Woods Books

This is the first book I read that was set in Australia and I got a lot more from it than just the wonderful story of the lead characters and the interesting people around them. There was not really any permanent villain, each characters whether they started as bad people had their reasons for their actions and you don't really grow to hate them even towards the end unlike the typical villain. What I love is the author had done an extensive research about the history of Australia from the convict days and the life of the Aborigines that were forced to live with the European immigrants. The heroine was a very adventurous woman who was seeking her mother's early childhood memories that cost her grandparents their lives and her mother having an amnesia of her early years of life. I could not put this book down and read it in two days. The ending was not as great as I expected because the Woods left a lot of the characters behind and I did not know what happened to them. Additionally, the main characters were not reunited in person in the end after the lead character discovered where Kara-kara is located (the place that she's been searching from the beginning of the novel). I don't want to give away too much so just pick this book and you won't regret it!

I highly recommend this book to those who love Australia, are fascinated by the good and the bad of its history, and the mysticism of the Aborigin culture. It is a wonderful read for those who just want to read and be entertained; but it has much more to offer and is deeper than your normal page turners. It explores the personal development of a number of characters as well as provides a gentle critism and depiction on a human level of some of the unpleasant sides of Australia's fronteer days and of the beauty of a culture that was trampled on.

This is a wonderful book about the Australian outback and the myths and legends connected with the native peoples. It is a story about a young woman who goes in search of the cause of her mother's nightmares and of her own fears about her heritage. It was a wonderful book.

I needed something to read and purchased this book because I loved "The Thorn Birds" and was hoping this would be on a par. Needless to say, it was. I especially loved this book because it explores the world of the tribes of Australia and other things that The Thorn Birds missed out on. I would love to see this book made into a film. This was just the first of many Barbara Woods novels I've read. I read the book in one sitting. I highly recommend "Green City In The Sun" a great book about Africa that I can see Sean Connery playing the lead male role in. "Domina" another great Barbara Wood book that shows the role of women in medicine when women weren't allowed to be a part of that world. "Virgins Of Paradise" where Barbara does it again! This book will open your eyes to the roles of women in a country where women are considered "property". AN ABSOLUTE MUST READ, and "The Prophetess"...an incredible book that keeps you on the edge of your seat with suspense and excitement, yet explores religion through a completely new set of eyes and shows us how much we are all alike despite our "beliefs" A page turner that you can't put down till the end. I LOVE BARBARA WOOD. The Dreaming is just one of many of her books you'll love too! *"CHILDSONG" is another book of hers, a very early one, that will make you think twice about a lot of things in life. I certainly hope you can find some of these fine novels still in print and enjoy them as I have and many of my friends.

I read this novel while I was in Australia last month - my first trip there. Ironically, I purchased the book several years ago, but never read it. Now, I am glad that I read it when I did, because it made Australia come alive
for me, rich with history, culture, geography, economics, etc, more than even just being in Australia on vacation. I especially found fascinating the embedded information about the Aboriginal culture. I went to Uluru (Ayer's Rock) shortly before I neared the end of THE DREAMING and felt much more connected to the spirituality of the land because of B.Woods' invocation of the spirit of Aboriginal life. My last day in Sydney, I went on a walkabout in the Blue Mountains, led by a guide with Aboriginal ancestors. Reading the novel gave me a different appreciation of my experience. Then I went on the Indian Pacific Railway for 24 hours, through mostly desert, and I felt as though I were a character in Woods' novel. I would have enjoyed this novel even if I read it elsewhere than in Australia, but I would encourage anyone planning to travel there to buy this book and read it if you really want to understand Australia better. Barbara Woods is an author, yes, but really she is a born teacher, because she made me hungry for more information about all the subjects she touched upon. (I was also reading Bill Bryson's excellent humorous travel narrative DOWN UNDER. He treats many of the same subject but with non-fiction humor. If you go to Australia, you should definitely read both of these books.)

Kevin Sheehan has simplified the great qualities of important leaders and placed them in an entertaining text. A gift which I have passed on to my dearest friends, this book is both inspirational and educational. My highest recommendation.

Poignant, powerful stories. Beautifully written with a distinctive and important design. This book's not to be missed--by you, your friends, your business colleagues. Bravo!

Within his book A Leader Becomes A Leader, Kevin Sheehan delightfully illustrates the essence of true leadership. He poignantly definies a diverse group of past and present leaders; while exploring their life events and characteristics of greatness. Encourage your friends, family and coworkers to read this motivational book!

The author does a phenomenal job of breaking the topic down into small manageable and inspiring readings; also covers a great cross-section of leaders and the characteristics that made them successful. I ordered a dozen copies as executive and motivational gifts.

J. Kevin Sheehan presents a celebration of what's possible in his biographical snapshots of great leaders. By focusing on the unique character traits of outstanding leaders the author transforms the mysteries of leadership into something very real. He answers the question "what made them great?" in an extremely concise and inspirational style. Great as a corporate gift or graduation present. My children have used it for school projects and I have found inspiration for my own business. No home or school library should be without this most valuable tool.

This book is a keeper and I'll probably read it several times. I have already ordered another for my daughter and am thinking of sending this book to others as well.

When I first saw this book I felt a little bit like a kid again--and that's exactly where this book took me--Every Sunday I would go into our sun filled living room and sit down and read a chapter in Julie's book--Every one of her outdoor "Nature" experiences took me back to the unencumbered days of my childhood --seeing nature through her eyes made me feel at peace while learning more and more about the things in nature that I would have liked to understand years ago--I just wish she would write another one just like this one--Have you ever read a book you wish would never end?? This was one of them--Thank you-

This is a wonderful little book. Julie Zickefoose is a writer, illustrator, and contributor to NPR. In this book, organized by the seasons of the year, she shares her experiences living on her 80-acre farm in southern Ohio. She brings a sense of wonder to seemingly mundane things such as squabbling starlings and the wreck of her vegetable garden.There are sad points, such as euthanising a little opossum caught in a steel trap, but most of the book is devoted to happier topics. I really enjoyed reading it.

Experience the seasons with Julie and her family on their wildlife sanctuary in the Appalachian foothills in southern Ohio. A gem of a book, if you love birds and other animals... very real and full of the wonder of everyday happenings - if you keep your eyes open.

I loved Ms. Zickefoose's little book. It's a publication one reads in small doses, enjoying her comments and her art. The style is like having a really good conversation with an interesting, accomplished naturalist. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys nature.

My daughter who is 9.5 asked me to purchase this for her after we read a library copy. It is a sweet tale, well told. She much preferred the illustrations in the 25th anniversary edition.

Nice illustrations, good strong story line. For being such an imaginative story, it's fairly realistic in how to think of solutions, instead of quiting. Very good story for young readers.

Steven Kellogg is an excellent artist and storyteller. This is my favorite of his works. I often wished, when I was young, that my uncle in Scotland would send me a huge tadpole, but my uncle only lived 10 miles away in the desert. Not much chance of that!

This book has a great story and is fun! Children will love the vivid pictures as well as the exciting turn of events! I give it two thumbs up! There are two editions out there, the original, and the second edition which has several different illustrations and a few story differences. I like both, but for different reasons and whichever you get, you'll love it!

Sure, the plot is silly. What do you expect when the premise is that a tadpole caught in Loch Ness turns out to be more than Uncle McAllister bargained for? The Mysterious Tadpole is a rollicking romp, rich in absurdity (Only after Alphonse grows four legs and reaches the size of a Volkswagen does the teacher conclude that he's not an ordinary tadpole.), and chock full of Steven Kellog's usual hilarious illustrations. Grab the nearest child, curl up in a big chair, and enjoy The Mysterious Tadpole.

I loved this book as a child and have loved reading it to my son. He received the 25th Anniversary edition for Christmas and while it's very, very good, it has been rewritten and simply lacks the charm of the original (which I would rate an enthusiastic 5 stars). The story is still wonderful and if this is the only copy you have access to, you won't be disappointed. The original, though, is the best and that's why I have to give this edition 4-stars.

I bought this book for my husband. He uses it to help him with work. He is a Senior Software Engineer.

At the risk of adding one more gushing review to this excellent book - let me say that this book is very good for relatively non-technical folks also. I am working as a manager of a technical team and I used this book to come up on speed on the basics of software architecture. The material layout is very clear and consistent - it helped me to get through the basic concepts quickly and come back for a more detailed reading. The book helped me to ask the relevant questions and focus the team on the right sense of issues.

Only suggestion I have for a subsequent edition is to include one full blown case study.

Having been in the IT world for more than 25 years and studying this topic for many of those years I have found this book to be extremely accessible. I reference it often. I like the way it deals with real business world issues as opposed to on board jet navigation systems etc. I rate it right along with Craig Larman "Applying UML and Patterns".

It is a very thorough and well written book. Authors have introduced idea of perspectives (viewpoints related to cross-cutting concerns) and I totally agree with authors on benefits of using perspectives rather than treating them as viewpoints. My AD of new project is based on viewpoints and perspectives separation suggested by authors.

If you are a software architect or aspire to be one, you should read this book. Rozanski and Woods do an excellent job of explaining the whys and hows of creating software architectures. Their pragmatic, no-nonsense approach makes this book extremely readable. The book is divided into two main sections: an explanation of the viewpoints and perspectives concepts (208 pages) and a catalog of viewpoints and perspectives (195 pages). This makes the book a relatively quick read, but also very useful as a day-to-day reference. If only every software architect would read this book, we might not have as many software quality issues as we have today!

the type of reading material most grandparents search for to excite and encourage our youngsters' reading and interests.

I bought this book of poems while doing a them on Penguins. The children read Mr. Popper's Penguins and I used the Teachers printables for the unit. The poems were used during Writing to immerse the children in poems and cross theme with Penguins. This poem book and them can be used across all grades and guided reading levels. My 5 year old even loves it.

This book gives good basic information on penguins in a very fun format. The poems are catchy. I teach 3-6 year olds and I caught them repeating the phrases they liked the best. I highly recommend it for this age group.

I bought this book for my son since he is interested in penguins. Most penguin story books are promoted to toddlers or are penguin science books; not books for fictional reading for older children. Normally he doesn't choose to read but when he received this book for christmas, he immediately put down his other items and began to look through the book. Later that evening, before bedtime, he chose to read his book before going to sleep. He also liked that the book had poems; something he's been studying in school and hasn't seen how it could be fun to read. Now he likes them a little more. I'm glad it will help to promote more reading for him.

First of all, I love this book because I love penguins. However, as a piece of children's literature, it's so much more. This is an excellent example of how literature (poetry) and science can go hand and hand. There are some poems in this book that seem written just for fun, (e.g. "Be My Penguin"). However, most of the poems in this book are written about and around actual behaviors that penguins exhibit: from regurgiating their food to feed the young ("Regurgitate") to the motherly instincts of father penguins ("A Hatchling's Song" and "My Father's Feet") to poetic riddles about penguin predators (sea lion, killer whale). The book is charming, easy to read, and full of delightful penguin illustrations. A great gift for any child interesting in science or literature or anyone who (like me) just loves penguins.

I was totally ignorant of segmented wood turning until I read this book. Now I am ready to give it a try. I would recommend this book to any serious wood turner.

This is an excellent book, but I feel it is for advanced segmented wood turners. The pictures are beautiful and give you lots of "food for thought." I'm just beginning with segmented wood turning. The book is fun to look at, very detailed in it's instruction, and very interesting to read.

I like everything about woodturning. This book is no exception. You might also want to check the DVD Beyond Wood - Portrait of an Artist. You will see a lot of beautifully photographed pieces and interviews from years of research on the subject.

This book is very helpful and inspiring to any segmented bowl turner. Gives incentive to try the seemingly impossible combination of patterns.

This book was very inspiring. I've made several projects similiar to what is in the book. My work has been praised. Although the designing, cutting of pieces of wood and aleining is challenging; the end results are well worth the efforts.

What a fantastic read!! In Ariel's Journey, the young girls embark on a journey forcing them to realize that what was once considered a problem before their journey began (a typical conflict among tween friends) really wasn't such a big issue in comparison with they were chosen to accomplish. These once naïve girls, turn into brave and majestic warriors as they fulfill their mission for peace and goodness. They become strong and focused as they bond with one another and their Icelandic horses in order to bring peace to Iceland. There is also very knowledgeable information on the Icelandic breed of horses as well. I look forward to reading each book in this series!

At first I was a little skeptical of the plot in Ariel's Journey... I mean, teenage girls traveling back in time to Iceland with magical horses? However, after finishing the book, I'm a BELIEVER! The story moves along at a nice pace and the characters are very well-developed. Kane and Wood give special attention to the little details that make each character endearing, such as Andrea's wild "morning hair" and the unrestrained enthusiasm that twelve-year-olds Kim and Darcy share for pretty much anything that comes their way. This story not only encourages "girl power" and teaches young women that they DO have the inner strength to accomplish great things, it is also rather gritty and realistic in surprising ways. The girls actually charge into battle wielding swords and there is some blood and gore! Ariel's Journey achieves a perfect balance of adventure, dialogue, romance, and female bonding. I have to admit that I became very attached to the characters and was sad when they arrived home, ready to resume their normal lives in modern society. Luckily I can take comfort in the fact that book #2 is coming out soon. I can't wait to see what happens next with Princessa, Skessa, Ariel, Hela, and Kedja and their brave young riders!

Cute book about kids going back in time and visiting Iceland 800 years ago. Two things I liked a lot about it. It depicted Icelandic horses as being very wise and having magical powers. If you know any Icelandic horses, you'll know how they really seem to have those qualities. I liked that the teenage girls in the story developed into skilled warriors who rescue others instead of being rescued. Girls need to read more books like this. I hope these authors continue writing. People who like this book will enjoy an older book called "Cloud Horse" by Miriam Pinkwater. Annie

Ariel's Journey is an excellent book for teens and adults. It is a story that shows the true relationship a rider can have with their horse. Horses (especially the Icelandic breed) like humans have their own unique traits and personalities. This story describes the ability of horses to bond with their riders in a mystical way. It is a great adventure story filled with twists and surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. It also teaches you a great deal about the Icelandic horse breed and their homeland.
I enjoyed the story from beginning to end. Each chapter leaves you wanting more, therefore, making it hard to put the book down. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the next story.

I enjoyed Ariel's journey! was an easy read, very interesting and informative. I especialy enjoyed the unexpected twist in the story. I also felt it was a real life relationship learning tool for tweens that will read the book. Its a tough time for girls in this real part of their lives and this book tells what can happen when you can put those things aside. The authors did a particularly great job in character descriptions of both the girls on the journey and the horses that were their friends.

The author is very knowledgeable and gives a thorough background of each herb that he describes. He includes a lot of scientific information, as well as more mystical/spiritual and historical uses of each herbs, giving the book a nice balance. It was recommended to me by a fabulous herbalist and naturopath, and I must say that I'm very glad I listened to her advice as it's one of the best herb books I've seen.

I really enjoyed reading Matthew Wood's herbal book.He weaves a good amount of history with his scientific herbalism.After i read his book,i felt that he was another former modern christian rediscovering his connection with the good Earth.He may have been labeled as a former 'Quasi-Pagan',or seemingly pagan,now a 'true Pagan'.Nevertheless,he presents the global history of the herbs quite well,in relation to what these plants and herbs can do to benefit people.It's an engaging reading that will please any serious herbalist-ethnoscientist.The more you know,the more you will later reap.-Alma Hutchens wrote,'Indian Herbalogy of North America',which has more medical information about 'Native Medicines'.Ms.Hutchens' book does not have a good historical perspective,yet does have many good medicinal antidotes.The bottom line is that any modern ethno-herbalist will more likely enjoy reading Wood's text on the history and uses of homeopathic shamanic botany.

Matthew Wood's book is a must-have for your bedside table and/or bookshelf. It's a serious and studied approach to healing through plants. This book and its contents have made a difference in our lives. Don't hesitate to buy it right away and read it; you won't regret having done so, and will feel better. My health has improved rather quickly, thanks to some of the recommendations made by Wood in this wonderful manual for health.

Matthew Wood is literally a wealth of information. He has done an excellent job of providing information on several different types of herbs with usages, and just good information to have as a ready reference book. The diagrams, while they are not in color, still are excellent. This is one of my useful reference books that I would recommend to anyone who is serious about using herbs in their life.

Matthew Wood brings a variety of his gifts together as writer, historian, herbalist and a man of prodigious memory and herbal storytelling. This book stands out as my favorite herbal reference because it treats each herb to a whole chapter. Any lover of plants knows that there is much more to describe an herb than the usual sort of important lists of information most commonly shared in herbal reference books. This book helps one to get to know these 41 herbs much as you would know a friend or relative in their habits and ways of helping.

I pick up this book over and over simply because it is such good reading and I don't remember everything. If you like to learn through story and beautiful prose, this just may be your book! It fills a very unique niche of herbal literature.

The 41 herbs are quite available in the Midwest habitat and many overlap into other areas.

My only disappointment is that there is not a second volume to cover the many other herbs that didn't fit into the first volume.

This is a really cute book for toddlers/preschoolers/K-2 kids. It helps with colors for the really little ones, then with short sentences to read or write later. I actually bought this for my 10 year old daughter - lol - she always loved this book. I guess the bright colors and sparkle of the foil cut outs of the eggs appealed to her in Kindergarten when she saw it in the school library - she's checked it out every year at least 6 times ever since (4th grade now). Every kid has a few books that they just adore and can't get enough of, so I got it for her to keep and give her own kid(s) some day (she has my old copy of "Bambi's Fragrant Forest" - a 1970's scratch 'n sniff book). It's a visually pleasing book and little ones will enjoy it.

I love the illustrations in this book!!! My 2-year-old may be a little too young for the story, but she loves looking at the pictures.

My son learned his colors because of this book! Each page has a different color of egg, the story rhymes so well, and its a lift-the-flap book! The pictures have so much detail sometimes we spend extra time looking in the background for other animals and talking about what they are doing. We've had this book for a year and it is still very popular at our house!

I purchased this book for my nephew and he absolutely loves it. Beautiful illustrations and a very cute story for children from 1-6 years old. However, the book seemed a bit warped when I purchased it but I attributed it due to the delivery process.

One of the nicest things about this book is how well it is designed. Children love beautiful materials and this book delivers. Today, electronic media is so prevelant in childrens' lives. This book, though, offers children the opportunity to relax and read pages filled with awe and wonder. Quality colors, papers and decorations invite children into the Natural Easter world of the forest and imagination. It's beautifully adorned with sparkling, jeweled pages made to entertain and peak interest.