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This book is the story of one woman's struggle against abuse first from her alcoholic parents, then from the husband she married to escape her parents at the age of 15. It tells of her progress and eventual success as a person and a human being. From the loss of her first child from a beating while pregnant to the murder of her son she never loses faith or gives up. The book provides valuable guidance and direction to anyone suffering from similar treatment. Today she is counseling others to help them escape their problems.

A wonderful insight to the world of Christine Rosamond, a sad and tragic story of an artist who died too young and had so much more to give to the world.

I bought this book because I needed study material for a women's faith group that meets in my home. The book is well-written and the format and exercises make it easy to us in facilitating small groups. The women in my group are diverse in their faith and they all loved the book!

Words Of Ages: Witnessing U.S. History Through Literature is a remarkable 320 page trade paperback book that takes a unique, ground-breaking approach to showcase American history by using letters, journal entries, short stories, and poetry to illustrate the American experience through pen of some of America's greatest authors and historical figures. Included are more than 125 excerpts from such luminaries as Booker T. Washington, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Tom Wolf, Thomas Paine, Chief Tecumseh, Frederick Douglass, Robert Frost, and a host of other to provide an accessible context for understanding the events, places, and people that shaped American history, culture and politics. Words Of Ages is divided chronological into units ranging from "Voices of a Revolution" and "Civil War and Reconstruction", to "Social Critics and Reformers" and "The Vietnam Years". This dynamic, interdisciplinary blending of literature, history, and art provide a most unusual, effective, and academically sound approach that will be read with enthusiasm by anyone with an interest in American history.

The book "Yes We Can!" is motivational. The author simplifies complex ideas so that all readers will benefit. The strategies and ideas shared give a comprehensive framework for success. After reading "Yes We Can!" it is clear that our education system is in a state of crisis. I am glad to have this book as a blueprint for academic excellence.

Yet So Close is an apt title for this collection since you wonder if love for the author has been "Yet So Close", though still beyond his grasp, but you will immediately realize when reading each poem, each line, that these thoughts have indeed come from the heart, soul, and experiences of someone who has been touched by almost every aspect of love - friendship, hope, wonder, joy, sharing, romance, sadness, loneliness, etc. Mr. Putnam through his vital words makes us feel each and every emotion of love - as though we were going through it right along with him. A sensitive, realistic, and touching tribute to love and all its' wonders. If you love poetry this is one book that will bring you joy, and understanding, at the same time. If you are or ever have been in love, or hope to be again, the living words in these pages will surely give you gentle, pleasing reminders of love's goodness. The title infers that love may be close - all you need do is reach out, his words make you want to. Read Yet So Close, experience love and all its' splendor, you won't be disappointed! (Note* - this is not a professional review - just an objective review from the heart of one who loves poetry and loves. . .)

Reading John Irving's "Garp" is like viewing a horrific car wreck. You know you should turn away, but it's too real, too raw not to watch. "Garp" is filled with images that will haunt me for a very long time. In fact, in the beginning they were so powerful, I almost stopped reading. Some of the passages are terribly sad, some are pornographic, some are funny in a bizarre way, and some are all three. But all are intriguing and uniquely created within Irving's very descriptive style. The characters are riveting and totally unique, but still true to life: Garp's mother, a woman who wanted a child but didn't want to share her body with a man; Roberta, formerly Robert and a star of the NFL; Ellen James, who unwittingly was the basis for a cult of self-inflicting tongue-destroying women; his three children; his unfaithful but loving wife Helen; and many others of complicated natures. They are a pallet of wildly contradictory colors that Irving uses to create this painting of a fascinating American landscape. The book encompasses the themes of man vs. woman, woman vs. man, a father's fears, lust, love, and inhumanity. In the twenty some years since this book first appeared, it has climbed in scope from a best-seller to a classic of contemporary literature. And justifiably so. This book is not for everyone, especially children, but if you have the stomach to see life like it is, or might be, then I highly recommend this book. Interestingly, this book became a movie and gave Robin Williams his first film role as Garp. Interesting, because throughout Garp's voice became interchangeable with Robin's in my mind's ear. Perfect casting.

John Irving's The World According to Garp is a literary novel originally published in 1978. It follows the life of T. S. Garp, a writer, as well as his mother, an asexual and unwitting feminist icon.

The World According to Garp is an extraordinarily complex book. There's a lot going on, a lot of interesting and bizarre characters, and many key themes, including infidelity and sexual identity. There is also a very welcome commentary on people (the literati) who read way too much into novels, particularly concerning the author's intent and autobiographical bleed-through. Irving is a very entertaining writer. His prose keeps things interesting, for the most part, even when there's not a lot going on in the story. His characters are fascinating. The situations he puts them in are thought-provoking. Irony abounds.

There are issues with the story, however. The World According to Garp is so full of sex that quite a large section of it reads like Garp's sexual biography. In the first half of the novel, there is scarcely a female character that Garp does not pursue sexually. Infidelity is a key theme of the novel, but even so, the sex is unnecessarily focused upon, and the book suffers as a result. There are other problems with the storytelling. The book's climax, which comes in the middle of the book, is dramatic, but contrived. The ending is somewhat poignant, but it is also predictable.

The World According to Garp is recommended, but not to the squeamish or narrow-minded.

T.S. Garp is the only child of the famous, yet constantly-misunderstood, Jenny Fields. Under her care he had a most peculiar upbringing and maybe...just maybe, that can help explain who he has become. For one thing, he has become a writer, like his mother, but he is different. His mother's memoirs, her only published work, are read by many as the original feminist manifesto. Garp writes fiction. The World According to Garp is exactly that: a glimpse of the world through the eyes of a man who was raised by the woman credited as the founder of the feminist movement, and is now married and raising children of his own.

I appreciate recommendations as much as, if not a little more than, the next guy. And this one came with a very passionate delivery. Anyone who can speak with that much resolve about a book has my attention. She did not tell me what it is about, just as I was unable to really tell anyone what it was about while I was reading it. She only told me that it was the best book she had ever read, and she seemed a credible source.

While it wasn't, necessarily, the best book I have ever read, I thoroughly enjoyed The World According to Garp. It took me awhile to get through it; each word seemed so carefully chosen that it deserved as much attention as the rest. From cover to cover I was captivated by the writing. A few sections of the book made me a little uncomfortable, but for the most part Garp was an interesting protagonist who was able to hold my attention.

The gentleman who sat next to me on an airplane as I read this book shared that he had enjoyed it when he read it. I told him my thoughts on the slow pace of the book and he said Irving writes each of his books that way, calling his writing very "Southern." I'm not sure if he was saying that so I wouldn't feel isolated in my opinion or as a caution should I ever choose to read Irving again. If he meant it as the latter I do not plan to heed his warning; I liked The World According to Garp and I am curious to read more from John Irving.

I read it when it was new. It's been, uh, nearly 30 years, and I still remember it. As a total, TOTAL waste of time. Never saw the point, of any of it. Boring plot, uninteresting characters. Unengaging. You know those songs you hear on the radio sometimes? Trying to be wise? That sound like someone sat down and said, I'm gonna write a song! And they wrote a song, just to have written a song? That's this book. He wrote it because he's a writer.

I am sensitive to style. So when I read people who say that the prose is so wunnerful, it is incomprehensible to me. Maybe Garp had a theme. Maybe it had a plot. It remains incomprehensible to me.


J

This book is fantastic. Irving deftly mixes humor with tragedy. His skill in undeniable. It is evident in every sentence. He possesses the ablility to make the reader laugh and cry within the same scene. Superbly written and universally meaningful, you cannot go wrong with The World According to Garp.

Leah is a girl that had cancer and has been through everything and has survived. When things start getting strange around the house she finds out that her fifth stepfather has and had cancer in the past.. After seeing him she writes her boyfriend that lives far away and is amish. Then she decides to go visit him and while visiting him he wants her to help find her brother. She suggested that her stepfather could help and that it would be better if Ethan, her boyfriend , would move with her so she doesn't have to write. he does and they find his brother but does ethan go and visit him? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out.

Leah takes a chance and goes to see Ethan and then takes a chance and invites him to live with them without permission.this book is about love and taking chances.

This is a great book for any teenager to read

Leah is a strong young lady who is trying to complete the puzzle of her life that has never been finished. When she was sixteen-years-old she was diagnosed of bone cancer and the only thing she could hope for was a miracle, but instead she received the light of angels. After a while everything in Leah's life was going fine till she received the news that her loving stepfather, Neil had cancer. Leah didn't know what to do with herself, so she decided she needed a brake and to visit her true love Ethan at the Amish community. Ethan chose to make one of the most effective changes in his and Leah's life that left Leah in a complex situation that made her realize the reality ahead of her.
Until Angels Close my Eyes is an amazing book to read it pulls you in and gives you the picture of Leah's life. McDaniel made the characters and plot so realistic that I felt as if I was standing there with Leah and watching her grow into the strong young women she really is thought out the story.
Until Angels Close My Eyes is a beautiful story about love and what it takes to reach it. I would recommend this outstanding novel to anyone and everyone. If you enjoyed one of the books from the Angels Trilogy you would definitely take pleasure in this one. You also might end this book in tears.

When I started this book I was glued to it like no one ever glued before. I couldn't put this book down and it was amazing how the author got you hook. When I first started this book I thought, "what is going to happen if Neil dies and if Ethan goes back to the amish ways? What is Leah going to do if that happens? When it does happen I...have no clue of what she is going to do. I felt so sorry for her. When you read this novel you get to know her and you feel what she is feeling through the words of the book. So when I found out Ethan went back to his family I felt every bit of her pain.

-Shelby Farar-

Leah Lewis-Hall, the main character, has suffered many times in her life. Her mother is on her 5th marriage, but it's to a great guy named Neil. Leah had suffered from bone cancer, but it miraculously disappeared. All the sudden, her mother tells her that Neil has cancer and that it's coming back again. Torn between the fact that her mother and Neil kept a huge secret from her and the love she has for the both of them, she seeks solace from her true love, Ethan Longacre. The only thing that gets in her ways is the fact that Ethan is Amish. She met him while she was in the hospital for her chemotherapy and a poisonous spider had bitten his little sister. She goes to visit him and he ends up taking his "fling" and coming to live with her for a while. During this time, she has to deal with her feelings for Ethan, her mothers heartbreak over Neil, and Neil's being sick again. She thinks nothing could go worse until one day; Neil gets really sick and ends up in the hospital again. The doctors say they have tried everything they can and that there's nothing else they can do. So a few days later, Neil dies. Leah's world falls apart. Her mother is devastated, and to top it all off, Ethan returns to the Amish ways and leaves her. She's lost two of the most important people in her life and has a hard time coping.

Leah-Lewis Hall is feeling much better about her diagnosis of cancer but when but when someone she loves is struck by the diease she begins to doubt if she is cured! Leah finds her visit to nappanee where she sees her beloved Ethan comforting. When Ethan decides to stay with leah and her familyfor a while Leah feels the closet to ethan she has ever been however,their worlds, customs, and traditions are still diffrent will leahs "english" ways and Ethans "simple" ways collide or will their love for each other stay strong? You will find yourself laughing, crying, and everything else while you read this book1You will be suprised by the miraculous miracles that take place in this book1 be sure to read the other 2 companions that go with this book angels watching over me and lifted up by angelsand all Lurlene's other great books!

I'm an avid reader of Interracial romance novels, and I have to say that no one does it better than Sandra Kitt. The woman is a genius. Carol and Lee are some of her most memorable characters to date. This story has substance and of course romance. It's well written and the characters are well developed. I highly recommend this book. If I could give it 10 stars I would.

Also read these others by Sandra Kitt:

The Color of Love- Interracial romance classic
Between Friends- soon to be an Interracial romance classic
She's the One- not interracial but a classic nonetheless

This really was a classic feeling love story. The cop drama and all was awesome. I work in that field so I can absolutely relate to the stresses and the constant looking over your shoulder etc. Was very accurate portrayal. Would have liked a little racier intimate scenes but it was a great book all the same.

I read this book several years ago and I recently read it again. It didn't take me long to remember why I liked it so much. This book had me so caught up that I found it extremely hard to put down. Definitely a great read.

Even after reading this, I had no idea that there was a market for IR Novels. I thought this was as good as it got. I have had this book for years, actually when it first came out and I have read it several times. Now since finding out the market for IR, I have whipped it out again to compare. I did like this book alot. It was a great storyline. The characters were great. The relationship between Carol and Lee blooms from a traumatic experience. Race comes into play, only because of Carol and the tragedy she goes through. I haven't read another similiar type IR romance like this and I have read several IR's since this first purchase. I highly recommend her books.

Sandra Kitt's novel Close Encounters centers around the lives of Carol Taggert, an innocent black woman, and Lee Grafton, a white police officer, and the night that brought the two of them together. It deals with their individual lives and emotions and the circumstance that binds them and which threatens to keep them apart. This book tackles race issues between police and minorities especially in the inner cities, people's personal ideas about race and society's issues with interracial families and relationships.

The main characters and some of the supporting characters - up to a point, are genuine and empathetic. They are people dealing with issues such as what part they play in the world and what happens when they no longer have fulfillment in the things that used to make them happy. These are issues that most of us have probably gone through or will go through at some point in our lives. We can imagine these people living in the real world as well as the world of fiction.

The author's use of language is straightforward. There are police jargons, mainly at the beginning, but not anything that requires translating. Ms. Kitt also makes excellent use of foreshadowing. The book starts out with action, but you sense that there's much more about to happen. Although we anticipated what would happen when Sandra left her house that night, the effect was not any less powerful. The use of Carol's dog, something that she associates with love and safety, as a catalyst for such a traumatic event shows a great sense of irony on the writer's part. The death of her dog is symbolic of the death of her former self. That night when she was shot place many things into perspective for her. The issues that she was dealing with regarding her race did not seem as important when her life was on the line. She realized that family had nothing to do with color, but had everything to do with love. This was a lesson she needed to learn before she could fall in love with someone of another race.

Lee's doubts about being an officer and regarding the sacrifices he had to make in order to maintain his career, escalated after the shooting. He was no longer just doubting his choices, he was also doubting some of the choices of the police institution. Having Lee make a conscious effort to salvage the relationship between him and his daughter showed the beginning of his emotional growth. That growth allowed him to have an open mind and allowed him to put his heart on the line even though it might get broken.

The external conflict has much to say about the black experience. It's dealing with the issue of police shootings that was prevalent in the 90s . The fact that the story is set in a city like New York, with a white officer patrolling a black neighborhood, in itself tells the story of police not understanding the neighborhoods and the people who reside in those communities. Carol as a victim feels pressure by Matt, her black ex-husband, to press charges against the police department. Matt feels that it is her duty as a black person to take a stand. Carol, on the other hand, does not want to become the poster child for the ongoing war between police and blacks. She realizes that a terrible mistake was made on the part of Lee, but she also realizes that most people would not think of it that way, they would simply be out for blood. Carol is worried about what people would think about her not only being shot by a white officer, but falling in love with him. It might seem like a betrayal to some black people that she would have anything to do with the "enemy" especially on such a personal level. She was also gun-shy about dealing with the media, especially after what she went through as a child, when her white parents were trying to adopt her. Like most people would agree, it is a harrowing experience watching your life hashed out in a pubic forum and having people make decisions about with whom and where you belong.

The book allows us a view into our own thoughts and some of the prejudices that we carry - even if we are not yet willing to admit them. The idea that a white man and a black woman could be hopelessly in love with one another, seem so unbelievable to many. There's a part in the book where Lee's black Captain is reprimanding him about his relationship with Carol. His disbelief about the fact that Lee and Carol's relationship could be based on anything more than sex shows the underlying thoughts of many in our society. Is it possible that a white man could and would love a black woman and choose to make a life with her? Could and would he want her for more than sexual curiosity or as a more than just a mistress? The irony is that Lee was in a strictly sexual relationship with a white woman but was willing to give that up because he fell in love with Carol.

I found this book very interesting and very well written. The author seems intimately aware of her and does an excellent job developing and portraying said idea. Many of her novels focuses on the theme of interracial families and interracial relationships. This book shows that love can bloom under many circumstances and can bloom between very different people. Mixed raced relationships are happening whether or not society chooses to accept them. Some people, like Carol and Lee, have a harder time with it than others, but that doesn't diminish their love in any capacity.

Sources:
1 - All About Romance - Desert Isle Keeper Reviews

2 - Editorial Reviews - Amazon. com

Small Giants is a set of stories about a selected group of outstanding companies that have had the option of very fast growth, but instead have chosen to be great rather than as big as possible. Each company described, has defined their own meaning of greatness.

Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, MI was determined to serve the best sandwiches known to man. By many accounts he achieved that goal. So much so, that the opportunities to expand seemed countless. Nevertheless, Ari applied the brakes. With a manageable 7 locations he could say "I look forward to coming to work even more now than I did in the beginning. I'm having more fun and I'm more at peace with the realities of life. Success means you're going to have better problems. I'm very happy with the problems I have now."

Ari and others in the book have learned to say no to too much growth. The problem is that many others haven't. Even if the entrepreneur knows his team and resources can't handle the growth, he plunges forth anyway. For someone that has struggled their whole career to grow the business and add customers, turning down business feels immoral; wrong on many levels.

Jay Golz of Artist Frame Service struggled with this. "For me, it was having to do as much as I could. I was always worried. Am I missing an opportunity here? Am I leaving money on the table? How do you turn that off? How do you keep the success bug from becoming the success disease?" Like many driven entrepreneurs, Golz suffered from a major disability, his own blindness to what he had accomplished.

As Golz hit 40, he began to understand better the impact he had on his employees and clients' lives. His mission turned from fully leveraging all opportunities, to quality of life for his team and his family. He no longer had to chase Gates and Dell.

Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing "got it" from the beginning. Perhaps it was because of watching his family in the famed appliance company. He consciously strived to keep his headcount as low as possible. He wanted a culture "where everyone knows they're all interrelated and where, as far as possible, everybody is in charge, and nobody is looking over anyone's shoulder and there are no time clocks."

The themes of success, balance, quality of life, and transcendent values, echo though all of these small giants. Entrepreneurs who discover that people trump profits, and that the profits come anyway when the mission is on target. Growth is good, but not always and at all costs. Good growth is always good. Small Giants helps define what good growth really is.

Small business owners may associate themselves with the stories in this book but that is all who should read this book. It is not for general reading. One very shameful point I noticed in this book is the special mention when the business owner was a Jew. He specifically mentions it if not obvious from the name of the business owner (in the case he/she happens to be a Jew). Shame.

Bo Burlingham has done a great job assembling a group of companies that shunned the normally accepted path of explosive growth in order to truly be great at what they do. The variety of companies and industries profiled are helpful for CEOs of any size firm in nearly any vertical to take nuggets of wisdom from each and piece together focus areas for transforming and "culturalizing" their business. While not a recipe for success, "Small Giants" instead provides useful insights that can be used as a catalyst for change in an organization.

I did not understand why I was reading this book when I was reading it. And after finishing it I do not know if I learned anything from this book. Some small business owners may see themselves in this book, but that is it. This book just confirms the fact that "one size does not fit all". Success is so subjective. Different subjects have taken different approach and no reason was given as to why that was the best approach. Approach was solely the pick of the business owner.
This book is a waste of time. I read it just because it came free from Zecco. The book has no flow or continuity. It looks like author is just trying to merge different stories into a book format. It would have been better if this book was in a case study format.

One of the most fascinating things about Bo Burlingham's book is that it presents a more complete look at one of the most popular human organizational structures: the private corporation. It's within the context of the private, closely-held company that we appear to be experiencing a trend of hybridization between non-profit and for-profit goals. This book will provide you with many examples of the well-balanced private corporation, seeking to identify their own metrics for success based on their own personal beliefs.

It is this reconciliation of work and personal values that is a common theme for Burlingham - these private companies are the artistic creations of their founders, and an inspiration to entrepreneurs who hope to maintain their creative freedom. The significance of small, entrepreneurial companies and their non-profit activities is simply that it allows society to be governed and aided from the bottom-up, by great leaders who are acting on their very best nature. The companies here give meaning to their employees' lives, and foster a genuine work environment, while at the same time projecting their values into the community.

In economics, supply and demand is everything, but these ideas have been interpreted to be wholly significant only to goods and services that someone can profit from financially. In this far more flexible and personalized knowledge economy the private freedom to do good, and to do so by one's own definition, represents a new and wonderful power. As the companies in Small Giants exemplify, this power is robbed by investment bankers, shareholders, and advisors who have a one-dimensional definition of success, and an interest in growth for growth's sake.

With my own company, I plan to spend an enormous amount of up-front effort clarifying the kind of contribution I'd like to make, and ultimately turn SelfReliant into the same sort of "small giant" Burlingham's promoting. Great companies should always represent a point of view and I can only hope mine will be as compelling as those represented in Small Giants.