Resources Books

This book is a must if you are studying healing touch. It has all the pictures and instructions that other workbooks have. I loved the research about HT, it makes so much sense and it is easy to understand the case studies.

This book is so full of great information that it is a definite keeper in my reference library. After only 1/3 of the way though, I've gotten my money's worth!

I'm new at reading about energy healing modalities, so I have little to compare it to. I found this book to be a really nice book to learn more about Healing Touch and how to be a practitioner. It has some wonderful stories, some that even made me cry. I still have a long way to go to make this work for me, but it's the beginning of a new awareness in my life.

An excellent, readable, knowledgeable text book that will be referred to again and again. It contains so much information, and is indexed accurately so that you can find the relevant answers quickly. Diagrams are informative and useful.
To me this book is recommended for those already practicing H.T., or for those interested in gaining insight into Healing Touch with a view to entering the H.T. program. The Healing Touch program encourages people to participate in continued, life-long learning, and this book is a valuable resource.

No need for 1,000 more words. The above says it all. I loaned my copy to a client, forgot which one, and now must buy another. Can't practice without it.

This is a great book by Tood Strasser. READ THIS IMMEADIATELY !!!!!!!!!!! From the detentions to the dishes. This is a absolute great novel! --Jarrett Nave, Haile Middle

Oh My Golly this was a Great Book. It is very funny and it is really silly and i liked it a lot. this is a Good Help Book. So read it.

This is a very good Help! book. It was funny just as usual. It still had that funny little twist and Mr. Dirkson finally has come back from the Amazon and made a new machine that shrinks heads!

It was one of the best HELP! I've read so far. As usual Jake & his friends swiched body's on the D.I.T.S. again, but this time with Lunch Ladys! When Vend-A-Lunch comes to Burp It Up Middle School the Vend-A-Lunch machines threaten to take over the Lunch Ladys jobs. When the school cast a vote of what to have stay and this is the results....wait I can't tell you you'll have to buy the book and find out. It's a great book for kids around my age-10.

The principal at Burp-It-Up Middle school has decided to buy some vending machines. The fact that this will definately fire some lunch ladies doesn't bother Andy, Josh, and Jake the slightest bit... until they accidently switch bodies...with the lunch ladies. The kids are stuck doing the gross job of serving the sludge to kids, while the lunch ladies in THEIR bodies, make complete idiots out of Andy, Josh, and Jake, by playing hop scotch, etc. Will they ever get their bodies back???

I teach a self contained class of of 12 readers with reading levels ranging from kindergarden to 7th grade. This book is an amazing resource for independent work. It provides skill based readings for all but my lowest and highest readers. The layout and images are fantastic and mature and thus, don't make my middle school students feel as if they are doing "baby" work. I recommend this highly and hope they develop a similar book with fiction passages for character analysis and other story element skills.

I teach students in grades 6-8 who are struggling in reading. These articles are a perfect one day lesson to teach a reading skill. The book is organized by strategy: main idea, inference, sequencing, using context clues, etc. and then by reading level with increasing difficulty to reinforce the skill and stretch the student's reading skills. I often will use the lowest readability article to introduce the topic and work up in difficulty. It also allows for independent work on same strategy but at differnt levels.

The articles are interesting to students and look like anything else their friends may have as classwork or homework. If I could only have access to a handful of teachng resource books, this is one I wouldn't part with. I wish they would come out with a Volume 2!

I would also recommend the same book but for grades 2-3 with readability levels beginning at 1st grade to reach your lowest readers.

This book is a good way to peek interest in reading with a variety of topics. My son finds many of these short stories interesting and the questions are logical. It is a good way to work on comprehension and reading skills. I plan on using this book for the summer with my son to help with recoupment.

As a teacher I'm always looking for supplemented activities, to reinforce language arts skills. This book not only has helped my students with reinforcing comprehension skills but has also given them great activities that not only follow up with what has been read but also personalizes the reading of the passages.

This is perfect for my struggling readers to use during workshop time.

In the argument on whether or not to save old growth, this book draws scientific blood.

I read this book non-stop until I finished. I've never come across a work that so succintly explains the scientific research on old growth forests in the Northwest.

Want to understand why old growth is important? Read this book.

I don't think I can add anything of much value to the editorial reviews, all of which are excellent and fairly describe this book. For all you who have ever walked in an old forest, gone hiking in a forest preserve, felt the immensity and wisdom that is offered there, this book brings that gloriously to life again. Luoma's description of his ride in the crane is worth the price alone. Sweeping over the forest canopy twenty-five stories in the air is not for the faint of heart. Only 209 pages of reading, it flies by in just a few days. And he brings the scientists who work on all this to our dens with such intimacy. These are people who work in the field, not huddled over their microscopes, mostly. Pick it up; you won't be sorry.

Not only was The Hidden Forest a pleasure to read, but Jon Luoma told me so many things I didn't know. I thought I knew a great deal about forests, since I live next to a park, hike in the mountains, and have read many books about trees, but this book showed me that there really is a hidden forest right under my nose that I'd been mostly unaware of. Now, as I walk the trail through the woods, I think of the 16,000 tiny insects beneath my foot every time I take a step, and I think of the vital work they do that supports all life on Earth.



Policy decisions are being made every day--just recently the Bush administration announced plans to increase logging of old growth forests--in a political and economic climate in which most people are ignorant of the science of forest ecosystems. How can we possibly make the right choices if people are not properly informed? For example, many people have bought into the notion that protecting old growth hurts the economy and costs jobs. In fact, the losses in the salmon industry, billions of dollars, could have been prevented if old growth forests had been protected. Also, millions if not billions of dollars of damage caused by flooding in Washington and Oregon could have been avoided if the Forest Service had followed the advice of the scientists at the Andrews Experimental Forest.



Still, these scientists haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what we need to know about forest ecosystems. They haven't even identified half of the species that live in our forests. How can we know the value of what we are losing if we don't even understand what it is or how it works? Their work should be funded at a much higher level. (Check out their web site: http://www.fsl.orst.edu/lter/index.cfm )



While this book is not for everyone, it should be read by the following people:

--Policy makers in the Forest Service.

--Everyone in the Bush administration.

--People who vote.

--People who live in wood houses or use paper products.

--People who enjoy clean water.

--People who like to breath oxygen.



The rest of you needn't bother to read it.



(While I sound like I'm being paid by either the author or the Scientists and the Andrews Forest, I had never heard of either of them before my mom got me this book for my birthday. I just really liked the book--one of the best and most significant I've ever read.)

Luoma knows how to take important scientific work in forest ecology, and turn it into a book that is a pleasure to read. If learning had been this much fun in school, think how well educated we would all be today! Seriously, I like to read well-written books, but I prefer them to be to tell me things I din't know. Hidden forests does. Another really good read out this season is Bullough's Pond, a treatment of ecological history and industrial revolution that I found fascinating, and it read like a novel.

Luoma takes the reader on an intimate, guided tour with some of the tenacious pioneers of forested ecosystems research and the mysterious processes whereby the woods become established, grow and change--in the case of the moist coastal uplands of western Oregon, processes that take centuries to complete all their steps. For those who like their science in the field, in the raw, and introduced by the human practitioners struggling (and loving) the dance of theory and experiment, this is a must-have. Ancient Forests rhetoric too frequently airbrushes over the hard scientific inquiry that helped reveal both the uniqueness of the Oregon forested ecosystems research site and yet suggests that some of these hidden processes, or ones similar, will be found to play crucial roles in other forest places as well. If Luoma doesn't beat me to it, I could do worse than spend the rest of my career writing a series for all the Long-Term Ecological Research stations that perform the valuable work of building baselines and foundations in ecology for every major ecological region. At least, this is the sort of book that makes a reader feel that way!

I've read this book twice and have given it as gifts to new pastors' wives. The author is very transparent and generous in sharing difficulties she's faced in ministry. Gives a lot of hope and encouragement for those in ministry.

This book was very encouraging to me because I felt that the author was my own mentor, as I am preparing to be a pastor's wife. She shared so many personal life expereinces, which I can tell will be relevant in my own life. I am thankful for her incredible encouragement to women and the transparency of her spiritual walk. This book will encourage you too!!

Even for someone not in full-time ministry this book really shows an example of what one could face when you committ your life to God's work. I would recommend it anyone either in ministry or considering it. And though it's for women, any man, either married or engaged to a woman who will be involved in ministry would find it useful to see what she will be dealing with.

"Even in those cheerless time which will come, we can affirm that they are neither the terminus nor the norm of experience. Instead, they are points of growth from which can emerge a clearer vision of how to reflect the splendor of God and the joys of personal relationships. God means for us to finish strong."

This quote is from the introduction to Gail MacDonald's book-High Call, High Privilege: A Pastor's Wife Speaks to Every Woman in a Place of Responsibility. I like this quote because "finishing strong" is something that I think about and pray for often. At the end of Paul's life he writes to Timothy,

"I have fought the good fight,
I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith."
(2 Timothy 4:7)

I remember reading this verse in a Bible class my first year of college and being inspired by Paul's confidence. I talked about it with my professor after class because I was baffled that Paul could say "I have," I asked my professor if that was a little arrogant and assumptive of Paul. At the time I thought most people should say it this way, "I've tried to fight the good fight, I've finished as much of the race as I could, I've done my best to keep the faith." The professor explained to me that through God's power, Paul was able to accomplish all that the Lord had called him to do in this life. God had saved Paul and then had completed the good work He had started in him. He said, "God can do this work in your life too, so that one day you could say these things with confidence."

High Call, High Privilege is a testimonial/autobiography of MacDonald's journey through life in church ministry. Her statement "God means for us to finish strong" is a theme that stood out to me throughout the book. Even when she faced disappointment, testing, pain and brokenness, she viewed them as "points of growth" in her walk with the Lord and was able to find joy in them. Her story was a huge inspiration to me of an example of a supportive wife, loving mother, and gentle and nurturing friend to all around her.

This book is brimming with practical lessons. As I read it I began to put in to practice some of MacDonald's disciplines that have shaped her life and ministry. MacDonald writes in such a personal way-weaving Biblical thought throughout her story-I began to think of her as a mentor to me. Some of things the Lord taught her were so encouraging-

Tend The Fire Within

In the first chapter MacDonald presents this concept of "time at the fire." She tells a story that as a new Christian, she heard an old missionary speak and he said, "Untended fires soon die and become just a pile of ashes." He said that the fire burns in the heart of the one who follows Christ and this flame cannot go unmanaged or it will dwindle into ashes.

MacDonald writes:

"My life was altered by that simple statement...It all begins with the fire within and your heart attitude. Tending the fire within is another way of talking about being open to the presence of Christ. It is what makes me long for his likeness, offers direction and stability, established proper motives and responses. Here is is that the real issues of the Christian faith are thought out and pressed into action." (p. 2)

I really liked this analogy of my relationship with Christ as a fire. John gives us an account of Christ with His disciples that made this concept poignant for me. In John 21 Christ is risen and the disciples see Him and make their way to shore. When they get there He is sitting with a fire and breakfast. This idea of us meeting Jesus at the "fire" to eat and learn is profound. Spending time in prayer with the Lord, studying His Word is vital and this is where life starts. Until this is understood and actualized all we are doing is in vain.

MacDonald closes her thoughts on this concept by writing:

"It takes time to come to the fire, it takes effort to keep the fire burning, it takes a willingness to become quiet enough to hear what God might be saying and it takes courage to snuff out the competing sounds and demands that attempt to shorten or neutralize the effect of the fire time.

But here is the great choice that must be made virtually everyday. Do I give priority attention to tending the fire within, or do I surrender to the alternatives of busyness, hurry, people pleasing, or the seemingly urgent that slowly starves my spirit and my resolve to be the woman God wants me to be? If that fire burns brightly, I share the experience of the disciples; of it dwindles unattended, I am gradually surrounded by a chill marking the onset of weakness and confusion." (p. 5)

Be Hospitable

Romans 12:13 commands believers to "practice hospitality." Hospitality is a spiritual gift (1 Peter 4:9) and one I have seen the Lord develop in my own life. I really gleaned from MacDonald's thoughts on this-

"We decided to use our home as a tool...Gordon and I wanted to know people better and to serve them. We were hoping that people would be drawn to one another as a result of being in our home. Those nights added a warmth and an acceptance in many people's hears that would not have happened had we not developed such close contact."

What a beautiful lesson. This so resounded with me, that I immediately talked with my husband about making our home open to people so that we can know and serve them. I desire those same things MacDonald shares for my home. Too often we feel disconnected and distant from people in our church bodies, even friends, because we allow ourselves to become too busy and closed to be bothered with having to straighten up the house and fix a nice meal. I hope this is something the Lord will continue to work out in our lives as we make ourselves more open to people by being hospitable to them!

What is your sermon?

If you are a wife of a husband who teaches, you know the rigors that a pastor puts into his sermon. Each week I try to devote myself to helping Bobby prepare his sermon. That doesn't mean I'm sitting with him going over Greek verbs and Bible commentaries. But I try to do what it takes to help him prepare a sermon that will be a tool in God's hand to work in the lives of our students. MacDonald writes about supporting her husband in this way and shares about an insight her husband had about her asking,

"What is Gail's sermon? It's the home she prepares for the children and me. Gail preached her sermon when she cooked a meal...kept the house neat, and planted flowers in the front yard."

I really related to this concept of a "home" sermon. MacDonald writes about how her husband wanted to hear and enjoy the "sermons" in her life. This point was particularly motivating for me because I asked myself, "Do I give myself rigorously and carefully to what God has called me to do?" God has called my husband to preach sermons. He has called me to do something for Him. Am I working diligently to deliver those "sermons" in my life?

I have benefited from numerous other lessons from this book. MacDonald writes about marriage, children, relating better with people, being a godly friend. If you read this book, do so with discernment, as you should respond to everything. Some of her conclusions I did not share-she writes a lot about the temperaments. In chapter ten she reveals a dark time in her life when she struggled through the pain of her husband having committed adultery. For a couple of weeks I couldn't finish reading because I had come to respect this couple so much and then was bulldozed by the grueling reality that this pastor and husband had not kept his calling. I was very disappointed, not by the fact of sin, but that the two of them kept this secret for a time while he still held the position he was no longer qualified to hold. Later they even returned to the position of pastor, so the book's end was not as high as it started.

I would recommend this to any woman who's life is devoted to ministry, not just a pastor's wife. I was sharpened and encouraged by MacDonald's journey and I hope that someday I will be able to look back over so many years and see God's hand at work in my life and our ministry.

This book is thought provoking, encouraging, and convicting. I was changed in the reading of it. Buy it, read it, again and again.

I liked this book so much that I ordered a copy for each of my managers. I've used it in training and have found it to be extremely useful. My dog-eared copy is one of my bibles for dealing with low morale and employee retention. Thank you for sharing your ideas and that of the people you interviewed for the book.

Many how-to books don't deliver what they promise. In some cases, the author never gets beyond obvious generalities, and in other cases the writer speaks as a theorist, not a practitioner. This book that escapes both of these drawbacks.In addition to drawing on her own managerial experience, she offers quotations and workable examples from 125 top leaders she interviewed. Readers will welcome her creative, upbeat, sometimes bouncy style--unlike most books about business. Sample: She titles her section on communication "Ma Bell Did It."

Managers will find dozens of suggestions they can use to bolster morale--leading to greater productivity and loyalty to the organization. I wish I had read this book during my twenty-three years in management, so I endorse The High Cost of Low Morale enthusiastically.

This book measures up to its title in that it's filled with real-life examples on how to avoid morale problems. The author speaks from her own experience as well as the many people she interviewed for the book. As a business owner, I found it extremely useful in dealing with my employees and their moods and sometimes difficult attitudes. Carol is an effective communicator and that made this book interesting to read and easy to follow. I could pick it up and put it down and not feel like I lost my train of thought. I have re-read it and bought copies for my entire team of people. We discussed it during several staff meetings and decided that we could do a better job of managing morale problems - better yet we believe we can avoid them altogether. This book is well-worth the cost and time it takes to read it.

The High Cost of Low Morale opens up a world of ideas and strategies for improving morale in an organization. The author interviewed over 100 people in businesses of all sizes across North America for ideas. The result is an interesting and fun to read book on a subject that is of importance to any business. I recommend this book to anyone that wants a better team environment in which to work.

I enjoyed this book because like her other books, it offers practical advice for the manager or supervisor. It's got lots of practical information that applies to any business organization. A hundred or so people were interviewed for the book and that in itself adds a lot of credibility to the topic of improving employee morale. Those interviewed shared their perspectives on how they keep people contented in working for them. The author wove her own management experience throughout the book. I highly recommend this guide to managing morale.

Great explanation of the rationale behind behavior based interviewing. Guides the interviewer through the process of developing questions and evaluation procedures. Interview process is focused, to obtain more accurate and relevant information from candidates.

Selecting the right person for a job is both an art and a science. To help you improve your chances of finding the right person, author Victoria A. Hoevemeyer proposes that human resource departments and hiring managers should ask applicants explicit questions about their skills and behavior. This approach, known as "Competency-Based Behavioral Interviewing" (CBBI), provides a clear picture of what candidates actually did in their previous jobs. Hoevemeyer's sensible idea is that if candidates succeeded at certain tasks before, they'll repeat their success in their new jobs. She provides a very long list of detailed questions that hiring managers can use to learn the specifics of candidates' skills and past performance. However, the book lacks proof that the CBBI process actually results in recruiting new hires who perform well and have better retention rates. Still, since Hoevemeyer's approach clearly elicits rich information, we believe that managers and even experienced HR professionals may find her interviewing tactics useful.

"High-Impact Interview Questions" will save you both time and effort in the interview process. It provides hundreds of interview questions that you can tailor to your organization. By asking questions that focus on the candidate's actual performance, you will increase the likelihood that the people you hire will be a good fit for the position and the organization. This book is a great resource for the new interviewer as well as the seasoned HR professional.

If I had to recommend one book for anyone who is involved in interviewing candidates, "High-Impact Interview Questions" would be it! It is a practical, thorough, easy-to-use resource and reference guide for behavioral interviewing. The added bonus is that it's organized according to competencies, making it incredibly simply to use in conjunction with an organization's current competency models.

It's great for converting to behavioral based interviewing, enhancing your current behavioral interview process, or even simply testing behavioral interviewing out by converting some of your current interview questions to behavioral questions.

There is no doubt in my mind that if interviewers use the information and tools in this book that they will absolutely find the right person for every job!

This book is easy to pick up and understand what behavioral interviewing is all about. For someone that is at the other end of the interview process (the interviewee) this book helped to better prepare me for the interview process in this day and age. Interviews no longer entail just talking about your experience. A potential employer needs more information about a person in a short period of time. By reading "High-Impact Interview Questions" I feel more confident knowing what a potential employer could be looking for and what kind of quetions they may be asking. For the price, this book is well worth it!

If I had to get one book for home schooling this would be it. Good practical reviews, humor and a friendly warmth. I have read it from front to back more than once.

This review pertains to the third edition, published in 2000.

At almost 500 pages with its large page size, this book has a lot of information. This is a combination/collection of essays by two homeschooling parents (one now deceased, sadly). The book and product reviews are interspersed amongst essays and stories about their homeschooling experiences and philosophies. There are reviews of books, audio tapes, kits, etc. There are lists of magazines, catalogs, and other publications such as free materials available mostly from government agencies. It is partly a catalog since many of the items may be purchased directly from the authors who are also the publishers and also their own mail order catalog business.

What I enjoyed first was the essays and stories of how they homeschooled and why, and how their philosophies sometimes changed over time. Some of the reviews are lengthy and tell how they used that product and how much their children liked it and why. The reviews I like the most are the longer ones in which pros and cons are both mentioned. The reviews I liked least were the short one sentence summaries that really didn't contain any personal opinion. Overall, the reviews are positive in nature so it can be hard to pick out which book may appeal to me. Since so many items are reviewed I do understand that space is limited and the author has a limit on not wanting to include the reviews that are only negative in nature (although I'd find that equally helpful and it may save me money). The book has a tone of "if you don't have anything nice to say the don't say anything". I also wish there was a bit more commentary such as "this book is strong in this area while the next book is strong in this different area". One example is for different books for preschoolers on topics of shapes, colors, counting, etc. There was some overlap in areas and then the review didn't tell enough for me to decide which of the featured items I would prefer.

Some other negatives: I found it hard to pick out the age ranges for the books; topics are mostly by major subject such as science, reading, etc. There are no headers or footers to tell what category you are "in" when the pages are open. Kits are mixed with books, etc. in some cases which can get confusing. Margins are very narrow and don't allow much room for making notations such as which books I decided to buy. Sometimes it is hard to tell where one item ends and the next begins. Sometimes the organization is confusing such as an entry for a website with good homeschooling information mixed in with book reviews (without some kind of sidebar). The copyright free illustrations can get annoying and sometimes make the book seem overly cluttered.

As the mother of a three year old and a baby, I found this book severely lacking in book reviews for babies and preschoolers. (Despite the authors claiming this book begins with birth-aged materials.) Many books that I have found very helpful for parenting, general reading books, and preschool aged activity books were just missing.

Areas I found of most interest were the reviews of books on history and how to teach reading. These were two areas that I was worried about dealing with as a homeschooling mother. I was glad for the guidance toward the useful books.

Despite my complaints the book has been very helpful and inspiring for me. I have a long wish list made now! Going through the book more than once, I now value this as more of a reference tool. It is worth every penny and I highly recommend it to all homeschoolers especially if you compare the cost of this book to books you may have bought that ended up being useless. The fact that this is self-published by a homeschooling mother is incredible and to be commended.

Many times there were great reviews of books when I have been unable to find reviews online.

I am recommending this to all my homeschooling friends. Would also make a great reference book for teachers and public libraries.

This book would be worth 5 stars for the product reviews. But there is so much more! This "whole earth catalog" of homeschooling is a gentle reminder that homeschooling can be seen as a lifestyle, or even as a worldview, and that education is just one small part of the larger process of building a family and living in the world.

Jean has been there! Even the product reviews are written from the point of view of life experience, and the essays, sometimes pithy, sometimes humorous, sometimes moving, and sometimes all three at once, cover everything from birth to death, an examination of a life well-lived.

This has long been my favorite homeschooling book, and the Third Edition just makes it even better. When they pick up this book, users of packaged learning approaches such as The Well-Trained Mind will immediately discover how much they have been missing!

The Home School Source Book, 3rd Edition, By Jean and Donn Reed

How to describe this one-of-a-kind book? Imagine touring a huge educational supply or book store (from your favorite chair) with a knowledgeable guide trailing at your elbow, a guide whose sole purpose is to help you find materials that work for you. That is how I experience this book every time I open it. I can practically hear Jean or Donn whispering in my ear.

Whether you are a homeschooling parent putting together your curriculum or a parent seeking to supplement a classroom education, this book will ease your journey and open your eyes.

The Home School Source Book is so much more than a resource book --- it is an educational odyssey, a how-to, a philosophy, as well as a resource and catalog, all rolled into one. Many, many materials are thoughtfully reviewed and practical suggestions for using those materials are included. Comments and essays, liberally sprinkled throughout the subject resources, cover a tremendous scope of "life subjects."

What I like best, I think, is that the Reeds assume that readers are thinking people who do not need to be told what to do. So instead of lectures, we are treated to friendly conversations and gentle debates over homeschooling issues of importance to the Reed family, materials they have used, materials others have found useful, all seasoned with surprising facts and interesting tidbits of knowledge. You may not agree with the Reeds, but you will be moved to think about the ideas they present. In the end, that is what homeschooling is all about, isn't it?

I bought this book 5 years ago, and it proved to be one of the best resource books I have ever seen for home schoolers. Not only does it fill every possible need a home schooler could have, but Mr. Reed's thoughts on home schooling and its benefits are found throughout the book, and are quite enjoyable and informative to read. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting vast information, sources and supplies for home schooling.

While I have never been a member of a co-op, I was thinking about getting together with one or two other families to have either an art class or science class-- the two subjects that have sadly fallen by the wayside in our homeschool. Carol's book came at the perfect time!

Let me tell you some of my favorite things about her book:

-Carol's writing style is very easy to read. It didn't take extra energy (that I did not have) to just get through the book-- I actually enjoyed reading it!

-Included in her book are real life stories and situations. Not only does it make things more interesting, but you can tell the book contains her personal experience with co-op's along with the experience of other homeschoolers.

-As you would expect from a CPA, the book is very well organized. Nothing irks me more than a book with no flow and no sense in the order of chapters.

-The book is very thorough and divided into three main sections: Starting a Co-op, Running a Co-op, and How to Avoid Burnout.

-Examples of various forms, mission statements, etc. are included. She also has very pointed questions to ask yourself in each chapter. Not one to just convince you that a co-op is for everyone, Carol helps you to see the many benefits of a co-op as well as to count the cost.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that has even thought about starting a co-op! This has encouraged me greatly and I plan to pass this useful resource on to others.

Are you thinking about starting a homeschool co-op? Are you involved a homeschool co-op that needs some re-structuring? Carol Topp, who is also a CPA, has written a how-to guide on how to start, run, and not burn out. As a homeschool group leader for many years, I would have benefitted from this book when our group went through a major reorganization. Growing pains are never fun, but our growing pains would have been easier with this resource. This books contains space for you to answer questions, and it gives you outlines of questions to ask when structuring your co-op. This book contains 11 chapters, and one chapter that ALL homeschool co-ops should read is the one about 501(c)(3) Tax-exempt Organizations. There is a handy checklist and list of resources. I highly recommend this book for any homeschool leader or member.

"I learned that, regretfully, we cannot be all things to all people--only Jesus can."

With this insightful refrain, Carol Topp urges leaders of homeschool co-ops to identify their purpose and define their target.

The opening chapters of Homeschool Co-ops provide a levelheaded assessment of both advantages and disadvantages of participating in a co-op. For example, Topp tackles a significant issue by admitting: "Some people are extremely reluctant to discipline another person's child. Granted, I would never lay a hand on a child, but I do let them know if they are out of line. If you do not like assisting other parents in this way, or if you are very sensitive about other parents verbally disciplining your child, then you had better think carefully about a co-op commitment."

Speaking of interpersonal matters, Topp points us to The Peacemaker by Ken Sande for conflict resolution, and summarizes the key aspects to successful peacemaking: overlooking an offense, reconciliation, and negotiation.

Topp addresses general issues including the double-edged nature of co-op distinctives, as well as specific matters including how to evaluate space and facilities. Valuable checklists, surveys, and links support the author's recommendations.

Quick references sprinkled throughout the text direct readers who seek more in-depth coverage of a topic discussed. Sometimes readers are directed to another chapter within the text, other times they are referred to an outside source, website, or book.

Detailed suggestions for co-op offerings are provided, including classes and activities based upon students' ages, topics, clubs, or curriculum. As a fellow writer, I particularly appreciate her admonishment for homeschoolers to purchase curriculum whenever photocopying violates copyright restrictions.

Fellow home-schoolers' stories and testimonies are woven throughout the book.

Although insights from others who have led or participated in co-ops are valuable, one of this book's greatest strengths comes from Carol's insight as a CPA with personal experience in home school co-op business matters.

Carol presents clear explanations regarding the various non-profit organizational structures and by-laws. She explains how to prepare a budget, bookkeeping basics, and the benefits and disadvantages of the coveted 501(c)(3) status. A more detailed treatment of these matters as well as guidelines regarding hiring teachers and other employees may be found in her eBook titled, Money Management for Homeschool Organizations (see her website for ordering details).

In the last section of her manuscript, she underscores an obvious but too often neglected reality: a co-op is not a solo venture! Fortunately, she provides concise instructions on how to avoid burn out: "Strive for a co-op that lives up to its name..."

Carol closes her counsel with the ABC's of successful homeschool co-ops: "A Board" (establish one), "Bylaws" (write them, and include a clear mission statement), and "Create a Budget."

In summary, this title brims with wise counsel and practical resources for those who lead or attend or are simply considering participating in a homeschool co-op.

This book has been invaluable. DO NOT start a co-op without it. Why reinvent the wheel, you don't have to. Mrs. Topp has done the heavey lifting for you. It has paid for it self a hundred times over!

This book is a must have for any one wishing to start, maintain, or save a dying co-op.

I would have loved to have had this book years ago when I joined my first co-op. Being brand new to home schooling, the other moms and I knew nothing on how to get a co-op off the ground. We forged a path through uncharted territory, figuring it out as we went. Though we gained friendships, fellowship, and a shared learning experience, we weren't without our struggles, personality conflicts, and growing pains. That's when a book like this is invaluable.

Anything you want to know about cooperation of families working together - small co-ops, large ones, mission statement and purpose, leadership and volunteer roles, handling conflict, potential class topic ideas, location, and even tax-exempt issues are explained. It's all there in this well written 170-page book.

The author writes:

It may not be problem free to start or run a home school co-op, but most homeschool parents find that co-oping is worth the commitment and expense! Homeschool co-ops are becoming more and more popular because they are meeting the needs and expectations of homeschooling families.
There is no stone left unturned! No matter what your need or group size, this book is a great help to start and keep your Co-op healthy.

This was a wonderful synopsis of the ministry. A quick review that helps you to think about areas in ministry you have to deal with that you may not normally know. Debora Hooper did a great job that is appreciated by a minister new to the offical side of this office.

This is a complete guide for the up and coming minister. It is a "must have" for those who are called to evangelize, preach, teach or even pastor. You can save yourself a lot of time, energy, frustration and aggravation by heeding what you read in this book before you go out to minister. This reference book is for anyone in ministry who want to know how to do things the right way, in decency and in order. Many of the questions you might have about handling situations around preaching and other topics are answered.... and then some! Undoubtedly, you will refer to time and time again! It is an invaluable tool for understanding ministry and its many challenges. This book teaches basic principles needed to effectively be an evangelist or minister of the gospel especially when traveling.

This Minister's Handbook is a necessity for all Ministers. I found this book by Dr. Hooper to be very informative. It answered every possible question a new minister might have before they enter the ministry. I have read several Minister handbooks, and have found this to be the best. It is an excellent resource to have in your Library.

God Bless
Rev. LaVelle A.Cook-Co Pastor
Miraculous Word & Deliverance Ministry

Rev. Jackie McCullough said "Through a responsible and thoughtful pre-sentation, Dr. Debora Hooper shares from experience, many insights, intricacies, and nuances of the Gospel ministry and the Office of the Evangelist." I agree 100%. It answers every question for all ministers no matter how much you think you know! A jewel. A classic actually!

Pam Perry
Chocolate Pages Reviews

This book is written for those in the Religious community who feel they have been called to evangelise. Eventhough I have been in ministry for many years, I enjoyed the "ease of reading" and the "much information" provided therein. This handbook is "jam packed" full of information the average minister needs to know, before they decide to go. This is a reference book you should definately add to your library. I suggest that you get one for the person who needs direction and doesn't seem to be organized. From what to wear, where to stay, how to organize your notes; you name it, it's in the book. A must have for all ministers, seasoned and novices.