Adams Books

One of the greatest Sci-Fi series of all time. Adams spins an amazingly twisted story of hitchhiking through the Universe. A wonderful and imaginative series that will have you guessing at every turn with the most improbable outcomes. This is a must read for every Sci-Fi fan!

I usually dont read by choice but Ive read this and im hooked on the series. This book is good stuff.

This book is great! The whole concept of two men one alien, one human getting picked up by a space ship is really amazing. This book is really great and fun to read for teenagers and adults.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy represents some of the most original, funny, spellbinding material that I've ever read. The first book contains the most creativity, but the least linearity because of the original format (radio shows). The second and third take off from there and create a crescendo of momentum that I wasn't able to put down (I quite literally read all 5 books within a few days time). The last couple of books might be the weakest, but that's mainly because they must follow such incredible prequels. I cannot overemphasize the entertainment that this series offers. The Hitchhiker's Guide represents a true genre-bursting collection. While at first glance these books might seem to appeal mainly to science fiction readers, they actually have very little in common with sci-fi and readers wishing for a sci-fi environment and story may not find what they expect. These books should appeal to any reader, but those old enough to recall some of the 1980's will especially be able to understand the author's period and setting.

vjjcg,jcjh,

Anybody who ascribes to the idiotic notion that Southern secession was all about states' rights and really had nothing to do with slavery needs to be reminded of two antebellum events: the Fugitive Slave Act, which was legislation that solely benefitted slaveowners while being a complete affront to the notion of states' rights; and the gag rule in Congress from 1836-1844, which essentially stripped citizens & Congressmen of their 1st amendment rights.

The gag rule was focused on the 1st Amendment right of petition, which was frequently utilized by US citizens in the early 19th century. The cause of the furor was a dramatic increase of abolitionist petitions that proposed the abolition of the slave trade within the District of Columbia, which was under the direct jurisdiction of the US Congress (DC was chosen because most people believed that the Constitution did not give the Congress jurisdiction in the individual states --- DC was another matter).

The Congress of that period was dominated by pro-slavery Southerners and sympathetic Northerners who would rather not stir up too much trouble. However, a small group of Congressmen, led by John Quincy Adams, waged an 8-year against the gag rule. Along the way, Adams & his cohorts, along with an increasingly organized & vocal abolitionist movement, undermined the neutral attitude most Americans had towards the issue of slavery.

Former president John Quincy Adams is clearly the central figure of the story, and it is pretty obvious that Miller likes the crochety old statesman. One cannot read this book and not come away with an increased respect for Adams, who has unfairly been relegated to historical obscurity. It is remarkable to think that through most of the gag rule battle, Adams was in his mid to late 70's, and almost never missed a day in Congress. The story also displays abundantly Adams' formidable intellect and parliamentary skills.

On the other side of the aisle were the Southern fire-eaters, who were capable of great oratorical flourishes but who possessed precious little strategic skill. Miller recounts how, time again, the pro-slavery forces miscalculated with their tactics. Instead of squelching debate about slavery, hotheads like Henry Wise & Waddy Thompson Jr succeeded only in inflaming the controversy. After 8 years, the leaders of the pro-gag forces were realizing that they might have unleashed forces beyond their control, and abandoned the fight to maintain the gag.

The story is presented in an entertainingly narrative style which I found to be quite enjoyable. Some reviewers have found the author's asides to be a distraction, but I found that they contributed well to the story for the most part. Indeed, some sections of the book (such as when Adams is facing down his opponents who are attempting to censure him) are real page-turners.

While the book was very entertaining, it is also quite sobering. One becomes aware of the appalling nature of the slave-owning bloc. So dedicated were they to preserving their own interests that they repeatedly violated the 1st Amendment & trampled on civil rights of WHITE citizens in general, through the censoring of private mail, violating the writ of habeas corpus (South Carolina had a law on the books for almost 40 years, allowing free black sailors to arrested & imprisoned for duration of their ship's stay in port, simply because they were free blacks and MIGHT incite the local slave population to rebel) and (ironically) violating the doctrine of states' rights --- as the right to due process was systematically denied to the citizens of other states (a free enfranchised citizen of Massachusetts, for example, was not due any rights at all under the constitution of Missouri if he happened not to be white). Eventually, the encroachment by the South on the civil rights of the rest of the nation's citizens became ominous enough for the average citizen in the North to become aware of the genuine threat that the expansion of slavery posed. Almost all of this starts with the fight over the gag rule in Congress.

Miller also examines how Southern politicians tried, with increasing difficulty, to reconcile their claims to being good republicans with their obvious anti-republican actions. Miller argues that the politicians of the South fought to prevent the mere discussion of slavery because they knew better than anyone that the institution & way of life they were defending could not be defended in the playing field was level. If violating the principles of the Constitution & the Declaration of Independence is what it took to defend the peculiar institution, then they would do it, but not without a great deal of moral & intellectual discomfort. It is amazing to read some of the tortured rationalizations of Southern statesmen during this period.

This should be required reading for the student of this period. It is not a dry subject, and fortunately the author writes with plenty of flair. If some devotee of the Lost Cause mythos starts blathering on about how the Confederacy was only about the defense of states' rights & tries to use the Constitution as a rationalization for secession, this book should provide you with plenty of ammunition for your debate.

An absolutely brilliant book. Incredibly moving: the only book I've ever read that literally brought me to tears while reading it. But at the same time, wonderfully informative and evocative of the amazing historical events of the day. If you liked the movie "Amistad," you will love this second look at John Quincy Adams' incredibly brave stand during what William Freehling has called the "Pearl Harbor of the Civil War." I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Long before Sen. Charles Sumner spoke about Bleeding Kansas and was soon thereafter caned on the floor of the Senate by Congressman Preston Brooks, the Congressional waters had ben moving to an ever-higher boil on the slavery issue.

One of the leaders in the battle against slavery was Massachusetts Congressman and former President John Quincy Adams. Earning the sobriquet "Old Man Eloquent" on this issue, in this ever-heating contest, Adams finally got a House gag rule overturned that had prohibited antislavery petitions from the general public from even being discussed.

Adams had been a free-soiler, opposed to the expansion of slavery for many years. But his well-known legal defense of the Amistad defendants moved him beyond free-soiler to abolitionist.

Miller makes Adams fire on the floor Congress come alive, and puts into context.

Much of that context carries through to the 1860s and beyond.

For example, Miller points out that two decades before Lincoln thought of it, Adams opined that Presidentail war powers might be used to abolish slavery during a civil war.

At the same time, Miller reaches further back into history, to point out the early history of slavery in the North. (In the middle 1700s, New York's population may have been as high as 14 percent slave.) That's important to show how Southern arguments and fears that they A. could not do without slavery and B. would not know how to let such a large population go free, were groundless.

Here's a few more fascinating and important historical tidbits from the book.

Page 17 - Jefferson, while a member of the Confederation Congress in 1784, authored a provision to exclude slavery not just from the Old Northwest, but ALL Western territory on the far side of the Appalachians. It failed by one state's vote, which he claimed in turn was lost due to the illness of one delegate.

Page 349 - Showing a fine-tuned sense of satire, even sarcasm, during gag rule debate in the 25th Congress, Adams proposed Congress form a "Committee of Color," specifically designed to investigate Congressional bloodlines, with the "impure" to be summarily expelled.

Page 478 - A fine illustration of the morals of the white knights of the patrician South: Henry Hammond, southern ultra already at this time, in the House, and as Senator, deliverer of the "Cotton is King" speech, was a rou? first class. He took an 18-year-old slave with 1-year-old child as a mistress, then when the child turned 12 took her as mistress too. He also had some degree of attachment to the four teenage daughters of Wade Hampton II, father of the Civil War general.

Read this book, and find out just how entrenched Southern recalcitrance was 20, 30, 40 years before the shots at Fort Sumter.

The other reviewers have it right. I first read this superb book when it was first published in 1995. I picked it up thinking the subject seemed a little dry, but found I couldn't put it down. Now, eight years later, I have reread it. Again I couldn't put it down.

John Quincy Adams is not on Mount Rushmore; he is not trumpeted in high school history textbooks as a messianic figure, a beacon of freedom and liberty.

Quite rightly so; he would probably have found that amusing.

Adams is subject to an almost criminal lack of coverage in history courses--he does not fit the traditional model of the good American politician, and teachers often don't like to introduce amniguity into their courses by suggesting that an 'elitist' can be a great public figure, and that greatness is distinct from political success. Washington was great because he "created the country." Lincoln was great because he "ended slavery." Adams was simply an extremely good Secretary of State, brilliant Represenative in the House, and--god forbid--knew what he was doing while he was President.

The problem really is that Adams, with all his abilities, was not a politician in the American sense: he was educated, cultured, and actually knew what he was doing. His successor, Andrew Jackson--a boorish man who disobeyed the law, helped wipe out a race of people, and pandered to the whims of "the masses"--is often hailed as a great figure in American politics, apparently because of said boorishness, refusal to obey the Constitution, and genocidal tendencies.

In Adams is a figure that really ought to be respected and aimed for in American politics: a man with a strongly defined sense of morality, well-developed mind and good education, vast experience, and ability to govern. The traits that made Adams such a great man--his refusal to do anything simply because "the people" wanted it, coupled with his disturbing tendency to pursue policies that were intelligent, necessary, beneficial, and incredibly foresighted--seem to doom him to obscurity.

Miller takes on the unenviable task of arguing in favor of Adams as a great man, although he limits himself to his time in the House; in doing so, he provides an accesible and much-needed glimpse into the life of a man by far one of the greatest public figures America has seen.

The authors took a course at the Cob Cottage Company, which begs the question; why not just buy a book from the Cob Cottage Company rather that get the info second hand? The authors are also British, so the references are mostly to British law and British geography. Had I of known this fact, I would not have considered buying this book since I live in the Western United States.

If you are truly interested in using cob and building environmentaly friendly homes, then this book is for you. It is very descriptave in it's wording and the pictures in it help as well. This book is a must have if you plan to use or build with cob!

Those of you who have read "The Hand-Sculpted House" by Ianto Evans will like this book. It is an excellent guide to building with cob. I felt that every aspect of building a house was covered in enough detail that you could start building with cob if you were even a little bit handy. Although building a house is covered well, it includes building fireplaces and cob ovens, too.

I paid forty five dollars for my copy at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair and see now that I could have saved fifteen dollars. Still, if you are looking for just one book to cover many aspects of using cob then you won't go wrong with this book.

En este volumen aparece todo lo que se necesita saber sobre una construcción Cob, lo que hecho a faltar aquí como en la mayoría de libros de construcción natural es el cálculo de estructuras para el tejado, y su correcto dimensionado.

Un libro fascinante con multitud de detalles y esquemas

Lavishly illustrated, this is a well-organized, clearly written volume describing the processes necessary to build a range of structures using earth and straw (and a number of other natural materials). The drawings and photographs really help support the text, providing a rich introduction into the world of cob and natural building. An exceptional book for anyone thinking about getting involved with cob building.

This book pulls together a number of sources from across the globe and gives an in depth explanations of a number of wireless architectures. It not only explaines key featuers of those architectures but also provides case studies which put them into context. Great for the budding and the experienced architect!

I was drawn to this book because I figured a big outfit like Cap Gemini Ernst & Young must have learned a lot, probably the hard way, showing clients how to build a wireless infrastructure that turns profits. And it turns out that's just what I found here. There are lots of examples in this book, ones from the best consultants in the world, that I can use with my own clients.

What I most liked about this book was the approach they used to provide business justification for technological decisions. It provides the approach necessary to avoid purchasing the wrong technology for the wrong reasons, ie: purchase it because it was featured in the latest tech magazine as the coolest technology when it really is a poor fit to our requirements.

This is a good read and a must buy.

An excellent collection of solid practical content, a book that can be chosen as an academic course to be taught in variety of engineering disciplines such as electronics, computer science, Internet Technologies, etc. because of its solid practical approaches to deliver solution as opposed to hypothesizing on untested value propositions.
In the era when many people rush to write books on any new technical catch phrase for the mere gratification of having authored a technical book that may augment their professional aspiration, the authors of "Wireless Enterprise Application Architecture" have provided the reader with a reference book that is a valuable knowledge source. Relatively small font size and condensed and to the point graphics that enhance readers understanding of major points discussed in the 630 pages of text are all indication of authors being the true subject matter specialists.
The views presented in the book are both from 35000 feet and at the landing level suitable for enterprise strategists as well as technical and tactical workforce.

I was doing research for our company's wireless project and came across this book. The chapters on wireless in the supply chain were excellent and highly relevant to my project. I wish I had known about them before I presented my findings to my colleagues. Either way, the book will serve as an excellent reference for my project.

Most of the time the word "Chic" refers to the appearance of a person or thing. I have always thought of Chic as something superficial. Well "Chic Entrepreneur" goes against the norm. This book provides information on more than the appearance of a business and the advice in it is not superficial, but very substantial.

As a consultant to and trainer of woman owned businesses I often see women think small, underestimate the effort it takes to run a business and fail to identify their true customers/clients. If they read "Chic Entrepreneur" and keep it on their desk they will avoid making these mistakes. One of the biggest mistakes I see women business owners make is that they do not collaborate; they miss a lot of opportunities because they do not attempt, or often even consider, partnering, teaming, and subcontracting. I applaud the authors for realistically addressing some of this in Chapter 8 "Arm's Length or In Bed Together: Strategically Aligning Yourself".

Any entrepreneur can benefit from this book. It's a book that you will want to keep around so you can re-read Chapters as they apply to your phase or situation. I know I will be suggesting it as a companion book to the purchasers of my book "Capitalizing On Being Woman Owned".

This book is great in a general way for all entrepreneurs. Hopefully it will provide the information and stimulus that will cause existing and would-be entrepreneurs to do the in depth research specific to their business that will help them be successful in a Super Chic way.

This is a great book! Good tips and ideas--I have had my own business for 10 years and still have learned a great deal. Would highly recommend--easy reading!

Elizabeth Gordon and Leanna Adams really lay it all out on the table. Putting your business in higher heels is an efficient business strategy for any woman who wants to be a wildly successful business owner and strong woman. I think Ms. Gordon's book, website and blog is of ongoing relevance to all women who want to be strong and independent.

Nobody knows how to write a book about women entrepreneurs like Elizabeth W. Gordon. The Chic Entrepreneur: Put Your Business in Higher Heels tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Gordon impresses with this down-to-earth (and very chic) how-to guide for women entrepreneurs. From knowing your value to figuring out what customers really want and measuring your results, The Chic Entrepreneur is packed with enough vital information to help entrepreneurs run their business while avoiding costly mistakes.

Most importantly, The Chic Entrepreneur is a fun and humorous read. Know that you are not picking up another textbook because Gordon provides us with humorous accounts of life in the business world. This is great book to add to your entrepreneur reference library.

I work with a lot of women business owners. And it's apparent to me that Elizabeth Gordon does as well. She's seeing the same issues that I am.

I found the book very accessible. Another reviewer has stated that some of the comparisons are a bit outrageous. Well, they are. But the point is to have you sit up and take notice. Gordon does well at taking what is new (business knowledge) and marrying it to the world that most women understand -- relationships.

Start with the last chapter. Give yourself the entrepreneurship test -- are you really ready to commit? Gordon says: "Women tend to be eager to commit to relationships, to marriage, to their families, and even to their best friends, but when it comes to committing to business, ironically, women are the ones who can't commit."

Ouch! Yes, it sounds harsh. But I see it again and again. Given a choice between a $300 business education course and a $300 purse, far too many women choose the purse. Owning a business is work, and yet, at the same time it is the most exhilerating thing that you can do with your life, other than raising a family. Both have their own joys and pitfalls -- even more so if you are doing both.

When you first learned to make your way in the world, you did some trial and error. (Try to walk, fall down, get up, try to walk, fall down...) But you also had someone there to hold your hand and help you get the concepts.

Elizabeth Gordon has given you the concepts in manageable language and format. I recommend this book to any women thinking of starting a business, just started a business or hopelessly lost in business. Even if you don't fall into any of those categories, the book is a good read. You will probably pick up something that will lead you to explode your business in the next 12 months.

It is always great to have the chance to glimpse the work process of the masters in photography. This book provides enough information for anyone wanting to better their work in black & white and to learn from the best.

Inspiring, fascinating, revealing. Ansel Adams writes "the story
behind the pictures", the why, the how. Not necessarily or always the
"technical" details, but certainly the "artistic" inspiration.
The reproductions of his photos are good, although having just had
the pleasure of seeing the actual photos in Washington DC, they
simply cannot convey the complete splendor and impact of the originals.
Well worth reading!

I bought this book to give to my kids. My mother gave me one 20 years ago. Ansel Adams took portraits of my Great Grand Parents and put it in this book. I want my kids to have copies. If you are a photographer, there is a lot of info about how he took the pictures.

Nice to be able to go back to basics in these times of megapixels and gigabytes.

There are many great books about photography, of which this is just one, but there are relatively few books about how to be a great photographer. On the latter topic this book is exceptional.

Ansel Adams was clearly both a gentleman and a gentle man, who lived to create great images for the pleasure and education of others. We are exceptionally lucky that he left us both his wonderful pictures, but also a few books which explain not only how, but also why some of them were created.

This book covers a photography career of over 60 years, taking 40 of his greatest pictures, and describing how they were made. Although much of the technical advice is still valid today, a lot of it requires on the fly translation from the language of large format cameras and glass plates to the world of digital SLRs, with tiny sensors and vast memory cards. That exercise might put some people off, but it makes you think harder about his advice, and that's a good thing.

However, where this book really scores is with the human stories of how and why Adams made certain pictures. Two examples stick in my mind.
Firstly, how one of his iconic views of Yosemite was made after a day's hard hiking with a full size view camera, large wooden tripod, and just twelve glass plates. He suspected that he had wasted the first eleven, and had just one left for a favourite view of Half Dome. He took extra care with that one, and the results are still thrilling 80 years on.

Then there's his tale of photographing 50s Californian farming families. This is a charming insight into how a great photographer of people develops both trust and ideas, lubricating both with an appropriate supply of beer. You suspect these days were not so hard for Adams as the great Yosemite hikes.

"Examples" also contains some remarkable philosophical insights into the process and role of photography. The one which now sticks foremost in my mind is that enthusiasm for a subject will not create great photographs - you have to visualise the image and its impact mentally, then make it. This is perhaps the single most powerful piece of advice in the book.

In 1935 Adams was concerned that the advent of 35mm would result in a vast number of bad photographs. Yet he was keen on the new medium, because he could also see its benefits. The same page could be written ten times over about digital photography, but you know that had Adams lived a little longer he would have been a keen PhotoShop-er.

This is a good book on photographic technique, but there are others. But there are few books which give such an insight into the soul of a great photographer.

Definitely on my recommended book list. A must read for women in business.

Susan Bock
The Success Coach for Women in Business
www.SusanBockSolutions.com

A fabulous book full of insight into women who are creatively self-employed and employed for companies and adding a feminine touch.

I am enjoying this book very much. I don't feel so alone in my disappointments and revelations about owning my own business. It is nice to read about other women's choices and how they run their businesses. I realize now that I am doing everything the best I can, even though I am flying by the seat of my pants most days. I have also picked up another book called "Zero to Zillionaire," by Chellie Campbell. She is one of the women interviewed in "How to Run your Business Like a Girl". Both are excellent reads and I highly recommend them.

I enjoyed this book very much, especially since one of the profiled entrepreneurs has a very similar business to what my dream is; it was a surprising peek into the work I aspire to create and integrate into my daily life.

As far as information goes, this is not an all-encompassing "what to do" to check off your list as you go about starting a business; but rather, an uplifting and inspiring read that affirms the burning desire within yourself to launch a venture of your very own. Wanna-be-business-owners need to be inspired from time to time as our very creative natures overanalyze details to the point of discouraging ourselves from even making that first step.

Upon beginning the read you are welcomed with the profound statement that if you have a strong desire to start a business, very few things will satisfy that desire, other than starting a business. What a refreshing thing to hear! - that I am not simply obsessed for some odd reason - reading this book helps me come to an understanding of my own entrepreneurial spirit.

We all long to make our mark on this world in some small way, and for some, that mark is to create a company from one's own passion and ideals and vision. At the VERY least, this book is a must-have to reach for again and again for inspiration.

This was a nice book. It points out that women and men typically have different motivations for starting their own businesses. The author says men are usually starting a business for their healthy ego and to make money. And women instead start a business so they can have more control in their lives. There might actually be some truth to that - at least for the older generation of men and women who start businesses.

I'm actually part of the younger generation of men and women born in 1962 or thereafter. And I don't think men and women (my peers) are all that different today when starting a business. Both sexes in my generation are faced with job opportunities that lack security, pension plans, and wages that can be lived on comfortably. Both sexes are faced with escalating gasoline prices without a commensurate jump in their salaries. And both sexes are competing for the same jobs. Both sexes are quitting the corporate world and starting their own businesses today because they see more opportunity AND CONTROL in doing that instead of collecting a W-2.

This book talks about the unique strengths of women, and the author may have a point there. But I don't think (1) trusting intuition, (2) focusing on relationships, and (3) putting more emphasis on life balance are strengths that women have a lock on.

But what men of my generation have an abundance of is male role models in business. And the wonderful thing about this book is that the author has interviewed a few successful women entrepreneurs and documented their stories so women in my generation can read the book and benefit by hearing from female role models in business. Female readers can gain words of wisdom from other women who have been there and done that. And that's what makes this book so good. 5 stars!

PS. A nice companion book to this one is Small Business Big Life (ISBN: 140160336X). Consider giving it a read.

I was given this book as a gift for the holidays and couldn't put it down. The books is easy to read and VERY entertaining. As an amateur genealogist I found the stories heart warming, spine tingling, and most fascinating. It also gave me ideas of what else I need to do to find additional ancestors. I have already ordered four additional copies to give to friends and fellow genealogists.

So many times we associate genealogy with just names and dates. This book reminds us that there so much more to genealogy... the stories of our search, what motivates us, and the reminder that we all have a fabulous tale to tell. Read and be truly inspired!

I bought this book to read one article, but I got hooked. As I read article after article, I found that I couldn't put the book down. The book shares unique stories about everyday people who found information about their own past in surprising and wonderful ways. Now, I find myself telling friends about the fascinating articles that were in this book.

Gems of genealogical tidbits wrapped in one hundred and one surprising and fun stories. I was inspired by, and will never forget, the researchers who thought to ask to actually see the burnt records, the daughter's pursuit of information about her father who died in the war three months after she was born, using the Internet to find a sister not seen for six decades -- or any of the 98 other inspiring, sad, sometimes-scary, humorous or (mostly) very happy stories. Even my friends who are not interested in genealogy wound up carrying the book around to read the stories...everyone enjoyed it!

Megan Smolenyak's, "In Search of Our Ancestors; 101 Inspiring Stories of Serendipity and Connection in Rediscovering Our Family History" breaks new ground in the long-known but little discussed area of the seemingly divine help millions of researchers have known when they commenced to discover their kindred dead. The book chronicles the most remarkable--but believable--instances of individuals who sought to learn of their ancestors and their heritage but who encountered brick walls along the way, only to have the walls smashed by acts of kindness or happy and unexpected breakthroughs.

Some of the accounts in the book border on the miraculous, such as when books fall-off shelves to reveal portraits and biographical sketches of ancestors. There are accounts of distant cousins from different continents meeting in the same county court house on the same day, looking for the same ancestors. There are accounts of microfilmed records seemingly scrolling to the exact spot necessary to find an ancestor. There are accounts of cousins working on genealogy who discover one another by serendipitous accident: one accidentally leaving his genealogy on a photocopier the other was next to use.

In all, "In Search of Our Ancestors" is a life-affirming work, edifying us in our knowledge that we live not just for ourselves and that there is more than this life alone. It is a remarkable contribution to the hobby and the practice of family history research.

As a professional genealogist, I have already purchased dozens of the books and given them to my clients. Everyone should own a copy.

Why buy Sasparilla? Well, the wording is lyrical and fun to read aloud, the pictures are clear, colorful and creative, and its fun to see what the Fink is doing! Both my girls giggle at every page, and even my 9 year old stops by to listen when this one comes out!
This was "our favourite book" in my review of it in 2001, and it still is! I started reading it to each of my daughters at 10 months. Now they are 9 and 4 and the little one still asks for it all the time. Both of them absolutely adored it.
This is the ONLY book they were both wild about from the start. And they are really different kids. If you have little girls, get it!

This was SUCH a cute book - really refreshing and fun to read. Great illustrations and a very catchy style. I bought it for my one-year-old neice and her mother put it on the mantle because the cover is so charming. Compliments to the twin authors and illustators!

Sassparilla is girl of my heart, a young dreamer who knows where to begin, at a very basic level, need; when I was a kid I had a shoe collection, glass, copper, bronze, ceramic, wood, even...the old woman who lived in a shoe.

Shoes are metaphors for dreams, and because Sassparilla dreams from the heart she not only transforms her present reality but starts a path, a path of life dreaming, attracting along the way, other magic, friends--in this case, a cool green one--laughter and joy personified.

Shirley Mozelle, Author: Zack's Alligator; Zack's Alligator Goes To School; and, The Pig is in the Pantry, The Cat is on the Shelf.

I'm a barefooter myself, but if Sassy made me some shoes, I'd wear them all the time. I hope my niece follows her (the authors' and Sassparilla's) imaginative lead in life.

I gave this book to my friend's growing daughter who adores SHOES! I've been told it's been read everyday for 3 weeks straight now! Ironically, the Fink is her favorite. Look out Teletubbies, and hang on to your red purse, Tinkie Winkie...here comes the Fink!

I picked up this book on a total whim. The saying is that you can't judge a book by it's cover, but sometimes that's more true in the metaphorical sense than reality. I admit, I judge books by their covers nearly every time. Some good cover art, or even something clean and simple, and I want to read the back or inside jacket. This cover caught my eye. It's very Playbill meets that Blind Melon video with the little girl in the Bee costume. (No Rain? Maybe? I think? It's been too many years since I've watched MTV and I doubt they'd ever play it anymore anyway.)

It's more than a cool cover, though. It's hopeful, and funny, witty, down-to-earth, and SO inspirational. It's more than a coming-of-age story, because it's also a story of success. It's a true testament to the grit that comes with knowing what you want and being too stubborn to settle for anything less no matter what obstacles are in your way.

This could've been featured in our Biography section, but is reviewed here for its insights on how a Broadway star made it big - despite her lifetime weight problem. Sharon Wheatley weighed over two hundred pounds by high school, but never stopped dreaming of a career on Broadway. Her journey and reach for leading roles would take her to the top and 'TIL THE FAT GIRL SINGS: FROM AN OVERWEIGHT NOBODY TO A BROADWAY SOMEBODY - A MEMOIR tells how.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I am a tall thin straight Male who thought that I might not really understand where Sharon Wheatley is coming from. Her story is so great that you don't have to be over weight to understand where she is coming from. This book is funny, thoughtful and true. It is a worthy read and it is great for anyone who has ever had the need to feel wanted. A GREAT READ AND A GREAT BUY!

It is Amazing what has happened in the first part of her Songbird Sharon's life.
Her memoir is a testimony about whatever life throws at you , you can overcome it. I think we can all identify with mean kids, horrific embarrassing moments, and blaming yourself for things you don't understand.

It is one of the sweetest, saddest, and most inspiring books I would recommend. Hooray for the Songbird aas we look forward to Volume 2 and all its successes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would have picked a different title though- I have known you 35 years, and you were never a "nobody". And how could you sing the Sound of Music to Chopin, Mozart, et., al.???

You did not mention Patrick- the meanest dog in Cincinnati???!!!

I loved this story! It opened my eyes to a problem that I really wasn't tuned in to. An important story to tell. Not only that but I think sometimes we as individuals feel so alone, like we are the only people with problems, Sharon's story of overcoming adversity is a REAL inspiriation.