Bennett Books

Wild Hearts On Fire is the best book in the series. I think The character Kimmy should open up more and be more confident that she is a good guitar player

On the surface, Dean Bennett's "The View from Chamberlain Farm" is an exhaustively researched history of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Below the surface, it is a petition to use the Allagash as a template for the foresight, the courage, and the persistence required to preserve the wilderness, as well as a warning of the continuing threats to the integrity of the founders' intent. Deeper still is the author's worshipful approach to the inner peace and personal fulfillment which comes to the human visitor capable of giving himself over to the spirit of the refuge. The historic component is excellent, starting with the earliest Indian settlements following the retreat of the glacier, ten thousand years ago, and right up to Governor Muskie's dedication of the Allagash in 1970. In the intervening pages we meet Henry Thoreau and his Indian guide, Joe Polis, the founder and operator of the Chamberlain Farm, David Pingree and E.S. Coe, naturalist John Burrows, guide Lucius Hubbard, Governor Percival Baxter, who donated the 200,000 acres comprising Mt. Katahdin, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, and the man to whom the Allagash owes the most, Robert Patterson. Against unimaginable odds, Patterson won a life-defining struggle against an adversary comprised of the Federal Government, the powerful landowners and their forest products industry which bankrolled them, and even the State of Maine, which at the time was a "company state." In an era when environmental protection had none of the cachet, none of the funding, and none of the legislative framework, or judicial precedent which it now enjoys, Patterson, Douglas, and Muskie locked arms to leave a legacy of controlled-access wilderness. Bennett leaves the reader with Robert Patterson's firm admonition, "Lesson Number One: Never relax."

This is not a book for the masses, nor is the Allagash itself a destination for the masses. It is written for the reader of the natural history of the lakes, forests, and rivers comprising the Allagash. And with its multiple layers, and with the stories of the saintly men and women whose names will forever be associated with the Allagash, the book leaves us with hope for a kind of spiritual redemption that is found only where vistas still remain as the earliest humans found them. Bennett picks up the mantle of John Burroughs, who wrote in "Wake Robin," in 1871, that his mission was to "depict the immediate, total harmony between man and nature."

The other books in this volume are Four Hundred Million Customers by Carl Crow, The Return to Religion by Henry C. Link, North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh and An American Doctor's Odyssey by Victor George Heiser.

This is a great story. There are great voices on the tape so if your not sure whether to buy it because of they voies don't worry. In this tape you will experince Pooh geeting honey with a balloon, Eyore having a birthday party, Piglet meeting a heffulump, and MUCH MUCH more!

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Florrie Binford-Kichler, Founder of Patria Press, Inc.- an award-winning independent publisher and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Wireless Spectrum Finder has come full circle. It was originally published as SpectrumGuide in hardcopy, then published as an electronic book, and has now reverted back to hardcopy, published by McGraw-Hill. I was permitted to see a review copy of SpectrumGuide, and while it was tremendously useful to have the ability to do keyword searches, I like the book format of Wireless Spectrum Finder even better than I liked SpectrumGuide. Wireless Spectrum Finder is an annotated list of the various spectrum allocations in the US. In that role, it's extremely valuable to see Kobb's notes on how a particular chunk of spectrum came into use (and often what use it served prior to being reallocated), how it is encumbered, and what "special features" it has. Kobb basically works his way through the spectrum, and handles what could be a dry and dull job with grace and humor. In the sections of particular interest to me, such as 902 - 928 MHz, 2.4 to 2.485 GHz, etc. Kobb does a very credible job of explaining the varying (and at times conflicting) uses of a particular chunk of spectrum. At one point I offered some feedback that Kobb didn't make particular note of the fact that 2.4 - 2.485 GHz was heavily used by ISP's using Part 15 equipment, and that comment was included in the next issue of SpectrumGuide (and was incorporated into Wireless Spectrum Finder). Of particular note is that Kobb maintains an online errata list on his web page. This is particularly welcome for a reference work. I highly recommend Wireless Spectrum Finder. It's an excellent reference work and I find it indispensable in my work as a writer dealing with wireless issues. It has found a permanent home on the "gotta be within easy reach" top shelf of the bookcase behind my desk.

In this volume we have a large collection of stories, some long, some short, of witches, and poems of withches. Actually, there are fifteen. The authors range from William Shakespear, to Charles Finger, Aileen Fisher, Rowena Bennet and many, many more. The collection is well ballanced and can best be described as just "fun." Perfect for reading during this season. Most of the stories have a great lesson to teach. I note that kids love them and all of the adults I know who have read this one, have enjoyed ever word, myself included. The illustrations by Vera Rosenberry are very well done and go with the story perfectly. For a wonderful, mischievious time infront of the fire with the kids or grand kids, I do recommend this one highly. It should be noted that most of these stories have become something of folk tales in our culture now, which means they need to be retold and remembered by the young ones. A further note: Some parents do have problems with stories about witches, etc. That is the reason kids have parents...to help make these choices for them...parents, if you have a hang-up with the subject, well...gosh, do your job.

I am extremely pleased with this little book. As an art teacher I am constantly searching for informative books like Wolves for Kids. This is the perfect "tool" I needed to lead the children into their art project. Finding information that captures and holds the childrens attention is not always easy. Too often I have to rely on encyclopedia renditions and lose their interest before we even begin the art. This book is filled with wonderful photographs. It provides a factual and compassionate exploration into the world of wolves. My students responded with great enthusiasm and thoughtful questons (the true test for success!) After reading the text of Wolves for Kids I felt I could approach the subject as somewhat of an expert (at least as far as the students were concerned). I definitely plan to order more of Tom Wolperts' books.

I think it was the enticing cover which made me pick up Bennett's latest book, but then of course I got carried away and had to read it cover to cover. What is so impressive is Bennett's analysis of the value of the many very different contributions which the women she profiles have made to the goal of 'altering world order'. The research is impressive: some of the women featured are world famous and some are not, but all have struggled for peace, justice, and a better world. Gathered together their stories, work and speeches make an impressive whole, their true and deeply thoughful voices illuminating the critical issues of our time. Anyone interested in the progress of women in society should read this book, it is an inspiration.

Author Dr. Linda Bennett is a Ph.D. Research Fellow with disciplinary expertise in Medical Anthropology, Reproductive and Sexual Rights, Public Health, Health Education, Southeast Asia, Islam and Health and Youth Health. She is on the staff of LaTrobe University.

Contemporary Indonesian society draws upon Islamic ideals, pre-Islamic customs, and Western models, all of which form a complex web of social norms that are manifested in varying degrees by families and individuals. Bennett artfully narrates how the youth--especially young women--negotiate the boundaries of acceptable social behavior to achieve greater personal autonomy, specifically autonomy over their bodies.

Bennett focuses exclusively on maidenhood, which she defines as the time between puberty and marriage. She starts by providing a background on Indonesian cultural ideals in general, and focuses specifically on ideals of sexuality and gender. She then discusses sexual double standards, the role of women's sexual reputation, its reflection on family honor, and the grave consequences (real or perceived) for sexual transgression.

Bennett provides enough background detail and narrates real experiences to present notions of love, desire and attraction in spiritual and profane realms as they are understood by young women. She then discusses premarital relationships--specifically courting practices. Her examples also illustrate how youths use elopement and love magic for manipulation and resistance.

Towards the end of the book, Bennett outlines a framework that uses Islamic principles to enshrine gender equality, and thus promotes reproductive rights of women--particularly those of single women. Her framework does not start with Western ideals of human rights, but draws upon Islamic religious texts and outlines a gender-based equality of the sexes. Bennett recommends discussing roles and responsibilities in specifically gendered terms rather than within the notion of human rights. She claims that this approach would be sensitive to Indonesian culture and would draw inspiration from indigenous cultural ideals.

Bennett's work is unique in that it focuses specifically on single women. As Bennett resists demographic classifications, she fully explores maidenhood--its challenges and opportunities. She discusses the competing ideals, their complex interactions in Indonesian society, and their sway on Indonesian women. She presents her findings clearly and cogently discusses their implications within the broader framework of young women's lives. The examples peppered throughout the text serve not only to underpin generalizations, but also personalize the issues.

Armchair Interviews says: Bennett's work evokes both an intellectual and emotional response from the reader.