Big Books

Common sense was at the right place at the right time, written by the right person. It created an inflection point that changed the world!

Most major changes in life are cause by events called inflection points. An inflection point is an event that changes how you view the world, who you are, or your life in general.

Think 9-11. People in the United States felt safer before that day. After 9-11 we realized our vulnerability to terrorists. There are many inflection points in our history.

Tomas Paine's Common Sense created a major inflection point in history!

In early 1776 Thomas Paine published a 46 page pamphlet called Common Sense. It helped inspire the writing of the Declaration of Independence and motivated a nation to start a revolution.

The book was written for the common man and was estimated to have sold 120,000 copies within three months of publication and 500,000 copies within a year. It is worth noting that this was in the United States when there were only 3 million people--and many couldn't read!

John Adams and others had been arguing for the United States to become an independent nation. The release of Paine's Common Sense was the inflection point that caused the nation to become independent.

Thomas Paine used his Critical Thinking skills to determine that the time was right to inspire the people to take action. He argued convincingly that the young nation had to make a choice for independence now--not later. Paine explained that within fifty years the personal interests of individuals who would acquire status and money by then would resist such a change. And, the colonies would be more established and would resist such a change.

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right." ~Thomas Paine


The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

This book was originally written as a pamphlet in 1776. It was crucial in advancing the thought and spirit of the American Revolution to the masses. I found this book to be amazing in how forward thinking the author was. Declaring "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind". He spends the first part of the book logically explaining that Monarchy is wrong and having heirs to a throne is ridiculous. He uses the bible as part of his argument that kings and kingdoms are man made and the origin is corrupt so they should be done away with. He goes on to explain how a fair practice of representation in government could take place in the colonies after independance. He writes that America had no logical need to submit to Great Britain's dominion any longer and that after the treatment America received, she had every right to independance. Paine predicts that America would emerge as a powerful nation with its natural resources and location. He says that the pride of kings results in wars. He states that in a monarchy the King is law, in a democracy Law is king. This book is a wonderful trip into logic and reason concerning Americas independance, I enjoyed it. Thomas Paine's vision of America came true, and you can read that vision in this book.

If you want to know the truth about how the U.S. began, and why, read this work. It is very different than what we hear from Washington DC and through the media. Don't read if you prefer keeping your head in the sand. Not for sissies.

"Men read by way of revenge."

A forerunner of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, Common Sense should properly be regarded (at least in a historical, though not a legal, sense) as one of the founding documents of this nation.

Paine makes the case for independence in strong moral terms, clearly based on the Enlightenment political theories of John Locke. The list he gives of the Crown's abuses should already be familiar to the reader from the Declaration (Jefferson did not give sufficient credit to Paine for his obvious influence on that document), though Paine's recounting is somewhat more detailed, as he could treat the topic at greater length in his pamphlet.

Paine also offers suggestions in some detail about a Constitutional Congress and the drafting of such a document, and based on the course of subsequent events it seems that the other Founders took Paine's suggestions to heart.

And of course, few other books in history (and particularly non-fiction works, since art can have a power that plain argument does not) have so effectively rallied public opinion.

Read this book. You will be surprised, even if your expectations were already high, and you will certainly be inspired.

This was a required reading for a graduate humanities class. John Keane's biography succinctly showed that Tom Paine (1737-1809) was the consummate revolutionary and a daring adventurer. Not only was he an important figure in the American Revolution, but he also traveled to France in 1791 to give that revolution a push. Paine traveled from England, just in time to stoke the flames of the revolution with his pamphlet Common Sense, in January 1776. To call Common Sense a sensation in the colonies is actually a bit of an understatement. It was an unparallel sensation and monumental work of Enlightenment rhetoric that quickly fanned the flames of rebellion throughout the colonies. In four months, over 120,000 copies were printed in the colonies--over 500,000 copies by years end. No other pamphlet printed in seventeenth century America came close to its success. Most importantly, Common Sense served to get the colonial patriots to drop their fear of open rebellion, and also emboldened those delegates who favored declaring independence from Britain. The delegates now had the confidence that a large segment of the colonists would support rebellion. Similar to the Declaration of Independence, the philosophical ideas in Common Sense are primarily from the English philosopher, John Locke (1632-1704). The most moving quote from the pamphlet became quite prophetic, when one considers the impact it ultimately had on the delegates in the congress, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, and on the world. "We have it in our power to begin the world over again."

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I heartily recommend this timeless classic to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.

What a fun introduction to the world of dinosaurs! And yet with plenty of information to challenge the most avid dinosaur fans--in fact, this is a handy resource for anyone. If nothing else, Barton's crayon-box colors are addicting.

This has been my son's favorite book since he was about 8 months old. I was suprised how well he took to it as such an early age. He is now almost 14 months and still can't get enough of it. It is the one book he will look around for and really insist on having at his high chair during meal times. Agree completely with the other reviewers who mentioned how fun it was to make the dinosaur noises and that the "long sharp claws, long sharp teeth" part is especially fascinating for the child. Even when i don't have the book handy, just by saying the opening lines...a long time ago...there were DINOSAURS -- brings a delighted smile to his face every time.

He also enjoys "My Car" by the same author although that book is not as simple (i.e., talks about car needing oil change, obeying traffic laws, etc.).

Excellent book for the young dinosaur fan. Good drawings, informative writing, and definitely keeps the attention of my most active grandchild (age 3)!

This is my son's favorite, and mine too! Although he's only six months old, I've been reading to him almost every day since he was old enough to pay attention, and he has loved this book from the word go - probably because of the bright colors and simple shapes, but maybe also because when I read it to him it's fun to make "dinosaur noises" and roars, which he finds very entertaining. Although I have read this book so often that I have literally memorized it, I'm not tired of it yet, and that's about as high a recommendation for a baby book as I can make!

This book is a must have for reading time. My one year old boy has loved it since birth (well almost birth)! He really likes the part about "Long sharp claws and long sharp teeth! " It brings the house down. Yet, it still ends with a sleepy touch.

Get it... or regret it!

This wonderful book is much more than a collection of hunting and fishing stories. The author has the rare ability to take his readers with him on both his physical adventures and his philisophical journeys. These journeys delve into the heart and soul of a particular location.

The stories told here take us from familiar ground to the far corners of the planet. Each account includes well-researched observations on the local natural and cultural histories. McIntyre's interpretations of wilderness values and hunting ethics are thought-provoking and profound.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, even those who have no interest in hunting or fishing. If you enjoy visiting truly wild places, or are simply grateful that such wild places and wild beasts still exist, this book will provide much satisfaction.

Tom McIntyre is one of the last great storytellers. His gift with a pen places the reader right in the middle of all the action. The subject matter within the pages of this book is broad. It ranges from an account of a fantastic woodcock hunt in Ireland to the pursuit of the most dangerous African cape buffalo but never once will you loose interest. Be it his candid views of the cultures surrounding the hunt or the excitement of the actual hunt, you will leave each chapter with a better understanding and respect for both the hunter and his prey.

"Dreaming The Lion" is far from the traditional "hook and bullet" prose found in most of today's hunting publications. Rather it is perhaps more of a modern day Hemmingway approach. It is factual, adventurous and all with just the right touch of humor. All of which I found quite refreshing.

If you are a hunter "Dreaming The Lion" belongs in your library.

Ed Noonan
Member of the Outdoor Writers Assn. of American and
New York State Outdoor Writers Assn.

Tom McIntyre is a writer with a distinctive voice and an exceptional talent. His style has pith and elegance -and humor and intelligence. For a couple of decades now (maybe a little more) he has written some of the best prose we have on hunting. "Dreaming The Lion" is a treasury of his finest work, and will prove a delight for every literate hunter.

This is by no means a somber book, but it is a thoughtful one. Reflecting on the prospect of hunting in his native California, McIntyre writes, "The best thing would be to hunt the country you were born into, to make it even more your home. But what if your native country is not only a place, but a time, and what if that time is past?" Not exactly the kind of bang-and- brag drivel so common to lesser hunting writers, and to an unfortunately increasing number of "sporting" publications.

"Dreaming The Lion" is a collection of choice pieces, (mostly about hunting, especially but not exclusively about big game,) connected by one-page, inter-chapter selections from an ongoing African diary. In this safari narrative McIntrye appears more as protagonist than hero; he screws up sometimes, misses badly on occasion, has his ups and downs just like we, the readers, probably would. The book's final section, the title essay in three parts, recounts another African adventure and by any fair standard must be judged one of the finest pieces of hunting writing in our time. Comparisons to Hemingway and Ruark and Capstick or anyone else are as unnecessary as they are trite. McIntyre is his own writer, speaking with his own voice in his own (for a hunting writer, not entirely fortunate) time. Enjoy him.

When a writer conveys an experience he conveys something of himself. Thirty years after reading him, when I think of Robert Ruark in Africa, I remember his honesty in writing about fear and booze and his struggle to live up to his own image of what he wanted to be, as much as his insightful observations of a safari. When I think of Hemingway, the exquisite craftsmanship of "The Green Hills of Africa" is overshadowed by his chest-thumping competitiveness and dishonest self-aggrandisement.

In "Dreaming the Lion," Tom McIntyre brings all the unabashed, unapologetic masculinity you would expect in a book about hunting, but he tempers it with the thoughtful intelligence of someone who thinks about his actions and their consequences, who thinks about the world around him and his place in it. And more: he brings a refreshing mastery of the English language and a wit as quick and sharp as a skinning knife. This is a book about ideas as much as actions, written by a man who doesn't suffer fools gladly, and who sees the world he loves slowly and irrevocably vanishing. Read it and dream of Africa.

In a just world, Thomas McIntyre's Dreaming the Lion would be considered a classic. While it is definitely a "hunting book" it is also literature in every sense, and superior to such curiosities as Hemingway's True at First Light.

McIntyre has hunted everywhere from the Rockies to the Arctic to Africa, not to mention his native California, whose degradation he describes movingly in the essay "Blade Hunter": "...no matter how Californian the armature of my soul may be, in the end it is insufficiently rigid to keep me here until it's all barricaded away and I am reduced to stalking Norway rats in the storm drains with the broken-off shaft of a nine-iron tipped witha fluted point knapped from a glass insulator, til all that's fit to live here is cockroaches and Keith Richards."

McIntyre's essays range from the dark to the humorous to the moving, though always free of the easy sentimentality common to lesser "hook and bullet" writers. He has not only been just about everywhere; he has read just about everything, from novels to history to biology, and thought long and hard about it all. He would never scorn the meat or trophies produced by his hunts, but his real quest is for meaning, experience , and the wild within and without.

If you are a hunter who has not read him, you will find things here that you will find nowhere else. If you are a nonhunter or even an anti-hunter who wants to understand the soul of the hunter, start here. As McIntyre says, "Welcome to the wild."

I especially like this book as it can be read on at least two levels. The initial story is catchy with the rhyming words and plot. The older child can also enjoy learning about the various types of birds depicted in the story. It gives a mother or a teacher much to discuss with the child.

This book, along with TOP CAT by the same author, are my kids' favorite books (ages 6,4 and 2). And I love them, too! I never tire of reading them out loud, although both of my older children can recite the book and "read" it themselves now. We checked it out from the library and kept renewing it over and over because the kids loved it so much. We finally bought our own copy and I know the kids are going to fight over who gets to take it with them when they move out 15 or so years from now. :) It is a delightful story and I love how Ms. Ehlert labels everything. I especially like the details provided at the end regarding the birds shown throughout the book.

Entertaining, colorful, informative --- what's not to like? I have to admit, however, that I feel sorry for the cat.

Another favorite of my 3 1/2 year-old daughter, along with "Top Cat" by the same author. Hmmm...is it possible that Top Cat or his little brother is the cat in "Feathers for Lunch"?

That aside, the pictures in this wonderful book allow a child a good first look at several North American birds, and the text introduces your child to their birdsong. All the birds are "drawn" (I believe they are actually designed by paper cut), to actual life-size.

This is a wonderful little book for children to learn some common American birds and their calls. The story is about a cat trying to catch a bird for lunch but the bell on the collar keeps giving him away, hence "feathers for lunch" but the illustrations are almost all birds such as the Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Morning Dove, House Wren, Northern Flicker, etc... My little boy actually likes Ehlert's "Top Cat" better, but this story has seen many readings. My boy can tell the difference between several birds that he sees in his backyard. Recommended for the little birders.

Jan Brett again blends beautiful artwork and easy to follow text that parents and child alike enjoy. My daughter enjoys the complex artwork and tries to predict the next page by the preview drawings. Highly recommend for ages 4-10.

As a dog lover this was a great visual book to share with my children who love dogs too. The story is about a boy who befriends a wolf-looking dog back in cave man times. The illustrations are superb and the story is good too.
A. D. Tarbox, author of ALREADY ASLEEP (fall 2006)

The First Dog is truely a wonderful book. I run a day care and this book is the favorite of all the children. We have all of Jan Brett's book yet this one remains the most requested. Thank you Jan Brett for bringing so much pleasure to so many children!

The first dog reminded me of my dog an me. If you
have a dog of your own you willl like The First Dog so come an buy the book for your self you will
like the story. The First Dog.

There were lots of animals in the story that are cool.

Being a 3 time breast cancer repeat offender, this book rang more true than any of the others I have read. I was beginning to feel guilty about not having a spiritual experience until I read this book. Also I was getting quite peeved about "the race" because they don't interview people with multiple occurences. They only show happy, happy, happy faces of those with 1 occurence. What are we, chopped liver?
This book has made me rethink my advice to first time offenders. It is certainly the most honest book I have read about this awful disease. I highly recommend it to any breast cancer patient or family member of patient.

Part memoir, part how-to book, "The Five Lessons I Didn't Learn from Breast Cancer" has universal appeal for all sorts of cancers, even the "non-female" kind like my non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Though there are plenty of how-to tips for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, I enjoyed this book because of Lewis' take on the "Tyranny of Positive Thinking" and the pinkapalooza cartel. I respect her choice not to call herself a "survivor," though I wonder if it's really because, as she says, Death wasn't at her door, but rather sent her a "Thinking of You Card." (For me, Death had pulled into the driveway and parked the car.) Never whiny and often downright funny, this book is a must-read for anyone who has been sucker punched by cancer.

Picked up this book after my second breast cancer diagnosis. Shelley describes her experience much as my own, the first time round. Cancer is not a gift, you get through it as best you can and you do what you need to keep it from overwhelming your life. There is much humor and a realistic career woman's world view in her experience. I wish I had had this book as a reference my first time round, instead I had thought myself callous for trying to get through it as undramatic and simply as possible. "Doing" cancer, as you "do" your life never occured to me before, but it will give me resolve this second time round. Great book. Thanks to Shelley for her honesty and for sharing.

Being a recent breast cancer "survivor" the title of this book caught my eye. It is a quick read and funny and, best of all, true. If breast cancer has touched your life in any way, you will enjoy this book.

This is a wonderful book, an intelligent and deeply personal account of one woman's experience with breast cancer. At times poignant, at times laugh-out-loud funny, Shelley Lewis does not hold back in describing her journey from diagnosis to treatment to recovery. With a sharp and cynical eye, she pokes a thousand holes in the breast-cancer-as-essential-on-the-path-to-true-enlightenment script put forward by scribes who would have you believe that breast cancer is a gratifying experience, (chicken soup for the soul, if you will), without which you will never find the true meaning of life.

Shelley also takes on the cause awareness industry that reaps the benefits of breast cancer awareness, (Pink Ribbon Barbie anyone?) and challenges the medical industry and our government to work harder to isolate the causes of breast cancer and to better treat the disease once it's found.

This book is recommended reading for friends and family of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. It will give you great insight in to the best ways to be most helpful while the one you love is going through this cancer.

Most of all, for any woman who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and is overwhelmed by the choices that need to be made, bewildered too, and maybe just a little out of sync with the breast-cancer-will-change-you-make-you-a-better-person crowd, when you are quite sure you were a pretty fine person all along, this book is most certainly for you.

I had this book as a child and I can remember making my parents read it to me over and over. I used to bring it to babysit with me and read it to the kids that I was watching. I recently purchased this book for my children, ages 1, 3 and 5 and they really enjoy it. It has cute pictures and a great lesson about determination, a dream and trying your best!

This is an excellent children's book. I totally disagree with Hook's assessment that this is uninspired. It has inspired our family. Anytime something is difficult my 5 year old states "anything is possible with a little practice and determination".

This cow makes her dream possible even in the face of others laughing at her. A good lesson in "not having to go along with the crowd and peer pressure".

This is one of the few Jack Kent books currently in print. Buy it now before it, too, is OOP! Jack Kent was not only a delightful story teller, but he was a wonderful illustrator. Cute story sure to please toddlers & preschoolers (even young elementary).

My parents bought this book for me in 1973. It has always inspired me to try harder no matter what. I now share my copy with my children and plan to buy a copy for each of them. This book would make a wonderful first book for any child (a baby shower gift for my brother)or an addition to any adult's book collection. Buy it, share it and live by Ms. Mooley's moto "all it takes is a little practice and determination"

Several times a day my two year old will place himself squarely in front of my wife or myself and simply demand "Mrs. Mooley!"

That's about the best endorsement I can give for a children's book.

This tale is of a cow who is inspired by a misplaced book of nursery rhymes to accomplish one -- the cow jumping over the moon.

All of the other animals laugh at Mrs. Mooley as she practices for her attempt. Their laughter turns to wide eyed adoration as she clears the moon on her final attempt, just as dawn is breaking over the barnyard.

As Mrs. Mooley states: "all it takes is a little practice and determination."

We initially found this book in one of my husband's cycling catalogs and thought it was cute. We went ahead and ordered it and it has turned out to be a big hit with our 2-year-old daughter. It is also very educational in terms of using real cycling terms and teaching the kids that winning is not always everything. Highly recommended!

great experience with this seller.
received in timely manner and book was in great condition.

I thought it was very good. I like the animals. And I think Gracie is a bit like me. And I liked that Grandma was scared to get her ears pierced.
Lucy - 7 (with her Dad's permission)

This book is a wonderful story that provides a positive message to children. If you try hard you can accomplish anything. The author applies some of her personal experiences that children can relate to in today's society. I hope to see more from this author. My neice loved it. I recommend this book for ages 5 and up.

The book is very well written with lots of good lessons. The illustrations are amazing. A great buy for sure!

Hank has compiled a life time of insight and wisdom into one book. The book uses a bulleted format to provide answers and insights into many of todays burning business issues. Some ideas you will be familiar with. Others you will quote often in your own communications. Hank has a provided a valuable resource for any business executive.

Mr Moore has toutched the right buttons for me. Understanding the tremedous cost to 'doing nothing' has spurred me on to make an effort to be pro active.

Jack Welsh, while at GE, once said, "If the change on the outside is greater than change on the inside, the end is near." Hank Moore has written the Manager's lifeline in dealing with omnipresent, dynamic change. His book covers everything from strategy to the need for employee training. In each chapter, Mr. Moore gives the reader compelling reasons to take certain actions or attitudes in order to succeed in the difficult business world of today. And in most chapters, he offers simple-to-understand lists or snippets that make it easy to apply his concepts. His material on slogans, oxymorons, acronymns, and the proper usage of English and wording is extraordinary -- and much needed in business. His ideas on customers and advertising are tremendous. Mr. Moore is quite a visionary himself, a very successful consultant with five U.S. Presidents, and his extraordinary talents have led to an effective set of concepts captured in this book regarding vision, change, and success. He makes a strong case for taking action in those areas. Visionary thinkers are hard to find. Read the book, and become one! Every manager MUST read the book, own the book, and PRACTICE THE BOOK!!

Science has learned, recently, that we cannot understand the nature of the entire being by breaking it down into sub atomic particles and removing it from the natural environment.

Thanks to Hank Moore, we now have a credible Big Picture Thinker who has the life saving prescription for business of all sizes in these most dynamic of times. Take a step back, look up and all around and with the conviction of Corporate Responsibility, take an ethical look at the entire Business Tree from the roots to the leaves. Then, define the ethical vision required for the long term growth and prosperity of the business. Only this process will gain and maintain the trust and confidence of the stakeholders.

Hank Moore's book, The High Cost of Doing Nothing is a work in harmony. He harmonizes the details of doing the right things with a complete understanding of seeing the "Big Picture." This book is invaluable for business planning and growing your business. I'm glad I have it and will continue to recommend it to my business associates.

Don't let the size of this book (less than 150 pages)
Fool you. It's so full of practical tools, that I felt
as if I'd purchased a much larger volume. If one
exercise doesn't appeal to you, don't worry, there
are many others you can try. And it's funny too. How
many other self-help books can claim humor as part of
their process? Best of all, I really got to see how
I've been sabotaging all the things I really wanted: for
years, I've blamed my circumstances, not my "buts." That
was a big Ah Ha moment!


"Kicking the Big But Syndrome" is based on Eddie
Conner's successful workshops, so you get the benefit
of having attended several of his upbeat sessions. And
yes, changing a bad habit does take a little
effort---it doesn't happen overnight. (My personal
"but critic" was not happy the first few days of this
program, BUT he's backed off a lot.) Each day I get
better and better at this. Thanks, Eddie for making me
aware. I can't wait to see what unfolds.

Eddie Conner uses his easy-to-read, humorous style to show us how we sabotage ourselves daily when trying to get what we want. It made me realize I was my own worst enemy. It is a must read for anyone who has issues with money, career or relationships. His book will help you see how to change your mindset and get what you want out of life, not just accept what life gives you.

This is the "diet" book for your soul!!! With humor and incredible wisdom, our struggles in life are explained to us. But even better, we are given tools to "shrink" our but!! Thank You Thank YOU!!!

Eddie Conner has done a masterful job. I laughed as I learned and felt that I held in my hand the key to living a fulfilling life!

Eddie Conner has done a masterful job. I laughed as I learned and felt that I held in my hand the key to living a fulfilling life!