Burns Books

Lots of great ideas for a student/new teacher. Ideas to get ready for that classroom!

I absolutely love this book! I have been teaching for 18 years and have never quite mastered the art of classroom organization. I found out about this book on the author's website when looking for classroom organization tips. This author is clear and exact. I only hope that she teaches middle school at some point and adds a chapter or two that would target organization problems more specific to secondary education teachers. Otherwise, I carry this book around and read it all of the time.

This is one of the, if not the, best books I have ever read on classroom management. All of the ideas are very user friendly and easy to implement. A couple of weeks ago I went to visit a fellow teacher at her lake house for the weekend. Of course I took my book to show her. Well, about an hour after I left I realized I left it there. As soon as I got home I ordered another one because I wasn't going to be able to get my book back until after school started, and I wanted to finish reading it now. My friend was very excited to find out she has a great new book!

I have personally used many of the ideas that Angela Powell describes in her book. Last year I taught a very challenging 4th grade class. I tried everything with no success and finally came across the Token System. It was easy to use and very effective. I am planning on using it again this year when school starts, instead of waiting until problems arise later in the year. In addition, Angela has managed to cover any and all questions a new teacher might have - from setting up their classroom to handling students who want to go to the water fountain all day long. But let me assure you - this book is definitely not just for new teachers. There are lots of great ideas for all teachers - newbies and seasoned veterans alike.

I feel very confident that you will not be disappointed if you order this book. It would be the best investment you could make in your classroom this year.

P.S. Angela also has an awesome website. Visit www.thecornerstoneforteachers.com.

I was an avid fan of her website. For years I've used her ideas and enjoyed the fabulous pictures and easy explanations that accompany room set-up to management and organizational ideas. This book is the best resource you can have. The book is a foundation for any teacher of any subject. Powell doesn't say there is one way to do something. She'll give you some ideas she'd tried years ago, and tell you what's working for her now. We all know that often our classroom students dictate how our systems need to be set up. This book will be as valuable in 25 years as it is now. The documentation chapter is especially important in today's world. Thanks Thanks Thanks to Mrs. Powell.

I have used Ms. Powell's website for years, as a newer teacher, to get ideas and information for making my classroom run as smoothly as possible. The book reads much like her website: she is speaking to you as if you were sitting in the same room having a conversation about management. The tone is friendly and conducive to passing along information about managing a classroom to make the most out of every second you have with your students. The ONLY thing I don't like is that there are no "reproducibles" included in the book -- you have to visit the site to get those. The upside of that, however, is that the downloads are word documents that you can customize which makes it easy to adapt the resources to your specific needs. I will definitely be recommending this book to my colleagues who are just entering the field.

Crash Burn Love: Demolition Derby is a gallery of black-and-white photographs, embellished with a couple of brief essays by photography expert and sports enthusiast Bill Lowenburg. Crash Burn Love strives to capture not only the thrill of demolition derbies, but the lives and feelings of the men and women who participate. Some crash for money; some for the thrill of the sport; some for the feeling of surviving the incredible. The timeless still images range from a shattered car converted into a roadside sign, to people hard at work on their demolition vehicles, to blurred moments of intense action, to portraits of pit crews and competitors. A superb giftbook for any demolition derby enthusiast.

Crash Burn Love: Demolition Derby is a gallery of black-and-white photographs, embellished with a couple of brief essays by photography expert and sports enthusiast Bill Lowenburg. Crash BUrn Love strives to capture not only the thrill of demolition derbies, but the lives and feelings of the men and women who participate. Some crash for money; some for the thrill of the sport; some for the feeling of surviving the incredible. The timeless still images range from a shattered car converted into a roadside sign, to people hard at work on their demolition vehicles, to blurred moments of intense action, to portraits of pit crews and competitors. A superb giftbook for any demolition derby enthusiast.

Small Press Bookwatch from The Midwest Book Review

Crash Burn Love: Demolition Derby
Photographs and Essays by Bill Lowenburg

"Mayhem is just the song that allows us all to dance."
-Bill Lowenburg

It's funny that I got this book right after reading Chuck Palahniuk's new book "Rant" because they both involve demolition derby and amazing visuals. Chuck's book is more of a twisted disturbing visual of the sport while Bill's book shows us the beauty of destruction but they both open the eyes of the reader to a new reality.

The essays in this book sound as though they are written directly to the reader, it's a spoken word book and I can hear Bills voice as I read it. When I first flipped through I saw pictures of dirty people, mechanics, and blue-collar workers; after reading Bills essays, I see sons, daughters, loved-ones, and family. His voice takes away every stereotype that could be put on these people and shows that there's a lot more to life than a job or a boss that doesn't understand what a catalytic converter is.

Bills humor is dry and scattered perfectly throughout the book. When the reader isn't in awe of the photography telling its own story, they are on a rollercoaster of smiles and self-analysis. A line that one of the derby drivers said that really sparked something in me was "the family that demos together, stays together." This wasn't just a sport or a time to get frustration out; it was a time to get together with family and friends. Many of the drivers spend hours putting their cars together and taking them apart again with friends and family, so, maybe they're on to something.

Attention to detail is apparent in his writing as well as his photographs. After eight seasons watching and interacting with these drivers, Bill has found something that many of us would have entirely missed if we went to one or two derbys, and that's that demolition derby isn't about destruction, it's about life, love, and camaraderie.

Flipping through the pages of the book, which are full of black and white photos from various derbys, the reader realizes that many of the spectators want to see the legs sticking out of the hood of one car to be smashed by a car named "Fender Bender," but where Bill was, behind the scenes, a young woman kisses a man before the race with love. The contrasts of reality of these races is explained in the writing and elaborated on in the photographs which can be called nothing but beautiful.

In his last essay of the book, Bill shows the past, present, and future of demolition derby. While its beginnings are uncertain Bill believes that its future is bright. With books like this and "Rant," as well as specials on TBS about the sport, we should all be so lucky to catch a glimpse at the reality of demolition derby. This book deserves a look by anyone that wants to find beauty in a world full of anything but.

Bill Lowenburg's book captures Demolition Derbies like nothing I've seen before. It is exciting, epic, and beautiful. The photos not only capture the crashes but also the drivers and fans. You can tell they were taken not only by an amazing photographer but by a true fan of derbies and the result is exceptional. In the months when there are no derbies by me, it doesn't get any better than looking through "Crash Burn Love" . This is a must have for fans of demolition derbies and Ameircana but the quality of the images makes it perfect for anyone interested in photography

This photo-documentary is very unique. I have never seen a collection of photographs quite like it. It is also a great resource to own. I have been using Lowenburg's essays and referring to the photographs in my American Photography and Visual Studies courses in college. When left out on my desk, my guests pick it up, leaf through it, and comment on its quality. I would recommend it to everyone.

UPDATE! Here's a review from Book News:

At the heart of this book are 80 extraordinary b&w photos (presented in a
10x9.5 inches format) depicting people, cars, and scenes of demolition
derbies. The photos are aesthetic, intimate, and compelling - curiously
delightful for outsiders, and a celebration of the familiar for those
involved in the sport. Photographer/writer Bill Lowenburg also includes an
essay on the history of these events and a bibliography listing books,
magazine articles, films, and websites. (Annotation C2007 Book News Inc.
Portland, OR)

Best known for his how-to-survive-amongst-prim-and-proper-turned-savage-children-on-a-stranded-island guide, "Lord of the Flies", Golding published a much more sinister and perhaps even more relevant work in 1979, "Darkness Visible." Though groundbreaking in its own right, Lord of the Flies took a sense of content that could legitimately appeal to all audiences without any tongue-in-cheek aspect to it---this book, however, not only cross that line, but spits on it when it passes by.

The story revolves mainly around two people: a World War II damaged boy, Matty, and Sophy, a young girl whose twin suddenly disappears one day, leaving her to grow up on her own without the presence of the other half that had been such a force in her upbringing. Golding, after presenting the two characters and their backgrounds, weaves an intricate plot of terrorism, drugs, sexual depravity, violence, and spirituality using both of them together unwittingly in many of the same events that affect their lives.

Yes, as the other reviewers said and as the editors' reviews noted, this is definitely a weird book, so if you can't stomach it, don't buy the book.. What with the deviant tendencies (take your pick---an implied child molester, a drug dealer, a dominatrix, a chess master who seems to have a new wife/mother for his children daily) of the personalities of the people Golding forms, one can easily be tempted to laugh this one off as a wannabe shocker with no real substance---but it's not. I'd rank this up with the best of his works, hands down---there is intelligence, mellifluous imagery, cleverness, wit and humor galore, a sense of cynicism, but overall, incredible creativity and prose in Darkness Visible. It may be a difficult book to get through at times because of the way it is set up and the changes in its style at random, but if you're looking for something different that will challenge some of your thinking and implant in you a different perspective on a lot of things going on in our world, don't pass it up.

i don't know if there's ever been a character as scary as young Sophy Stanhope.

Watching her "flower" is especially disturbing as it's made plausible by hearing the thoughts insider her head.

Golding is in top form in this story about the gradual descent into terrorism by twin siisters; and an unlikely "savior" that comes in the form of a man deformed by a bombing raid. Again, Golding proves that creating a mystery amidst thoughtful social critcism leads to a great and imaginiative story. It is dark, strange and stays with you for weeks.

As with all great books, Darkness Visable is multifaceted and open to interpretation. However, if there is a central theme to this book that I can grasp, it is a sort of Freudian notion that trauma as children, and particularly rejection by parental figures, leads - in the case of Sophy and Matty - to profound and irreversable damage later in life.

Sophy's decent into depravity started not with drugs or sexual experimentation, but with rejection by her father. As Golding describes it, with obvious Freudian overtones, as a small girl she attempted to woo him, succeeding only once in getting him to take her for a walk. During this walk, the young girl wished her mother and sister would never return - even wished they would die - so she would not have to share her father ever again. Later, there is her subsequent curiousity about the "auntie's" bedroom, and what may have transpired there; and her terrible jealousy about her father's impending second marriage.

The frustrated craving for parental love is less obvious in Matty, but nevertheless present. Matty's craving for affection becomes fixated on the pederast Pedigree, a sort of unwitting reciprocity of the latter's perverted passions, which may have led Matty to murder his rival Henderson. A desire to redeem himself and win Pedigree's approval becomes the defining feature of the rest of Matty's life.

The final irony in the book is that Matty, who has absolutely nothing in life, nevertheless finds a sort of redemption in the end, in spite of his slide towards insanity and the occult. On the other hand, by the time the story ends it is obvious that Sophy, who to all outward appearances had every advantage in life, has become an irredemable sociopath. While wounds from war and fire can be mended, there are some less visable scars that never heal.

Golding's vision of mans dark side and how the fight between good and evil is won by restraint.

In order to get the whole picture the reader needs to submerge into the lifes of all the characters and then pull back away from it all. First then it is possible to see the story and how it unfolds. It is complex and requires patience but the reward is worth it and can be rather refreshing.

I do recommend it

This book is a very practical guide that helps you view dating in a positive light. It has a lot of sound advice to help get you going, especially if you are very busy or simply feeling down about the dating scene. The book contains a series of excercises that get you thinking about yourself and your outlook on dating. It is just the right size (about 140 pages) and the material is not too heavy. The conversational style keeps the reading feeling light and also let's the author's personality really shine through. Definitely worth a read if you need a boost.

I found this book to be insightful, thought provoking, and clever. The workbook format makes it fun and easy to digest. The material is timeless and makes a great gift for the single and recently (or not so recently)divorced. Good, solid advice that our parents didn't know or forgot to tell us. Kudos to author Shelly Burns.

Dating Fitness has great advice for bulking up those dating skills. The exercises help readers focus on what's really important, and the book's style is both clever and creative. I'm going to give it as a gift to a number of my single friends!

Dating Fitness: A Guide to the Anatomy of Romance
This book provides the reader with a novel approach to looking at the dating world. The writer shows her wit and thoughtfulness as she guides the reader through the often confusing and challenging world of dating. The exercises really make you think about what you are looking for and what may be blocking your progress. I especially liked that the writer chose to make the book gender neutral and suitable for any sexual orientation.

IF YOUR COMMITTED TO HAVING A BREAKTHROUGH IN YOUR SELF-AWARENESS, AND IN HOW YOUR HOLDING YOURSELF BACK FROM CONNECTING WITH YOUR POTENTIAL PARTNER THIS READ WILL GIVE INSIGHT. I WENT FROM ONE AHA MOMENT TO THE NEXT WITH THIS BOOK. MUCH MORE THAN A 'DATING BOOK' AS THE TRUTHS AND OPENINGS PROVIDED HERE RELATE TO WHO WE ARE WHETHER DATING OR NOT. QUITE AN UNEXPECTED TREAT.

In this age of modern corporate America wherein we find ourselves "shackled" to the cube so to speak, Dr. Todd Berntson's revolutionary program comes at just the right time. This is a book that should be found in every office, desk or cube in America. Dr. Berntson expertly discusses the "Four Pillars of Body Mechanics" and outlines in detail all of the exercises which will work for you in an office setting. If you follow his advice and practice his examples you can quite literally "take back your life."

Go find Deskercise!

This book really helps the work day go better. It is an easy read, and the exercises are simple, yet effective. Doing these exercises has helped to keep me more alert for the entire day, and prevent me from feeling burned out later in the week. I highly recommend this book.

Deskercise: The Workplace Workout: A Revolutionary Exercise Program You Can Do Right At Your Desk! by chropractor Todd M. Berntson is a superb resource especially for those who spend long hours at desks and computer workstations. Offering simple 15-minute exercises to prevent muscle aches and pains, improve health and well-being, proper instructions for stretching, basic tips on vitamins, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle habits, black-and-white photographs and diagrams, and much more, Deskercise is a welcome guidebook to improving not only one's physical fitness, but also one's overall quality of life. Highly recommended.

This book is a great way to break up your work days. The excercises are simple and effective and are a great way to keep alert throughout your day. Extremely helpful.

I have used this book many times to help me when I have become tense at work. It is an easy to follow guide that has been unbelievably helpful. The pictures and descriptions allow anyone to use it effectively. I recommend that everyone give it a try!

If I were stuck for the rest of my life on a desert island and could only have one piece of spiritual nourishment, other than the Holy Bible, this would be it. Absolutely gorgeous and deeply moving. This is spiritual poetry of the highest order. It brings tears to my eyes. Exquisite.

The book was recommended to me and ended up being not exactly what I was looking for. But it was an interesting way of reading and viewing life.

Most seminarians and students first encounter the theologian Karl Rahner as author of big, thick, German tomes of theology. When I took systematic theology, he was considered to be rather more difficult than the typical student of that class could handle - that's all I needed to hear to select him as my primary companion theologian. However, Rahner was not exclusively a systematic theologian - like all great theologians, he knew that theology served a purpose, and that purpose was a higher one, to understand, know, worship and love God more fully.

This book develops an extended prayer to God - as such, it is addressed not to the reader (either as subject or object), but rather, like prayer, it is addressed directly to God. There is a certain sense in which Rahner borrows from the collect form of prayer for his titles:

I God of My Life
II God of My Lord Jesus Christ
III God of My Prayer
IV God of Knowledge
V God of Law
VI God of My Daily Routine
VII God of the Living
VIII God of My Brothers
IX God of My Vocation
X God Who is to Come

In each of these prayers, Rahner's sense of God's love, presence, and mystery come through clearly. God is not a distant being, but one who is always present in an intimate, compassionate way. God is one who calls us in power to be humble servants, yet God is one who supports us in whatever our daily life and work requires us to do. God is, in the end, the final hope for all of us - 'Your coming is neither past nor future, but the present, which has only to reach its fulfillment.'

The translator of this small volume, a fellow Jesuit with Rahner, writes, 'the present work [is] proof that his theology is as practical as it is profound.' First written in the 1950s, this continues to be reprinted and re-prayed on a regular basis.

Traveling the Christian Mystic path, many may end up with silent prayer, experiencing the holiness of God in one's heart & afterwards in death. When the scripture "I shall know even as I am known" will become a reality for us all. Karl Rahner, an Austrian Roman Catholic priest, philosopher, & mystic writes in an almost 'Martin Buber' poetic fashion expressing in words what can't be spoken. Questioning, Reflecting, & Meditating on such topics as 1. God of My Life, 2. God of My Lord Jesus Christ, 3. God of My Prayer, 4. God of Knowledge, 5. God of Law, 6. God of My Daily Routine, 7. God of the Living, 8. God of My Brothers, 9. God of My Vocation, 10. God Who is to Come. Each topic is done within a short chapter, all in 87 pages. This book is very 'Universal' (one of the meaning behind the word Catholic) for Protestants & Eastern Orthodox to read with a careful eye overlooking a few 'Roman' references. Read a topic chapter a night before going to bed for best spirtual effect.

"The quiet we seek for retreat ... is more often recalled in its absence than in its presence. When was the last time you witnessed a joyful silence, a rapturous silence? When have you heard some raconteur relay a congenial encounter with silence." Jane H. Kay

"I am drawn more and more to the mystical Christ. I always was. There was always something much deeper than words for me. Much emphasis is spent on studying the Word, and while I must admit that the Word speaks deeply to me it is the "non-word" that speaks even more." Fr. Bob Struzynski, OFM




Encounters with Silence:
Encountering Silence is one of Karl Rahner's most inspiring and mystifying books. A book of meditations about man's relation with God, Rahner's classics of modern spirituality, is cast in the form of a dialogue with God that moves from earnest inquiry to peaceful contemplation. This book of prayerful reflections on love, with obedience, in knowledge, and faith transforms daily routines, spanning life with our Family and friends, that covers our work and vocation. The power of this moving work is a tribute to its mere truth and simple practicality. A great theologian, Rahner, who could easily communicate in profound and touching language to wandering lay men and women, who look for inspiration for their inner life, one that never forsakes the world of reality.

The heart of all things:
"It must become progressively manifest to the world that the heart of all things is already transformed, because you have taken them all to your heart. ...The false appearance of our world, ... that it has not been liberated... must be more and more thoroughly rooted out. . . . And your coming is neither past nor future, but the present, which has only to reach its fulfillment. Now it is still the one single hour of your advent." Encounters with Silence

A Contemporary desert father:
" The Christian of the future will be a mystic or he will not exist at all," prophicies Karl Rahner.
In this moving work by the great mystic who expresses in modern language the daily utterance of the early saintly abbas and ammas of the Church, it is hardly not in order, that a Roman Catholic theologian utters these prayers of the noia (heart of thinking) in his ever continuous self transformation, sanctification by grace, a divinization through the Holy Spirit.
In his book: The Spirit in the Church (Seabury,1979); he appropriates 'The testimony of the mystics,' "they experience grace, the direct presence of God, and union with Him in the Spirit, in the sacred night, or in a blessed illumination, in a void silence filled with God."

God of my life:
When I abandon myself in love, then You are my very life, ... The farther Your infinity is removed from my nothingness, the greater is the challenge to my love.

God of my Lord Jesus Christ:
Grant, O infinite God, that I may ever cling fast to Jesus Christ, my Lord. ....... But I have still one more request. Make my heart like that of Your Son.!

God of my prayer:
How can a man hope to speak with You? .......How can I pray with love, when the prayer of love is the absolute surrender of the heart from its deepest roots,...?

God of knowledge:
Truly my God, mere knowledge is nothing. .....how can we approach the heart of all things, the true heart of reality? Not by knowledge alone, but by the full flower of knowledge, love.

God of Law:
But, Lord, what of the commandments imposed upon us by men, issued in your name?.......The burden about which I was complaining in the stillness of my heart is mainly our burden, the burden of Your priests,.......set upon our own shoulders.

Enjoy the above quotations:
Read this book, before you pray, even if you do not pray, since you will discover you are in a continuos prayer, with the whole universe even if not aware of it. (Ps.19:1-4)

The Mystic, a Theologian:
Impelled by his Ignatian mysticism of joy in the world--of finding God in all things and all things in God, Rahner's theology moves in two directions. He compresses all Christianity into three mysteries--Trinity, incarnation, and grace. He also unfolds these mysteries into every dimension of human life, even into a "theology of everyday things"--a theology of work, of seeing, of laughing, of eating and sleeping, and of walking and sitting. And if his theology of compression often involves anfractuous dialectics dealing with questions about the triune God, the Word made flesh, and our divinization through the Holy Spirit, his theology of unfolding can be as lovely as advising an unwed mother in her darkest hour to look into the face of her newborn for light. Who would not be fascinated by a theologian who loved carnivals, ice cream, large shopping malls, and being driven at very high speed-- However, most impressive of all were his childlike curiosity and the simplicity, holiness, ... of his Jesuit and theological life." Harvey Egan, S.J.


Late Fr. Karl:
"Strengthened by the Church's sacraments and accompanied by the prayers of his Jesuit brothers, shortly after completing his eightieth year, Father Karl Rahner has gone home to God. . . . He had loved the Church and his religious Order and spent himself in their service." Official Jesuit announcement of Father Karl Rahner's death, March 30, 1984.

The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality
An Anthology of Christian Mysticism (Pueblo Books)

A FEW GOOD HORSES is an interesting mix - part memoir, part creative non-fiction. Detailing the author's family as they struggled to survive the Great Depression (though there wasn't very much great about it, so far as I've ever been able to ascertain) on their ranch in Texas, this book chronicles the family history on a ranch that has been in existence - through the highs and the lows - since the 1870's.

If you're interested in the real history of Texas ranching during this time period, there's a lot to like here: plenty of details particular to the area, lots of history, some charming family anecdotes, and a very strong sense that the author is both knowledgeable about and deeply cares about his subject. My sense is that this was a book the author would have written with or without publication. The included family photographs, footnotes and detailed storytelling all lend themselves to painting a picture of a very challenging time for ranching families in Texas.

I do have a few problems with the book, and for those deeply interested in the time, place or subject, these probably wouldn't be a serious issue. First and foremost, this book could have used a more detail oriented editor, someone with an eye for tightening up language and narrative. I found myself having to reread at times because the writing lacked clarity, mentioned too many names in a single paragraph or wandered away from the main flow of the story and left me feeling a bit lost. Also, I'm not a big fan of combining nonfiction with fiction and there are several places where the author constructs a fictional story to fill in a blank in the history. To his credit, he makes clear that he's doing this... but as a reader, I find it a jarring technique that takes away from the value of the memoir itself. The story is compelling enough on its own and there's no need to fictionalize any of it. And finally, I thought that the focus of the book wandered a bit and by the time I was closing in on the end, I found myself wondering how the narrative journey seemed so far away from what I expected at the beginning.

All that said, Burns offers an interesting and at times moving portrayal of a real Texas ranch dealing with an incredibly difficult challenge. In these troubled financial times, there are good lessons here - about family bonds and the value of storytelling, about finding the strength and faith to survive and ultimately to overcome the hardships we all face.

I'd give it 3.5 stars, but since that's not an option on Amazon and the topic is important, I'll bump it to four.

A Few Good Horses is the biography of author and Writers' League of Texas member Pierce Burns' ancestors, the Burns family in Texas, from the mid-nineteenth century through the Great Depression. Twelve-year-old Simon Pierce Burns fled his troubled Ohio home in 1847, at length settling in Brown County, Texas, where he and his sons gradually built up a large ranch over forty years. The onset of the Great Depression weighed heavily upon the family; some were overcome by its weight, while others earned a good and noble name for themselves during those hard years. A handful of vintage black-and-white photographs illustrate this compelling "creative nonfiction" narrative, told in first-person as the imagined words of the hardy people who lived through turbulent times.

"A Few Good Horses" is a vivid and moving account of life on a Texas Ranch during the depression. Pierce Burns tells the story of his ancestors struggle to survive on their ranch in Brown County, Texas. It is a hopeful, happy story of a family that ultimately not only survived but thrived. The account is richly illustrated with many glossy and well-printed photograghs and all facts have been thoroughly reseached and documented. I highly recommend "A Few Good Horses" to anyone who is an afficionado of Texas history and of memoirs of the western frontier.

This book serves as a vital link between the story of how family has been done in previous generations against the disjointed nature of families today. Thanks for this treasure!

Fourth generation Texan Pierce Burns reflects on simpler times
in this creative nonfiction account of life on his family's cattle ranch in Brown County from 1873 through The Great Depression.

It was a time when kids saw their grandparents frequently and respected their parents. It was a time when neighbors were friends and family, and
storytelling was entertainment.

In writing his ancestors' history, Burns succeeds in both preserving a hard way of life and honoring the land he tends to this day.

-Jim Stoneking, Western aficionado, Hays County, Texas

Hey, thanks Matt, for another hilarious episode in the life of the now-well-off, but still neurotic Jacob Burns . This book was much funnier than the first and well worth the long wait.

The plot runs fast and straight forward. All the characters, whether you hate them or love them, are colorful and interesting. The rapport between Jacob and Tony is great. Can't wait to see them in November.

Witten's huge talent for storytelling makes this a one-sitting read. He reveals information at just the right time in just the right order to keep us reading... and guessing. Filled with memorable and original characters. A great second installment in what I hope will be a long-running series.

A funny, fast paced mystery. This book is even better than the first, which was great. It is a very engaging read and quick to finish. Perfect for the beach or a long airplane ride. The story moves along quickly which makes it a challenge to second guess the main character and fun to not have to wait too long to find out who done it!

I enjoyed Grand Delusion as much as I enjoyed the first book in this series, Breakfast at Madeline's - and that's saying something. Witten deftly balances suspense with humor. This is a twisty, satisfying mystery with entertaining and very real characters.

Jacob is wealthy, has a nice Saratoga Springs home, a loving wife and two adoring children. Unfortunately, Jacob has the knack of becoming involved in homicides, but this time the police believe he is the killer of crooked cop Pop Doyle. Everyone knows the connection between Jacob and Pop because they exchanged harsh words and blows in a public brawl. When Jacob hears a noise outside his home, he goes to investigate it. He sees Pop bleeding from a bullet wound.

The police arrest Jake, who spends a fortune on a top criminal lawyer and on bail. Jacob does not trust the local law enforcement group and decides to do his own sleuthing. When a neighbor is killed just after Jake conducts an interview, the police suspect him as the killer again. Jake knows the pressure is mounting for him to uncover the identity of the real culprit rather soon or he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Matt Witten is a rarity among mystery writers because he has the ability to effectively use humor to help move his story line forward. Jake uses jokes, slapstick, and puns to cope with a heartless legal system that seeks closure not justice. Readers will enjoy yet believe his self-effacing attempts to ease his personal pressure through wit. The Saratoga Springs police department appears as a corrupt version of the Keystone Cops, adding a dark comic dimension fostered as a veil by the villains to hide their grand illusion. Mr. Witten lives up to his name with a witty amateur sleuth legal thriller.

Harriet Klausner

While I have never been a member of a co-op, I was thinking about getting together with one or two other families to have either an art class or science class-- the two subjects that have sadly fallen by the wayside in our homeschool. Carol's book came at the perfect time!

Let me tell you some of my favorite things about her book:

-Carol's writing style is very easy to read. It didn't take extra energy (that I did not have) to just get through the book-- I actually enjoyed reading it!

-Included in her book are real life stories and situations. Not only does it make things more interesting, but you can tell the book contains her personal experience with co-op's along with the experience of other homeschoolers.

-As you would expect from a CPA, the book is very well organized. Nothing irks me more than a book with no flow and no sense in the order of chapters.

-The book is very thorough and divided into three main sections: Starting a Co-op, Running a Co-op, and How to Avoid Burnout.

-Examples of various forms, mission statements, etc. are included. She also has very pointed questions to ask yourself in each chapter. Not one to just convince you that a co-op is for everyone, Carol helps you to see the many benefits of a co-op as well as to count the cost.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that has even thought about starting a co-op! This has encouraged me greatly and I plan to pass this useful resource on to others.

Are you thinking about starting a homeschool co-op? Are you involved a homeschool co-op that needs some re-structuring? Carol Topp, who is also a CPA, has written a how-to guide on how to start, run, and not burn out. As a homeschool group leader for many years, I would have benefitted from this book when our group went through a major reorganization. Growing pains are never fun, but our growing pains would have been easier with this resource. This books contains space for you to answer questions, and it gives you outlines of questions to ask when structuring your co-op. This book contains 11 chapters, and one chapter that ALL homeschool co-ops should read is the one about 501(c)(3) Tax-exempt Organizations. There is a handy checklist and list of resources. I highly recommend this book for any homeschool leader or member.

This book has been invaluable. DO NOT start a co-op without it. Why reinvent the wheel, you don't have to. Mrs. Topp has done the heavey lifting for you. It has paid for it self a hundred times over!

This book is a must have for any one wishing to start, maintain, or save a dying co-op.

I would have loved to have had this book years ago when I joined my first co-op. Being brand new to home schooling, the other moms and I knew nothing on how to get a co-op off the ground. We forged a path through uncharted territory, figuring it out as we went. Though we gained friendships, fellowship, and a shared learning experience, we weren't without our struggles, personality conflicts, and growing pains. That's when a book like this is invaluable.

Anything you want to know about cooperation of families working together - small co-ops, large ones, mission statement and purpose, leadership and volunteer roles, handling conflict, potential class topic ideas, location, and even tax-exempt issues are explained. It's all there in this well written 170-page book.

The author writes:

It may not be problem free to start or run a home school co-op, but most homeschool parents find that co-oping is worth the commitment and expense! Homeschool co-ops are becoming more and more popular because they are meeting the needs and expectations of homeschooling families.
There is no stone left unturned! No matter what your need or group size, this book is a great help to start and keep your Co-op healthy.

"I learned that, regretfully, we cannot be all things to all people--only Jesus can."

With this insightful refrain, Carol Topp urges leaders of homeschool co-ops to identify their purpose and define their target.

The opening chapters of Homeschool Co-ops provide a levelheaded assessment of both advantages and disadvantages of participating in a co-op. For example, Topp tackles a significant issue by admitting: "Some people are extremely reluctant to discipline another person's child. Granted, I would never lay a hand on a child, but I do let them know if they are out of line. If you do not like assisting other parents in this way, or if you are very sensitive about other parents verbally disciplining your child, then you had better think carefully about a co-op commitment."

Speaking of interpersonal matters, Topp points us to The Peacemaker by Ken Sande for conflict resolution, and summarizes the key aspects to successful peacemaking: overlooking an offense, reconciliation, and negotiation.

Topp addresses general issues including the double-edged nature of co-op distinctives, as well as specific matters including how to evaluate space and facilities. Valuable checklists, surveys, and links support the author's recommendations.

Quick references sprinkled throughout the text direct readers who seek more in-depth coverage of a topic discussed. Sometimes readers are directed to another chapter within the text, other times they are referred to an outside source, website, or book.

Detailed suggestions for co-op offerings are provided, including classes and activities based upon students' ages, topics, clubs, or curriculum. As a fellow writer, I particularly appreciate her admonishment for homeschoolers to purchase curriculum whenever photocopying violates copyright restrictions.

Fellow home-schoolers' stories and testimonies are woven throughout the book.

Although insights from others who have led or participated in co-ops are valuable, one of this book's greatest strengths comes from Carol's insight as a CPA with personal experience in home school co-op business matters.

Carol presents clear explanations regarding the various non-profit organizational structures and by-laws. She explains how to prepare a budget, bookkeeping basics, and the benefits and disadvantages of the coveted 501(c)(3) status. A more detailed treatment of these matters as well as guidelines regarding hiring teachers and other employees may be found in her eBook titled, Money Management for Homeschool Organizations (see her website for ordering details).

In the last section of her manuscript, she underscores an obvious but too often neglected reality: a co-op is not a solo venture! Fortunately, she provides concise instructions on how to avoid burn out: "Strive for a co-op that lives up to its name..."

Carol closes her counsel with the ABC's of successful homeschool co-ops: "A Board" (establish one), "Bylaws" (write them, and include a clear mission statement), and "Create a Budget."

In summary, this title brims with wise counsel and practical resources for those who lead or attend or are simply considering participating in a homeschool co-op.

One of the biggest problems I have with books written for equine enthusiasts is the effort it takes to read them. Most of us don't have time to sit down and read technical books for hours on end. While there is a lot of information to gain, you first have to comprehend it before you can commit it to memory or use. This book is opposite of anything I have read or tried to read recently. There were sections of it that I didn't want to put it down. I find that extremely rare and priceless. I'm done Christmas shopping for my horseless rider friends, they're getting this book!

This is awesome. It tells about how to choose a good stable, how to be safe with other's horses, how to groom and care for horses, how to inspect tack, how to make you've got liability for borrowing a horse--plus humorous insights into the horseless. Adressed to the normal, horse-crazy public, this is a must have!

Barbara Burn's The Horseless Rider provides a guide to riding, showing and enjoying other people's horses. From analyzing a stable's qualities to taking different approaches with different horses, this is packed with invaluable, practical ideas.

Being an experienced (but currently horseless) rider I loved this book! It's a wonderful celebration of everything that a horseless rider has gone through or dealt with. The author's stories of investigating a potential stable had me laughing from experience; the author seems to have found that not all barns with stunning white fencing are always worth their price.

I personally wouldn't really recommend this to a person who has ridden for less than five years because some of its advice will probably cause problems with other riders or stables. From my perspective the book was too quick to recommend readers to report to the ASPCA any stables with a horse that appeared to be thin. Some horses are "hard keepers" and will tend to look like that, they aren't always being neglected or abused. Additionally, the recommendations to "train" other people's horses for them while riding them will quite possibly not be appreciated by the owners if the horseless rider has not undergone extensive (and good) riding instruction themselves. My point is, unless you've been riding for a while, you wouldn't know any differently and might get yourself into some interpersonal relationship trouble.

Regardless, I loved this book and the wonderful way of writing that the author had and would not hesitate to read it again and celebrate memories of being a "horseless" rider.

This book nourished me through many dark days of horselessness, and helped me even see it as an advantage. This is an outstanding book for new riders who want to know how far they can go without the committment of becoming an owner (as far as you want!), or for those who already know they want it all but do not have the resources to have a horse of their own.