Cross Books

A great book for beginners. Gets you playing, and enjoying the familiar folk tunes in no time.

I got several books on learning to play the harp from my local library. This one is head and shoulders above all the others I checked out. It's written simply and wittily. The techniques are well explained and the song selection is really good. I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in learning to play.

This is a great working book to learn to play Harmonica for the Beginners ( i.e. me). The edition with the two CD's where you can hear the author play the harmonica and also sing the songs is really useful ( it's worth the extra cost!) as you can then hear what you want to sound like. Great book guys. Just work with it and you will feel the same. Also don't give up too soon, the exhilaration you get when you can get the harmonica to do your deed is worth all the agony. Good luck.

This book is amazing. I play guitar, and wanted to start up on the harp. Within the first week, I was playing them together better than I ever thought I would. The book is a great tutorial, very detailed, including an excellent history of the harp. The pictures couldn't be better, and guitar chords are shown. It's just a very effective book. And then, put in the cd's and you find that "Doc" Gindick gives even more instruction. You really feel as if you're with a very patient, relaxed private instructor who really loves what he's doing. The second cd has gorgeous renditions of the songs notated, and really sets goals for you to reach. If you have any interest in harmonica, this is the book to get, it's well worth it.

If you are new to the harmonica and do not care for (or understand) a lot of theory, this is the book and CD to begin with and keep for future reference. I have tried several other books and CD's and got totally lost in the mucical notes and theory. I keep coming back to Jon's publications.

If you're a fan of nature or outdoors writing, especially the sort that provides a good deal of local color, you'll probably enjoy this book. It reminded me of William W. Warner's wonderful little book, Beautiful Swimmers, which was about the blue crab and other fisherman of the Chesapeake Bay. (By the way, I can highly recommend Warner's book as it is not as well known as it should be, but it is a much loved classic among those who do. Try reading the reviews here on it and you'll see what I mean. They're practically all rave reviews).

But getting back to White's book, White recounts the life of a Georgia small boat builder and waterman from his earliest childhood to his more mature years. White was practically born building small boats, and it shows, as his knowledge of small boat building and craftsmanship is as broad and deep as the waters he has plied for decades in his homemade canoes.

But the book isn't all about boat building, as White is a first-rate raconteur and tells many funny stories and anecdotes along the way, in addition to giving you his down-home philosophy about people, boats, and life in general. Overall an enjoyable read and if you follow other authors in the genre, like Randy Wayne White, you'll probably want to try Robb White (no relation as far as I know) too.

Robb White's descriptions of growing up along the Florida Panhandle sets the stage for one of the funniest, most entertaining books I have read in years. Beginning with a gang of kids, toddlers in diapers to gawky teenagers, who wandered shallow bays and sandy beaches from dawn to dark, White moves on to his Navy years in Puerto Rico, where he spent his off hours (and there were a lot of off them) watching local boat builders, and finally beginning his own boat building business. Stateside, he followed the boat-building trade as best he could, struggling to earn a bare living, with long periods of cash-money work such as crewing aboard tugboats which pushed oil-laden barges around the Gulf Coast and up tiny tidal waterways. I practically rolled on the floor laughing at his accounts of life aboard the tugs, which included ritual trading of tattered "porn" magazines and a crewmate who literally "gutted" an annoying tug captain. Interspersed through lively, often hysterical, accounts of his travels and travails, are delightful chapters about small boats and boating: jury rigging ancient outboard motors, building classic fishing skiffs and featherweight sailing canoes, capturing and cooking the sealife of the Gulf. I couldn't put the "Tin Canoe" down, read it through without stopping and loved every page!

In this slim but tugid volume, Robb White, heretofor known only to a narrow audience of small-boat nuts, introduces the wide world to his native waters, the Florida Gulf Coast, just like Mark Twain did for his, the Mississippi. This is no idle comparison: Like Twain, he has played with and piloted all kinds of boats upon his waters, met all life's characters there, and kept his eyes wide open all the time. If you think his language can't be as pungent, his characers as rich, his stories as deceptively simple -- well, don't judge till you read him. Then you might agree, Huck Finn ain't got nuthin' on ol' Robb White.

I got this from the library as I am a canoe nut. Turned out more of a continuing "autobiography"(?) in the McManus tradition (THEY SHOOT CANOES. DON'T THEY?)only this is all in the deep south. It is funny, informative and best of all highly irreverant. This guy was corrupted by some of the same forces that did me six decades ago. I am ordering it now for a keeper.

Robb White writes of his wild childhood and wild boating life. And he gets away with it because he's so good! This is candid, uproarious writing of the best sort. It's specific. And you know he knows what he's talking about because he's been there. What a tonic! His work reminds me of Jack Saunders. : ) --A fellow folk writer who hasn't gotten his break yet. Robb's is rough'n'tumble family storytelling, yet it's gentle. It's personal...and it's general. Just the right stuff. More! ...OK, I have to let the cat out of the bag: if you want more, subscribe to the thrifty, friendly little magazine "Messing About In Boats" right now. Robb has been writing biweekly columns for it for years now. What great good times! And fiesty, helpful boating (and living) info, too. (Did you know that Robb is the world's best bass fisherman? He'll tell you why sometime...)

Wow, couldn't put it down and I am not an avid reader. Sara tells the story so well of her ups and down and it will amaze you what you unveil as you read this. I laughed, cried and celebrated at the end for all her courage. You will be inspired by what your read. Thank you Sara for helping me look at things a little differently!

"I Need Chocolate With That Diagnosis: One Woman's Journey Through Infertility," reveals Sara Johnson's spiritual journey of faith as she and her entire family victoriously battled infertility against incredible odds. Sara's experiences will resound with anyone who has dealt with monumental trial and felt God's overwhelming love as faith worked it's miracles. Without affectation, the book is sincere and you feel as though Sara is a dear friend telling you her miraculous story in person. The positive energy in this book abounds and will bolster and encourage any reader to celebrate life with an abundance of love, hope, faith and joy! I know it's caused me to find more joy in every experience I've had since reading her story. Thank you, Sara!

Whether or not you have faced infertility personally, Sara's story is one that inspires, builds compassion, and raises awareness. She has such a good outlook throughout her trials, yet we see the human side of her too. I was really glad I read it, and find that I keep bringing it up in so many conversations. It's gripping, shocking, lovely, and wonderful. It's such a quick read that we all can take time to read it and come away better for it.

I read this book in one sitting; I simply could not put it down. The message of hope and perserverance was applicable to all. Anyone struggling with infertility would surely find the author's experiences and attitudes helpful. I would highly recommend this book.

I found Mrs. Johnson's story very compelling. Many women who have infertility issues must be sufferinging in silence with similar questions and confusion. I was really touched as I read Mrs. Johnson express her faith and support from family. The fact of how she now has three children is truley a miracle. This is a must read for every woman going through infertility!

As is frequently the situation, I read this book in combination with another, Return on Learning, in which Donald Vanthournout and his associates on Accenture's Capability Development team explain how their firm achieved an ROI of 353% on its commitment to enterprise learning. I highly recommend both Return on Learning and this book and, if possible, read in combination. In the Introduction, Jay Cross makes a number of crisp assertions, several of which are certain to generate controversy. For example, "Workers learn more in the coffee room than in the classroom." Rather than take this out of context, I continue the excerpt: "They discover how to do their jobs through informal learning: asking the person in the next cubicle, trial and error, calling the help desk, working with people in the know, and joining the conversation. This is natural learning - learning from others when you feel the need to do so." So far, no pyrotechnics. Cross continues: "Training programs, workshops, and schools get the lion's share of the corporate budget for developing talent, despite the fact that...," and then, "this formal learning has almost no impact on job performance. And informal learning, the major source of knowledge transfer and innovation, is left to chance."

Presumably several of those who read this review agree with Cross (as do I) that the value of formal learning tends to be exaggerated when, in fact, much of it has little (if any) enduring impact; and, that the value of informal learning tends to be underestimated when, in fact, the extent to which an organization achieves its objectives (whatever they may be) is determined almost entirely by how effectively those involved (at all levels and in all areas) communicate, cooperate, and collaborate (i.e. the Three Cs) on what must be done to achieve those objectives. For those in need of a single source to guide and inform their design and implementation of a knowledge exchange program that maximizes the Three Cs, Cross has written it.

Here are a few of the key points he makes throughout his narrative:

"Formal learning is like riding a bus: the driver decides where the bus is going; the passengers are along for the ride. Informal learning is like riding a bike: the rider chooses the destination, the speed, and the route."

Comment: That said, all organizations need traffic control, once the ultimate destination has been selected.

"Formal learning takes place in classrooms; informal learning happens in learnscapes, that is, a learning ecology. It's learning without borders."

Comment: That said, it seems reasonable to expect productive and beneficial application of what is learned to avoid what Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton aptly characterize as a "knowing-doing gap." Cross duly notes, "Executives don't care about learning; they care about execution."

Meanwhile, we are well-advised to keep in mind what Peter Drucker observed in 1963: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all."

"It's not who you know that's important; it's who those others know."

Comment: Obviously, ever-expanding networks of contacts is very important. Those we know can connect us with those they know. We are also obliged to reciprocate.

"Most training is built atop the pessimistic assumption that trainees are deficient, and training is the cure for what's broken."

Comment: I agree. However, there are formal training programs now available as well as superb instructors to conduct them that can substantially improve various skills that include reading, reasoning, writing, public speaking, decision-making, problem-solving, and situation analysis.

"Created long before knowledge work was invented, accounting values intangibles such as human capital at zero and counts training as an expense instead of an investment."

Comment: In most organizations, that is true but thanks to Peter Drucker, Howard Gardner, Peter Senge, Thomas Davenport, and others, the situation is changing (albeit too slowly) and recently published books such as this one and Return on Learning will accelerate the transition to enlightenment at the governing board senior-management levels.

Years ago, after a substantial tuition increase at Harvard had enraged many parents, then president Derek Bok responded with a suggestion: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."

"Imagine having an in-house learning and information environment as rich as the Internet. You'd have blogs, search, syndication, podcasts, mash-ups, and more. You'd also have a platform just about everyone already knows how to use."

Comment: And imagine such an environment that also provides formal training programs that strengthen various skills (i.e. those relevant to learning, communication, management, and leadership) of all who share that environment so that each can take full advantage of all the opportunities available. What about the bottom-line? "Management must assign enterprise-level accountability for learning." Cross is dead-on: Without proper governance, there would be chaos. Is Cross recommending a balance of learning with work? No. "As work and learning become one, good learning and good work become synonymous."

Don't stop there. Why not establish and then sustain outstanding learning that occurs both formally and informally? In that event, outstanding learning and outstanding performance become synonymous.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out the aforementioned Return on Learning. Also, John Hager and Paul Halliday's Recovering Informal Learning: Wisdom, Judgement and Community as well as Corporate Agility: A Revolutionary Model for Competing in a Flat World co-authored by Charles E. Grantham, James P. Ware, and Cory Williamson, Kevan Hall's Speed Lead: Faster, Simpler Ways to Manage People, Projects and Teams in Complex Companies, Dean R. Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success, and Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.

I've read articles by Jay Cross for years, and was pleased to get his book on the seminal topic of Informal Learning. Jay has a history of identifying trends and technology use for learning (he was among the first to use the term eLearning) so I was keen to read his thoughts on informal learning.

Widely acknowledged as the lion's share of corporate learning, informal learning is a difficult subject because it is even more nebulous and difficult to measure than formal learning. While there is a body of work on how to measure formal learning results including Kirkpatrick's levels, we have yet to determine realistic methods or measurements for informal learning. This book helps guide the learning industry in the right direction.

The value and ubiquity of informal learning is presented clearly and passionately by e-learning champion Jay Cross in this book. The notion of informal learning is very familiar, and most of us will understand immediately what Cross is getting at: every conversation, web site, conference, or collaborative enterprise tends to yield some new insight into the world. We are simply learning all the time.

The title of this review relates Cross's notion to one of my own observations about ubiquitous learning - namely, the "educational economy". Every one of these informal learning events is like a "transaction" in which some knowledge is shared, and in return the understanding or even reputation of the sharer is increased. The "real" educational economy, is very difficult to formalize, so what Cross would call "informal learning" is (to me at least) the portion of the educational economy that we have had trouble accrediting or otherwise keeping tabs on socially. Formal learning describes those artificial mechanisms, such as courses, (which Cross loudly proclaims are dead), that are easy to keep tabs on and can yield some educational benefit.

Informal Learning is, at its heart, a book rich with discussion of how we learn best, and what situations contribute to organic, self-driven learning - particularly in the workplace, but the ideas presented are really universal. Jay appropriately spends time discussing how the Internet has become the ultimate self-education tool, pointing out that "...my son and his peers [learn] everything from homework assignments to network administration on the Web. [That's] also where he learned a lot more than his dad ever did about meteorology, PERL, San Francisco politics, environmental action groups, obscure singers, and much more..." (166)

I'd like to sum up here just by sharing a quote from the book that I included on SR's website: "Many learners today are not self-directed; they are waiting for directions. It's time to tell them that the rules have changed. It's in their self-interest to become proactive learning opportunists." (175)

Formal learning is like riding a bus, it goes, starts and stops when & where someone else decides (bus driver and urban transport committee) - informal learning is then like riding a bicycle, you choose the time, route and destination.

Way more learning happens in the coffee room than the classroom, but firms continue to spend way more on formal training than informal learning - there is a huge disconnect right there. The theme is similar in KM - formal structured tools, top-down mandates, ROI and the smells of project management dominance, do little to enhance agility, awareness, creativity, shared understanding and meaning - which add the real value.

Jay talks about unblended learning, emergence, grokking, envisioning, unconferencing, connecting, conversation, community, web2.0 and JDI (just do it). He makes the point that classes are dead, that every learner needs to cultivate an ecology, share via voicing, communicate using stories and build common text by collaborative editing (wikis).

Jay has written this timely book in the form of short stories and vignettes, recounting his experiences and perspectives. I did not find much new stuff, although there are many interesting examples and truths, but Jay managed to hit the high spots so often, I was nodding in agreement as I read along. Clearly we all have to assume responsibility for our own awareness, learning and critical inquiry. Jay neatly illustrates the tools, hints at the practices (which need more refinement) and paints the landscape.

http://informl.com/

Jay Cross has written an invaluable book here for many reasons.

It can be hard to face up to, but the medieval basis of our education is suddenly and starkly out of touch with the needs of a post-network society. After reading this book, it's hard not to face up to that fact, because we now have a compelling, if nascent, alternative. The web enables a wholly different, but infinitely more effective approach to learning - through self-direction, and peer collaboration, motivated by individual choice, for example. As Jay points out, given the complexity and pace of change of 21st century life, we simply must change. (I have an 8 year -old daughter in school and it pains me to see what she's going through when it will all become obsolete in just a few years.) He outlines a kind of proto-pedagogical alternative, taking 'natural' learning as its starting point. He blends online/offline ideas with ideas from design, motivational psychology, etc, but is careful not to lose sight of learning objectives.

As an educator/trainer of over 20 years myself, I believe the book succeeds. Jay isn't a tremendous stylist, nor are his ideas wildly original, but he does exactly what is needed. He makes the case for alternative approaches to learning in a clear and simple way with plenty of diagrams, and examples. Although his focus is on corporate training, rather than traditional education, the implications reverberate. He brings years of training experience, together with an optimistic outlook to practice what he preaches. Having read his blog o ver the course of severalk months it has left it's makr on my own

The book is almost a metaphor for the kinds of challenge we face: hard to pin down, constantly changing, yet sometimes so obvious that we fail to see the significance. Jay doesn't have all the answers because that is the kind of (medieval) certainty he cautions against. He has brought an important discussion into the light of day. I don't know anyone who wouldn't benefit from this book.

Ken Carroll

M. R. Montgomery goes fishing. Well, to be precise the author goes in search of rare, hard-to-find, native trout. The places and the numbers of native fish he finds are as telling as the sharp observations he gives the reader.

I initially picked up the book on account of it's subject matter - fly fishing for native trout around the West. As I read the last couple of chapters I found myself less interested in his fishing activity and more drawn into his commentary and writing style. To do his writing justice, here's a small taste:

"... The only barriers to exotic fish in the West have always been Keep Out signs and geological obstacles like water-falls that prevented upstream invasion."

"... Anyone who thinks elk and mule deer are as destructive as cows ought to take a tour of the Trinchera (Steve Forbes ranch property). I believe we counted upward of thirty mule deer and a dozen elk in a three-mile drive. And the edges of Placer Creek were solid willows; the dry hay in the meadows was knee high."

"The federal government essentially owns southeastern Oregon. Private ranches, always concentrated at the few places with reliable water, have fallen one by one into the hands of the feds -- the only people in the high desert who always have cash in the bank."

"... At this writing, the Alvord cutthroat is presumably extinct, having had the misfortune to encounter the gregarious and prolific stocked rainbow trout in all its waters except, of course, those waters from which cows had already evicted it."

I selected these passages based on the crisp, dry wit of the author as much as the message he communicates. Anyone who reads the quarterly conservation newsletters - with the word "Trout" somewhere in the title - is familiar with the points he makes throughout the book. Planting non native trout and herding cattle in and around streams spells trouble for the locals. The locals in this particular case being Alvord cutthroat and Rio Grande cutt's to name a few.

As someone who reads those quarterly newsletters, it's not always apparent why a barrier needs to be built across some stream, or why money needs to be raised to purchase private range along critical stream habitat. When you read through Many Rivers to Cross, the need to conserve and protect native fisheries comes into sharp focus. And that focus comes directly through the author's clear vision -- with a fly-rod in tow.

This book was first reviewed on the reviewer's own site:

EcoAngler.com - The Nature of Fly Fishing.

This is one of the most beautiful books ever written about the American West, and its native fish. The book reads like a spring creek meander and includes all kinds of interesting historical facts about cowboys and indians, and western streams. You will apprechiate cutthroat trout like never before if you read this book. It was clearly a labor of love in writing...

How can it be that there are only two other reviews of this fine book since 1995?

M.R. Montgomery does the thinking, the exploration, the examination and the analysis; all we have to do is read his book. His descriptions of cutthroat trout and their environs, First Nations peoples (Native Americans / Indian), the steady changing of history "ripping pages out of the history book" as he calls it, and the incredible pace of destruction are both fascinating and chilling.

Kathie Durbin's fine work on The Tongass, "Tongass: Pulp Politics and the Fight for the Alaska Rain Forest", is a work of journalism, and it describes, with a very sharp focus, the same practices at work that Montgomery reveals in, "Many Rivers to Cross", in the U.S. Nation's very first park. Montgomery had it right from the start.

Law and public policy may be on the side of preservation and conservation, but as M.R. Montgomery and his colleagues make clear, "wise use" is anything but "wise" and once used, its gone.

Edward Abbey's, "The Monkey Wrench Gang", is, apparently, the only answer that makes for popular reading. This is a shame where Montgomery's prose and observational style are just as accessible as Abbey's.

Read this fine book, check out Ms. Durbin's excellent piece of journalism and consider whether Mr. Abbey was writing a novel or a policy proposal.

In a day and age where greenhouse gasses are increasing, the US will not participate in the Kyoto accord and the lumber industry is nothing but a byproduct of the pulp industry - only books like these (ironically printed on pulped wood fibers) can educate us about the last of the wilderness.

Teddy Roosevelt created the parks. . .M.R. Montgomery shows that it is impossible to argue that wilderness conservation is limited to people with only one political view or to just one special interest group.

Montgomery's gentle quest for the last haunts of native cutthroats is worth reading twice. A more gifted writer than most of his more celebrated contemporaries.

The valuable insights, gentle humor and wistful beauties it contains should not be reserved just for the fishing fraternity. M R Montgomery describes, with wit and sensitivity, his search for the last remaining bastions of the native trout of the mountain west, the cutthroat. He describes the people who help him on his quest with humor and with empathy. In those remote places, his interest and his eyes wander to show us paticularities of landscape and peculiarities of the flora and fauna that cohabit there with the trout. Beneath the surface Montgomery is addressing concepts like "wilderness", "preservation" and "stewardship" without referring to them directly. He begins his story near the Little Big Horn Battlefield, but the last stand that he wants us to contemplate is not Custer's.

It tells alittle bit about the history of Nirvana but its mostly about the making of Nevermind and about the songs. Its pretty good.

This book gives an excellent account of what led to the great CD we now know as Nevermind. It briefly describes Nirvana's rise to stardom and gives a glimpse into the personalities of the members, but is at its best in describing how the actual production of the album went. Using numerous sources, the author lets us listen to Nevermind in a completely different way. The only downside is that it is a relatively short work, and I left wanting more

This is an excellent book on Nirvana, and it is too sad that it is out-of-print. It contains important interviews and write-ups from several pop culture mags of that era on the band--on performances--on their overall views...

Does this signal that Kurt was right: Grunge is dead?

Well, perhaps dead but not yet interred into the earth.

Yeah, yeah, it's really lame to buy a book about them and all, but this isn't just another stupid ripoff fan book- this is really good stuff. It's funny. It's sad. It gives Courtney a chance to look less evil- I changed my mind about her because of this book. And it's not just about Kurt like most Nirvana books are- there's a good amount of stuff on Krist and the various drummers as well. Serious Nirvana fans really need to read this.

There are a lot of crappy books out there about Nirvana, but this isn't one of them. Contains some of the most revelent articles and nirvana related material. Very interesting and a must have if you are a Nirana nut like me. :)

I just learned how to hook rugs in June and I've already completed 8 pieces. I'm HOOKED! I bought this book before my first lesson and have referred to it frequently. It's inspiring and informative. Pat has great designs and advice.

Purely Primitive: Hooked Rugs From Wool, Yarn, And Homespun Scraps by weaving expert Pat Cross is a full-color instructional guide with sample patterns to creating "primitive" style hooked rugs - marked by their simple design, crafted via techniques that have existed for centuries, composed of wool, cotton, or linen textiles, and which share echoes of the past to enrich the present. Extensive technique descriptions make following the sample patterns or creating one's own as simple as possible, in this most enjoyable and enthusiastically recommended addition to do-it-yourself home craft reference and needlecraft resource collections.

Pat's book is a most comprehensive book on rug hooking in the primitive style...starting with a definition of primitive! Her style of writing is clear and clean...directions and ideas are abundant...patterns are included...and the color pictures just bring it all to life. Folks, get out your fabrics and hooks and start a great journey...you'll love it!

This is a great book! I have several books on rug hooking & this is the one I keep going back to. It teaches everything you need to know about rug hooking. She has many new ideas, & her rugs are gorgeous! Also included are patterns on these great rugs. A MUST read for beginners & seasoned pros alike! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Being new to rug hooking, I was in search of a book that covered everything, from start to finish. I purchased, and read 4 other books, but all seemed to be lacking the perfect detail Pat Cross includes in all of her sections. If you are new to hooking, let this be the first book you read! Most of the other books have only black and white pictures, but her book is done in color photos- a must, if you wish to see all the detail in hooked rugs. I would definately purchase any other books Pat Cross has on this subject!

It has been a long time since our family has read something together, which each family member has enjoyed and learned from. We range from 45 to 4 years old, and the Terrestria Chronicles hold everyone's interest! The action is engaging for the younger children, and the rest of us love the allegories. They are very plain to see. One can only love King Emmanuel, and every Christian can identify with Prince Josiah, both before and after he meets the King.

It is a relief and a blessing to find a recently-written series that uses proper grammar, honors that which is right, and exalts Jesus Christ, WITHOUT including the witchcraft and imagery which are so prevalent in today's literature. We are so impressed with this series that we have allowed our kids to purchase several others of Ed Dunlop's books.

My family has been reading the Terrestria Chronicles together as a family. We have family devotions each morning but in the evening after the supper meal, the children know that they need to clear the table quickly so they can sit and listen to the me read the book to the family. We are now on book 4. The children love the Terrestria books! I love the books! They are great. I am purchasing a few more sets with the study guide to be able to give to some of our church families.

Just prior to receiving the books I met with a family in our church. They asked me if I read any fiction. I told them I did not and that all my reading was with the purpose of study. The lady said that she loved reading fiction because it broadened her thinking and helped to give her insight that she might not have gathered from her own thoughts. I must admit that, to myself, I thought she was wrong. It was shortly thereafter that I received your books and began reading them to my family. I believe every Christian should read these books. They have deepened my love for my Saviour. Although the books are fiction the analogies they hold have inflamed my love and zeal for the Lord. These books keep you on the edge of your seat with excitement and anticipation. You find yourself saddened when Josiah goes the wrong way and feel excited when he gets right with the King. These books typify the Christian life and the struggles that are faced. With every trial there is truth to be learned on how to overcome. These books are not just for children but even the seasoned Christian should read and reread these books to keep their love and devotion to the Lord fresh. I wholeheartedly recommend these books.

Pastor Jeff Harris
Beacon Baptist Church
Welland, Ontario, Canada

This series of 7 books is the best that my family has ever read. From 9 years old to 50 years old ...the attention is never lost. The allegories are powerful and entertaining. It is hard to put the book down, but we force ourselves to so we can enjoy and even bask in each chapter's unfolding. These books will definitely become well known in this country... and probably in others...for adults to children. I can imagine no better stories worth reading and rereading many times.

Keep writing more!!!

Yes, all the books in this series are excellent reading for kids, for teens, and especially for adults! Kids will love the fast-moving action of each story and be easily guided to see spiritual truths. Teens will understand the messages behind the allegories and benefit from them by avoiding many pitfalls of life. Adults will have their hearts challenged as they read and grasp the full impact of each inspired application.

An extra bonus with Ed Dunlop's books is the fact that his English grammar is perfect! Not only is this a refreshing change for us picky readers, but this makes the Terrestria series a wonderful teaching tool for home-schoolers and others.

Be sure to buy ALL the books in the series, because once you reach the end of Chapter One of the first book, you will be "hooked"!

The TC series is the best set of books for young people I've ever read. When I read it aloud in the evenings to my children they BEG me not to stop.

Exciting stories! Sound Doctrine! Spiritual truths throughout!

Good for young people, adults and new converts as well.

I can't give a higher recommendation.

V.L. Huckaby - Father of six, Missionary

I ordered several copies of this book, as I have many visitors. My visitors have insisted on taking copies home to share this heartfelt story with others. Haley is an inspiration to all of us. This book is what life is all about. Family, friends, faith, hope and determination. And, the humor, when you least expect it, is very uplifting. Thank you for sharing such an emotional story.

Living in Chicago at the time of Haley's accident, and being so close to Notre Dame, I vividly remember the press coverage of the accident. It was great to finally get to read how it all turned out.

This book worked on many levels. First, it's a great story - a true page-turner. I was visiting several family members while I was reading it, and many of us were fighting for "reading time". I had to leave the book behind and I plan to buy more to pass around and for gifts.

As a retired ER nurse, I was enthralled with the medical drama of the story, and as a mom, I couldn't help but be amazed at how this accident affected the entire family. Even though you kind of know the end of the story from the beginning, if you know what I mean, the suspense is in how each part of the story unfolds and in how each person is profoundly impacted.

As a former South Bend resident, I well remember the horrible bus crash and the sadness at the loss of the two swimmers. Haley Scott DeMaria's book takes the story into the aftermath of that crash and her physical and emotional struggle to recover. She is incredibly honest about her feelings, especially toward her mother. Although her resentment at being so dependent upon her mother is natural, most people would hesitate to admit it.

Haley's determination to overcome her physical disabilities is inspiring. Throughout what must have been incredible pain, hard work and disappointments, she continued to keep her eye on the goal: to once again swim competitively for Notre Dame.

"What Though the Odds" is an aptly named book about a young woman facing life-altering circumstances and triumphing.

Congratulations Haley! This book will provide inspiration and thoughtful discussion for all. I can't wait to have my grandchildren read this book. A real life hero emerges. Even though I shared this time with Haley and her family there are details in the book I didn't know. Enjoy!

Into a world in which things seem to be falling apart comes Haley Scott DeMaria's What Though the Odds, a recounting of the author's personal and inspirational courage in response to a sudden and tragic accident. The depth of it all goes beyond her agonizing, physical recovery from a broken back, to her emotional evolution from a typically self-centered teen-ager into a mature and loving human being. The challenges met and the outcomes effected could only have been overcome through the intense support of her family, friends, and university and her faith in God. It is a beautifully told story. You may weep a bit, but mostly for joy: Better than a triple espresso and much more durable

This book has recipes that are very good and pretty easy to make. One thing that I really appreciated was that they all use the same flour mixture, and the flour actually has nutritional value, as opposed to having 5 different flours throughout the book that you have to make, or just using a mixture of corn starch and potato starch. If you need to cook gluten-free desserts, I would highly recommend this book!

Since my gluten-free regimen began after diagnosis for "intolerance"; I've sought nutritional direction and assistance with finding a new path for cooking. However, baking has never been high on my list of favorites, mostly because my own consumption of wheat flour-based desserts was never enjoyable and their creation just as unsatisfying. In this book, the ingredients, steps, methods and results are all TOP NOTCH. Great attention and just-enough explanation has helped me create very delectable cakes and pies that I would have never bothered attempting before. As with most recipe books, the paperback version is void of helpful photos. However, it has given my family and friends another glance into the challenges of eating gluten-free; it's great for sharing recipes with those who'd cook for those with intolerances/allergies.

I really enjoyed the "Glazed Chocolate Fantasy" Cake. The answer to any Chocolate Lovers sweet tooth.

My sister, her daughter and I have used this cookbook to make some wonder desserts. No one knows or cares that they are gluten free because they taste so GREAT! Recipes are easy to follow. I double recipes and have had no problems. Great buy!

I admit it... I have a cookbook addiction! And since our family has been gluten free, I have added quite the collection of gluten free cookbooks to my shelves. And I use them ALL! Well, I now have a new favorite for gluten free desserts... CONNIE SARROS' DESSERT COOKBOOK! EVERY recipe I've tried is fantastic! And if you can crave it, Connie has a recipe for it! I can't say enough about it! I highly recommend it to ANYONE who wants to venture into gluten free baking, or just add new options to the dessert menu. But warning: everyone will start asking you to bring the dessert... everytime!