Collins Books

Cute book about a father dancing with his baby girl. The text rhymes, which makes it easy to read --- almost like a song.

I love the artwork and I love that the dad is the main character along with his daughter. Wonderful read for your newbor and infant!

My daughter loved this book as a baby. We had it out of the library so many times, I bought it when she was 10 months old. Her 3 year old brother and I both learnt it by heart from singing it to her every night. She still really likes it at 21 months old, though now we don't read it every night. I love the illustrations that show the real movement of the baby up and down, round and round, and of course that one can sing the whole book.

This book is so lovely and my 5 month old daughter beamed the first time she saw it. The poem is simple and the pictures are so sweet. The daddy swings the baby girl all around as her tears turn into laughter. It reminds me of how my daughter and my husband play together....maybe it reminds my daughter of her daddy too! Love it!

My daughter, nearly three, picked Baby Dance out of the library on her own. She has insisted on having it sung to her every night for the past three weeks. She's at the "why" stage of life -- so rather than just enjoy the pictures, she's also questioning the plot: why is the baby sad (at the beginning)? and observing "look, the mama's awake! (at the end). The book is a really sweet take on something all too familiar -- a baby's distress that mama's not always available -- but with a lovely message that dada can make baby smile, too!

Great estate planning ideas and stories to get you thinking about how you want to provide for your loved ones, so that as you do your estate planning you can also transmit your family values.

This is a great book for anyone in the financial services industry or for those specializing in estate planning. These are real world cases that illuminate the need for proper planning by a qualified professional. This is also a great book if you are planning your own estate or you find yourself thrown into managing an estate for parents or loved ones. I can't say enough good things about this book or its authors.

I enjoyed the book, Best Intentions, and have given copies to several friends. It includes real-life examples that are easy to understand and addresses hard to face issues well. For those of us 'Baby Boomers' who do have the best of intentions for loved ones we will someday leave behind, it is a good way to start the dialogue and plans for the inevitable.

Using real stories, the author tried to tell you just a will may not be enough. You have to think, plan carefully before writing a will to make sure it is what you want to do with your leftover.

The stories show you a lot you never thought of. Worth reading for everyone.

An excellent book -- the best I've ever read on the subject. As a financial advisor I can't recommend it enough. Most find estate planning confusing. This book is not confusing. It's an easy read. Each simple, short, touching story illustrates a different problem that can arise by not doing good estate planning. It will make you think about your own situation with more clarity than was possible before. This book could be called Chicken Soup For Your Legacy.

If you are a fan of Good to Great and Built to Last, you will think you found a precious gem. We all know that a vision is the cornerstone to success. If you don't know who you are, what exist for and where you are going - how could you ever be successful. This book spells out why vision is the critical point, in clear language.

Beyond Entrepreneurship is an excellent book. Why? Most business books cover how to start companies, this book goes further. Collins & Lazier show you how to create a company that has a passion for what it's doing. They give guides on how to build a company from the ground up with ideals, beliefs, and goals. You learn why vision is so important to the overall goals of the company. Some of the things you'll learn in this book: How Sony stays ahead of the curve with its innovations. How 3M allows innovation to drive strategy. How Sam Walton used similar tactics but overtook his competition.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to build a great and enduring company.

I'm not surprised why this book have 5 stars...it deserves 10.

This book not only explains which are the key success drivers for an organization to become great, but also lets us know what to do in order to achieve results on each of these drivers. I work in the Planning division of a major insurance company...I have read lots of stuff about strategic planning, and I find the content of this book to be the one that captures the essence of successful planning.

According to the authors, any person involved in leading or transforming a business, should focus on 5 dimensions. In order to become truly successful, you should achieve a great performance on each dimension.These dimensions are:

1. Leadership Style 2. Vision, values and corporate culture 3. Strategy 4. Innovation 5. Tactical Excellence

There is a chapter for each point which are full of practical examples and stories about successes and failures.

I also recommend "Built to Last", from the same author.

This 'easy to read' book is great! It should be the bible for SME companies and entrepreneurs who want to excel in real-life business. It's full of great insights and a 'must have' for anybody who cares about practical business management.

The problem with this book, and many books of this type is that it is a clearly organized exposition on intuitive principles. I have read many books that resemble this one. They tend to be motivational and easily conceived, but the downside to the ease with which they are digested is that you don't really learn anything. This does not mean the book should not read, in fact the examples and organization clearly illustrate the basic structure of strategy. However, anyone familiar with the ideas should probably look for something a little more weighty.

All of that being said, this is how the book is organized thematically:

Chapter 1: Leadership Style
Chapter 2: Vision
Chapter 3: Strategy
Chapter 4: Innovation
Chapter 5: Tactical Excellence

The key topics of chapter 1 are the multiplier effect of leadership, the different style of leadership, and the elements of leadership (Ever Forward, Communication, Hard/Soft People Skills, Personal Touch, Focus, Decisiveness, and Authenticity).

Chapter 2 covers the benefits of vision, and the framework for vision (core values and beliefs, purpose, and mission).

Chapter 3 discusses the Four Basic Principles of Setting Effective Strategy, Setting Strategy, Internal Assessment, External Assessment, and the Four Common Key Strategic Issues that Face SMEs.

Chapter 4 is on the Six Elements that make an innovative company, and 8 managerial techniques to stimulate creativity.

Chapter 5 discusses how to take vision to create strategy which can then be used to formulate tactics, how to create an environment where people consistently exhibit tactical excellence, and a six part process to ensure excellence.

This book also periodically presents frameworks, models, and case examples to help illustrate key points.

Overall, it is a quick and easy read, that will illustrate basic tips to run a business. I would recomend anything written by Michael Porter or Peter Drucker for more conceptual ideas. For more books like this, the Harvard Business Review series should be considered.

If you buy any book about cancer, cancer treatments, anything about cancer, this is the book to buy! The hospital where I had my cancer treatments gave me a copy, doctors recommended it to me, my research on the Internet lead me to "Choices!" Buy it! Read it! Let it guide you through the arduous and complicated path that you will walk when you have been diagnosed with cancer. It truly will anchor your life! And, even better, may even save your life!

This is a fabulous cancer resource book. It offers credible information in plain speak language. It answers so many questions that cancer survivors and those facing a cancer diagnosis may have. It covers the range of cancers offering information on symptoms, staging, treatment, alternatives, questions to ask a health care provider, and so much more. A must-have resource for the book shelf for anyone facing cancer or knowing someone who is.

This book seems to cover just about everything. It was highly recommended by a friend - cancer survivor. Good book to have on hand as a reference guide.

When I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 1989, I discovered this book and have been recommending it to cancer patients ever since. Recently, I decided it was time to get a more up to date edition and I am glad that I did. It not only has a lot of additional information, it is still as easy to use as the earlier edition.
'Choices' is the one book that provides newly diagnosed cancer patients with answers to questions that many of us did not even we should ask. Yours in good health, Nora Deane

The most useful tool in fighting cancer is this: knowledge. Knowledge of what exactly you have; knowledge of the latest techniques, clinical trials, meds, etc; and the risk factors. This book gives you that. Cancer is arguably the fastest moving area of medecine there is; analyses and coclusions are regularly formed, reformed, reformed again, over and over and over. Staying on top of the treatment protocols is critical, and for the moment at least, this book helps patients do that. I highly recommend this book to anyone diagnosed with cancer; it gives you an invaluable framework for asking the right questions and could save your life. Do not assume that all doctors are created equal. They are not. For a patient, it is your job to ask the right questions. This book can only help do that!

WOW !! I loved this story. I loved every part of it. The hope, the spirit and the gift of people. I will add it to may collection of books to read every year to my children and grandchildren. Makes a wonderful gift too!!

Book was just as expected - delivered in timely manner - very pleased with purchase - thanks!

I bought candles and copies of the book for all my office mates as well as for my children. This Christmas eve, we opened stockings to lighted candles and read the book aloud. My three adult daughters and husbands were a little wary, but soon the story took over. In many ways, it is another version of a Christmas Carol. But the story's power and images enforce the message again, that we are all one family, sharing in the light of the special Christmas candle. The experience shared with my children will create a tradition for us...next year, they will all receive carved boxes, and we will read The Christmas Box, together.

Beautiful cover. Am saving the book for Christmas when we read a number of Christmas stories. Look forwrd to it with anticipation.

This is an excellent book. It has a wonderful message all of us, old and young alike, can use for our everyday lives. A great moral!! I recommend this for any age group.

the health benefits of the normal menstrual cycle and the risks of taking birth control pills non-stop to do away with the normal menstrual cycle "for convenience," I recommend The Blessings of the Curse: No More Periods? by Susan Rako, M.D. How many of us know that taking birth control pills puts us at increased risk for HPV and cervical cancer? Dr. Rako's book has information that the drugs companies don't tell us and that has been down-played in the media. It's a book that every responsible parent and every fertile-age woman needs to read.

A ton of easy to understand information for teens! My teen also really liked S.E.X. by Heather Corinna. Each gave her different information and covered simliar subjects differently.

I own Toni's first book, "TCOYF" and it completely changed the way I look at my body and my cycles. So I was thrilled that she came out with this book for teens. I purchased it with the intent of giving it to my younger sister, but after reading it; I have decided to return it.

What I loved: The first two parts (Cycle Smart and Cycle Signals) cover all the basics on the female body that I guarentee your kids will never hear about in school. :) Toni discusses the different stages in a woman's cycle, including charting your fertility signs to help understand your body. The book is very well put together with fun illustrations and page layouts. The writing is smart and fun, and very easy to read.
This book does not teach FAM as a means of birth control. In fact, I was hopeful after reading the following in the introduction: "...this book is no more a sex-education manual than it is a primer on tampons."

What I didn't love: The third part of the book (Cycle Solutions) has a chapter called "From Cycle Savvy to Sex Smart" that seemed to contradict this statment in the intro. I will conceed that from a world/secular standpoint, this chapter is presented in a very balanced way. Most of the chapter is filled with stories of teenage girls' experiences with sex. The stories cover the spectrum, from "I had sex as a teen and regret it every day" to "I waited for just the right time with my boyfriend" and everything in between. If you or your daughter are proponents of abstinence, you will definitely want to look over this chapter before buying.

From a Christian standpoint, the information presented in this chapter is completely incongruent with what the Bible teaches. As much as I love Toni and everything she has done to empower women, and as much as I loved everything else about this book, this one chapter was enough for me to return it.

If only this book had been around when I was a teen! Great, solid information shared in a straight forward way that will assist young girls in getting past the hypersexualization that they face today and move into a core of true self respect and self esteem. This book is a blessing.

As a physician specializing in fertility, I see a lot of chronic reproductive health problems (and their devastating consequences)in my adult patients that could have been prevented if the patient had been provided with quality reproductive education as a teenager. This book provides the information young women need to make decisions at a young age that will impact their health across the lifespan. Thank you, Toni for making my job easier and for preserving the reproductive health of the next generation.

Dr. Susan Carr

I have returned again and again to this book for new ideas. I feel I now have a new way of looking at decorating! Using eBay is such a great way to grab some bargains to get the look you're after! You'll be glad you have this book, it's fun to see how she did an entire house! Great detail shows how she did it step by step! You can plan your own house project or just get quick update ideas for a room. Enjoy!

A superbly produced book - with visually warm, personal and enticing colors, graphics and text, and beautiful photographs. Indeed, what can be done on Ebay at its finest. And one more thing...I loved the soft sock monkey touch.

You can decorate on a budget and stay in the range without even going to thrift stores and flea markets - not if you have a computer at home and DECORATING ON EBAY FAST AND STYLISH - ON A BUDGET in hand. Author Barbara Guggenheim is an art consultant who needed vintage items to decorate her Malibu beach house: she decided to try decorating an entire house using eBay and DECORATING ON EBAY chronicles her experiences. Tips include how and where to search within the sight, from locating furniture and fabrics to obtaining collectibles, and how to develop a personal decorating style on a budget. Her course in mastering ebay goes all the way from basic site navigation to winning bids and understanding the entire process. A 'must' for any decorating on a budget who wants to take full advantage of ebay listings; especially for those new to the auction/bidding process.

This is a book to pick up and kick back with, to scheme and dream effortlessly with, to have fun reading, giving, sharing, talking about. Ultimately, it will lead you to having a house embellished by your hobby, thanks to tips, hints and fun how-to's from Dr. Guggenheim, who is one of the few true art history scholars around who not only actually writes in readable English, but shares easy to use practical advice that can enable ordinary mortals to enjoy a good, rich slice of culture pie, anytime they feel like it. Having attended her art history lectures in the past, I always hoped she would start writing this kind of book, which like her teaching, makes us all not only believe, but know, that we can be true art collectors: that it's not about the size of our pocketbooks, it's about each of us giving freedom to our own very individual, very powerful imaginations.

Barbara Guggenheim's book was invaluable when decorating a home my wife and I recently bought in East Hampton, NY. We never had thought about using eBay for furniture and other home items, but following Barbara's guidelines ended up buying pretty much everything from sofas and beds to even rugs and curtains, and all while saving almost 30% of our estimated budget. The book is a MUST for anyone looking to redecorate, furnish, or replace items in a home. Also a great tool for any eBay hobbiests!

While attending a recent church service, my pastor asked how many people had audibly heard the voice of God speaking to them. I raised my hand as did several others in the congregation. Annette Stanwick in her book Forgiveness: The Mystery and Miracle also heard God's voice several times in her journey toward healing from the violent murder of her brother Soren. One night, when God told her that the man who had murdered her brother was deeply wounded, she wanted to reject these words. What about her own excruciating wounds and incredible pain? Her brother, a long-distance trucker from Idaho, didn't have any enemies; he was deeply loved and respected by his family and friends. It was unthinkable that Soren had been found shot to death outside a produce plant in Richmond, Virginia. His lifeless body was in a pool of blood, wedged between the seats and the sleeper of his rig. Annette believed that only an evil, cruel person could have done such a thing, and yet God described him as being wounded. Furthermore, God told Annette that He loved Soren's murderer as much as he loved her brother...and as much as he loved her. Though she struggled to accept what God was telling her, Annette had to acknowledge that it was true. Familiar verses from the Bible inundated her mind, and it was only after surrendering to the reality of God's words that she fell into a peaceful sleep.

This book is an incredible first-person story that is written with total honesty as the author reveals her innermost feelings in regard to giving and receiving forgiveness. Readers will relate to Annette Stanwick as she struggles through the various phases of the grieving process. They will learn that it is permissible to be angry with God because He understands a broken heart. As she tells us about several family tragedies, it is easy to see how the choices made by others can affect those around them. There is a difference between joyous living and simply going on with life. When Annette chose to personally and publicly forgive those involved in the murder of her brother, she found inner peace and a way to honor her brother's memory by taking the message of forgiveness to others, even interacting with lifers in prisons.

If you are struggling to forgive someone, or you need to seek forgiveness, this is a book that will help you move from the past into a living and giving future. Regardless of the depth of the wounds, the author has the sincere desire to help you with the healing process. At the end of each chapter, in order to make this book more personal to you, Mrs. Stanwick provides three sections entitled: Personal Application, Exploration, and Prayer.

As a husband who held his sobbing and inconsolable wife when she received a telephone call that her only sister had been killed instantly in a head-on collision, I could easily relate to both Annette and her husband Clay. Not only was the young driver speeding, but he had a long history of driving offenses. My wife, a devout Christian, went through many experiences similar to the author. She initially directed her anger toward God and then blamed the young driver for "killing" her sister. She suffered several agonizing months of pain before finally moving forward with her life. If I could have placed this book in her hands, I am convinced that it would have been a great help. Forgiveness: The Mystery and Miracle is definitely a must-read when it comes to healing and finding freedom and peace!

I had never read any of Annette Stanwick's work until now. The cover and the title are the reasons I decided to purchase this book and give it a browse. I am so happy that I did!

Death is hard to deal with but losing a loved one to murder takes an irrepareable toll. At least that is what I thought until I read this spiritual message about forgiveness.

The words engulfed me, saddened by the death, and enlightened by the meaning. If you are having a difficult time forgiving then please pick up a copy of "Forgiveness: The Mystery and Miracle".

Deborah G., FL

Forgiveness is probably the most difficult of all concepts for anyone, whether Christian or not, to grasp and to enact in our every day lives.

In this book, Annette Stanwick takes a practical, understandable and sympathetic approach to help her readers to understand exactly what forgiveness is, and why it is important to grieve our losses or hurts, work through them and then let them go, along with letting the person or people responsible for our pain go as well.

Each chapter has a section at the end, designed to help the reader work through and apply the concepts taught within the chapter.

I found this book a challenging read, but it is a book I have no hesitation in recommending to others, whether you're a Christian or not.

Forgiving is one of the hardest things for people to do. I am finding that out in my life right now. I have made some mistakes in the past and although I have been told by many, they forgive me, deep down inside you can tell they don't. This book helped me so much in learning to try a different approach to getting there forgiveness. First you must start by forgiving yourself. Only then can you expect forgiveness from others. This book is a must read for everyone, everyone has times in their life when they either have to forgive or be forgiven.

Forgiveness: The Mystery and Miracle is a must read for anyone who has ever been hurt in anyway. We all struggle with the ability to forgive someone when they do something wrong or hurtful to us. This book helps you to see the steps needed to be able to let go of your anger and sadness and forgive. Annette Stanwick shares the sad story of the murder of her brother. She explains what it was like to deal with that tragic event in her life. The workbook questions found in the book are a great way to reflect on events in our life. I lost my dad at a very young age and have had a hard time forgiving myself for not telling him goodbye that day before he left for work. I was in such a hurry to get ready for school. This book has helped me let go of those feelings and forgive myself.

My 9 year-old gives it two-thumbs up!

I had been searching for a good paper airplane book for a long time looking for plans that involved only paper and folding - no scissors, tape, glue, paper clips, or anything extra. While travelling for work in Arizona several years ago I found this book at a Barnes & Noble - it's the best paper airplane book I have ever run across. Some of the folds can be challenging but the author's use of flip-through animation in the corners of the book help tremendously. I've built and flown every plane in the book and they all perform incredibly - especially "The Plane". Buy this book and you'll be amazed by the looks and performance of your paper airplanes.

I could not remember how to make a good plane. I was just looking for one good plane and I found it in this book: The Phoenix (page 25). Easy to build and my five year old can succesfully throw it. I'm glad I bought the book. After the plane crashes a few times, like all paper planes, they no longer fly correctly. But thanks to John's "trimming and flying" trips, I can make the plane fly well again.

While some of the folds are origami difficult (there should be difficulty ratings for each plane), the planes really are impressive flyers! The book attempts to demonstrate the more difficult folds with flip-through style animations on the margin of the pages. My 5-year-old son thinks I'm the best paper airplane maker in the world!

My nephew is really into making flying rockets out of paper. He's five. Well, I wanted to impress the little devil, not an easy feat as this young man is more proficient on the computer than I'll ever hope to be, so I got this book, decided to learn how to make a couple complicated paper planes.

My plan, learn a couple of these designs, practice them over and over till I could fabricate them blindfolded, do them in my sleep. I wanted to make making these babies as easy as tying shoes.

I skipped the easy stuff, went right to the Trang on page 75. This baby was for me. If I could knock this out, while watching television, you know, as sort of an after thought, well that little booger would really, really be impressed.

First off, let me say, that maybe I should have started slow and worked up, but I didn't. There are seventeen different steps to building this glider and the design assumes that you've at least looked at some that have come before. But after several failed attempts, I got it down. I went through quite a bit of paper, but I mastered this (in between practicing the Trang I was learning how to juggle, a feat my nephew wants to master, but is having trouble with).

So the next time my brother asked me to babysit, I did my juggling bit. My nephew wasn't impressed. But when I built that Trang while watching Wolf Blitzer on CNN, now that impressed him. If you've got kids, or nieces or nephews, this is a good book to have around. Really!

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Great book on MJ. This book really goes in depth about the personal character of MJ. Also a very motivating book, especially how it describes the work ethic of MJ. I refer to it here and there when I need to pick myself up in life. Fun read.

I am 39 years old. I have read literally thousands and thousands of books in my life. This is the BEST book I have ever read. After you read this you will wan to go out and ACCOMPLISH something. Just the quotes in the book alone are worth the price. If you have a teenager who plays basketball, buy him or her this book. But you dont have to be an athlete to love it. THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ.

This book was totally awesome. The author showed what a true leader Mike really is. There were so many examples of how his leadership helped so many people. Not only in sports, but in everything, leadership is extremely important.

Fantastic book! Great lessons for anyone with any ambition in sport or indeed life. Mike is a role model for many people, and hearing about Mike from other people's experience of him, just make's you understand what made him so special

Pat Williams' book "How to be Like Mike" is a tight, focused book about what it takes to succeed. The lessons are modeled on the philosophies of Michael Jordan and there is much to be learned from MJ.

My only complaint is that the book tends to falter when author Pat Williams inserts his own family stories. Williams comes across as an authoritarian father who demands that his children do things his way. He seems to bristle at the idea that not every person thrives on competition or wants to model his or her life around an athletic paradigm.

Still, if you can move beyond Williams' interjections, the remainder of the book is a gem.