Curtis Books

This whole series is amazing! I love how it turns the story a bit to make you fall in love with Leana (Leah) instead of the normal hero Rose (Rachel).

WHAT A STORY!!! I was so caught up in the characters being frustrated with Jamie and tempted to judge Rose by criticizing and condemning her, that I nearly missed the whole point of the story - do I love like Rose, or like Leana? As I began to examine myself and my thoughts about each character more closely, I realized how tempted I was to pity Leana, and condemn Rose. The truth is that Leana is to be admired. She did wrong, owned up to it, faced the consequences, and ends up paying dearly for her mistake (her deception costs her her family just as Jaime's deception costs him his family). She learns to loves as Christ does - completely, no matter what the cost to herself.

Rose and Jamie are to be pitied. Rose lives life with both hands open - not in offering, but in taking. In serving only herself, she has an empty heart and has nothing to give to anyone.

True, Jamie was clearly deceived on his wedding night. But he then uses this to justify his behavior and punishes his wife - for the very thing he did to his own brother. It's easy to judge them all, but the Bible says to judge ourselves, and love others. Bravo to the author for writing a fictional story that does exactly what God's word does - it reveals the true heart of the reader.

Rose Mcbride wants what her sister Leana McKie has, a loving husband and child to call her own. After coming home sick from school though she finds out that her dream is to come true.

There had been a mix up when Leana and James McKie got married and as far as the kirk (church) is concered Jamie is still married to Rose and Ian, his son by Leana is illegitimate.

Rose and Jamie are married and Leana goes to visit her aunt several miles away.

The three try to get their lives back to normal after what has happened to them will anything be normal again? Read Fair is the Rose.

This book follows A Thorn In My Heart which I loved and quickly ordered the next two in the series. There is no way that the plot can be called predictable and it has such character since it is written around the 18th century in Scotland. If you enjoy Higgs writing or even Irish type stories, then you will love this book. The first book leaves you amazed at the events but this book is not boring and a sudden turn of events keeps the reader guessing and entranced. I give it 5 stars because I couldn't put the first book down once I got going and couldn't wait to buy the second two.

After reading the first book "Thorn in my Heart", I was so excited to read the rest of the series. I was so sickened by Rose from the first chapter. Her character was terribly self-serving and horrid. I was disgusted by the end of the book with her. I have never felt so strongly about a fictional character before! I found myself sobbing for Leana during her trials. I was very tempted to put the book aside, as it was making me feel such emotions. I am in total agreement with other reviewers who had negative feelings towards Rose. Although she did try to better herself, she continuously made herself out to be a poor, pathetic victim. ICK!! The book in itself was very well written, but I felt myself just wanting the story to end already. There was just entirely too much suffering for Leana in this book.

I noticied that this book got a 5 star rating, however I wasn't real thrilled about it. Perhaps if it's not a challenging book or somewhat instructive, I want it to be happy. On the back cover it talks about passion and revenge, lost innocence, shattered dreams, sorrow and shame. It needed really strong writing and a good ending to counter all that.

This book is so captivating a just can not put it down. I just got a week ago, and I am almost done reading it. Then of course I will have to pass it along to my sister to read when I am done with it. Liz Curtis Higgs is a wonderful writter, and this finale to the series is just supurb.

Davina McKie is the only daughter of Jamie and Leana McKie (the subjects of Thorn in My Heart, Tender is the Rose, and Whence Came a Prince.) Davina has not been able to speak since she was younger, but has found ways of communicating, one way throw a fiddle.

Her younger brothers are sent away to school, and as they have always protected Davina Jamie is worried about her. Then he sends her to a cousins house on the Isle of Arran for the summer. Davina has the time of her life getting to know her cousins who are just about her age, when a request was made to play for the Duke of Hamilton.

While there she meets Summerland McDonald who takes a shine to her. Unfortunately this leads to several tragedies that befall her while on the Island.

While there are some cheerless parts of the book, the way that the book ends makes up for it.

Much like Francine Rivers, Liz Curtis Higgs' stories are able to reveal one's true heart and nourish the soul. Bravo.

Grace in thine eyes is a beatiful story about a tale that is very quickly forgotton. Tucked between the story of Jacob and Joesph lies Genesis chapter #34. The story of Jacobs daughter Dinah. Liz Curtis Higgs took that story and created an epic tale that will keep you reading from the first page till the last. Davina is a young lass of 17. Mute since a young child Davina is doted on by her younger brothers. When she is sent away to the Isle of Arran, she is truly excited. However no one would be able to see the string of events that will take place and change Davinas life forever. I enjoyed this book very much. I found it a different and well written story. I will be looking for many more stories by this author.

This book is not about innovation - it is about focus on what adds value instead of "useless" projects. It is applicable within innovation, but it could be better at it. It should have been more brief and with a more structured approach.

To summarize the book:
1. The developing world will soon beat the developed.
- We must come up with new products to compete.

2. Don't waste peoples' time
- learn how to do elevator pitches
- focus on important not interesting problems

3. Scrutinize ideas
Write small business plans / value proposition, and when presenting or writing focus in this order:
- What Need / problem does the idea solve
- How that problem is solved today (Competition and Alternatives).
- What Benefits and Costs / Disadvantages your solution has
- Last spend time on the Approach / implementation.

4. Be customer focused
Understand your customer. Read The Innovator's Solution.

5. Iterate ideas
Read Serious Play if you really want to understand this - this book just touches the subject.

6. Align your team
Make sure all works towards the same goal. Read Good to Great.

7. Focus on profit, not turnover
Be profitable as soon as possible, that is create value as soon as possible, as that would steer the idea.

8. Think big
Don't try to build 1M-companies, but 1B-companies. I think this is a useful exercise, even if the numbers look big the point is - if you are thinking about products that would address 100k problems, lift the bar.

This is the first book that is a comprehensive "how to" guide written for leaders that want to drive the innovation performance of their organizations. Curtis Carlson is president and CEO of SRI International, arguably a collection of the most productive innovators on the planet. If you read only one book on innovation, this is the one to read. If you are limited for time, buy this book and read Chapter 5: It's as Simple as NABC. NABC is an acronym for: What is the customer and market NEED? What is the specific APPROACH to satisfying that need? What are the BENEFITS from that approach considering costs? & Why are these benefits superior to the COMPETITION and/or alternatives? That chapter alone is worth twice the price of the book. We bought copies for everyone in the company. At Metrics Reporting, we are innovation practitioners. We practice the discipline of innovation. This is a guidebook for practitioners that are serious about creating extraordinary results.

Someone who's part-way into a running a small business would benefit greatly from reading this book. particularly the first half. It's good motivational reading... because you feel as though you've learned something, and really you have. It teaches how to get from a good idea, to a successful innovation. It's not innovation unless it's successful and gets used. Such a big concept, yet it often gets missed. That and it's well written, and a very enjoyable read.

If you struggle with defining and communicating the value of your product, service or business, look no further than Chapter 5 of this book. In my 20 years as a communications practitioner, I've never seen such a foolproof system for distilling a value proposition. We've adopted the NABC method like religion, and the process has been a revelation for our clients. No matter how complex your offering, Bill Wilmot and Curtis Carlson's elegant method will help you talk about it simply and in ways that matter most to your customers and prospects.

Right, this is not a book about innovation - it is a book about business management today, and its guidance is spot on! In what the authors call today's "exponential economy" (Freidman calls it a Flat World), the five disciplines of innovation equate to the five critical elements for business success. Consider each discipline:

1. Important Needs: Work on important customer and market needs - is the purpose of any business, and should be declared by the mission/vision statement(s).
2. Value Creation: Create customer value fast - is the basis for strategy. The NABC acronym - Need, unique Approach, Benefits per costs, Competition or alternatives - is an excellent way to dissect the strategy development process.
3. Innovation Champions: Be a champion to drive the value-creation process - is a statement that every business requires leadership that is committed to its success. And the list of ways to work as described on page 163...
* Listen and learn - all input is positive when the goal is increased value
* Fail often to succeed early - test your ideas early and often
* Ask for ideas before resources - keep costs down and interest up
* Surround yourself with enthusiastic volunteers - recruit for passion, curiosity, and values as well as talent
* Build business and financial models early, but be skeptical - Be quantitative and start with a SWAG
* Thank the thinkers, praise the participants - Share the credit, acknowledge contributions
* Trust the process - Visit Watering Holes and iterate, iterate, iterate
...are pretty good (well, except, the fail piece, which might simply read test your ideas) bits of advice for most leadership positions.
4. Innovation Teams: Use multidisciplinary, team-based approach to create a collective, genius-level IQ - is often the most effective organizational structure for any business today.
5. Organizational Alignment: Get your team and enterprise aligned to systematically produce - is about using identified and aligned business processes.

If you look at this book as the story of SRI International's success at innovation - and they are good at it - it has much to offer the reader. I particularly liked Chapter 6's "Watering Hole" process that was suggested as a way to improve ideas, and the DNA of change - Desire, New vision, and Action plan - is clever. While in general the book is a bit long-winded, the stories held my attention and that says a lot.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

Luther T. Farrell goes by his first name, middle initial and last name, which might be taken as a sign that he might not be as confident as he initially wants to appear. This assumption is correct. Luther is a high school student, academically successful, but socially awkward, who leads a more complicated life than many of his peers. While he may look like just another bright kid who is interested in science and philosophy, outside of school, he holds down a full time job as a caretaker for the residents of his mother's group homes. His mother, the Sarge of the title, is a strong-willed, ruthless woman who has found multiple ways of earning money while skirting the law. Luther is equally keen on winning the school science fair for the third time (a "tre-peat") and escaping his mother's tyrannical hold over him and his dreams. How he does this makes for an engaging read.

The one flaw is that for a child who has been physically and emotionaly abused, Luther is almost too well-adjusted. His anxieties and insecurities seem to fall within the "normal" range for an adolescent.
He just does not seem "troubled" enough given his circumstances. While it is possible to overcome an upbringing like his, I would expect a few more scars to have occurred in the process.

Although I was intrigued by this story--flipping pages quickly to find out how the protagonist would buck the Sarge--I was ultimately disappointed. "The Sarge" is a cruel slum lord without a shred of good in her, and the protagonist is the Sarge's 9th grade son without a shred of bad in him.

I'm disappointed in this book because even if I overlook Luther's ability to be so well-adjusted despite his upbringing (after all, Harry Potter did it), and even if I overlook the contrived ending (at least it's not happily ever after), I can't overlook that fact that I am not emotionally hooked.

Curtis had me bawling when reading some of his other books (The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 and Bud, Not Buddy), but I felt no emotion--not sadness nor relief nor victory--when Luther finally bucked the Sarge.

This YA ("young adult") novel takes the reader into the unenviable life of Flint, Michigan 9th-grader Luther. The fatherless Luther is completely under the thumb of his domineering mother, a slumlord and neighborhood loanshark known as "the Sarge." To her, 15-year-old Luther isn't a son so much as unpaid help. She makes him live in one of her halfway homes and supervise its elderly internees. Other tasks include chauffeuring these old men around, cleaning houses after tenants have been evicted, and assisting his mother with the various scams she runs on the state social welfare system. Other than that, Luther is a typical awkward 9th-grader: pimply faced, obnoxious to the girl he has a crush on, and with a keen eye on winning the science fair again. He's also really nice and sweet, and a good kid -- which seems rather implausible given his upbringing.

The story is at turns comedic and tragic, however its main plotline concerns the school's science fair, which Luther is hoping to win for the third year running. This becomes a metaphor for his attitude to life, which is that hard work can lead to good things -- an approach his mother sneers at and calls "the sucker path." Her plan is for him to work for her and then inherit her empire, while he wants to go to college and get out of town. Since Luther makes such a big deal of working on his project, but the reader isn't told what it is, it's hardly surprising when the revelation of its topic ends up being a catalyst for a major turning point in Luther's life. Unfortunately, this climax is across-the-board implausible: (1) It's simply not believable that in the course of weeks of working on the project, the implications wouldn't have arisen in Luther's mind. (2) When the implications are clear, his mother acts contrary to character in terms of trust -- especially given the circumstances -- which allows the ending to unfold as it does. (3) A bit of incredible luck plays a key role in Luther's ultimate redemption. (4) The emotional implications of a kid running away from his only parent are never touched upon at all. The whole end plays out like some kind of film where an essentially good gangster is trying to quit the life and ditch his godfather, with all kinds of frantic scamming and planning.

Perhaps unintentionally it is Luther's acid-tongued mother who is the book's most compelling character -- when she speaks, it's not nice, but it is attention-grabbing. It's rare to find a story in which a mother is the cold-hearted parent, and the book doesn't do a very good job of explaining why she is the way she is. There is a backstory given, but it's rather hokey and simplistic. Her sidekick is a jheri-curled boyfriend/enforcer/gangster who is a barely contained menace to Luther's health. The men in the group home are a typical cast of comic relief, aside from the mysterious Chester X, who becomes a kind of cliche grandfather figure to Luther. His best friend Sparky provides more comic relief, as his solution to getting free of Flint is to fake an accident (with either a pit bull, diseased rat, or falling roof tile) and then win a settlement with the assistance of the local shyster lawyer. Unfortunately, unlike a proper best friend, about all Sparky is good for are numbskull schemes, and he disappears from the story for long stretches. It's a fairly engaging YA story on the whole, but it's also fairly superficial. Luther's predicament is never given the emotional depth or texture or even seriousness it merits, and some of the comic relief sequences are a little too broad and clunky. Not bad, but not great either.

One of the Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults in 2005, BUCKING THE SARGE is a solid read by Christopher Paul Curtis. The early novel of his, THE WATSONS GO TO BURMINGHAM:1963, was chosen as a Newbery Honor Book in 1996, and another of his, BUD, NOT BUDDY, won the Newbery Award Medal in 2000. An already acclaimed author, Curtis has delivered the humorous, if not outlandish story, of Luther T. Farrell, a young black boy and freshman in high school, who lives with and works for the Sarge (a.k.a. Mom), the mother of all mothers.

With his best friend Sparky, his love for philosophy, and his hatred for Flint, Michigan, Luther gets promoted to head of the Sarge's group home. At the same time, he's trying to think up the kind of idea that will win him 1st prize in the school's science fair for the third year in a year, an unprecedented feat. The problem is that the ordained-in-the-stars love of his life that he never talks to, Shayla Patrick, is his greatest competition, having nearly defeated him the year before.

While Luther's working his tail off for the Sarge, Sparky is scheming up ways to get rich quick, searching for the perfect case to take to Dontay Gaddy, the Big D.O.G. lawyer at 1-800-SUE-EM-ALL. Luther has a different plan. For a couple more years, he's going to keep working for the Sarge because she's loading up his education fund and that's the only real way to climb the ladder.

However, his new promotion at the group home gives him access to information he wishes he'd never found, the kind that changes your life forever, for better or for worse. With Sparky and Shayla still doing their things, Luther's going to have to figure out who the Sarge really is, what he's going to do about her, and how in the world he's ever going to make it out of Flint.

Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Michael Boatman is a perfect reader for this story. His voice is casual and "philosophical". Some of the story could have gotten bogged down in melodrama, but he keeps things on an even keel, while at the same time making the critique of life in Flint even more devastating. Momma's smooth, cool voice almost sounds reasonable, until you realize how ruthless she is.

Well done. One of the best audiobooks I have listened to.

I love this creative book that I first purchased for my daughter. She was going through some growing pains and this book prompted a lot of conversations. The pictures are great and any age can relate to this wonderful words.

My almost 3 year old granddaughter and I just love reading all Jamie's books since they really pertain to those little ones. A pure enjoyment every time.

I read this book to my six year old son. It holds his attention with its detailed illustrations of children who are obviously asserting their individuality and self esteem.

So far, we have several of Jamie Lee Curtis' books and each of them has been wonderful.

I'd recommend it to anyone whose child needs a bit of encouragement in the confidence department.

This was purchased for our grandson. He enjoys having it read to him and once again, when he can read it on his own, hopefully will continue to appreciate the intended message.

I'm Gonna Like Me is a cute, engaging and esteem building book that is a pleasure to read. The age range listed for this is 4-8, but I really think this is one of those books that is a perfect read aloud (especially given that most kids up to age 8 can't read cursive and half the text/font is cursive) for 0-6, kids older than that probably aren't going to be as engaged in the message of the book, as was the case with my kids. My 6 year old loved it, but my 8 year old didn't enjoy the story as much, though she did enjoy pouring over the pictures with her brother (and reading him the badges and stuff) after the reading and they got a good chuckle out of all the zany and vivid imagery used.

In the end, the message given is one that is necessary, especially for younger children and would make for good story time discussion with kids ages 4-6 and maybe a little older...there's nothing intrinsically wrong with you if you get an answer wrong, someone doesn't like you or you get picked last. The message is that these things don't FEEL so great, but they don't affect who you are or your worth as a person and that is a strong, positive message. I give it 4 stars, a great message that can't be stressed enough to young children...to appreciate who you are and try all the things you wan to try because even when you're wrong, you learn from it!

And definitely not my last. Love Jamie Lee's stories. She is a wonderful author and right on the mark! You will not be disappointed in one book written by Jamie Lee. So far, we have 4 and we're not stopping there.

This book was purchased for our granddaughter. She enjoys the bright illustrations.

You know, this is my least favorite read by Curtis and Cornell thus far...and I'm actually of two minds about it. On one hand, it's got all the trademark things we love about her books - wonderful illustrations that are zany, vivid and almost a story in-and-of themselves, and text that is both silly and hits home with kids. I simply adore the idea of a four year old and her Memoir...that's such an unexpected thing, but it's charming and adorable at the same time! I think that this book is an excellent springboard for a larger lesson on memories; giving parents and/or teacher the opportunity to challenge their young readers (or listeners) to make their own memoir in a similar vein or leading to discussion about what the kids in a reading group/story time remember from when they were "still little."

On the other hand, it's got reference to junk food (by name even...Captain Crunch, Cheetoes, ect..) and it give the message that by age 4 they won't have to ride in a car seat which simply isn't true...here in Ohio, kids have to be 4'9" before they can be without a child safety seat, this is NOT a good message for kids to be getting. Overall, I give it four stars, as I said, it'd make a great spring board for additional activities in reading, writing, drawing and a fantastic place to go from for discussion about growing and changing with young children...but the "product placement" and child seat thing make me less than happy with this book as a parent. I suspect with a subtle correction about oh...how silly, you have to be X years old, or X tall or weight X amount, the car seat thing is easy to overcome and the product placement...well, if kids have already been given proper eating information and have a healthy diet at home, the knowledge that they CAN eat Captain Crunch or Cheetoes every now and then is probably not too terrible a message for kids to get.

This is a really good book and it is good for little kids because they might remember when they was little

I thought it would be more like I Feel Silly which it is not. Very babyish - one line sentences. I think the illustrations are not as clear as other books and looks like a mish-mash of colors. My just 5 year old is not interested in it.

Good Book, basic tip how to Mack a broad in. use their system but be "yourself" in using their system.

I thought this book had to do with checking bread from square broads. This book is for cat's who need confidence. If you already got game and you can get square b******, then you don't need this book.

It's a great dating book. Very useful tactics one can use to level the playfield with women. One technique that really stands out is the IOU (not to be confused with IOI's, hehe), which I believe is worth the price of the book. You can probably write another book based on that one technique alone because there's so many great applications for it.
But this book is NOT a pick-up book;It's a dating book. Most of these techniques are best used in a more intimate 1 on 1 situation with a women. These techniques are not going to make you get all enthused and go out to your local mall and start "macking it" to every hotty in site. (at least it didn't for me. Nonetheless it's a fun read and a great way to improve your dating life 2 fold.

Every book on this topic has at least one jewel of a nugget. The pieces that stuck out most in my own head is the premise that you as the guy, (contrary to societies preachings and brow beatings) are in fact a person.

You are allowed to have your own rules, your own boundaries. This books one contribution to my own pursuits on this topic is to communicate and enforce those rules and boundaries so a woman does not run ripshod all over you. We deserve the same level of courtesy and respect as women demand from us.

... and, believe me, I've read through a lot of garbage lately written by chumps-masquerading-as-casanovas who's "success" rate with women is highly suspect, judging by the outdated and/or ridiculous advice espoused in their books (I won't name names, but you can see my other reviews for more info)... this is the one to get by guys who obviously know what they're talking about based on real-life experience.

I read this book fairly recently since having taken a avid interest in the Golden Age of erotic films over the past year. Due to Holmes' propensity to exaggerate and invent stories, it's at times difficult to discern fiction from truth, although that's not necessarily a deterrent here. Many of his classic tall tales are now as legendary as Holmes himself has become over the past few decades. In essence, he need not to have invented a single fabrication since his "real" life story boasted helpings of everything from sex, drugs, intrigue, duplicity to murder. Some were in greater abundance than others.

Adult film historians concur that Holmes undeniably established himself as the "King" of erotic cinema by the time the 70's decade came to a close, as his impressive filmography will reveal. To this day he continues to reign. The book is an entertaining and quick read, but I would have enjoyed a few more revelatory insights into his infamous and countless onscreen pairings with some of the renowned leading ladies of his day. Women like Annette Haven, Seka, Rhonda Jo Petty, Lesllie Bovee, Serena, Marilyn Chambers and Amber Lynn.

The book itself was allegedly compiled from hours of audio-tapes Holmes recorded during his incarceration in connection to the Wonderland murders (he was acquitted) and throughout the few years following until his untimely death in 1988, due to AIDS related causes. Although it's not likely an entirely honest assessment of the events that occured throughout his tumultuous life, one can't dispute the fact it's mostly a humble account. One of the genuine and poignant inclusions in the book is the epilogue at the end, written by Holmes' second wife, Laurie.

As a connoisseur of pop culture and the adult film world, I eagerly anticipated the release of the autobiography from the man who made porn a household name (at least in my household). I ordered this book from Amazon shortly after it was released and tore into it immediately after receiving it upon my doorstep. While the book was interesting, I believe it to be far more fiction than fact. This is based upon other accounts I've read about this well-hung legend. As told on the recent John Holmes addition of the E! True Hollywood Story, Holmes was prone to exaggeration and fabrication. There was also very little about his life in the adult film world - only a mere skim over. While I wasn't disappointed with the book, I wasn't satisfied either. But, give it a shot and see what you think.

first of all to those who think my uncle middle name is cleoon ?
it is not! it is Curtis , get it straight

yes the book is true to life
it is not like the lame ass book Wonderland
where they fabricated my uncle to be a murderer!
im tired of all those who claim to know about him

the answer is unless you were apart of his family or his wife
you dont have the right to make up false things like his
middle name!
where is your respect!

Leah (johns niece!)

This book is fairly interesting, but the reader must keep in mind that since John Holmes wrote about himself, he casts himself in the role of victim instead of perpetrator. He absolves himself of all responsibility in the Laurel Canyon murders, placing himself in the role of unwilling participant and innocent bystander. He only slightly mentions his life in porn movies, and he does not accept responsibility nor does he seem to feel guilt for his humiliating mistreatment of his long-suffering first wife, his teenage mistress whom he pimped, beat, and started on drugs, or the fact that he neglected to mention his AIDS status to his female porn partners. Yet he does speak openly about his drug addiction, his impoverished childhood, his obsession with sex, and his mammoth "organ". All in all, this is an interesting yet not-so-honest book about a very complex man who could never deal with his inner demons and eventually succumed to them.

John C. Holmes has always been an inspiration for those of us who are "different," or "overly well endowed," if you know what I mean. Any boy who was forced to listen to the whisperings in the locker room, "Why is his so much bigger?" can appreciate what Johnny Wadd went through. Anyone who has, as the saying goes, "gone hunting for squirrel with an elephant gun," knows the social embarrassment that having an enormous you-know-what can cause.

That is why we are happy to have one of our own, the most famous of us all, tell his story in his own words. A marvelous book. I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me. Our group, and I mean each and every one of our members, stands and salutes you, Johnny Wadd!

I was disappointed in the book. I found very few recipes that I would ever try.

This was a very nice cookbook overall. The recipes varied from easy to advanced and the photography was beautiful. I bought it as a gift and am thinking of getting it for myself.

I bought this book because I am a big fan of Take Home Chef! I was expecting the book to contain expert level recipes like those in a lot of the 'super star' chefs' but find Chef Curtis' recipes simple enough for us amateur cooks yet the results are elegant enough to show off to company... Keep up the good work, Chef Curtis!

This is exactly what I expected and then some. I love the way Curtis organized this cookbook into Seasons. It helps to take the guess work out of what I should/shouldn't cook. I love the way the book also introduces the degrees of ease for each recipe. I just read through each one and I'm confident that I can make even the most difficult.

I watch "The Take Home Chef" and love the recipes from the show and now I have something different to pair up with the seasons. Great job Curtis and I couldn't be happier with what you created for us. Thank you! :)

The photography and layout of this book are just stunning. I'm a big fan of Curtis Stone, and this book follows true to his cooking style. I would say, however, that most of the recipes should probably be saved for weekend cooking, since many are involved and require slightly unusual ingredients. Most of the recipes are quite 'do-able', but a few are a little 'out there'.

This is a very enjoyable book, and the written descriptions of how to do each jump are very clear. The one thing I really wish it had are clearer illustrations! The stick-figures are confusing, and make it impossible to see which leg or arm is in front or in back. A stop-action progression of photos, or at least a more lifelike, detailed illustration would go a long way towards enhancing the understanding of how these moves are done. Overall, I still recommend the book, and have found the information useful - especially considering there isn't much (if anything) written about this subject.

From Liz Miller, well-known California skating instructor and author of the books Get Rolling, Advanced Inline Skating and California Inline Skating:

"Jo Ann has a warm, encouraging and very enthusiastic writing style, and she delivers what the book's title promises: information about the inline figure skating discipline, gear, and moves. The gear section and glossary are also useful."

From John Petell, President of Harmony Sports:

"Jo Ann's book is a giant step toward exposing the fine sport of inline freestyle skating, with its many and wonderous movements, to the public.

From Nick Perna, National and International figure skating coach and co-inventor of the Pic-Frame skate:

"This book is well written and extremely thorough for this type of instruction. I think just about anybody who is interested in inline figure skating techniques will be able to learn something new from this book. I hope someone in the future will do an instructional video based on the book!"

This book is so much fun!

I am an ice and roller skater. Now, I'm able to in-line skate like I do on the ice and on traditional roller skates!

HOW TO JUMP AND SPIN ON IN-LINE SKATES has taught me what to do.

What I like the best is that I can now do spins on in-line skates. The writer explains in detail how to do moves.

When I follow the steps described, I find myself doing amazing things.

I really like the photos and drawings of the skaters in action.

Every day, I can't wait to get my skates on!

Definitely not for any cross-over (no pun intended) figure skaters.

If you are past the USFSA Basic Skills level, the only page in this book that has any potential of being helpful is page 35, "A note to ice skaters."

I really appreciate the efforts of this book and the niche subject, but it is obviously vanity published, and therefore very, very unprofessional and vexing to read.

In perspective, however, I acquired one skating tip from this book for $13 plus shipping, which is considerably cheaper than one tip from a Russian skating coach, plus shipping :)

Jo Ann's writing style is so fun, and every section makes me want to put my skates on and try what she writes about. The drawings by Larisa Gendernalik are great! They show that the artist does know much about figure skating.

Everyone who loves to skate must read this book since it will make you want to skate and skate and skate.

I am an ice skater and what is amazing is that this book has helped me with my ice skating too.

Thank you, Jo Ann, for writing this book!