E Books

We came into this series from the back end. Then purchase preceding works to catch up on the story line as the characters were compelling enough to warrant further reading. Deborah Crombie's Inspector's Kincard and James is such a pair. Their personal lives intermingle with their cases. As readers, we root for each installment. Her stories are keepers as we weed our shelves to make room for new favorites.
With "In a Dark House," Ms. Crombie apply demonstrates her ability to rank with Martha Grimes in creating the stark and brutal side of human relations. Knowing how the personal issues evolve, we concentrated on the deftly plotted case and the steps taken to reconstruct the crime from almost non-existent clues in this great police procedural.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Sins of the Fathers."

Deborah Crombie continues to deliver a series worth reading and rereading...this entry is no exception. Balancing jurisdictional disputes, personal life distractions, and a strong sense of historical detail, In a Dark House is another superb example of Crombie's sensitive portrayal of character, place and pitch-perfect plot. If you haven't read her work yet, get them all and be prepared to enter a world you won't want to leave.

I thought that the two books previous to this in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series were slight disappointments. Kincaid seemed relegated to a side character with Gemma taking the lead. IN A DARK HOUSE is an excellent mystery that brings the two back to equal ground and re-establishes them as one of the best partnerships in mystery fiction.

'In a Dark House' is my first foray into the world of Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James and, mostly likely, it will be my last ... which is strange because the book has all the hallmarks of a good detective/mystery series. The author has obviously done her research on the story's setting (Southwark section of London) and criminal investigation procedures. And the story, an interwoven affair involving arson and murder, has surprising yet plausible plot twists. But why is "In a Dark House" so forgettable?

Well it strikes me that the characterizations, especially of our investigative duo of Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James, are just a bit too manufactured. It felt something out of EastEnders (a UK soap opera) rather than anything realistic. I also felt the author, who is obviously a talented writer, played too safe in her narrative. I wanted high drama, conflict, and the tangible feeling of suspense ... and I didn't find any of it.


Bottom line: a competent mystery perfect for the beach but certainly the sort of book you won't want to keep on your bookshelf afterwards.

Deborah Crombie's James & Kincaid series just gets better and better. Here the setting is Southwark, not a usual venue for London-loving writers. As always, Crombie provides a physical map with her text, although her descriptions of place are so excellent that it's ironically unnecessary. The aged warehouses oozing toward oblivion in the Thames, the aggressive marks of gentrification (for an even better take on this hot topic, see _Kissed a Sad Goodbye_) mingle with the tang of traditional cheeses from the open market by the cathedral and the wacky/wonky lives of the fringe business people who flourish in spaces between the run-down and the rave restaurant review.

Crombie's characters are equally vivid, not only the series stars, but also the agoraphobic in her doll's house and the oddly honest self-made politician. The characters are given dead-on details that call them to mind for the reader, even after an absence of many chapters. Yet Crombie never falls into the grey-page plague of prose. She uses her omniscient narrator's voice and swaths of unforced dialogue to convey both news and nuance. Her skill at plotting really shines here, as she moves among three sets of self-absorbed characters and the police, never once making the reader feel that "now for something completely different" sense of dislocation.

This is a mystery worthy of a re-read - first class!

Avery James is left in the basement of foundling home by her young and frightened mother. Through many twists and turns of fate Avery slowly discovers who her mother is and more importantly, who Avery is herself. This novel is jam packed with a diverse assortment of vivid and fascinating characters. As an added bonus, you will be exposed to the culinary, cultural and artistic flavors of New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment".

Anyone who has ever thirsted to learn more about themselves, what they wanted and where they were going, will find something to identify with in this book.

I did enjoy it, but thinking about it later I'm not sure why. Judith Hendricks is such a comfortable writer I find myself.... just reading ...... it is comfortable reading her books. I missed the recipes though. I loved Bread Alone and will continue buying her books hoping for another Bread Alone

This is the first of Hendricks' books that I have read. I enjoyed the story line. Some of her descriptions made me read them twice as they were a little over the top. For instance: " Friday night there's a waxing moon, and when I first see it rising up over the hills to hang like a silver apostrophe in the pale blue twilight, I know right away what I have to do." This is a relaxing book to read and I may try another of her books. I am in a book club and this was not on the list. Many of our books are more difficult reads and the subjects depressing. If you want an enjoyable and light read I would recommend this.

Great book I waited till I had the time to read it in a weeks time . Her books are hard to put down. I find myself reading at 1:00 a.m.

Not many writers can weave so much emotion into their passages. But Judith Hendricks does this very well. She has combined real, likeable characters, a story packed with emotion, complicated relationships, and incredibly strong, inspiring female characters. The thing that makes this book, and this author, stand out even more is that Judith Hendricks knows the power and magic of female relationships. And she is a genius at portraying these things in words. I really felt like I understood Avery James in ISABEL'S DAUGHTER, I cried for her. But even better, I loved this story of healing and perseverence and the strength that a woman gathers from within herself and from the women in her life.

King Fortis the Brave was a fun book to read. The first chapter was a little slow, but the pace quickly picked up when Rodney and Aimee made it to Daak, and there was no looking back. From the Dismal Forest to the castle of Haeron, every page was an adventure. The book itself read like a movie, I could picture every scene in my head and know that someday this story will make a great movie. My only complaint is that it ended too soon. I WANT MORE!

My daughter isn't much of a reader, and I almost hesitated picking this book up, but I had heard good things about it from a friend who is a teacher. I gave it to my daughter for her birthday, and she carried it around with her everywhere until she had finished it. I've rarely seen her as captivated by a book as she was by King Fortis the Brave

I loved this book. I can't really wait until the next book comes out. I think Ward was the funniest character and made me laugh. Ward and Rodney made good friends. That is why I really liked this book.

I read this on recommendation from a Harry Potter fan, trying to read something else while I anxiously wait for the next one. I thought the story was pretty good, not good or great, and though I tired of reading it once or twice, I was generally swept through the story.

The only gripe I have is that there are obvious misspellings and incorrect words used, which distracted from the story as I had to figure out what should have been used and how it was intended to be read.

Overall a good read, but the author needs to get a new editor!

I have long been a fan of fantasy and science fiction but usually avoid those that I feel are "young adult". So, when my niece coerced me into reading this book, I was delighfully surprised by how good it actual was.

The characters are well-developed and portray a morality that has been missing in the genre since the Wizard of Oz.

The authors pull no punches to suit the politically correct. This is a tale of good versus evil, of tenderness and brutality, of loyalty and betrayal. But the scenes, while very well detailed, are not filled with the gore or the kitsch that is the trap of all new authors.

This is a classic story in the classic sense.

Buy it, read it, enjoy it. I did.

This book was incredible!!! It was funny, touching, romantic, sexy..... Niqui I am a fan till the end! This book had all the ingredients of what a romance novel should be. I felt like I was one of the characters. I recommend this book to every woman who loves romance! It is honestly one of the best books I've ever read!!!![....]

I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK! YOU GO THROUGH SO MANY DIFFERENT EMOTIONS....I LOVED THE PART WHEN SUMMER WENT TO DINNER WITH GAVIN AND SLAPPED STUNNED THE MESS OUT OF HIM....NICKY WAS A NUT AND I REALLY ENJOYED HIS CHARACTER. I ALSO LOVED........IF I KEEP ON TYPING I WOULD TELL YOU ABOUT THE ENTIRE BOOK. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I READ THIS BOOK OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. WHENEVER I NEED TO LAUGH I ALWAYS GO BACK AND READ THE DINNER SCENE WITH SUMMER AND GAVIN. I AM GOING TO READ SWEET TEMPTATION NEXT.

This was a great romance novel, and my first time reading any of Ms. Stanhopes's books. The story was funny as well as steaming with the romance and passion of Summer and Garrett. These two were definitely made for each other. Both were selfish, stubborn, and did not believe that they could ever fall in love...until they met each other. I plan to read the sequel to this story and cannot wait to read the novel about Nicholas. A great read!

MADE FOR EACH OTHER is an excellent novel. I read it in 3 hours flat. I just could not put it down!!! THE STORY CONTINUES in a book called: WEDDING BELLS, and I emailed the author and found out that the 3rd book in the series, THE BOOK ABOUT NICHOLAS, comes out this September 2001, and will be called, SWEET TEMPTATION!!!

I HIGHLY recommend this series of books! GREAT READING!

THIS IS TRULY A GREAT READ! I LOVED THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN GAVIN AND SUMMER. IT WAS REAL AND NOT A BUNCH OF UNREALISTIC DIALOG. THEY DIDN'T GET ALONG WHEN THEY FIRST MET BUT THEIR JOURNEY TO EACH OTHER WAS FILLED WITH FUNNY SITUATIONS AND SUMMER'S CHARACTER HAS SPUNK, SHE IS A REAL SISTAH! I LIKE THE FACT THAT GAVIN DID NOT BACK DOWN FROM HER BUT GAVE AS GOOD AS HE GOT. I HAVE SINCE READ THE OTHER TWO SEQUELS TO THIS BOOK AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I HOPE SHE CONTINUES THEIR STORY AS WELL AS NICHOLAS, HE WAS HILARIOUS. GO OUT AND BUY THIS BOOK!

This play was very thoughtful and enjoyable, especially if you are able to visualize things while you read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

THE NIGHT THOREAU SPENT IN JAIL describes thinker Henry David Thoreau short experience in jail after not paying his taxes. Employing flashbacks within flashbacks, playwrights Lawrence and Lee take on the task of describing Thoreau's life so far. Filled with witty remarks and humorous dialogue, this book transcends what I can say about it.

After having been assigned to read this book for my AP 11 English class, I started out first assignment: Read to page 50. To my surprise, once I got to page 50, I couldn't put it down. My teacher had warned us about this scenario. She said the book was cleverly hilarious and enjoyable. Naturally--it being an ASSIGNED book--I doubted her words.

When I got into the play, within the first few words of dialogue, I was laughing out loud. The writers, whose research was obviously accurate and concise, tickled me when Ralph Waldo Emerson asked "who" his umbrella was, making a reference to his supposed contraction of Alzheimer's disease. Thoreau's teachings of God and fields and notetaking were pleasing and enriching.

Not only was I thrilled by his paradoxical dialogue,

[In a nutshell...
Thoreau to a student: Why are you taking notes?
Student: So I can remember what you say.
Thoreau: But then it's the notebook that does the remembering, not you.
(She puts away her notebook)
Thoreau: Why have you stopped taking notes?
Student: Because you said to.
Thoreau: Why would you do what I say?]

but I also took away something from it, which is a common moral you would see in books and movies today: Do things for yourself, and pay no attention to what others say or think. Though the moral is a bit overused, Lee and Lawrence refresh it and make the lesson new placing it in the midst of witticism and transcendentalist teachings.

Now, the only thing left for me to do is write a thank you card to my teacher for treating us with this wonderful book.

This play examines Henry David Thoreau, his philosophies, and some of the events in his life. During the Mexican American War, Thoreau refused at one point to pay his taxes. He felt that the war was unjust, and he didn't want his money supporting a government that he believed was doing unjust things. (He also believed that the war was not the will of the people, as President Polk had declared war without the support of Congress.)

The play, which takes place on a simple set that emphasizes the imagination of the audience (and the performers) for props/surroundings, also delves into Thoreau's love for nature and his views on sprituality. (The fact that the set is simple reflects another way that form follows content, as Thoreau encouraged people to turn away from materialism and simplify their lives.) The chief journey in the play is Thoreau's decision to return to the world, rather than remove himself from it.

Themes include individuality, the nature of spirituality, marching to one's own drummer (regardless of consequence), the belief that one person can make a difference, the idea of standing on principle/what's right, and the manifestation of the divine in nature and humanity (Transcendentalism).

It's a somewhat academic play, about ideas more than about plot (of which there is virtually none), but it reminds us that theatre can inform and instruct us as well as entertain us. Additionally, the subject matter of the play is very topical (public funds for stem cell research? or the war in Iraq?) and is sure to stimulate thought and discussion.

The authors of this play (two college professors) demanded that it not be produced on Broadway and, to my knowledge, it never has been. This, I may assume, was their own form of "disobedience," as they maintained that a few blocks in Manhattan shouldn't dictate what real theatre is to the rest of the nation. Despite their mandate, however, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail has been one of the most produced plays in America, enjoying wide circulation in regional theatres and especially on college campuses.

While Thoreau was living at Walden, then President James K. Polk declared war on Mexico without Congressional approval. To protest this and the government, Thoreau refused to pay his taxes and was sent to jail. This play fantasizes on what might have been going through Thoreau's mind as he spent the night in jail: reflecting on his childhood, the life and death of his brother, his idol Ralph Waldo Emerson, what lead him to his solitary life at Walden and the impetus for his refusal to pay the taxes. I enjoyed reading this very much as it gave some insight into the great thinker who influenced the likes of Gandhi with his non-violent form of protesting the government.

Henry David Thoreau may be experiencing a sort of revival as of late. His treatise on civil disobidience is a hallmark of progressive action today. Upset that his government declared an unjust war, Thoreau refuses to pay taxes to show his digust, which lands him one lauded night in jail. Thus is the basis for this extremely inventive, timely play "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail".

Not just a night in jail, but a brave overview Thoreau's life ensues, showing snippets of his events, meetings, and philosophies that were so critical to the development of his transcendentalism. This isn't a dry biography, however. The authors weave a Thoreau that is a rich tapestry of thought and action. He is both endearing and complex, wise and unaware.

We enter the play with Henry in his cell, and begins to relive some important moments in his life. We meet Emerson and his wife, Henry's mother, and favorite brother John, as they inact with his memories and become alive themselves. The ebullience of John is obvious, which makes his passing much more severe. This play helps to maginify the brilliance of a brilliant man, while making him more human, more real.

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail is a great read, and will springboard your interests to study this amazing thinker.

What an amazing book. Infact this is far more than a book it is a guide to creating and building great teams. If you have ever wondered why some team building events don't work this is a must read book. My sincere thanks to the team who put this together. This book will change the way Organisational Development/HR specialists and Performance Consultants go about their work. It is that influential. Like all the best material, simple to understand and powerful in the way it insightfully helps you to see things for what they are.

I have worked in organisational design/business performance and HR for over 20 years and this is one of the most imformative and best books I have ever read. It has reinforced my long held views about the need to understand the dynamics of what makes for a great team. If you also ever wondered why you felt automatically part of some teams and others almost rejected you before you even got started, then this is a 'must read' book. I have become a raving fan and will enthusiatically introduce the concepts and methods, as I have the fortune and privalage, in my day to day work, to make a difference to the lives and work of the thousands of people I come into contact with.

Mark Pym
Director of Reward Matrix & Great Teams

I was initially put off by the title of this book, but once I started reading it i couldn't put it down. This is by far the best organizational behavior book I have ever come across and it literally changed the way I view my own company's culture, as well as those of our clients, and people I meet every day.

The book is easy to read, and summaries of the key ideas at the end of each chapter make it easy to review, retain concepts, and implement their suggestions. I recommend spacing out the book by reading a chapter a day over a few weeks so you have time to reflect on the book's concepts and really digest the material. I've recommended this book to all my co-workers, clients, colleagues, and partners at my firm. A must have!

There is a tidal wave of Leadership and How To's out there on the market. Having read most of the best sellers, this book stands out as one that will have a lasting effect on how Leaders and Managers think of their mission. I particularly enjoyed the development of the levels/stages of teams. The sought after level five is where history is made and teams see beyond their current task. When you get right down to it, it is about legacy. Are you enriching the lives of others or not? The authors cleverly use real life case studies that give us a guidepost on just how to make this a reality in our own lives and businesses.

I plan to keep this one close to my desk and refer back to it many times. It is an excellent teaching and coaching tool for developing effective teams.

As CEO Coach, Poet and author of a leadership book that helps leadrs unleash their genius and the genius of their corporations, I find this book a great resource for leading change. They help you understand the nature of corporate tribes and how to move people up to higher levels of performance. A must read. Paul David Walker Unleashing Genius: Leading Yourself, Teams and Corporations

Dave Logan and his team deliver poignant concepts in an easy to read and entertaining book that will quite likely change your perspective on your culture at work and also your personal life. It is a must read for those interested in increasing efficiency and enhancing relationships. The 5 stages approach make sense and the authors give clear recommendations on how you and your team can progress through the stages.

The third book in the Vicky Bliss series, this book unites Vicky and John with her old flame, Tony, and her boss, Schmidt, in the search for the lost gold of Troy.

This novel is excellent- it brings back the character of Tony from the first Vicky novel, and adds to the mix other historians. The suspense is great, and the relationship between Vicky and John reaches a new level.

This is an awesome book!

This is the book that I pick up whenever I need comfort. It's such a treat - funny with fabulous characters that you'll wish were part of your life. I've read this book many times and for ages, every time I started it again, I'd forget who the villain was. The mystery is fascinating with history and art mixed in and enough action and intrigue to keep you going. As good as the mystery is, it's the wonderful characters and their friendships and humorous carryings on that makes the story sing. And there's a fabulous romance to boot. Get ready to fall in love with the mysterious John Smithe!

If you like to read fiction set in the places you vacation, this would be a great book to take with you on a trip to southern Germany at Christmas time.

Art historian Vicky Bliss has been sent an interesting photo, a photo that at first appears to be the famous shot of Frau Schliemann wearing the gold jewelry from Troy. A second look shows Vicky that this is not yet another copy of that photo but a much more recent shot. The problem with that is that the treasure had disappeared during WWII. Soon Vicky was on the trail, accompanied by her boss, Schmidt, several of her collegues (returning from a previous adventure) and the mysterious John Smith.

This is an light hearted action adventure. The characters are well done, particularly the principals (Vicky, John and Schmidt) much of the situations and dialogue is hilarious.

The only complaints that I have are there are many German terms used with little translation - frustrating for those of us who don't know the language. The other issue is that this is definitely one of those series that needs to be read in order not starting with this the 4th installment (as I did).

I've read all the Vicky Bliss novels, and I can only say I wish Elizabeth Peters would write more. She has such a humorous touch with these novels that the characters are not only believeable, they're a downright likeable bunch. I like the way Peters uses humor to propel the story along, and the exchanges between Vicky and her sometimes lover, John Smythe, are hilarious. But don't leave out her boss, Herr Doktor Schmidt, who is a remarkably innocent man for one of his advanced years, and a wonderful co-conspirator (even if he does have a tendency to view desperate situations as some sort of wonderful adventure). For fans of this series, I heartily recommend this book, since it's about time that Vicki and John come clean about their feelings for one another. The avalanche scene is a real nailbiter, and in keeping with the adventure! Don't miss this one!

and I believe the best of the Vicky Bliss series thus far; I have not read the fifth one yet, preferring to read them in order.

Vicky Bliss is a beautiful buxom art historian, located in Germany, who would prefer to be taken seriously for her brains rather than her looks. In this entry, she receives a photo of a woman wearing the golden jewels that had disappeared during the Nazi reign in Germany known as the Trojan Gold. To make it interesting, however, it is not a photograph of the original finder's wife, Frau Schliemann, as Vicky first supposes, but a modern photograph, meaning the gold has been found.

Vicky figures out who has the gold and races with her boss Schmidt to a small ski resort town, also in Germany, to find the gold. Meeting here there are several other art historians with whom she had attended an art conference the previous year as well as, of course, her sometimes boyfriend, Sir John Smythe.

The action is fast paced enough to keep the book interesting while the romance between Vicki and John reaches new levels. And, making this a perfect mystery read, there is plenty of humor as well. This is an excellently written mystery with suspects to choose from and clues to help along the way.

I have already purchased the fifth and, at least until now, last of the Vicky Bliss series. I certainly wish that Elizabeth Peters would write a new one!

Henry isn't sure why at age 15 he bought the John Denver album. He continues, "Let's chalk it up to raging pubescent hormones, psychotropic drugs at too early an age, too many Herman Hesse books, a compromised decision making capacity, and a general absence of free will."

Well, I don't know why I think it's so funny when he makes fun of John Denver, especially since I've always liked his music, but it is funny. Pubescent hormones? Yes, neurobiology tells us they'll make us crazy...psychotropic drugs at an age perhaps earlier than 15?...whew...too many Herman Hesse books? Well, I read them all in my mid-twenties, and several of Louis Lamour's, but the Hesse entry does work nicely. The last one - general absence of free will - blew me away! - one side of an ever current philosophical enigmatic question thrown in following a bunch of unrelated one-liners which strangely enough make a coherent and hilarious sentence.

To a conservative political pundit, Panky says, "Darling Ann, my winsome hyena, how I yearn to slip the tough leather straps over your slavering muzzle and ride you like a gaucho through the befouled and slippery charnel house of your political desires." Wow! This sentence paints quite a picture for a guy like me who doesn't really understand poetry. Continuing..."Your saccharine sophistries reek (italics) of an utterly Faustian and silver-tongued sodomy of the human spirit." I don't think he likes her.

Tongue in cheek he deprecates himself: "Even utter strangers naturally sense my Ivy League roots. Those lustrous days spent upon the mountain peak of academe, bathed in the brilliant light of reason, breathing in the high, Rocky mountain spring water of purest intellect, have imbued a certain effulgent je ne sais quoi (italics) deep into my very marrow. It's who I am. You might as well try to hide the Koih-noor diamond under a cheap thrift store merkin."

Well, okay, I have to keep the English and French dictionaries handy, and several trivia books. When I understand most of the servings, I feel proud. By the way, these examples from the book weren't exactly cherry-picked. When I came across the "free will" comment, I decided I had to write a review. The other 2 selections were just short enough, had not been mentioned in other reviews, and were found in the next 7 pages.

This book is an introduction to a new way of perceiving our world, the Hank E. Panky way. If you are tired of the same old mundane books...if you have memorized the self-help book by your commode...Try a little Hank E. Panky, and I predict a satisfied customer. I can't wait to get my hands on his next book.

I first fell in love with Henry Panky on his web site. I would have willingly had his baby had it not been for the onset of menopause, the fact I was already married, lived 2000 miles away and hate inconvenience. I was aware of his sick obsession with Meg Ryan and even Renee Zellwegger, but it didn't stop my heart from beating wildly. Brilliant comedic writers have always been my weakness. When the book came out, I devoured it like a dingo at a turkey farm. Stay away from me Henry, this is too big for the both of us!! I'll always have your book to keep me warm and giggly.

Moments of pure brilliance shine through the deluge of self-important information, conspiracy, smut, self-help, sales, scams and spam that is the neon strip of the world wide web where I first encountered Henry Panky. If you don't recognise yourself in this portrait you're delusional! The mercilessly self-depricating, perpetually puffed up, deflated, flatulent, moaning, crowing character that is Henry Panky crossed over the hazy line to where he began building his own magnificent legend. It is a delight to share his excruciating pain. Dear sir: thank you for your wonderfull, ridiculous comedy. I laughed til I cried. It is a deranged world we live in and these 173 pages of lunacy helped me face tomorrow laughing. This is one #$@!!! funny book!

Henry E. Panky, Associate of Arts (candidate) is the insane alter ego of author Patrick Carlisle, though several disclaimers try to convince readers otherwise. Why use your alter ego to write a book of assorted rants? If you published an essay titled "The Crisis in Pubic Hair" would you want your name attached to it?

Unfair & Unbalanced lives up to its title, though it is more unbalanced (in a mental sense) than unfair. Panky does everything from proclaiming a sick love for Meg Ryan to trying his hand at mystery writing, and all of it is hilarious. Some of it even makes sense, and that is worrisome.

Carlisle, as Panky, knows how to make people laugh. Whether he's fumbling a review for an old movie he saw years ago (but just got around to writing about), or trying to explain his mandago bag , he is tuned into the world's humor ley lines. Not everyone will appreciate his efforts or even get it, but who cares?. He's doing this for the sinners, intellectuals, welfare cheats and politicians of the world, and they're the ones who most need to read this work of brilliance. -- Doug Brunell for the FEARLESS REVIEWS

Unfair & Unbalanced: The Lunatic Magniloquence of Henry E. Panky by Patrick M. Carlisle is a wry and captivatingly hysterical look at the baffling contradictions of modern life. Holding no hypocricy sacred, chapters such as "O' Foreskin, Where Art Thou?" and "The Crisis in Pubic Hair" do not hestiate to push the envelope on human sexuality, while "Letter to Dave Barry", "The Insatiable Meat Cleaver of Bette Davis", and "Letter to Ann Coulter" challenge other public figures in an eye-popping manner. Unfair & Unbalanced spares no effort to be hysterically funny, perhaps at the price of good taste but what is that, really? No fewer than four separate disclaimers lead into the hilarity, and the whetted observations within require it, for they are at least four times as cutting-edge as the leading "fair and balanced" commentary.

What Is Your Life's Work? by Bill Jensen is more than just advice: it gathers life stories and case histories of those who succeeded in identifying what really matters, using the letters and work diaries of others to mirror reader struggles. While the overall message lies in identifying life purpose, all the advice in What Is Your Life's Work can be directed to business solutions and issues as well as more general life concerns over risk, worth, and achievement. An excellent, cathartic inspiration for change.

What's important about work? What's important about life? What would you tell your kids if you wrote them a letter about what's important, what work and life mean to you?

Bill Jensen is a self-described simpleton dedicated to fighting corporate stupidity. Living a simple life in this complicated world is challenge enough, but this brave soul has committed to an even deeper mission. Cutting through the stupidity, bureaucracy, and politics, you'll discover that corporations are comprised of people. People. Ordinary, heart's-in-the-right-place people. These people have feelings, experiences, perspectives, and stories to tell. They have vital messages to pass on to others.

Jensen has collected those messages. Thousands of them, in the form of letters. Written documentaries from the depths of consciousness of the writers. Some are short, some long. Some deep and profound, others relatively shallow. Each has a message. This book is a collection of samples of the letters Jensen has collected. They are assembled on these pages, not to be read necessarily from cover to cover, but to be selected and absorbed at will. Picking and choosing letters, as the author suggests, is not easy-you'll probably read most of them anyway.

The letters are organized into chapters representing what Jensen calls his Five Discoveries: Finding Yourself, Finding the Lessons to be Learned and the Questions to be Asked, Finding the Choices that Really Matter, Finding the Courage to Choose, and Finding Joy, Serenity, and Fulfillment.

The book concludes with a valuable chapter on getting started with your own understandings and choices. This publication is a learning, a sharing, an inspiration to look more carefully at your own life to see what really matters. Curl up with this book next week-end.

This is not one of those how to feel better about one's self or situation. Nor its instructions on to be better in life. The subject matter is like a brilliant snap shot of all sorts of people from various backgrounds and professions and levels of society. They share some of the most amazing fears, tears, and most of all lesson learned within their experience. there is no good and bad...its just a collection of REAL stories written by real people like u and me!!

get this for sure if u want to feel collected and want to reconcile yourself. I know i pick this up every time i feel lost and hopeless; it doesn't care if u made it or not as far as material is concerned. I had recommended this book to 3 people whom are very well off and yet they too have felt lost in their "supposedly" full lives. I gave this as a gift to another who just started their first job out of college. ItS fantastic stories that move u :)

How often do we define ourselves by our work? How often do we equate who we are in life with our job title: assistant director, associate vice deputy, CEO, chairman, stay-at-home mom, etc.? So many people focus so tightly upon their job description as their identity that they ultimately lose sight of their true self.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S WORK examines what truly matters from a distinctly human perspective. It does so not by dry, formal statements of principles (e.g., the 7-steps, the 10-tenets, the 9-objectives, the 431 value-added theorems . . . you get the picture). Rather, the author offers the wisdom of numerous individuals, precious metals refined in the furnace of everyday existence. The letters and journal entries, selected by Bill Jensen from countless thousands, answer the questions of what really matters in life and how one awakens (or reawakens) the passion in one's soul. The lessons are personal, poignant, and powerful; they are also as unique as are the individual personalities.

In lives of depth and meaning, certain themes emerge: self-respect, integrity, balance, the importance of family, faith, passion, selflessness, and compassion (to name just a few). Mr. Jensen's selections, for the most part, emphasize the transcendence of the individual toward a greater purpose than the accumulation of possessions, or the aggregate of mere activities and accomplishments.

There are two individuals, whose legacies to their children are sadly that of egotistical arrogance and strident selfishness. The reader will quickly recognize these shallow individuals - their stories too are most valuable.

Although a scant 200+ pages, WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S WORK packs a tremendous wallop, a wonderful wake-up call to those who have languished in a low-level comfort zone, or to those who aspire to a higher place. It is a wonderful series of discoveries to those seeking a life of fulfillment and meaning in those areas that truly matter.

If you've ever wished you had a parent or mentor who would have shared with you what it is that matters most in life, because you've noticed that people who get such mentoring seem to have some kind of natural edge in the world... you're in luck. Bill Jensen's book WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S WORK contains some of the most powerfully moving written exchanges between people that you are likely ever to find, and these gems of real life stories will set you on fire with their honesty and love. Every counselor, life coach, parent and child can benefit from reading WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S WORK, as some of the most important life lessons are touched upon in deeply personal ways.

In an age when it's been said that the art of letter writing is dead, this book dares to raise the subject of we can best find a balance between work and the rest of our life. The intense passion conveyed in most of the letters helps bring this subject to life in a way that is sure to help anyone rekindle their own inner fire, and regain a sense of what it is we're all working for that really matters.

I loved Mr. Ayala's book. This book tells of real life situations, as many people experience this lifestyle everyday. He teached us that no matter what the situation is, faith in the Lord will bring you through. I have had the pleasure of reading Mr. Ayala's novel Alabaster Box as well and loved it! If you love Will You Be Made Whole you will enjoy Alabaster Box just the same. Please keep writing Mr. Ayala!

When Keith Coleman got on the Greyhound bus headed to Chicago he knew his life would never be the same. At the ripe age of 13, he fled his home in Atlanta after he defended his mother against his stepfather. Fearing the loss of his freedom, he thought he could go to Chicago and stay with his mother's sister. However, staying with his aunt was not an option with the authorities looking for him. Unfortunately for Keith, he was beaten unconscious soon after he arrived in Chicago and it was Drake Sommersbee who helped to change the course of his life. With Drake's help, Keith became KC and into his life came a succession of characters all seeking solace and help but not knowing where to garner it.

Katy meets KC while at a club, which begins their friendship. She is from a wealthy family in Ohio and finds Northwestern University has more to offer than just an education. However, she finds herself in a situation, that can only be categorized as purgatory. She goes from being a young woman with goals to a prostitute who can't get away from the man she thought loved her, but was really just her pimp.

There are several other characters in this story whose lives are intertwined as they live sinful lives and hope for a better life. One constant person in the characters' lives is a homeless man known as Old Ben who seems to know everything about each person and tries to guide them to salvation. He seems to be in the story to help them all learn to accept Christ and know they are loved.

WILL YOU BE MADE WHOLE has an inspiring message of accepting God's love and faith without being overly preachy. The characters all have lived sinful lives whether it was drugs, alcohol, sex, homosexuality, murder or more illicit transgressions, yet they are all deserving of being saved if they are willing to ask forgiveness for their sins and accept Christ into their lives. Readers will be drawn to several of the characters because it was easy to understand their pain and because they will probably recognize some of the characters from people in their own lives. The pacing was okay, and there were only a few editorial issues. Unfortunately, the story was too predictable; you knew what was going to happen before it happened, leaving no element of surprise. Although written in a simple manner, it guarantees the readers will receive the inspired message.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

From the beginning to end to book of work keep you wondering what's going to happen next. Once you pick this book up you will not want to put it down. The author really gives life to all the character's in this book. My favorite character in this novel is Big Ben the homeless man. He's like the conscience or guardian angel througout the story. If you're expecting a E.L Lynn Harris or a ZANE like experience you will be disappointed. Ayala will take you mind to a different level. He brings a strong and powerful Christian standpoints but he don't turn you off with it. Ayala isn't someone to sleep on. Check this book on all of his other literary works.

Often in life we face a moment time that will alter our lives forever. This was the quandry Keith Patrick Coleman found himself in as the sand from the hour glass slid away. From page one you'll find yourself enthralled following Keith's every move as he leaves Atlanta for the mean streets of the windy city. What do you do when you can't stay home, and you have no place to go? Will you be made whole has all the angst and passion of Shakespere's Hamlet in a modern day setting. Get ready for the ride of your life!

E.L. Ayala is a very powerful writer. With a background in playwriting and stage productions he has honed a sense of drama that serves him very well indeed as a new novelist. Ayala joins the ranks of the fine cadre of African American writers today with his first novel WILL YOU BE MADE WHOLE, and with the surety of voice he has developed, we can expect further equally fine books from this artist.

Ayala has chosen Chicago as his stage for this story of multiple lives that interweave in a journey through drug abuse, prostitution, sex rings that involve both boys and girls as sex workers, violence, parental abuse, AIDS, the homeless street people, and ultimately for the power of friendship and love and as well sculpted a use of introducing ethics and religion as any writer writing today. He paints wholly three-dimensional characters, allowing their own character development in the course of the story to physically and emotionally describe their physical personas. The leading character is KC, a young thirteen-year-old running away from Georgia after being involved in murdering his abusive stepfather and while on the bus to Chicago he encounters a dear lady who shares with him a tattered book 'When God Doesn't Make Sense', a book she eventually leaves with him and which sets the tone for the long epic ahead. Once in Chicago KC is taken in by a kind black man (Drake) who treats him well, cares for him, and eventually becomes KC's lover as well. Drake is involved in a male prostitution ring and KC successfully develops into a handsome hunk who is one of Drake's prime hustlers.

Parallel to his gradually developing story of one lad's rise and fall is a second story of a young girl Katy who arrives in Chicago from Youngstown, Ohio to attend Northwestern University. What begins as a mild shy girl develops into the character who likewise falls into the prostitution line due to the influence of the handsome but evil Sugar Man. This slow but inevitable descent into low life is populated with a number of friends for Katy and one of those friends is KC. From the time of their meeting the story pummels into the fast track of bad choices, violence, drugs, bondage to pimps, yet in this story there also appears Old Ben, a homeless street person 'angel' who seems to rise up out of a sense of strange timing to offer consoling words from the Bible, messages about God's love and restorative powers for the downtrodden.

To tell more would be to deprive the reader of just how facile E.L. Ayala is in bringing the reader face to face with the seamiest side of life, creating a glowing tapestry with threads of fear, of need, of illness, of desperation, of shared love, of disappointment...of restoration. Ayala is in control of the story at every turn and never lingers too long to let the numbing persistence of a world gone wrong become maudlin. The narrative is crisp, the events propel naturally, and the use of the introduction of spiritual healing is never intrusive, only needed!

Stories of crime in the smarmy side of big cities are many, but few have been told with the finesse and page-turning style Ayala manages. This is a fine book, worthy of serious attention among readers, and a first novel that bears witness to a fine new talent. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, March 06