Big Books

AUTHOR: Flora A. Trebi-Ollennu

Numerous African authors have endeavored to describe the African culture especially to anyone alien to it. In this book, Flora A. Trebi-Ollennu tries to describe how Christmas is celebrated in a particular part of Africa. Targeting elementary students, she addresses the extended family structure ( living in the same compound) to graphically illustrate the African adage that states: "it takes a village to raise a child." Thus, she focuses on relationships between father/mother, father/child, mother/child, parents/grandparents, grandparents/grandchildren, and relationships between uncles, aunties, cousins, nephews, etc., in the conglomerate family during Christmas season. Christmas, in Africa is very special. It is one of the most anticipating days of the year. As much as Africa tries to mimic the western commercially based end-of-the-year event, much emphasis is not on boxed presents but on new clothes.

Christmas day is a big day for children to surprise their friends and relatives their new clothes; women showing off their expensive jewelry and laces; and grandparents showing off what their sons and/or daughters have bought for them to mark this special day. It is a joyous day for the young and old alike as they parade their newly acquired attires. Sharing food to neighbors, relatives and friends marks the opening event on Christmas day. This is followed with a church service in the community church. After church, the big party begins in a carnival-like fashion. You will find various cultural dancers singing and dancing for joy. The party may continue to New Year's day.

Those interested in poetry and theater arts or drama, or even those interested in comparative studies of cultures would find this book valuable to read.

Francis Achus
(Teacher)

I think that Christmas is a very interesting thing in Africa.I guess Sweetie Awo was a very young girl she didn't even know when a week had passed.I really liked this book because it makes me think back about Africa.I think it was a pretty good idea when Awo's aunt was very busy baking cake and making chips because Christmas is a very busy time for bakers in Africa.I also think the Ghanaian names you had were pretty good like Dede and Akos.Ghanaian food like fufu and Ghanaian games like ampe.Africa is a very neat and cool place so it makes the story very realistic.I really enjoyed it.Super Duper!

I think this book was awesome. This book made me want Christmas right now! This book has really made me wonder when the next book will come out. The author has really told all about another country and how they celebrate the holiday. This book is very, very awesome!!!

I liked the illustrations. I enjoyed how the illustrations were done on the computer and that they weren't colored. They really described the topic the picture was about. I'd recommend this book for Grade 4-5 girls. It was fairly easy to read except sometimes I had trouble pronouncing the African words(eg.Fuh deh, Jollof Rice). I liked the idea in the story that all Awo's relatives said "nobody quite like Awo" and her nickname was "Sweetie Awo". I also liked the idea of Christmas Huts and how most families live really close together. I enjoyed how Mrs.Trebi-Ollennu described the dresses and clothing of people on "Our Day". I also liked Awo's Grandma's attitude toward everything. This book really made me think about what Christmas in Africa is like. Over all it was great.

Why not celebrate Christmas without snow? Try Christmas in a warm, African setting. A pleasant read that highlights the uniqueness of a child living in Ghanian culture anticipating the holidays as she makes preparations to celebrate Christmas with her family and friends. It reaches the heart of all young readers as they relate to Sweetie Awo's experiences in school, home and church. The illustrations are an informative addition to the story and helped the reader to better understand different concepts such as the "compound house" and a "hairdress". I liked the attention to details such as the foods and their preparations. The glossary was helpful and I can see how teachers could use this book to springboard into further studies of the African culture, traditions and costumes. A treat for adults and children alike.

Here's a story that combines imagination with reality in such a whimsical way that children (and grownups) will appreciate Mr. and Mrs. Doll as they face the pickle they are in. Readers will hurry through the book, hoping that Big Susan comes back to the doll house to keep the promises she's made. Afterwards, you and your child may find yourselves doing some spring cleaning in your own dollhouse. A truly good read.

If you or some little person you know likes dolls and doll houses, read this book to them. Big Susan is the name of the little girl who "owns" the doll house that the Doll family lives in. The story focuses on Christmas Night when the dolls come alive. It is a family story of love, sacrifice and sharing. It is a great book for little people who know their dolls can talk and come alive when they are asleep.
I checked this book out of the library as much as I could get away when I was a kid. My local library burned when I was in high school, and one of the library staff asked if there was anything I wanted as a souvenir. I asked for one thing, "Big Susan. I still have the book and reread it several times a year.

A wonderful book written and illustrated a while back by renouned author and illustrator Elizabeth Orton Jones. Mz. Jones recently passed away and will be sorely missed in our community.

I cannot believe it! I have been looking for this book for 53 years! I had read and loved it to death as a 7 year old - I borrowed it so many times from the school library that I practically wore it out. Once I became an adult I wanted to find this precious book for my own daughter and alas - it was no longer in print. I hunted and hunted!!! NOW - here it is again! I now can share this magical story with my granddaughter! I always thought that MY dollies came to life when I slept each night - that book proved it! A MUST for every little girl and boy to read. Pure magic!!!

Big Susan and I became friends 45 years ago, give or take. But with moving etc. I didn't know where she was. Having seen her advertised I thought I would enjoy her again. My only children are cats, so I couldn't really share Susan with them, which may have been why I lost track of her. Having had a learning disability I read slowly when I was young, I'm much faster now, and remembering her so fondly I gave myself a treat.

Big Susan is a reminder of gentler and simpler times, when things ran on imagination and good will, and not on batteries and lasers. While I loved it, I tend to be from a less bombastic generation, but I still think this is a lovely book that should be enjoyed and imagined with.

For me, this is not a motivational, "oh my gosh, every page is golden," euphoria-inducing book. It's as if you sat down with the author and she said, "This is what I've learned from my experiences." The lessons are real, the humor is delightful and fresh, and you'll take away concepts that you'll quietly integrate into your daily life.

I like it.

CRAPPY TO HAPPY
Small Steps to Big Happiness
By Randy Peyser

This book is quite a scream! Endorsed by everyone from Gerald Jampolsky, Arielle Ford and Swami Beyondananda, Peyser (Former Editor-in-Chief of Catalyst Magazine) has brought 158 on-target, yet hysterical pearls of wisdom, to all of us who have been thinking our way into misery!
With true accounts from her own amazingly interesting and sometimes quasi non-conventional life, Peyser weeds out the "crap" and finds the pot of gold we are all striving for, yet rarely attain.
Where does she find it? Sometimes at the end of the rainbow and sometimes in the middle of a car fix-it garage - she finds it everywhere she chooses to and that's the point. As soon as we focus on the good around us we will be more grateful, happy people, and when we choose to focus on the . . ., then . . . happens!
This book should be required reading for every high school graduate as a manual for how to do life. You will find within these pages simple wisdom at its finest, and get a laugh or two while you're at it. It's the book I wish I would have written first! Well done Randy!
Published by Red Wheel Press, this book is available at . . . amazon.com

Reviewed by Dr. Maryel McKinley

A lot of folks might say Do we really need another book of someone else's life experience cluing us in on how she adapted, improvised and overcame?
The answer is YES. Randy has the courage, the talent, the humor, and most importantly, the veracity of Heart to share with us her story so now "It's Story Time"....
Randy has the wonderful ability of opening up her life and heart in ways that touch your own. This is no small feat. Her words are healing, loving, and inspirational. She has made such a joyous and authentic impact on my life that I am forever grateful to her. Never under estimate truth and love and the power they have to touch your mind, heart, and soul. My little world has been blessed by Randy's experience and her determination to get this life work out there, no matter what...
For this sharing I am eternally grateful. Reading her stories is almost like holding her heart in your hands...what a generous and beautiful gift this is. It is so rare these days to find someone who can truly touch your heart and life. Randy has many gifts, the heartsongs of this book are just the tip of the iceberg.....Randy rocks and rolls her way through it all and takes you along with her on the ride. I love Randy, I love her truth, I love her heart, and I applaud her journey thus far.
Randy, thank you.....for all the light you have given, and all the truth you have told. And for opening up my heart with humor, hope and enough well shed tears of just 'knowing' exactly how you felt or what you meant by "I am Truth's Daughter".... you make a difference. A Big Fat Wonderful Difference. Go beat your drums in celebration.! Send out more compassion and love from the rhythms of your soul....it IS felt.

Tuck this book into you car glove compartment. The next time you are stuck in a traffic jam, pull it out and flip the pages. Pause anywhere. Read. Better yet, read aloud. You'll find yourself smiling, nodding, and becoming re-energized.
Peyser doesn't dogmatically preach at you--she reaches out to you in a delightfully, light-hearted way. She's a pal who understands how it feels to be crappy and who pulls you chuckling into being happy.

I read this book a few months after getting academically dismissed from law school. I was broke, dejected and many of my former classmates stopped associating with me. I was at a low point in my life.
After reading "Crappy to Happy", my attitude improved a lot. Ms. Peyser's heartfelt tales of woe and redemption are perfect for anyone who is going through a rough patch in their life.

Great fun book for young children to emphacize how important they are and how God made them special.

I have read this book before to my sister, Rhiannon, and me and her are quite obsessed with it. We left it at Las Vegas, and now we desperately need another one...one we cannot lose! If we can get our mom to get it for us, we can read it over, and over, and over... It has all our favorite characters, Larry being my favorite because he's really funny and makes me laugh, and the text is easy enough for us to read. It brings us a message from God, that it makes no difference whether you're tall, short, have curly hair, etc., just remember...God made you special just the way you are!

This is a great, oversized board book that teaches an important lesson in acceptance. It teaches kids that God made everyone special in their own way.

It is told in a wonderful rhyme that is typical of the Veggie Tales books. Larry the cucumber is the first to say why he is special. He is green, tall and lean. Next, Bob the Tomato tells how he is round and red. The French Peas are special because they speak with "zee accent" and have a great "French-sounding sound!" Archie Asparagus is bookish and lean while Pa Grape has a white mustache and glasses... which he asks the kids if they have. (This part promptly gets a giggle out of my older son who has glasses, but no white mustache.) Madame Blueberry says how she is round like Bob but her special feature is being blue. Jimmy and Jerry tell how they are shaped like drops and Laura Carrot shares how she is orange with yellow hair. Also included is Mr. Lunt (my personal favorite) who tells how he is special with squinty eyes!

This book is very sturdy and can hold up to many readings. The pictures are big and colorful and fun to look at. Children of all ages will learn the value of accepting ourselves and the differences in others because that's the way God made us.

Highly recommended.

I started to read this to my son when he was 5 months old. He is almost 2 years and still loves it! We do different accents for the different characters. He especially loves the outrageous french accent for the french peas. We are actually having a difficult time getting him to say "tomato" and "cucumber" - he calls them "Bob" and "Larry"!

My son received this book when he was 5 months old and he has enjoyed it since. The pictures are very appealing and the text is fun to read, especially when read with different accents! I loved it so much we purchased a copy for our new niece as a Christening gift. Great message, fun book and a delight for young and old!

With my pregnancy halfway over I am starting to get excited (yet scared) for my only child to become a big brother. At just 2 years old, his world is going to change dramatically, and at this point, I want to do my best to help with the transition and get him as prepared as I can.

A good friend recently bought me this book help with this transition. There are a lot of books out there to help introduce a young child to the prospect of becoming a big brother or sister, but none quite like this. It's not just a book, but a personal journal that you and your child create to tell your own story. I love how it starts with mom's pregnancy and continues throughout the birth of the new sibling, and your child, the big brother or sister, is the star of the book.

It is easy to complete the book -- no real scrapbooking skills are needed. You simply fill in the blanks using a pen or marker, and use tape or a glue stick to adhere photos of your child and family onto the pull-out pages. Each page is laminated and is very sturdy so little hands will have a tough time ripping it.

I highly recommend it! :)

I gave this book and its "Big Sister" counterpart to my friend's children as gifts. They absolutely loved them! They couldn't wait to get started. I'd recommend the whole series!

My daughter is not going to be a "Big Brother" anytime soon, but we thoroughly enjoyed Whitcombe's two other books, we just had to have it.

Although this doesnt offer a lot of information on adjusting to being a big brother this is a great keepsake. My son loves to look at pictures of himself in this book. His new sister isnt here yet but he cant wait until he can put pictures of himself with his new sister in as well. Definitely recommend it.

I bought this book as a gift for my sister-in-law, when she was expecting her second child. She has often said how her son loves it, but also everyone who sees it remarks, "What a great idea. I wish I thought of it!" I plan to stock up on this and the girl version, "Look Who's Going to Be a Big Sister!

The book "Maverick's The Big Story of Big-Wave Surfing" by Matt Warskaw is one of my favorite books. This book is about surfing and its mishaps and adventures. The title of the book is Maverick's, this relates to the book countless times because it is a gigantic storm of waves in California that come every year. There are many different stories, some that are good and some that are sad or not that interesting. This book talks about how surfing has changed over the years. Also how far it has come since 1914. It has some very fascinating stories from surfing a 25-foot wave to drowning and having your last ride. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 because of how interesting it was. I would also recomend this book to all ages because it is such a good book.

This book gives you a feeling of "look at that wave!". If you really want to get an idea of big-wave surfing, find an IMAX theatre showing "Extreme". Then read this book. The photographs are good and the historical information is presented well and has some depth to it. You also get to see pictures of one of the biggest wipeouts ever!

Growing up in Montara just a few minutes north of Mavericks, no one I knew even talked about surfing there. The surfers from the coast surfed the Jetty, and the stronger surfers went to Montara. There were many places around that one could surf, but no one considered Mavericks a surf mecca. No one mentioned it's name.

Seeing is believing. If you have NEVER seen big wave surfing except in pictures you are missing out!...

Enjoy the book. It is a great piece of history about the location and surfing in general!

Look for DVD's and Videos of Mavericks at [their website], taken by locals Eric and Kurt at Powerline Productions.

Not just a nice coffee table book, but also a great story about big waves and big wave surfers. Some of the shots are absolutely spectacular. And what would a book on big waves be without a chapter on Greg Noll - what a character.

This is a fascinating look at the history and sport of big-wave surfing, focusing primarily on Maverick's but also discussing some of the other big-wave spots in the world, such as Todos Santos and Cortes Banks. If you have fond memories of the classic travel and surf-bum movie from the 60s, "The Longest Summer," about great surf spots around the world, you'll probably enjoy this book.

My review concentrates mainly on the dangers, since I was interested in researching that, but overall it's a beautifully illustrated and well-written account of the sport. The author starts with the early history back in the mid-1850s (when a legend has it that a Hawaiian was supposed to have ridden a tsunami back to shore).

I was interested because I used to live for many years near Maverick's, one of the premier big-wave surfing spots in the world, and I was curious what it had to say. I've never been a board-surfer myself, but grew up in southern Cal and did a lot of body surfing when I was younger. One time, I foolishly tried to body-surf a storm-driven 18-footer at Gillis Beach in southern California and got ground into the bottom and held down long enough so I thought I might not get back up to the surface in time. But I survived, and am now older and wiser.

I've had a few other misadventures, such as having been pulled out by a couple of riptides (including one that pulled me underneath the water briefly), so I've always had respect for the ocean, and I figured big-wave riding must surely be even more dangerous. Photos of lone surfers dwarfed by enormous waves have always amazed me and sent shivers up my spine, as I remembered my own scary encounter with a wave. Oddly enough, the author goes to some pains to dispell that notion by recounting various statistics and many anecdotal stories about the sport.

For example, although it's possible for a big-wave to hold a surfer underwater long enough to drown, this is very rare. More likely is for a surfer at the more crowded small-wave sites to get knocked unconscious by someone else's board who wiped out and to drown that way. Or there's the possibility of an unsupervised and inexperienced surfer drifting into a strong riptide. And as the author says, "No big wave surfer ever tested the odds as boldly as the untrained, pot-bellied, beer-staggered, citizen body-surfer."

Mark Renneker, a UCSF physician and avid big-wave surfer, gathered data and compiled statistics on injuries and concluded that cheerleaders were injured more often than big-wave surfers.

Peter van Dyke, another big-wave fan, had some other comments, pointing out that in one recent year, a half dozen Grand Prix racers were killed but not one surfer, and many more bull-fighters were killed. He said that big-wave surfers were so unconcerned about their fitness that they trained on "cake, Kool-Aid, ice cream, and cigarettes." He also pointed out that the last surfer to die at Waimea was Dickie Cross back in 1943. By 1994, no-one had yet died at Maverick's (although that would soon change with Mark Foo's death).

The book also contains a full chapter going into the events preceding and following Mark Foo's death. One of the things that becomes apparent there is that surfers aren't so much killed by the waves as by occasionally getting their ankle straps caught in underwater reefs so that they can't surface. Although no-one to this day knows what killed Mark Foo, it's possible this was part of it, and one of the other surfers had the same thing happen that very day, although he was able to get free just as he was running out of air and get to the surface.

Still, because of the perceived dangers, out of 5 million surfers world-wide, only about 100 are regular big-wave riders.

But as I said, the book also contains a more general discussion and history of the sport from the early days to the present, using Maverick's as its point of departure. There are many spectacular photos, including a fantastic two-page spread of Mike Parsons riding what's thought to be the largest wave ever ridden at Cortes Banks, an open ocean reef 100 miles to the west of San Diego.

By the way, I agree with the previous reviewer about possible huge waves up in Alaska. In fact, in Puget Sound they sometimes get 60-foot waves, and they can get 20 or 30 foot waves at the mouth of the Columbia river in Oregon, where the Coast Guard trains captains in the heavy surf handling of boats. Also, off the tip of South Africa there is an area where, because of the way the ocean currents travel up from Antartica combined with a sea floor that funnels the wave energy, it's thought that 100-foot waves can occur. (In fact, it's one of the few places in the world where large ships occasionally disappear, and it's suspected huge "rogue waves" may be responsible). There was also the finding of the underwater quake that caused a tsunami to go 2000 feet up the mountainside at an uninhabited bay up the west coast of Alaska. No-one saw it but the devastation was so dramatic it wasn't hard to figure out the cause when it was discovered later.

The largest wave ever recorded (at least by a reliable observer) was by the USS Ramapo back in the early 1930s. The ship was about 120 feet long and completely fit on the side of an enormous sea wave that passed under it in the mid-Pacific, and was estimated to be 134 feet high. Now that's a wave any surfer could envy.

My 3 year old LOVES this book. It has over 400 fun, reuseable stickers! They are bright, colorful pictures. I love how it is arranged by letter, then size, color, etc. Great, fun teaching tool.

My two year old daughter received this as a birthday present and she just loves finding the missing stickers. It's a great mommy/daughter time book. If I let her on her own the stickers end up on everything BUT the book. So we do the activities together. It's great for learning and spending quality time together. The stickers are reusable (to a certain extent). I'm actually ordering more versions of the "My Big Book of Stickers" collection since she liked the first one so much. I ordered the Nursery Rhymes one today. Can't wait to get it. I think Mommy enjoys playing with it as much as my little one.

I got this book for my three year old son and he absolutely loves looking at it. The stickers are pretty and the colors are so bright and vibrant.

I bought this for my 3 year old, who exhausted the Priddy sticker books. This book had a lot more interaction involved, asking questions to reinforce numbers, shapes, colors, and more cognitive thinking. The interaction is not overly involved such that it was fun for both parent and child, although it can easily be an activity that a child alone can do herself. I think the stickers in this book, although many are the same as in Priddy's books, were more fun to look at.

I bought this book for my 3 year old and he loved it. This book is educational with bright, fun stickers. The stickers are easy to remove and easy to place. My 3 year old had a great time with this book. It's one of his favorites. I would recommend "My Big Book of Action Stickers" by HB as well. That was my son's first sticker book and it's still his favorite. Both are great books!

The author really gives the cat in this story a voice, not to mention the cat is just like mine. Great story and pictures. I read it to my fourth grade class and they enjoyed it.

This is a humorous look at an imaginary life of Merl the "special" cat. He has his cat people and when they bring a puppy into the home, Merl begins an adventure. Kids love to hear it over and over--the illustrations are also very lovely. I love to read this out loud.

"My dish. My sofa. My chair. My mouse. My Bed." These are the words uttered by Merl, a very special cat and above each two word sentence is an excellent illustration. Merl, who always seems to have his pink mouse toy in his teeth by the tail is a happy, content cat, until his owners bring home a puppy. The puppy dog licks and slurps Merl to no end, apparently not aware that cats and dogs aren't supposed to be friends. Merl does everything he can to discourage the puppy, but in the end finds that nothing he does will shake this dog's love, so he leaves and seeks out a new home.

However, everywhere he goes he has problems, first a lady dresses him up like a show cat, children fight over him and he winds up sleeping in a box on the street until this dog comes by and guess what, that dog is the puppy all grown up and he takes Merl home and Merl decides to be friends after all, but there are a few rules he lays down and they are, "My dish. My sofa. My chair. My mouse. My bed and My Big Dog."

This is wonderful book for children just learning to read. The illustrations are simply beautiful. Your child will just love this. I know my girls did when they were learning to read. Five stars from me for "My Big Dog."

Awesome book! Only thing that I didn't really like so much were the grey people (they seemed to be photographs) that were inserted with the animals) Merl certainly is a very special cat, and I can't think of a reason why any child wouldn't love this book. I'm especially fond of Merl's pink mouse toy.

That aside, the writing is great and the illustration (Aside from the grey people) fit the mood of the whole thing fanatsticly. The 'i'm so irritated' cat face is just perfectly captured.

Our class thought this book was funny! We laughed when the cat, Merl, got dressed up as a girl. Our favorite part was when the kids played tug-of-war with Merl. You have to buy this book! It is excellent!

This is not close to the first review of this book. Read the other listings for much more detail.

I gave the book 5 stars, but it isn't at that level as a piece of literature. However, it is well beyond that level as an artifact of history. As I write this in late 2003, the Denver Post has almost daily obituaries for the WWII generation. Soon they will all be gone. In another 30 years the Vietnam vets, in another 50 the Gulf kids. Each will leave some worthwhile fragments of their experience, this is one of the better ones I've found from the WWII group.

As a Denver kid that had problems with Denver Pub Schools, sat on the bench for high school football, went off to war in Vietnam, flew in the Navy, I found Stiles' book to be a godsend, to understand MY life, and my relationship with my father's generation. Read it because it is a ROUGH manuscript, obviously not well edited, and it is honest, and for any number of reasons, it seems that honesty comes at a premium and probably always has.

The current President, who had the opportunity to really be a combat pilot and did everything he could to avoid it, now poses on flight decks. The current Governor of Colorado, who never did a day in the military, passed out pictures of himself in a flight-suit climbing down from a aircraft wing to associate himself with a strong defense. What a miserable collection of mutts compared to their father's generation.

The remarkable thing about these kids wasn't that they were courageous heroes, but because they weren't and they still got the job done. One bloody, gut-wrenching day at a time. Spin that.

Not much I can add to what others have written about the Big Bird. I first read the book while in college in the late 1960s. Some years later I lent the paperback to a friend and it went up in smoke during a fire. I was stunned and mad because I liked to go back on occasion and read a chapter or two when I felt I needed to read something from Bert. Now, to make a short story long, after years of trying to find another copy, the internet came along and I started to find out about Bert. I began pulling things up and contacting various folks. I came across one fellow and damned if they weren't having a get-together honoring Bert at Colorado College. I was there. It lasted two days and no more than a handful of old folks were in attendence (at the time I was in my mid 50s and I was the second yougest person there). As I was leaving at the end of the remberance a fellow took hold of my arm and asked if I would like to have a stack of books. They were compiled by friends of Bert's some time long after he had died! Of course I accepted them! There were writings ranging back to his high school days in Denver. Some of the stuff is pretty good, some not so good. But, the short stories (sorry, there is no lost novel) I found had a appeal for the time and demonstrated Bert's growth as a writer.

Yes, I too think Bert was on the brink of becoming a well known writer. He did, by the way, write for a magazine in New York. I have the books and I still return to then when I need a good laugh (Bert was quite a wit) or just want to step back into the late 30s or early 40s. There must be 5-6 of these books (private publisher, sorry). The fellow who organized the 'event' is no longer with us as, I would guess, many of the others aren't. My God, most were in their very late 70s or early-mid 80s. Alas the group is leaving us at an astounding rate.

Okay, I'm done now. The book gets 5 stars and I have been able to give you a very brief look at Bert and some of his pals - though not many. Yes, there are other "books" by Bert and you might just get lucky and find some of them.

I first read this book in 1960 and discovered that Bert Stiles was my uncle-Robert Langford's roommate in "Copilot House". I sent my copy to my uncle who subsequently got a copy (long out of print) from the publisher. He said the story was pretty much like things were. He said Bert Stiles always said he was writing a book but then everybody was writing a book. I have my uncle's copy filled with photos of the "Big Bird" full of holes afer Leipzig. The aircraft never flew again. It was repaired and blew up with the sqadron commander and chaplain aboard on it's test flight.

In 1969 I had the pleasure to visit with Richard White a co-pilot in a B-17 during World War II. His plane was shot down over Berlin in 1944 and he spent some months in a German Stalag. He told me that if I really would like to know how it was that I should read this book. I have read it. It is awesome! It is written in a style that had me totally engrossed from start to finish.

When Bert Stiles wrote this book, the war was still raging across the world. It was 1944, he had just completed a horrific tour of duty as a B17 co-pilot, and the memories were fresh in his mind. Even though Bert seemed to be a somewhat sensitive man, some of his words have a callous feel to them. He talks about the officers and enlisted men forming a baseball team, and "..after the Schweinfurt raid, we had to replace the whole infield"-Simply put, so many men had been killed on that mission, no one was left to play on the team. Bert was an intelligent man, a good writer, but he lacked the experience to know when to back out of the war. Passive, intelligent, creative people do not make good fighter pilots. Bert was killed in action shortly after writing his memoirs.

I found out about this book from friends in a citizen's group in Maryland that was fighting a Wal-Mart. They said Al Norman's book was their Bible. I have read other books that are business history titles--but Slam Dunking Wal-Mart actually gives you the information you need to stop superstores in your community. Norman has helped dozens of communities do just that over the past 7 years, and he's become the "guru" of the anti-sprawl movement, to quote 60 Minutes. I found this book more and more useful as I reread it, and I've copied sections to give to my local officials. This is not some pointy-headed academic book--its a good read for the average homeowner or merchant who is looking for arguments and strategies for stopping superstore sprawl. Get one--and get one for your Mayor to read as well! Now I understand why Wal-Mart doesn't like to debate this guy. I was appalled to learn that Wal-Mart has over 300 "dead" stores on the market today. This book also has good info on Home Depot and other logos. The NY Times doesn't know this book exists--but citizens'groups have made good use of it.

I'd be surprised if Mr. Norman's book does not keep you awake at night. I know it had that affect on me. Even if you think you like Wal-Mart, after you read this book I doubt you will ever look at a superstore the same way again. The book also provides a common sense, easy to follow game plan for citizens to fight superstore sprawl. I know it will help us in our fight against the invasion of Wal-Mart on Kent Island.

Sooner or later every beautiful rural American Town will have to deal with the threat of a corporate Goliath like Wal-Mart invading their community. Al Norman's book Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart educates, not only citizen groups, but Planning and Zoning Boards across the country. It also assists them in directly dealing with these inevitable imposters to the quietude of Rural America. If you can't get Al Norman to come to your town (you might be able to if you contact him) - this book is the next best thing. Mr. Norman and his book are presently bringing the Warning Light to the Town of Red Hook, New York (upstate New York, about 60 miles south of Albany). Believe it or not, everybody's listening to Wal-Mart's nemesis. Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart is a must read for community activists and Planning Boards alike!

This book is excellent! A must have for any citizen activist trying to preserve their hometown. It helps citizens organize and fight back! Urban sprawl is the #1 killer of communities. Wal-Marts and Home Depots suck the life out of thriving communities with their wide product base which draws customers away from small businesses. On a larger scale, both stores, because of their large volume purchasing power, force manufacturers to sell almost below cost and this phenomena is largely responsible for the incredible amount of outsourcing in America today. The end result is not only lower prices but in many cases lower quality durable goods. (Not to mention less good jobs!) The companion book, The Case Against Wal-Mart, published April 2004, gives even more insight to Wal-Mart's power over manufacturers and decribes how Rubbermaid was forced to close many of its American factories.
Wal-Marts and Home Depots are traffic magnets. Don't let sprawl clog up your town if you can help it.
Regina Costantino Discenza (www.nohomedepot.us)
Forked River, NJ 08731

If you need help fighting ANY big business, this is the book to buy! It was recommended to me by a friend who used it to successfully keep a grocery chain out of their neighborhood. Now we have followed the advice to keep developers from moving into our small town. The book is easy to read with helpful hints that can be applied to many areas of use. Thank You Thank You for writing this book!