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News Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

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New Orleans Cookbook
Published in Hardcover by Knopf (1975-02-12)
Author: Richard Collin
List price: $18.95
New price: $92.00
Used price: $8.00
Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

Want a taste of New Orleans? This is the book for you
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-15
Origional New Orleans recipes! Easy to work with and helpful hints for substuting what you have on hand. How to make the special seasonings that make Cajun/Creole food unique! Spicey does not necessarily mean, hot! Great history of the different folks and festivals that make New Orleans special. Great place to visit and taste the food for yourself. Or buy the cookbook and cook it for yourself.

One of the Best New Orleans Cookbooks
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-19
"New Orleans Cookbook" By Richard Collin is a terrific introduction to the cajan and creole cooking styles that NOLA is known for. To be able to understand how typical New Orleanians cook, one must attempt to understand both the culture and the region of Southern Louisiana. The recipes within this cookbook resonate with the traditional and innovative varities. Anything and everything that has come out of that area is easily found within these pages. The layout of the book is charming, and is very readable. The directions are not overcumbersome, and the reciepes are all simply preparable. A novice or an experienced chef will appreciate this cookbook.

Break Out The Cast Iron !
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-10
I've got the Eighth, July 1980 printing. On page 40, The Collins' indicate that the Oyster & Sausage Jambalaya is their favorite. Use the cast iron for preparation, follow the directions explicitly (You'll use a little "elbow grease" on this one), and you won't be disappointed. It's my favorite Jambalaya, too !

You probably don't need my 2 cents at this point...............
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-24
10 years I lived on the Gulf Coast and spent
many, many days in New Orleans. When the time came I knew I was eventually going to leave, I spent months searching for a book which would allow me to take the food I loved with me. This is the book I chose & have loved it for years!!!!!!!!!!
It is authentic New Orleans food.....pre-Paul!!!!
You can open this book and trust that any recipe you choose will be successful.....except for the Red Beans & Rice which has too much meat to be the REAL LOCAL AUTHENTIC version.
I am a Chef & I can't imagine being without this book. It's REAL New Orleans food!!!!!! This
book is a REAL WINNER!!!!!!!!!! A CLASSIC!!!!!

Thank-you Rima and Richard Collin!!!!!!
K & Roo & Tessa TOO!!!












!


































































No Need for Another Creole Cookbook!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-14
My husband received this cookbook for his birthday, by my sister, some 15 years ago. But I am the one that used and took it over!!! I didn't even know how to really cook, but was able to make superb dishes, without fail, everytime. And since then, this cookbook has been well used!!! There are stains and pages slipping out from frequent use!!!

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Olive the Orphan Reindeer
Published in Hardcover by New Canaan Publishing (2000-11-01)
Author: Michael Christie
List price: $14.95
New price: $10.43
Used price: $7.14

Average review score:

A Wonderful Christmas Story
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-17
This is a great heartwarming story for families at Christmas. I can't recommend it enough!

Hurray to Michael
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-19
It strengthened the Christmas atmosphere in my classroom. My grade two and three students were intrigued by the introduction of Olive and a new team of reindeer. The use of humour combined with suspense and adventure captured the attention of every child in the classroom. It had everyone reading!!! A teacher`s dream. A story for children and adults of the twenty first century. Keep it up Michael

I loved it
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-01
I have this book and I love it. It's a fun book for all ages. The story is unique and cute and I wouldn't be surprised to see it made into a movie someday like Rudolf.

A Christmas Classic
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-22
This is a beautiful little book with a captivating heroine. "Olive" is written in a style which will appeal to children and adults alike, and the illustrations are delightful. It is time for a new Christmas story, and my hat's off to Michael Christie for producing one that I'm sure will become a classic. My nieces in England loved it!

An Unexpectedly Wonderful Christmas Story
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-12-14
My 7 year old son and I just finished reading Olive, the Orphan Reindeer. What a delightful story. Each year we read The Night Before Christmas, The Christmas Carol, or Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, it was nice to discover a new title to add to our holiday reading. The press release stated that this book was geared toward the age group 9-12. My 7 year old read this book with ease and understanding. I agree with Michael, this book is for anyone who believe in Christmas.

Good Job, Are there other books available by this author?

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One Dream: The NFL
Published in Hardcover by Stockard James (2001-07-01)
Author: Woody Falgoux
List price: $24.95
New price: $6.95
Used price: $3.65

Average review score:

The Rocky of the NFL
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-15
This book is like an NFL Rocky type story. Except there are 10 different Rocky's that are the focus of this book in the form of football players. Not to say that it is a ripoff in anyway. It's a book that truly stands on it's own. The author seems to be very talented. His first? Are you kidding me? Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I felt sad for them. Especially knowing that all this really happened to real people makes the impact even stronger. Don't let it's setting of it being preseason football make you think it's boring. It's a book of hope, determination, preserverance, and the cold reality of life that we all have to face. This book was so good it's compelled me to write my first review for Amazon. Congratulations Woody F. and I'm looking for your next book!

The Perfect Gift for Football Fans
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-25
I bought several copies of Falgoux's book for the football fans in my family and they were a huge hit. By our next family gathering, One Dream was the one and ONLY topic ofconversation. This book is extremely well-written, informative and impressive in it's ability to show the human side of what has become a mega-industry in the US.

What every NFL fan wants to know
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-03
This book is precisely what every NFL fan wants to know about what it takes to make a professional football team's roster. Woody does an excellent job at grabing your attention within the very first pages and holding it to the very end. If you are a fan of the NFL, this is a must read and Woody will have you turning each page anxiously awaiting the fates of the players struggling to make the Saints team. This book is masterfully written and you will find yourself rooting for the underdogs. Woody is a gifted story teller and makes you feel like you are sitting along side him at the Saints training camp. At times, I was rooting for Woody himself as he describes the difficulties the media encounters from the Saints organization during training camp. I highly recommend this book and only hope Woody has his second book in the works.

Feel the rush
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-30
An amazing read! The author puts you into the mind, body
and soul of the players. It is more than a book about football, it is about having hope and chasing a dream. Even
when you know you wont win. Read it and pass it on,
quickly.

The Hard Road to the NFL
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-17
Woody had a great premise for a book, let's follow undrafted rookie free agents through training camp showing the emotional highs and lows of who makes the team. Since his favorite team is the New Orleans Saints, the story starts in a small humidity oppressed Louisiana town that is the sight of training camp. Woody does a great job getting to know the players and attempting to know management and how decisions are made. It's clear very early that the NFL and the Saints don't know what to make of this book and seem to have some concern that it will be a hatchet job.

But Woody writes like a true Saints fan who wants to know the players and what it's like to try to make a team. The deck is really stacked against these guys as they must beat out returning players and drafted rookies. Woody gives great examples of the many undrafted free agents who went on to become quality NFL players. But this year's group doesn't appear to have an immediate star and some of the players start dropping immediately. Some of the rookies have great practices followed by weak practices. Some have minor injuries that limit their already limited playing time. And some are trying to fill positions where there are no real spots.

It makes for an interesting read from the early cuts to the few that make it right to the final cut. Woody does a good job of showing the fears, insecurities and sacrifices these players make trying to fulfill their dream. Read this book if you are a fan of football.

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The One Year Bible NLT (New Living Translation)
Published in Paperback by Tyndale House Publishers (1996-07-05)
Author:
List price: $18.99
New price: $15.00
Used price: $0.53
Collectible price: $18.99

Average review score:

One Year Living Bible
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-06
I've been reading the One Year Living Bible for several years. I love it and enjoy the easy reading of the Living Translation. Reading a passage from the Old and New Testament, as well as Psalms and Proverbs helps me to see the unity of God's Word. I couldn't get along without my daily dose of God's precious Word. Try it, you'll love it!!!

Good Bible For Complete Reading
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-13
I had read the entire Bible three times using the One Year Bible. I got bored with my Bible studies for awhile and so I did these daily 15-30 minute readings to keep myself spritually nourished. I have also listened to the NIV Bible on Casette from cover to cover five times one year because I had read a book by Phiilip Yancey that had advocated trying to read the entire Bible to gain an insight into your problems. I alternated versions in my daily reading from year to year-NIV and NLT.
I would have liked the ONE YEAR BIBLE better if it had a traditional leather binding. It is convenient that the readings for the day are arranged in an easy to use format.

Must Read
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-19
The New Living Translation makes understanding the Bible much easier for today's readers. We all should be constantly reading the Bible and this makes it easy, my only problem is the print is smaller than I would prefer.

An easy way to read the Bible through without getting bogged down reading books that are "heavy" in geneology.

The best translation! I love it!
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-16
Forget the NIV translation with its clunky English. This is the one to get. The NLT version reads as easily and SMOOTHLY as a magazine article and is 100% accurate. You WILL understand this version. You may find yourself reading much more daily than you had planned to! Before I found this, I was using a 12 page (!) Bible reading plan chart, bookmarks, and index tabs to do my daily Bible reading. Now, all I do is flip open to today's date and there is a selection from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and a verse or two from Proverbs. You get a complete spiritual reading meal all on 4-5 pages. I bought two: one hardcover for home and one paperback version for my office in case I am stuck there late (I do my study after dinner). Get this.

Very Easy to read
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-17
I loved this format on this particular book. The days were easy to ready and understand and they matched the Old Testament to the New Testament. There were several days that I got wrapped up in the readings that I contunied going. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has tried to read the bible in a year or even sit and try to read it straight through and failed.

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Ordinary Resurrections
Published in Hardcover by Crown (2000-04)
Author: Jonathan Kozol
List price: $25.00
New price: $4.50
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

Anything but Ordinary
Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-06
This powerful work is at once inspiring, frustrating and captivating. Kozol draws the reader into a world called Mott Haven that is filled with substance, love, service and hope. He poignantly describes the lives of children while blasting the manner in which we have chosen to deal with our most needy sectors of society. Kozol's gifted and powerful storytelling reminds us of several truths:

1. Segregation is potentially a bigger problem today than ever. White flight, private schools, school choice, home-schooling, virtual schools and lack of equitable access to technology are widening the gap.
2. Inequities in education must be addressed with the underlying belief that every child has the potential to achieve his/her dreams. Society must be responsible and held accountable for creating conditions ensuring that this occurs.
3. Teachers and students must all be able to work and learn in optimum conditions that safeguard and ensure dignity.
4. Although children appear to be resilient, we must protect their innocence, ensure they have the chance to dream and be inspired by their eternal optimism and hope. The real heroes of today are those who spend time with our children, listening to and nurturing their dreams.
5. We spend too much on our prison system and must figure out a way to divert that funding to education and healthcare so we can be proactive rather than reactive.

Kozol manages to convey the realities of inner city education by illuminating the complexities behind the daily challenges facing teachers and parents. His manner of connecting the problems to the institutions and practices that society has created to deal with those who do not "fit the system" provides a wake-up call to all of us who are working to make a difference in the lives of children. Kozol shows us that the system we have created is nurturing itself instead of helping people to break out of the vicious cycle characterized by lack of quality education, health care, meaningful work opportunities and dignity. We can no longer ignore the problems in the inner cities of America, not just because it makes economic sense but because it makes human sense to individually develop our most precious resources - our children. Community leaders, parents, educators, and corporate leaders should put this compelling book on the top of their "must read" list.

Touching Portraits of Resilience
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-14
In Ordinary Resurrections, Jonathan Kozol deviates from his usual "gloves off" attack of the issues facing minority children. Instead of building the case against the inequitable system with facts and figures, as he has in previous work, he has chosen the subtle but effective approach of a storyteller. He paints a very descriptive portrait of the victims of continued segregation and racism that may inspire those in positions of influence to make more compassionate decisions regarding the lives of the children they serve.

Things that scream out to me from Kozol's book(s):

1) Incarceration vs. Education (do the math!)
The incarceration industry is thriving on blind public support. If taxpayers knew they were paying on the average ten to twenty times more to incarcerate supposed perpetrators of victimless crimes than it would cost to educate them, I'd bet they might even overlook their racist fears. The corporate/federal mentality that chooses to decide early on what these children will bring to the economy seems to prefer them as a product in this system versus potential contributors to something greater.

2) Resilience (despite our conditional "help")
In their innocent naiveté the children neglected by the system remain courageous, hopeful, and resilient. This resilience may diminish as they weather the inequities of the system that oppresses them, but it is often the attribute that enables them to succeed regardless of our preaching and teaching. Just imagine what heights they might reach if they continued to be nurtured as they are by the caring individuals in their lives now.

3) Compassion (essential)
As a beneficiary of white male privilege his reflections from the other side of the gap are poignant and insightful lessons for those of us too far removed from the reality that exists in many of our cities. Even after this racial inequity is acknowledged it is difficult for most of us to express empathy in ways that ring genuine. Kozol does! He is trusted and welcomed by the culture and community he strives to serve. His stories reflect a model for learning and practicing compassion which, in my opinion, may be the single most important factor in saving ourselves from extinction. Kozol repeatedly demonstrates the importance
of compassion in his work. Listen to him!

4) Racism, segregation, inequality (market view politics)
Racism is institutionalized in the United States despite the hope segregation was ending that the civil rights movements of the sixties inspired. "Kids notice that no politicians talk about this. They hear the politicians saying, "We're gonna have tougher standards in your separate-but-not-equal schools. We're gonna raise the bar of academic discipline in your separate-but-not-equal schools." But nobody says we're going to make them less separate and more equal. Nobody says that." - Kozol interview in Education World

5) Toxic environments (no one to litigate)
AIDS, asthma, drugs, violence, toxic pollution, poverty, malnutrition, lack of medical attention, apartheid economics, and neglect are common elements in the environment Kozol's children try to survive in. Basic needs must be satisfied before we can expect children to be receptive to that which we would have them learn. Kozol is issuing a wake-up call to the complacent masses that are either unaware or in denial that this situation is serious and threatens all of us socially, emotionally, and economically.

In my opinion, implications for educators that may be gleaned from Kozol's book include:
* The extreme importance of compassion in all aspects of dealing with children.
* Recognition that before we talk about diversity we need to spend a lot more
time in the conversation about racism.
* Locking people up is not rehabilitation and in the long run is socially,
emotionally, spiritually, and economically disastrous. Break the cycle of incarceration!

Poignant, powerful, important
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-08
Ordinary Resurrections is one of the most important books I've ever read and one of the most poignantly beautiful. It is an absolute must read for everyone who cares about children, the wide disparity in economic opportunity in the U.S., and who dares to hope for our future. Kozol movingly brings to life in his first-hand descriptive account the lives and conditions in their own words of children and their families who have been deliberately neglected, ignored, hidden away. This true story of their hope, strength, resilience, and beauty testifies to the dominance of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable abuse by government at every level and all systems that have failed them.

In the Children's Words
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-08-17
Jonathan Kozal has taken away the protective myth that America's school children are all treated equally, with dignity and given unvarying opportunities. In his latest book, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS, Kozal's readers get a glimpse into a reality that replaces equal value with present day segregation to children of the poor. Although many in power would like to ignore the disgrace of how our underprivileged students are educationally treated in areas such as Mott Haven, New York, Kozal's first hand account of such inequality calls for a recognition and reformation of America's priorities. Told in the children's words, this book contributes awareness to the desperate need for compassion to and knowledge of the struggles of many American youth. The facts are both shocking and compelling, and will challenge the values one holds to necessitate action on our children's behalf. As Kozal states, the reality is that "...there are few areas in which the value we attribute to a child's life may be so clearly measured as in the decisions that we make about the money we believe it's worth investing in the education of one person's child as opposed to that of someone else's child." Once read, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS destroys the bliss of ignorance. One is faced with the decision to powerfully act or despairingly ignore.

a must read for all americans
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-26
kozol is my hero. i am a teacher in washington, dc. i see the same things kozol sees, i feel the same way he feels and i am continually frustrated by those who don't. it is impossible to listen to the news and read the papers and get a clear picture of the inequalities in urban education. these kids are every bit as dynamic as kids in the suburbs, and i might even argue that they are more dynamic because they are forced to rise above their problems again and again. i challenge others to forget what the politicians say, forget what the media says, become a teacher or a volunteer in the inner city and meet these special kids. don't let this book just be one that sits on your shelf. use it to motivate you to help make a difference.

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Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors
Published in Hardcover by Chapters Pub Ltd (1996-10)
Author: Joseph A. Citro
List price: $19.95
New price: $18.30
Used price: $1.93
Collectible price: $22.50

Average review score:

Ghosties, ghoulies, and a mystery or two
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-11
From the title of this book, I was expecting mostly ghost stories. However, this book is unique in its genre, and I was very pleasantly surprised! Although this book is mostly legend and lore, of which I am not usually a fan, this author's ability as a raconteur quickly overcomes the boundaries of time. These tales are superbly told by a master at his game. Joseph Citro, in his own words, claims to be an "anthologizer." That is exactly what he does here, and he does it well.

The author's ability to narrate a captivating tale is the epitome of the classic New England story-teller, wry humor included. His prose breathes invigorating life into these stories, most of which are "off the beaten path." He will at times make you shiver, and at other times scratch your head. Gathered for your inspection are some of the most creepy, bizarre, and, in some cases, well-documented strange happenings from across the region. Joseph Citro has set himself apart as a top-notch investigator of odd history and unsolved mysteries. I am especially a fan of the stories about the sightings of the "Yankee Bigfoot." There were some pages I couldn't turn fast enough.

This collection peeks into lots of New England's nooks and crannies, and should be included in any ghost story, folklore, or mystery-filled library. These strange tales are engrossing, well varied, and unique. I would love to sit down with the author over a roaring campfire, late at night, with only the forest winds howling . . .

will scare the bejesus out of you, but you won't be able to put it down. tales so wierd they have to be true.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-16
Another collection of the incredibly bizarre and truly creepifying true tales of New England from Joe Citro. Not only are these tales so weird, so full of the Yankee spirit, so very scary, but Citro imbues them with the clever, dry-wit of the twinkle-eyed New England storyteller. This book was fantastic. Part of it might be that these places are very familiar to me and it isn't hard to imagine these weird, magical, creepy things occurring in the depths of old New England. Also, these tales are so absolutely bizarre that not even New England's best storytellers (from Nathaniel Hawthorne to Steven King) could have imagined them. I couldn't put this book down, and yet, I couldn't read it at night. Wonderful, scary, and fascinating collection. Grade: A+

true tales of new england hauntings and horrors
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-25
the book was interesting,not the type of book to read on a cold
dark rainy night.some of the tales were dated,but still of interest to me since i have lived in new england all my life

Thoughts You've Never Thunk Before
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-14
What you'll love about this book is that Citro spins a good yarn. His storytelling style reads well, and your eyes effotlessly flow over the words. As for whether these stories are true, he includes some fantastically compelling reasons why they could possible be more than simple legend or folklore. Documentation, methodical investigations by qualified skeptics, law enforcement sightings, journalists, and witness-upon-witnesses, all shared in a non-overbearing fashion. He's not trying to prove anything, he's just tickling our thoughts -- and it works!

The stories themselves are either interesting, quirky, terrifying (or all of the above), and all of them -- I mean all of them -- are utterly unique. Just stuff you couldn't have made up on your own even if you were using hallucinogens!

If you're a skeptic it will challenge you. If you're a person of faith it will make you rethink your pre-assumed theologies. But ultimately this book succeeds because at its heart they're just well-told stories that will chill you to the bone and make you think at the same time.

Scary!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-19
A great, scary read. I had read none of these stories before and enjoyed every one of them. Very well written and quite entertaining. Read this alone on a stormy autumn night! Guaranteed to give you chills.

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Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand
Published in Hardcover by Times Books (2006-07-25)
Author: James Barron
List price: $24.00
New price: $8.95
Used price: $0.23
Collectible price: $24.00

Average review score:

Piano History At Your Finger Tips-Play A Steinway!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-03
Steinway pianos are my favorite. Being that I am a professional country/blues pianist, if I can't play a Steinway, I would rather not play! James Barron wrote an historical account of the making of a Steinway. The piano is still made the way they started since the 1800's. No assembly line, no plastic parts, and no artificial wood. They are constructed by hand and skilled craftsmanship.

Why buy a $400.00 piano made in China? That is an insult not only to beginning and professional pianists, but an insult to the piano itself. In 2000, the piano celebrated it's 300th anniversary. Piano is the most famous house hold instrument.

This book is enjoyable, and educational even to those who do not play, but love to hear the glorious 88 keys hitting the strings. The harpsichord was a for runner of the piano. The difference was, you may beat the keys as hard as you can, but you still only received one level of sound. Strings were plucked, and the piano was made for the hammers to hit the strings. The harder you played, the louder a piano sounded. The piano changed the history of the world. I think two of the greatest pianist is Floyd Cramer, and Roger Williams.

Steinway takes you deep into the heart of their factory, and shows you how a piano is meant to be built and played. The history is fascinating.

K-0862 my NEW friend
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-22
K-0862 became a living...feeling...emotional entity by the end of this book........A very very original idea (to breath life into this piano) and well written. Actually EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN book...My NEW favorite among all books...right up there with OVER THE EDGE OF THE WORLD......... The two most enjoyable....... educational........ books I have ever read!!!!!! KUDOS!!!!!!! I hated when i got to the end of this one!!!!!!

A Captivating "Biography"
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-24
I took my copy of "Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand" to the beach with me. I read it in 4 days! Mr. Barron infuses a wealth of information into a wonderful story about this piano,and oh so much more. Before you know it K-0862 is a character you care about. I cannot imagine anyone not finding something to love about this book!!! Masterfully written!

A Very Nice Book for What it Is
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-18
The writing style is very engaging and readable. It is more about the people who build the pianos and the history of Steinway than it is about building a piano, but still a nice read.

After reading this you might be interested in: The Violin Maker: Finding a Centuries-Old Tradition in a Brooklyn Workshop by John Marchese, and then perhaps Guitar: An American Life by Tim Brookes (these two books a longer and more detailed then Piano but are similarly styled).

Story of a Steinway Concert Grand Piano
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-12
Excellently and diligently written, this little book tells the story of one Steinway concert grand piano from conception to adolescence. Barron loves the piano, respects the Company, and is dilgent in showing the evolution of Steinway, as well as the creation of one, new opus - a 9 foot concert piano. Barron introduces us to the barons of Steinway and the individual craftsmen who hand make these excellent instruments. To me, the quality and individual character of each Steinway piano are no longer a mystery.

Each time I play my own small grand piano (a quality A B Chase, close replica of the Steinway model S), I think of the efforts that went into it. Unlike Yamahas and such, the Steinway is an almost hand-built piano from a Company which has never relented in its determination to produce the best.

The book also explains why age is not all that becoming in the tonal life of a piano. The instrument has a birth, a development, and an aging process which are measured in tonal character progress, not just years. The aged Steiway seems a time integral of all that has come before - including hundred year old designs and techniques, and all the way up to its last tuning.

If you think a piano is a piano, is a piano, Barron's book will change your outlook.

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Prep (Junior Library Guild Selection)
Published in Hardcover by Dutton Juvenile (2003-09-15)
Author: Jake Coburn
List price: $15.99
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Average review score:

Great book to learn something
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-21
This book showed me that changing is not always easy. Nick is a great character and i love that he's trying to leave his past and start a new life and especially with the girl he loves, Kris. And i was so happy wen he finally told her that he loved her and all. It gave me the point of view of a guy in love. I rarely read books like this one. Plus the title made me want to read it too by the way. So its a cool book and everyone will like it just like i do. I recommend others to read it cuz its a great book and ull love nick and rute for him.

Masterpeice
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-15
This book is great for ppl of all ages. It gives you a look at what's underneath the preppy private-school world. It takes you to a place of parties, drugs, casual, sex, and gangs. Nick is trying to change his old habbits after a bad accident with one of his friends. Yet still in this crazy world he manages to fall for his best friend. And when her brother becomes a gang target he finds himself in the middle of it all. Jake Coburn creates a world full of lies, drama, danger, and suspense. Although it was short, it is a book that will leave you in thought. It Makes you think about the lives of the privileged while also creating a dramatic Manhatten theme.

Prep
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-11-23
This book is about a boy named Nick who was part of a former prep-school gang. Nick and his friend have every advantage: expensive clothes and beautiful apartments. But underneath the private-school education lies the chiling gang world filled with drinking, heavy drugs, and graffiti. Nick tries to put his past beind him and pay more attention to his best friend Kris whom he is secretly in love with. But when Kris's younger brother becomes a gang target, Nick decides to help him even if he had to risk his own life.

I really like this book because it really happens in life and the author witnessed New York's teenagers form some of the most vicious gangs in Manhattan. This book has some very vivid fights and it shows what goes on in a gang and i thougth that was kind of interesting.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes realistic-fiction, some action, likes to know what really goes on in gangs and how gangs are started. If you decide to read it. I hope you like it.

This book is basically telling you that if you start getting in trouble there is alwasy someone out there that pulls you back on you feet. I guess their sort of like your guardian angel and that was what Kris was portyrayed as.

Real teen drama
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-02
As a former prep-school kid myself I was compelled to read Coburn's novel to see if it lived up to the truth about the secret (or not so secret) lives of New York city teens--and it did. This book kept me reading, and reading until I was disappointed to have reached the end. I would recommend it too both teens and not teens anymore.

Harsh but Great
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-09
Now I don't know the prep school scene so I can't tell you if this portrayal is acurate but the story seemed very real. It was harsh, it didn't apologize, but it was honest. I especially liked the kid brother and his ideas of conforming (I'm into that stuff, give me an intelligent idealist and I'll give your book 5 stars). Jake was another character I liked, the girl annoyed me but it was written by a guy, they all seem to write us off as distracting, sexual objects. Still a good book I recommend it.

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Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ
Published in Paperback by Kregel Publications (2007-08-31)
Authors: Robert Bowman and J. Ed Komoszewski
List price: $18.99
New price: $11.38
Used price: $11.45

Average review score:

Essential Reading on the New Testament Picture of Christ
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-18
I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the entire book, but after working through a few of the chapters, taking notes, etc., I can say with confidence that this book is essential reading for anyone interested in how the New Testament describes the person of Jesus.

The book provides a window into the thinking of the New Testament authors, in particular, as they draw on their Jewish background and their common understanding of God Almighty, and then apply that same understanding to Jesus of Nazareth. For example, in the Old Testament, in passages devoted to describing God's uniqueness (Isa 44:6-7ff), Creation is an act ascribed only to God (Isa 44:24); then, in the New Testament, we find Jesus engaged in Creation (e.g. John 1:3; Col 1:16-17). The book is extensive and detailed in terms of pointing out the various ways that the New Testament declares that Jesus is indeed divine, on the level of the Father. The evidence is overwhelming, and the conclusion can only be avoided by distancing oneself from Jewish belief and practice.

This book would make for a fine Sunday School series. The material is well-researched and footnoted, but is also presented within the framework of an easy-to-remember acrostic (H-A-N-D-S). It is also a nice complement to a shorter work by theologian Richard Bauckham - God Crucified : Monotheism and Christology in the New Testament. I would recommend reading Bauckham's book first, then following it with this one.

Ed Komoszewski and Robert Bowman should be congratulated on their fine work. Christians should keep an eye out for both authors. Bowman is prolific, and relevant to the topic of this book, has written some excellent books discussing the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses (who deny the full deity of Jesus), e.g. Why You Should Believe in the Trinity: An Answer to Jehovah's Witnesses. Komoszewski is the director of Christus Nexus, an organization of scholars devoted to educating the church in a time when the Scriptures and the person of Christ are constantly under attack. Don't miss his Reinventing Jesus.

A Masterful Treatment of the Master
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-08
Putting Jesus In His Place (PJIHP) is perhaps the most accessible book on Christology to come along since Raymond Brown's "An Introduction to New Testament Christology" -- but this is more than a mere introduction. J. Ed Komoszewski and Robert Bowman, Jr. introduce the interested layperson to Jesus but then bring us into an intimate relationship with him through what the New Testament and current scholarship have to say about him.

The authors have developed the acronym H.A.N.D.S. in order to help the reader memorize the various themes discussed in this book which show forth the deity of Christ. As a student in general, I appreciate any pedagogical tool that will help me to retain useful information, but as a Charismatic-Pentecostal in particular (the Trinitarian kind) I very much appreciate this specific acronym. As a Charismatic, I am accustomed to lifting my hands in worship and adoration of the Lord Jesus. I'm also accustomed to clapping and waving my hands in praise of him. I take the New Testament at its word when it speaks of laying hands on the sick and praying the prayer of faith, so as you can see, HANDS are an integral part of my faith. So when the authors set forth this acronym as a way to instill the Biblical teaching of Christ's deity, it really hit home!

As other reviewers have noted, the H.A.N.D.S. acronym stands for:

Honors
Attributes
Names
Deeds
Seat

Jesus shares all of these things with the Father and the way in which Komoszewski and Bowman go about proving this is nothing short of remarkable. Both authors are extremely gifted writers who for quite some time have been producing top quality material for a lay-audience. They examine not only the major passages of Scripture that many of us are familiar with with regard to this debate, but they also bring to our attention some more obscure passages. We've all seen countless apologists cite John 1:1 or Titus 2:13 in defense of the deity of Christ, but when was the last time you saw someone draw attention to Luke 8:39 (p. 204)? When was the last time you took into account the vast Old Testament material that speaks of Yahweh and the way it is appropriated and applied to Jesus in the New Testament? Think about it... Exactly... It's been a while, maybe even never. It would be impossible to say that no stone was left unturned, but in reading this volume one gets the sense that if there are some stones that haven't been looked under, they're few and far between.

This is a book that needs to be in the hands of every Bible Study teacher, every Pastor, every counter-cult Apologist, and every person interested in theological and biblical studies. Why?, you ask. Because there's not a book on the market that is so easily accessible which dialogues with the best of current scholarship (names like Larry Hurtado, Richard Bauckham, James Dunn, R.T. France, etc.), interacts with the best of current arguments against the deity of Christ (names like Greg Stafford, Jason BeDuhn, etc.), and which takes into account the various points of study that these men have chosen to focus on. Sure, you can find a book that deals with one or two of these themes, but you won't find anything that deals with all of them, and even if you did, it wouldn't be as readable as this!

It's also worth noting that the book is lined with helpful charts that will aid in your memorization. There's detailed endnotes for anyone who wants to dig deeper than the text itself (and trust me, that deep all on its own!). A Scripture index is included and my favorite extra, a recommended reading list. This list reads like the top shelf of my main bookcase, so I can attest to how good it really is.

There's simply not enough positive things to say about this book, but I will say this... There are going to be people who read this book and take exception to it. They'll give it bad reviews and chide about how the authors haven't made their case or have misrepresented x or y. So this is what I say... Get your own copy and find out for yourself. It's that simple and at the price Amazon has it for, you can't afford not to get it!

If you'd like to read my full multi-part review of Putting Jesus in His Place then you can visit the following site:

[...]

B"H

An Accessible Resource on the Diety of Christ
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07
Is Jesus Christ God? Did he claim to be God or was this a fiction manufactured after his death? What circumstantial evidence is there that Jesus and his followers believed he was God or that even his opponents believed that Jesus claimed to be God?

"Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ" is a new book by Robert Bowman and Edward Komoszewski. It is published by Kregel under an academic and professional label but I found the writing style to be very accessible. The authors write, "Our aim is to provide a comprehensive case from the New Testament for the deity of Christ," and they don't disappoint in their efforts.

Bowman and Komoszewski use the acronym "HANDS" to organize the material:

Jesus shares the honor due to God.
Jesus shares the attributes of God.
Jesus shares the names of God.
Jesus shares the deeds that God does.
Jesus shares the seat of God's throne.

As they work through these themes they frequently engage critics of Jesus divinity including everything from the Jesus Seminar types to the Jehovah's Witnesses. In the concluding chapter they write:

********

One of the most basic methods of journalism is to ask the "wh" questions: who, what, when, where, and why? (Sometimes a sixth question, "how?" is also asked.) We can apply these five question to the matter of the deity of Christ (arranged in a different order.)

1. Why? This question asks for the significance of the person to others.
2. When? This question asks for the time when the person was present and involved.
3. Who? This question ask for a person's name.
4. What? This question asks for an account of the person's activity.
5. Where? This question asks for the place where the person lives or was active.

You can see that these five questions correspond (perhaps a bit roughly) to the five lines of evidence for the deity of Christ discussed in this book. The honors that Jesus shares with God are the answer to the question of why knowing Jesus is God is significant. Perhaps the most basic of all Christ's divine attributes is that he existed when creation began and in fact is eternal. The names that Jesus shares with God, of course, tell us who he is. The deeds that Jesus does with God tell us what Jesus has done. Finally, that Jesus shares the seat of God's throne tells us where Jesus is.

That these five investigative questions correspond to the five categories of evidence for Christ's deity is not accidental. The information gathered from these five questions provides a complete picture of the facts pertaining to the identity of the person in question. (274-275)

********

Throughout the book there are helpful charts to highlight key points. At the end of the book is an appendix organized by each of the five themes with tables that summarize the evidence.

Apart from the apologetic applications of the book, there is helpful commentary on numerous difficult and controversial passages in the Bible. And as you might expect from an academic book, about one fifth of the contents is end notes. I suspect this book will be residing on my reference shelf for some time to come.

Jesus put rightfully in his place
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-19
I am pleased with Robert Bowman and J. Ed Komoszewski's treatment on the deity of Jesus. I have read a number of books on the person of Jesus, but I have never read one as chock-full of biblical documentation as this. Of course, none of the information in this book will come as a surprise to the committed Christian, as the deity of Christ is the cornerstone of our faith. But when one considers ALL the evidence compiled in this book, it baffles me how the Jehovah's Witness (and those belonging to other faiths that claim to uphold biblical authority) can say this was a doctrine made up by Constantine and Co. in the 4th century. Jesus is not just "a god," He's not an angel, He not the spirit brother of Lucifer. No, this is the God-man, Immanuel, and how fortunate we are that He dwelt among us. All of this is there for anyone to see. I love the acronym "HANDS" and the many resources we've been given, including the appendix A that includes many dozens of verses to support the claims made in this book. One final note: Because this book is very thorough, it is not easy to skim through and get full benefit. I suggest you go slowly, absorb the many verses found within its pages, and remind yourself how Jesus is both Lord and God forevermore!

If you only buy one book on the deity of Christ, this is it
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-17
This is the best single volume available on the deity of Christ for a popular audience. The thesis is that the deity of Christ is not dependent on a few proof-texts but is comprehensively taught explicitly and implicitly throughout the New Testament. The authors helpfully divide the evidence into 5 lines, and they thoroughly support each line of evidence with biblical quotes and expert commentary. Of special value is the effort to show how all of evidence interconnects. In the case of certain texts that can be read more than one way, the comprehensive evidence shows without doubt what the biblical authors meant to say: Jesus of Nazareth is fully God and fully man.

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Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England
Published in Hardcover by Countryman Press (1997-04)
Author: Tom Wessels
List price: $24.95
New price: $63.82
Used price: $10.25

Average review score:

seeing the unseen
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-02
I thought I knew the woods. "Reading the Forested Landscape" allows you to see what is in front of you, but not seen. I will never look at a woods in the same way again. Tom Wessels does a masterful job of showing you how to "read" the landscape. The book is a "detective novel" of information. I will read it again and visit the woodlands and do a bit of detective work. Great fun.

Reading the Forested landscape...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-10
...makes more sense after reading this book. The chapters give an introductory look at what you see when you walk through a forest and what it means to the ecosystem and to you if you're just curious or you are in wildlife management.

The woods are lovely...
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-09
Before I read this book, I knew the woods had stories to tell; now, I can begin to understand them. This book is a forensic reference demystifying the clues the forest has to reveal. Each chapter describes, in depth, a particular setting and the clues found there. The drawings, unfortunately, are not as good or helpful as the writing. I would have preferred photographs, but it's only a small drawback.

Read this book and then Read the Landscape!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-06
See that tree? - that stone wall? - How about that mound of earth in the woods? Never noticed them before? Well this book will help you to discover all kinds of 'hidden' clues that help us to understand how the land was used in the past and what forces helped to make it the way it is today.

This is a wonderful book to read and then put into practice as you ramble around the wonderful landscapes of New England.

reading the forested landscape
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-26
I have grown up in new england and studied the biological sciences for 20 years and Tom Wessel knowledge and wonderful insight to the natural world is amazing. the book is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the outdoors and natures beauty.


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