Berg Books

If there is ever one word to describe this book, its powerful. What a concept...that suffering is never meaningless, but a vehicle of purposeful intent and that we, as eternal souls, planned to use certain challenges to foster growth not only for our own souls but for the sake of our soul group and the universe at large. Putting it into a context like this, suffering has a whole different meaning.

According to the book, those around us also plan our lives intertwined with ours and all decisions are made out of love, no exception. I now think about my own challenges and those who have played a key role in my own personal growth and look upon them with gratitude and not judgment, including the "villains" in my story, because they fostered the most growth out of me. I am only now beginning to see the perfection of life. Aside from clarity, this book will bring healing and infinite comfort to those going through extreme suffering in their lives by learning there are no victims in this world.

Part of me picked up this book to find comfort for my own inner wounds. I cried when I read the words "Only the courageous plan fear" for I knew, that was what I intended to heal and have been working on it for years, having them dissipate one by one.

It has been a long time since I closed a book and felt warm, comforted and knowledgeable. The author takes you by the hand and guides you through this information with compassion, grace and great wisdom. I just cannot fully express how wonderful this book is. It is absolute perfection and if I could, I'd give it more stars. If there is ever a book I'd recommend, it would be this one!

I absolutely love this book! I knew that we had pre-planned our lives before reading it, but it explains it so well with people's stories to show you examples. I really hope I can get my friend to read it as I think it will help her to understand the reasons for some of her challenges in her childhood and now. EXCELLENT BOOK!

Wonderful reference book for anyone researching reincarnation. Answers many question as well as raising them.

Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth?Best book I have ever read on the subject of Pre Birth Planning. So well written and easy to relate to. It has brought great healing to my life and I continue to explore all possibilities. It has certainly given me a better understanding to life and knowing that everyone is on a journey to better their soul. A must read for anyone on a spiritual path to healing.

Everything always makes sense when you can see the big picture. This book provides a glimpse into why events we perceive as "bad" happen, through a varied collection of individual cases.

Our lives in this "reality" are just learning experiences, to expand our awareness of ourselves, we agreed to before we arrived on the planet.

I met Bob Burg in a business convention in Los Angeles area. Bob Burg is truly a great person who really practices what he teaches. He is a person of honesty, humility and integrity.

I bought all his teaching materials, CDs, tapes and books; and this "Winning Without Intimidation" book is a must-read book for everyone who wants to get a promotion at work, and to increase profits for their business.

This book will teach you how to negotiate better, to sell better, to communicate better, to understand people and one thing that I love the most about this book, it has taught me to develop a positive aura by appreciating other people around us.

This "Winning Without Intimidation" book has helped me to receive many promotions at work and it has helped me as a communication professional to meet more clients and to deal with them more effectively.

I have a lot of respect for Bob Burg for who he is. He is real, he always answers his email personally, and he has shared his wisdom, knowledge and understanding in the communication and networking area that has totally changed my life for the better! Thank you Bob, you are amazing!

I really recommend this book, it is worth the investment!

This book will change the way you talk. If you can't I'll understand, but if there is any way your could I would apprectiate it. You will win with other as well as win with yourself when you read and put into practice the suggestions in this book. I would suggest every married man read this book for it has the power to change the way you speak to your wife! Awesome book.

i found this book to be an excelent tool for anysituation you`l incounter in life. most subjects discussed in this book, are simple and common sence, but no one does it untill they read this book and realise those things... my recomendation: a definite must buy for anyone

I would highly recommend this book and his "Endless Referrals" book to anyone who owns a business or is in sales. I was new to Chamber of Commerce and networking meetings, and Bob's books allowed me to step in and have at least a five-fold better impact from those meetings. Quickly become an influencer in your city! Bob Burg's books can help you gain a competitive edge and be more profitable.

Great ideas! If Dale Carnegie were still around I would think he'd be saying "I wish that `How to Win Friends and Influence People' was as comprehensive and useful as Bob Burg's ideas".
This book could be called "Human Relations 101". Filled with great, specific ideas on how to handle everything from tactfully turning down an invitation to politely getting off a call from a fund raiser to negotiating a better price.

Delightful stories of the Hundred-Acre Wood and all of its lovable characters. Pooh and friends have quite a few adventures (or misadventures) in this collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stories. The stories remind me of childhood, making them special each time I reread them. I wouldn't even be able to choose my favorite chapter in this book -- each one is full of wonder, laughter, and Pooh.

The charming and timeless story of Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh, their friends and their adventures. I truly enjoyed this more than I thought I would. After all the years working at TDS where we had the Disney version of Winnie-the-Pooh shoved at us from all directions, I'd taken to having a distinctly soured view of the bear and all his friends.

It occurred to me one day that I had never actually read the original, and thought maybe I should give that a chance, and am glad that I did. It's a simple and direct story, and proved to be a joy to read.

What does it say of a reader who, as an adult, reads 'Winnie the Pooh' for the first time - and - and - feels it one of the best novels he ever read.
So pristine, so perfect - would I have appreciated it as a child? Who knows (I was too busy feeding my literary hunger with comics). Anyway I have my copy of 'Winnie the Pooh' on the top shelf of my book case, next to the others I consider great (Ulysses, 1984, Great Expectations ...) for all to see.
And who can contest that for "I am a bear of very little brain, and big things bother me".

My 2 1/2 year old loves this! It is soooo much better than letting her watch tv as this uses her imagination. I'm very happy I bought this.

This book was such a sweet little something to come home to at night. This book isn't just for kids, but for adults too! relax and enjoy!

This is one of the most poignant books written about figure skating history. I knew the story of the 1961 tragedy, but this book focuses on each skater in ways I've never seen done before. MUCH more here than just a focus on the famous Owen family. Good reading, well worth the price. ORDER IT!

If you are a fan of figure skating, this book is a definate must read. It opened my eyes to things about skating and competition that I did not know as a former figure skater. It is a wonderful tribute to the skaters of the 1961 U.S. Team.

In 1961, the greatest tragedy in U.S. figure skating history - and possibly world figure skating history - took place when a Sabena-Belgian Airlines Boeing 707 developed problems trying to land at Brussels airport. The plane nosedived into a farmer's field, killing everyone aboard. Among those on board were 18 members of the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating team, who were heading to the World Championships in Prague. This is the story of those skaters.
This book focuses largely on Laurence & Maribel Vinson Owen, as well as Stephanie Westerfield, who were the most well-known members, but also mentions skaters such as Laurie Jean Hickox and Doug Ramsay. It talks in-depth about the training & competitions they went through to become U.S. Figure Skating team members, as well as the terrible accident itself & how it affected U.S. Figure Skating at large - especially the rush to produce new skaters to replace those so tragically lost.
Journalist (and adult competitive figure skater) Nikki Nichols has done an excellent job in telling the very real stories of these people who were the Americans' best hopes for 1964, and never got to perform. Most of today's figure skaters have never heard the sad story of the 1961 US team, and this book is an excellent telling of their story. Highly recommended.

.......the Vinson-Owen legacy in its fifth generation.......?

This is the story of the 1961 American figure skating team whose plane crashed, outside Brussels, en route to the world championships in Prague, killing all aboard and changing the face of American figure skating forever. Previous reviewers criticize the author for relying so heavily on speculation, but for an event that happened nearly five decades ago and many of the people who could tell the story are deceased as well, I think she did an excellent job.

To me, the biggest scandal in the book was not the Laurence Owen/Stephanie Westerfeld rivalry, but rather the dissolution of Stephanie's family shortly before the crash. Her parents have both been dead for over 20 years and therefore cannot tell their stories, but to have a child who was a champion figure skater AND a budding concert pianist.....are there enough hours in the day?

Maribel Vinson-Owen didn't seem to be the most likable person (a vast understatement) but she blazed trails without realizing it. A Radcliffe graduate, the first woman sportswriter at the New York Times, AND she nearly destroyed her coaching career by allowing a black skater to practice at her rink? That took some guts. This skater, Mabel Ferguson, continues to promote skating to the black community.

This book is a quick read, and I ordered it at the library the day before seeing "We Are Marshall", about a plane crash that also killed 75 people. The Sabena crash officially had 73 casualties, but one of the passengers was pregnant and a farmer was killed on the ground by falling debris. It doesn't look like things have changed much regarding the treatment of crash survivors' families, but that's another book altogether.

Most of the 1961 performances can be viewed on You Tube.

I truly enjoyed this book. One of my best childhood friends died in the 1961 plane crash, her name was Laurence Owen. This book brought back many memories of a wonderful young girl taken far to soon. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Figure Skating. It gives insight to many of the wonderful people who died on that February day.

ISBN 0399231935 - A quick glance through the pages of the board book edition from G. P. Putnam's Sons didn't give me high hopes for this book, but I have - once again - been surprised by what can work in a board book!

The owl and the pussycat hop in a boat and head out to sea, where Owl proposes in song. They buy a ring from a pig and are married by a turkey... and that, you have to know, hardly tells the tale at all.

In few, very well-chosen, words, Lear's story can hardly be done justice in a simple recap. Jan Brett's illustrations are just slightly less difficult to put into words - the detail initially seemed to me to be a negative: young children tend to like simpler, less busy, illustrations. I think this is one time they will happily learn to love the busy-ness. The remarkable detail of everything, from Owl's feathers to the individual fronds on the palm trees, adds gorgeous depth to the book.

In addition, a second love story - told only in pictures - takes place, courtesy of Brett. Pussycat carries a yellow fish (we're going to call that one a girl) in a bowl onto the boat and the fish is seen on every page. Underwater, another yellow fish is seen "talking" to other underwater animals and each one he talks to joins him as he follows his trapped-in-a-bowl love, until Owl and Pussycat unknowingly have an underwater parade following them. Is everyone eventually with the one they love? Of course they are! Very well-worth picking up for your short person!!

This is a beautifully illustrated version of _The Owl and the Pussycat_. My three-year-old son absolutely loves looking at the whimsical pictures of the fish and other sealife that are abundant in this book. The pictures are done with beautiful colors and have their own story.

What a beautiful version of Edward Lear's poem. I've always been a James Marshall fan, but this book is absolute tops for his illustrations. The colors are glorious, the characters, as his always are, deftly and lovingly handled. I understand that it was his last work, and it's a shame that it is out of print. Buy it, save it, and pass it around.

Jan Brett's Caribbean-inspired illustrations for the classic Edward Lear poem are teeming with life, and the effect is stunning. The colors, textures, and shapes are a visual treat. Each page also has a different pattern of "straw" border, adorned with a different tropical flower.

The pictures overflow with detail, to the point where there's even a sub-story (pardon the pun) involving two yellow fish.

I didn't give it the full 5 stars because the way the text is broken up across spreads makes it difficult to read the poem with any kind of flow, and because some of Brett's admittedly gorgeous illustrations could (and perhaps should) have had more of a connection to the text. For one notable example -- there's no pot of honey on the boat, and we never get a look at the money wrapped up in the five-pound note!

But there's no denying the beauty of the illustrations, and the Caribbean theme works surprisingly well. This is a great book for anyone -- for newcomers to the splendid silliness of the poem as well as for old fans of the poem who are looking for an edition with fabulous illustrations.

I have always liked Lear's rhymes, especially this one, but more than the rhyme, it's the illustrations in this version that I like. We live in Florida and all our sub-tropical and tropical flora and fauna is in this book, beautifully illustrated and very recognizable to my 3 year old daughter. Following along with the secondary story of the two damsel fish (I think they're damselfish, but if they're not, the fault is my fish identification skills, not Brett's illustration) is really fun for her too. A bit further south, but still full of recognizable plants for us Floridians, is another of Jan Brett's books, "The Umbrella."

I bought this book for one story but it turned out all of the stories were great.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings always makes me cry. The other reviews of this book here describe it so eloquently and throughly that I don't feel the need to add to that aspect. The book has a strong emotional pull that made me cry and made long to go to Cross Creek and see it for myself. Rawlings is one of my all-time favorite writers, ever since my seventh-grade teacher read the newly published book The Yearling to her class, a chapter or two each day after lunch.

Wonderful view of an isolated place in FL (near Gainesville) circa 1930 written by a brave, independent woman.

Cross Creek is a series of entertaining if perhaps embellished anecdotes relating to Florida in the years preceding World War II told from the perspective of a educated emigré from the North. Some of the language, which was typical of the times, would no longer be considered politically correct and might be offensive to some. The book, however is totally delightful and gives some insight into life in rural Florida at the time. An excellent companion read is Tom Glisson's The Creek, which gives a native's view of the same time and area. Both books are a must read if you live or are interested in North Central FL.

Rawlings explores the lives and interations of the odd assortment of people living in Cross Creek, Florida in the early 1900s. It is often assigned reading for teens, but I doubt that most of them can appreciate it. Her accounts of neighbors feuding and subsistance living gives us many lessons in human behavior.
The lyrical descriptions of wildlife and the orange groves and wild landscape are very appealing. Your mouth waters as you read her essays on downhome foods like hush puppies. She turned those into a cookbook which I'll have to try out.
Modern readers squirm uncomfortably at her use of the N----- word and her characterization of blacks as irresponsible, drunken, immoral, etc. It is probably a faithful representation of common thinking at the time it was written, so recognize it as a snapshot of the times. Then move past that to luxuriate in the beautiful passages in the book. (I deducted 1 star for this)
The reader becomes absorbed in Rawlings' love of the land and the creation of a home. It gives much the same feelings as A Year in Provence or Under a Tuscan Sun.

This is one that you want to savor and read again and again. Well written, it evokes the sights and smells of the South and Caribbean in the early days. You hate to see the characters grow old and things change as Wilder weaves you into the lives you are loathed to leave. I will keep this one close, to reread often.

The book is BIG, but is easy reading, and the characters soon seem more like friends. You'll find yourself continually referring to the family tree.

I bought my book at a Daytona Beach flea market for 10 cents. The price on the cover of this 1964 Bantam Book is $1.95. But it's well worth todays price!

Thank you Robert Wilder (1901-1974) for one of the best books ever written!

It was lying on the floor. I picked it up while waiting for the dryer to finish. In those 15 minutes I got hooked, and never stopped reading for three days. That was about 40 years ago, I know it was in the 1960s. Most marvelous story book I ever have read. Would like to read it again, since after so long it would be a new book again. Lucky you if you have not read it yet. Enjoy pls.

As my eyes were scanning the final sentences of this epic tale, I somberly realized that I was at the last moments of saying goodbye to a new friend, wishing that we had just a few more minutes together. I whimsically bought this book, having never heard of it and without reading any review. Immediatley, I experienced that feeling of pleasant surprize as I held in my hand a treasure I had accidently unearthed. The characters are superbly developed and subliminally creep into your thoughts hours after you put the book down and as you go about your daily affairs. You wonder what Bahama and David will do next, or what spellbinding adventure Juan Cadiz will embark upon when the sun rises again. To me, the mark of a good book has always been to what extent you vicariously identify with - or aspire to emulate - the characters. As this book nears its end, you are left with a papable sense of nostalgia, yearning to, again, re-live life with these wonderful people. Now, I glance at the bookshelf often to find that re-assurance that my friends, the Cameron family, et al, are still there waiting for our next visit together! READ THIS BOOK.

A wonderful book, anyone who has been to the gorgeous,
captivating waters of the Bahamas ... Exumas will find
a special tug at their hearts in this book. Anyone who
had family that left the states seeking another way of
life will feel the magnetic pull of this book. Anyone
who ever dreamed of living in the almost indescrible
beauty of the islands will understand it all. One of my
favorite books of all time, it is an unforgetable journey
when you travel with the characters in this book. The best!

Daughter of Ancients was definitely my favorite book of the series! It was a good ending though I think that Berg left room enough that she could have written more novels in the same world, so I am a bit disappointed that she didn't. Really a great series and good example of how talented Berg is to have been able to pull off something so complex.

This series has it all:

1. In depth characters
2. a good plotline
3. just a touch of romance
4. a whiff of magic
5. Strong storyline.

Miss Berg does not stray from her first intention, she does not stray from the morality of her characters, she makes them blossom, come to live and evolve like real people.

In fact it's all about the main characters and the magic is crucial yet second in command.

For me this series is well-thought, thorough, the characters jump of the pages into reality and well I enjoyed it a whole lot.

It's intriguing, surprising, unpredictable and yet a constant.

Well done

The whole Bridge of D'Arnath series has been riveting. The last of the series is not anti-climatic like many wrap-up books. It is a very good book.

Gerick, once a Lord of Zhev'Na, shows where his true loyalties lie once he's exposed to the magic of the Dread Lords. A very exciting book, no doubt the best of the series. It winds its way from viewpoint to viewpoint, never losing the feeling of impending climax.

A great book of a good series. I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Carol Berg, in my humble opinion, is the very best living writer of "dependable" fantasy...i.e. nothing that offends my sensibilities, but transports me to a place I'd like to be, filled with people I'd like to know. While I consider each of her books I've had the privilege to read as safe territory, her characters are anything but safe, each generally beat to a pulp one or more times in each story line. Some would consider this violence excessive, but it always moves the story forward and promotes the philosophy of pain and hardship's place in selflessness. A lost concept in the cocoon of ease and comfort in which most of us dwell.

Daughter of Ancients delivers all the promise of the preceding Bridge of D'Arnath books. It is satisfying, suspenseful, rich and so very human...with the delightful tendency of Carol Berg to often surprise us thoroughly and tie her plot lines together without the too-tidy endings that so many authors fall into. Thank you, Carol, for the gift of your imagination and the concise nature of your beautiful writing!

Berg's work rallies all aspiring authors to the cause of sainthood for Max Perkins...maybe even deification. He tracks Perkins's career vis-a-vis the literary careers of important 20th century American authors. Gives a peek at the largely ignored man behind the curtain...and stands as a monument to his contributions to our literary heritage. A must read for anyone who enjoys books.

Scott Berg's biography of Max Perkins is a warm, sparkling account of America's greatest editor in the prewar period, the midwife for works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe in the twenties and thirties, when big-time publishing converged on New York. Berg's book is cunningly organized: the reader steps at once into the rough and tumble of editorial work at Scribner's, leaving Perkins' early life, marriage, and family to be described in concise digressions taken only after we get another satisfying dollop of publishing history. Unhappily, once Perkins has delivered his discoveries to the public, the rest is mostly about their boozy extravagance (Fitzgerald), bullying ego trips (Hemingway), and petulant indiscipline verging on insanity (Wolfe). So even if, for this reason, you stop two-thirds of the way through, your curiosity about this key figure in modern literary history will be very well satisfied.

This is a wonderfully written book, very informative and inspiring for authors, editors, agents and anyone else involved or interested in publishing. Berg does a terrific and subtle job of painting these larger than life characters, allowing their own letters to speak for them. He shows remarkable restraint and good taste and yet has created a book that is enriching and very difficult to put down. Highly recommended!

Scott Berg has written a wonderful biography on one of the most important men in American literature, Max Perkins. Berg's book is well-written and very entertaining. It is more than a biography of Perkins, it is also a biography of Hemingway, Scott Fiztgerald, and Thomas Wolfe, and a portrait of America during the first half of the 20th century. This is one of those books that I could go on and on about. It is a book that everyone should read.

Max Perkins was the great editor at Scribners who handled quite a few of the finest writers of the twentieth century, F. Scott Fitzgerad, Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe being especially noteworthy (and dealt with at length in this biography). One might envy such a man with such a job, but Berg makes it clear that having to deal with the likes of these authors was like walking around with a huge millstone around Max's poor neck. His job was endless and thankless (Wolfe actually betrayed him). You see from the many letters quoted that many of them are blatant pleas for money. Saying that Perkins had to coddle some of these authors like children would be putting it mildly. Berg does an admirable job relaying Perkins's life and hard times. Recommended.

I have about 5-10 books teetering on my bed at any one time, each one clamoring for attention, and I have to say this is the one I reached for in that precious half an hour of chill time before sleep every night. It was so refreshing to read a genuinely funny book that is NOT SNARKY (it's so easy to be a snark, harder to be funny and human). I really look forward to Mitchell's next book!

Kudos to Mary Mitchell for sharing Starting Out Sideways with all of us! Her first novel is both funny and heartwarming! Ms. Mitchell does a great job capturing the audience's attention by giving life to some wonderfully likeable characters. Her Long Island descriptions and characterizations were right on the mark and I loved the opportunity to see glimpses of many real life people that I've known in her characters. She weaves a delightful tale that is bound to make you smile!
Best of luck to you Ms. Mitchell! I look forward to what you might have in store for us next!

Mary e. Mitchell's novel `Starting out Sideways' is not just a fun book to read but a book that makes you think and wonder why things happen in your life. I could relate to this story, of love, anger, anxiety, confusion and humor. I read of towns I know and have lived in. Rosie Plow reminded me of me, even when it came to her weight problem. Her character development happens so easy that you don't know it's happening, until you say, "Well, son of a gun I didn't know that was going to happen." She has twists and turns with every chapter keeping the reader wondering and asking questions in their mind, then she ties those loose ends up toward the last quarter of the story.
Her way of handling the mentally challenged person is done with grace, comedy and deep down emotion. Thank you for reminding me what it's like to be in a `real' family. Kudos' to you Mary e. Mitchell. Hurry up, I want to read your next novel.
Rose Marie /rm Lamatt

Roseanna Plow is one of the wittiest, wisest, most enjoyable characters I have read in ages. With humor she tells her tale of her cheating husband leaving her for Inga, her best friend. Roseanna's Ma vexes her with the most hilarious antics that are to "aid" Rosie. Her clients, mentally disabled people being acclimated to life in the main stream, all provide hilarity as well as warmth. She discovers a very hidden secret that totally unnerves her and yet the book never bogs with "woe is me" ideology. The cast of characters that support Rosanna are truly just that....eccentrically funny characters.

This is such a wonderful read; if you need your attitude adjusted, need a good laugh and a solid lesson in accepting life, or if you just want to have a breezy time putting your life on the back burner, then this book is tailor-made to fit.

Wonderful story that you should treat yourself too.

How to describe this book?.....The characters are so diverse and all of their experiences so easy to relate to....as someone said, you feel that they are, or have been, a part of your life/neighborhood at some point in time.

Rosanna's "chosen" surname (Plow) was appropos, for she seemed to be "plowing" through her life, with all it's twists and turns, and yet, learned invaluable lessons along the way. Mary Mitchell dealt with common life issues (death, the mentally challenged, infidelity, divorce, conflicting family personalities, etc.) with UNcommon insight. The issues were deeply moving, but handled with the ability to see the humor in even the most difficult situation.

An easy, enjoyable read.