Burns Books

I am pushing 30 and I still remember this book fondly -- not just a vague sense of it, but actual information from it! I read it over and over when I was a kid. It's very unique in that it doesn't talk down to kids but also doesn't take on that faux-sassy tone that so much material for this age does. It prepares them for entering the adult world, which is very thrilling to a pre-teen. There's information about laws and civic responsibilities and... it probably sounds boring, but it's NOT. It's all how these things apply to kids and how adults have treated kids over the years. Fun little cartoons throughout. Highly recommended!

My mother gave me this book when I was a kid. I just found my old copy, read it again, and decided my 13-year-old absolutely must have a copy (though I'm not about to part with mine)! I'm thrilled to see it still in print!

Margaret Burns writes wonderfully for adolescents. It's such a tough age for kids, and they're pretty sure they're the center of the universe. Ms. Burns points out (in ways they might actually listen to) all the things that you really wish you could impress upon them, but can't since you've been relegated to the role of "dumb grown-up" for the next ten years.

She really gives them a chance to think about what kind of kid they really want to be, emphasizing that the choice is really theirs, and without telling kids what their values ought to be. (That part is stil up to parents.) It's an important lesson for kids to learn, and this book is a great tool.

Edith Warner's own words exceed in beauty and simpicity anyone else's account of what her experiences were like in Northern New Mexico during the era of the making of the atomic bomb. Captured for the reader are the feelings of an anglo woman being accepted by Native Americans, the difficult life a woman making it on her own, and her intense feelings about how the war affected pueblo people.
Editor, Patrick Burns, has done a fine job of editing and staying true to the spirit of these wonderful writings!

Edith Warner came to New Mexico from the East in 1922, seeking a place to regain her failing physical health. Rather, she found a place ideal for her spiritual health, an ancient land where she felt at peace. She settled into a little house beside the Rio Grande at a lonely railroad siding called Otowi, where she supervised the off loading of freight. Ironically, in that out-of-the-way location, fate placed her at a crossroads in time, to live between the pastoral life of the neighboring Pueblo Indians and the frenzied pace of nearby scientists ushering in the atomic age at Los Alamos. In the midst of these different worlds, Edith completed her personal journey and touched the lives of everyone who passed her way, from sheepherders and potters to world-renowned physicists. Her story has been presented in two previous books, THE HOUSE AT OTOWI BRIDGE, a memoir and southwestern classic by Peggy Pond Church, and THE WOMAN AT OTOWI CROSSING, a fictionalized and altered version of Edith's life by Frank Waters. Now, IN THE SHADOW OF LOS ALAMOS offers the story through Edith's own writing, with a preface to set the stage.

As a reviewer, I am suppose to tell you whether or not you will enjoy this book, but such a prediction would be based solely on opinion. What I can tell you is that Patrick Burns, the book's editor, was passionately dedicated to his project on Edith Warner and that his admiration of Edith, despite never having met her, shows through in his work. Burns pursued lost documents in dusty archives, salvaged old letters that were about to be destroyed, and talked with Edith's friends and relatives from around the country to gather and preserve this record of her writing, which includes published and unpublished articles, letters, and surviving portions of her journal. IN THE SHADOW OF LOS ALAMOS is the result of years of in-depth research into a remarkable woman and a place in time. Edith's story leads the reader to wonder what might have become of her had she stayed in Pennsylvania, never having found her little house by the river, but we will never know because Edith recognized that she was right where she was suppose to be. She pursued her destiny. Through this book, she continues to inspire others to do the same. My opinion? You will more than enjoy IN THE SHADOW OF LOS ALAMOS.

Burns and Covington's book has been very helpful in my practice. "Seasoned" clinicians as well as practitioners with less experience working with infertile clients will find the information presented valuable.

When managed care makes it impossible to refer a client to someone who specializes in infertility, here is the book that will make you feel confident about your work. And when you don't have time to read a whole book at once, here is the book that allows you to choose the chapters you need when you need them. The impressive array of interdisciplinary experts follow the same format in each chapter, making cross-references for the reader very easy. This book is truly comprehensive, including topics such as "Special Populations" and "Adoption after Infertility", along with the practical guidelines we all want but which are often lost amidst theory and statistics in other books. The appendices and resource section are especially impressive. There are questionnaires, guidelines, consent forms, and a record-keeping form. The resources section has over 20 pages ofdouble-column entries. The authors have organized a stunning amount of information in a way that is useful to clinicians new to infertility issues and to those with experience who want to learn more

INTIMATE EXPRESSIONS FROM THE HEART is a book of poetry that shares the poet's innermost feelings on various life experiences. Dealing with topics such as loneliness, friendship, motherhood, and going away to college, there is a little something for everyone.

Priscilla Burns has written a truly inspiring book of poetry that encourages, praises, and allows the reader to appreciate the things that life has to offer. The poetry was rich, yet simplistic and realistic. It was as if Ms. Burns allowed the reader a glimpse into her heart and soul. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

INTIMATE EXPRESSIONS FROM THE HEART is a book of poetry that shares the poet's innermost feelings on various life experiences. Dealing with topics such as loneliness, friendship, motherhood, and going away to college, there is a little something for everyone.

Priscilla Burns has written a truly inspiring book of poetry that encourages, praises, and allows the reader to appreciate the things that life has to offer. The poetry was rich, yet simplistic and realistic. It was if Ms. Burns allowed the reader a glimpse into her heart and soul. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Ace Edwards is the kind of P.I. who clears his calendar for two weeks by canceling an appointment to have the oil changed in his Chrysler convertible. He discusses his cases with his two cats, referred to as "the boys," and with his dead parents on occasional visits to the cemetery. "Discusses" is the wrong word.He tries out his theories on a captive audience.

Ace gets a call from longtime friend Jake, whose house-- or ex-house inhabited by ex-wife Sheila -- has just burned to the ground.Charred remains of two people are found in the ashes. It's assumed that one of them was Sheila.

Jake doesn't care.Tough about old Sheila, who dumped him for Bubba, the chauffeur, and has been hanging out with a wild crowd.Jake just wants to know who torched his dream house so he can start rebuilding. Ace is about to earn his $1500 a day plus expenses.

Jake's house was in Cisco, a wide spot in the road not far from Dallas, and hometown of both Jake and Ace.That counts for something, but not much, when Ace goes to Cisco and starts asking questions. He sifts through the fire debris with a hostile fire chief and ends up looking like a charcoal briquette, leading to equally hostile receptions in fancy offices.

Ace's investigation takes him to Bubba's apartment. Bubba strikes him as just a big lug with a "cobwebby space where most humans store a brain." He turns out to be a pretty good guy, running interference for Ace at the Down Home,where the locals hang out. There Ace meets the beautiful Terri, who's a spitting image of the late Sheila. Trailing along is her plug-ugly brother, Joey-Boy, who sincerely believes that women refer to him as Lovetoy. As weird as it all seems to Ace, it has great bearing on his eventual cracking of the case.

Randy Rawls writes with a Texas twang and humor.This is a fun first outing for Ace Edwards.

In Dallas, former police officer turned private sleuth Arthur Conan "Ace" Edwards ekes out a living to complement his retirement pay mostly finding information on cheating spouses. Three years ago, Ace worked a case for a client from his hometown, multimillionaire Jake Adams, seeking proof that his wife, Sheila was cheating on him so that he would pay less in alimony and most likely keep the home he designed. Ace succeeded, but Jake lost the house to Sheila anyway.

Jake wants to hire Ace to investigate who burned down "his" home. Though he would prefer to stay away from Cisco, Ace accepts because the fee will pay off his outstanding debts. Ace immediately learns two people died in the fire. He assumes Sheila is one, but has no idea whom the other is. Though local, townsfolk treat Ace like an outsider refusing to cooperate with him; except for Bubba, who loved Sheila and was the cause of the divorce. As Ace continues his inquiries for a conflict of interest pair of clients (Bubba vs. Jake) and falls in love, someone tries to ace the sleuth whose only allies are his two cats.

Fans of private sleuth tales will appreciate the fabulous JAKE'S BURN that proves one cannot go home even to his own home. The action-packed story line with a wicked sense of humor engages the audience from the moment Jake rehires a reluctant Ace to look into deadly arson until the final brawls. A sidebar romance humanizes the hero who proves to be an ace of a detective and readers will demand further adventures of this charismatic hero.

Harriet Klausner

I have ordered other quilt books also and find that I much perfer getting my books from you ...They are very informative and I use them very often.. Elaine Cornett

I am a beginner and had never made anything bigger than a small cozy lap quilt so this review is basically for beginners. I had bought this book because I loved the curving circle look without ever having to actually sew on a curve. I had the book for a while even before I attempted the pattern. What propelled me into finally sewing it was I opened by big mouth and said I would make the next annual quilt for the family reunion. Never having made a full size quilt top I wanted to make something different from what I has seen at reunions past so I turned to this book. It saved the day.

I started out making a copy of the planning quilt page, which you have permission to, in order to color and design your quilt. This was helpful to me as I colored in my design and stuck a few fabric snippets of what I already had on the design block before I went to the fabric store and it gave me a focus of what I was looking for. Of course all the yardage was already figured in the book for which ever design you wish to do. I don't think my brain had to strain a bit with this book.

You do need to have a Kaleidoscope ruler. I did not have the specific Quilt-In-A-Day Kaleidoscope ruler stated in the book. I did have a Marti Michell Kaleido-Ruler which is a diagonal half of a square with a rich amount of versatile markings for all kinds of triangle type pieces and it also measures in block sizes that the cut piece will make. This made it easy for me. I wanted 8 inch blocks and I did not have to think any harder than looking at the line on the ruler. You also need a 6" x 24" long ruler and a large squaring ruler to square up your blocks.

In cutting and sewing I followed it step by step. Simple instructions, not too wordy, a picture with every step. It is all the same style block just with different color positioning. For all the quilts in the book it will show you on a page every type of block you need for that specific quilt. That page is actually after the build a block instruction pages so for a beginner be sure to look at the whole book page by page before you start your project. Consume it as a whole then break it down to your project you have decided on. I did make some mistakes along the way, not many but a few, usually grabbing from the wrong block pile in putting it together but was easily noticed and fixed. The only difficult part I would say is making sure the inside of the star where the points come together was not bulky. If I made sure I fingerpressed the seams just the way the book showed me and made sure when sewing they did not flip over then it was all fine. I of course could not complete the quilt in a day. If I could complete anything in one day then polar bears would be sipping wine coolers in Maui. I did complete it in record time for me.

When I took the finished quilt to the reunion it was a smash. They all thought I had done something blue ribbon worthy. I did not tell them that was my first queen size project I had ever made. That is what I like about the Kaleidoscope pattern, it looks complicated and impressive for those that don't dabble in quilt making. If you know about quilts I am sure the ease of it is written on the wall but it is something about the illusion of a circle that makes some think it is more complicated beyond what it really is. This book made it easy and understandable. As you dabble more in this pattern you can create some pretty imaginative schemes and I can only wonder what a highly skilled quilter could dream up with it.

I am a 32-year old mother of four and part-time architect. I have wanted to learn Spanish for as long as I can remember, but I didn't think I had time. Now, even with my hectic schedule, I can do it while I ski, run, or, hike. I teach everything I learn to my kids and husband.

I strongly recommend this product for everyone!

thanks,

Laurie Matthews

I found this to be a very helpful introduction to the Spanish language. The background music is upbeat, and easy to listen to. It is also easy to dance to, and I found myself dancing around the room as I listened to it! I put it in my walkman and went for a walk with it. Again, the music was upbeat and kept me moving. What's more, the woman on the tape is easy to listen to, and you can really understand what she is saying! Very easy to know what she is saying, and to repeat. Very repetitive with the phrases, so you really get to practice what she is saying. I listened to the tapes first(as recommended in the booklet that comes with it), and then looked at the booklet. By the time I read the booklet, I knew what the words and phrases meant, and seeing it in print only reinforced that. With this set, you will be speaking Spanish within days! Great for beginners!

I had used this book prior to buying it. It has an assortment of wonderful activities to use in order to help your students/children understand the concept of fractions. It also helps the instructor to know how to guide the discussion during the activities.

We homeschooled for upper elementary grades, and my daughter simply did not "get" fractions. I tried several standard curriculums before investing in this book. By the end of it, my daughter was finally solid on fractions.

Although the book is written for classroom use, it is easily adapted to working one-on-one. It starts out by having the teacher and student create their own sets of manipulatives. These are used in subsequent chapters to illustrate and reinforce concepts. Multiple ways of looking at fractions are explained in each chapter, which helps a child find an approach that works for him or her.

I highly recommend this book for any parent wanting to help a struggling student understand fractions.

I have always enjoyed reading Camus's portrayal of Francis de Sales since he knew him personally and spent time with him. When he talks about Francis, we know he likes him and admires him a great deal, and is curious about him as well. We learn something of Francis the person, and in the process learn a good deal about Camus himsewlf and the period. I was delighted when this work was in print again for the first time in quite a while. Enjoy.

Saint Francis de Sales is another example of a disciple of Christ who literally lived the Gospel of Christ in his daily life. By the grace and love of God, he was also able to communicate his life in Christ in his own words. This book is a beautiful and deeply spiritual tribute to a life fully lived in and for the love of God. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for ways to live the life of Christ more completely.

This is the first of several books written by the beloved comedian and actor in conjunction with the revival of his film career (he won the Academy Award in 1976 for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Neil Simon's THE SUNSHINE BOYS, a role originally meant for Jack Benny, who died before the film was shot). Along with the usual Broadway and Hollywood anecdotes, George Burns describes his boyhood on New York City's Lower East Side in the early 1900's and his start in vaudeville, as well as his fateful teaming with Gracie Allen. An excellent read not only for his (and Gracie's) fans but also for anybody desiring a glimpse into American life at that time. A delight!

This book is one of George's first and a great one at that! There are many great pictures and stories in this book. Living It Up has a little more about Gracie and a wonderful chapter about George coping with her death. It is very moving. All in all a very very excellent, funny book!