Mr. Summer's work, get this CD for some bigtime bedtime fun...

Dick Summer is a great story teller! Whether you are familiar with Dick from his Loving Touch books of poetry or from his career in radio, you will welcome this CD. The CD should also create new fans for Dick's warm and soothing style of narration.

Dick says his father and mother used to read bedtime stories to him. His father spoke of adventure and his mother read him poetry.

Dick's bedtime stories are about love. They're told from the standpoint of a man speaking to a woman. They are about mature love, immature love, requited and unrequited love and even illicit love.

Dick's delivery is also very smooth and intimate. From some of the stories, I felt as if he were saying things I haven't got the words to say. A woman listening will most likely feel that Dick is speaking directly to her.

I'm an unabashed Dick Summer fan and I recommend this CD.

I recomend this audio cd. Dick has a wonderful voice and he touches my heart listening to this cd. I think may people will enjoy it. He has a soft spoken voice. I listen to alot.

In Better Than Perfect, Dale Dauten shows a rare combination of important business lessons and exceptional writing. I would have enjoyed this book for either one of these talents. But combing them makes reading this book thought provoking in a most enjoyable way.

This book is both inspirational and instructional. I run a multi-dimensional business and found that there were so many useful treasures here, that it was difficult not to stop often to discuss how we might put these lessons into actions.

I thank you Mr. Dauten.

All too often in our daily jobs we see nothing but despair and hopelessness. A project that isn't going right, an employee that is hard to deal with, a business that is unwilling to change. Sometimes we think that our only option to deal with this is to either sit back and ignore it or uproot ourselves and move on.

In "Better Then Perfect" the author gives a myriad of tips and examples of how anyone -- from high-level executives down to rank and file employees -- can change the outlook of those around them and uplift the productivity, performance and outlook of not only themselves but all those they interact with -- even the business itself. A wonderful book that ranks up there in the same class as "Who Moved my Cheese?"

Perfection isn't a science -- it is an art. And this book provides the insight and canvas to help people understand how to paint their own "better than perfect" picture by tapping into the potential that we all have.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU --

As an employee at one of the struggling American automotive companies you encouraged my "craziness" and inspired me to do more in an environment that doesn't recognize human potential. This book is entertaining, well written and inspiring all at once. Must reading for every executive and any employee who really wants to "make a difference".

This book is a true gift to the spirit!

Dale Dauten has outdone himself. This is more than in engaging story beautifully written. This book is full of important business lessons, insight and eureka experiences. Don't miss this one. It's a real keeper.

I read over 80 books a year, and I am willing to bet that this book will be the best one I read in 2006.

Better Than Perfect is chopped full of wisdom, and it was difficult to put down. Dale Dauten brings back Max, the beloved guru/hero of the Max Strategy and the Gifted Boss, to examine what characteristics special, life-changing people share.

This book conveys wisdom and inspires fruitful introspection.

As a woman in her early 30's, I wish I read this book in my early 20's. It explained all the financial concepts most people want to understand in clear concise language. This book has everything, it shows ways to save for your child's future, explains the differences between CD accounts and Money Market accounts and much more. I'm going to buy one for all of my girlfriends!

This book is a fabulous resource not only for couples, but savvy singles looking to make the most of their money! It's a real eye opener - not too preachy, but just full of solid, and often amusing advice that's laid out in an easy to understand format. A must read for anyone who wants to retire someday...

I'm not married with children and planning for their college savings or a well-off magazine editor engaged to an equally-fabulous investment banker, but I can still benefit from the financial lessons in The Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couple Can Take to Make The Most of Their Money - and Live Richly Ever After, the first book written by CNBC personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson.

The Big Payoff is billed as a resource for middle-class couples, but as a single, young professional, I found the information in the book relevant to my life and circumstances. I viewed the book as a way to prepare for my future as it gave me advice and real steps I could take to build a solid financial base to support me now and for years to come.

Epperson wrote an easy-to-understand book that's broken down into eight action steps any individual or couple can follow. The steps are divided into chapters that cover topics such as buying a house, emergency planning, college savings and estate planning. The Big Payoff can benefit all people too - from the working poor trying to learn ways to maximize their dollars and build a legacy of financial literacy to pass down to their children, to the middle-class trying to stretch their earnings and provide a comfortable lifestyle for their families. Everyone needs to know about savings plans, budgeting and saving for college and retirement.

Epperson's book makes complex topics palatable and helps people introduce financial literacy into their every day lives and practices. I'm living, breathing proof that the Big Payoff works. One of the best features of the book is the exercises and worksheets that accompany most of the chapters. One of the first things I did after reading the Big Payoff was to write out my short- and long-term financial goals. Then, I drafted a personal budget. The budgeting process is probably one of the hardest, most honest exercises a person or couple must face. It makes you accountable for yourself and your spending habits. Even harder than that, is sticking to your budget. I'll admit, even after a week, there were a couple times when I just didn't feel like keeping track of my receipts. But, I did. Now, I am able to put into perspective my actual needs versus my wants and I've been able to save more money and feel good about the prospects for my future. Sure, I'm at the baby-step phase in this process, but it's a personal triumph for me to at least have taken steps to do something about planning for my future.

The Big Payoff is a plan to help people of all ages get their financial lives back on track or help others take the right path from the beginning.

I have read numerous financial self-help books,but found this one facinating in its focus on couples. Nine years into our marriage - we are still searching for the right financial formula that works for us both and this book provided some practical steps to save, build realistic plans for emergencies and things that we need to consider as a couple. I also enjoyed the empathetic tone of the book in communicating the reality of many two income households and the struggles we still have to make ends meet. I felt refreshed after reading this book - I have more direction to help our family get on better track with our savings plans as a result of reading it.

The Big Pay Off has already been a BIG help to our family. My wife and I have found it to be filled with easy to implement advice. Its well written, straight-forward, and even funny at times!

Bought this book on a whim, due to the cute title. It is easy to read, fun, and amazingly educational! Following its recommendations has saved me $500 and counting!

I could have used the information in this book so many, many times over the past forty years. How different my live would have been. I sat down to look at it and ended up reading it straight through. I immediately bought copies for each of my four adult, married sons. This book offers much practical information and can be put to use in everyday situations.

This page-turner kept me entertained while reminding me not to lose sight of my own self-worth. Effective problem-solving techniques, learned effortlessly and with humor, helped me find the right way to resolve a problem I was having with an international home improvement retailer, resulting in a 20% savings that I would have otherwise paid, despite the fault being theirs. Read in two evenings, this book saved me the cover price many times over. Fun, funny, easy to read and full of valuable information.

A quick and fast paced read on how to be assertive, while at the same time being tactful. The personal stories in the book show how to `stick up for yourself' when dealing with manufacturers and other people/friends. The ideas and suggestions can also be used to improve communication with one's family members. When we have things to say it has been found that it is more healthful and productive to deal with the issue than letting it fester within you or complaining to others. This book helps you to do this and how to do it without getting angry or saying things that are hurtful. I highly recommend it and will reread it in the future as I need to be `reminded' about how to be even more open and direct when resolving issues that life presents.

The last time I actually sat down and read a book from stem to stern was in 1999 I am ashamed to say. Work and a busy life prevalent to so many have been my excuses. However! I sat down just to flick through the book and found myself enthralled - this was ME the author was talking to as if she were right there beside me and we were having such a lovely discussion. I amazed myself and didn't stir until I had read every word, nodding to myself in appreciation of her perspective and insight she shared with me. Even if I had paid hundreds for a private consultation or seminar I would not have gotten as much out of it as I did with this book and I can read it over and over again to be reassured when those threads of doubt come into life. Recommended it to everyone!

I got this book at a local thrift store for about 75 cents. I didn't expect to lie in my bed the entire summer reading, even at 5 o'clock in the morning. It's a real page turner, and is well-written. The end, when he finally escapes the murderous deeds and persecution of the Nazis, is a testament to the fact that faith can do wonders for all people, regardless of nationality. I don't care what religion you are, having ANY faith, rather than no faith at all, can really provide comfort, and for millions of Jews and Europeans of World War II, it did just that. It's a pity this book is out-of-print now. However, I still have my copy, and if anyone wants it, I'd be glad to help them get it.

This is one of the very best German memoirs of WW2 I've read so far. It is a story told not by a diehard fanatic but a dedicated Christian who was persecuted by his comrades for his religious beliefs while a Hitler Youth member. Most of the story talks not of bloody battles (as the typical memoirs do) but of hard training & indoctrination in Hitler Youth camps. The only "action" that young Reinhold Kerstan saw was when British fighter planes mowed down his comrades with machine-gun fire as they flew past in a brief surprise attack. This was during the war's final days, yet the Hitler Youth was still living strictly by their "Blut und Ehre" (Blood and Honor) motto & didn't accept defeat easily. Kerstan witnessed a decorated German officer being shot to death by a SS officer after the decorated officer made the mistake of saying that Hitler had decieved the German people. This book is a condemnation of Nazism & an inspiration for those who believe God's path is the best one in life. This book is highly recommended not only for history buffs but all readers because of its important message.

Wow! Kerstan's book, BLOOD AND HONOR, was one I had read before, but I had forgotten how gripping it is. This book is written from the perspective of a man who looks back over his involvement with the Hitler Youth, and with clearer hindsight, can trace how the process affected him. The book gives an in-depth look at the Hitler Youth movement from an insider. It also illustrates the power of Jesus Christ to protect a child from even the wickedest, most depraved ideologies and instead use him to touch others for good.

The book is excellent for anyone with or without an a fascination for World War II (after reading this book you will probably gain an interest). Kerstan's narrative is well-written with a strong historical base; historians, you most likely can read this without feeling that history has been betrayed, and everyone else should be able to settle back to a delightful read that never borders on the boring. In the forward of my edition of BLOOD AND HONOR, evangelist Billy Graham says about the book, "This is a profoundly moving and inspiring story. It vividly portrays the false promises and deceptions of Nazism, and the despair and struggle for survival that characterized the months immediately after the war. But it is also a true story of forgiveness and healing...Most of all, it is a powerful testimony to the faithfulness and grace of God. May God use this book to show each of us the importance of living for Christ each day..."

Kerstan tells readers of his life as a young German boy who has been moved to a school in Czechoslovakia because of a wartime evacuation. As a Baptist preacher's son, he was "trained up in the way he should go." His parents faithfully taught him Scripture, that he and all mankind are sinners who deserve not heaven, but hell for our unrighteous deeds, and that God loved mankind enough to send his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to bear the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross. Reinhold was taught that Jesus fulfilled God's will by then rising from the dead, and that this one sacrifice opened the way for all mankind to be saved from God's wrath; all one must do to receive the eternal life provided by Jesus is to ask Jesus for it, "confess with thy mouth," and then believe "in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Reinhold had believed this and had given his life to Jesus Christ. However, the defining moment for German boys was to be inducted into the prestigious Hitler Youth, where the boys were to pledge their lives and blood to Adolf Hitler, the madman whom they were taught to revere as a deity. And revere him they did--except at times, when what Reinhold had been taught by his parents and what the Nazis said were in total oppostition. (...)

After reading this book, it is very difficult to walk away without a renewed grasp of the grace of God to help his children obey him even in the most difficult circumstances. (...)

I enjoyed this book. I think people of all ages would enjoy BLOOD AND HONOR. It is about the hardships that young boy went through. He was a Christian and a Nazi, which created a conflict. All of his friends were Nazis and they were taught to hate Christianity. Some parts at the end were disturbing but other than those few parts it was a good book. Of course if you want to find out the ending you will have to read it for yourself.

Wow! Kerstan's book, BLOOD AND HONOR, was one I had read before, but I had forgotten how gripping it is. This book is written from the perspective of a man who looks back over his involvement with the Hitler Youth, and with clearer hindsight, can trace how the process affected him. The book gives an in-depth look at the Hitler Youth movement from an insider. It also illustrates the power of Jesus Christ to protect a child from even the wickedest, most depraved ideologies and instead use him to touch others for good.

The book is excellent for anyone with or without an a fascination for World War II (after reading this book you will probably gain an interest). Kerstan's narrative is well-written with a strong historical base; historians, you most likely can read this without feeling that history has been betrayed, and everyone else should be able to settle back to a delightful read that never borders on the boring. In the forward of my edition of BLOOD AND HONOR, evangelist Billy Graham says about the book, "This is a profoundly moving and inspiring story. It vividly portrays the false promises and deceptions of Nazism, and the despair and struggle for survival that characterized the months immediately after the war. But it is also a true story of forgiveness and healing...Most of all, it is a powerful testimony to the faithfulness and grace of God. May God use this book to show each of us the importance of living for Christ each day..."

Kerstan tells readers of his life as a young German boy who has been moved to a school in Czechoslovakia because of a wartime evacuation. As a Baptist preacher's son, he was "trained up in the way he should go." His parents faithfully taught him Scripture, that he and all mankind are sinners who deserve not heaven, but hell for our unrighteous deeds, and that God loved mankind enough to send his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to bear the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross. Reinhold was taught that Jesus fulfilled God's will by then rising from the dead, and that this one sacrifice opened the way for all mankind to be saved from God's wrath; all one must do to receive the eternal life provided by Jesus is to ask Jesus for it, "confess with thy mouth," and then believe "in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Reinhold had believed this and had given his life to Jesus Christ. However, the defining moment for German boys was to be inducted into the prestigious Hitler Youth, where the boys were to pledge their lives and blood to Adolf Hitler, the madman whom they were taught to revere as a deity. And revere him they did--except at times, when what Reinhold had been taught by his parents and what the Nazis said were in total oppostition. And so, as a proud young German, he tried to separate his two lives to please his leaders and the other boys who were also being trained in the athiestic regime. After persecution of his own, however, Kerstan realized that he might as well live for his Savior, Jesus. After this decision, he began to see miraculous changes. (...)

"Bound by Red Clay" continues to astound the contemporary poetry market! It has been nominated for these awards: Georgia Writers Inc. Book of the Year--Poetry Category, Tufts Discovery Award, and the poem "Gopher Tortoise" was nominated for the coveted Pushcart Prize. The first run sold out in 6 months, and the second printing has sold 50% in only a month. Neca Stoller's work is indeed slated to become one of America's best.

When I ordered Neca Stoller's book I wondered if the high standard I had admired in examples of her work I'd seen on the net would be sustained through a book. It was.

My other concern was whether poetry specifically drawing on a Georgia, USA, landscape would be relevant in Australia. It was. Australian friends have validated my opinion on this.

Like the book itself the poetry is spare, direct and captures the essence of her subjects. Her focus is not distracted by any vanities. The discipline of Japanese genres shines through. The poetry is strong and credible.

I commend it to anyone with a sense of place and community, no matter where in the world they are centered.

Neca Stoller is a poet rooted in the soil of the rural South. Her latest volume is filled with images of the red clay of her home state, as well as characters from her family, uncles and aunts and cousins, former college roommates, and others who populate the Georgia backwoods.

Stoller, born in Savannah and educated at the University of Georgia during the tumultuous 60s, has spent the past several years living, working, and writing on a Georgia cattle farm. Her love of the land and the gentle rhythms of rural life sparkle in her poems. Bound by Red Clay is a slim volume of 60 selections, arranged in five titled chapters. It comes after numerous accolades for her verse from such diverse organizations as the Palomar Showcase and the Haiku Society of America.

Ms. Stoller is at once both peaceful and poignant when she focuses on the slow and repeating meter of country life. "Sultry Evening" is an evocative short poem about the pleasures of rocking on a porch hammock while crickets harmonize on summer evenings. In "Red Clay," we follow along as she wanders through sites of the Civil War, still heavy with memory. "Baling Hay" reminds us of the heat of such summer work, but rewards us with an image of " an iced mason jar/ black tea thick with sugar."

Stoller's themes throughout the book are telling: homecoming, death, lost love, the summer's heat, rural life, the social history of the South. She obviously has roots in her homeland, and that foundation creates lovely verse. The truths she finds among Georgia's red clay and pine forests ring true through time and space.

Even the title of Neca Stoller's first book of poems--Bound by Red Clay--tells us we're dealing with a Southern poet who deals with solid images. Many of these pictures painted by this Savannah poet are Southern and specifically Georgian: magnolias, lowland graveyards, 1960's protest marches, Cherokee excavations, front porches on sultry evenings, even a moonshiner by the name of "Flem." Red clay is a good image for the poets of Georgia, especially those who have left the land: Anyone who has tried to scrub the knees of a child's pants or footprints left on a beige carpet knows that red clay stains will always remain. One might be able to dull their immediate brilliance, but the brick-red trace will remain truly bound to the material.

That fading but "bound" sense of images propels the poet--and then the reader--through this book. The volume contains poems that are slim on words and fat on images. Stoller paints tiny pictures that loom large in one's verbal and pictorial memory. A pair of pinking shears "left marks like a bobcat's bite." Corpses are freed from their graves during the Flint River flood of 1994; "their hands rose and waved . . . they sat in the mud, naked-- / grinning--not a bit shy." On the morning after a lovers' tryst, the poet bittersweetly proclaims, "Such a short night, / still out of breath."

The poet reminds us we are tourists passing by a world full of scenes; the most important admonition someone can make to us is simply to look. Her haiku-like poems resonate with ideas and emotions that emerge out of the things pictured here. For instance, there's "White Chrysanthemum": "tucked between / fallen leaves / a white chrysanthemum / once pinned to my lapel / by your unsteady hands."

After a while, the poems begin to resonate with each other. Arranged into sections that Stoller calls "Chapters," the volume is like a collection of minimalist short stories: The poet's youth, a set of scenes with a former lover, her experiences during the University of Georgia's first year of integration, scenes from nature, and Stoller's own shifting and meditative identity as a poet.

Every semester, I post a new poem on my office door. I try to find one that immediately charms and then provides an opportunity for me, pausing with keys in hand, or for my students waiting for their office conference, to reflect. Stoller has given me a new volume's worth of poems to place on my door; this book will provide you with a similar opportunity to recognize and meditate.

"Bound by Red Clay," by Neca Stoller, is a collection of poems which allows the reader a brief peek into Stoller's life in Georgia during the 1960s. Stoller recounts moments through lively, visual poetry. She is unusually attuned to her surroundings and is able to describe scences with sharp detail and flowing verse. A poem titled "The Shrimp Boat" displays this talent. "Pushing through, past the channel markers, her name so faint, blurred by salt and time the bow appearing then reappearing, as her distant, tall mast crosses the marsh... Docked; still the boat' hole brims with shrimp, as the sunset slips down through the rigging, and as the full moon rises to surf the black waves." This careful attention to minutia draws the reader into Stoller's Georgia, puts the the reader right on the deck of a coastal shrimp boat. Another fresh aspect of Stoller's writung is the absence of too much emotion. Some poets go so deep into their inner thoughts the reader can become derailed and miss the meaning. But Stoller incorporates just enough feeling to touch her audience without overwhelming them. "Never meaning to grow old, in the mirror I am astonished to see age spots in a face more my mother's than my own...,"writes Stoller in "The Fire." With only a few words, Stoller captures the experience of aging. "Bound by Red Clay" is an ensemble of mature and well-written poetry which parallels life, detailing a range of experiences, experiences that run from disturbing events to moments of calmness. In one poem titled, "Sand Dollar," Stoller describes the last moments of a young soldier's life, and in another, "Rain," she explains how rain falls to the earth. It is apparent poetry for Stoller is a craft and for lovers of poetry she is a great gift.

My children and grandchidren love this story. I bought the book to read to my youngest grandchild, who is 2 and a half. We love both the story and the pictures. We also have fun braying, barking, meowing and crowing like the heroic animals in the story. When her dad was her age we lived in Germany and visited Bremen and saw the statue of the animals.

The illustrations are delightful for this traditional story. A great gift for any child or adult.

Some animals were going to Bremen Town to be musicians. On the way they saw some robbers. They kicked them out and the animals never went to Bremen-Town.
The donkey kicked the robber with his hind legs, that is why I liked the book.

The animals were going to Bremen Town to be musicians because the owners were going to kill them. On the way to Bremen Town, they met some robbers. The animals stole a house from the robbers.
I liked this book because the robbers looked funny.

Of all the stories my father read to me as a child, this was my favorite. Its endearing story of self-discovery is timeless, and not to mention quite humorous for a six year old boy. It reminds me of a time far less complicated and will thus always hold a special place of affection for me. This was the Catcher in the Rye of my Elementary years. I would highly recommend this to anyone with children looking for quite simply a flat out good story to read them that they will enjoy.