Woods Books


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Woods Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Woods
When the Root Children Wake Up
Published in Paperback by Scholastic (2002-04)
Authors: Audrey Wood and Sibylle Olfers
List price: $16.95

Average review score:

Love it!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-13
I thought the original was great.. this is even better. The art work is stunning and Audrey Wood tells a great tale. We have been reading this book every night for 3 months! LOL
It is aboutthe root children (who are really flowers) and the jaunt into the world thru spring, summer and fall.. then back into the ground for the spring.
As a Pagan I found this a lovely story about the seasons, Mother Earth, and the beauty of nature!

Heather mama to 5

Beautiful!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-11
This book has beautiful depictions of seasonal characters (Cousin Summer, Aunt Spring, etc.) The story is magical in it's description of the changing seasons. It would make a very nice gift, as well as a special addition to your child's own library. Our 3-year-old adores the story and is mesmerized by the illustrations. Definitely one of her favorites!

I like it!
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-17
Being very familiar and in love with the 1902 version of this book, I didn't know what to make of this new version, at first. But it grows on you! I especially like the way Mother Earth is portrayed, not as a Grandmotherly figure, but a beautiful woman maybe in her early thirties - an image of fertility and fruitfulness. The illustrations are lush and a bit overdone in places, but they represent the bounty of the seasons well. The introduction of Aunt Spring, Cousin Summer, Uncle Fall and Old Man Winter is different than the original, but not offensive or upsetting even to a die-hard fan, like me. The text is shorter and, for that reason, may appeal to younger children who can't sit through Sibylle von Olfers' word-ier original story. Overall, when I compare the two, the 1902 original has a certain charm that is hard to deny. Von Olfers' illustrations are simple and the text is straightforward, although a bit wordy. This new remake is beautifully done and has a different feel altogether: it's lush, full of life, color and movement. Audrey Wood has taken a risk to remake such a beloved classic, but I believe she made a good effort and successfully made it her own. I can't say it's better than the original, but I like it!

A treasure!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-20
This is a beautiful book! The artwork in this book is among the best I've seen in a child's book. It's a wonderful version of a classic story & the words flow like poetry. It's a great starter book to introduce young children to the wheel of the year & the changing seasons.

The only flaw is the typeface is so artistic it is sometimes hard to read, just read slowly & savor each word.

You'll love this book, go ahead & buy 2 copies! You're going to want to share it with everyone you know!

Earth Spirituality Delight!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-26
This is a rare find for those with Earth based spirituality/religion. The illustrations are lush and detailed, and the story is a perfect introduction for children to the Wheel of the Year.

Woods
Winter Days in the Big Woods
Published in Turtleback by Demco Media (1995-10)
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
List price:

Average review score:

A great read, even for the very young
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-28
My two year old son absolutely loves these books. I must admit that I was hesitant about then at first, being a Garth Williams purist and all, but they are well adapted and illustrated. I think that he mostly enjoys the illustrations at his age. Children of any age will enjoy them.

Snuggle up for a great story!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-20
Winter Days in the Big Woods, an adaptation from the Little House on the Prarie classic series, will delight children and peak their interest in Pioneering life. The illustrations capture the attention and imagination of young children, whetting their appetite for more.

In this adaptation, kids get a glimpse into daily life of a close-knit family during Amrerica's pioneering days. Kids will learn about churning butter, baking bread and doing the general daily tasks to run a household and prepare for winter.

Perfect Introduction
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-21
For anyone who has loved the original Laura Ingalls Wilder books, or even the television series years ago, this is a perfect introduction to the very young. My children have enjoyed these books for years and have now moved on to the books Wilder herself wrote. Put together, they've created fond, wholesome childhood memories for my children.

Daughter's Favorite
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-15
This was my daughter's favorite book from the time she was about 3-8 years old. I bought it as a introduction to the original Little House books and continued to collect the entire set of these "First Books". Bright, cheery with excellent artwork showing strong family relationships.

An Old Fashioned Winter
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-06
"Winter Days" is one of my favorite books in the "My First Little House Books" series, and one of my favorite books about autumn. The Ingalls family prepares for winter with time for the harvest and food storage. Mary and Laura participate in daily chores and entertain themselves with their rag dolls, paper dolls,and by using a thimble to draw on the frosted window. Beautiful illustrations bring Laura's log cabin world to life, and are an excellent starting point for discussing how life is different then it used to be, and how some things never change.

Woods
The Woman in the Woods: Linked Stories
Published in Paperback by Eastern Washington University Press (2007-02-26)
Author: Ann Joslin Williams
List price: $14.95
New price: $8.87
Used price: $6.74

Average review score:

Williams's lyrical collection of linked stories repays a second read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-27
These stories explore the essential--life, death, love, nakedness--by following Kate and her brother David over the course of their lives. What we witness is that people aren't always what they seem, that relationships aren't always what they are understood to be; in these stories, the characters demand something more from existence. In "Jupiter Shining, North of the Moon," Williams describes the moon that disinterestedly shines down on the characters:

"It was just a mass of rock, held prisoner by the earth, and pulling tides, yet suddenly it seemed a hot eye upon us, daring anyone to ask it for anything.
"Joe laughed. `I wish the moon would f-- itself,' he said.
"Later that night we'd have to carry Joe, near drowned, back to his room."

The existential searching of The Woman in the Woods reminds me of one of my favorite poems from the Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828):

The world of dew
is the world of dew.
And yet, and yet

Literature often gets elevated for shedding light on the "human condition." After reading this collection, I feel like I've finally learned something through Williams's masterful handling of character and juxtaposition. I strongly recommend this book to anyone dedicated to the craft of writing, and to anyone who wants to witness people in all our weakness and fragile happiness. As Thoreau wrote in _Walden_, "You only need sit still long enough in some attractive spot in the woods that all its inhabitants may exhibit themselves to you by turns." Ann Joslin Williams has found that spot in _The Woman in the Woods_.

Compelling stories
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-04
I loved the stories in this book. Dark and fresh, like the New England woods.

Gorgeous, Seductive, Unforgettable!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-27
This is an absolutely gorgeous book, with characters that stay with you long past the page. I love how this writer conjures an entire world with a few sentences - it's dark, yes, but deeply affirming to the human spirit.

Put down Harry Potter and pick up a small press book that's WORTH reading! This is a not to be missed group of stories. Congratulations for picking a REAL winner!

Perfect example of novel structured in linked stories
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-19
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It's a perfect, beautiful, lyrical example of a novel structured in linked stories. I wish I'd written it, but then . . . only Ann Joslin Williams could have.

A riveting portrayal of forces both within the self and larger than oneself
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-04
Winner of the 2005 Spokane Prize for Short Fiction, The Woman in the Woods is an anthology of linked short stories set in New Hampshire's mountain country, by author and teacher Ann Joslin Williams. Dramatic and personal, dwelling on relationships between man and woman, wilderness and humanity, The Woman in the Woods is a riveting portrayal of forces both within the self and larger than oneself, as well as the sheer beauty of the natural world. "The woman takes a different trail down. It's a sharp descent over sheer granite, until the trail hits a straightaway through dwarf spruce, and meanders along the easy ridge to Firescrew. Up close, the white braids of quartz woven into the granite are tinged with rust-colored veins. The plateau has more growth than she remembered. Yellow grasses, fine and tall with delicate feathery seeds; junipers and low blueberry bushes everywhere." Highly recommended.

Woods
Wood Becomes Water: Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life
Published in Paperback by Kodansha Amer Inc (1997-04)
Author: Gail Reichstein
List price: $20.00

Average review score:

Great book
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-09
As a Shiatsu (3rd year)student, this book is so helpfull for me, that I am using it every day.
It explaines every Element in such a way, that you can realy understand it and use it in every day's life.
I reccomend this book to everyone who wants to know more.

what i was looking for
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-01
this books is well written and provides a beautiful overview of the 5 elements and how they manifest in our world. i was looking for something that was more oriented towards the overall charater of the elements and less concerned with the technicalities of chinese medicine. i got what i was looking for.

You will be amazed !
Helpful Votes: 25 out of 29 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-04
We all love now to take care of our own health, right ?! Few of us understand, though, the Chinese medicine, unless you read a lot of books on same subject. And then you have to "digest" the information and apply it patiently to yourself. WE ALL ARE UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS. And the ones who will borrow or buy this book will prove to be the smart ones too. Not only that I would recommend this book to all of you who want to change your life for the better (and get rid of your daily pains) but this book --among the thousands written -- is an eye-opener to many other self-healing directions. Beware, at first you will say to yourself that you will need TIME and PATIENCE to go through it (which none of us HAVE anymore!), but you will feel smarter than any doctor in this world, after you assimilate the knowledge in this book. It is better than you imagined by its modest title. One of the best-kept secrets (until now !), trust me on this one. Good luck to all of you !

Wood becomes Water
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-06
This book is excellent for anyone starting to learn any aspect of Chinese healing or astrology. Everything is interconnected and this book expands that horizon. This should be a text book for a curriculum of any "Chinese" course. I have had no previous teachings of Chinese culture and this book explains it all without being too political

What a great book!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-29
This is the definitive book on feng shue! It is not for people who are looking for fluff - this is serious, and well thought out. It has really worked to get me to focus on the important things in life and has helped in explaining the balance that we all need to have. I am now giving this book as a gift to people I care about! Thank you, Ms. Reichstein, for writing such a wonderful book.

Woods
Wood Spirits and Green Men: A Design Sourcebook for Woodcarvers and Other Artists
Published in Paperback by Fox Chapel Publishing (2005-04-01)
Authors: Lora S. Irish, Chris Pye, and Shawn Cipa
List price: $19.95
New price: $12.24
Used price: $12.30

Average review score:

Could be better
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09
It is an excellant book with lots of detail on carving one face. Could use a more detailed description on the tools that are needed for the other faces in the book and more detail on carving some of the other faces. NOT for the beginer. I repeat. NOT for the beginer.

A great resource
Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-09
I wanted to carve some wood spirits for walking sticks. I had some 1.25 inch dowels to practice with. I checked this book out of the local library, and was able to carve a decent wood spirit on my first try. The "practice" wood spirits ended up looking good enough to finsish and keep for display, even though I had never carved anything before. So if you are a new carver, or even an experienced one, this book will give you plenty of patterns, illustrations, and descriptive text to make wood spirits. I will be buying a copy soon so that I can keep it on hand.

Wood Spirits and Green Men
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-10
I wish I could give this book a 5 star rating. I have now purchased 6 wood carving books, and this one actually gives readers many adorable patterns in large sizes and the permission to reproduce them. It then takes the novice through the steps from drafting on paper, roughing out, and then finalizing and sanding. The high quality of the color plates and the size and detail of the patterns makes this a must have for carvers. The designs are those that will appeal to young and old. Loved the dwarf faces!

Wood Spirits and Green Men
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-12
Awesome, three great carvers: Chris Pye, Shawn Cipa, and the queen of design Lora S. Irish get together to make this very informative book. Well worth twice the full price.

Woodspirits
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-11
If you are into wood spirits, spirit canes, or green men this is the book for you. Lots of patterns, good instructions.

Woods
200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One: Creating a Life of Meaning and Influence
Published in Paperback by Abingdon Press (2008-09-01)
Author: Shawn Wood
List price: $16.00
New price: $10.39
Used price: $27.04

Average review score:

Wow!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-01
This book is awesome! I was fortunate to get an early copy from Seacoast on Saturday night and have not put it down yet. Great book for anyone that is just going through the motions of life or for those that truly want to leave a lasting legacy.

Captivating
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-13
From beginning to end, 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One captivated me. Shawn's gift of storytelling, when combined with his passion for artistry, makes for an inspiring read. This is certainly a book I'll be talking about for a while!

Surprised
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-12
I'll be honest...when I first heard the title of a new book by Shawn Wood, I said, "Two hundred what?" It didn't sound like any book I would read.

Later I heard the entire title: "200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One: Creating a Life of Meaning and Influence." Okay, it sounded a little more interesting to me. But time is limited. I still wasn't sure I would read it.

Then Jessica Kelley from Abingdon Press asked me to consider giving the book an endorsement. Oh boy. I told her I'd be glad to read it, but I would only endorse it if I liked it. She sent me an early manuscript a couple months before the book was released.

I learned from the first few pages where the "pomegranate" reference comes from. Yes, I'm a pastor, and yes, I've read the Old Testament a number of times, but I've never noticed the passage about the artist Huram and his bronze veggies (or fruits, I'm really not sure). Then I started the introduction, and I was sucked in from the very first paragraph.

Shawn is great at telling stories. I don't mean he's really good. He's great at it. I love the way he authentically shares out of his life, from the pain of his past, to stupid decisions he's made. It helps me identify with an author who is normal.

I'm convinced this book will have broad appeal. It is for anyone who desires to be great at something. I could see my wife (a stay-at-home mom) enjoying this book as much as I enjoyed this book.

This book is an easy read, and isn't very long. If you picked up a copy already, you'll see my endorsement on the back cover. Just so you know, no one paid me or bent my arm for an endorsement. After reading the book, it was an easy decision.


Fast & easy read, lasting impression. Professional & personal.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-07
I cried reading the acknowledgments and was laughing in chapter one. This book was a fast read with the highs and lows of a good drama and made a strong impact; professional and personally. My faith and my filter is different because of Shawn's humble and authentic story telling ability. He brought truths about God AND myself to light to inspire more.

In his book, Shawn uses his story and stories about people around him to drive this home: "Self examination" is a time when we see who we are and choose to be better or worse. There is no staying the same."

I am not the same. Good read for anyone...student, parents, grandparents, professionals, domestics... It's a keeper.

Seeing the artist's heart in everyone
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-07
200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One sheds new light on God's calling for each of our lives.

Through Shawn's unique perspective, everyone [from single moms, CEO's and even people who feel quite ordinary] has the ability to see why the efforts of our individual "canvases" is truly a work of art that matters to God.

Shawn blew me away with his whimsical story-telling style and piercing truths. I never would have guessed he was a first-time author & can't wait for his next book.

Woods
500 Wood Bowls: Bold & Original Designs Blending Tradition & Innovation (500 Series)
Published in Paperback by Lark Books (2004-09-01)
Author:
List price: $24.95
New price: $11.37
Used price: $11.99

Average review score:

inspiration abounds
Helpful Votes: 17 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-03
No tool reviews, no "how-to" pages: just pictures of beautiful bowls. Some right off the lathe, and some where the lathe was the tool that created the canvas, and then the artist started to create. Many names I recognized, and lots of new names also. Highly recommended if you want to see fresh ideas from both the known and not-yet-known.

Excellent photography throughout.

Wow
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-04
Bought this for my dad for Christmas. Anyone that picked it up couldn't put it down. I looked through it at least 5 times before leaving for home. Great photography and very inspirational to anyone who turns wood.

Oh snail climb mount Fuji
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-24
Having turned hundreds of bowls over the last five years
I thought I was a competent bowl turner, until I purchased
this book.......... Every page has work that I have never been
able to do.......This material is challenging and life changing.
.
After studying this book I took my lathe and threw it off the top
of the tallest mountain In all of Oklahoma. I then came to my senses,
Recovered my lathe, still useable after an 18 inch drop.
I have started turning again....with renewed vision and focus.
.
"Oh snail climb mount Fuji"
.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to turn bowls
And wants to see really amazing work.

497, 498, 499, ...
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-23
The publisher of this book is also responsible for '400 Wood Boxes,' which I reviewed about a year ago. Both books are juried photographic collections of the work of contemporary woodcrafters. '500 Wood Bowls' is a more eclectic selection composed of almost anything that could be considered a bowl that has some wood in it. This actually is my one complaint about an otherwise very well done collection. In favoring the more modern and experimental work, a great deal of contemporary work that is more traditional, and more focused on the wood got left out.

Don't get me wrong, there's much to admire and wonder at. As a struggling woodturner I find much inspiration here, and a good deal to feel envious about. I've just added a large lathe to my workshop, and bowls continue to elude me. If it wasn't for books like this I would have resigned myself to making very expensive dowels. Here the reader sees possibility and knows that incredibly fine work can be done, whether he be turner, carver, or a collector. Lark books should be congratulated for a very high quality effort at a very reachable price.

500 Wood Bowls is worth 500 Stars!!!!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-29
This book is beyond awesome!! What a fine collection of bowls, from the most intricate to the outlandishly uncommon. This book has the most incredible collection of innovative turning, carving, and transforming of wood that I have even seen. From intricate inlays to woodburned accents, including segmented to free form with every unbelievable artistic vision and extra-ordinary form of artwork in between. Many common ordinary available woods along with exotic and worldly woods are shown in so many unthinkable showpieces. Every new page turned brings "I can't believe how incredible" to a new height.
Some leave one wondering just "How could this be done?"
If anyone ever needs a book to inspire, motivate, and capture the drive within to create, this is the book.
Every photo is crisp, clear, in color, and close-up. Each labeled with the dimensions and some with the author, and most all with the type of wood used.
416 pages, many with 2 pictures per page. Very professionaly photographed and displayed in an exceptional book.
Some books show bowls, this book inspires greatness!!
Highly recommended and a book to KEEP!

Woods
Adventures in Travel
Published in Hardcover by Dorrance Pub Co (2001-01-19)
Author: B. J. Woods
List price: $20.00
Used price: $36.17

Average review score:

Why I enjoyed ADVENTURES IN TRAVEL so much!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-30
This book reads easily and I felt I was experiencing the different destinations explored. As each chapter is unrelated to the other, I easily put the book down on my coffee table only to pick it up a few days or a week later without having to refresh my memory.

As a result of the way it's put together, each chapter is a new and exciting travel experience. Barrie's outgoing personality comes through in his writings. Obviously, he enjoys leading tours and experiencing various places, even enjoying them again and again through the eyes of "first timers."

This is easy, pleasant reading, although it's apparent that Mr. Woods does his homework before venturing out in the world. He includes historical information as well as discribing current experiences. This is a delightful book!

Thank you, Barrie J. Woods
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-26
You have taken me on a fabulous worldwide trip! Your take on the places that I have been was absolutely accurate.... facts with a generous dose of humor. You have encouraged me to travel to more of your destinations. Delicious read! Great wit, great style, plus many "insider" tips for the traveller. Please keep writing. I fear we (the public) may lose you to stand up comedy. Thank you again.

The first-person encounters are vividly described
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-08
Humor and observation blend in Barrie Woods' Adventures In Travel, an autobiography and travelogue of encounters with other peoples and cultures around the world. The first-person encounters are vividly described and any who desire a lively armchair read will relish this set of adventures.

Adventures in Travel
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-11
At last I've been to South Africa...a unique experience. Have you ever been to Cape Town? Fascinating. So many interesting buildings built in the 1600's. The Castle of Good Hope, for one...the original fort of Cape Town. The stonework was amazing. From the scenic drive along the coast to the Good Hope Nature Reserve, South Africa is full of unbelievable sights. Of course, a safari (where cameras are the only things shooting), is a must in Africa. I've seen baboons, velvet monkeys, zebras, etc. I've also seen the wonder of our Alaskan glaciers. Did you know glaciers can swallow up a whole mountain? A glacier's new ice on top is brittle, but in the deepest levels the ice is like pliable plastic. Fascinating! Oh, and I've been to Peru...land of ancient cultures.

By the way, these wonderful trips were all made from my most comfortable easy chair, caffeine-free diet coke on the table beside me, my feet relaxing on a footstool handed down from my grandmother. ADVENTURES IN TRAVEL, by Barrie Woods, is a great deal of fun. I relived memories from some of my favorite travel destinations. And I feel as though I've been to other exotic world locations, as well. This book is a fabulous read, and I give it two thumbs up.

Stan Maeschen
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-03-19
I just finished reading "Adventures in Travel". It is truly the best book I have ever read on Travel. You feel like you are travelling hand in hand with the Author. There is great humor as we travel along and the Author has a very keen sense of detail, you feel like you are there.

If you ever want to escape the pressures and stress of day to day life, pick up this book, fix a drink, relax and travel to them many ports-of-call all over, from the glitz of Reno to the mysteries of China and Turkey. See Russia, Scotland and even travel through the Panama Canal....Truly a must for the untraveled or the seasoned traveller....things to see and do if you plan on taking this trip in person. A fabulous experience for those who cannot affort to travel or for the person whose health prohibits travel...NOW you can go at your leisure. I look forward to more books from this Author. I wish history books had been written by him, it would have been much more enjoyable.

Woods
The American frugal housewife: Dedicated to those who are not ashamed of economy
Published in Unknown Binding by Samuel S. & William Wood (1845)
Author: Lydia Maria Francis Child
List price:

Average review score:

Delightful
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-17
I think it's very funny that she doesn't waste paper by diving right in with tips and doesn't bother to space out paragraphs. I actually like this more than Tightwad Gazette which tries not to be too preachy. Not Mrs. Childs, she's my kind of charismatic and she's preaching to the choir! I wish I lived as frugally as I should but this book is wonderfully bracing. Her analysis of consumerism still applies today.

the nation would be better if everyone learned from this boo
Helpful Votes: 19 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-10
The thoughts and ideas of the 1800's could be applied to todays world to make it a better place. Like putting more energy into our morals and pride rather than trying to keep up with the Jones'. A wonderfull and funny look at many things that have gone wrong with society over the years.
I read just a few pages in a little store, than had to come home and find it to buy for myself.

Philosophy for today
Helpful Votes: 20 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-15
Both the prose and the basic philosophy espoused by this book are refreshing on todays palate. No over-wrought writing or get ahead mentality here. The book gives a wonderful view of household life in the 1800's, covering ground from pudding recipes to the best and cheapenst method for cleaning your candle stick holders and treating common ailments. Liberally spiced with the philosophy of a frugal housewife who's example many of us would do well to follow.

A Classic, and things are still applicable.
Helpful Votes: 23 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-10
I bought this book at a Revolutionar War event this past weekend and I've read it 3 times already (Purchased Sunday, and it's now Tuesday morning). My husband can't believe that I can't put this down. But I find it fascinating reading. Many of the little tips in here are still on many websites today for frugal living (olive oil and a little white vinegar for a wood furniture polish, for example).

Easy and fascinating reading for anyone interested in history, frugal living, and occassionaly a good laugh.

One of my FAVORITE books!
Helpful Votes: 49 out of 52 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-14
I got this book over 10 years ago, at the Sturbridge Village gift shop, and I swear, I've read it so much that I probably have whole sections memorized! It is, without doubt, THE best book of its kind.

The American Frugal Housewife is fascinating on a variety of levels, not the least in that Child wrote the book with the emphasis on "AMERICAN." Other such books existed at the time, but they were written in England and for English women. Child was one of the Transcendentalists who were huge advocates of personal self-discipline and restraint, but believed to their core the importance of fighting for what they knew to be right. It wasn't just a religious fervor -although Child's Christianity, like that of Catherine and Harriet Beecher Stowe, was extremely important - but a belief that the still relatively new United States had a unique destiny that set it apart from the rest of the world, specifically the old, decrepit world that was Europe.

Child was no blindfolded nationalist, however. She saw the flaws and contradictions that bound the new Republic. Child, like many other Transcendentalists, was a fervent abolitionist and a proponent of women's equality, and worked all her life toward achieving those ends. Even with its problems, Child was an ardent American. She saw Americans as a unique race of people with a unique and powerful destiny. Americans, she believed, were new and unique, and that the American destiny was far different from the degenerate, rotting hulk of Old World Europe.

So what does all this have to do with the American Frugal Housewife? Well, Child wrote the book specifically to address AMERICAN houswives and what she knew to be their unique problems and issues. It's much more than just a recipe book; it embodies Child's philosophy that the only way toward virtue was self-restraint and sobriety, and that the way to tutor the new nation in these values was by teaching the nation's housewives - the hand that rocks the cradle, Child believed, did indeed rule the world.

The new nation was becoming prosperous, and Child saw that then, like now, people had a difficult time learning how to restrain themselves financially. One part in particular has to do with how mothers should raise their daughters. Child believed they should teach their offspring the virtues of frugality, that it was better to put savings "out at interest" and earn wealth from it, then to indulge in the latest fad - one in this case being something called a Brussels carpet. As new brides went out to set up their household, Child lectures at how they drive their husbands to bankruptcy by embracing fads and trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Other, cheaper types of carpet "will answer just as well," Child wrote. She also recommends using cheap illustrations, nicely framed, as wall art, rather than going overboard to buy the latest European style.

Some of the best sections are on frugality. Child was the "Hints from Heloise" queen of her day, and she's got a solution for everything that could possibly beset the early 19th century housewife. The interesting thing, as others have noted, is how so many of her tips still work so well.

I don't know that I'm ever going to need her instructions on how to brew my own soap in a backyard kettle or how to keep my homemade pickles in a barrel from turning soft, but I did get a burn mark out of an antique chest by using rottenstone and oil, just as she prescribed.

What's rottenstone, you ask? Well, you can buy it at a hardware store, but if you want the recipe, buy the book! It's a fantastic window on early American life, but the sound advice inside, about not getting into debt and how to "do up" your brass so it doesn't tarnish, is still amazingly useful.

I guarantee you'll become a Child fan, just like me! :)

Woods
The Animals of Farthing Wood
Published in Paperback by Heinemann Young Books (1995-09-04)
Author: Colin Dann
List price:
Used price: $38.36

Average review score:

The Animals of Farthing Wood
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-03

When I was a young reader, this book and its sequels were one of the first I picked up. I loved the animated series and jumped right into the novels. If you've seen the series you will notice several differences, most notably the gender changes of some of the characters; in the book the main cast is almost exclusively male, and the series balanced things out a bit. The sequels were treated very differently on television, but the original series treats the novel with the care and grace it deserves.

The writing is difficult to review not because of flaws or unusual style, but because of its simplicity. Dann works hard to maintain a perfect clarity throughout, in terms of the well-constructed characters and the simple yet thoroughly engaging plot. It's an easy read and one the kids will truly adore, and is a wonderfully nostalgic read for myself and many others. If you are an adult and unfamiliar with the series though, you may not find the substance you were looking for in this first book, but you will most likely enjoy the next few instalments in the series.

Concisely planned and well thought out.

A must for animal lovers
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-17
The animals of Farthing Wood is a short but very amusing novel told from the view of a small group of woodland creatures intent on finding a new home. There arn't many books on in this type of category and I must say I fully enjoyed it. The tale goes of how Farthing wood, home of around two dozen creatures is in danger of being destroyed by man. Distraught, the animal's only way of surviving is by reaching a nature reserve - White Deer Park. Led by Fox (a main character)the group takes an oath to not eat each other and travel through danger after danger on their long journey. There are many sequels stemming from this book and the entire story has been adapted by a cartoon under the same name - one of the best I've seen at that. All in all this book is worth reading. An adventure of a different kind.

I Grew Up With These Books!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-11
When I was little I used to watch the T.v series, The Animals Of Farthing Wood, and I loved it!!!!!!! It contributed to my love of animals and when I read this first book I found it even better!
This story of how the Animals OF Farthing Wood find their home being destroyed and have to leave is a remarkable tale of love as they have to learn to trust each other, including sneeky Adder. I love all the charcters, especially Fox, Vixen and extremly funny Weasel. This book made me laugh and cry (especially when the hedgehogs got run over!) and I stayed in my room reading for hours. It is definatly a must-read for anyone who loves animals. If you have kids, then read them this book! I benifited hugely from it! I still have the T.v series on tape, even though I hardly ever watch it I won't let anyone tspe over it!
The next books are just as good as the first, and I thouroughly enjoyed the prequel (The Animals Of Farthing Wood, The Adventure Begins.) The next books are great as we learn about Fox and Vixen's cubs (Bold, Friendly, Charmer and Dreamer). Bold runs away from the animal's new home White Deer Park seeking adventure and Charmer typicly falls in love with Scar Face's son Ranger. (Scar Face is her dad Foxe's arch enemy) It's an ace tale and I hope that Colin Dann writes some more books as I've read most of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!xxx

A Charming tale
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-25
This is a great book and is the best book I have ever read. The book is about a group of wildlife from Farthing Wood who,s homes are being destroyed. The animals do nothing about it untill the humans filled in the pond. Then they all meet in Badger,s set to discuss the problem together but nobody has any ideas untill Toad (who has been missing for over a year) returns and tells the animals that on his travels he came across a Nature Reserve called White Deer Park. The animals agree and the next night they leave led by Fox. But the creatures face many dangers and some die. I realy recommened this book. It is a wonderful tale.

Finding a safe place ..
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-23
Farthing Wood is being destroyed by human development, and the animals decide that they need to move to a safer place, a wildlife sanctuary called White Deer Park.

This is a truly delightful tale about how the creatures band together (friend and foe alike) and their adventures as they travel from their threatened home to a safe place that only one of them (Toad) has ever seen.

Recommended for children and adults both. I wish I'd discovered this story earlier!

Jennifer Cameron-Smith


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