Cross Books

This is a wonderful and very moving book that would be a wonderful gift for anyone in your family or friends. I bought one for each of my children and their families to have for Christmas and for anytime they need to be thankful for their family.

This gorgeous little book presents a rich and heart-wracking story about a man in search of his past and identity. Jack Davenport is a successful journalist and struggling husband, trying to fulfill a holiday assignment while effectively fleeing a fight with his wife. After receiving a mysterious photograph in the mail, he heads to Texas for his work assignment and pays a visit to Clearwater, the little town from which the photograph was sent. In the midst of his trip, he finds the heart-breaking tale of two family tragedies, a Christian man rent by his past mistakes, the truth of redeeming love..and the revelation of his lost past.

In just 48 pages, amazing storyteller Max Lucado pens a beautifully haunting tale that left me marveling at its truth and power. This book is wonderfully made: not only is the story awesome, but it's accompanied with gorgeous photographs of the characters and envelopes with tokens of the tale hidden inside. I found myself sorry that the tale was over when I finished it! Buy this book; it's a treasure and you will never forget it.

This book is so great and sad. I'm not very emotional and I almost cried. It shows how any sin no matter how great it is can be forgiven by God because He loves us so much. I also recommend other Max Lucado books like Cosmic Christmas.

I started this book in the evening of Christmas Eve and finished it the minute I woke on the next morning. Never did I think a book could change my whole attitude. And on top of it all, my husband was listening to a Christian radio station and Max Lucado was reading this book on Christmas morning. My family huddled around the book and "read" along with the author. Now every year, I will be reading this book on Christmas Eve--hopefully out loud to anyone that will listen.

I got this book for Christmas last year from my Aunt and I read it that night... it was such and wonderful story it made me cry. This book really makes you think about how important it is to have family and friends around for Christmas and all through the year. The way the book is desinged and the little truesures that it holds makes you want to dive right in the story and it leaves you with a deep feeling of saddness and happiness. And when i have children i am planning on giving this book to them and to have it out every Christmas so that others can read is heart-warming story. Merry Christmas!

I got this book halfway through the semester when I realized I didn't understand anything that was going on in my contracts class. It's easy to understand and very helpful. The sample questions at the back were really useful, too. I haven't gotten my exam grade back yet, but I'm positive that this book helped me get a better grade than I would have received without it.

Thank you so much for a nutshell version of contracts! It's all beginning to make sense now! I believe this book was key in helping me to pass this, not so much fun, class!

Some time around mid-semester, I was hopelessly lost and confused in my contracts last. In my despair, I bought this book. It opened up my eyes and lifted the fog of contracts for me. My final grade in the class was much better than I hoped for and I have to partly thank this book for that. The only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars is that it is useful for bare bones knowledge of contracts, and shouldn't be used to replace attending class and taking good notes.

This book is as simple as it gets. Contract law is one of the more complex subjects in law school. Any material that adds complexity to an already challenging subject has little value especially to 1L's and even bar candidates. Understanding the basics of the subject is crucial. That is why this book stands out from the rest. I have read the casebook, a hornbook in this jurisdiction as well as various textbooks in a foreign jurisdiction. "Contracts in a Nutshell" gives the simplest explanation of the law by far. It is a must read indeed!

The book has an excellent presentation of the theory of contracts. The six main categories are described initially and explained in the ensuing text. These categories consist of:
1. Express contracts consisting of the standard offer-acceptance
and consideration trilogy
2. Implied in fact contracts distinguished by conduct rather than
by express words
3. Promissory estoppel referred to as detrimental reliance
4. Subsequent promises to perform pre-existing obligations
5. A minority theory of imposing liability based upon a subsequent promise to pay for material benefits previously conferred.
6. Implied in law quasi-contracts which are non-consensual obligations

The theory of an offer arouses an expectation in the mind of a
reasonable person. Such an expectation may create a power of
acceptance in the offeree. An offer must be sufficiently certain
to make any resulting agreement enforceable and damages calculable. The offer must be certain as to the parties, subject matter, price and time of performance. An offer in which the
offeror or offering party promises to do or not to do something in exchange for a promise by the offeree to act is an offer for
a bilateral or two-sided contract. Further details as to
bargained exchanges, the statute of frauds and a whole host
of complicating factors are set forth simply with a generous
sprinkling of stare decisis cases to illustrate the legal
points explained. The text will be helpful for law students,journalists, constitutional scholars and a whole host of
other constituencies in academe.

This text is a good supplement to the standard legal texts on contract law. It is well worth the price charged.

A Cross Estate was a book that I decided to read against my better judgement. I suspected that it would not be my cup of tea. But there was something about the idea that appealed to me-- something honest and fresh. I really appreciate that Mr. Kinsella gave me an opportunity to read the book. I rarely accept reading copies these days, since my work commitments make it difficult for me to promise to respond in a timely fashion.

A Cross Estate is, indeed, not my cup of tea. It is a kind of fable about human nature told against the backdrop of 9-11. I actually give him quite a few points for attempting the subject at all. It is such a hard topic that just about the only writer who hasn't given me hives when he/she tried to approach it is Paul Auster in The Brooklyn Follies: A Novel. It is really difficult to do the material justice. The book struggles against the weight of that image, and I am not sure that it ever really recovers from that fight. The base story (a young man torn between several sets of goals) is one that could have been written without the twin towers falling behind the characters.

This said, there are a lot of really nice moments in this book-- writing where the image flashes, and stands out from the rest of the pages around it. There are times when I found that he told too much-- using the narrative voice, conversations, etc. I wish that he had let his images do more speaking-- trust them a little bit more. To some degree this is the nature of a fable. And then we are back to my original problem. I do not really like fables.

I guess that it says something about the strength of the book and the writer that in the end, I almost liked this. The characters of Jack and his parents are naggingly human, and I found myself thinking about the issues raised after I closed the pages of the book.

This was Kinsella's first novel, and there is (for me) enough here to hope that he continues to write more work. Like I said, I would hope to see a whole lot more showing and a whole lot less telling-- but, again, that may just be a matter of personal taste.

Three stars with an extra star for several kinds of bravery.

I found the book, " A Cross Estate" a very poignant, moving novel. Much of the story is centered around the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and the resulting emotional aftermath, the families of lost ones faced. I found myself "feeling" those same feelings of sadness, anger, sorrow, and loss that touched so many Americans on that tragic day.
The novel tells the story of "Jack", who, upon graduating from a prestigious college, must make a choice of either following his own dreams, or his parents wishes and heading to Wall Street to follow in his fathers footsteps. He chooses his parents wishes, leaving them, his girlfriend Veronica, and his dreams behind. His new job moves their offices to one of the twin towers. From there the story tells of how each of his loved ones dealt with his death.It is a story of heartbreaking loss, the healing that eventually comes, hope for the future,and love that never dies.

In A Cross Estate, William Thomas Kinsella weaves together a cast of characters whose internal and external struggles are complex and quite sad in its rendering. It is a world that straddles two eras in the lives of a young college graduate Jack Conroy, his girlfriend Veronica and his parents, Catherine and Alexander.

Book I revolves around Jack's quandary concerning his career choices. Should he follow in his father's footsteps and join a financial company on Wall Street or accept an offer from a nursery as a landscape designer? In the first few pages we learn that during Jack's college summer vacations he had worked at the Durham Nursery and prepared a few landscape design sketches-something he had enjoyed immensely.

Kinsella portrays Jack as a kind, competitive and energetic young twenty-two year old, graduating Magna cum Laude in the Class of 2001 from Duke University, majoring in finance with a minor in landscape design. He was captain of his university's swim team and above all, he deeply respected his parents as well as their choices pertaining to his future, particularly his father's desire that he emulate him and find his fortune on Wall Street.

However, matters become a little dicey when Jack tears up a letter he received from a Wall Street investment firm extending an invitation to him to be interviewed. He now finds himself torn between staying in Durham, North Carolina near his girlfriend Veronica or pursuing a career on Wall Street following the hopes and aspirations of his parents. What complicates matters is that Jack omitted to tell Veronica or his parents about the interview invitation he received.

Weighing his options, Jack feels that Wall Street is more attractive, as he feels it presents more opportunity to make a difference in the world and as he mentions to his uncle Browne, "I am my father's son," to which his uncle retorts, "Indeed. And from the time you were young, you've been made into his image."As for Veronica, she only wants what will make Jack happy, although deep down she would be terribly sad if he left for Wall Street.

Jack's dilemma begins to unravel when he and Veronica spend a week-end with his parents. It is here where Jack learns that his parents had received a copy of the interview invitation and they are quite perturbed as to why he has not followed up and arranged for his meeting. Moreover, they blame Veronica for his actions.

Jack defends his girlfriend, although she in turn is confused and angered by Jack's mother Catherine; she also feels betrayed in that Jack had excluded her from his confidence.

Book II picks up where Jack decides to accept the Wall Street offer; however, unfortunately within a very short space of time he becomes one of the tragic casualties of 9/11. The ramifications are far reaching as Kinsella depicts the extreme sorrow and fragility of Veronica and Jack's parents as they try to come to terms with Jack's death. Ultimately, some important event in the lives of Jack and Veronica is revealed and the souring relationship that existed between Veronica and Jack's parents is resolved.

There are hints in the novel that Kinsella would like to see his readers examine broader connotations to such concerns as parental guidance pertaining to counseling children as to their career choices. When dishing out career advice to our children, at what stage do we fall into the trap of becoming overbearing? There is also the issue of guilt and the blame we sometimes attribute to ourselves if our children's lives don't pan out as a result of our influence in their choice of careers. Most parents try to do what is best for their children however at what point must we stand aside and permit them to decide for themselves.

How often have we encountered individuals who are in the wrong job or profession and are miserable, often leading to health and family problems, all due to the wrong occupational choices. In the case of A Cross Estate, the result was tragic, as it resulted in Jack's death, for he happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. As so often happens, the "what if" syndrome looms in the back of our minds even when the ramifications may not be as shocking as the one depicted in this novel.

While A Cross Estate is inarguably a thought-provoking novel of issues, the entire novel doesn't completely hang together. For one, it would have been much better if the players had been more vividly and richly constructed, as I failed to become emotionally attached to them-something that generally is expected from a story of this nature. I also felt that there was not enough of a psychological charge illustrating how Jack was struggling against contradictory visions and indecision. And in the case of Veronica, in Book I she seems to be peripheral at best and only towards the end of the second book do we have some idea as to what she is all about. There was also an overwriting of chapters considerably slowing down the pace of the story particularly when Kinsella describes the property Jack's parents purchase after his death. I also found it odd that a prologue was included that serves little purpose.

In the end, however, A Cross Estate is a good yarn worthy of reading as it is a poignant and touching story depicting the experience of the human condition in moments of bleakest sadness to future hope.

Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures

Jack Conroy is living life on his terms. Being the only child of Alexander and Catherine is a challenge at times, but the mutual love is always there. Jack is competitive in everything he tries and he loves to succeed. His Wall Street job after graduating from Duke University has him conflicted.

Jack is torn between following in his father's footsteps and his own passion for landscape design. Moving away from Veronica is difficult, but the couple agrees their relationship can work while Veronica finishes college and Jack pursues Wall Street knowing that once he succeeds there, he can pursue the life he truly wants. After all, they have all the time in the world.

William Kinsella uses his personal experience of losing some of his fellow commuters on 9/11 to create an intense story of true love, compassion, and the struggle to go on after the loss of a loved one. He brings the reader into the hearts of people directly effected by the tragedy. Compelled to write this novel for "everyone who never made it home," Kinsella has produced an emotional and historical work of fiction filled with hope.

Kinsella, a husband and father of two, commuted daily into the city to his offices in Lower Manhattan. He was there when the towers fell. He hopes 'A Cross Estate' keeps the spirits of those who died, alive. He lives in Basking Ridge, NJ and is currently working on a personal memoir.

William Thomas Kinsella has written an amazing first novel. The strength of each character's voice keeps the reader turning the pages. It is a thoughtful and powerful highly recommended read. Reviewer: Lisa Haselton, Allbooks Reviews.

This is not another 9/11 account, but rather an story of a family's journey through pain and grief, using the event as the catalyst. The characters are richly drawn and wholly believable, and almost everyone will find someone here to whom they can relate. Kinsella is a beautiful writer. There are many passages of pure poetry as he tells of feelings, places and moments of simple observation. The depiction of Catherine's emotional ride through her grief are particularly moving and dead-on. In the end, this is not a book of sadness, but one that is uplifting and affirming of the resilient nature of the human spirit.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read good literature.

After having read all three books - Wow! She deserved the Nobel Prize. This last book is a great read - much exciting stuff. And how she understood what a mother feels about her sons - and their leaving her.

THE CROSS is the final shattering novel in Sigrid Undset's KRISTAN LAVRANSDATTER trilogy. In it, Kristin reaps both the rewards and sorrows of the choices she sowed in the first two volumes.

In the first novel, Kristin's passion for Erlend Nikulausson led her to break her betrothal to Simon Andresson. In the second volume, Kristin sought to atone for her sin (she was already pregnant when she celebrated her wedding with Erlend), but had to struggle to forgive Erlend for leading her astray. In THE CROSS, the consequences of Kristin's choices all come to a head. The first section of the novel focuses on Simon, who has been a faithful friend to Kristin and Erlend, even as he continued to harbor feelings for Kristin. In the mid-section of the novel, Kristin and Erlend strive to find peace with one another. While their passion for one another never died, they were never fully able to overcome the mismatch in their marriage. And in the final section, we follow Kristin as she seeks acceptance from her seven sons, and most importantly from God.

For while KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTER seems to be a novel about love, friendship, and marriage, its deepest message is about the struggle of deeply-flawed humans to reconcile themselves with God. The trilogy is set in medieval Norway and all of the characters order their lives (as best they can) around the Christian moral order. Even as they knowingly fail, the Faith is a part of the very air they breathe.

The miracle of Sigrid Undset's trilogy is the clarity of her perception into the human condition. All of these characters live and breathe, and (more startling) we see clearly how they impact each other through the tangled webs of their lives. But Undset's literary talent is embedded in a sharp religious vision, which points to God's relationship with us as sinners. Undset never denies the good in Kristin's passion for Erlend. Nor does she hide the devastating consequences their passion had on each other and on all of the lives they touched. Often, to sin is not to choose that which is evil, but rather to choose a lesser good. Yet as the saying goes, God can write straight with crooked lines, and at the end of this extraordinary trilogy, Kristin comes to see how God has been with her through all of the light *and* through all of the dark. We walk away from the novel enthralled by the grandeur of the story we live out in this fallen world, and the enormous love God has for us.

Rereading Sigrid Undset's classic trilogy has been one of my most rewarding projects this summer.

Sigrid Undset is a master at character and place. She seamlessly draws you into medieval Norway while captivating you with the depth and humanity of her characters. I read them breathlessly captivated. No wonder Ms. Undset received a Nobel Prize for these historical novels--among the best I've ever read. Bravo, Sigrid Undset.

...this one brought me to tears in more than one place. If you're reading "The Cross," or considering purchasing it, you've probably already read the first two books in the series and are caught up in the story. Is this book worth it? Yes. It's not an uplifting read by any means, but it brings the Kristin story to a logical -- though heartbreaking -- conclusion. I am in awe of Undset for her creation of such believable characters, and grateful to her for this glimpse into medieval life. Nunnally's translation is clear and reads smoothly. This, along with "The Wreath" and "The Wife," is one of those books you hate to see end.

I really love this Bible. It is the same version my Pastor uses, so I can follow along easily. It is lightweight and very well made.

A beautiful bible. The text is a reasonable size making it easy and enjoyable to read. I have received many favourable comments from friends eager to know where I bought it. The content of the book, of course, is what is really most important. A truly Spirit inspired and life changing book.

This fits in my purse and my husband always has his in his back pocket.

It has a soft dark blue cover with the Celtic cross and other designs "embossed" on the front. The spine has the same embossed look but with the "Holy Bible", the ESV Seal, "English Standard Version", and "Crossway" on it. The back is plain with only "True Tone Series" and the ISBN number on the lower right hand corner in very small letters. The cover is a soft leather and will gather small scratches dull out a bit when used. It does not take away from the beauty of it though but gives it a nice "worn in" look.

The words are in a very small font with the words of Christ in red. So if you don't mind the small font, it could work for you. This bible contains footnotes, a "Weights & Measures" page and a condensed Concordance. The outside pages are silver in color which fades after much use. (But don't they all?) Pages are good enough to hightlight passages and it won't seriously bleed through.

About the ESV:
This version is wonderful. I really liked the NASB but this ESV "version" is the closest to it. (Being that the NASB is the closest to the original Hebrew & Greek, ESV is the closest to the NASB but in a more "flowy" manner that doesn't "water" the Word down like the NIV does. Some of my friends and I like to joke that the NASB is the "Yoda" version. The sentences are not as nicely structured because of the almost "literal" translation of it. The ESV fixes that.) Plus the ESV version is endorsed by J.I. Packard, R.C. Sproul, A. Mohler, W. Grudem, etc.

My church has switched to the ESV and this bible is perfect because I can easily carry it with me. Not to thick, not too long, and not too big, but it isn't too small either. The look of it is nice as a gift, which is how I got mine. At some bible stores, they will have them emboss your name on it if you wish.

I was very pleased with the design and quality of this product. The cover is soft and durable. The binding top-notch. I highly recommend this product.

I ordered this Bible for my sister's birthday. She loves it! We just started using the ESV Bible at our church for services. It is a great translation! One thing both my sister & I noticed right away about this Bible is that even though it is smaller than a standard large size Bible, the font used in the text makes it VERY easy to read. The cover is also very nicely made.

This is a worthy sequel to The Silver Sword. Ms. Hunt's heroines are believable and inspiring. You can't put these books down. The historical aspects are fascinating. Buy the series - you won't regret it!

This is the second book in a four book series titled "The Heirs of Cahira O'Connor" (the first one, also excellent, is titled the Silver Sword). In this book Aiden O'Connor learns to survive and maintain her virtue when her father dies at sea, leaving her and her mother homeless and without money. Aiden, who has a God-given talent of drawing & painting, is given a chance to use her gift disguised as a boy on a ship. The story is an excellent example of how good overcomes evil and how one can rise (with God's help) above unfortunate circumstances.

The author does a thorough job of researching the culture of the Dutch in the time period, provides accurate details of water coloring & painting, and how life was typically lived on a ship in the 1600s.

It was a terrific book, as was the first one. I highly recommend them!

This book surprised me! (in a VERY good way) I read the first book in this series, "The Silver Sword", and didn't think much of it so I wasn't really looking forward to reading this one so I was amazed when I couldn't pull myself out of this one. Some of the other reviewers said that the book captures your attention and you won't be able to put it down. This is sooo true! I found myself taking it everywhere with me so that I could read it, including the grocery store. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next with Aidan! So definitely read this book one and all and also check out my other reviews! :)

This book is engrossing, to say the least. Be prepared to lose hours of your time in order to finish this book. The book moves quickly, with secrets and dastardly plots. Aidan O'Connor seeks to escape her life in the slums by using her art. Her patron sees her talent and seeks to have it brought to the light of day.

The characters are rich and well rounded. The conversions and realizations of self are truly well written and believable. Personally, I like how the beginning and end of every book begins with Kathleen setting up the story, and then giving a postscript.

This is a wonderful book that can bring to life an entirely new world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked it better than the first in the series, although that was good too. Stories about the sea always interest me and the book held my interest all the way through. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to paint as well. The character's faith in God was brought out through the whole book. I am looking forward to the third in the series.

I bought this to read for a class, but was taken aback by how good this book was. An excellent read for anyone.

Like a lot of university educated folks, I heard in Psych 101 that once you hit your teens, your capacity to learn languages takes such a nosedive that if you haven't learned by then, you'll never be better than "Me Tarzan, you Jane" no matter how hard you try. I'm not ashamed of accepting this "language expiration date" -- there was no reason not to, and besides, it tracked with my own frustration learning foreign languages. For decades, I accepted this Psych 101 nugget without question.

When I started reading A Man Without Words, I had no idea my old Psych 101 nugget's days were numbered. I heard about the book as something a fan of Oliver Sacks would enjoy, and I associated it with Oliver Sack's book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, about neurological dysfunction, not Sacks's Hearing Voices, about the deaf. I assumed until I started reading that the "man without words" was aphasic -- had brain damage that prevented him from understanding language. Turns out, though, the book's namesake is deaf and poor and had simply, at 27, never been taught any language. No one had ever bothered. Susan Schaller then proceeded to overturn the Psych 101 sacred cow I never knew I had by describing how she taught this young man the beginnings of ASL over the course of a few weeks. Then, so I couldn't think of him as a freak or fraud, Schaller goes on to show that many deaf people receive no language training and can also be taught to sign long after the Psych 101 "language expiration date."

Schaller claims that almost every deaf teacher, and most hearing teachers, of ASL know of adults who have grown up without language. While her book is anecdotal and therefore fundamentally unscientific, she makes a passionate plea for academic study of the acquisition of language by adults, which makes her more plausible than those who would brush science aside where it does not prove their case. A Man Without Words is a powerful request, and a strong basis, for further research in this area.

A Man Without Words is also very well written. Schaller is both artful and precise in her descriptions of sign idioms and grammar, to the point that I, who know little of sign other than what I read here and in Hearing Voices, felt I understood what I needed to and enjoyed learning it. Her narrative case study is better written than many novels, and besides being fascinated by the information Schaller imparts, I also became submerged in the story.

Learning that something I believed for decades may be dead wrong gives me a feeling of loss of equilibrium (I got the feeling a lot when I first started reading about urban legends). No matter how skeptical I try to be, I always seem to be assuming something. A Man Without Words is a convincing argument for skepticism about the "language expiration date," and it raises concerns that the "expiration date" idea may make us give up up too quickly on languageless adults. It is also a fascinating read as a story, which makes the loss of equilibrium easier to take. Now I just hope that since this book was published in the nineties, someone in academia has taken the hint and done some study on linguistic development in adults. I'm off to cruise the Web to find out -- which, I'm sure, is just the kind of reaction Schaller was hoping for.

This book really opened my eyes to the world of adults without a communication system. I just took for granted the fact that everyone had a way of communicating when in fact, this book shows clearly that there are many who don't have just that. In addition, this book is a real page turner and packs a lot of interesting information in just a little over 200 pages.

Wow! A must-read for parents of deaf children, linguists, and SLP's. The author expertly describes the isolating effects life without a shared language. She tells the story of a deaf man who grew up in a poor town in Mexico. The man was never provided any education and was never taught how to communicate. At the start of the story, the man uses only gestures and miming to express himself. He lacks the concept of "language" --a system of symbols (spoken words, manual signs, or written text) that can be used to express an individual's thoughts & experiences and be understood by a whole community of people. The author recounts her struggle to figure out how to teach language and the man's struggle to learn. In addition, she clearly articulates the need for social change, the need to develop resources & programs for teaching the many languageless deaf adults who exist today. While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I found that the numerous quotes throughout the book detract from the overall story. In this respect, the book seems somewhat like a hybrid --it is a positive & triumphant story of two people embarking upon a difficult journey with no map to guide them, AND it is an informal dissertation on the needs of an overlooked segment of the deaf population. Either way, it is a great story and is well-worth reading.

I've read many of the previous case studies of languagelessness in children. We studied Genie and the Wild Boy of Aveyron in an education class on language and it's place in education. This was my introduction to this particular group of disenfranchised, neglected, and abused people...except I thought it was all children usually discovered in late childhood (around age 13). From my neuroscience classes I remember being taught that the brain continues neuronal growth (to targeted synapses in the brain) until about age ten, then begins to cut back. This was supposedly an explanation for why language learning is so difficult later in life. So coming across this book, with its story concerning adults with no obvious psychiatric problems (just a physical difference in lacking hearing) who had managed to survive to adulthood with no language, came as a complete surprise.

This book got put aside as I had to read other books for school and work, but I picked it up again and finished it. Schaller basically is providing a qualitative study, a case study, to draw attention to this apparent problem. This method of educational research is used more and more in writing dissertations, and I actually didn't recognize what it was until I took a qualitative research class myself. The writing and book tend at first to repeat itself. I am not sure what Schaller was doing in writing this way. Perhaps the book had to be a certain length or she felt readers might not pay attention to the seriousness of this problem for Ildefonso and other adults without language. This repetition caused the first half of the book to drag a bit.

After I picked the book up again, I finished it in two days. The addition of the search for other adults with no primary language, Schaller's introduction to other adults like Ildefonso, and then her search for Ildefonso really added to the pace of the case study.

This book throws a bit of a wrench in much of the things I have been taught in both neuroscience and education. There are a few things the book illustrates better than any other book I've read on this topic. First, given the amount of adults who were deaf and had no language that Schaller found in Southern California really illustrates this has to be a major problem internationally. If we are finding such a large group in our nation which pushes education and literacy, what about in countries such as China where there are many deaf (due to overuse of gentamycin) and there are many people with no access to education. Second, again, we obviously don't know everything there is to know about the pliability of the brain. Third, I am very concerned about discrimination against this group, and the possibilities that there are many of these people in psychiatric wards or prisons or other institutions, merely because they have no way to assert their rights. This possibility would be criminal.

I'd like to see more books by Schaller on this topic, and hope to learn more about this in the future. For the most part, this is a great book, and it definitely is a great story which needed to be told.
Karen Sadler
Science Education
University of Pittsburgh

I have actually met the artist and viewed his original works at a gallery in Germanton, NC. Although the book cannot possibly convey the beauty and artistry of his magical vision that is captured on canvas, it is still a feast for the eyes. And, since his original pieces cost a good bit more than my average monthly salary, this is one great way to enjoy his imaginitive pieces without having to fork out a lot of cash. I also reccommend his other books, especially the Fairy Garden.

Although this book is worth owning just for the beautiful pictures, I have enjoyed the writing as well. As a student of magick, myself, I can appreciate the story of the Wizard's training and details about the elemental magic he practices. Good for young and old alike, it will inspire you to seek out all the bits of magic in your own life.

One of the reviewers said this is a kid's book, but that's not true at all. Tom Cross has combined clever, captivating writing with some of the best illustrational magic I've ever seen. Young and old can enjoy this phenomanal book, as even my parents who are into their 60s enjoyed it. It's hard to not appreciate the artwork, and the enviromental message that is subtly but powerfully interwoven into the "narration" by "Penelo". This has been a book I've read over and over, always catching something new in the artwork, and enjoying the sly sense of humour, not to mention the semi-historical, semi- mythological section regarding some famous Magicians, and the history of magicians. If you enjoy fantasy at all, or you know someone who does, and even as a work of art in and of itself, this book is easily going to produce a lot of joy to anyone who owns a copy. Don't wait any longer!

My mom bought me this book because I'm a pagan that loves fantasy. She was right that I would love it. The pictures are beautiful, and the writing is just as good. This is the perfect fantasy book! A must have for all fantasy lovers!

If you love fantasy and wizardry, this is a MUST HAVE for your collection. Every time I read this book I feel as if I've been swept to another realm filled with magic, whimsy, and beauty. One of the reasons that I love this book is because not only is it very intersting to read, but it has just as much....if not more, illustrations-artwork, as it does literature. The artwork in the book has so much detail that I notice something new everytime I read it. This book breaks down every aspect of a "wizard". Anything that you every wondered about, or wanted to know about a wizard is in this book!
The book it's self is a piece of artwork, and I highly recommend it.

This beautifully illustrated, poetically imaginative book will delight your mind and your eyes. Tom Cross uses his great skills as an illustrator and his deep imagination to create a work that is fun and enjoyable. With staff in hand and tongue in cheek the author takes the reader on a journey of beauty, reverence for nature, history, fantasy, and every other place you'd like to go with a genuine, down-to-earth, honest-to-goodness wizard as guide. One of the best books I've read, pure delight.

I have been fortunate to have eaten at the White Grass Cafe and have always come away more pleasantly surprised than the time before. Laurie and Mary Beth have given us the keys to their kitchen with this book. The food is easy to make, healty, satisfy, heck, it's great. Add some music from Ottmar Liebert in the background, the smell of the wood stove, and you'll be in the West Virginia Mountains as the sun sets over the mountains. Check their menu (...). With the recipes in this book you can serve it up.

The White Grass Cafe Cookbook is one that will travel everywhere with me. The recipes are wonderful and simple to follow. Healthy eating and living is proven easy at White Grass. Anytime I fix something from the cookbook, the smell in our kitchen brings us back to one of our favorite places....White Grass Ski Touring Center and Cafe! Happy Trails!

This is, without a doubt, my favorite cook book! The recipes are simple and easy to follow. The results are special (ie: not your everday sort of mealtime selections) and delicious. The White Grass Cafe cookbook takes over top honors in our kitchen after knocking out a recipe book from a 1950s flour company. Standouts are a Sweet Potato soup that is tangy and soulful and a Walnut pie that is desert's version of heaven! Nothing much in this world beats having a mid-winter dinner at Whitegrass, but this cookbook is a close second!

This cookbook has the best variety of recipes I have ever seen! I love eating at the cafe, but when I am not in Canaan, I can have a taste of it in my house. Lots of good food that people with all different tastes will enjoy.

Never used a cookbook so much. Makes me feel like I'm back in WV. It's truly wonderful. Thanks for being my cooking teachers. Couldn't of done it without you.

This book is a must have for anyone interested in Celtic Art. I can't wait to get started on the designs. This book has clear detailed instructions that can be altered with little to no problem it seems. The designs range from simple quick projects to more advanced longer projects which would make it an excellent purchase for those just getting into cross stitching.

The designs included are a little simplistic, with little or no shading and relatively little detail. NEVERTHELESS they are well charted, well organized, and treated as "motifs" rather than projects (though some project ideas are included) so that you can use them for a variety of purposes. The nice thing, however, about not using 50 colors for one design is that you can easily adapt the color scheme to suit your needs.

I'm not entirely familiar with traditional Celtic art, mostly just modern interpretations. This book is pretty much what I expected to see, so I don't know if it's historically accurate or any of that. All I know is that I'm satisfied with the design and contents, and I suppose that's all I can say!

Much better than the other Celtic cross-stitch I've looked through. Good library of designs - all the clasic knots and animals - and perhaps most important for beginners (and the lazier among us): No half-stitches!

This book is worth the cover price for the lettering patterns alone!

I anxiously awaited delivery of this book. So many books are full of designs you'll never use. This book is a wonderful exception. The beginning of the book has a short section on how to instructions that could help the novice cross-stitcher. Then the remainder of the book is devoted to classic Celtic designs and a wonderful array of projects that range from the simple Celtic cross book mark (a nice quick project) to a Celtic designed rug.

Best features of all -- 6 different alphabet designs and a pattern library in the back to fuel your stitching creativity even further. This is a great addition to any stitcher's library and especially those who love Celtic design!

I own far too many of these books. Each one I buy gives me new projects to explore, new possibilities for colour combinations and wonderful gift ideas.

This book is no exception. The basics are all here: an innovative stitcher might want to experiment a little with the use of metallics or beads while a new stitcher can learn to master his or her technique.

The projects are keyed to both Anchor and DMC - which is great for those of us who use either.

Recommended for those who, like me, think that there is always room for one more stitching book on the shelf.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith