David Books

I used it teaching beginner lessons. It really helped me come up with new and creative exercises for the kids to do. You replace the jumps for rails on the ground for students that do not jump yet. I love it and use the exercises in this book all the time.

Brilliant diagrams, excellent keys, simply mapped out and laid out information for difficult and also the easiest of dressage manoevres. It's bound at the top for a vertical flip, with a hole punched down near the bottom so you can hang the book on a nail on your bulletin board or at home and keep it open while you study it. It has handy hints how to achieve positions and gives you ideas to improve certain flaws. It is by far the best book on jumping exercises I have read so far that is dedicated purely to jumping exercises.

Just about EVERY page has another full A4 riding arena on it showing the pattern where the horse is going, it shows crossbars and it shows trotting poles, verticals, gymnastics and where to place them, it shows where you should be directing your horse and what way to approach with an excellent use of diagrams and patterns which have a key right next to it so the design remains uncluttered and simple to read. It even gives you cheap alternatives to make some jumps yourselves and offers quick solutions. A best buy for anyone serious about jumping - or even dressage - to keep their horse supple and to keep their horse (and themselves!) from boredom. Brilliant.

The best how to book on ground poles and jumping that I have experienced. It's a great tool by an expert to keep your horses (young and old) interested as well as the rider thinking. Linda laid out the book very well. Good illustrations and great explanations accompany each exercise. The ground pole exercises are very helpful to use between jumping lessons. This one is a book to keep and give as a gift to a riding friend!

This book has so much info on different exercises and each exercises has little hits about when to use this exercise and what to watch out for while riding it.

This book breaks the demands or jumping down into a logical progression of skills until it takes the insecure beginning rider into a confident partner to the jumping horse. If these lessons are followed correctly, it can also take a training level horse into a skilled show jumper. This book is a must for anyone interested int he discipline of jumping.

Indeed, All We Are Saying: The Last Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono pulls out the punches. The book shows how far former Beatle, John Lennon, had come and where he was headed. David Sheff's "Playboy" interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono is the most fascinating piece of oral history about Lennon's life as well as the story behind every Beatle song. Sheff intimately takes reader through the studio, John and Yoko's Dakota apartment, and down the neighborhood coffeeshop sharing a cappuccino. All We Are Saying presents an extremely candid and frank interview that was held two months prior to Lennon's passing. Sheff reveals Lennon's growth and new beginning that would unfortunately be cut short.

All We Are Saying does not lack in humor and seriousness. This was the man, not the Sixties icon who sang against a "Revolution," who still had dreams and aspirations to accomplish at the time the interview was conducted. For fans of Lennon as well as the Beatles, this was Lennon stripped down and open for questions, and he merely tells it like it is or was. He expresses the breakup of the Beatles, and emphasizes that they were great, but they were in the past. He talks about the ups and downs of his individual experience from being a heroin addict to a househusband. He was living in the here and now, and the music that he was making at the time reflected that mantra. Though the references he made about the music scene now appear dated, Lennon was ahead of his game and kept up with bands, such as the Clash, Pretenders, and the B-52's. He even raves how the B-52's rip-off Yoko's style of music.

Sheff writes the interview in clear and picturesque narrative. For every new chapter, he introduces the reader to where the interview is going. However, the concluding portions of the book appear too rushed. Sheff appears to have wanted to discuss or at least learn about every tidbit about each Beatles song, which almost portrayed a to-do list, and at times it appears as if he did not want to run out of tape. From the transcript of the interview, Lennon appears too tired to talk about each and every Beatle song as he answers with yes and no answers. For the most part, Lennon wanted to speak about his new album at the time, "Double Fantasy", and new projects he was planning.

All We Are Saying is an important document of the life of John Lennon. For Beatle and Lennon fans, the book is quite ironic and sad due to the circumstance, but that should not stop any one from learning more about one of the most legendary artists of the twentieth century.

This for me is better than any other book because it is reading the acutual words that John said. He gives his own first hand comments on each song (no guessing what each song was about -- he tells you). When he can't remember (it was the 60's after all) John will say so. The most important thing he says is "get interested in your own life" meant in the very kindest way John wants to remind us that we can identify with him, we can love him, but to please NOT make him to focus of your life -- YOU should be the focus of YOUR life. His insights to life can help you acchieve insights of your own. John rules! But I am thankful that he reminds us it is not important to memorize his height and weight or other "facts" but rather to LIVE the life we have -- as I wish he had the option to do. American must stop naming cruel people and making them famous if we do not want more useful people to be killed by those who have little human value -- of course that is only my take -- I can't rule YOUR thoughts (and for that you should be glad ha, ha).

Get the book if you are a Beatles or John Lennon fan... ;-)

INCLUDES AN AMAZING SERIES OF QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS, THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN! I WAS SURPRISED AT SOME OF JOHN'S ANSWERS; BUT IT DID MAKE SENSE COMING FROM HIM. I WON'T SPOIL IT FOR EVERYONE....SO EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A DIE HARD LENNON FAN, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED BY THIS FUNNY AND TOUCHING PIECE OF WORK...JUST BEAUTIFUL!

John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono give an excellent interview by pulling out all stops. Sheff's interview in "Playboy" with the pair is a vital oral history about the former Beatle's life and his insight on each Beatle song. Sheff takes readers on a Magical Mystery Tour through the recording studio; the Dakota and in and around the neighborhood. The interview is candid and direct; readers are given a clear look of and at John and Yoko.

John is shown, warts and all in real, living color. He is not glamorized nor vilified; he is presented as the man that he was. John Lennon was many things to many people; Sixties icon; musician extraordinaire; artist; spouse; father; author; actor; joker; interviewee; "militant pacifist," an oxymoronic term. John was a very complex man and this Rubik's cube of a book puts the pieces together in such a way that readers can readily assemble their image of John Lennon.

John makes no bones abut the Beatles being part of his past; he appears to want to move further down the Long & Winding Road without further Hard Day's Nights in re his Beatle history. It was also interesting to learn what groups and artists John liked and how he felt they influenced him.

Hats off to Sheff for introducing readers to each person in the interview. If there is one literary pitfall to avoid, it is never, repeat, never spring characters or real people onto readers without introducing them. That weakens a work and Sheff is quite adept at dodging this trap.

John appeared to be moving at a quicker pace in this interview; whereas Sheff wanted to discuss the Beatles more in depth, John gave one word answers to Beatle related questions and seemed eager to discuss his 1980 album, "Double Fantasy" as well as works he was planning after that.

This is a bittersweet book for Beatle and Lennon fans because of John's untimely death in late 1980. Even so, the book remains an excellent source of information about the man who founded the World's Number One Band, the Beatles and the man who made the world listen.

Listen to John Lennon.

My favorite Lennon quote comes not from this book, but from the Beatle's set during the Royal Variety Performance for the British Royal Family in 1963: "Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry." I love that, though I've been told you need to be raised in the British class-consciousness to fully appreciate the insolence of that.


I grabbed this book just out of curiosity, as a Beatles fan and a Lennon fan in particular. I read in a review that Lennon goes through the whole catalog of Beatles songs and comments on them. I thought that would be interesting to read. Yoko Ono was the least of my concerns, but they were and are a package deal. I bought into the popular cultural conception of Yoko as the villainess who broke up the Beatles. So the first thing that struck me, reading these interviews, is what an intelligent, sympathetic, and likeable figure she is, when heard in her own words, in the comforts of her home base. And the two of them together actually seem like a nice, well-matched couple, decent people who- against the odds- had found contentment amid the surreal circumstances of their lives. No doubt that they are eccentric in some ways, and some of their philosophizing has that post-Hippie, flaky, dated feel, as you might expect. They are artists after all. But at the same time, they surprised me at times at how level-headed they came off. Despite the near deification of the Beatles, it is John who continuously reminds us that they were just a rock and roll band that was in the right place at the right time and wrote some good songs. And they are able to honestly talk about the strain on their relationship caused by their celebrity. With all the typical defiant talk about letting people think whatever they are going to think, Yoko admits to the heartache of bad press: "It's a very strange thing that society can do that much to a relationship, but it does because we're social animals. We're social beings. A relationship is not isolated from society." "Society can break an individual. That is what happened." John, too, often displays the vulnerability buried within the armor of the iconoclast: "We're both sensitive people and we were both hurt by a lot of it." Enough time has passed for them to analyze the hostility garnered by Yoko, as a woman, when she began managing John's business affairs. John talks about the attitude towards Yoko at these meetings where she was the only woman, "They're all male, you know, just big and fat, vodka lunch, shouting males, like trained dogs, trained to attack all the time." Yoko is wonderful, chiming in with "I was emasculated." Then launching into her formulation of male aggressiveness, "you must have the womb-envy thing," she speculates. Men are aggressive to mask their intimidation and jealousy. After all, she notes, "we give life."

The most valuable part of this book, in which John systematically goes through almost every Beatles and solo Lennon song, is a concession John granted after blowing Playboy's scoop by giving an interview to Newsweek magazine. We get John's feelings about each of the songs as well as the memories triggered by them, what was going on in that period of his life and how they were written. Though John continues with the superficial model of `John songs' and `Paul songs,' we see that the truth is more complicated, they wrote the best of the Beatles "one-on-one, eyeball to eyeball... both playing into each other's noses." We see why they were great together (and why George and Ringo are two very lucky men to have been along for the ride) and why neither of them, as solo musicians, could produce songs that measure up well to the Beatles. There are several examples of the two of them contributing little touches to each others songs, the little shadings that profoundly deepen the work. Without Paul, John was mostly a writer of catchy tunes, superficial fluff with great hooks. Some of Paul's solo works come close to the best of the Beatles, but for the most part, he was missing the nuances- the melodies and tenderness- of Paul's sound. A song like "Michele" is a perfect example. Paul wrote a pretty little love ballad. John heard it shortly after hearing Nina Simone sing the blues, and he suggested the bluesy "I love you, I love you, I love you," bridge. Paul writes "It's getting better all the time," and John adds "it couldn't get much worse." Paul writes "We can work it out" and John adds "Life is very short..." Or conversely, John writes about "A Day in the Life," about a man violently killing himself, and Paul adds the sweetest little lick to ever float into a song from nowhere: "I'd love to turn you on." And so on. I particularly recommend this section as a morning commute read, riding the train with Ipod in hand, keeping the songs in your ears as you read John's analysis of them.

Of course, one can't read these interviews without being constantly reminded that John was assassinated just months afterwards. It gave me chills to read some of John's philosophizing in that light, "Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King are great examples of fantastic nonviolents who died violently. I can never work that out. We're pacifists, but I'm not sure what it means when you're such a pacifist that you get shot."

And the heartbreak is palpable when reading of the pride John took in stepping out of the action and becoming a full time father to Sean. "Here we are: I'm going to be forty, Sean's going to be five. Isn't it great! We survived!"

Dr. Perlmutter is a board-certified neurologist and yet he writes in language we can all understand. If you really follow what he says, it works! And it is not a difficult plan to implement. So get the book, don't let it sit around and get dusty, read it, do it! "Try it, you'll like it!"

Here's one of the few board certified neurologists who will tell you he thinks cell phones and other electromagnetic fields are very likely bad for your brain. Too many others buy into the official pronouncements, and accept that it's OK to keep using your cell phone until the proof of harm is overwhelming.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in keeping their brain healthy for many years to come!

So glad I came accross this book.
So easy to read and absorb the helpful information this book is full of cover to cover! :)

Knowing Dr. Perlmutter and his wife, personally, I can say they practice what he preaches. (By the way, she is brilliant, as well.) I have followed one or both of them around in natural food markets for years, and I am wiser and healthier for doing so. They each have a wonderful sense of humor, and are two of the most down-to-earth and polite people on earth. Their two beautiful (and handsome) children are poster teens for perfect health. And the best yet? They unconditionally LOVE one another.

I was diagnosed in October 2006 and began treatment one month later. The time between diagnosis and treatment was fast-paced, confusing and sometimes overwhelming. I had exceptional care, but I was not as proactively informed as I would have liked. Dr. Chan's book is exactly what I needed then, and it has been tremendously helpful now,over a year later, in understanding what all that took place between surgery, chemo and hormonal therapy. I have recommended this book to all my girlfriends who in one way or another are affected by breast cancer. I can't recommend this book more strongly to you or your loved one who is now facing breast cancer or trying to make sense of the breast cancer they have already been fighting.

This is one of 2 books I purchased when I was first diagnosed. Terrific and I still use it as a reference. Helped me when I was deciding on treatment (very borderline for chemo) Very detailed but easy to understand. I'd recommend this to anyone going through breast cancer.
There is so much written out there that is out of date or incorrect. If you have to buy one book, this is the one.

My wife and I have been on an emotional and psychological roller coaster since she was diagnosed with breast cancer. This book has really helped us to sort through and make sense of the terms, options, decisions and implications for treatment. It is well-written, clear, organized and cross-referenced. The case-study vignettes are particularly helpful.

In his humble, hopeful and helpful style, the author directly addresses about 285 of the most commonly-asked questions from patients seeking specifics to help address individual circumstances. He addressed all of our concerns, to the extent that we better understand the complete picture so we can chart a course of treatment with our medical team that's right for us. Thank you, Dr. Chan.

When I was first diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, my friends gave me this wonderful resource. Reading that book gave me a tremendous peace of mind. Dr. Chan had answers to questions that I didn't even know to ask. I felt relieved when I read that there has been much advancement in recent years and many options to consider in treatment.

Then I went through biopsy, lumpectomy, follow-up radiation, and then started Arimidex; my treatment went exactly as he described. I re-read those sections that pertained to me; they were informative and technical, with supporting studies and statistics. Most importantly, there was always a positive, warm tone. Dr. Chan was my guide through an anxious period. This book should be everyone's companion through a scary process.

I have purchased this book for my friends who have breast cancer and for their families to understand what's going on.

I highly recommend this excellent information-packed book for anyone diagnosed with breast cancer! In the first ten minutes of reading it, I found more reassurance here than I have found from anywhere else! I trust the knowledge of Dr. Chan to help with questions of the mind and of the heart, while presenting solid facts and statistics, as well as the two most important factors for recovery: comfort and hope.

This is the one major item you need to have to be serious about calligraphy. The alphabets are the perfect size for copying or enlarging for illumination(in the old fashioned since, no copier here). The book has great instructions for writing the letters. A great buy!

I teach calligraphy and was looking for something to keep my beginner students going once they'd completed the course. This book is it. It gives samples of a hundred different fonts as well as clear instructions on how to create the letters. The spiral binding was a real plus as it lays flat on the work surface. If I get the chance to teach a Level II in Calligraphy this would be a book I could recommend.

This is an excellent reference book for the beginner or advanced calligrapher. The spiral binding is a wonderful feature allowing the book to stay open while you practice. The pages are heavy duty and full color. The samples are beautiful and the history of writing is fascinating. Even though this book is available at my local library, I will probably purchase a copy for my everyday use at home.

This is a great book for beginners. It has a great layout and is easy to understand.

I need already to be a calligrapher in order to enjoy this 100 alphabets. Only two pages are dedicated to each of them. It is not enough if youa have not practiced previously the art of writing.

Hamilton's work is chronicled in this volume and showcases his love affair with his subjects and his passion for photography.
His work is very sensual and innocent, which considering the bulk of his subject matter (pubescent females) is somewhat daring, but never crosses the line to lecherous. The quality of the printing is excellent, and it is an enjoyable collection

There are a lot of books that contain nude artfull pictures of girls by several top photographers available to choose from. But if you had to choose only ONE to own, this would definitely be the book to buy!Because:(1) VALUE: This book has TRIPLE the pages and photographs of the other books for only about 10-15 dollars more. So thus you get a tremendous page-per-dollar value!(2) QUALITY: Many of the pictures are in color. Most of the other books only have black and white pictures. The pictures are very sharp and very high in quality..they leap off the page! (3) COMMENTARY: Aside from the great pictures, this book also contains several pages of a very informational introduction and commentary. It is nice to read some narration to put the subject matter and pictures in proper perspective.(4) BEAUTIFULL: The girls are very cute and beautifull. A wide age range is represented from 8-18. Even the pictures of the girls clothed are stunning, sexy, and beautifull. The nude girls are very tastefully presented as to not offend or risk censorship. This book used to be banned in some countries, and I think it still is banned in some areas of the world. I have seen this book priced in the hundreds of dollars when it first went out of print years ago.What more can i possibly say about this book? You get the most bang for the buck...you get top quality color and black and white pictures of very fine cute sexy beautifull girls 8-18 posing nude and semi-nude....and most important of all BUY THIS BOOK BEFORE IT GOES OUT OF PRINT! I have noticed that several books by Jock Sturges and David Hamilton are no longer either offered in Hard Cover edition or NOT AT ALL! Censorship control is placing pressure on book suppliers I guess, so quickly BUY THIS BOOK!

The book has photos spanning David Hamilton's career as well as a bit of an auto-biographical essay of his life and how he got into photographing beautiful young models.

The pictures include nude models as well as subjects like flowers, landscapes, and personal photos.

My complaints about the book is that the pictures are usually too small to be appreciated and the quality of the post-production is not top class. Though there are many nice photos, it does not justify the work of the photographer.

Nonetheless Hamilton's books are hard to find and always go out of print. Overall, it is worth buying.

This book is a masterpiece! Everything about it is just plain beautiful. I can't believe that Hamilton ever had problems with these incredible pictures that he has taken. And that takes us back to what is art? and what is pornography? It seems that in this country, people tend to believe that if a girl is under the age of 18 and nude, it is pornography. Hamilton has proved them wrong. If it is legal for familys, which do in a lot of cases include young girls and teenage girls, to go to nudist colonies or be naturists, where they are nude three fourths of the time, why is it not right for someone to capture this beautiful lifestyle on film?

The female body, at any age is a very beautiful thing, and not many people will let themselves admit this. I find it especially beautiful when the girls are at the brink of womanhood, and there bodies are changing. Why is it so hard to find this stunning for people???

You will find portraits of everything in this book, from swimming, to sleeping, to just plain stand up posing for the camera. Also, this book includes other works of Hamilton. Works like nature etc.

In one word, this book is Beautiful, and so is Hamilton, for doing something that very few people can do. That is to realize that there is natural beauty in everyone, and he photographed it.

If you don't own a David Hamilton book, you must at least buy this one. Not that you shouldn't have others, you should. But this is the finest collection I have seen. His dreamy style is unmistakable, whether it be his landscapes or portraits of young girls. Another must have in my opinion.

This is a beautiful book, with beautiful images. It is entirely worth it, to get a glimpse of the people of Africa. Excellent.

Ahhh. This book, obviously, is many things to many people; not unlike its bountiful subject matter--- the original mother, Africa.

It is also many things to me, each equally beautiful. Most important, it is a powerfully evocative visual link to the 3 years of memories I carry of my life in West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. The photographers saw and captured a lot of what I deeply love about the peoples, the land and the life of Africa. The simple and complex beauty; the extraordinary and the mundane; the joy and the frustrations, the good and the bad. It's just life as it is lived everywhere else on the planet, and how good it is to see it presented from a part of the world that is not often shown much appreciation.

While I appreciate another reviewer's criticism of the book's failure to show more modern infrastructure of urban areas, I disagree that the omission is a disservice. True, there is a great deal of development in Africa, but what is shown in this book is still a good and true representation of the vast majority of people and their lives. Far from being stereotyped shots of suffering and drudgery, I find the photos varied and well beyond cliché as they take us into the rhythm of the lives of everyday people. It is a beautiful book. Place it on your coffee table , but keep it in your heart.

I found this one of the most beautiful representations of the continent that I have seen to date. Instead of animals and Egyptian ruins the photographers have taken a diverse array of photographs that potray the people. In addition, the representation of even the least renowned countries in Africa is accurate.

I am also partial to this book, because the proceeds go towards AIDS prevention in Africa.

Africa is a beautiful continent with immense potential, and it never looked better. The 100 or so photographers who took the pictures did an outstanding job. The pictures are the highest quality I have ever seen ...digital technology, I suppose. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this books value is in millions.
The first few pages feature full page pictures breathtaking scenery. One shows a lone teacher under the shade of a tree, a dog sits at some distance. Another show the Victoria falls in its full splendor and the there that magnificent mountain peak. Well by this time if your aren't seated, I suggest you do so for and stop operating heavy machinery. Across from cape to Cairo and across the Sahara these talented photographer have captured the wonderful essence of Africa.
Having in mind the much maligned western Medias portrayal of Africa and it on the tragic. In my opinion this book treats the subjects, e.g. Pictures of HIV sufferers, with adequate sensitivity.
Lastly I would like to salute the producers and sponsors of the project. It's a noble gesture.

This is an absolutely heartstopping collection of photographs from everyday African scenes. I have to disagree with the reviewer who said that it only presented stereotypical portraits of African life. I agree that the collection would have been enriched with more portraits of urban life, but I don't think that this was a typical "National Geographic" variety volume.

It did have diversity, and it did show that many Africans live in modern homes. However, the sensitivity of the portraits was so deep, and their beauty so stunning, it certainly transcended "look at the natives starving/doing something weird/suffering from disease" type photography. Rather, it showed many of the marvels of Africa-from the artwork thriving in so many areas, to areas where ingenuity and industry thrive against all odds, from the thriving markets of Lagos, to the beauty of the desert. This book is so gorgeous that it is rather a testimony of love for Africa and its people-not in some patronizing way, but a true celebration of its spirit. It shows tragedy, but it shows beauty and people loving life and affirming it as well. Isn't that a balanced and fair picture?

I felt better knowing that my fears with my illness are not mine alone.

I recently read this book, and I can't honestly say that I liked it. I too have been diagnosed with MS. I'm happy that Mr. Lander can find humor in his condition, however I find nothing he had to say not in the least bit funny.

MS is a terrible diease that affects the Central Nervous System and there's nothing funny about that. Even the title of the book is seriously upsetting(How Squiggy caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody). You can't catch MS, and to put that in print is misleading.

I take my MS, the treatment for it, and all the symptoms very seriously. I have no desire to joke about them.

Some of the information in his book were very informative and very much worth reading, however I believe his approach is less than ideal.

When my father finally told me he had MS (like David Lander, he kept it a secret), he suggested I read this book. The insight it gave me was priceless. Everyone will find their own path, but I can tell you that by sharing his experiences, Mr. Lander has helped me to be the best son (and friend) that I can be.

I just loved this book. It is a very quick read and very upbeat. For someone with MS or caring for someone with MS it is a story you can relate to. My husband was recently diagnosed with MS and has been very reluctant to read anything about the disease. I am going to have him read this book because while I whink it might confirm some of his fears, at the same time it does so in a positive manner.

The book is a quick read. Sometimes you feel very alone with MS. This book will help you feel better. And, it explains some of the MS symptoms that you are experiencing better than a medical text. It will put some words on your feelings.

What a great book - with two of the most evil antagonists I've ever encountered. It's very depressing in parts, though, so I wouldn't read really casually. Both Gabriel (the main character), his friend "king" James, and Gabe's brother are fascinating characters. I was riveted through the whole book. Okay, I did put it down, but only to deal with things like my daughter crying, etc. I'm going to have to read it again in the future!

Durham evokes the wildness of the Plains and West with superb prose, sometimes nearly poetry in its details. Gabriel is a realistic depiction of an impatient, uncertain teenager. The plot line certainly keeps the reader involved, as we are curious to learn what new horror Marshall and Caleb will unleash on the people around them, as well as whether Gabriel and James will escape. But Durham's decision to present certain portions in italic with no names given to the people in them--even after we have been introduced to those people--struck me as striving too much for some mystical effect. I'm not clear on what this style is supposed to achieve and found it more annoying than effective.

The characters a full-bodied and mature. The story is heart-breaking and real to the core. One sympathizes with the protagonists and wishes the antagonists straight to hell. Now that is what I call a good novel. Durham has done a fabulous job...

Rarely do I read a book in one sitting, but I felt I had no choice in this one. I wish more books that I picked up held my interest, my imagination, and my heart as well as this one has. The main character, Gabriels, tells us a story of the American West in a unique manner far different than the "typical Western" we know. I highly recommend this book to those who are tired of cliches and formulas. I'm glad I found this little treasure.

Yes, Kansas was and is a Great Plains state, and anyone who first arrives might say, "I can't believe I'm in Kansas."

Kansas is an acquired taste, and Gabriel Lynch, a youngster frresh from the big eastern city of Baltimore, could not quite discover the tastefulness of farm life. Not many teens today could either. But they should read "Gabriel's Story" anyway.

This coming of age drama by David Anthony Durham has Gabriel run away from his mom and new step-dad to join up with a motley crew of vicious criminals. Gabriel soon learns to cherish a more simple life.

One might say he learned a lesson: Be loyal to your family. They're not as bad as you think.

Larry Rochelle, author of DEATH & DEVOTION: A Palmer Morel Mystery

These CD's are filled with so much wisdom and insight into married life i felt like i was in the presence of a guru. (particularly with the first speaker.) The advice they give makes a lot of sense, and will save you a lot of heartache, so buying it is soooo worth the investment.

When I first heard about "Get the Ring," my initial reaction was, "Do we really need another series of advice on relationships?" The market seems to be flooded with them.

But then I listened to it. Impressed is not the word.

First of all, let me explain what "Get the Ring" is and what it isn't. It is a six CD/cassette series on dating and marriage. However, it is not preachy, and it is not dry. It is based on a series of interviews with seven top marriage counselors, each with his or her own style and manner of presentation. The interviews are lively, humorous and unbelievably on target. You can tell that the interviewees are dealing with these issues on a daily basis.

One of the most unique aspects of the series is that it's not geared to any specific population. Lots of books on relationships focus on either singles or marrieds. Rarely do they offer information that is useful to both. But I would highly recommend "Get the Ring" to anyone, whether never-married, divorced and looking, married but having difficulties or married happily. I, for example, have been happily married for 8 ½ years and I still found lots of great ideas for making our marriage even better. My husband listened, too, and he said the same thing.

Another unusual facet of "Get the Ring" is the source material of its content. All seven speakers plus David LeVine, the producer of the series as well as the interviewer, are practicing, traditional Jews. As such, their presentations are based on Judaism. But their advice and guidelines are so right-on, and ring so true, that you'd never know that they're formed by a tradition thousands of years old if nobody told you. The series is geared toward an entirely secular audience, so everyone can enjoy and benefit.

The range of topics is so wide that it's hard to believe that it all fits into just over five hours. Some of the topics include defining love, differences between men and women (unbelievable!), detailed dating advice, how to discern true character, and how to make time for each other despite hectic schedules. One of my personal favorites is the "Ten Ways to Marry the Wrong Person." I thought it to be an absolutely mind-boggling presentation, especially the down-to-earth, practical advice on discovering true character, common interests and life goals. Just that information alone could totally change the way a single man or woman would approach dating - and it gave me some interesting ideas on how to enhance my own marriage. I could add some more details, but I don't want to spoil it for you.

A word of caution, however. (Some people might consider this a "con" even though I think it's a "pro.") A lot of the ideas presented seem at first glance to be revolutionary, especially in today's day and age. An open mind is a prerequisite for listening to this series. So if all you're looking for is to have your old opinions and preconceptions reinforced, you're not going to be very happy after listening. Then again, maybe the series will open your eyes and you'll see where you've been going wrong and how to fix your mistakes.

If there are any real "cons," the only one I can think of is that, because the recording was done in an office, there is occasionally some background noise that can be distracting - although the sound quality happens to be excellent. As far as I'm concerned, it's a small price to pay for information that could change your life.

Having listened to "Get the Ring" over five times, my opinion is that anyone who seriously wants to get married or to have a better marriage cannot go wrong by following the advice in the series. In his introduction, David LeVine says that your chances of finding the right one increase every time you listen. I couldn't agree more.

David LeVine is the pretend interviewer for this series of CDs, which is to say it seems obvious that he has taken some recorded seminars and other recordings and spliced in questions which the sources then sort of seem like they might be answering. Ignoring this phony interview format, which only occasionally intrudes, these CDs contain some really useful information from the perspective of some conservative rabbis and other conservative Jews. As a Christian it was very interesting to have some excellent ideas stressed coming from a perspective from a different religious culture, and my thinking has definitely enhanced as a result of hearing these CDs. I have a book by one of the sources, but audio CDs are so much better than books for thinking about this sort of information, at least for me. I paid more than the Amazon price at a web site by the same name as the book because I didn't know it was available up here, but decided that the price would be worth it if it had good information, given the cost of getting into or maintaining a bad relationship or marriage.

There are several topics. One is 10 Ways to Marry the Wrong Person. It is not useful for those who are having trouble getting the wrong person to marry them, but rather 10 things to be aware of so that you don't get into a marriage that will not work. And it is not a checklist, but a set of well articulated insights. If this CD set helps keep you from just one disastrous marriage or helps you get into a good marriage it will have paid for itself (duh!).

Two quick ideas from the CDs: Don't marry potential; many think their partner will change, and they will--for the worse. Find someone you want to give to, because love is about giving.

I am very happy I got it the Get the Ring CD series and I would highly recommend this set to anyone who is dating or contemplating marriage.

Are you tired of the dating game and looking forward to form a meaningful relationship that will last for a lifetime with someone special? The Get the Ring audio program was designed by David LaVine to arm the listener with key dating and relationship concepts of Traditional Judaism. Traditional Jews have been reported to have the lowest divorce rate of any cultural group in the Western World and David LaVine wanted to know why and how could that knowledge help him find and keep the love of his life. At first he thought that Traditional Judaism does not allow for divorce, but was surprised that not only that Traditional Judaism allows for divorce, it actually requires it when the two partners cannot resolve the rift that separates them. After finding out Traditional Judaism's secrets to successful dating and marriage, he married the love of his life.

This audio series presents the findings of his search by having seven of Traditional Judaism's most dynamic religious and relationship councilors expound on Traditional Judaism's approach to finding and keeping a life partner. The fascinating, attention demanding, and sometimes, humorous lectures in this series are eye opening as the information shared in them is radical in comparison to modern dating norms. With an open ear, a willing heart, and girded with the information, you can find that special person, bring a budding relationship to full bloom or make an already great relationship better. Whether you are single or married, this series will be certain to bring more meaning to your current or future relationship.

I listened to the whole series and am very impressed with it. It gives clear definitions of what we need to look for in a mate. What areas we can not compromise on. What areas are less vital.

It offers suggestions for how to be in the right relationship and it also talks about making ourself into the person we would want to marry. A person who is looking to give is the person most ready for marriage. So many of us look at marriage as a give and take and this can hurt marriages a lot.

It offers some very traditional advice that include not touching before marriage which may be going a bit far for most. But most importantly it gives solid guidelines for what to be and what to look for in order to really have a great chance of a truly successful marriage. May GOD bless all of you with just that since you deserve it.