Labor Day Books

This book is making me rethink a lot of things we take for granted everyday. Very well researched, well written, the stories of our fellow humans, suffering indignities beyond belief is one that needs more voices like this. I had no idea of the current magnitude of slavery, and I want to learn more now. I highly recommend it.

Its a very interesting book, sometimes a little too confusing, when mixed up with US policy and political figures, but mostly really amazing book. Just read it...u will not regret at all.

"A Crime So Monstrous" presents a gripping, first-hand account of modern day human slavery. Author Benjamin Skinner takes readers into the dark underworld of human bondage and exploitation that is all but a plane and cab ride from the life of luxury we enjoy in the West. Skinner traveled the world to meet slavetraders, slaves and ex-slaves. He tells the stories of several individuals who have been subjected to horrific, inhumane treatment and put through the most horrendous of conditions. The result is an intense, authentic book that people must read.

Skinner hits the most desperate locales where today's slavery has taken hold. The seediest spots in Haiti, Moldova, Sudan, India, and Dubai set the scenes of the book. Skinner tells the stories of victims of slavery from each of those regions. But he does so in a way that both details some of the horrors they experienced while giving voice to their dignity and pointing to their hopes of overcoming the challenges that remain for former slaves once the chains have been broken.

Along the way, Skinner also meets with former U.S. Ambassador John Miller, who headed the U.S. State Departments office to combat trafficking in human persons. Skinner's portrait of Amb. Miller is enjoyable and offers a bit of relief to readers. This book is NOT light reading. It can be just plain difficult to pick up on a sunny day. The horrors of slavery can certainly make one want to avoid it. But the fact that the evil of slavery exists in the world today is reason itself to read this important book.

Skinner adopts modern-day abolitionist Kevin Bales' definition of "slave": a person who is compelled to work, through force or fraud, for no pay beyond subsistence. This definition seems right to me. Apparently, there is some debate in abolitionist circles about the definition of slavery--or at least debate over what the emphasis of anti-slavery efforts should be today. "Wage slavery" and sex slavery are both evils, but some abolitionists differ in means and priorities in eradicating them both. Skinner gets into the fray here, and gives a picture of Michael Horowitz that is none too complimentary. This reviewer simply doesn't have the background to assess all of Skinner's evaluations. But readers of the book should at least take time to read Logan Paul Gage's May 5, 2008 "First Things" review of Skinner's book to get another perspective.

If slavery isn't wrong, nothing is wrong. "A Crime So Monstrous" is a book about an evil that must be stopped. Get it. Read it.

Every page of this book is fascinating, and scary.

Perhaps the end is the worst of all. Skinner has a brief epilogue where he points out: "You might wonder what became of the slaves I found in bondage. What happened to the young Romanian woman whose owner offered her in trade for a used car? Did she escape that fetid Bucharest brothel?...And what of Gonoo Lal Kol, his family and the other villagers in Lohagara Dhal? Did they seize the moment of their master's flight and break their chains? What of those unseen slaves whom trafficers offered to sell to me? What of the three girls that I haggled for in Istanbul?" (p 287).

He adds, painfully, "I wish I could tell you that they are all okay...I don't know what happened to them. Their fate haunts me" (p 287).

All the stories in this book will haunt you. How can slavery be so hidden, so unreported, and yet to common?

What is the matter with our civilization, that we don't rise up, take action, and stop this evil practice?

I work for a well known organization in Southeast Asia working against trafficking and sexual exploitation. While I believe that Skinner had good intentions when writing this piece, I do not believe it was written in a way sensitive to the confidentiality needs of trafficking victims and survivors. Rather than painting a picture of How to Buy a Child Slave: 101 (which is my own title for this book), as well as (in my opinion) a "pat the US State department on the back" piece, I feel it could have done a much better job at challenging those in the West to take a closer look at responsible consumer habits, the demand for slaves, advocacy strategies for international slavery, and LAST BUT NOT LEAST - the exploitation and trafficking that is happening in OUR OWN BACKYARDS - the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

The great Florida hurricane of 1935 came as no surprise - in Key West Ernest Hemingway had enough warning to secure his boat and house against the storm - yet superintendents in three nearby government work camps did almost nothing to evacuate the men in their charge. Phil Scott details these days of calamity when the Keys were hit by one of the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S: Hemingway's Hurricane: The Great Florida Keys Storm Of 1935 uses eyewitness accounts to detail these days of calamity and reconstruct the events in each camp as the hurricane made landfall. The probe of the underlying problems involved in evacuation procedures holds plenty of drama and meaning for today's residents.

I found this book to be a wonderful blend; part history lesson, part Political overview and to a large part, tragedy.

Phil Scott concisely provides the necessary background for a complex period in American history, and deftly sets the stage for the main event.

The "Back story" he tells of the forming of the Veterans Bonus Army, the March on Washington DC, and their dispatched to the Florida Keys as much to get them out of the way as to build a Highway across the Keys, is a story in itself. Once we understand the circumstances of their situation, it almost seems inevitable that they will be abandoned in their time of need.

The author does a marvelous job of introducing us to a variety of characters, from many of the imperiled vets, to the seemingly clueless men responsible for their safety, and the locals, like Ernest Hemingway who were forever changed by this tragedy.

While there certainly are parallels with the mistakes made during Hurricane Katrina, I believe this story is compelling, and stands well on its own merit. And while the Gulf Coast in 2005 had advanced knowledge of the terribly destructive force bearing down on it, the hundreds of veterans in their "temporary" housing on the Keys had very little warning of the Category 5 hurricane that would send hundreds of them to their deaths.

I heartily recommend this book to readers with an interest in the History of this period, Hurricane's as a force in nature, or anyone simply looking for a gripping,highly readable and true story of how quickly things can go wrong.

I've never had an interest in visiting the Florida Keys, nor truly understood the plight of post World War I veterans -- even though my grandfather had been one -- but with the publishing of Hemingway's Hurricane by Phil Scott, I found myself caring. I now want to visit the Keys and explore, where this amazing tragedy took place, and to see first-hand just what it meant to span approximately 130 miles of water and islands by both train track and roadway. Scott's book provides both the necessary exposition to pave the way, while building suspense for the pending storm, much like those of us in television land find ourselves checking cable channels for updates on where and when storms will hit in the present day. From the building of a rail line as early as 1912 (the year the Titanic sank), known as Flagler's Folly, all the way to Key West to the semi-permanent Hooverville encampments and Bonus Marches near the White House during the Depression years, which encompasses public dissatisfaction with the federal government
(long before the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam Anti-War activities occupied our nation's attention), this book truly prepares the reader for nature's destructive force. Scott also manages to draw the reader in long before Ernest Hemingway enters the picture, but the Hemingway angle helps make a timely connection between gross
negligence in 1935 and the equally unexpected results of 2005's Hurricane Katrina
and the combined slow response from today's federal, state, and local governments.
I always expect my high school English and journalism students to "extend the text" to seek connections and meaning outside of the printed pages. For this reason, I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about how our government operates. There are lessons to be learned here, even if the events took place 70 years ago. And although the book moves quickly, I find myself stopping to check one or both of the two maps detailing both the Florida Keys and placement of the work camps, plus I find myself delving into the internet to pursue further inquiry. I do this because Scott's narrative and depth of information has given me reason to care and explore further this fascinating true story.

Phil Scott's book, "Hemingway's Hurricane" is a quick and good read about the century's most powerful hurricane....the category 5 storm that smashed into the Florida Keys over Labor Day weekend in 1935. Finished before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Scott's book takes on a narrative with some unintended consequences and supreme ironies.

Set as a timeline, the author briefs the reader well with his background of the Bonus Army of World War I veterans, their 1932 march on Washington D.C. and the veterans' subsequent detour to the Florida Keys, courtesy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, to give them low-paying jobs. "Hemingway's Hurricane" centers around these hundreds of veterans, their work in the Keys (much of it building roads) and the misfortune they had at being directly in the path of the hurricane. Scott relates all of this in a nicely paced way. Yet two things stand out in his book....there's very little to do with Ernest Hemingway....he makes not much more than a minor appearance at the beginning and at the end, so the title of the book is confusing. The author also provides too many cameo appearances by others who were part of the storm and the recovery. Fewer characters with more time spent with them would have increased my enjoyment of Scott's work.

Yet it is the comparison to Katrina, not mentioned in "Hemingway's Hurricane" that makes for the unintended attraction. The 1935 storm had its own version of FEMA (FERA) and a major player, Fred Ghent, the director of the veteran's camps, who was the Michael Brown of his day. His decision not to get a relief train down in time to evacuate the veterans was one of the worst miscalculations of the storm. It's almost as if we can hear FDR saying, "Ghentie, you're doin' a heckuva job!" Perhaps the oddest and saddest comparison is that Katrina, hitting Louisiana almost seventy years to the day after the Keys hurricane, underscores that government hasn't come all that far in preparedness, rescue and recovery.

"Hemingway's Hurricane" is a good book but not a great one. However, Scott's attention to detail make it worth the read and the story is one that has needed to be told.

The hurricane that hit the Florida Keys in 1935 is still listed as the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the US. It is estimated to have had 200 mph winds and although it's eye was not large, the power of this storm surpassed anything imagined.
The victims numbered 423 known dead, 259 of them were veterans of World War I. These men had been "employed" to build a highway connecting the Keys all the way through to Key West. It was a "make work" program seemingly designed to remove the veterans from the spotlight in Washington D.C., like a splinter in the FDR political eye. The veterans had been marching on Washington and camping there demanding pay bonuses that had been promised to them. Many were in desperate situations with the Depression in full form. Sending them far away to the Keys to work and make money must have seemed like the answer to everyone's desires. Tragedy was to unfold.
In September of 1935, as the veterans labored on, the Weather Bureau was tracking a tropical storm that would become the most intense hurricane in US history. Due to a lack of coverage in many areas, the path of the storm had to be projected, leaving room for error. Even so, warnings were put out to the Keys and while locals begin to make preparations, the veterans had no prior experience with hurricanes. They depended on their camp director and other in charge to make the evacuation decisions, which was to include sending a train to remove them from the path of danger. Decisions were either made to late or not made at all and the train would not arrive in time. The train itself, would be washed off the tracks and nearly washed out to sea. 259 veterans would loose their lives.
While there are amazing parallels between this storm of 1935 and Katrina, there are also striking differences. The forecasters urgently warned about Katrina, a more direct and well broadcast warning than in 1935. In both storms people waited to be evacuated by others for a variety of reasons. While the reasons are varied, the reality is that government is not all powerful nor is it capable of dealing with huge scale evacuations. When individuals give up their personal responsibility, the results will be haphazard and even deadly as is proven true in both these hurricanes. When those directly in charge fail to take reasonable steps to protect the very lives they are charged with protecting, the result will be disastrous. In this case the camp director in 1935 and the Mayor of New Orleans seem to have a lot in common.
This is a vivid account of the 1935 hurricane. The stories of the victims and survivors as their island is virtually swept clean, inundated by the storm surge is intense and electrifying. These are stories that have a depth of emotion that was not expected from men who had become inured to hardship and death in WWI. The attempted downplaying of the disaster for political reasons is stunning. While the role of Ernest Hemingway seems nearly minute, he did draw attention to the plight of the veterans.
Phil Scott has written a clear and vivid account of a disaster in the making and the lives that were battered and destroyed. The politics and the human faces of the intrepid veterans combine to form a story well worth the reading.

Some history falls between the cracks. "I am a Teamster: A Short, Fiery Story of Regina V. Polk, Her Hats, Her Pets, Sweet Love, and the Modern-Day Labor Movement" is the story of labor leader Regina Polk and her efforts to campaign for better workplace conditions for everyone, idolizing Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa. A story of compassion and desire to change the world, "I am a Teamster" tells an unknown story well worth reading for those looking for the history of labor leaders.

This book will make you feel that there is hope. I knew Regina Polk (and her husband Tom) as friends in graduate school. When Gina left school and joined the Teamsters I doubt that anyone knew the magnitude and course of her success. When she was in a room one could sense her presence and when she was out organizing one felt that the blow had been struck for equality at a particular employer. She was driven to succeed and she did. Her efforts made working women's lives easier and she never gave up. Her standards as a modern day organizer are still in place and I hope that this book will inspire more women to follow her course towards workplace equality.There was little that she comprised on and this created a wedge which she used to collectivize women in voting for group power and better benefits and appropriate salaries.Her successes remain to this day and I miss her greatly even after all this time. She was a positive force in an area that has taken a real beating: the union movement.She also is one of my heroes.

Interesting story about a little know women. A must read about a real tuff cookie!

Gina and I spent the better part of 2 years together back in the 70's. The stories about her pets are very true as I can attest to. Her love of finding new experiences was always there. When we lived in New Mexico I was involved in working with the IBEW to organise the electronics company I was working for at the time. Gina helped me with this and this was probably Gina's first experience with the unions. After our move back to Chicago I could see there was no stopping her and I would just be slowing her down so we parted ways. One of our trips through the deep south was a real wake up call to her and how Women were being treated in those days.
After reading the book I now can see very clearly that she had made the right decisions in her life and how to live it.

Here's a readable, professionally written and published story about a real woman named Regina Polk who was born poor in Arizona, went to California in the 1970s and wound up in Chicago, of all places, working as an organizer for the biggest, toughest Teamster local in the country. This book brings her to life, complete with pictures. Filled with energy, beautiful in an unconventional way, gifted in her ability to build relationships, committed to honest representation, she broke some serious glass ceilings. Then, at age 33, she gets killed in a small plane crash. This book does not penetrate all the mysteries around her life and death, but it probably does the best that can be done. Women around Chicago today benefit from funds raised in her memory by the stewards council at her local, IBT 743,to pay for labor education and labor leadership development.

As a childbirth educator, I highly recommend NINE MONTHS and a DAY to women at any stage of their pregnancy. Great graphics, up-to-date information and tightly organized chapters add to the ease and enjoyment of reading this book. I wish it had been available for my 4 pregnancies and I will be encouraging my clients to add this one to their "must read" lists.

Nine Months and a Day was my go-to pregnancy book these past nine months and a day! My prenatal visits started off poorly due to a lack of information, but once I had Nine Months and a Day to help guide me with questions to ask my midwife, I began to feel confident and prepared. I referred to Nine Months and a Day every month and found the exercises to relieve back pain and prepare for childbirth extremely helpful. The book is really well-organized and easy to read without being simplistic. My husband and I also took Nine Months and a Day to the store when we registered for baby paraphernalia; it was extremely informative. Lastly, I took this book to the hospital and read the "And a Day" part which gave me confidence about bringing our baby home. Thumbs up for Nine Months and a Day. If I ever have another baby, I'll read it all over again!

My wife and I are expecting our first child in February. Like all expectant parents, we are both very excited and very nervous. This book was a great find. My wife and I read it together last weekend and we were both delighted by the helpful advice that it contains. The format is clean and clear and there is a wealth of important information.

I would highly recommend this book to any expectant parent.

This is really a wonderful book! It is filled with information expectant mothers need--laid out clearly and comprehensively. I especially enjoyed the many lists of questions (questions to ask about prenatal tests, childbirth classes, baby doctors, etc.), which take a lot of the guesswork out of getting the information you need. I highly recommend this book.

I started my pregnancy with information overload, and received 9 Months & a Day as a gift. I was relieved to read a book that was clear & concise that answered my questions (which were many) AND helped me plan (the lists are great), but didn't overwhelm me with too-technical jargon or too many "what if's". I have kept this book next to my bed for the past 7 months (only 3 weeks to go!) and have read and re-read as we prepare for labor & delivery. I highly recommend this book for first-time moms, for those of us who think we want to "know it all" (and then burst into tears because it's just too, too much, on top of all the hormones!) and for parents who value direct, to-the-point writing. It's been one of our pregnancy's greatest resources.

"A Day's Work: A Sampler Of Historic Maine Photographs, 1860-1920: Part 1" is compiled with annotations by Maine historian, author, cattleman, and businessman W. H. Bunting who labored for almost 30 years assembling his collection of historic photographic images of the people, buildings, activities and landscapes that comprise Maine's history, commerce, and communities. Each of the 225 black-and-white photos is accompanied by a narrative caption that are as entertaining as they are informative. From a lumber batteau working on a log jam, to an eccentric cobbler traveling from island to island by sailing scow, to trains wrecks, hootchie-cootchie dancers, coastwise cargo schooners, and so much more, readers are treated to unique perspectives captured by a camera's lens and documented life and work in the state of Maine during a sixty year span that begins in 1860 and ends in 1920. Also available in a hardcover edition, "A Day's Work" is especially recommended for academic library Regional History reference collections in general, and Maine's community library State History collections in particular.

My only objection to this book is that it's a tease waiting for the third book. Sometimes I wish it were more integrated topically, or at least that the index were more expansive. But few would want to miss any page. Each reads by itself, with valuable insight (and entertainment). The printing, layout, author's style, comprehensive research, and especially the photographs are all wonderful. In a way, the non-topical approach is exciting too: the penultimate in "coffee table" books. One never grows tired of it, rarely if ever skips a section, looks forward to the next session, and cherishes it as much as the spectacular first volume.

NO author of Maine historical and cultural subjects writes better, or has done more comprehensive research. I would certainly include it in the parcel I would assemble for exile to Boon Island.

I pray for the author's health, happiness, and continued productivity. He is the best of Maine writers and scholars, and sets the best example and model for the generally motley group of Maine "writers", especially the very narrowly-scoped academicians who slavishly follow fixed models of interpretation and presentation. I'm sure Fanny Hardy Ecstorm, Elizabeth Ring and James Baxter (god bless their beautiful souls) are smiling at this wonderful, wonderful writer.

BOOK REVIEW

A Day's Work: A Sampler of Historic Maine Photographs, 1860-1920, Part I, annotated and compiled by W. H. Bunting. Sponsored by Maine Preservation, Tilbury House Publishers, 132 Water St., Gardiner, ME 04345, 1997. 380 pp., oversize, paperback, $35.00

This is a wonderful book, so don't let the title drive you away. You must read halfway through that forbidding title to find out that it's about Maine, farther yet to learn that it's photographic, and "Part I" leaves you dangling. I would have called it Maine at Work, 1860-1920: Photographs and Text; the rest is superfluous--and I have added the word "text" because the text is just as delightful as the photos. I am writing this review because it's a book that people who love Maine shouldn't miss.

I have been summering in Maine for about forty years. The mountains and the skies and the rockbound coast make one constantly aware that Maine is different--the most northern and most eastern state in the USA, with a thousand of miles of shoreline and huge expanses of forest wilderness. Its wild geography has shaped its people and determined how they live. Vestiges of the past are everywhere, from the old docks and windjammers and lighthouses to the barns and sawmills and huge piles of firewood. If one wants an understanding and a feeling for those old times, this book is for you.

William Bunting's fascination with these historical photographs is communicated through the text. He has spent decades immersing himself in local history, and he not only explains each photo but goes behind it, delving into the history and significance of what is shown. If you want to know how to make hard cider, see p. 150 opposite the superb photo of the farmyard with a pile of apples by the old barn. The complex process of logging in the wilderness and getting the logs downriver to the mills and eventually by ship to market is followed through many photos with descriptive text (see pp. 34-44, 86-88, and more). Many buildings in Boston and points south were built of Maine granite; here you can see the granite cutters and the ships and men that carried that heavy cargo to market. Would you like to know and see how in the old days lobster fishing, seining, dip-netting, and canning were done? Or railroading, hunting, or harvesting ice? They're all here, and much more.

Start reading at the Introduction, a fine evocation of Maine today in relation to the past, and a convincing demonstration of the value of photos as historical documents. You will also discover that the author raises cattle and is a bulldozer operator, which doesn't quite explain his mastery of local history (this is his third book) but puts him closer to the down-to-earth people in the pictures. The introduction takes you directly into the text; there are no breaks or chapter headings. Bunting explains that the book is like "taking a journey," one that he took himself--and fortunately it has a good index. I began by looking up the places I know best: Waldoboro, Boothbay, Edgecomb, Casco, Bath, Damariscotta, but the book is a trap--once in, it's hard to get out. You go from photo to photo and from text to text.

The content of the pictures and text is absorbing, but I have said nothing about the aesthetic quality of the photographs. These old black and whites, from the days of heavy cameras and glass plate negatives, have a crispness and wealth of detail rarely seen in today's polychromatic action photos with artificial photo-effects. Many of them were taken for the purpose of making a record, and they project an authenticity that makes the viewer a participant. They have the grip of reality. The photos are worth the price of the book, and the text multiplies their value.

A Day's Work (Part I) focuses on many economic aspects of life in Maine in the late eighteenth and early twentieth century. The author, or annotator and compiler as he calls himself, says that some topics will appear in both volumes, but Part II will emphasize the pulp and paper industries, cotton textiles, coopering, axe manufacturing, etc. Perhaps he's waiting to sit down with the photographs and see where the journey leads. If it's anything like this one, it will be worth waiting for.

Herbert S. Bailey, Jr.
Fearrington Post 248
Pittsboro, NC 27312

Wow! Once in a while a book comes along that is so satisfying that one wonders if you really read it. I can't praise the author enough for bringing to life the life of Maine 100 years ago.

This book is a must read for anyone in the business of managing people. Lior Arussy presents a vision for consumption that will lead you down a path to empowerment, responsbility and real change within your organization. Whether you are a first time supervisor, a senior manager or the CEO of a corporation, the messages delivered within these pages transcend the outdated traditions of hierarchy and unite all participants in a common goal; to deliver excellence as defined by the customer, not by the company.

In brilliant terms that speak directly to your heart and mind, Arussy takes the reader through a process of self discovery, self denial and finally self actualization. As you finish reading the last page of this book you will realize it is not the end, but just the beginning of your own journey in the creation of value through a customer-centric culture.

The employees are what pushes a company forward; if they aren't motivated, nobody is motivated. "Excellence Every Day: Make the Daily Choice - Inspire Your Employees, And Amaze Your Customers" is a guide for managers seeking to get the most out of their employees in the day to day life in running a business. A seminal guide for managers, "Excellence Every Day: Make the Daily Choice - Inspire Your Employees and Amaze Your Customers" is highly recommended for community library business collections.

This is a must read for any person looking to separate their customer service team from the rest. As shown in his previous books, Arussy is a visionary when it comes to defining the service we give our customers. This book takes that definition to a new level and defines excellence for us in a new light. Not only will managers and employees alike re-define excellence both in their professional and personal lives, but with real life examples they will be able to implement these changes at the completion of the book. The real life examples drive home the need for excellence in all our lives and Arussy gives straight forward, easy to read examples and steps for creating and delivering service that will make an immediate impact on the bottom line of your company. His best work yet on leadership and customer service, not only will you amaze your customers, you will amaze yourself in the process.

A Good Day in hell presents the despair of the health care system from a nurse's point of view. "Apathy" of the system graces everyone who touches a patient, in part cused by the governing bodies of the health care system. Ms Curnayn has broken down the causes and given solution to our faltering health care system. A Good Day in Hell is a great beginning.

An impassioned expose of the critical shortage of nurses and the apathy of the profession festering beneath mountains of documentation that makes care of the patient secondary. The author cites the problems experienced by herself and her fellow nurses offering possible solutions. Many of the issues discussed are relevant to the teaching profession as well, where a similar apathy exists amid the constraints of documentation and paperwork leaving less time to tend to the actual business of a child's learning. It makes one wonder if all those who dedicated their lives to serving others find that the "system" keeps them from fulfilling their calling. Thanks to Curnayne for opening the door to change for nurses.

Every seasoned nurse and new nurse has something to gain from reading A Good Day in Hell. Explore this book to validate your frustration with Nursing and then become empowered to do something about this broken healthcare system we attempt to function in. Then you the Nurse, can get back to caring for and advocating for your patients!

this book is really great to help on the job. i really like the plastic coating on all of the pages that makes the book really durable. even though the book is small and fits in my toolbox you can use it to say just about every thing you need to say to you're workers. it has been a big help for us!

This book is a "must have" if you work with Hispanic labor!!!
I am a civil engineer for a large construction company and most of our sub-contractors employ large numbers of Hispanic workers. As a supervisor, part of my job is to ensure the safety of all the workers on our job sites and to maintain OSHA compliancy. I can't tell you how much this book has helped! It's small enough to fit in your back pocket and it has a heavy lamination, so it's durable even in the rain. Every command has a phonetic pronunciation next to it, so even if you never studied Spanish (like me) you'll be able to use it immediately! I showed this book to my boss and our company is going to make these mandatory for all of our 'white hats' (supervisors).

This book gives a complete summary of the major problems with child care in the United States related to the high cost to parents, the mediocre quality of most care, and the difficulty parents have finding it. The authors argue that the affordability problem can only be solved through large increases in financial aid and that the federal government is the only practical source given the magnitudes involved. They also make recommendations for more public spending to create incentives for parents to demand good quality services and for providers to give it. I found the book extremely informative, authoritative, and easy to read.

Este es un tremendo recurso para el predicador ocupado. Bosquejos claros, sustanciosos, con comentarios, a veces con ilustraciones y otros detalles enriquecedores. No tan solo procura presentar una estructura homiletica coherente, sino una que sea consistente con el contexto biblico en cuestion. Es muy aprovechable.

Para darle una idea mas concreta le comparto algunos detalles de la introducción y de la contratapa del libro.

"Predicarle a la gente del mundo actual es un reto multiple. Para quienes pastorean, especificamente, la predicacion demanda repetir una y otra vez las mismas "cosas", año tras año, y siempre de manera certera (exegetica y contextualmente), nueva, atrapante y persuasiva. Los ministros y ministras de Cristo sabemos que predicar es uno de los deberes pastorales más desafiantes." (de la Introduccion)

"¿Es usted un predicador o predicadora? ¿Se ha encontrado en ocasiones escaso de tiempo? ¿Desearia un recurso especializado extra?

El presente volumen es un recurso homiletico para auxiliar a los pastores, maestros y predicadores durante los dias y ocasiones especiales que, ineludiblemente llegan cada año. Incluye bosquejos, enriquecidos con comentario e ilustraciones para:

Año nuevo
Semana Santa
Dia del trabajo
Dia de la Biblia
Dia del niño
Dia de la madre
Dia del padre
Navidad

Sergio Altesor Ramos, ha sido profesor de homiletica, pastor en Uruguay y los Estado Unidos, y predicador desde sus 15 años. Es graduado del Florida Center for Theological Studies (Miami, FL)" (tomado de la contratapa).

Por el mismo autor, y util como recurso homiletico adicional, vea: Pulpito y Poesia: Recursos poeticos para la predicacion, la ensenanza y la devocion espiritual

Tambien por el mismo autor, pero sobre las relaciones humanas, Como Relacionarse Mejor: Manual de Tecnicas Para Desarrollar Relaciones Mas Satisfactorias, Dinamicas y Duraderas (Serie Recursos Ministeriales)