Bates Books

Nice book. But in this edition, there is no chapter title on each page, so it's a little difficult to track the chapters.

no hype. i couldn't stop laughing as i was reading this. and i mean laughing out loud. in a cafe. with everyone staring at me. but i didn't care. and i couldn't help it if i did. it's just too hilarious.

Like the heading says, this is the funniest book I've ever read. Leacock was a comic genius and this is his best work. Buy it, read it, love it.

Perhaps the finest comment about Stephen Leacock in the last half century is that "he is a
Will Rogers for the 90's."

Rogers, of course, is one of the most beloved of American humorists -- he was killed in
1935 when his plane crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska. Leacock died on March 28, 1944.
Like Rogers, he had been Canada's favorite humorist for decades.

Sunshine Sketches is about Orillia, Ontario, Canada, where Leacock had his summer home
on Brewery Bay (he once wrote, "I have known that name, the old Brewery Bay, to make
people feel thirsty by correspondence as far away as Nevada.") His home is now maintained
as a historic site by the town of Orillia. I lived there for almost 30 years, and the people of Orillia are still much the same as Leacock portrayed them in 1912.

These stories about various personalities in town were printed in the local newspaper in the
1910 - 1912 era, before being compiled into this book which established Leacock's literary
fame. The people portrayed really lived, though some are composites; the events are of a
kindly humorist looking at the foibles of small town life. Once they came out in book form
and soared to national popularity, everyone in town figured the rest of the country was
laughing at them because of Leacock's book and he was royally hated in Orillia to the end
of his life.

Gradually, and this took decades, Orillians came to recognize that genius had walked
amongst them for several decades. (It's hard to recognize genius when your own ego is so
inflated.) Orillia now awards the annual "Leacock Medal for Humor" -- Canada's top literary
prize for the best book of humour for the preceding year.

Leacock died when I was six, but I did know his son, who still lived in town. I delivered
papers to the editor of the "Newspacket," Leacock's name for the Orillia Packet and Times
(where I worked) and the rival Newsletter. The Packet had the same editor in the 1940's as
when Leacock wrote about him in 1910.

But the book is more than Orillia; it is a wonderfully kind and humorous description of life in
many small towns. The American artist Norman Rockwell painted the same kinds of scenes;
it is the type of idyllic urban life so many of us keep longing to find again in our hectic
urban world.

Leacock realized the book was universal in its description of small towns, and in the preface
he wrote "Mariposa is not a real town. On the contrary, it is about seventy or eighty of
them. You may find them all the way from Lake Superior to the sea, with the same square
streets and the same maple trees and the same churches and hotels, and everywhere the
sunshine of the land of hope."

True enough, which gives this book continuing appeal nearly a century after it was written.
All great writing is about topics you know, and as a longtime resident Leacock knew Orillia
well. As for Leacock himself, he wrote, "I was born at Swanmoor, Hants., England, on Dec.
30, 1869. I am not aware that there was any particular conjunction of the planets at the
time, but should think it extremely likely."

He says of his education, "I survived until I took the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in
1903. The meaning of this degree is that the recipient of instruction is examined for the last
time in his life, and is pronounced completely full. After this, no new ideas can be imparted
to him."

In reviewing Charles Dickens' works in 1934, Leacock wrote what could well be his own
epitaph: "Transitory popularity is not proof of genius. But permanent popularity is." The fact
his writings are still current illustrates the nature of his writing.

In contrast to the sometimes sardonic humor of modern times, Sunshine Sketches reflects
Leacock's idea that "the essence of humor is human kindness." Or, in the same vein, "Humor
may be defined as the kindly contemplation of the incongruities of life, and the artistic
expression thereof."

Granted, this book is not what he recognized to have widespread appeal to modern readers.
In his own words, "There are only two subjects that appeal nowadays to the general public,
murder and sex; and, for people of culture, sex-murder." Yet, anyone reading this will
remember scenes from it for much longer than anything from a murder mystery.

In today's world, where newspapers almost daily track Prime Minister Tony Blair's dash to
the political right, Leacock wrote, "Socialism won't work except in Heaven where they don't
need it and in Hell where they already have it."

He described his own home as follows, "I have a large country house -- a sort of farm
which I carry on as a hobby . . . . Ten years ago the deficit on my farm was about a
hundred dollars; but by well-designed capital expenditure and by greater attention to
details, I have got it into the thousands." Sounds familiar to today's farm policies ?

It's what I mean by this being a timeless work.

Leacock himself noted, when talking about good literature, "Personally, I would sooner have
written 'Alice in Wonderland' than the whole of the 'Encyclopedia Britannica'." This is his
'Alice' and it well deserves to be favorably compared to Lewis Carroll's work.

By all measures, it is still the finest Canadian book ever written.

There is at least one author who may remind you of Stephen Leacock, namely Garrison Keillor of Lake Wobegon fame, but Leacock should be recognized as the ultimate master of quaint, bucolic humor. Leacock, who died in 1944, became arguably the most prominent Canadian humorist of his day (and probably of all time). What is ironic about that claim is that Leacock worked for most of his life as a professor of economics. We do not usually equate economics with humor, preferring to think of that profession as one of bow ties and supply and demand charts. Throw that presumption out the window and pick up a copy of "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town," Leacock's best known work available through the New Canadian Library series.

For me, one of the funniest sections of the book was the introduction written by Leacock, where he gives you some background about himself and his profession. This short piece of writing quickly gives you an idea of the type of humor you will find in the actual sketches: a very sly, very quiet and clever type of humor that often takes a while to sink in. Leacock does not rely on rim shot jokes or manic posturing in his writings. Instead, he creates the fictional Canadian town of Mariposa and populates it with small town archetypes that are wonders to behold.

All of the characters are hilarious in their own way: Mr. Smith, the proprietor of the local hotel and bar, full of schemes to earn money while trying to get his liquor license back. Then there is Jefferson Thorpe, the barber involved in financial schemes that may put him on the level of the Morgans and the Rockefellers. The Reverend Mr. Drone presides over the local Church of England in Mariposa, a man who reads Greek as easy as can be but laments his lack of knowledge about logarithms and balancing the financial books of the church. Peter Pupkin, the teller at the local bank, has a secret he wants no one to know about, but which eventually comes out while he is courting the daughter of the town judge. All of these characters, and several others, interact throughout the sketches.

Leacock has the ability to turn a story, to make it take a crazy, unexpected twist even when you are looking for such a maneuver. That he accomplishes this in stories that rarely run longer than twenty pages is certainly a sign of great talent. By the time you reach the end of the book, you know these people as though you lived in the town yourself, and you know what makes them tick.

Despite all of the crazy antics in Mariposa, Leacock never lets the reader lose sight of the fact that these are basically good people living good lives. There seems to be a lot of feeling for the citizens of Mariposa on the part of Leacock, which comes to a head in the final sketch in the collection, "L'Envoi. The Train to Mariposa," where he recounts traveling back to the town after being away for years, with all of the attendant emotions that brings as recognizable landmarks come into view and the traveler realizes that his little town is the same as when he left it years before.

I suspect there is a historical importance to "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town." These writings first appeared in 1912, a time when many people living in the bigger Canadian cities still remembered life in a small town. In addition to the humorous aspects of the book, the author includes many descriptive passages concerning the atmosphere and layout of Mariposa, something instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up in such a place. Nostalgia for the simpler life of the small town probably played a significant role in the book's success.

I look forward to reading more Stephen Leacock. While much of the humor in the book is not belly laugh funny, it does provide one with a deep satisfaction of reading clever humor from an author who knows how to tickle the funny bone. You do not need to be Canadian to enjoy this wonderful book.

Nana Noonan said it best, "Family is the most important thing." And what a family this is--wry, tender, and hilarious at the same time. I love the zingers that go over the head of the thirteen-year old narrator and I can't wait to make my own batch of Telkwa Hall Rum Punch. I'm looking forward to more work from this talented author.

P.S. Don't tell Your Mother is a great book. I read it while I was on the plane and couldn't help but laugh out loud at times. It is not only funny, it is a heartwarming read about the relationship between a granddaughter and her grandmother.

This is a wonderful story of a multi-generational family brought to life through the loving, humourous storytelling of Margo Bates. The descriptions of the small town life in northern BC and its characters rings true. My daughter, city born and bred, delighted in reading the book as much as I did. This is a story of love, acceptance, tolerance and most of all: family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted book, that takes us back to small-town, northern Canada in the 1960's. Through a series of hilarious letters between Maggie and her eccentric Grandmother, we hear about the adventures of some of the town's oddest characters and are reminded that the simple things in life are often the most memorable. Reminds us to laugh at ourselves a bit more often!

Margo Bates has written a most humourous account about her life in the North. I envy her relationship with her Grandmother, and I wish that I'd had one like her. I'm looking forward to the next installment. There has to be more!

Decades ago, Robert Benchley wrote that there are two ways to travel: first class and with children. Had Ms. Bates and Ms. Latempa written this book before Benchley made his remark, he might not have said it.

Storybook Travels is helpful in bringing parents and children into the same experiences -- reading together and traveling together -- with enjoyment. This book is a must for all readers and travelers. What better way to engage your children in your travel experience?

Our family gives this book and a few of the books referred to within it as gifts at birthday parties and baby showers. It is always a hit!

Thanks to authors Bates and Latempa for their delightful and intelligent approach to traveling with kids. We have used books such as Linnea in Monet's Garden, Eloise in Paris, and the Madeleine books in our travels to Paris, but what's impressive about this book is the way the authors have drawn on so many other children's classics as a backdrop for family travel. I write about family travel myself and highly recommend this book --it's a good read whether you are packing to go, or just happy as an armchair traveler.

This book is a great jumping-off point for family vacations in the US or abroad. It will inspire you to travel AND read with your family!

MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE JUST GETTING OLD ENOUGH TO TRAVEL, AND THIS BOOK GIVES ME A GUIDE TO MANY CHOICES OF WHERE WE CAN TAKE THEM (A FEW AT A TIME!) IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A PROJECT WHEN PLANNING A TRIP, AND IT WILL GIVE ME A SOURCE OF CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND A WAY OF DISCOVERING WHAT BOOKS THEY REALLY ENJOY. READING SOME OF THESE SUGGESTED BOOKS WITH THEM AND MAKING JOINT DECISIONS WILL ALSO BE FUN--THE BOOK IS SO WELL WRITTEN AND INFORMATIVE IT MAKES THE IDEA OF SEEKING OUT LOCATIONS OF BOOKS WHICH HAVE SET OUR IMAGINATIONS SOARING IN OUR CHILDHOODS, AND THEIRS, VERY SPECIAL. THE ITINERARIES ARE ALL THERE, AND TOURIST OFFICES,WEB SITES, RESERVATION NUMBERS---AND IT'S HONEST--NO FLOWERY DISCRIPTIONS OF EVERY LOCATION--I LOVED IT!!!!!!

Thirty international locales from books aimed at 3- to 13-year olds are described. Each descriptive chapter includes a few sentences summarizing the overarching experience (with location and age information); a one to two page summary of the book; several pages relating an actual visit by an adult(s) and child(ren); and, one to several pages detailing the specific location(s) involved, including names, addresses, phone numbers and web sites. Also included are a list of twenty-five other literary travel possibilities, including Call of the Wild and Peter Pan, and an index to titles.

The books and sites included are:

The Adventures of Pinocchio, Tuscany, Italy
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hannibal, Missouri and environs
And Now Miguel, Taos, New Mexico
Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island, Canada
A Bear Called Paddington, London, England
The Black Stallion, Belmont Park, Long Island, New York
Brighty of the Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Child of the Owl, San Francisco, California
Eloise, New York City, New York
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, Haarlem Amsterdam and environs
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, London, Windsor and Durham, England
Heidi, Graubunden, Switzerland
Hill of Fire, Paracutin Volcano, Michoacan, Mexico
Island of the Blue Dolphins, Channel Islands National Park, Ventura, California

Kidnapped, Isle of Mull, Scotland
Linnea in Monet's Garden, Paris and Giverny, France
Little House on the Prairie, De Smet, South Dakota
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge, New York City
Little Women, Concord, Massachusetts
Madeline, Paris, France
Make Way for Ducklings, Boston, Massachusetts
Maybelle the Cable Car, San Francisco, California
Paddle-to-the-Sea, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Hamelin, Germany
Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Portland, Oregon
Song of the Swallows, San Juan Capistrano, California
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Lake District, England
The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963, Birmingham, Alabama
Yolonda's Genius, Chicago, Illinois

You can tell moms wrote this book. It's entertaining AND practical. The material is fascinating, well written, and tells you everything you could want to know (except maybe where the bathrooms are located). The contact information makes this an invaluable resource. I hope the authors will continue to write more of these wonderful family travel guides.

Highest recommendation.

Review for Amazon.com of Anne Linden's Book: "Assumptions and Misunderstandings: Memoir of an Unwitting Spy"

This book is a true page turner, (with humor), for anyone interested in the aftermath of the breakup of the Soviet Republic. It focuses on Ukraine and the transition to its current status. The expectations, lack of common understandings and general misunderstandings provide an insight into government in transition.
The author, an accountant, volunteer to the Peace Corps in the `90's has written a frank and honest overview of her experiences during the state of confusion that existed in Ukraine at that time.
The book is also a profile of the author's inventiveness, courage, flexibility, persistence and ability to make friends under very difficult circumstances. The lessons are applicable to many projects, here and there.
I highly recommend reading this one!
Jill Thomas

This book is enthusiastically recommended for anyone who's looking for a very readable and engaging picture of what Peace Corps service in Eastern Europe is like, or for any returned PCVs who want to be entertained by an account of PC life they'll joyfully identify with. The book brings home beautifully the clash of cultures any visitor to a foreign country encounters, and it may also whet your appetite for Eastern European travel--while also providing some valuable caveats about the region, many good laughs, and even a few culinary tips you won't find anywhere else! Read it!

It is hard to be objective about Anne's book since I was in Ukraine at that time. I was sorry when I finished it - wished it was much longer. This book would be essential reading for anyone interested in the former Soviet Union and it's post-independence birthing pains. Well done.

If you ever enjoyed Mrs.Pollifax' adventures you definitely will enjoy Anne Linden's story. Even more, as all events described in her elegant witty style are real and featured with the author's personal perception. And you definetly will be charmed with eloquent Shabunin's illustrations.

I am half way through Anne Linden's book and am captivated by her somewhat dry sense of humor and literal accounts of life immediately after Ukraine's independence. Her stories and personal experiences are engaging and remain relevant to other foreigners working and living in Ukraine today. Much of what she describes is no longer immediately visible to newcomers, and yet the dynamics are all too familiar despite the passing of more than a decade. For those seeking a first-hand account of life after the fall of Soviet rule, prepare yourself for a personal journey through Anne's book.

This book is just great! I never get tired of reading it to my son. We liked it so much that I looked for the read-along cassette on eBay and now even when I'm cooking dinner or cleaning, he can just pop in the casette (the story is also available on CD) and he can still hear it. This story is great- really encouraging for little kids. They learn about overcoming lonliness and finding the stength to carry on when sad or afraid. It's just a great book with an equally great story-line!!

This is another one of those library books we took out and ended up buying a hardbound out-of-print version from an Amazon bookseller. It is that cute and that memorable. In fact, I meant to check 5 stars, but I can't go back and edit my review now - Oh well, no matter, 4 or 5 stars, this book is a winner.

My son just loves this book about the friendship about a big, nurturing farm truck and his friend, "Little Truck", a smaller little farm truck. The two work together on Farley's Farm hauling produce to market on market day. When Big Truck has some carburetor problems and has to head on off to the shop, Little Truck is bereft, but grows by leaps and bounds the two days Big Truck is gone when he learns to be self-reliant, all the while remembering all the things Big Truck taught him about driving in the rain ("keep your lights on the road") and how to get out of the mud ("Easy! Go easy"). When at last Big Truck returns, Little Truck is brimming with pride as he tells him how he remembered all that Big Truck could do. And what does Big Truck say after Little Truck tells him all he remembered and how he took care of himself in Big Trucks absence? Big Truck says, "I knew you could do it!" What a great message for children. The trucks seem like people, and Big Truck is the older, wiser, supportive friend or parent who nutures and supports.

It's a cute one!

Big Truck and Little Truck is a story about two humanlike working farm trucks who share a relationship very much like father and son. Big Truck "taught Little Truck everything he knew" about carting in crops from the fields and how to navigate the big city roads on the way to the Farmer's Market each day. One day, Big Truck is unable to start up and he has to be towed away. Little Truck is worried for his "dad", and frightened of the big tasks ahead of him to be completed for the first time alone. Will Big Truck come back okay, and will Little Truck do a good job on Farley's Farm all by himself?

We have had this book for about 3 years and two little boys now. I don't know how little girls would react to it, but we love it so much that my older son who is turning 6 soon still asks for it. The two year old has recently discovered how fun it is to look for the whimsical details within the larger pictures, such as the chicken family, the cat, and all the other little residents of the farm.

This is a very warmly and brilliantly illustrated picture book for preschool aged children. It speaks to them in a clearly recognizable analogy about the fears kids may have to face if a parent becomes sick or has to be away for a short period of time, and the story shows how Little Truck coped beautifully with his own situation. The bonus is that Big Truck and Little Truck model a great work ethic with lots of love.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

My son, who is now 6, got this book right after he turned 2. In these 4 years we have read the book hundreds of times. It has never lost its appeal nor has he outgrown it. The story is complex (to an adult), it has love, drama, adventure, a strong work ethic and a happy ending.

I have always wanted to write to the author and the illustrator to tell them how timeless and wonderful the story and the illustrations are but more importantly, if only to myself, I wanted to let them know that for 4 years now my son has only called me Big Truck. That's become my name, my whole family calls me Big Truck, my son's friends call me Big Truck. The last time I heard the word "Mama" come from my son's lips was a week after he got the book. I told my husband I want "Big Truck" on my tombstone. To say the book has been influential in our home is an understatement - and we love it.

Big Truck and Little Truck lived and worked together on Farley's Farm and Big Truck took care of Little Truck and taught him everything he knew. That is until the day Big Truck's engine wouldn't start. Little Truck cried as he watch Tow Truck pull Big Truck away. He had never been alone. "I'll be back soon," Big Truck assured him. "Just remember the things I taught you." Little Truck was sad and anxious, but he got right to work. He took all the fruits and vegetables to market. He drove alone on the highway and remembered to keep his lights on the road. And when he skidded into a ditch, Little Truck knew how to go easy and rock back and forth to get himself out. After a few days Big Truck came back home and he looked great. His engine purred and he even had a nice new paint job. Little Truck couldn't wait to tell him all the "big truck" things he had done. But there was no time to talk right then. They had lots of work to do on Farley's Farm..... Jan Carr has written a very tender and sensitive story about love and the fear of separation all pre-schoolers experience, from time to time. Her gentle text is complimented by Ivan Bates colorful and expressive artwork and youngsters will be entranced as they watch Little Truck triumph and become more and more sure of himself. This is a wonderful, reassuring story that helps teach self-reliance and the big lesson that separation isn't forever.

This book is a favorite bedtime book for both our 21 month old and the adults in our house. It's a really engaging and clever story, plus the text is so much fun to read aloud. We also love it because it has all the animals that our child loves to name. The illustrations are simply lovely, and we have a great time picking out the little details like the clocks on some of the pages, and who has a pet bunny. We have had this book since our child was 6 months old and I had been eagerly awaiting the day that it would be appropriate--so it's been a real treasure discovering this book!

Lively language and expressive illustrations offer something for our whole family to enjoy. Our son, who is not quite two, and also not quite ready for bed most nights, loves to laugh at the silly setups (OK, his parents totally dig the irony of fish asking for one more glass of water). Beware, the hamsters in this story totally steal the show! Perl has a fresh, fun voice and a way of making sense of the nonsensical toddler bedtime routine. Bates acrylics really jump off the page. I know this book, unlike some of our bedtime stories, will grow with our son.

This is a very funny and well-written book, as other reviewers have already noted. I also appreciate that dads are featured in the putting-to-bed rituals. Wish it came in a board format so that my little one could turn the pages more easily.

This endearing new book for pre-schoolers ranks right up there with the best of Sandra Boynton's work. A clever, silly and downright fun book about bedtime. And Bedtime with my 2 1/2 year old can be a real chore sometimes! The book is filled with all sorts of silly animals including chickens, bunnies, fish, hamsters, sheep and more. The animals all do their best to stay up past their bedtimes, told in snappy verses that kids will love.

The book is illustrated by George Bates whose style perfectly compliments Perl's text. Great new kids book by a new author that could be a classic someday!

This book has everything I want in a bedtime book. Both my kids (3 and 5) were enthralled (great rhymes; colorful fun pics with plenty of detail, but not so much that we get stuck on each page for 3 minutes.) It's the perfect length (long enough that the kids are sleepier than when we started, not so long that I'm nearly falling asleep) and it finally put to bed (pun intended) my 3 year old daughter's constant question of why she goes to bed earlier than her 5 year old brother. "The farm is just like our house!" she exclaimed when we read it. Now if only I could get their room not to look so much like the pigsty...

This is an absolute essential guide for Dark Ages: Vampire players. It has info on Medieval life, history of the time, religion of the time period, and fictional info on more obscure DA:Vampire bloodlines and disciplines, including the frightening Baali and the mysterious and doomed Salubri. Definitely recommended, excellent reading..... If you're going to play a Dark Ages Vampire game, get this!

If a chronicle is hard to build, it is a dark ages chronicle, not because of lack of plot, but excess of it, there's too much going on with the church, also there's chivalry and clan differences begin to break the vampire society. Certainly it is a good time to have a companion to give you few details.

It expands existing disciplines providing new ones, with even new rituals. The blood lines also prove to be interesting characters that players might enjoy, and storytellers trying to run the dark ages chronicle will find this book quite useful.

While Vampire: The Dark Ages is infinitely resourceful, the Dark Ages Companion is infinitely more so. It has detailed information on aspects of the dark ages which will help any chronicle. Included are several new bloodlines, plenty of new disciplines and new powers for old disciplines, and details on several religions. Possibly the most valuable resource is the new data on combat, including the mass-combat for the armies of the day.

All in all, this product is essential to run a complex chronicle, and well-worth the money.

Great book filled with lots of info on different religions, really helps form backgrounds for npc's. On top of that I also have a pc who is a salubri and It REALLY helps, thank god I found a book that has the discipline of Valeren in it. Anyway overall this book was very helpful.

If you have just purchased Vampire: The Dark Ages, then you will want to look deeply into this book. This book contains information to help make vampire chronicles even more dynamic than before. This volume contains a detailed section outlining the various actions and reactions of different religious organizations. I state organizations because too often the word Church is assumed to mean the Holy Roman, or Catholic Church. Although it was a major power in Europe, there were still plenty of other religions in the world; each religion had its own agenda and these are illustrated in the Companion. Now a Storyteller can be sure throw a massive curve into a Chronicle when Cainites are now confronted by not only Catholic clergy, but also pagan and followers of even more remote religions. What basis of belief do the Assamites follow? It is most assuredly not catholicism. With this book, you can get a slight taste for their beliefs, or the beliefs of those in their homelands.

So that is the church, but what about Cainites themselves? The Companion carries the higher level disciplines for the one listed in the Dark Ages core book. The authors have also included more Thaumaturgical paths as well as power to make better Infernalists. This book carries a wide selection of Dark Thaumaturgical paths and rituals. It also carries a few new disciplines altogether. Wait! New disciplines? Who wield them? This volume also adds four new clans/bloodlines. The Laibon, Lhiannan, and Lamia make their possible First Appearances in the White Wolf canon. Their chapters contain information on their origins, structure, beliefs, and discipline just as it does for all others. The one exception is that it also spells out each bloodline's fate. These Cainites do not survive into the modern days, and now you know why. But, I only mention three, who is the fourth?
The Dark ages are a strange time. Not only does it see the "birth" of a new clan, but also the genocidal hunting of another. Yes, the Salubri are still alive at this time and the Companion provides both a clan overview as well as a long listing of Valeren, the Salubri principle power. For all you veterans, Valeren is not the same as Obeah. Now we have the actual power the Unicorns wielded long ago in Enoch, the very power that is said to have temporarily soothed Malkav of his madness. This alone makes the book worth its cost, but the authors have included so much more.

In summary, coupling this book with Vampire: The Dark Ages will only enhance a chronicle. If players feel they done this before, add a few new religious antagonists, or just drop one of the unknown clans into he story to add danger, intrigue, and a huge new enigma to solve. Do not forget to spice the game with the upper levels of Disicplines. You may have a Brujah or a Nosferatu with a ton of Fortitude, but what good is that when you opponent can strike you from across the room without moving? What good is a ton of Potence and Celerity when your weapons shatter upon impacting another Cainite and not leaving the slightest mark? Who said the "things-that-go-bump-in-the-night" in the night do not have their "things-that-go-bump-in-the-night" as well? Can we say Methusala? Sleep well, childer. Sleep well.

This book is rich in money saving (and spending) advice that makes sense and can be implemented immediately. It is sound and accessible and joyfully bursts with Woodward Bates' wonderfully wry Southern humor. I was hooked from word one and read this book in a weekend. Bargainomics CAN be a way of life! Read it, act on it and take charge of your money.

... and packed full of good sense! Judy's book on "bargainomics" is the everyday companion we all need as we try to better manage our lives. She says bargainomics is "the wisest possible use of time, money, and resources for the glory of God," and that practice in this book covers gift-giving to house-buying and where and how to shop for everything in between. Judy shares personal stories we can all learn from and inspires us with her attitude of abundance in wise living, through first and always a dedication to granting God first place in our lives. Highly recommended!

Judy Woodward Bates has become known as "The Bargainomics Lady" through TV & radio spots, lectures, & her one-woman fashion shows in the Southeast U.S. She defines Bargainomics as the wisest possible use of time, money, & resources for the glory of God. In her first book, The Gospel Truth About Money Management (TGTAMM), she relates to the reader how she has become such a good steward of her resources.

Although it is written from a Southern woman's point of view, I feel that TGTAMM would be an interesting & instructive read for men & non-Southern Americans, too. Mrs. Bates' ideas for managing & saving money & time are simple, practical, & down-to-earth, & she extensively references them to Christian principles & Biblical passages. She covers credit ("Don't do it!"), shopping (for food, clothing, shelter, automobiles, & gifts), travel, & "other stuff." I am sure that every reader will learn at least a couple of helpful lessons.

TGTAMM is a quick read, written in a light-hearted conversational style. It would make a good gift for family & friends. I look forward to future books from Mrs. Bates.

This book may be geared more toward women, but I found a lot of helpful information all the way through it. More importantly, I found it to be exactly what the name implies: soundly based on Word of God. Anyone in any financial state can benefit from reading The Gospel Truth...

While a lot of books offer advice on how to bail yourself out of credit debt; how to protect your retirement investments; and these sort of things; there are a limited quantity of books out there that offer practical, everyday advice on cutting expenses on the things you deal with on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This book is for the reader who says, "I want to know how to save money NOW!"

From the closet to the kitchen, the grocer's to the mall, I've packed this book with how-to's that can put anyone on an immediate money-saving course. Most importantly, the emphasis of the entire book cover to cover is that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we need to understand that our financial circumstance, whether scraping by or affluent, should not influence how carefully we manage money. What should influence our management is understanding WHOSE we are and living accordingly.

The message is solid. The writing is light-hearted and broken into easy-to-read chapters on topics from home-buying to hand treatments.

Fantastic book. Great introduction to standup with the aim of incorporating humor in every aspect of your life. Great exercises as well. It is also quite humorous, which, for some reason was a surprise!

The title says it all. This book definately delivers... with no need to leave a tip! ;)

This is a funny book and much more! Great humor to help relieve the sadness of recent events. Also very empowering. I'm a definite "type A" ... lead a very successful and stressful life.
By pumping up my sense of humor and using the author's tips I feel much more relaxed and in control of stuff. Another great side effect is I've discovered laughing my way to sleep helps me sleep soundly and wake up in a good mood. I now relish my nightly reading time. It's like having a good box of chocolates, without the guilt (I'm Catholic). And with my new humor muscle, no one's falling asleep on me any more during my presentations. My only complaint is that I will reach the end soon and there is no sequel yet. I just may read it again.

It is beneficial to presenters because:

It is an easy read, entertaining, funny & instructional. For anyone wanting to be a comedian, a professional speaker, or just wanting to add humor to their life, this is a must-read!

If you want to learn about laughing, personal benefits of humor, why we laugh, or how to see the funny side of life, this is a great place to start.

If you are a professional presenter, or want to be, this book takes you, step by step, through the hows and whys of finding and using humor.

It explains types of humor, how to remember and tell a joke, how to prepare and present your humor.

I have implemented several of Roger's tips in my presentations and in the Therapeutic Humor class that I teach.

HOW TO BE FUNNIER gets a five star rating. For speakers and entertainers this guide is a must read. For everyone else it's a fun read . . .with much to be gained. The material is mostly inside tricks and techniques used by professional comedians and humorists. It's presented in a very funny and very easy to understand and easy to use manner. It's something that anybody can put to use since everybody can benefit from a stronger sense of humor. The examples are great! You see exactly how it's done and whether you want to improve your ability to be funny, write funny, delivery funny, be quicker witted, recall jokes and stories or just have a stronger sense of humor in general it's all there and very easy to follow. It's even makes a good "self help" book for improving attitude or moods. It has the widest variety of humor and humor styles I've come across. My appreciation for humor has skyrocketed since reading this.

I'm a professional speaker and I've read all I can find on using humor. This is the best book I have found on the subject. My speaches have gotten so much stronger just using a few of Bates's simple humor tricks. Highly recommended.

I had this book when I was a child and I remember really enjoying it. So when I saw this book cover with the little bunny's tooth in the chocolate pudding, I just had to get it for my daughter. She really enjoyed it in first grade. She's in second grade now and still likes it, but getting a little less interested. Then again, she hasn't lost a tooth in a while. I am sure once another one gets loose that this book will be making frequent appearances at bedtime again like it did last year.

The is one if the books I loved as a child, and someday if I have a child, I will be reading this to her/him! I remember getting lost in the illustrations...and reading it again now, it has a lot of humor.

This was the first book that my wife learned to read as a girl. Now we read it to our little girls. I had forgotten how funny the story is both for the kids and the adult reader.

This was such a joy to find! When my child lost the first tooth I looked every where for this book but couldn't find it. Within the past two weeks I found it here. Once the book arrived I read it to my child & my husband. Both loved it as much as I do. If you can get a copy of this hard to find book I would encourage you to do so. You won't be sad as you explain to your little one where their teeth go once the tooth fairy picks it up.

I bought this lovely book for my grandson after he lost his first tooth, but haven't given it to him yet at the request of his parents. Little Rabbit is pretty self-aware for someone so young. She is not sure if she is going to buy into the Tooth Fairy story. So if you want a child to absolutely believe in the Tooth Fairy, no questions asked, please keep in mind that the book can be "thought provoking."