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A Rare and Precious Thing: The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Working with a Spiritual Teacher

Published in Hardcover by Harmony/Bell Tower (2006-09-05)

Author: John Kain

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A Good Read

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-27

A Rare and Precious Thing is an important book for uncertain times. John Kain addresses universal truths, the necessity of independent thinking, and the struggle of authentic self-exploration through personal insight as well as candid profiles of the somewhat accidental - and very human - leaders of eight spiritual disciplines. John's writing is solid; his poetry background shines through in this lyrical, thoughtful book. I found myself increasingly uplifted and engaged with each chapter. A Rare and Precious Thing is a still and quiet place amidst the hype of today's trendy, instant spirituality.

The Sophisticated Seeker

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-15

American spiritual experience has often been characterized as the activity of a small group of religious institutions. Wisdom is transmitted from a deity or inspiring source through a legitimized teacher to the practitioners. Adherents rely on group contact for defining and orchestrating valid experience. The institution provides the moral leadership and direction that the practitioners feel unable to foster without direct guidance. Since the 1950s, the number of legitimate spiritual traditions outside this small group has mushroomed. A large segment arrived from Asia and a smaller sliver emerged from the practices of indigenous peoples in this hemisphere. For the most part, practitioners were drawn to these new sources of inspiration because they represented an opportunity to tap into spirituality stripped of institutional calcification. Across three generations, practitioners have used their own judgment to accept what was meaningful, reject what was unusable and create a lived response on their own terms. John Kain, the author of "A Rare and Precious Thing", is clearly a practitioner of the latter group, a sophisticated seeker. He gives us a very readable reaction to his own spiritual journey by examining alternate disciplines through the words of their teachers and students.

To begin with, Mr. Kain explores each of their settings. His descriptive tone is casual in an engaging way when telling us where and how the teacher lives and the type of community that has formed around them. A serious amount of research is incorporated in these pieces- a kernel of history describes each tradition and a bibliography gives a selection of the teacher's writings for each chapter. Mr. Kain's strength is in bringing out the style of the teacher through transparent interviews. Some teachers are best heard as proponents of a particular set of principles or ideas; others are convincing when they relax and tell stories about their own awakenings. By acting as the intelligent listener, the author finds the tone of the tradition and delineates how this thread of spirituality creates a religious community. To tell the other side of the history, he also interviews key students. Most of these individuals have interacted with the teacher in profound ways, validating the quality of the teachings and revealing how personal interaction with the teacher is often the root of faith. The words of these students set religious ideas into a real time and place and their appreciations and frustrations help to define not only what is intended but what is commonly experienced as well.

Between the interviews, Mr. Kain has written short pieces to explore religious ideas that appear dear to his own heart. These chapters are divided into two groups; the Possibilities - gratitude, a balanced appreciation of the ego, and 'turning' (profoundly moving) words and the Pitfalls - disillusionment, drawing the boundaries and leaving the teacher. Substantiated by additional quotes from his sources, recent religious history and his own experiences, the author suggests that the intuitive basis of any practice should be some form of common sense. In this case, common sense means examining your own actions and the actions of others in a fair and intelligent light, means taking responsibility for your own actions and conclusions, and means recognizing the use of disappointment for spiritual growth. From my perspective, this is the 'second heart' of the book. Having traveled so far, and having run across an abundance of truth-sayers and truth-seekers, we must appreciate our spiritual adventures with the same intelligence that we use to examine our everyday lives. Any deep inquiry into our lives will involve negative as well as positive elements; in fact, it must include all of these elements if it is to truly represent our experience. Disheartening experiences are merely another way that our heart gets involved. Knowing this can guide us in choosing growth opportunities as we shift the responsibilities of our lives from others onto our own shoulders. This is not a rejection of institution guidance but an acceptance of our own power.

Tradition is the passing down of culture from generation to generation. Mr. Kain's work, as important as it is in describing the student-teacher relationship, is equally important as a moment in religious history. This is a snapshot of the transmission process, that is, the transmission of religious culture. The future of these traditions is unknown, but it is clear that we are listening to history as it unfolds. For that we have to thank our seasoned guide.

A Rare and Precious Thing

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-03

John Kain's thoughtful and sensitive writing speaks to much more than working with a spiritual teacher. The candid and often intimate conversations tell us of the common messages inherent in all spiritual practices. There is a circular thread in this book which leads the reader inside these relationships; allowing us to see the human-ness in both the students and teachers. A Rare and Precious Thing is about ALL relationships and how we might be wise to embrace them.

Truly, A Rare and Precious Thing

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-22

John Kain's A Rare and Precious Thing is a book which is astonishingly accurately named, for, indeed, it is. Kain introduces eight teachers from different spiritual disciplines, including an adept in Ahmsta Kezbeh (which is some sect of Sufisim); the bearer of the sacred bundle of the Lakota, Dakota, Nakota Nation; a Benedictine abbess; a rabbi; a Buddhist monk; a Hindu Vedanta reverend mother; a Zen abbot; and a Zen renegade (if that's possible).

Kain introduces a bike-riding Zen dude called Adyashanti, whose picture reminds me pleasantly of a thirty-something Charlie Brown. His words are even more pleasant: "I don't want to be in the role of `wisdom guy' all the time. . . . I mean, who wants to sit around talking about the Truth for any longer than is absolutely necessary?" I heard that, and I've lost count of the times I've wished somebody would say it. Now, somebody has, and Adya (as he is known affectionately to his friends) has other stirring things to say. My favorite: "Most spirituality is a construction project," he says, "But enlightenment is a demolition project." I like this guy's approach to teaching. Step one: stay out of your own way.

Chief Arvol Looking Horse is the nineteenth-generation keeper of the sacred bundle, and for a guy with so much responsibility, he seems circumspect and thoughtful, unlike so many charged with such duties. The chief finds himself in a difficult position. Pledged to protect his religion, he cannot profit from ceremonies related to it nor can he live off the reservation. As a result, he finds his income limited, and unfortunately, like truly religious people anywhere, he finds that the poverty his office requires is not eased by the people who benefit most. He has a sense of humor, however, and that seems to sustain him: on his mission of peace to South Africa, government officials refused to allow him to leave the airport without an armed guard. As part of his sacred office, he cannot be around guns, and he refused. The officials insisted, so Arvol responded, "All right, let them have their guns but take the bullets out." His confidence and creativity is enough to endear him to anyone.

Sister Joan Chittister is a Benedictine with a radical streak as wide as thirty books and as profound as a stream of ink. I found her thoughts provocative: ""I really think that religion at its best is when it moves us beyond religion. We do make a God out of religion, but the function of religion is to move us beyond itself." I found her spiritual questions intriguing, and I'd like to e-mail them to every one of the self-selected godly: "If we're still in a state of ongoing creation, what are we helping to create?" Try that one on, Oral. And if you are interested in the knots religion can set in your shoelaces, you should read this book just to find out why Chittister likes to tell the old Hindu story "about the master who tied up his cat during prayer time." Good stuff.

For me, this book was as bracing as a dive into a Sierra stream, eye-opening and moment-inducing. I enjoyed the clear vision of the teachers looking at themselves, their pursuits, and their students, which was so ably conveyed by the author, and I recommend these pages to anyone who needs to step up or step back from a spiritual pursuit, for whatever reasons, real, imagined, or fabricated. If you want to follow up, the book also includes a reading list of the works of the teachers Kain interviewed.

Crossing paths with eight remarkable spiritual teachers

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-30

John Kain approaches each teacher and spiritual practice with a genuine warmth and respect that creates an immediate connection with the reader. Neither the author nor the teachers ever speak from some removed, condescending pinnacle of spirituality--quite the opposite--the engaging personalities, exuding a great mix of humility and humor, are introduced in a way that makes you wish to share a meal and conversation with any one of them. Their down-to-earth openness offers many surprises, too, as they alternately support, nudge, sometimes even provoke their students toward higher levels of self-reliant spirituality. These are remarkable individuals, all, with tremendous insight to share about spiritual growth. The book therefore offers something precious not only to individuals who have or are seeking a teacher within a specific spiritual practice; it speaks just as directly to those of us who are living everyday lives without the benefit of a formal teacher, but who value spending time with wise souls wherever we encounter them. The sincerity of the spiritual search, and of the questions raised by the teachers and students alike, satisfies.

Ratha & Thistle Chaser

Published in Hardcover by Margaret K. McElderry (1990-04-30)

Author: Clare L. Bell

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Average review score:

A Favorite Series Revisited

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-20

This and 'Ratha's Challenge' were the two latest in the 'Ratha' series (even though this book, published in 1990, is now some 15 years old) that I never read as a child. I absolutely loved the first two books and was excited about receiving this one after a decade and a half of waiting. I did notice many similarities between Clare Bell's treatment of the 'Ratha' series and Jean M. Auel's 'Clan of the Cave Bear' & the Gear's 'Prehistoric America' series, including themes of loss, abandonment, alienation and exile.

It's beautifully written although the final battle between Thistle-Chaser & Ratha reads somewhat awkwardly. I spent most of my time reading the book alternately laughing and crying. I could feel Thistle-Chaser's righteous anger at the Clan's treatment of her watery friends, and I could fully appreciate Ratha's abrasive personality. She always carries over strongly and even Clare Bell's evolution as a writer hasn't dulled Ratha one bit.

Just as GREAT as the first

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-14

I read this series a year ago and fell in love with them the minute I picked them up. This book answers a lot of questions I wanted to know about Thistle-Chaser, and I was so happy to get it. I was 11 then but I totally understood what was going on the whole time.I own all these books now. I'm so happy my parents let me buy them even though they cost like 100 dollars. Clare bell is the best writer in the world and I hope I can read other books of hers.

One of Clare Bell's best!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-07-22

This book features all the original characters we've all come to know and love and the strange and sad Thistle-Chaser, from right out of Ratha's past! ratha and Thistle-chaser struggle to love eachother in this great book!

A great book and one of my favorites!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-07-13

Ratha's struggles to come to terms with her past make this book very memorable, and it's terrible that it went out of print so quickly (by the time I found a way to buy it it was gone)

"Absolutely enchanting"

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-23

This is one of the best books I have ever read. (And I've read a lot.) This book has all the elements that make the first 2 wondeful and bring back the trauma from the first. This is also continued in the 4th book.

Step by Step Phonics: Makes Reading and Spelling Easy

Published in Paperback by Back to the Basics Publishing (1999-01)

Authors: Laurie Lee-Bell and Laurie Lee Bell

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Average review score:

Good, workman-like book

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-25

Not the most imaginative or stimulating approach, especially for younger children with a strong creative bent, but it gets the job done and provides a strong foundation for using more creative, play-oriented techniques.

Step by Step Phonics

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-10

Although it is written for a classroom atmosphere, I bought this book as a supplement to my daughters homeschool curriculum and ended up using it as the one and only Phonics curriculum. It encourages creative writing as the student has to write their own sentence that contain a given word. Great for the first grade level. I highly recommend !

Excellent and easy to use

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-22

I purchased this title because I needed something more effective than what my child's first grade teacher was using. Step by Step Phonics is very easy to use. It is set up so even a parent who isn't familiar with teaching the reading process can use it with little or no effort.

My daughter quickly learned the phonics patterns and sight words in each unit. She can now pick up any book and read on her own. What I liked best about this book, children learn phenomenal spelling and writing skills while they are learning to read. My daughter really enjoyed learning and illustrating the poems too. It is a great program to use with your child and for primary teachers. I'm glad I found it when I was looking through Amazon's titles last fall. Thank you so much. Now that my child can read, I have one less thing to be concerned with as a parent. I highly recommend this title.

A thorough, easy, and useful way to teach phonics!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-14

I have used this program with my first grade Title One children. ( These are children who do not qualify for special classes, but need extra help in Reading) It works, it is thorough, and the children really enjoy it! My ESL (English Second Language) students also have improved greatly through this program.

I can't say enough good things about this program.

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-22

My daughter, Amanda, has been using Step by Step Phonics since she entered first grade. I can't say enough good things about this program. "Step by Step" is fun and easy to understand. Amanda was not very interested in reading when she began her first grade year. By the end of the first period she was already reading, due to Step by Step Phonics and the positive learning approach the author uses. I see a difference between my oldest daughter, Jennifer who was taught by traditional methods, and Amanda, was taught "Step by Step." Amanda learned in 3 months what Jennifer spend her whole first grade year learning. I recommend this program to anyone interested in teaching their child to read. I am looking forward to using this program to teach my two younger children to read.

Apocalypse How: Baptist Movements During the English Revolution

Published in Hardcover by Mercer University Press (2000-09-30)

Author: Mark R. Bell

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Average review score:

Amazing Grace

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-02

Thank the heavens that someone finally addressed this neglected topic. Bell's in depth knowledge of the Baptist, and his mimetic style, only deepen the telling of this up-until-now untold story. A must read for Shakers.

A Timely Read

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-11

Given the current dissention wihtin the Southern Baptist's church this book provides an excellent insight into the formation of the religion and how it gradually reconciled its radical views and became a more mainstream sect. It is particularly relvant given the current turmoil within the Southern Baptists.

brilliant young scholar writes an accessible winner

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-31

Why did the Associate Dean of one of the world's leading business schools read a book on the interplay of religion, history, and politics? I Chair Emory's Ethics Center, and Mark Bell is a young scholar who is being talked about. This book shows why: it is lucid, well-researched yet always engaging, and breaks original ground that taught me a lot about one of the world's great religions. Bell transcends narrow scholarship--his fertile mind and apt pen range impressively over many fields--to create and defend a useful new thesis. This book is clear and concise in its exposition, thus the wisdom and culture it imparts is worth the reader's investment.

Religion and Revolution!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-31

Even though I am not a Baptist, I really enjoyed reading this book. I was interested to learn that there was such a diversity of opinion even among the earliest English Baptists. The author's discussion of the way in which some Baptists were more radical than others, and how various elements within the Baptists wanted to accomodate with society is well integrated into his analysis of the importance of apocalypticism. This was not only a highly enlightening book, but it is also well-written and easy to understand.

Ground breaking

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-28

Excellent read! This author is a talented researcher and writer, a rare combo these days. The political context of early Baptist development and evolution is thoroughly documented and analyzed in this scholarly work. History and religion buffs are sure to enjoy this.

Asimov On Numbers

Published in Hardcover by Bell Publishing Co. (1982-01-01)

Author: Isacc Asimov

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Average review score:

The Joy of Counting

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-29

Let us return to those dark and thrilling days of yesteryear, the 1960s. I was in high school at that time. We were still using slide rules for mathematical calculations in physics. (You had to keep their edges lubricated with powdered graphite so that they would slip smoothly. Does anybody remember _those_ days?) There was no internet and no Googol website. But I knew what a googol was, and what a googolplex was, and even what Skewes numbers were. I had read an article by Isaac Asimov in the August 1963 issue of _Fantasy and Science Fiction_ called "T-Formation" that dealt with Big Numbers of various kinds.

From other math related articles by Asimov in _F&SF_, I understood why the square root of minus one wasn't _really_ imaginary. I had a rough idea of how the value of pi had been calculated over the years. And I had something of an understanding of why you couldn't square a circle with a straightedge and compass.

There were other things that I didn't grasp so easily. Why was infinity not really a number? And how could you have more than one infinities? My understanding of factorials was very fuzzy. And some mathematicians-- Gottfried Leibnitz, Leonardo Fibonacci, Georg Cantor, Leonard Euler, and Karl Friedrich Gauss-- I knew almost nothing about. (Though the names of Euclid, Archimedes, Pythagorus, and Newton were familiar.)

The articles by Asimov were no substitute for the daily drill in math that my teachers imposed upon me. But they sharpened my thinking about a few concepts, and they gave me my first glimmering of a notion that maybe mathematics was something more than what was presented to us in textbooks. The formulas that we were supposed to memorize didn't represent concepts that sprang full-blown out of the brow of Zeus. They were ideas that _evolved_, with lots of trial and error and refinement. I wasn't ready to admit that math was fun, but I was willing to concede that at times it could be interesting. In short, Asimov's articles gave me an education.

Here are seventeen mathematical essays from _F&SF_ published between September 1959 and June 1966. They are grouped into seven parts: Numbers and Counting (five essays), Numbers and Mathematics (three essays), Numbers and Measurement (two essays), Numbers and the Calendar (two essays), Numbers and Biology (one essay), Numbers and Astronomy (one essay), and Numbers and Earth (three essays). "T-Formation" is here, and most of the others that made an impression on me back then: "The Imaginary That Isn't," "A Piece of Pi," "Tools of the Trade," "Varieties of the Infinite," and "Exclamation Point!" Asimov elsewhere states that this last piece, on factorials, is his all-time favorite math essay.

Perhaps the most amusing article in the book is "Forget It!" It is a review of a 1797 math textbook, explaining why most of its contents are rightfully left out of modern math textbooks. In a related vein, "Nothing Counts" compares the Roman and the Arabic Number systems. And "Pre-Fixing It Up" is an introduction to the metric system. Asimov correctly argues that it is superior in every way to the English system. I remember that at one time I took several education courses on teaching metrics. It was to be the coming thing. But the metric revolution in the United States fizzled out in favor of tradition. Other countries have adopted it, but we still lag behind.

Asimov is fond of writing articles that play with comparisons and measurements, and there are several of these articles here: "That's About the Size of It" (on the relative sizes of animals), "Water, Water, Everywhere" (on the comparative sizes of bodies of water around the world), "Up and Down the Earth" (on geographic heights and depths and bulges), and "The Isles of Earth" (on the different sizes of islands). Herman Melville was known to sneer at science essays loaded with tables and numbers. I found these numerical exercises to be anything but dry.

The two essays on the calendar deal with figures like Julius Ceasar, Charlemagne, Napolean Bonaparte, and George Washington-- figures better known to high school students than many mathematicians. What is the significance of Washington and the calendar? It lies in the answer to this question: When was George Washington's birthday? Read Asimov for greater detail.

The book has one feature that was not in the original magazine columns. It has illustrated sidebars with commentary-- sometimes on historical personages, sometimes on animals, oceans, volcanoes, old mathematical documents. In each case, they give the reader a bit more in the way of informational trivia than would be obtained by the text alone. Today, my knowledge and appreciation of mathematics is much greater than it used to be. But I still return to the essays in this book. I often find that there are details in the Good Doctor's articles that I missed on the first couple of readings. Get this book for yourself. If you are a parent, get a copy for your children. Take the time to go over several chapters with them. Then let them read the rest on their own.

Can numbers be exciting?

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-22

Yes!

This is a funny, interesting, eye-opening, highly readable book. Who would have thought that a book about numbers could be so fascinating!

Are ya curious about the Fibonacci sequence?

Can't Get Enough

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-30

This is the most concise, humourous book on the history of numbers you will read. Asimov is at his peak with this one. The last couple of chapters lost my interest, but the rest is well worth the money. Written for the layman, but enough fuel for the enthusiast.

One of my favorite books

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2000-08-09

Every time I read this book (I've read it at least 4 times) I get to a chapter that I've read before and I say, "I don't think I'll read this chapter, I'll just skip it and go on to the next one..." But then I end up reading that chapter and I will think to myself, "That chapter was AWESOME! Why would I ever think of skipping it?" I love this book, I find it hard to put down. Asimov has a way of explaining mathematical concepts in a very compelling way. I'm sad that the book is out of print - I can't find the copy that I read back in high school - sure would love to pick up another copy. As mentioned else where this book is a compilation of articles written by Asimov, mostly in the 60's.

Number "facts," history & theory; includes Math Biographies

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-04

The late Issac Asimov's thoughts on various numbers, series and numerically interesting subjects, including Euler's "e," the origin of the "Arabic numerals" and lots about various large numbers, including Googols and the transfinite numbers.

The several chapters are a collection of articles he wrote mostly in the 1960's. Asimov introduces a version of the series he calls Asimov's Series. One would like to call him "Sir Issac Asimov."

The book provides numerous factoids, some of which have significant historical significance. There's no bibliography, but he mentions some references.

He reveals some history of the "so called Arabic" numeral system, including the invention of "zero."

His insights into Calendars were very interesting to this reviewer. He vaguely endorsed a famous proposal for a symetric "World Calendar."

But as he often was in many areas, Asimov refrained from any forwarding any major controversial proposals.

The book is entertaining. A simple calculator or even better a graphing calculator is a handy accessory. The copy I was reading was from the Los Angeles Public Library, and though it has be long out of print, it was popular enough to be possibly be stolen from this reader's possession.

It would be a good book for young Asimov fans, or even a good intro to his many books for a slightly mathematically inclined youngster (at heart).

Much of the information is ABOUT mathematics rather than deeply mathematical (or arithmetic) per se.

No math background beyond algebra is needed.

It's a swell book, and I want a copy!

The Bell Jar : A Novel (Perennial Classics)

Published in Paperback by Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2000-03-01)

Author: Sylvia Plath

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Average review score:

The Cosmic Fade Out

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-16

I am a 35 year old male. This shouldn't matter, but as "The Bell Jar" over the years has become more a punchline than literature, the fact that I was not a young woman between the ages of 16 and 23 kept me from tackling it. I was pretty sure I couldn't relate. This is a fallacy of my own making. This book IS about being a woman to an extent, but it is also a profound look into the nature of humanity and the often inane way that we just begin to slip and then fall. There are always deeper reasons for slipping into darkness, but the reality is that they are not necessarily clear when we are fighting off the demons. This is where therapists often fail. They need to NAME the cause of the malady, like dianosing you with cancer. Where Plath succeeds most in her book is her treatment of the unknown quality of the downward spiral. Sure, peppered throughout the book there and hints and allegations of potential trauma, but, thankfully, they are not dwelt upon. It does get a bit obtuse in the middle, but it quickly snaps itself back into shape for a very profound final scene. I highly recommend it FOR ANY READER. It is a hell of a lot better than the incredibly overrated "Catcher In The Rye".

Page turner

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-10

Like another reviewer stated, I also took this book at face value and thoroughly enjoyed it. Esther Greenwood fascinated me with the way her thinking and actions gradually became more and more bizarre. It sort of sneaks up on the reader.--Let's put it this way, I read it in 3 days which for me lately, means it was a page turner. Looking for a good read--this is a good bet.

A novel for the Female Salingers of the world

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08

Sylvia Plath's story--both in real life, and in this work of "fiction"--is undeniably sad. I purchased this book after, by chance, catching the last 15 minutes of the movie Sylvia on tele (which piqued my interest in her story). I instantly fell in love with the mood of this book. Sylvia's style as an author is undeniable.

I am tempted to compare the main character of this story (which is, in fact, a not-so-"fictionalized" autobiographical account of Sylvia's entry into young adulthood)to J.D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield (of The Catcher in the Rye, for those not familiar). However, that might be a bit oversimplistic. When you consider the social climate and its implications for women in the era of this book, you may find it all the more compelling that the main character behaves as she does. I won't give too much away, but I will say that Plath does a remarkable job of creating a character for whom her readers will likely experience many conflicting impressions and feelings.

You will likely walk away from this book feeling frustrated and curious. Go with it! I highly recommend Sylvia Plath: Method and Madness: A Biography as subsequent reading. Why? Because only after reading Sylvia's biography can you realize how very much of 'The Bell Jar' was based in reality--and that, in turn, will solidify whatever feelings it evoked in you. I found myself turning back to 'The Bell Jar' constantly just to note the similarities as I read that biography. At the end of both, I cannot deny that although Sylvia's life and story was very different than my own (and that, as a person, she was someone I probably would not have felt *warm and fuzzy* toward in 'real life'), I walked away from both books feeling somehow sorrowfully connected to her and her tragic life--which undoubtedly ended much too soon.

The Bell Jar

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-16

To be honest, if there's one thing that I didn't understand in this book, it's the title.

The rest just made perfect sense.

Plath is clearly a poet of some kind. Her writing flows beautifully and lyrically. It has the smooth edge only a poet can achieve in fiction. This is both a positive thing and a negative one. While it makes aspects incredibly well written, it also makes the book a tad bit over-indulgent.

Or, it would, if there wasn't the whole story around it. Without having known Plath's background story when I picked this up, I knew instantly that this was real. Perhaps the name was changed and some things tweaked, but this just breathed so perfectly. I knew that this was honest, open, and true, and the whole world of Sylvia Plath/Esther Greenwood sucked me in.

It went beyond the nice writing. It went into the emotions. I couldn't tear myself away from the book. It made me think, it made me wonder, and it (most of all) made me feel. At times I was disgusted, at times I was amazed, at times I was crying - but I was there all along. It's a vivid, clear account of depression, and a world that is practically unknown.

What's for sure is that this will stay with me for years to come, both in my mind and in my heart. It makes one appreciate life without depression, teaches a lot, and is an overall incredible, breath-taking ride.

A necessity.

just unreal enough that it's all too real

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-03

I first read this book when I was 12, and to my English teacher's horror: I received the question "Does your mother know you're reading that!?" to which I had the all-too-smug pleasure of being able to honestly reply that "Yes, she does, as she is the one who suggested it."

The Bell Jar is just incredible, hands down. I am not the kind of reader who regards it as a sort of proto-feminist canon, instead, I try to limit myself to taking it in through its most legitimate, face-value feeling. There is a "realness" to it that is just too good.

As poor a context for crediting it with anything positive as it is, it was my first literary introduction to New York City. There are scenes in it that, even now- years later, stand out so clearly in my mind: when she's walking down the street in the midle of the night, drunk out of her mind, and yet somehow lucid enough to find her way home- tracing her hand along the sides of buildings all the way; or the time she stands outside, stories and stories up in the building she's staying in, and proceeds to throw all her clothes out the window, one by one, floating away in the New York midnight breeze.

There is a numbness to the story that trudges along like a silent locomotive: you know the tracks are out ahead and the crash is imminent, you just don't know how, or when, or where, or just how bad it will be. And it is bad, it is really bad, but that's also why it's so good. Not to say that tragedy is a hallmark of literary worth, but the tragedy "works" here because it is just simply too real.

As other reviewers have noted, it is a little disturbing that it ends well, when Plath, herself did not. Yet, in the end, maybe that is the best irony of it? Regardless, it's one of my favorite books.

Bells Lake Treasure

Published in Perfect Paperback by Tate Publishing (2007-04-24)

Author: Keith Thompson

List price: $14.99

New price: $9.09

Average review score:

wonderful message

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-29

I highly recommend this book and I can't wait for my middle schooler to read it, too! Keith's writing style and the message are wonderful!

A True Adventure!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-24

Reading Bells Lake Treasure was a true adventure for me. I remembered the energy and pitfalls that we had as kids as the boys pushed through their series of discoveries and setbacks, comic mishaps, constant harassment by the neighborhood bully, and trying to stay afloat with the swim instructor from...well, you'll see. I also appreciated the deeper spiritual elements in the book that were creatively weaved into the boys' discoveries.

Remarkable!!!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-11

This book was a real page turner. My son and I read it together. We both really liked it. My son kept wanting to read more even after his bedtime. A real gem of a book.

Incredible!!!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-01

This book was one of the most enjoyable I have ever read in my life. I have read it at least 5 times and I can never put it down. Keith Thompson creates an extraordinary tale on the level of Huckleberry Finn. His choice of words creates a story that simply flows onto the pages, seemingly from my own childhood experiences. This is a story that everyone will enjoy and can relate to whether young or old. If you enjoy adventure, mystery, and good old fun, than this story is for you.

Fantastic!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-17

I couldn't put this book down. No matter what your age, you will enjoy this book full of adventures. I think it holds a little piece of every one of us in the story. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Tommy Onion and the grand horse. In fact, I belive I was Tommy Onion once... :) It was a marvelous myriad of magical mysteries.

The Best Friend's Approach to Alzheimer's Care

Published in Paperback by MacLennan & Petty Pty Ltd (1999-01-01)

Authors: Virginia Bell and David Troxell

List price:

Used price: $154.96

Average review score:

A positive and practical approach to caring for those with A

Helpful Votes: 18 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-27

This book is a must for anyone, including family, caregiver, or friend who knows someone with Alzheimers. The "best friends" approach is a caring, sensitive and thoughful way to work with and care for those with this disease. The authors provide practical examples of dealing with behavior problems, planning activities and most importantly how to be a "friend" to the person with Alzheimers. The authors have done a superb job of providing a creative yet common sense approach to caring for those with this disease.

Excellent resource and training manual

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-04

I read this book as part of training to lead activities in an adult day center. It is thorough, concise and very reader friendly. This is an excellent resource for training programs and for anyone wanting to develop skills in working with persons with Alzheimer's Disease or dementia. This book is a must have.

You gotta have friends...

Helpful Votes: 26 out of 26 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-12

This past semester, my seminary (Christian Theological Seminary) was honoured to host Virginia and Wayne Bell as they led a conference on Spirituality and Aging. As we approach a time in which the issues of aging will take increasing prominence, as the baby-boomers reach a collectively-older age than any generation in history has reached, the issues surrounding health care for the elderly are of primary importance, and part of that health is mental (which includes spiritual) health. The Bells have spent much time investigating and helping in the area of Alzheimer's, a disease that affects mind, body and spirit. Virginia Bell, together with a colleague, David Troxel, collaborated on two books (one of which is the the subject of this review) presenting an innovative way for care of those with Alzheimer's: `The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer's Care'.

Virginia Bell, MSW, is currently Program Consultant with the Lexington/Bluegrass Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. She is a graduate of Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky, and has lectured widely at national and international conference. Her co-author, David Troxel, works with the Santa Barbara chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.

`"The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer's Care" reflects a growing optimism in the field of Alzheimer's care that much can be done to improve the lives of people with the disease and to transform caregiving from a terrible burden to care that is manageable. This book represents the development of the first comprehensive model of care, which is easy to understand and learn.'

At the start of the book, Bell and Troxel describe the various experiences of those with Alzheimer's. By looking at the depression, confusion, and detachment that those with Alzheimer's experience, the caregiver gains a greater understanding and compassion for those suffering. Perhaps the most important key insight comes from a nurse and teacher, Rebecca, who began to experience symptoms of Alzheimer's at age 59.

`I dislike social workers, nurses and friends who do not treat me as a real person.'

Despite her slowly declining cognitive abilities, she is still able to sense that people are regarding her differently, as a patient, as an object, as a 'third person' rather than a real person.

Persons with Alzheimer's experience loss, sadness, confusion, isolation and loneliness, fear, frustration, anxiety, paranoia, anger, and embarrassment. The Best Friends model takes all of these into account as a normal part of everyone's life.

The second chapter gives a basic overview of Alzheimer's, giving symptoms, diagnosis, services, caregiving issues, and research news. The Best Friends model requires no specialised medical or scientific knowledge -- an appendix is included in the book for those who wish to pursue those topics in more detail.

The following chapters develop the aspects of care along the Best Friends model. This requires first assessing the strengths and abilities of the person receiving care (and this may require a daily update). An understanding of what persons with Alzheimer's may require is included as an `Alzheimer's Disease Bill of Rights'. These are important, and often overlooked, so I shall reprint them here:

Every person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder deserves the following rights:

- To be informed of one's diagnosis
- To have appropriate, ongoing medical care
- To be productive in work and play for as long as possible
- To be treated like an adult, not like a child
- To have expressed feelings taken seriously
- To be free from psychotropic medications, if possible
- To live in a safe, structured, and predictable environment
- To enjoy meaningful activities that fill each day
- To be outdoors on a regular basis
- To have physical contact, including hugging, caressing, and hand-holding
- To be with individuals who know one's life story, including cultural and religious traditions
- To be cared for by individuals who are well trained in dementia care

A key point to being a Best Friend is that the caregiver becomes a memory aid to the person -- friends know each others' histories. Being reminded of past accomplishments, family connections, personal beliefs and traditions helps tremendously. It gets them involved in their own lives again.

Friends do many things: they share history, they do things together, they communicate, they build self-esteem, they laugh often, they work at the relationship, and they are equals. These carry over as key concepts in the Best Friends model. Bell and Troxel go into some detail about how to handle situations for the full-time caregiver, the volunteer, and for those who visit persons with Alzheimer's in care. Specific situations and general principles are presented in a clear, intelligible manner with great application potential.

An important part of the process of understanding and dealing with those with Alzheimer's is to understand oneself. Thus, there is a section on Being One's Own Best Friend. How do we react and respond? Do we give ourselves enough care? How can we care for others if we do not care for ourselves? How do we respect the needs and desires of those we care for while recognising and respecting our own needs? These are important questions, and Bell and Troxel address it by illustrating the relationship between Rebecca and Jo, her Best Friend.

`Because any of us can be touched by Alzheimer's disease, can have bad things happen to us, our friends, or our families, the ultimate message the authors wish to convey is this: We should treat everyone important to us as we would our own Best Friend.'

Philosophy of Care

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-27

Seeing the Helping Hands Adult Day Care program, which is the fruit of the philosophy of this work, was a life changing event for me. The caring and love shown by the staff of Helping Hands are living testiment to the dedication of workers to improve the quality of life for clients affected by the devastation of Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias. If all facilities, both assisted living and nursing homes, truly invested in this approach, life would indeed be different for the persons affected by this disease and their caregivers. A definite must for those struggling with the problems of caregiving those with Alzheimer's disease.

The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer's Care

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2000-01-28

Simple yet profound new way of caring about people with Alzheimer's. Easy to read with practical use.

Best of the Best from Bell's Best Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes from the Four Classic Bell's Best Cookbooks (Best of the Best Cookbook) (Best of the Best Cookbook) (Best of the Best Cookbook)

Published in Plastic Comb by Quail Ridge Press (2006-10-30)

Author: Quail Ridge Press

List price: $16.95

New price: $10.44
Used price: $12.00

Average review score:

Dishes to grace any dining occasion, please any palate, and satisfy any appetite

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-09

The TelecomPioneers of Mississippi have published a series of four volumes of cookbook recipes, beginning with "Bell's Best" in 1981, followed by "Bell's Best 2"; "Savory Classics"; and "Bell's Best IV". The accumulative total of these four previously published cookbooks adds up to more than six thousand recipes! Now available from Quail Ridge Press is their fifth cookbook volume, "Best Of The Best From Bell's Best Cookbook" which is a distillation and compilation of 429 recipes taken from the previous four volumes of the 'Bell's Best Cookbook' series and presented along with informative and fascinating historical facts and illustrations showing the development of the telephone over the years from its inception with Alexander Graham Bell's initial transmission over a telephone line to his assistant Thomas Watson, down to the touch tone and cell phones present day. This outstanding compendium include recipes for beverages and appetizers; breads and breakfasts; soups, stews and chilies; salads; pastas and rice dishes; meats; poultry; seafood; cakes; cookies and candies; as well as pies and other desserts. Of special note is the chapter devoted to equivalents and substitutions. From an Almond-Bacon Cheese Dip; to Chicken Tortilla Soup; to Fruit Salad with Apricot Dressing; to a Sausage Rice Casserole; to Barbequed Shrimp; to Crushed Pineapple Cream Cake; to Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge, these are dishes that would grace any dining occasion, please any palate, and satisfy any appetite. "Best Of The Best From Bell's Best Cookbook" is a welcome and recommended addition to both personal and community library cookbook collections!

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Mississippi girls know how to cook!!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-29

I grew up in Mississippi and have since traveled and lived all over the world. Trust me, unless you are a total foodie (heck, even if you are- I am and I STILL like these recipes) you will adore this cookbook. If you are trying to master regional southern cookery this is a WONDERFUL place to start. Real recipes from real people- this is the everyday food of Mississippi. If you want some of the more refined food order this (because it's great) but also order Southern Sideboards from the Junior League of Jackson, Mississippi. Together they make a wonderful set as a gift!

Best of the Best

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07

Okay, when I saw this Cookbook, I just had to have it. I have the Original Bell's Best cookbook. I was thrilled to see a compilation of all 4 cookbooks combined. I bought copies for some relatives of mine as well. The Bell's Best are well known here in the south (at least I think they are). I only wish there were more recipes added. It could easily been made a much bigger cookbook, esp. since the other Bell's Best cookbooks are hundreds of pages in length. I guess this will leave room for sequels so others can enjoy these recipes as much as I have!

Bell's best are my favorite cookbooks.

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-07

Especially 1 & 2. You can't go wrong with this cookbook. It has everything but the kitchen sink in it!!! I have never made a bad recipe from these books!

Hope it's as good as the original Bell's Best!

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-27

I'm ordering this now -- I can't wait! The original Bell's Best cookbook from Jackson, MS that my mom still uses lies in loose pages in a kitchen drawer. Some of its food-spattered pages are still held together with a ragged duct-tape binding; others are tucked into plastic bags or wrapped with a rubber band. We don't care. We still keep going back to it, more than any other cookbook. Ever.

I'm so excited to see what this version contains. The recipes in the original Bell's Best, published in the early '80s, I think, were easy to prepare with ingredients found in any grocery store. The results were always fantastic. God bless the BellSouth Telephone Pioneers for their wonderful donations of recipes and memories.

Biggie and the Fricasseed Fat Man

Published in Hardcover by Thorndike Press (2000-11)

Author: Nancy Bell

List price: $27.95

New price: $27.95
Used price: $3.30

Average review score:

Soothing

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-23

If you read mysteries for intricate plots, this probably is not your cup of tea. Plot in the Biggie mysteries is secondary to atmosphere and quirky characters--and the books have plenty of both. Jobs Crossing, Texas becomes very real, and the reader comes to feel he actualy knows the inhabitants.

There is a charm to it all, a soothing feeling. Cozy must have been especially chosen as a name for the sub-genre, just for this series. Oh, there are villains, but they aren't really all that evil. And there are murders, but only for the sake of a plot that can allow the writer to lay in atmosphere and character. I do wish I could have gone home with Biggie (who is really quite small) and J.R. and had a meal with them and played a game of Chinese checkers with Rosebud.

The book is lightweight, to be sure, but so is angel food cake, and I like that as well.

Corny, Colloquial Cozy

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-25

With plenty of stops for chow time (and chow chow) and a policeman whose priority is his pie, this homespun mystery novel (set during the Christmas season) has an accent almost as thick as the gravy covering the body of fricasseed fat man. In Job's Crossing, if the cholesterol doesn't kill you the colloquialisms might. Please note that the term "funeralized" really ISN'T an every day term in Texas, nor do we all talk like this. The charm of grandma/detective Biggie and grandson/detective J.R. almost overcomes the hokey-ness of the time warp they appear to be stuck in. While the local actuarial tables would surely indicate that Job's Crossing could be hazardous to your health, never fear, for Biggie and J.R. will surely sort things out. Gossip, glop, and a spare grandma all garnish this very corny, colloquial cozy mystery.

Big entry in the Biggie regional amateur mystery series

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-11-08

Biggie Weatherford takes her grandson J.R. to the opening of Job's Crossing, Texas' newest eatery, The Fresh-as-a-Daisy Restaurant. However, instead of enjoying a meal, the amateur detective duo discover the restaurant's owner, Firman Birdsong, has been murdered and stuffed like a chicken to be roasted.

Biggie personally believes that it is her divine right to investigate the murder. She and J.R. soon find several suspects with motives. However, before she can complete her

inquiries, the maternal grandparents of J.R. arrive to take the lad back with them. Feeling that his beloved Biggie is obsessed with sleuthing, an unwanted J.R. runs away, leaving Biggie with two cases to ponder.

If anyone has read the two previous Biggie tales, they might initially feel that their third novel is a repeat. In many ways, it is. However, the story line is freshened up by the crack in the relationship between J.R. and Biggie, and the appearance of the other grandparents. The mystery is well written and built around hoe-down humor and cardiac-giving (but delicious) food. With BIGGIE AND THE FRICASSEED FAT MAN, Biggie remains a big player in the regional amateur sleuth sub-genre.

Harriet Klausner

Murder with gravy on top

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-06-07

Nancy Bell has whipped up some wonderful characters residing in Job's Crossing, Texas. There is the wonderfully big hearted, but minute Biggie, and her resident 12 year old grandson J.R. and a cast of other fun characters.

Biggie and J.R. go out for a big night on the town, the opening of the town's brand new, all chicken restaurant. The proprietor is nowhere to be found in all of the hustle and bustle, until he is found, served up dead with gravy on top! Biggie takes it upon herself to help her cousin, the local sheriff solve this crime.

During this Christmas holiday season, J.R.'s other grandparents arrive, with intentions of taking J.R. back home with them. The boy is forced to learn about love and loyalty v.s. the value of a dollar. What choice will he make? Is Biggie to busy for him anymore? What would it be like to spend Christmas, or to live with his rich grandparents?

As I detest spoilers I won't give any more plot elements. The sub-plots were all woven together very well. The gore factor was very light. (I will say that it was a murder tastefully done, with a flourish and garnish at that!) I don't recall any strong language or adult situations in the book. With the story taking place in the holiday season, while this book can be read at any time during the year, it may be a nice addition to the holiday reading pile.

Interesting a real charmer

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-16

This is the third in the series bringing readers smack-dab into the grits and gravy lives of Biggie Weatherford and those close to her in Joe's Crossing, Texas. The grand opening of the Fresh-as-a-Daisy Chicken Restaurant and take-out (featuring sweet-and-sour to southern fried chicken) is the unlikely setting of a murder. The body of the owner, Firman Birdsonis found under a table covered in gravy and garnished with tomato and parsley. Biggie, the grandmother we've all wished for, rounds up her posse-Willie May, the best cook south of the Mason-Dixon. Rosebud the handy man-driver-raconteur, Paul and Siles the one man (yes, one man) police department and Jr. Biggies ten your old grandson and they unite to uncover this tasteless killer. To add to the chicken-pot-pie, JR's other grandmother and her ersatz cowboy husband Skinny crash into town to take JR to live with them at their ranch. The reader will eagerly await the next glimpse into Jobs Crossing and the southern-fried charmers Nancy Bill's stories evoke.