Seasons Books

This is an amazing and very powerful book that has helped me so immensely. After losing my partner to a stroke 14 months ago I felt completely alone and isolated in devastating grief. And like a miracle, Bill Valentine was courageous enough to tell his story so eloquently of losing his lover Joe Lopez after 21 years as a couple. They had a remarkable life together that was filled with love, joy and challenges. Their commitment to one another and how they dealt with those challenges is truly inspirational. Dealing with the biggest loss I've ever had has been softened by being able to relate to someone who's also been through it. He was writing my thoughts and feelings as well. And helping me to believe that, yes, life does go on and things do get better with time.

There is such a lack of books dealing with grief and loss for gay men whose partners have died and this was truly a life saver for me. I strongly recommend A Season of Grief to anyone in this situation and any professionals counseling gay men that are working through the same struggle. Thank you Bill Valentine!

Rodney Gardine,
Honolulu, Hawaii

I just finished reading "A Season of Grief" by Bill Valentine. This story really touched me. The reality of "raw and unapologetic" grief was so poignant throughout this book. The beauty that was Joe and the relationship that they shared was described in a way that was both heartwarming and heartwrenching at the same time. The raw emotion that Bill felt at this tragic loss was so beautifully expressed page after page - with anger, tenderness, incredulity, compassion, and sheer outrage. The writer portrays a beautiful relationship cut short by a tragic airplane crash - and the aftermath that he has to deal with. Not just the huge emotional and physical void created by Joe's absence, but the challenge of the everday tasks that need to be done upon the death of his long term partner, Joe. Valentine writes of the frequent reminders of Joe that on any given day would cause feelings of such great pain, or feelings of overwhelming solace and comfort. The constant reminders of the beautiful relationship that Joe and Bill had were so very moving. Anyone who has suffered a loss will relate to this book on every level - gay or straight. And anyone who reads this book who has not suffered such a tragic loss will certainly start to appreciate all that they have even more. I highly recommend this book.

I believe it is safe to say that as Valentine dreamed of a writing career, he never once imagined that he would be writing an exploration of his grief journey following his life partner's death. This book is much more than a memoir of loss. It is a beautiful love song, a testament to the love shared by a couple who worked hard for their relationship.

As a bereaved grandmother, I found Valentine's descriptions of loss to be achingly accurate. Even though each person grieves differently, there is commonality to the emotions. The book opens with Valentine's eulogy, and moves easily back and forth between the time before Joe's death and after. The story of their relationship is an example of life fully lived and of love honored and respected. Valentine handles his grief by facing it head on. He says that the only way to transform the pain is to go through it. He shows us that writing and talking and thinking about the impact of Joe's death is a positive way to cope with the pain. Sharing not only grief but the story of their love is a marvelous memorial to Joe. Now that I've met Joe, I will never forget him.

Grief for the loss of a loved one is not a new topic for current literature. Such luminaries as Joan Didion, Mark Doty, Andrew Holleran, and Michael Cunningham have addressed the grieving process in novel form, poetry, memoir, and homage. And new author Bill Valentine steps into that realm with a brief but richly detailed examination of death, of memory, of residual, of extended family - all of these ingredients and more that underscore the fact that perhaps the loss of his beloved Joe Lopes, his life partner of 21 years in the tragic crash of American Airlines Flight 587 in November of 2001, has provided him with a new window and a new life as a writer of obvious talent.

Valentine presents his story of the 'other AA crash' that occurred in November of 2001 too soon after the 9/11 event to elicit the worldwide attention of that tragedy as a starting point to remember and recreate a relationship of such rare beauty that reading about it is staggeringly impactful. Valentine very wisely does not emphasize the mourning he endured (although his retelling of that aspect is understated and deeply touching), but instead takes the path of the 'ending' to reminisce about not only his meeting and formation of a relationship but also about the backgrounds of both him and his partner, an exceptionally quiet and private sanctuary that allows us the reader to better appreciate the aura of both men.

Some write about grief and mourning in a manner that seems to dig a hole of self pity, and that is most assuredly not the direction Valentine takes. He does not avoid for a second the impact of every detail of the loss of Joe - dealing with family, with the cremation, with friends, with pets, with things shared by the couple that suddenly become the responsibility of one partner, with the 'I' that replaces the 'we' - and yet what he offers us is a warm embrace of survival technique, a memoir as lovely as any that has been written. Valentine steps quietly into the arena of artist with the publication of A SEASON OF GRIEF. Grady Harp, February 07

Grieving is a part of life, but it can be grieving for an aged parent who has lived a long and fruitful life or it can be grieving for someone who died an untimely death early in life. The first kind of grief is healing, looking back with honour on a long life well lived. The second kind can be earthshattering, as it not only looks backwards, but tried to look forward into what would have been.

Bill Valentine's book speaks of the second kind of grieving: that for a life-partner who died an untimely, accidental, but brutal death. In speaking of Joe Lopes, he makes Joe come alive for those of us who never knew him. The best works of fiction or non fiction are those that can actually make a character live on the page. After reading the book, I feel as if I knew Joe, and (incidentally) Bill. This is living writing that jumps off the page.

Many of us will suffer such grief, and Bill takes us through his grief, not clinically, but as he lives it. The slow cleaning out of Joe's closet, the mundane details of settling debts, cancelling credit cards, and changing names on mortgages are things that we never think about until they have to be done. We cry with Bill as he goes over the what-if's that would have saved Joe from death in a plane crash in November 2001 over Jamaica Bay.

This isn't a how-to book. It's too immediate for that. But reading it will help those who are even now going through grief at untimely death, and will inspire those who haven't yet gone through such grief. I'm so glad I read it.

This book is astounding, a great read that also teaches you more than you can believe about life and history and politics in the heart of the West Bank. Read it and you will be a wiser person and have a good time too.

This book is astounding, a great read that also teaches you more than you can believe about life and history and politics in the heart of the West Band. Read it and you will be a wiser person and have a good time too.

This book is astounding, a great read that also teaches you more than you can believe about life and history and politics in the heart of Africa. Read it and you will be a wiser person and have a good time too.

This book, although written a decade ago, is an insider's prescient account of how Hamas was born on the West Bank and why. It also is a terrific read, with true literary quality. Almost like a novel. And enlightening for policymakers and anyone else trying to understand the fundamentals of the Middle East.

This book is astounding, a great read that also teaches you more than you can believe about life and history and politics in the heart of the West Bank. Read it and you will be a wiser person and have a good time too.

Not only do I now have all of Marlene Sorosky's books, but I took cooking classes from her for several years prior to her writing. Her main objective was to do ahead so as to enjoy time spent with guests. Accomplished!Marlene Sorosky's Cookery for Entertaining

I immediately went out and purchased this book after attending a party in which the hostess presented a beautiful and tasty appetizer buffet using eight different recipes from Season's Greetings. The recipes are all eye appealing, delicious and in most cases easy to make. Recipes also include make-ahead tips. I highly recommend it for the beginner as well as the seasoned hostess.

Season's Greetings is a cookbook for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. It has classics from Roast Turkey and Gravy to fruitcake. It also has unique recipes such as Cranberry Cream Pie, Thai-Inspired Turkey salad to Banana Chocolate Chip Scones. So far I've made the Peach fruitcake and found it quite divine.

I didn't care for this book's layout. Recipes are placed in 3 descending columns, and are slightly difficult to read. I also would prefer more pictures of the various dishes, and at times the recipes didn't seem to fit the particular holiday or seemed rather generic.

Overall, though this was a good book, well worth picking up for the Fruitcake recipe alone.

I have owned this Holiday cookbook for at least 10 years
and it's fantastic. I am now buying a copy for my parents
'cause they are hooked on a couple of recipes and want their own copy.

I bought this book on sale due to the food pictures in thebook. A person who love cooking usually can tell if the author isgood by looking at the pictures of the final product. What attracted me to get this book was her recipe for pick up drumsticks. That is the most simple recipe I had seen for baking up drumpsticks that looked like they were fried. Other ideas in the book are also great and time saving. Our church always having special holiday dinner or special dinner gets together for rivival meeting nights, etc. It is so hard to finds people who are willing to cook for such large audience. This is a life saver for ladies who are in charge of the food for those special occasion, even for a Chinese church. I had already shared some of the recipes with friends at church and they just can't wait to try them out (This also include busy guys who help their wives out with cooking). I highly recommend you to get a copy of this book. END

People my age were taught citizenship in school and were taught to respect the President. I have always been fascinated with the personal lives of the Presidents and the folklore of the White House. This book does not disappoint if you like the "behind the scenes" information on the White House and its past residents. I also recommend the one written for children by the same author. This puts politics aside and restores some pride in the institution of our Presidency and their families.

Season's Greetings from the White House is an excellent source of presidential Christmas/holiday items from the early part of the twentieth century to the present. Each President's holiday greetings along with staff gifts are shown. Mrs. Seeley has written an superb book which continues to grow with each new edition. The quality of photographs and the amount of them in the book make it worth the price. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has an interest in not only presidential items, but for anyone who has any interest in the holiday season.

Anyone who has ever been interested in Christmas and what it means to the residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue MUST get this book. A treasure that will be loved forever....a history that is important to America! Mary Evans Seeley has it all here! Thanks! Chis Allen

Mary Evans Seeley is an expert on Christmas celebrations in the White House. Several years ago, she decided to share her knowledge and research dealing with personal First Family recollections and the result is the wonderful book "Season's Greetings from the White House."

It is a book for historians, Americana fans, Christmas collectors and art lovers. More than just behind-the-scenes stories, this richly illustrated volume shows, in full color throughout, the actual cards, prints and other Presidential gifts of sterling silver, pewter, glass, wood and leather. Most of the gifts were designed for distribution to White House staffers.

Seeley, who resides in Tampa, Florida, shares with the reader, the personal experiences of the wide variety of artists whose works came to grace Presidential cards and gift prints. To bring in historical color, the author interviewed a number of First Ladies and children of First Families.

The book's frontispiece displays the magnificent Neapolitan Baroque crèche in the White House East Room in 1963. The photograph was selected by President and Mrs. Kennedy for their Christmas card scheduled to be sent in December. Less than 30 were personally signed by both the President and First Lady prior to their fateful Dallas trip. These dual-signed Christmas cards are among the rarest of all Presidential Christmas memorabilia.

The photos of Seeley's historical collection of White House Christmas cards offers an interesting glimpse of our nation's culture and its values through the years.

It's no matter if you look upon the book as a major scholarly effort or simply a beautiful insight into the traditions of our First Families, "Season's Greetings from the White House" makes an excellent gift for the holidays and is a wonderful reference book for historians who are seeking the human side of Christmas in the Presidential Mansion.

All White House Christmas books will be measured by this one in the future. It is incredible. A must for all collectors of White House Christmas memorabilia. Every home and office should have this book on display during Christmas time.

No truer words were ever spoken when it comes to summarizing the content of this magnificent book. Eric Sloane describes the seasons of the early American way of life in a most revealing and splendid fashion. Beginning with the month of March: spring - the New Year according to the seasons; Sloane takes the reader through a year full of the sowing and reaping of the harvest in its season.

"Possibly as a result of long dependence upon strong electric lighting, we seem to have much poorer night vision today than the average man had a century or two ago."
It's this sort of historical information that brings the past to life. As a social historian (not accredited, mind you, but I'll go against most any so-called history major), I spend much time and money searching out tid-bits of this type to help give me the understanding of the ways and lives of times past. Seasons of America Past by Eric Sloane is an excellent source of American life in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Taking the reader through a full year of everyday life - month by month - Mr. Sloane shows through his many sketches and fluid writing so many aspects of the lives of our ancestors (including what was most likely considered mundane by those who lived it!) that most supposed historians do not even touch upon. Put into a seasonal order, one will see how each of our four seasons affected the lives of our long past relatives.
Here are a few more bits of information strewn throughout this book:
"May was once the season for sending May baskets, now a forgotten custom. The first spring flowers were gathered by young girls and left in baskets on the doorsteps for their parents..."
"The American farmer...drank cider daily at his table instead of water or milk..."
"Plow Monday was the first day after the end of Christmas festivities, when the back-to-work spirit started with getting all farm equipment in shape."
"Stump pulling was one of the few cash businesses, and at twenty five cents a stump - the standard price in 1850 - a man could pull twenty to fifty stumps a day and make a most exceptional living."
"Independence Day...was first ushered in by bell-ringing and shooting. When Chinese firecrackers entered the scene of Independence Day (in the early 1800's), bell-ringing vanished."
"Today the word PICKLE brings to mind a prepared cucumber, but pickle in the old days was a verb that referred to the...process and not to the actual product."
149 pages filled with everyday life of times gone by. Winter clothing, ice houses, broom making, sugaring time, seasonal cooking, wells, farm sleds and sleighs, spinning wheels, gathering of splint wood for baskets, herb dyes and the colors they made, and so much more packed into an easy to read format.
With this and other books by Eric Sloane, as well as the wonderful 'Everyday Life' books (such as 'Expansion of Everyday Life') one can almost feel as if they can live in a different time.

This is the second Sloane book I've had the unique pleasure to read and I liked it every bit as well as the first. Mr. Sloane is as learned in his subject matter---daily life in the rural American past---as any professor. I love the illustrations and the attention to tiny detail. Truly these books are treasures that preserve information about our past that is so in danger of being lost in the hectic pace of twenty-first-century life. To read this book is to place one's mindset in another era and circumstance. Yes, existence in the past was more physically difficult compared to today but in their own way our forebears lived richly in a world that was every bit as complex and rewarding as our own. This is a book for children, for adults, for anyone open-minded enough to look backward without condescension. I think any thinking person will be greatly impressed.

All of the Sloane books are worth reading and owning. As a boy in the 1960s I was very impressed with the pen and ink drawings, more impressed than with the color paintings. (I still am.) I even built models of some of the buildings for grammar school dioramas. In the 1980s, I bought all the titles that were still in print (or remaindered). Buy the Dover reprints and any other editions you can find before they disappear again. Abebooks.com is a good source for OOP books.

Another one of Eric Sloane's great historical narratives on the development of America with this book focusing on the seasonal nature of farming.

Thankfully most of Sloane's books are available as reprints as anyone interested in learning about the American way of life, from 1650 to 1900, will find these books real treasures. The text is straight forward, very informative and shows a reverence for all aspects of American farming, craftsmanship, invention and "common sense". The book is illustrated with great sketches and shows the modern urbanite how the rural Americans survived, thrived and prospered.

Any Sloane book is an essential part of a library for those individuals who are feed-up with the urban ratrace and are seeking a simpler, self-supporting, rewarding experience.

We all have teachers in our lives; whether we can recognize them for what they are or are thankful for them, they are there. Some teach us about life and love, some teach us about math and science and some teach us about ourselves, and our spirits. Season's of Magic is the story of a young girl's journey, with a much loved teacher, through the seasons of a year and a crash course in the seasons of life.

Erin is curious about her family's practice of celebrating the changing of the seasons. In class she listens with interest as her friend Rachel explains why Christmas is so important to her family, and Erin discovers that she isn't sure why her family celebrates the Winter Solstice. Her mother suggests that she ask Evangeline, an elderly neighbor, to teach her about the seasonal changes and the magic within them.

Through her studies in the natural world of Mother Nature Erin discovers that with each celebration and changing season, she is changing in her relationships with others and with herself. She is learning about the world and people, and her family's religious beliefs. A particularly hard lesson is one which we could all use some help in dealing with, the death of a dear friend.

This book is a wonderful guide to the seasonal holidays, for children and adults alike. It is written in a gentle tone that makes it seem as if Evangeline is there for us all, and in a way, she is. It does not put down other religious beliefs but rather encourages an exploration of the similarities and differences between religions, all in a child's point of view.

At the end of the book is a specific guide to the Wheel of the Year and all of the holidays therein. It is a workbook to help guide the reader through an exploration of the seasons and includes a glossary of terms just to make things perfectly clear. Finally, Season's of Magic is the guide book you may have been looking for to help children embrace and celebrate the magic of the seasons in a heart touching and loving tale they can relate to.

I look forward to having my daughter read this book when she reaches 10. It gives her a way to understand and celebrate the changing seasons.It also offers great ways to share in the seasonal rituals with a workbook of ideas. And the glossary is very helpful. An easy and fun read. As a mother it helps me appreciate how to bring the rituals into my family's life.

Seasons of Magic: A Girl's Journey by Laurel Ann Reinhart introduces pre-teen kids to the wheel of the year through the story of a 12-year-old girl. Always on the look-out for Pagan parenting resources, I decided to have a look at this book. I approached it with some initial skepticism, simply because in my own childhood I moved directly from children's books to adult books, never finding much in the "fiction for young readers" genre to capture my interest.

The premise of the book is that the main character, Erin, raised in a Pagan family, is curious to learn more about the seasonal celebrations, and begins receiving instruction from an elderly friend. Reading the first couple chapters, it looked like Erin's story was sort of a gimmick to make the informational content more digestible for young people, which didn't strike me as terribly necessary or even very effectively done.

As I continued, though, I was pleasantly surprised to watch Erin's relationships with her friends change and grow. This theme is handled with a welcome, low-key realism, showing an awareness of human nature and the rhythms of life. Erin has non-Pagan friends, and this delicate issue is also handled in a positive, non-melodramatic way. Pagan interest in helping the environment is also conveyed with the same gentle practicality. By the middle of the book, I was appreciating it as a reading experience for myself, parenting thoughts aside.

Erin's wise-woman teacher dies before the wheel is completed. Erin, with the help of family and friends, makes contact with her again through a Samhain ritual, which closes the wheel and ends the story. Up to this point, the magic in the book had been essentially of the "natural" sort, the wonders of the changing seasons. This chapter, necessarily, presents Pagan magic in a more direct fashion, and it is wonderfully done. The depth of the experience is conveyed, without indulging in exaggeration that would prompt a young reader to see the book as a fantasy novel. Erin's reaction to the experience also seems very natural and genuine.

At the end of the book, after the story concludes, there is a nice compilation of informational matter relating to the wheel of the year, which a young person could actually use to develop their own appreciation of our sacred days.

This book does a fine job of conveying Pagan beliefs and practices as a natural and integral part of life. It might be a little too low-key for some kids, though, and kids older than the character in the book would probably prefer something more teen-focused. I would recommend it for ages 8-12. This is not by any means a great milestone of Pagan literature, but it is a nice addition to a family bookshelf, addressing an age group that has received too little attention from Pagan authors and publishers.

I have been studying Paganism for 5 years, have read dozens of books, and found this book to be the easiest one for laying out great seasonal themes for the household and wonderful, easy to understand explaination of the old ways and the wheel of the year. Because of this book, I am more equipped to instruct my young child in an easy to understand, fun and creative manner. Five Stars!!!

I thought that this book may have been just for children, but I had such a fun time reading it. The softly drawn pictures really make this book come alive and the writing is smooth, easy to read, and very informative. I am very excited to read this book to my child and share with him the hows and whys of Mother Earth's sacred days. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think you will, too, especially if you have a child to share it with.

The interesting Florida history written about in Peter Matthiessen's book, "Killing Mr. Watson" prompted further reading on the subject. Jeff Klinkenberg's stories capture that wonderful Florida background. Each chapter describes a different and quite unique Floridian person, place or thing, all spun into delightful true tales. Mr. Klinkenberg aptly chooses Florida history that displays "sense of place" so well. Like another reviewer, I'm a hard to please reader too. I couldn't put this book down, and I've never been to Florida. The cover photograph, "Loxahatchee River #30" by Clyde Butcher is so haunting, lovely and appropriate for this book. Fortunately Mr. Klinkenberg devotes an entire chapter describing the one-of-a-kind Clyde Butcher. This book is funny, very interesting and highly educational.

I spent Winter '08 visiting my dad in urban Tampa, and looking for Old Florida, decidedly hard to find. Jeff's terrific narratives about so many interesting people and places augmented and often replaced my futile search.
I'm a hard-to-please reader, and this one completely satisfied.

The book's editors (Mormino & Arsenault) invite us to sit down with Florida delectables, like orange juice, to read this book. My plan was to snag some recipes from Randy Wayne White's "The Fishing Guide's Guide to Tropical Cooking." Alas, Klinkenberg's book was in my custody for only a day when relatives spotted it on my table top and hauled it away for their reading pleasure. My half-a-book review: gimme my book back, I love this author!
"Seasons" real value is in the future when we read its stories of people and places and look back wistfully at Florida as it was. And it reminds me that Florida today is still full of charm. And charming writers like Jeff Klinkenberg.

Jeff Klinkenberg has been out in his car on the back roads and he's found the reason everyone moved to Florida in the first place. When my great aunt moved to North Miami in 1927 her house was on stilts (floods and alligators); now it is surrounded by 6 foot chainlink fence topped with barbed wire (urban animals!). Jeff talks to people who tell him the stories in between those extremes. Excellent read for anyone who wonders what was there besides the weather.

If you want to know what real Florida is like, what it looks like, feels like, smells like and even tastes like -- fall through summer -- this is the book for you. Klinkenberg is a true original, a natural resource as valuable as the panther, manatee and black bear.

We start our dinner with quotes we have found that we want to share or with a reading from this book. There are blessings from many faiths and countries and they are presented by the season they refer to.

The Dallas Morning News Review (Saturday, November 19, 2005)

Maintaining an attitude of gratefulness can change your entire perspective on life, says Taz Tagore, who speaks from personal experience.

Her family were refugees from East Africa, and by young adulthood, she'd become an overachiever with a Harvard MBA. A meditation retreat reawakened her to other dimensions of living.

Ms. Tagore wanted to share the ideas she's collected, so she started two nonprofit organizations - and wrote this book. The Reciprocity Foundation aims to match creative homeless youth with jobs in the arts; the Appreciate Network sells artistic products to raise money for the foundation [...].

In Seasons of Thanks, she takes readers through the year, briefly exploring a wide diversity of thanks-giving celebrations and practices from many faiths. Each page also highlights one or two blessings, mealtime graces, or selections of poetry.

The book would make a good thank-you gift (but note that its design-trendy type font might not be welcomed by older readers). It also would be a good addition to one's personal library, for morning or evening devotions, reference or an occasional reminder.

Linda Crosson

What I loved most about Seasons of Thanks is that
it is two books in one! The first time I saw it in a
bookstore, I quickly browsed all of the blessings,
poems and prayers highlighted in bold, colorful text.
Now that I own the book, I can read each chapter
carefully--it is filled with interesting stories and
facts about the significance of every major holiday
and season. This book has taught me to appreciate all
the special little moments in life.

Seasons of Thanks is the first book I have found
that truly integrates stories, rituals and blessings
from every culture and faith. As a person with an
interfaith family, it is always a challenge figuring
out what to say before a family dinner or holiday
meal. I loved all of the suggested blessings..even
the one's the author wrote herself. And the book
design will knock your socks off. This is a really
special collection.

A natural way to develop a practice of grateful living is to carry on the time-honored tradition of saying grace at mealtimes. Created around holidays celebrated by a wide variety of cultures throughout the year, this elegantly designed book is a rich source of stories and words to feed your soul and express your gratitude. Proceeds from the book go to Appreciate Network's program for homeless youth.

Gratefulness.org (A Network for Grateful Living), December, 2005

Patricia Monaghan, probably my favorite Goddess-spirituality author ever, does it again with _Seasons of the Witch_. ... Monaghan's emotional and moving poetry is wonderful. You can just read it for enjoyment, or use it in ritual. It includes "general" poems about witchcraft, a lot of Greek- and Celtic- inspired material, a few poems dealing with other myths, and a dash of fairy-tale material. All of it is very good. (One thing that makes Monaghan stand out in her field, by the way, is her refusal to bash males. Other goddess authors ignore or demean men, but many of Monaghan's poems celebrate love for men in a sensual and lyrical way.)

There is also a gorgeous accompanying CD, featuring several performers who have set selected poems to music. You'll want to hang on to this, too, either just to listen to for pleasure, or to play during ritual.

I would talk more specifically about the poems, but I can't do them justice in prose. I wish Amazon had a "see inside" feature on this book, so you could browse the first few poems and see if you like Monaghan's style.

I also must commend cover artist Gavin Duffy. For a moment, I thought Monaghan had switched publishers! Note to Llewellyn: More covers like this, please! In fact, more books like these--both in appearance and in content. This is a rare gem.

When we raise our voices to praise the Goddess, we find our voice sometimes in poetry, or sometimes in prose and most often in song.

This book is a collection of some of Patricia Monaghan's work. The book is divided into seasons, and each season is created in our minds in beautiful poetry and visualized prose. We are lead around the seasons, shown the associations of the elements, the Wheel of Life, and the different forms of the Goddess.

Ms. Monaghan is a talented and very well known poet. Her works have appeared in many magazines.

This book also contains a CD which has placed 25 of her poems into song. The poetry becomes devotional songs, and we find ourselves delicately woven into the visualizations by the enchanting voices of Peggy Monaghan, Sally Coombs, Susan La Croiz, Claudia Blythe, Kirsten Baird Gustafson and Lili McGovern. James Robbins also appears on one of the tracks.

As you read, and listen, you are drawn in by the delicate imagery Ms. Monaghan uses. Ever present is her love for the Goddess, her understanding of the elements and we feel her love and warmth in each piece.

This is a nice break from the handbooks and instructional manuals that dominate the market. Personal expression rather than personal opinion is always a nice change. The CD is professionally produced, the book is nicely bound, and the quality of the material makes this an outstanding package and a nice presentation.

This is a book that can be appreciated by anyone with a soul for poetry or devotional prose. It would make a wonderful gift and a lovely addition to your library.

Sometimes we need to step back from the "how to" books and remember "why".

This is an absolute treasure of a book. The title is a little misleading though. This book is not just for witches but for goddess loving folk everywhere. It's poetry, not an instructional manual for witchcraft or even "how to find the goddess." Although it's not a manual, it certainly helps the reader to connect with the goddess on an emotional, instinctual level. Almost every poem pulls me right at my very core. I feel a deep inner understanding of what the author is saying, and through her written experience of the goddess, I touch Her too. Wonderful, transcendent poetry.

The CD is very good too. It's well-produced, and the music meshes well with the poems. I haven't done so yet, but I think it would be excellent music to use in ritual.

This isn't the dry, highbrow stuff forced down your throat in high school. This is juicy, magical, alive and exciting. There is romance, myth, anger, fear and wonder.

I've performed these poems to great effect, and had many people ask where they could get the book. I've heard it's coming back in print and that's tremendously exciting.

Patricia Monaghan has written numerous books on Goddesses and myth, including the brilliant "O, Mother Sun," and has another poetry collection, "Winterburning."

I bought this book/CD two months ago, and I still haven't tired of listening to the CD and reading the poetry on a regular basis. Monaghan is a very talented poet; She conveys images and emotions so well through her words! It's really wonderful... some of the best poetry I've ever read. The songs on the CD are also beautiful. They are Patricia's poems set to music that was written and performed by each artist, so the instrumental and vocal styles are often quite varied (in a good way). One of the vocalists is Patricia's sister, Peggy Monaghan, and some of the others include Lili McGovern, Claudia Blythe, Sally Coombs, and Kirsten Baird Gustafson. All of these singers and musicians are very talented, but I am lukewarm on a couple of the songs because I personally don't like the singer's vocal style and she sounds a tad flat to my ears throughout the song. Despite that, the CD is currently one of my favorites to listen to on a regular basis. Just a few of my personal favorite songs/poems include Peggy's version of "Maenad in Spring," and "Maeve Prepares for Beltane," "The Maenad Remembers Dionysus," and "Procedure for Reclaiming the Self," but all of the poems and songs are really special. I highly recommend this book/CD set to anyone who enjoys Goddess-based poetry and music.

Pat Riley is one of the most successful basketball coaches the sport has known. In this book he tells the story of how he made it happen for the Lakers during the 86-87 season.The book is filled with anecdotal material showing how a coach motivates his players. Fans will also enjoy his stories of the big stars, and the inside insights of the relations in a team fighting for the championship.
However I thought I would enjoy this book more than I did. It is choppily written. The supposed humor is not really there. Perhaps this is because the world of sports no longer fascinates me as it did when I was a child, but I found a lot of this slow- going indeed.

The 1987 Lakers IMO were without a doubt the greatest nba team ever assembled. Yes better than the 96 Bulls, 67 Sixers, or the 86 Celtics. The book describes the teams journey to the nba finals. And it states some intresting facts of how James Worthy almost got traded to Dallas. The Lakers finished the season with a 65-17 record. The went 15-3 in thr playoffs. Defeating the Nuggetes 3-0, the Warriors 4-1, the Sonics 4-0, and finally defeating the Boston Celtics 4-2.

Must Have book for Showtime Laker Fans!!!!!

Other reviews miss the point. This is my most recommended book on the art of Management. How do you manage such a diverse group of world class atheletes! That is the problem! Look at what happened with Phil Jackson and Kobe and Shaq. Disaster. Pat Riley's book is a clear set of instructions on how to manage a small group of high-power folks - like a high-power software team. This belongs well dog-eared on the shelves of the quality manager along with the Foundation Trilogy and Harold Geneen's Managing. IMHO.

Pat Riley is the legendary NBA coach who lead the Los angeles Lakers to four NBA titles in the 80's. In 1984-85, the Lakers won their third title of the decade (second under Riley) over their hated rivals the Boston Celtics. There were high expectations for the 85-86 season, but they were knocked out of the playoffs by the underdog Houston Rockets and failed to defend their title. The book takes us through the 86-87 season in which Mr. Riley strives to get his team back on top. We get to see how an NBA season underfolds from the point of view of arguably the best coach in history. He gives an insider's thoughts on all-time greats like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. Mr. Riley has a wry sense of humor and his take on things makes this book a highly entertaining and insightful read.

Coach Riley provides basketball fans of all ages with a game-by-game chronicle of the Los Angeles Lakers' glorious 1986-87 season. Riles explains why complacency drove the previous year's team to an early exit in the Western Conference Finals and tells how he reversed their attitudes. He takes you inside the locker rooms and profiles the club's stars. Peter May's book, The Last Banner, claims that the 1985-86 Boston Celtics are the best team ever. Even though I haven't read this publication, I'd have to disagree with that statement. The Lakers were a very special team in '86-'87 that were on a mission. I would highly recommend for anyone to obtain a copy of this book. It certainly is a collector's item that I will forever treasure.