Day Books

I found this book in my home years ago, among the dusty tomes we had collected. As a child, I found this book helpful for the simple things such as what are the best herbs to use when I'm cooking chicken, as well as what tea I should drink when I have an upset stomach. Now that i am an adult, I recognize that it is much more useful than I ever recognized. This book is like an encyclopedia of herbs, book of remedies, a recipe book, a gardener's manual and a witchcraft book all rolled into one.

A "must have" for anyone interested in herbs.

This book was one of the first I bought to learn more about the use of herbs in Witchcraft and Magick. My copy is much love and I adore it. I have since then bought a pile of books on magickal herbalism, they have been stacked up in the hope that one day I will find a book that takes the work done by Paul Huson in this volume to the next level. There are books on my pile by most of the modern writers on Witchcraft, but none of them come close to rivalling this book. They all fail to grab my interest and to be honest most seem to me, to be a rewrite of this classic work.

The correspondences are given in tables which are clear and easy to use. The lovely old illustrations throughout gives the book an extra level of charm. The recipes and charms are magickal and they work.

A great no-fluff, practical, useful and great guide to magickal herbalism - which should be on the bookshelves of all self-respecting witches, wiccans, magickians and pagans who work with herbs. Those who don't have it yet and who are not yet in love with it, should get a copy now - otherwise you will continue to miss out big time.

I first read this book about 4 years ago. I had the oppertunity to read a first edition hardcover volume filled with its owners personal notes. This is truly one of the great herbals in print and I highly reccomend it to anyone seeking the information on the metaphysical properties of herbs.

I totally enjoyed reading this book...and I learned much more than I thought I would. I am grateful to the person who gave it to me as a gift. Paul Huson delivers a book filled with interesting information. I recommend you read it.

Mastering Herbalism: A Practical Guide by herbal expert Paul Huson is a marvelous compendium of useful information concerning herbs of all kinds. Countless practical uses for herbs are covered, from recipes for flavorful jams, soups, and teas to creating homemade perfumes and incenses to all-natural medicine. Mastering Herbalism is also packed with gardening tips for growing one's own herbs. Illustrated with line drawings and enhanced with four appendices, a glossary, a select bibliography, and comprehensive index, Mastering Herbalism is simply a "must" for any cook or gardener looking to put a little extra spice in their life!

I have purchased several of the Mensa books. There is a challenge to outwit the Mensa and I offer it to my friends on occasion in the form of a game.

This is a very fun book for those who can't get enough of logic puzzles. There is a wide variety of puzzles in this book. Buy this book and you too can look forward to solving a puzzle a day!

My husband and I got this book to do together. We enjoy solving the quizzes and finding out the percentage of Mensans who got them correct. We gave it 4 stars because we think there are too many word puzzles. We were hoping for more number puzzles.

I bought this book prior to my taking the aptitude test that got me into Mensa. It was both fun and helpful and I at least felt a little smarter coming out the other end. I would recommend this book to anyone contemplating taking any similar test or just for a fun and challenging read. I sent this and a couple of other Mensa books to my niece and nephew. It went over pretty good with everyone in the family.

I've belonged to a couple of high-IQ societies, including Mensa, in the past, and once talked to Dr. Salny over the phone about IQ equivalents for the MAT, or Miller Analogies test, which was the one I qualified on for Mensa. Dr. Salny, who was at the University of New Jersey at Rutgers the time, was very helpful in that regard and I wanted to mention that.

This is a great collection of puzzles put together by Dr. Salny to help you keep your mental muscles tuned up, whether you're a Mensa member or not. In fact, one of the things we've learned about the brain over the last 50 years is that in many ways the brain is truly like a muscle--use it or lose it.

I was a grad student in the brain sciences and also formally studied the IQ and psychometrics area for a while, and I had some comments about the problems with testing high IQs that I thought I'd post here, especially on the problem of testing very high IQs above 150 or 160, particularly for adults.

Various writers, researchers, and members of other high IQ societies have attempted to solve this problem by constructing their own tests and standardizing them. They also claim to be able to standardize these high-end IQ tests using various special procedures and statistics. However, the problem of standardization for these sorts of tests has really never been resolved very well. Hence, many claims of IQ's that high are really just that--claims. That isn't to say that people who score high on things like the Mega test or the Langdon LAIT and so on might not have IQ's of 180, just the reliability and accuracy of such scores isn't that great.

The other problem is that the human brain is quite complex and we really don't know how to adequately test its capabilities except in the crudest sense. Most IQ tests examine a half dozen factors at most (although the well-known DAT, the Differential Aptitude Test, looked at 9 factors, but then it was technically an aptitude test and not an IQ test) and there are actually dozens or perhaps hundreds of factors involved. The eminent cognitive psychologist and psychometrician, J.P Guilford's Structure of Intellect model postulated 120 different types of intelligence (most if not all of which I find more convincing than the more standard factor models).

Another problem is the factor subtests still correlate highly with each other; for example, the typical verbal subtest correlates at the .75 level with the math subtest, although the spatial ability tests seem purer. A .75 "r" or correlation means that half the variance in one test is accounted for by the variance of the other (since the variance is the correlation coefficient squared). Hence, the factor subtests aren't very "pure," as they say, and correlate too highly with verbal skills which is too narrow a subset of skills and also is likely the most socio-economically influenced.

That having been said, ironically, the most egregious criticism of IQ tests is that you can show that the most complex IQ test known is only about 10-15% more accurate in predicting, say, college grades, than a 40 item, 20-30 minute vocabulary test.

And finally, for the coup de grace, the most famous IQ study of all time, the Lewis Terman study at Stanford in the last century, tested tens of thousands of kids and then followed 1400 of them with IQ's of 140 and over throughout their lives. A couple of dozen were as high as 180. Although a distinguished group in later life in that many of their achievements were impressive, there were no Nobel Laureates in the group. In fact, they passed over two of them--Luis Alvarez and William Shockley--who didn't test high enough to be included, both of whom later won the Nobel Prize in physics. Oops.

The second coup de grace is that research has shown that further IQ points above 120 is not as important as good social intelligence in ensuring success in life. And an IQ of 120 is enough to do anything--with few exceptions-- such as being a physicist or mathematician. After all, James Watson, co-discoverer of the DNA helix and Nobel Laureate, only had an IQ of 118. And in another classic study by Getzels and Jackson, children who were high on tests of creativity with average IQs of 120 had grades as high as those less creative with average IQs of 140.

Another thing you can see right away from visiting a few of these high-IQ society web pages and reading the discussions there, is that many of these people (most of them are men) are obsessed with the IQ business and about which test is the best, who has the highest IQ, and who gets to belong to the most exclusive societies. This produced an odd competitive race as various people attempted to form ever more rarified and exclusive and cliquish groups. There have been literally dozens of these, but most have never gone anywhere and died out after a few years, or never even got off the ground.

They also get into various inter-society and internecine debates, as I said, about who gets to belong to which high-IQ society on the basis of which test, each one claiming their test is the best, when, as I said, there really isn't any way to validate them that accurately. They've even gone, in one case, to the trouble of suing each other about the issue of the legitimacy of the testings, since few of these people are licensed psychologists. It really is a tempest in a teapot and they should go get a life. The whole thing would be funny were it not for the fact that they take the whole thing so seriously.

Of course, to some extent this is the pot calling the kettle black since I have belonged to a couple of these societies too in the past, but I also see the silliness of it all, not to mention, as I said, that it seems that for the vast majority of these people this is the only real distinction they seem to have.

The 100th day celebration for Miss Bindergarten's kindergarten class is just what you'd hope such a celebration to be...whimsical, thoughtful and joyous. This book is exemplary.

This book is an excellent choice for a hundred day of school celebration. My pre-k class loved the story and the colorful pages. We still read it several days later and they still really enjoy it! I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

I love reading this to my first grade class. It gets them excited for the 100th day of school.

Excellent book to continue with the Bindergarten series. Mainly deals with the activities on the 100th day, not the "math" concepts of how to make 100. Of course, for any Kindergartner this day and book are a must!

One of my 4-year-old's absolute favorites, and educational to boot. The illustrations are especially good. We love Miss Bindergarten!

Danielle's second book is written especially for younger moms who are overwhelmed and still trying to figure out how to work out a lot of the details of smoothly running their homes (and lives). These moms tend to feel guilty for not "having it all together" and wonder how older, more experienced moms with more kids ever manage their large brood and complex family life. I know I felt that way when I was a younger mom and I would have very much appreciated the gentle wisdom contained in this book.

I found this book "light", but inspiring; helpful, but not preachy. Her writing deserves to be called wise, because she manages something that so few parenting/advice books do - she draws out practical truths that really do apply to everyone and then gives examples of how she applies them to her own family.

The book is organized into six main sections (that are divided into smaller essays):

How Can I Survive the Preschool Years Without Losing My Mind?

How Can I Fill My Marriage with More of `The Better' and Less of `The Worse'?

What Kind of Role Does a Catholic Mom Play in This Great Big World?

How Can I Get on Top of the Housework When It Feels Like I'm Smothering Under It?

How Can I Make Our Faith an Integral Part of Family Life?

Can I Really Have a Spiritual Life While Caring for All These Little People?

She tops it off with a simple, but helpful resource guide for Catholic families.

Written by homeschooler and mother of eight Danielle Bean, Mom to Mom, Day to Day: Advice & Support for Catholic Living is a repository of wisdom especially for Catholic women and mothers. Danielle Bean is author of the popular daily blog [...]. and when her readers send her questions about motherhood, family, and general living advice, she provides answers grounded in her day-to-day life experience. Mom to Mom, Day to Day is a deeply spiritual book, blending equal parts of practical family members and reverence for the divine. "We humans cling to the false notion that ultimately we are in control of our lives. Finding ourselves unexpectedly pregnant reminds us of the uncomfortable truth: We are not in charge. Sometimes the hardest words in the world to pray and to really mean are 'They will be done.' We fear God's will might not match our own. We forget that when God sends us a new challenge, he also sends us the graces we need to handle it." Especially recommended as a giftbook for recent Catholic brides.

If you don't know Danielle Bean's writing, you might not know what to expect from a book with the subtitle, "Advice and Support for Catholic Living."

You might pick it up thinking, "Who is this woman to give me advice? Has she lived so long and so perfectly that she can dish up the goods on my life when she doesn't even know me?"

Then, you might open it, and read Danielle's preface, and find out that she is the kind of woman to pick up an advice book (you know the kind I mean: one with a rigid prescription for how to eat, drink, live, marry, parent, sleep, breathe and forego sugar) and think:

(from the preface):
"Who does this woman think she is? I find myself furiously thinking as I flip to the back cover to read the author's bio. Is her family really so perfect? Doesn't her husband ever leave his balled-up, smelly socks on the bedroom floor and she snaps at him about it? Don't her kids ever argue about who's looking at whom and who got the last cookie last time and who got it the time before that and ...."

And, you might next think, "Hey! I love her! She's just like me!"

And, you'd be right (unless you're the author of the aforementioned book that initially raised Danielle's ire, in which case, I don't even want to know you.)

Which is why you'll love this book and this author. She's so very real. I want her to live next door to me and come over for lots and lots of coffee while we ignore our children and catch up with each other. Because once in awhile, that's what real mothers do.

What's in this book? Let me start by telling you what's not in it.

Danielle Bean will not advise you to rise every morning at four a.m. in order to squeeze in that bit of extra prayer time that you need (but, she does have excellent advice on prayer and lovely prayers at the end of each section.) She will not try to convince you that you can whip up gourmet meals six nights out of seven without breaking a sweat (but, she does know how meal planning can keep you sane.) She will not tell you how to create the perfect craft, such as carving bath toys out of soap, thus saving money and mess (but she will offer twelve months' worth of real ideas for observing the liturgical calendar with your kids.)

In other words, what Danielle Bean will give you is a bunch of truths. Truths about how the little things can pile up and make even the best of moms yell at little people (but she'll remind you that you're not alone) ; about how marriage takes work (but is still the best thing we humans have got going) ; about how boring it can sometimes be to stay home (and yet how ultimately fulfilling and holy it is.) She will talk to you, as if you were having lots and lots of coffee together, about how to get the upper hand on the housework, how to live your faith with your kids, and about how prayer time really works at her house.

Because this is what Danielle Bean is about: striving for the very-real sacred in the midst of the very-real everyday. It's all connected: the yelling, the commitment, the smelly socks, the prayers, the boredom, the faith, the toilet-scrubbing, the journey to heaven. We moms don't get to travel a pristine path to holiness. Ours is peppered with dirty diapers, cranky kids, blown fuses and fishsticks. It's a path that evokes an "Eeewww!" from many. It's not pretty. And yet, it is the most exquisitely beautiful thing in the world.

Danielle Bean has seen that paradox, as genuine and strange as The Event it mirrors. Motherhood is a kind of crucifixion, a dying to self. From suffering and death come Resurrection. And from the struggles of motherhood joy, beauty and new life emerge.

That's what Danielle Bean knows, and it's what she'll tell you in this book: That it's hard. That there are ideas that will help you. Here they are. Take them and use them. And, along the way, let your vocation transform you.

This isn't "advice." This is friendship of the very best sort. Because that's what moms do. Mom to mom, we take care of each other.

Let this book take care of you for awhile.

For the last five years,I have presented the "Marriage as a Sacrament" talk at pre-Cana for our parish. In addition, I have worked as one of the wedding coordinators for our parish, talking with new brides and running the wedding rehearsals etc. There were many times over those years that I wished I had a book that I could give to these young women that would help them start out their married lives in the right direction. I wanted something that was steeped in the richness of our Catholic faith, but wasn't so deep in theological language and terminology that you needed a degree in theology to understand it. I found just such a book in Danielle Bean's new book, "Mom to Mom Advice and Support for Catholic Living."

The entire book with resource guide is only 153 pages long, so its size is not intimidating. Its beautiful cover is very inviting. I think I might even be able to convince our busy parish priest that this would be a wonderful book to buy and hand out at pre-Cana, or give to new mothers at baptisms. It's a very fast and enjoyable read. (I read the entire thing while manning the awards table at a swim meet!)

But don't let its size and appearance fool you. Mrs. Bean packs a lot of information and solid advice in those pages, with a dollop of wit and humor on the side. The target audience for this little book is young Catholic mothers with small children in the early part of their marriage. Those ladies will feel that Danielle Bean is right in the trenches with them, coping with the challenges, stress and fatigue that comes from dealing with little folks all day long. But even after almost 28 years of marriage on my resume, I felt that I too could benefit from much of what she was saying, particularly in how to relate and care for my spouse. Newlyweds will find a lot of practical advice in that area as well.

I think the fifth section of the book entitled, "How Can I Make our Faith an Integral Part of Family Life" would be particularly helpful to young women with or without-children-yet in making their faith a day-to-day living faith. There is a lot of concrete advice in that section of truly making a little domestic church and living the liturgical year! That section gives solid examples of how to develop a relationship with the Lord.

Danielle makes the book a very personal look at her own joys and struggles. The part about her non-Catholic brother-in-law coming to dinner and being questioned by her little boy about not saying grace had me chuckling out loud! She shares a lot about the joys of having a large family and the blessings they bring.

I am going to present this book to my own pastor and suggest he buy it for our church library and to give out at pre-Cana and at the baptism classes. I will point out that if nothing else, he should at least want to make sure that the list of resources in the back of the book get out to the young families our parish serves! I'm sure as time goes by this is going to be one of the must-have books for Catholic moms!

I read Danielle Bean's first book, "My Cup of Tea", in 2 days on the beach in St Lucia while vacationing with my husband for our 10th anniversary. The ONLY thing that would have made this book any better, would have been if it came with tickets to go back down to St. Lucia!!! VERY easy to read chapters, taking no more than 5 minutes to get through a single chapter. Hard to put the book down. I had my 5th child 6 weeks ago and was able to read the book while nursing her ~ finished the book in just 4 days!

I read this book about 18 months ago. A gentleman gave me the book on a flight to Salt Lake City. I was raised in the Mormon church, but left around the age of 18. This book was a real page-turner for me, and I just kept saying to myself "yes, yes, yes," I totally relate and agree!

Carma is articulate and compelling as she tells her account of the transformation of her heart and mind by the power of God. I fully can identify with her story! As a fifth generation mormon who found Jesus, I was not suprised by her struggle with her family, it was very encouraging to me. Naylor presents her viewpoints so lovingly. She is gentle, yet honest. Her research and attention to the details is profound. She has a very loving spirit, I have had the privilege of meeting her and her husband Charles. If you have questions about Mormonism, whether you are Mormon or Christian, this is a MUST read!

This is a deeply personal book about one woman's search for truth. It is not a guide on how to convert Mormon's to Christianity or a list of Mormon beleifs (altho it does contain both of these aspects.) This is one of the best books I have read in a long time and has caused my heart to swell with love for people of the Mormon faith. A must read!

This book should be read by any person desiring to know truth, regardless of their beliefs (or lack thereof), or their religious affiliation.

Carma Naylor's story of her personal search for truth was powerful and unbelievably moving. I cried tears of sorrow and pain, as well as tears of joy, as I followed her on her journey. Her journey was very long, and very difficult, as she realized she could no longer embrace the Mormon church that she had followed and believed her entire life. She described herself at one point as feeling as though she were being ripped in two - a dramatic, yet very accurate description of how a person would feel when their world and all they have held dear are turned upside-down.

Along with being an autobiography, Naylor's book provided me with an education on Mormon beliefs. It was so interesting to learn of the intricacies of the Mormon church, and of the sincere, loving people who are a part of it. I also received a wonderful education about Joseph Smith, his writings, and The Book of Mormon. In Naylor's quest for truth, she did an incredible amount of research into all aspects of Mormonism, including Greek word study. Very thorough! I will be able to use this book as a reference tool thanks to all of the Scripture she cited (IN context, no less!). Naylor left no stone unturned. She was not satisfied with speculation or hearsay. She had to dig in and find out for herself what the Bible and what The Book of Mormon really said, and what they really meant. She had to make the agonizing decision of whether she believed in the Bible as the true and infallible Word of God, or if she believed in Joseph Smith. She concluded that it had to be one or the other, and that it was impossible for the two to be followed side by side because of their contradictions.

This book has given me a love for Mormons, and has renewed my passion for knowing and seeking truth.

My son gave me this book for Christmas. It really is an unexpected journey for those who read it. It is respectfully written with a loving heart. Mrs. Naylor tells an interesting story of her own life as a deeply rooted Mormon believer and how she was led to study more than what was put in front of her. You end up getting involved emotionally as she goes on her search for truth even against the wishes of her family. Her biblical research and attention to details is impressive. I can hardly wait to read Volume Two!

Chris Freytag knows her stuff. I have many of her workouts on dvd and so knowing how good of an instructor she is, I knew she'd have good stuff to say in her book. She does. She is well educated in health and she is certified by the American Council on Exercise. While she doesn't really add anything new to what we all already know, she does add insight to what she sees with her clients. She talks about their motivation or lack thereof and how to deal with all of that. Then she goes on to talk about ditching myths, excuses, building better body images, and then goes into the nitty gritty about diet and exercise.
It is a good read. It's choc full of information and hopefully enough motivation for people as they struggle with doing workouts and eating right.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you have previously purchased the Video Tape or DVD. Excellent instructions and illustrations so you can practice them slowly on your own in the beginning, without having to keep up with video. Lots of other excellent information regarding nutrition, etc. Great Book alone or to compliment the Author's video.
JMW - Orlando

Move to Lose is well written, organized and includes all the necessary components to getting and staying fit and healthy. The program is such a common sense approach to eating, exercising and living well that it is easy to understand and implement. I purchased this book after dealing with a medical crisis. This book motivated me to eat healthier, exercise daily and create a plan to reach my fitness goals. I have lost weight, become more tone, have more energy, confidence and strength. I highly recommend this book!!!!

I loved this book! After reading it I felt motivated to go do something about those 20 extra pounds I am carrying around. It is filled with great ideas for getting moving and for the first time ever I think I am going to try a new exercise like pilates. I liked the charts and pictures that were included. Overall I would highly recommend it--especially if you are like me and have been lacking motivation to get started on a healthier path.

Chris Freytag has taken all of the complicated fitness and diet programs out there and traded them in for some common sense! She spells out things that ANYONE can do to improve their health and fitness and does it in a way that is not intimidating or too complex. Her exercise and diet ideas are so helpful (and not hard to do). This book taught me a lot about healthy eating habits and how your body responds to exercising. I highly recommend it!

coward's longtime companion graham payn probably comes as close to coward as anyone ever will. he manages to artfully weave the details of his own life with a plethora of new anecdotes -- and old -- about sir noel. the added bonus is the appendices containing previously unpublished coward works, including a tenth play [!] written for "tonight at 8:30".

well worth your time...

Over the course of forty years, South-African-born actor Graham Payn shared the life, love, companionship, and generous wit of that "playboy of the West End world," Noel Coward. This book is a loving and often frank tribute to this great man, who made so many people laugh for so many years, and who, in life as well as on stage, was the very epitome of the word "style". Payn begins with his first audition for Noel and the play Words and Music in the thirties, takes us through the war years, to the decidedly unforgiving (to Noel) fifties, when the critics turned against him en masse, to the triumphant sixties and "Dad's Renaissance" to an adoring public, through Noel's death and the demise of Noel's personal assistant (and fellow biographer) Cole Lesley, up to the present (1993) and the unveiling of a special tribute stone for Coward in Westminster Abbey by no less a person than the Queen Mother. If this book ended after Graham's 250-page-or-so lovely memoir, it would still be worth five stars, but there is more. Much more. In the roughly hundred pages that follow, Payn provides us with the complete Coward writings on theatre, many of which first appeared in the Sunday Times (and which, for my money, prove conclusively that Noel Coward knew more about theatre than any other person who lived in the Twentieth Century). There are also interviews with actresses Judy Garland and Judith Campbell, brief but penetrating portraits on some of the many important figures in Coward's life (including Rex Harrison, the Lunts, and Sir Winston Churchill), and much more. My one caveat that goes with my otherwise-unqualified recommendation is this: please read The Noel Coward Diaries first, so that you get a clear understanding not only of how Noel saw himself, but how he viewed many of the key figures in this book. (Author Payn plays, not surprisingly, a significant part in the diaries.) With these two books by your bedside, you'll have the best and most delicious kind of reading entertainment for many nights to come, and you'll say of Graham Payn's life with Noel Coward: "What a life, indeed!!!"

I read and reviewed this book for my on-line theater magazine -- The new off-Broadway musical about Coward's friendship with Gertrude Lawrence draws much material from this book as well so I found myself referring back to it for my write-up of that show -- both show and book are particularly timely as the Coward centennial celebrations get into full swing.

"An engrossing portrait of this world famous and immensely gifted man,chronicled so frankly by his closest friend...A most vivid account of his career after the Second World war" - JOHN GIELGUD"I greatly doubt if anything written about the Master will ever be as fascinating,as perceptive,as amusing or as touching as Graham Payn's loving portrait." - RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH"It's simply terrific !...So funny and so sensitive." - ELAINE STRITCH"Stories I never heard before bringing Noel vividly to life." - LAUREN BACALL"I greatly doubt if anything written about the Master will ever be as fascinating,as perceptive,as amusing or as touching as Graham Payn's loving portrait." - RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH"It's simply terrific !...So funny and so semsitive" - ELAINE STRITCH"Stories I never heard before bring Noel vividly to life." - LAUREN BACALL

Don't read this book unless you want to fall more in love with Noel Coward than you already must be to read the book in the first place. Mr. Payn has assembled a quilt of memoir, unpublished theatre writings by Coward, photographs, a beautiful reminiscence by one of Coward's leading ladies, and a recorded conversation between Coward and Judy Garland. The whole of the book gives a tender, honest, delightful insight into Coward, the people he loved, the perils and pleasures of his work, and the places he most enjoyed. Lovers and students of theatre will find great rewards in these pages.

It is a generous book; Mr. Payn shares with the reader all of the real stuff of knowing Noel Coward so well and for so long. He does not share intimate details of their relationship, but does share his deep love of the man himself. In short, Coward himself was a man who treasured good taste and true sentiment -- and it is fitting that his life-partner should offer this book in his honor.

With the New Territories of Hong Kong fast becoming home to massive housing developments, franchised restaurants, and even a Disneyland, it's great to have this book as a reminder of times past. While the story of British colonialism is not a happy one in many parts of the world, one finds in this book an account of a British reversal of fortune: Coates frequently finds himself lost and confused, and he freely admits that he was probably a failure as a magistrate.

What the post-1997 reader can glean from this book, apart from a description of rural Cantonese life, is a telling account of relations between the British Civil Service and those they ruled and administered. But beyond this, careful insights are made into the nature of the Cantonese/Chinese mind that cannot help but be beneficial, even today. Coates was a man that asked questions of everybody all the time, and he was very observant of his surroundings. More than simply one of the numerous (bad) attempts gwailous make to "explain" the Chinese to the uninitiated, he rather sets an example for other Westerners to follow: not to assume others think the same way, and to ask plenty of questions when one doesn't understand certain cultural points.

Most importantly, it's a very easy read. Pick it up before you fly to HK...you'll finish it before you land.

I agree with the other reviewers. This is an excellent book that will help gweilos understand the Cantonese (and, to a lesser extent, Chinese and Asians in general) a bit better. If you're a Westerner planning to move to Asia, this may help to prepare you for the experience of never quite knowing what the real problem is and never getting a straight answer (at least not the first 20 times you ask the question). I lived in Hong Kong for 6 years and can't say that I totally understand the mindset of the "locals", but this book helped. And it was fun to read! I had bought at least 5 copies by the time I left Hong Kong (most of which went to friends and family), and I wish that I had purchased more. It's a classic.

One reason this book is now unobtainable in Hong Kong is the number of copies I have bought and given (or had 'borrowed' by) friends over the years. Dated but entertaining, excellent account of living in HK, away from Mid-Levels and the expatriate lifestyle. Bob Howlett

This is a completely charming account of Austin Coates' period as a Special Magistrate in Hong Kong's New Territories. I've never read a foreigner who combines so well a frank portrayal of the difficulties in understanding the rural Cantonese mentality, with such sympathy. Coates comes at his subject with a singular highly intuitive vision, and it's impossible not to come away enriched.

This exceptionally well written book of anecdotes and personal experiences should be required reading for any Westerner visiting or conducting business in China or other countries where the Chinese culture subsists. At times humourous, at times tragic it leads the reader through a series of situations experienced by the author, an Englishman, as he plys his trade as a special magistrate in post-war Hong Kong. It has helped me to understand some of the more baffling moments of my life here in Hong Kong in the 1990s. Thoroughly recommended.

I never received this book ~ Wondering why? ?

I receiced the book on Native American Beadwork promply and am happy with the order. Bill

In Europe, people dress up in buckskins, hang out in tipis and emulate the Native Americans of days gone more than a century and a half ago. Their attention to detail seems to be no less than compulsive, and this book is an ultimate product of this compulsion for authenticity, accuracy and completeness.

Barth has completed an instructional masterpiece of Native American Bead work that I give to experienced Native beaders to their astonishment. If you want to learn technique, buy this book.

I found the book to be one of the best sources of information pertaining the native- american -style beading, espeacially the transmontane beadwork. I have found there several hints and pieces of information I was looking for for several years. Thank you, Mr. Barth.

and that ain't an easy pathway to find, believe me. I love Barth's insistance on using only the most traditional methods, when there are multiple techniques that could be covered. His instructions are so clearly illustrated and explained that I've actually gotten a grip on a method that I have failed to understand for years and am presently using to cover a walking stick with - traditional style gourd stitch. Most books simply teach the two step method and don't even mention the older, three step method and when they do, their instructions tend to be so confusing that I end up with a stick wrapped in a tangled net of tiny beads and thread. But thanks to Barth, I finally get it!

The other methods he covers, lane stitch, loomwork, diagonal weaving and others, he covers with equal clarity and skill and I'm looking forward to using this book to upgrade my abilities and make my art jewelry better than ever!

I'm a historian who has done some research on the subject and I can say with confidence that this book is an excellent resource for scholars and for anyone else with an interest in history. For one thing, it is the definitive study on the experience of German POWs in America. Krammer is thorough, describing virtually every aspect of the issue and from multiple perspectives. For the layman, it is also very readable and enjoyable. It is filled with important details and fascinating anecdotes. As a former student of Prof. Krammer, I can honestly say without any exaggeration that he is a gentleman and a scholar. He knows how to write a book and this is a great example.

To say how interesting this book is at first I have to note how unknown this topic is. When I first began looking for the book, a person working at a book store asked me if it was fiction! Gimme a break! For instance, Santa Anita Racetrack in California was a huge POW camp during WWII. Who knew that? Anyone into American history should know about this, and if not, READ THIS BOOK. It is very easy to assume that there is no other book in existance that covers this topic any better.

I was lucky enough to be a student of Dr. Krammer's when I attended Texas A&M Univ. His grasp of the subject matter and readable style makes this book a must have for every history lover!

At age 55, I've finally learned something about an American experience that ended two years before I was born. About time, don't you think?

NAZI PRISONERS OF WAR IN AMERICA is a concise and (apparently) comprehensive overview, which describes the incarceration of the roughly 375,000 captured members of the German military in 500+ camps and branch camps thoughout the United States from May 1942 to July 1946. The book's eight chapters summarize the process from initial capture and dispatch westward across the Atlantic through repatriation and return to Europe. In between, author Arnold Krammer depicts the general layout of the camps, the life behind barbed wire, the work and re-education programs, the escapes, and the ideological tensions between the ardently Nazi minority and non-Nazi majority that generally resulted in internal control of a camp's inmate population by the former prisoner group. Each chapter has a 4 to 8 page photo section relevant to its topic. The 44 pages of notes, based on a 15-page bibliography, indicate a commendable and thorough level of research.

As an informative exercise about an interesting topic, I can't find fault with NAZI PRISONERS OF WAR IN AMERICA. As a work of popular history for one casually interested in the subject, it's completely satisfying in all respects.

At times, there's even humor of a sort. In the chapter "Escapes", the author relates the incident wherein three U-boat submariners fled into the hills of Tennessee, where one was subsequently shot dead by an old granny defending her water pump. When told by the local deputy sheriff whom she'd killed, she broke down saying she'd never have fired if she'd known the men were Germans. Asked who she thought the intruders were, she replied:

"I thought they wuz Yankees." Bobbie Lee would have been proud.

I found Nazi Prisoners of War to be a fascinating look into the little known (and explored) history of American POW camps. This book really put a human face on the soldiers of Germany who weren't always Nazi sympathizers. I felt the author presented quite a balanced view of both the anti-Nazi prisoners and the pro-Nazi officers and enlisted men.

Of particular interest was the discussion of how the camps were run, the photographs of the prisoners and the stories of their escapes. Also, some stories were quite humorous: the story where the Americans tell the Germans to clean their barracks/common rooms and the German POWS refuse. The Americans perform a trick by telling them a high-ranking German officer would be imprisoned there to get them to comply without the use of force. This was quite clever.On the flip-side I found it disturbing that the American army officials preferred to supervise hard-core nazis in prisons because they were easier to manage, rather than anti-nazis. At times these officials encouraged nazism!

I recommend this book for a different and balanced look into the past.