United States Books

Best book ever. No, really. Such a lifesaver. The wedding process has not been a smooth one for me, and I was really at my wits' end until I got this book. I'm still fighting the good fight, though, and Ariel kind of made it possible. It's really hard, in our culture, to plan a wedding and be a feminist-- even a mild-mannered one. I have ammunition, and a renewed sense of humor about the event. It helps you feel better about wanting what you want and draws a HUGE line between bridezilla behavior and merely wanting to be a project manager-- I'm definitely the latter... though I'm not sure my mother (who wants me to have a traditional ceremony) woud agree... BUY THIS BOOK. Even if you're going traditional, BUY IT ANYWAY.

This book is more for getting fired up about planning a wedding that feels real to you and your spouse-to-be than it is step-by-step instructional.

I've never laughed out loud at a wedding book, and I laughed so often while reading this I startled my fiance. It's full of anecdotes from other brides and Stallings recounts her own wedding procession, from non-proposal to post-wedding emotions.

While she didn't have finger-wagging naysayers shooting down her indie visions, other brides in her book did, and give you suggestions and advice on dealing with the people who love you who think they should be running your wedding.

If you are looking to get married and have a meaningful celebration with family and friends, this book opens up the possibilities. And it's not too indie-snobbish, either. As Stallings says on her fantastic web site http://offbeatbride.com, "Your wedding is not a contest...I don't think your wedding needs to be more offbeat. It just needs to be honest and authentic, and if what you want is a white dress and a more traditional ceremony, I think that's f*****g awesome."

What a great book for for alternative weddings- Helped me plan a awesome wedding for a friend- Great book, loved it!

I'm an American living in Japan, and though I have friends here, it has been difficult to find someone to discuss the ins and outs and minute details of my wedding with. It is so easy to lose yourself in all the wedding glitz and without my close friends here to act as mirrors, I felt myself slipping, forgetting who I am and what the real me would want for my wedding.

Then I ordered this book.

It instantly snapped me back to the reality of who I am and what I want. It gave me great ideas, inspired my creativity and most of all, it supported my offbeat-ness in a land that has only pretty recently considered western style weddings to be on-beat (making them THE thing to do).

I know it sounds cheeseball, but seriously, this book is like having a good friend that I can tote around in my bag, when all of my good friends are across the planet.

This book is a breath of fresh air...so many wedding planning books focus on ONE type of wedding. The traditional, white wedding, and nothing else. This is a modern take on planning that provides some great advice for the creative bride who feels stifled by this and wants more options. Best of all, reading this makes wedding planning FUN, which is a small miracle!

This is one of the best book I've ever read. It contains lots of tips and strategies that help your master the SAT. It also points out some quandaries that some people usually got stuck in the SAT and provides the solutions. Because this book focus mainly on strategies and tips, you may need to buy other SAT prep book to practice yourself.

When I began teaching SAT courses I couldn't answer all the multiple choices for the reading or math questions myself so I read 13 books on the SAT to see if I could understand why the right answers were right so I could help my students (and keep from being embarrassed from not being able to answer their questions). After reading his book and doing the exercises I finally understood the basic principles and I was able to teach them to my students. I understood how the math questions were constructed and the best strategies for maximizing a student's score. I understood how the Critical Reading questions were set up and I taught this to my students and the results were amazing! This is definitely the best book on the SAT.

This book is by far the best I have seen. Adam Robinson knows what he is talking about- if you are going buy only one book, no doubt it is this.

Adam Robinson's book is by far the best review book out on the market. If you are honest to yourself and sit down, read the book, and heed his advice, I GUARANTEE you your score will go up (even if you are already at the upper end of the spectrum). I took the new test once after reading the book cover to cover and my score shot up (compared to the old test) by two hundred points to the 2300s. You may cringe at the idea of using a formula for writing an essay, but follow it, and you'll do well. You may be taking multivariable calculus, but if you read what he has to say, your score will improve. Please, don't waste your money on tutors or review sessions; buy this book and the College Board's book of ten practice tests. This book is truly for anyone and everyone, no matter where you stand or how well you've done on previous tests.

I have tried everything--$1000 SAT prep classes (no help, they are only for students who have no idea what the SAT is), doing constant practice from the Official Study guide by College Board (kind of helped but there aren't any explanations for the answers!), funny vocabulary books to help memorize vocab, etc.

None of those really worked.

Until I stumbled upon RocketReview. Everything in this book was SO USEFUL and fun to read too (it reads like a story that the author is narrating, not a boring textbook), with practice problems along the way, crucial tips, and an interactive CD.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK...if you are skeptical, just look for it at the library or something and read a chapter. The study tips are strange at first, but once you read his explanations into why they work--BAM. You understand how to not only take a test, but do math problems the easy way without all those complex calculations, save A LOT OF TIME on those long boring reading passages, etc.

I spent about 8 months trying to raise my SAT and took many practice tests. I had reached a plateau at around 2050-2070, and my parents were disappointed. I googled SAT prep books and bought this book and in just a month of studying over the summer (just reading the book, about an hour each day and doing everything it told me too--not very difficult), I raised my SAT score which I took in October by ***100 points*** which puts me in the range of all the colleges I am applying to as a senior now (Ivy Leage-level, etc). Before, I thought the Critical Reading section was IMPOSSIBLE. After reading this book, I found it to be really straightforward, pretty easy, and sometimes fun.

Get this book--it is a MIRACLE worker

This book is one of Nader's finest published works. It chronicles his life, and how he was raised. He takes the lessons learned as a kid growing up and puts them into seventeen specific traditions that are very easy to read.

The rare and valuable part of this book is that it's one of the only times you can find Ralph Nader willing to talk about his life rather than about politics. There isn't much, if any, political discussion in this book other than a few instances of how his family used politics to bring home values.

I highly recommend this book to all of my friends and family. He touches you with stories of how his parents immigrated from Lebanon and the lessons passed on to him and his siblings. The book will give you an appreciation for spending time with family, and does so in a way that is easy to read and enjoy.

I've long admired Ralph Nader and have enjoyed some of his
other books . . . so when a friend recommended that I read his
latest, THE SEVENTEEN TRADITIONS, I made it a point to get a copy.

My only problem came afterwards; I couldn't put it down . . . so
some other projects had to be aside as I read about Nader's
boyhood in a small town in Connecticut, and how that existence
and the role of his parents affected the rest of his life.

As he notes:
* I am often asked what forces shaped me. Rather than trying
to give a full answer to that question-which would take
longer than a limited interview would allow-I often reply
simply, "I had a lucky choice of parents." My brother, two
sisters, and I had a remarkable father and mother, who
cared for us in both direct and subtle ways. The examples
of their lives set us on the solid paths we have explored
ever since.

As I was reading it, I kept thinking of how my parents were
similar in so many ways . . . in particular, this passage
could almost have been written about them as well:

* Mother and Father each lived to be just short of a century
old; we benefited from their seasoned perspectives and
wisdom for many, many years. They were forever young,
exemplifying my mother's strong belief in the importance
of remaining "interested and interesting." And they succeeded
in doing this throughout their lives, attracting ever-younger
friends to visit, whether we children were home or not. They
created the strong family base from which my siblings and
I sallied forth into the wider world, full of new experiences
and high expectations.

In sharing the lessons he learned from his parents, Nader
also gave this advice that should be heeded by anybody raising
children today:

* Perhaps it was my father who best captured their attitude. Once,
when I told him that I'd done my best at something, he leaned
over quietly and looked at me. "Son, never say you did your
best, because then you'll never try to do better."

As the holiday season approaches, methinks that THE SEVENTEEN
TRADITIONS would make a perfect gift for anybody wanting to
read about life back when his or her parents were younger . . . and
how much of what took place then could still be put into effect now.

This book offers greatly needed insight for a nation filled with antidotes, from fast-paced labeling of psychological disorders to quick fix prescription drugs and self-help book remedies. Ralph Nader takes the reader back to a slower paced society--a world enveloped by the wisdom of his parents. Chapter by chapter, Nader shares pithy, memorable maxims such as, "Jokes are to words as salt is to food" (81), along with other valuable scenarios which serve as life-enriching lessons. For a sampling of the earnest adult figure many of us may have missed while growing up, Nader's book is analogous in resource value (on a smaller scale) to The Discourses of Epictetus.

A short book that reflects on society, democracy, and the peace
of a good life.

For the money, it was not much of a book. For the talent accepted for the author, it was not much of a book. Simple platitudes which are mostly captured in the first chapter, and the rest of the book just re-hashes that theme: My parents were great, I am great, why don't you do likewise! Of course it is too late to change parents, but it does give some good foundation thinking for people just starting out to raise a family, and who are looking for some parenting skills.

I have been interested in the Titanic story most of my life, and this still taught me things I did not know about it. The illustrations are beautifully done.

"Titanic An Illustrated History" is an excellent title for anyone who wants to know more about the Titanic from building the ship to the investigations into the sinking.

The book is around 225 pages, has numerous photographs and colorful illustrations, and contains around 12 chapters and focuses on the following main areas:

1. Inception and building the ship.
2. The maiden voyage and details of the sinking.
3. Evacuating the boat.
4. Rescue efforts and memorial services.
5. Investigations into the sinking.
6. Discovery the Titanic on the ocean floor several years later.
7. Some of the Titanic artifacts found during the discovery.

The narrative was smooth throughout the book and was very enjoyable to read. The book also served to dispel myths presented in the latest Titanic movie from Hollywood (1997?) that starred Leonard DiCaprio and others. In particular, while people of different social classes were pitted against one another in the struggle for survival in the movie, the book was full of examples of people who willingly sacrificed their lives so that others may live. While the movie was okay, Hollywood did seem to twist some of the facts. Thankfully, the book was more accurate.

Read and enjoy this great account of an unfortunate episode in maritime history. Recommended.

This book is great! The art work by Ken Marschall can't be topped! What can be said about the history within those pages?!

OKAY NOW I AM 24 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN TITANIC SINCE I WAS 14. SO A GOOD 10 YEARS. I READ THIS BOOK FOR MY SENIOR PROJECT IN 1999, MY PARENTS AND FRIENDS WEREN'T SUPRISED. THIS ONE BOOK WAS THE ONE THAT HELPED ME THE MOST. THE DETAILS WERE EXCELLENT, AND I LOVE READING IT. I CHECKED OUT OF THE LIBRARY ABOUT 30 TIMES THAT YEAR. THERE'S ONE MORE BOOK THAT IF YOU CAN FIND IT ITS GOOD READING TOO, I FORGET THE TITLE IT HAD REPRODUCTIONS OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES OF THE TIME (1912)AND THATS ALL IT HAD.

This is my favorite Titanic book. It includes everything to a dinner with Bruce Ismay discussing his idea of 3 olympic class ships, to try and try to beat out the Cunard Line to how it affects us now. The pictures are amazing and leave me in awe, everytime I look at them. This book is on the top self, in room, and am very proud to say, this is my alltime favorite book.

I am an occupational therapist that works in the school system and this book has
GREAT ideas from the beginning of the book to the end. It's a "Must have"
book for anyone who works with kids with autism. Great ideas!!! Mariann

I absolutely love this book! The ideas in this book are clear and concise. There is no technical jargon. Everything is in laymen's terms. No unnecessary wordage throughout the book It's exactly what it says it is. Strictly ideas, laid out in an easy to read format.

This book is a must have for a person who has someone anywhere on the spectrum. Not only will this book stay on my bookshelf for a long time, I bought copies for my family members.

This is a must read for anyone working with or parenting an Autistic child. Full of useful ideas.

Full of practical information. A must have. Another book I've found helpful is He's Not Autistic But...: How We Pulled Our Son From the Mouth of the Abyss

This book has some wonderful suggestions for teachers and parents of children on all levels of the autism spectrum. Rather than focusing on high- or low-functioning children, all levels are considered. All kids on the spectrum are accounted for-not just autism. Parents of children with PDD-NOS and Asperger Syndrome can find good tips, too.

Some ideas seem obvious and sound like they'd be great for any child, other ideas aren't so obvious. But almost every idea is simple and can be quickly integrated into raising a child. One suggestion is to make an edible play dough (for which she gives two recipes), for the kid who can't stop putting things in their mouths.

For our family, the best suggestion was one that, like many others, I read and thought "How did I not think of this earlier?" They suggest telling the child how much water they are going to pour on his head at bathtime. I started doing this with my son. Immediatly, the fits stopped. He still hates it, but we don't have to end bathtime and give him 10 minutes to calm down afterwords now. Another good one-demonstrate everything you're going to do to a child beforehand. This worked for us when it was haircut time. It no longer sounds like we're torturing our son once a month!

This is a very valuable book to add to a parent or teacher's toolbox.

I love Scottish Fold Cats and of course had to read the adventures of Norton, a very intelligent cat! I anxiously awaited the final book about Norton's last days. Very touching but of course sad. Mr. Gethers is quite a nice author as I wrote to him and got a personal reply back. (As my Scottish Fold looks like Norton, I even sent Mr. Gethers a photo my my cat.)

The book itself is in excellent physical edition; only the end pages with library info have been removed.
I was overcome by the depth and intensity of the love shown for Norton by his friend Peter. Heartbreaking--but also heartwarming to read of such a strong bond between man and cat. Not sure if I could be so attentive to my adopted 14-year old cat if she were to encounter severe medical problems. Hats off and hugs to you, Peter.

A Hallmark card disguised as a book. If you like your cliches syrupy, I guess you might like this drivel.

I was given the first two Norton books as a gift. A Cat in Paris, and A Cat Abroad. What I discovered is the magic of Peter Gethers. My friends, these are more than just "cat books". Peter Gethers is an a gifted writer who writes about his interesting life, and the adventures Norton has with him. This book is the final Chapter of Norton stories. It's a heart-wrenching story of the final adventures of the friends we've known to love, whether abroad or home. Our rough around the edges Peter has no boundaries when it comes to sweet Norton. One thing that has always stuck with me is Gethers, a grown man, who would move over in bed so as not to disturb Norton sleeping on his pillow. It's painful to read, especially if you've read the others. But, Gethers brings us to Norton's end in peace. It's a great book for an animal lover, but Gether's adventures make this book a fit for anyone.

I think this book is just marvelous. I really enjoyed the previous 2 Norton books, but I think this one is the best of the 3.
The book tells of the great love a person can have for an animal. Your heart breaks along with Mr Gethers as Norton grows old and frail. You hope for a miracle, and you will be touched by the bravery of little Norton.
I confess to being teary-eyed by the end, and I felt the need to give my cat a big hug.

I read this book in one evening, flopped on my bed, and didn't want to leave this "world" til I had to...a "world" where diversity in power and responsibility is valued, one where people look to help others along, where women are respected as much as men, and where a vision of the future as a better day is sustaining in difficult times. It was absolutely an inspiration and a breath of fresh air. It is easy to become discouraged by so many things that don't really matter.

I particularly liked the way the author tells you about these amazing, incredible women with such a light touch, making them seem accessible. I'll read this again and refer to it often.

I usually read fiction, but I read this book because it was given to me for law school graduation. The independent stories complement each other so much and build on each other effectively enough that I found myself thinking it could have even been done as a novel. I didn't expect it to be as enjoyable of a read. I knew I would learn something from it, but I didn't expect to really like it as much as I do.

Please don't start reading this book with expectations of knowing each of these wonderful women's life details. It is an vague exploration of the paths that each woman's life took.

I have to say I was inspired to start a monthly bruncheon with local women leaders and young women. It starts next month and am very excited about what I got out of the book to make things happen in my own area.

This book leads you to make a difference in your community!

I found some mentors in this terrific book. I learned about the book when I was buying a couple videos and saw a cross-reference to this book, which was a great idea (to lead me to this book) because I had not heard about it. SO this book found me, and I'm glad it did. I can't imagine a woman not liking this book and taking away from it something that you can use. Very entertaining and upbeat. I don't consider myself to be a "feminist," but I wouldn't call this a feminism book--that sounds too political for what this is. The Counselors is stories from impressive people who just happen to be women who are the first or second person to do the job they do, what they have to say about it, what they wish they knew sooner, that sort of thing. If you think you might want to read it, I'd say give it a chance and read it. It won me over.

There's an old classic how-to book, "Think and Grow Rich," in which the author (a man) interviews a number of the leading industrialists of the day (all men), including Andrew Carnegie, for their advice in succeeding in business and growing rich. How fitting in this world where women have started to play a role as leading citizens to gather their advice on how to get to where they are. It's an old recipe, but it works.

The title should be a better match for the book's content. I bought the book expecting to read about the author's death experience only to find that topic touched on very briefly. Most of the time is devoted to lessons he learned as a result of that occurrence. He gives some very solid, practical advice about putting one's house in order before death. It is a great kindness to surviving family members. I also like the advice he gives on writing out goals in a prayerful way.

One common epiphany people going through such experiences usually share is a focus on doing things to please God. Building a name for one's self in this life or accumulating wealth lose their attraction. Another realization than comes about is the need to invest time in relationships.

Sjogren talks about filling his mind with positive motivational material. People tried to tempt him to have a bad attitude toward medical people whose negligence and lack of professionalism resulted in permanent negative consequences for him, but he refused to do so. An additional lesson he said he learned was to be a receiver. He notes, "Generous people are creative and energetic."

I can relate to a lot of this book. We don't always know why things happen, bad things that is, and god doesn't always take away the pain. I guess part of me wanted to see the opposite. I felt somewhat disappointed in the end, but also encouraged ,that this man marches on and now cherishes every moment of life.

Simply and directly written, Steve's experience is one that every busy or driven person should read. Steve does not dwell on how he died so much as how we should live, more fully and personally, slower and deeper.

This is an inside look into eternity, first hand. It helped me understand many facets of my own spiritual journey and experiences.

This is an excellant book about the meaning of life, and the encouragement to live a life to the fullest. I was not disappointed in the quality of the book; it's a fine read for those not already acquanted with "life after life" experiences. However, the title and Jacket suggest the book will be primarily about the dying and the immediate recovering experience. Instead, I found this book to be more of an evangelical inspiration book. If that's what the reader wants, this is a good one.

This guide gave our vacation itinerary a real boost. It has wonderful timeless images of places and people which simply exude calm, chill, beach culture latitude attitudes.

Photography is top notch and the information is partioned into sections so you can chew off each piece to explore at your leisure depending on how much time you've allowed for your vacation. Trailblazers do it good.

Lots of detailed info, good maps, great pics, best directions and extremely well laid out for picking out all the cool places everywhere on the island. We lucked out and got to see lava flowing down the mountain near the volcano. For driving directions and staying out of danger, it's full of dos and don'ts.

This was this best thing we took with us on our honeymoon. It's so well organized and we used it as a tool to plan our daily escapades. I highly recommend this book for travelers who haven't been before and are looking for ideas and advice from authors who tell it like it is.

Two years ago we took a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. Unfortunately we were in port too short a time and only went on a few packaged bus tours. We returned to the island we liked the best (the Big Island) last month and fortunately had the Trailblazer along as our prime guide. We hiked to and swam in the Blue Lagoon which is on the cover: the highpoint of our vacation.

In the back of the book are hotel and restaurant suggestions from which we made our reservations and were quite pleased. For accuracy and good practical advice it's right on target.

Great book, I bought it after having figured out which islands to visit using the book by the same authors, no worries Hawaii, which is a must buy if you don't know where to go and what you want to do. Following input from the first book we picked 1 day Honlolu, 5 days big Island and 9 days Kauai.
The big island trailblazer is unique in that the information on trailheads and how to find them is really really accurate, if you have to follow a dirt road for 2 miles and then stop next to a hidden bridge then that information is there. You rarely spend hours searching for stuff, the detail on where to look for something once you get to the end of the trail is less good, but that is because in the islands appear not to go in for signposts in a big way, so we were often looking at something and wondering whether or not this is it. Best ofs were generally good, didn't understand focus on Hilo, we went there on a Sunday and it felt like a run down sad little town, but maybe on a weekday there is a different vibe. The only negative is that restaurants mentioned a little more information on them to help you chose would help unless you like the sticky table-top ketchup bottle and drip coffee atmosphere and generic grub, this is fine if it is what you want, but you don't need a guidebook to discover such places, of course to be fair the book doesn't target the foodie population nevertheless a little more selectivity would help though or just a little more text on the restaurants. From personal experience if you are staying in Kapaa on Big Island try the restaurant Rapanui, a small hole in the wall joint run by a saturnine chef from New Zealand and his partner, its location is not attractive (in a mall when you enter Kapaa on the coastal road from the north on the left after the bend in the first mall), and it is BYOB but the food is really, really well cooked, from a European stand point, fresh, flavourful, beef melts in your mouth, rice/coconut nuttily satisfying, great, cooked but crunchy veggies, freshly made sauces, not a bottle or deep fryer in sight. Another great place to eat is Jays on the road towards southpoint, before the turn-off to Puuhoonuau (I forget the spelling) national park, two step snorkeling and the painted church from Kappaa, it is described in the guidebook, really spectacular and don't be put off by the appearance of the kitchen/living area. Oh and for sandwiches, a satisfying stop is Choicemart on the Highway 19 approximately in the area of the Manago Hotel, Choicemart is on the left, there is a great Vegan Cafe next to Choicemart and the sandwiches sold there and in Choicemart are spectacular. The locals recommend Choicemarts plate lunch especially on Lau Lau Friday. We tried to get it on Sat and it was all sold out. And the snorkeling at two step was the best we had on the island. Ok after all that digressing: if it is culture/food you are after then you need an additional book or to do some food research ahead of time online, for hiking, biking, walking and general reliable information then the trailblazer is a great book. Another option is to get the No worries Hawaii that has almost all information on all islands best ofs etc and then supplement that with a more foodie cultural guide for the islands depending on what you want. We did this for Kauai, although Fodors Kauai while better on culture etc really did badly for hiking and trails and was way less reliable than the Sprouts books.

YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. We have traveled to the big island many times, but still have not discovered or seen everything. This book reaches beyond of the general guide books and one of the other more popular reads about the island. Great for those who are into hiking and especailly for driving tours. Snorkelers will like some of the off the beaten path places to go.

I thought this was one of the best of the hundereds of books I have read during my short 12 year-old life (I read ALOT). I like the way Karl turns out to be the good-guy and Eric was a vicious terrorist battling the Naizs by killing inocent civilians. I did like the way it started, better than most.

A truly amazing story of love and adventure, a definite read for anyone who longs for romance.

Cameron Dokey definately hit the mark creating an adventerous and romantic story line. However, I wasn't thrilled with the way the book was written. Too much information was repeated over and over. Instead of showing us the action and leaving the reader the joy of drawing inferences, the narrator, Anna, reveals every thought. These internal revelations came so frequently, I had a hard time believing Anna's conclusion at the end of the novel. The story was thrilling, but the characters didn't pop.

Hindenburg 1937 by Cameron Dokey is a great read, because it consists of romance, history, and a tad bit of adventure. I found myself not wanting to put it down because I so wanted to find out what would happen next. This book never gets boring, because there is always so much drama and events going on within the pages.
The main character is Anna Becker, a brave, young woman living in Germany. Her grandfather never finished his dying wish, but he was holding tickets for the trans-Atlantic voyage on the Hindenburg. Anna takes this as a sign to board the plane, despiter her fears. After all, if she doesn't leave her brother might marry her off so he can advance as a Nazi. Anna has bigger dreams than a housewife, which is another reason she takes the journey. She takes total trust in a stranger boarding the Hindenburg, because traveling alone is not safe. She soon finds out that his name is Erik Peterson and she really gets along with him until she sees that her first true love, Karl Mueller, is also on the plane, working for Germany.
This book has lots of twists and turns, so you'll be sure to stay interested. The festivities on the plane are always exciting and its fun to go along with Anna'a adventure. What is even more enjoying is the love triangle that is soon created. This book also refers to the voyage from history that changed Germany forever. The book is not a difficult one, and it's also easy to fall in love with the awesome plot.

This is the most beautiful historical romance fiction I've ever read. Anna must escape her brother in order to persue a future of her choice, instead of letting her brother choose it for her. So she aboards the Hindenburg and the excitement begins. I love this book to no ends even with its terrifying ending. Why Cameron, why??? I just have one last question: why choose a sad and-you know it's true- horrible ending when the story could've ended with me smiling in pleasure with hope, instead of me crying and believing that fate is truly twisted when it comes to love?