Hoffman Books

If you're not inherently super outgoing but want to invite friends, neighbors, etc. to your home to socialize, this book will give you many, many ideas to choose from on how to create a warm, friendly atmosphere. Most of the icebreaker ideas and party games are practical and fun. This book is also great for school teachers looking for ways to break the ice in their classrooms on those first couple of awkward days. I confidently recommend this book to those of you who want to throw a party or have a get together, but are hesitating out of fear of what to do with your guests. It's truly a fun book and will bring people together.

The main reason I purchased the book was because I was out of ideas for good party games and activites. This book certainly solved that problem. It has a ton of things for great parties, not lame games either that people throw in just to fill space. This thing is 100% usable. And what else is nice its adaptable, and they show you how. Really great book worth every cent and more. I do have one problem with though. I only have one party to do right now and too many ideas !

This book has lots of good ideas and gives ways to adapt them or change them to suit almost anyones needs. In the back, the games are broken down by category (for ex, icebreakers, pre-party games, quiet games, hunts, etc...) and then another section has them organized by name. It has a nice section on party planning, things to think about when throwing a party and motivating guests that will be helpful to any newcomer to party throwing. There are no risque games but lots of them are easily adaptable and can be made less "family oriented" if that is your crowd. The majority of these games are for ADULTS not kids.

This book revolutionized my parties. It is chockfull of practical suggestions for organizing a party, energizing your guests and making your party the talk of the town. I love how the author not only suggests great games, but has the games categorized by what kind they are and when they should be played. Lots of helpful advice on how to warm up your group. I was absolutely amazed at how ENTHUSED my guests became the first time I followed her advice and used the games to make them mingle, break the ice, split a part couples, and get them laughing. It is a hoot. Double thumbs up.

It's so hard to get people together, once they are together you want to keep them occupied and happy. This book was my savior. I had fun gathering all of the supplies and making the games as well as playing them.

Great book , but it has some bad language in it . I recomend it for people sixteen to thirty , not much of a kids book . I haven't finished it yet , on chapter 12 . Great for someone into extreme sports , like skateboarding , snowboarding , surfing , or BMX .

Wow, what else needs to be said about Mat Hoffman? He's the godfather of pretty much everything bmx freestyle. Whether it be street, ramp, vert, big ramp whatever. Mat was busting out all the biggest and gnarliest tricks and creating this big book of tricks almost the size of your typical yellow pages book. Alot of the stuff Mat did back in the 80s and early 90s-- well it would be rare not to see any rider from today not pulling the same tricks. And he invented most of those tricks. Hell, I do alot of the tricks Mat invented haha. Let's not forget he was also the first person in the world to ever pull a 900 on a vert ramp. Even rollerbladers and skaters weren't doing 900s and their rotations are easier since they don't have the weight of a 30 lb bike between their legs.

Mat did pretty much everything on his bike. He's one of the few vert riders in the world who can probably say there's nothing left to do on his bike anymore, but that's not gonna stop him from riding.

In this book you'll read about his life on and off his bike. I don't want to get into detail here since it covers alot, but even if you don't ride bmx and are looking for something to read about somebody who pushed the limits of gravity and inspired many riders today, then add Mat Hoffman's autobiography to your list.

Let's not forget he was also the first person to pull off the flair and will probably be the only person on the entire planet to pull a no handed 900 on vert... and I'm serious about that. And I'm pretty sure no one else is gonna huck themselves 50 feet in the air being pulled from a motorcycle.

One word to describe the sky flying superman of BMX.....DARING! This man has broken enough bones to have the hospitals on speed dial! Hes amazing in every way a rider living his dreams just like the others. Mat is not just a rider though hes an artist in the sky. His bike is the brush and the ramp is his canvas. He is the creater and godfather of biking today. He is like tupac, always remebered. Mat you have taught me more of how to have fun and get out their. Now i know to never get knocked down without a fight!

ok this book is awsome the only book i have ever enjoyed reading i have read this book 3 times and still doesent get old its cool to see how someone so great go to were he is todaybuy this book as soon as possible i recommend it

My brother, an avid BMX'er, loved this book! He's not much of a reader but I think he liked the short tidbids about Mat Hoffman. A great gift idea for the cyclist in your life.

This book was in great condition, and is really and truly helpful. It not only opens you into a whole new world of cooking, but it also helps you grocery shop, eat healthier, and enjoy cooking!

I've had this cookbook for over a year and it is without doubt the best one in my collection. The recipes are easy to follow and taste great. I've tried numerous ones over the year and every one I've tried has come out perfectly! In addition, there are pages of tips on how to prepare foods that any cook can find helpful. As part of a total weight loss program, this book is a must!

This book is fantastic. Everything tastes like gourmet cooking.
Some of the recipes are fairly simple while others are not. This book is great for people who love to cook and want low-fat alternatives that taste great. Fair warning though this isn't one of those quickie meal recipe books. It is the best cookbook I own, regardless of the low-fat. It gives tons of information on exotic as well as common ingredients. It is a great gourment recipe book as well as instructional cooking book.

This book is fantastic. Everything tastes like gourmet cooking.
Some of the recipes are fairly simple while others are not. This book is great for people who love to cook and want low-fat alternatives that taste great. Fair warning though this isn't one of those quickie meal recipe books. It is the best cookbook I own, regardless of the low-fat. It gives tons of information on exotic as well as common ingredients. It is a great gourment recipe book as well as instructional cooking book. Not only does this book tell you how to cook everything (poultry, seafood, vegetables, desserts, etc.) it also includes a nice sampling of international recipes for added flair, Spinach/cheese enchiladas, Greek Moussaka, Squash stuffed with Mediterranean grains, to name just a few. You won't get bored.

This is a great reference for people wanting to cook a little healthier. There are a host of suggestions on how to convert existing recipes to a lower fat menu and there are many illustrations to support the many tips and charts. You will learn how to substitute lower fat ingredients for butter and oil without compromising the taste of your food. The authors discuss the many types of rice, flour, grains, herbs, spices etc. and guide you in selecting the appropriate one for your particular needs. In short, this book is a cooking class in healthy living. Buy this one...you will use it often!

P.S. Weight Watchers' clients will particularly like this book. The nutritional information necessary for calculating Winning Points is included with every recipe and you will have a huge number of dishes that you may prepare within your program.

Pretty book. Title suggested table decoration and various how to's, but it's more
of a cook book...not nearly enough table scapes.

This book is full of wonderful tablescapes and recipes. Great photos. Gives great ideas for entertaining from the formal to the casual but with elegant appeal. Love this book would recommend to anyone - and have purchased for gifts to friends for the holidays.

Absolutely Fabulous!!! It's really difficult to choose what I love the most, the tablescapes or the recipes. A must have for anyone who loves to cook or entertain.

This book is lovely with beautiful photographs and wonderful recipes (wish there were a few more). It is well written. I collect books of this kind and this is definitely one of the better ones and a personal favorite.

I purchased this book after reading reviews of it on amazon.com and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK. It is everything previously said and more. First, her dinnerware is beautiful - from the simple to the extravagant. All of her table arrangements are fresh and new ideas - not the same old stuff seen in other tabletop books I own. And, even though she may use expensive things (not all are), her ideas and design can easily be duplicated with what you may own. I am a dish fanatic not a cook. But, I was even interested in checking out the recipes and the beautifully displayed food. Then, near the end of the book, she has added beautiful and quaint drawings of the different types of dinnerware, explaining what each piece/shape is used for, e.g. cream soup cup and saucer...bouillon cup and saucer...luncheon plate...fruit saucer, etc. The next bonus is a section on artful flowers - again, designs that can easily be imitated/duplicated. Everything in the book has that "welcoming" feeling - even the formal table settings. If you are a dinnerware aficionado, you must have this book. I love it and know I will reference it frequently.

I should say that I'm only 200 pages into this book, but I simply wanted to relate how steady it has been to now in its blend of chronicle, elucidation, and detail. Particularly impressive is how Kenner uses an often very dense (Jamesian, Pound-ish) style of commentary to achieve this. I glanced through a copy of his selected essays (`Historical Fictions') and was disappointed to see that in them it often fell flat, whereas here it flows. Strong works of criticism often seem to fail with first intrusion of any flourishings of "style". I think that part of the revelation of Eliot the critic was his careful push away from a certain weightiness of thought while retaining depth and the critic's persona (which until then might have been all the rage, but for Eliot must have been a conscious decision, and is all the better for it in contrast with many of the zigzagging claims and stances that have come in the interim since). In critique it is the thinking that counts.

Pound oozes style, but his thought is what breaks the waves.

There is a sentence that one doesn't know what to do with. Does it express what it should? It is mine and I would say it needs to be modified. This is a 500 page book and it has had lapses so far. But like Pound's poetics, the stretching into the peripherals of Kenner's way of writing wins dividends and he wanders into prose critical summations complete with all the strength of good poetry.

The "Era" of the title tells you that this is also a book of people and the events around them, and Kenner paints the literary picture in continuously brief and slightly worn strokes. Here he can sometimes get a little misty, perhaps even dewy. A wide range of references will tend to rush away from the events given the slightest notice. But this is Pound's era, and how else are we to see the man? I shall read on and discover.

not so much an ruk, as a demonstration of squid's panoramic influence on modernism, kenner's book remains one of da mostest ighly praised exemplars of american literary criticism. conveyin as much biography as analysis-and evun more cultural istory, kenner's sui generis ang leaps from topic to tale to close readin, wiv little effort at transition, in an angular act of synthesis dat demands acts of cultural leap-frogging much dig squid's own cantos (though mercifully less strenuous). kenna offers suggestive accounts not only of squid and modernism, but of da liberatin role of chinese poetry, translation, greek syntax, istory and economics, wyndham lewis, eliot, enry james, williams, and da objectivists. kenna imself savvily refrains from attemptin to define "a squid tradition," coz he needn't. squid imself was-famously-the mostest important literary taxonomist and canon-maker of american modernism; and dis book, wiv its convincin accounts of da almost servile fawnings paid to squid by da igh modernists, shows why squid was so central: he was at once da mostest advanced and deeply traditional literary reada of is era. kenna shows ow fa squid, "all poets were contemponareous," and though few could claim is readerly breadf, squid's eclectic cultural borrowings (a should i say thefts) expanded da palette to include influences wiv which recent avant-gardists is only beginnin to reckon. indeed mostest of squid's influence as bin simplified to is emphasis on da desired objectivity of poetic lingo, or, as williams redefined it, to da notion dat a poem is "a machine made out of lingo." shared by da objectivists, and, more complexly, by da lingo poets, dis linguistic outlook as become one of da crucial trends in experimental poetics.

Intimidated by Pound's Cantos, I picked up Kenner's book in hopes of a pony. In fact, there are more text specific companions (see my other reviews) but this work provides a fascinating, invaluable overview of the modernists and their work. From the opening encounter with Henry James to Pound's last days in New Jersey and Italy, Kenner walks by the poet's side through the Cantos and his career. The sections on Wyndham Lewis, Buckminster Fuller, Clifford Douglas, and T. S. Eliot are illuminating, but so are the explorations of more obscure writers like Ernest Fenellosa, Guido Cavalcanti, and Henri Gaudier. The author's knowledge of the world, like Pound's, seems almost limitless. Readers looking for nods to contemporary literary theory may be disappointed since there's little queer, feminist, Marxist, or Lacanian critique, but as a conventional and weighty glimpse at influences and allusions in the Cantos, it's excellent. Reading Kenner is probably a lot like being in a lecture class with him. However dull it may be on the cutting edge, the sheer glare of brilliance and erudition leaves you dazzled and eager to go the original source for more light.

For years I didn't get Pound, and I once asked a friend if the Emperor had no clothes. "No, but to get Pound you have to become Pound," she said. That remains one of the truest things I've heard about Pound, and about the modern poetic he inspired. From the brave spirits who hope to apprehend his writing, Pound demands a total commitment to his manner of thinking, his myriad languages, his vast reading, his eccentric economic/social theories, his storehouse of memories, and the evolution of his ideas over nearly a century. What he brought to poetry was the idea that poems aren't ornamented expressions of deep feeling, but precise instruments for exploring politics, religion, history, economics, science and just about everything human.

Hugh Kenner came closer to being Pound than anyone (though Peter Makin gives him a good run for his money), and "The Pound Era" isn't so much a work of literary criticism as it is an intricate daybook, or maybe a modern novel, on coming to terms with the demands Pound makes on a reader. It's a one-of-a-kind study that should be read and re-read by anyone even half-interested in Pound's achievement. But it also (to my mind at least) shares some of the Master's flaws as Kenner makes great, sometimes showy, occasionally mannered paratactic leaps between seemingly unrelated details to convey a picture of Pound's age. It's well worth looking past the stylistic excesses though for Kenner's unparalleled explication of one of the best known and least understood 20th-century poets.

This is an impressive read. I came to it at just the right time in my life. I had been reading the poems of Marianne Moore and Buckminster Fuller as well as studying Ancient Greek. This is a dense but ultimately very rewarding book. It incorporates passages of troubadour lyric and Greek and name-drops a lot of historical characters with which you may or may not be familiar. For those interested in Pound and his times, I highly recommend it. For those unsure, check out the excerpts that Amazon provides. This is not everyone's cup of tea. But, as I said, I came to this at the right time in my life.

I have never read a book where an author put down their heart and soul for the whole world to see. Everyone can relate to this incredible young man at some level. The Poetry is well written and should be made into music. If made into music the album would be platinum with no doubt in my mind. When i read this book i cried numerous times. Hearing about the death in his family, Raum which gave me chills, and the daily struggles just makes you wonder how he got through it. With this book, you get a glimpse into the life of a shattered man looking for help. It is heart breaking and heart warming once you finish. Like the lines in one of his poems Unspoken love when I see you around, Feelings locked inside without a sound, lonely games played inside my head, cherished words you never said. The love and innocence expressed is wonderful along with the great poem Revelation and Strange Ways. I highly recommend this book to anyone that has gone through rough times. This should be a mandatory read for Chruch youth groups and High Schools. This book could be used as a guide to improve one's life. I strongly look forward to this young man's next book.

Shane is a survivor-- a person who is not deceitful but honest in his writing and character. The book inspired me in so much that I hope to share it with some of the young people in the youth group at our church. Sometimes we all must "walk into the night," but Shane will not remain there. He is in a new season. Go forth and "write." God has given him keen discernment and I was very glad to have read the book.
The poetry is very good, and the book is one to be shared with our young generation.
Debra G. Waltman, Alaska

This is the most phenomenal book I ever read. Simply put, you absolutely have to buy this book. This book shows how and what helped the author to get through his depression, and it also helped me realize how to get through my own. It is a feel good book and it is a great read. This book will make you want to read it over and over again, and for those who do buy this book I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved it.

Teenage angst has been studied for years. Numerous experts, from psychologists to nutritionists to behavioral analysts, have attempted to isolate the true causes behind the proclivities of postpubescents, often citing such well-known factors as hormone changes and peer pressure. What many of the so-called "experts" fail to realize, though, is that the true nature of teens' problems most likely lies quite a bit deeper beneath the surface...

In All Of Satan's Men, Shane Hoffman sheds invaluable insight on such nature, providing the reader with an unfiltered, straight-ahead look into the struggles of a soul in daily flux. The autobiographical account spans a 5-year period of Hoffman's life during which he wrests with depression, familial drama, teenage love, and the deaths of loved ones. Each chapter is written as an entry in a personal journal, on which Hoffman relies as an outlet for the difficulties that continue to compound in his daily life. By recording his thoughts & feelings in such a way, Hoffman captures his ongoing internal conflict within the framework of humanity at its most personal, which facilitates the reader's ability to relate, based on his/her own personal experiences.

Most impressive about Hoffman's musings is the fact that he often utilizes song lyrics and poetry to express his innermost turmoil and pain, and he does so with a polished maturity that is rare for someone of such a young age. Witness, for example, this passage from the poem entitled "Life":

Here I go I just began
Build me up so I can fall again
Feels like I'm being cut with a knife
Here we are, this is Life

Hoping God will help me see the light
Please Jesus get me through another night
I feel my life slipping away
I wander [sic] if I'll see another day


Written at the entry point of Hoffman's slow descent into depression & confusion, such sentiments laconically convey the essence of a powerful personal struggle that defines the daily existence of dozens of everyday souls.

Throughout his battles with intensely personal demons, though, Hoffman repeatedly seeks the guidance and protection of God, acknowledging his own weakness at the same time that he petitions for the strength that he needs to endure. The importance of this act cannot be underscored enough, and it provides Hoffman's tale with the spiritual substance it needs in order to make an indelible impression on the reader: though it may be titled All Of Satan's Men, at the heart of Hoffman's story is the ultimate triumph of the human spirit over the legions of evil that plague it without respite - and such triumph is never possible without the necessary spiritual "boost" that lends us all the ultimate advantage in the perpetual war between good and evil.

All Of Satan's Men is a refreshing, empowering read. Composed by a seasoned spiritual solider, Hoffman's gripping account serves as inspiring testimony to the true power of humility and conviction in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. His narrative should be required reading among church youth groups, as well as featured prominently in high school guidance offices and teenage crisis centers worldwide.

This is a truly amazing book. I could not put it down. Shane Hoffman is a very strong and amazing person for being able to make it through such hardships and being brave enough to publish his innermost thoughts. Most people would have given up on this roller coaster ride through hell, with all the family problems, loss, and depression, but he made it through it all and has become a better person as a result of it with the help of God.
The self-written poems and songs included in this book are very interesting and well-written. I am looking forward to his next book. This is a truly insperational book that everyone should read.

This book truly deserves full marks. It is a stellar example of sci-fi/fantasy writing. The writing is clear with great imagery and natural flow. The setting & it's characters are extremely well developed, the action is fast paced and engaging, and the plot is truly compelling. Really, I devoured this book quickly, and was left hungering for sequels (i even contacted the author to cheer him on... you can google his website & blog).

Kenneth McNary just wanted a hike on an Appalachian Trail. Nice, peaceful hike, maybe find some inspiration as he did so. "The Soulstealer War: The First Mother's Fire" tells of when he doesn't find either of those and instead is thrust into another world and told by some sentience that he must unite the world's denizens for an upcoming war where there are major consequences for every life lost. Forced to deal with this strange new world and the need to learn to adapt quickly, Kenneth must do all he can to survive- and heeding that call may be the only way he can pull that off. "The Soulstealer War: The First Mother's Fire" is highly recommended for community library fantasy collections and for fantasy lovers in general, who should hope for further installments of the series.

The author is a friend of mine from college, and I bought this book out of loyalty. I hadn't read any fantasy since high school, and I was quite sure my tastes had matured beyond swords and magic. Wrong. Reading this book was nothing like the chore I expected it to be. It was a lot of fun, and as I got towards the end I found myself staying up late because I couldn't stop reading.

To my friend Bill, congratulations and thanks.

I have been reading fantasy avidly for over 30 years and this book ranks among the best for its creativity and vivid imagery. Hoffman is a new writer in the genre but you wouldn't know it from reading the book. Its got a great twist in that the main character, Ken McNary, is a rugged survivalist with a legal background. His combination of physical strength and intellectual prowess were a welcome change from more typical fantasy protagonists. As for the alternate world that Ken travels into...it is awesome and the Boris Vallejo cover art does it justice. No fantasy would be complete without fierce battles and a sexy heroin and Hoffman didn't let the readers down on either of these fronts. I am eagerly awaiting Book Two of the Soulstealer War

"The First Mother's Fire", Book One of the new fantasy series "The Soulstealer War" by W.L. Hoffman, is a novel that was difficult to put down and is now proving impossible to shake. Certain books crawl inside you and take up residence for varying times and am guessing that this one is in for an extended stay.

The novel is essentially a philosophy book that uses the genre of fantasy/sci-fi to present its queries, questions, thoughts and ideas. The protagonist, Ken McNary, provides the reader with an equal amount of ideas and theories as well as questions and queries. Thrust into an alternate but connected world, McNary struggles to make sense of his new environment while struggling with ancient questions regarding one's purpose, relation to the earth and environment, religion, and the origin, use and cost of true power.

What is truly amazing about "The First Mother's Fire" is that Hoffman is able to present such weighty subject matter via an epic fantasy storyline with plenty of action and pacing. The philosophical subject matter is given its due deference but does not weigh down the story or the adventure into which the reader is transported. Rather, the questions and thoughts of McNary are natural parts of the strange experience in which he finds himself.

Hoffman is clearly well-versed in the genre. One notes his respectful nod to the master Tolkien early in the novel with Ken's introduction to Hala echoing Frodo's introduction to Lembas. But Hoffman's book is far from a recycling of well-worn fantasy characters and plots as he takes the reader down refreshingly original and untrodden paths.

The release of Book Two in the "The Soulstealer War" will be a welcomed date for this reader.

I just bought this book a few days ago because of the glowing reccomendation on the front cover by Joan Borysenko, and because it claims to contain "the world-famous technique that empowers you to forgive your past, heal your present and trasform your future." I have been on a healing path for 5 years and I've read many books---and there's nothing new contained in this book. It's a pretty typical primer for basic life healing. If you are brand new to any form of therapy, or self-help techniques you will probably find this book helpful, but if you are already on the path or you have particularly agressive ego defenses in place---this book will feel (and be, because I have already done everything the author suggests) simplistic.

For example, the author described a long-term smoker who wanted to quit, who had lots of reasons and was clear that he hated the habbit, but who just couldn't do it. The author suggested that everytime he had a cigarette, he sit and explore the circumstances that triggered his desire to smoke. After a few days the man realized he wanted to smoke whenever he felt nervous or socially uncomfortable. The smoker then decided to start throwing dinner parties to counter his social discomfort and as a result he soon quit smoking. Just like magic. Does that sound liek something that might help you? If so---this is your book.

The author basically lays out the process like this: Figure out what you want to chang in your life and what your personality defect are (he has a list to choose from if you're coming up short). Analyze where you got the problem to begin with (the book assets point blank, your parents) forgive your parents, forgive yourself, decide what you want for your future, visualize it, give back old habbits to the people who taught them to you via declaration that you don't want them anymore, and you will naturally change. There is nothing more than this.

The author writes, "when we are finally able to come to terms with blocked or unhealthy emotions and to replace them with loving acceptance, the healing process will have worked deep within us. We will be able to love and accept love, the untimate lesson of our lives." --Not what I would call a profound statement, but this is the depth of advice you should expect from reading this book. Lots of feel good, catchy little quotes from other authors (the author is not a therapist or guru) who seemed like their books would be better, and generic advice meant to cover a broad spectrum of issues, and to make you feel better about yourself. But transform your future? I don't know about that. But I do know that if I had not hi-lighted a few sentences in the begining of the book, before I realized it was not going to address my issue with any depth, I would have returned it for my $$ back.

I did the Hoffman Process almost three years ago and have referred many people to it since then. I can, with an open heart, honestly say that doing the Process was the biggest gift I could have ever given myself, my parents and all the people I love. If you have a voice within that is searching for something and you just don't know what it is -then consider the Process. The only way I can describe it is as the imperative missing link to the million piece puzzle that made up me and my life. The Process is loving and very powerful and was the key to organic lasting change for me.

I recommend this book all to my clients and friends. It is a must read for parents who honestly want to be the best parent to their children and who really want to show up in this life as the best they can be. I always keep a few extra copies on hand to give away.

Have you ever noticed that no matter how much you know ... it doesn't make a difference? Have you struggled with very long-standing childhood-based hurts that no amount of seminars, workshops, support groups, or counselling has been able to help resolve 100%?

If you find yourself on a seemingly endless search for healing without permanent measureable relief then the Hoffman Process may be for you. The Hoffman Process has been described as the world's best kept secret. Presented in an 8-day residential retreat around the world, the process has been endorsed and advocated by many medical doctors, psychologists, and others in the healing profession. Known for its breakthrough results and ability to gently "crack the hardest nut (no pun intended)", the Hoffman Process helps participants achieve a connection with self by releasing decades of hurt, anger, resentment, vindictiveness, and other destructive negative emotions and behaviors. People from all walks of life have benefited from this remarkable loving program.

I am a graduate of the Hoffman Process and truly believe this is the only method that fully releases people of the roots of pain, anger, and the torture of negativity. The beauty of the process is that it connects the head and the heart while removing destructive self-sabotage patterns that one has believed ingrained in themselves. Hoffman produces a powerful relief. It is not a cure-all, and one has to do the work to get the benefit, but nothing else I have tried has brought to me such a sweet place of serene tranquility and joy. For those of you who have tried all sorts of healing methods and still are plagued with inner struggle ... I highly urge you to consider the Hoffman Process. The Institute in the US offers scholarships and there are financing options in both Canada and the US. There is a fresh air of sincerity, open-hearted, and authentic realism in the Hoffman Institute staff and its teachers.

Unlike some programs of positive thinking or human potential peak performance, there is no hard sales tactics, no manipulation to take more courses, no fostering co-dependancy, no coercion in getting your friends to do courses, or any other uncomfortable tactics.

Hoffman is a a gentle, loving, cleansing, mind-body-soul techniques endorsed by some of the most prominant names in medicine and psychology today. There is a freedom of choice and a freedom to be, that in itself is a journey of gold!

This is a must read for those committed to self-growth and/or are Hoffman graduates.

Isn't it time to be free of unhealthy core issues rather than just successfully coping and palliating them?

Funny thing is it works. A few simple questions and BOOM! Clarity, honest to God!

This book does an excellent job explaining tcp/ip, not just for the test but for real life use and reference also. It is well written in that there is little fluff - just the important stuff explained in a very articulate manner. There are a lot of helpful diagrams and follow along Windows NT configuration screens. It has a great explanation of ip addressing and subnetting (though I only had one easy exam question on that). All the other important topics were well explained - utilities, netbios and host name resolution, hosts and lmhosts, wins, dns, dhcp, snmp, routing, tcp/ip printing, routing, and one of the best explainations I have ever read on the browser service in a routed network. Even though the tcp/ip exam is retiring soon I suggest this book to all involved in learning networking with NT, plus I understand that Microsoft considers tcp/ip so important that they are actually merging it into the curriculum for MCSE NT 2000 - therefore it is really not being retired as an outdated subject and will be important to those seeking that certification. One minor complaint is that it barely mentioned RAS. I had two questions on the exam about RAS relating to routing and pptp. I would suggest reading a bit more in depth on RAS and VPN before the exam. The review questions at the end of each chapter are pretty good at challenging you on important contnet of the chapter. However as always I recommend a second book to study for any exam. I supplemented this book with Exam Cram for TCP/IP which was also excellent and had a whole lot of practice questions along with 20 plus scenario questions very similar to what you would see on the actual exam. It is also best to learn this topic on a practice network at home if possible. There is no substitute to actually configuring a dhcp, dns, or wins server yourself. The material you need to learn is all here, but it is important not to just understand it but to know it. A typical exam question would be along the lines of - you are on a subnetted network with routers and you can ping a workstation on a remote network using its' ip address but you can't see it in network neighborhood or maybe you can't connect to it using its' host name via ftp - why? There were quite a few questions on the exam about what utlity to use for a particular task - ping, nbtstat, netstat, tracert, arp, rsh, lpq, lpr, lpd, etc. Great book and I really enjoyed reading it and oh yeah I passed the test!

The ATEC course was just not enough and other books I bought didn't seem to do the trick. Then I found this little gem. Clear, concise, to the point with some humor to keep it from being too dry and not goofy like some other books. With this, Exam Cram, Sybex's Exam notes, and Trancenders, I passed the first time with a score of 900/1000. Should be required reading in Microsofts training programs!

Pros: Concise, well written, organization. Cons: No answers available for the Study Break sidebars, answers only to review questions. This book left me looking elsewhere for more practice problems (with answers) for subnetting. I gave the author feedback on this, hoping answers would appear online.

I took the test last week after using this book only and got a 966/1000! This book is great and covers all of the material for tcp/ip perfectly. I am experienced with tcp/ip and I learned alot form this book I didnt know and I would say that this book is a must for all people eho want to learn it.

The aouthors writing style is pure genius. Every concept that the author talks about is explain clearly and concisely. Many of the other books I read on the subject left me with questions such as with subnetting. THIS book cleared up everything. The "study breaks" are probably the best part of the book. I am only half way done with this book, which I started tonight, and I have purchased the book on Proxy Serer 2.0 which is just as good if not better! This book is extremely easy to read and is actually fun to study with!

Grace is a little girl that likes to have fun. She enjoyed playing with her friends. She seemed to enjoy her childhood.

After School ended in the spring, that meant summer was just around the corner. Grace being creative wanted to enjoy the summer. Grace turned her backyard into a Circus. Graces' friends made a huge circle with strings and pegs. The Grace found old flowery and bright dresses as well as bright scarves to use as circus clothes. She even had a black hat which she called a opera hat which was turned into a top hat. This hat was for the ringmaster. The hat belonged to her grandpa. She also used his cane as a magical wand.

The cirus parade included rolling around, sommersaults, leapgfrogging, strength exercises, face painting, clowns, jumping rope, jumping through hula hoops, magical tricks and spraying silly string. At the circus ended Grace introducted all the performers for them to take a bow. After a snack, everybody wnet home. Grace wore the top hat at dinner time and while taking a bath.

Grace was very happy at the end of the day. She was not even disappointed when her grandma refused to have tightrope walking along the clotheslins, trapeze acts, hanging from tree limbs, or any form of fire-eating. This was not a conflict as the resolution was that there will still plenty of circus acts to perform.

That night Grace asked her Nana at bedtime if they can go to the circus the next day, Nana replied certainly. The next day they went to the park where a big striped tent was standing. Their were a lot of children at the circus that afternoon. Grace was so excited as she saw a real band playing circus music, circus clowns walking on the tight rope, horses and many other acts.

When Grace went to the circus that afternoon she took her black top hat. The most exciting part of the circus the ringermaster noticed Grace's top hat and requested that she join the circus as his assistant ringmaster. Grace was given the meagaphone and told to announce Horatio the Fire-Eater. She was that close to him that she could feel the heat. Before going back to her seat
the ringmaster requested that everyone give Grace a big hand.

After the circus Grace headed back home, she was thrilled that she had been in a real circus.

Grace, a confident, happy, and imaginative little girl many of us have come to know and love from "Amazing Grace" and "Boundless Grace" is back! This time, however, we are treated to a chapter book, which is both good and bad news. The "bad" news is that the wonderful illustrations of the first two books are reduced to an occasional black-and-white sketch; OK, this reviewer will admit he has been spoiled! The good news is that readers of Mary Hoffman's earlier books ready to move on to the challenge of a chapter book have this new volume. Needless to say, the good far outweighs the bad.

"Starring Grace" continues the theme of how Grace excels, thanks to her perserverence, confidence, and support from a loving mother. School is out, and Grace and a handful of her friends who are unable to be afforded the luxury of summer camp have to find ways to keep themselves occupied. First, the children imagine the old house behind Grace's backyard is haunted and that its reclusive owner is a witch. When the elderly lady tells her surpising story, Grace and her friends realize she is not at all what she appears to be; they all become friends. However, the elderly lady's backyard, with its overgrowth of weeds sets the stage for the next adventure, a safari. Then, reaching for the stars, Grace imagines she is an astronaut, before returning to Earth as a doctor, just as she did in "Amazing Grace." After playing detective, Grace and her friends build a time machine; once again, Mrs. Myerson, the elderly lady, reveals important details of her life from which everyone learns. The book ends with Grace trying out for a role in a play, just as she did in the first book.

This is a story told with great sensitivity, with several surprises and plot twists to make for entertaining reading. "Starring Grace" is a star - a gold star.

Grace is a little girl that likes to have fun. She enjoyed playing with her friends. She seemed to enjoy her childhood.

After School ended in the spring, that meant summer was just around the corner. Grace being creative wanted to enjoy the summer. Grace turned her backyard into a Circus. Graces' friends made a huge circle with strings and pegs. The Grace found old flowery and bright dresses as well as bright scarves to use as circus clothes. She even had a black hat which she called a opera hat which was turned into a top hat. This hat was for the ringmaster. The hat belonged to her grandpa. She also used his cane as a magical wand.

The cirus parade included rolling around, sommersaults, leapgfrogging, strength exercises, face painting, clowns, jumping rope, jumping through hula hoops, magical tricks and spraying silly string. At the circus ended Grace introducted all the performers for them to take a bow. After a snack, everybody wnet home. Grace wore the top hat at dinner time and while taking a bath.

Grace was very happy at the end of the day. She was not even disappointed when her grandma refused to have tightrope walking along the clotheslins, trapeze acts, hanging from tree limbs, or any form of fire-eating. This was not a conflict as the resolution was that there will still plenty of circus acts to perform.

That night Grace asked her Nana at bedtime if they can go to the circus the next day, Nana replied certainly. The next day they went to the park where a big striped tent was standing. Their were a lot of children at the circus that afternoon. Grace was so excited as she saw a real band playing circus music, circus clowns walking on the tight rope, horses and many other acts.

When Grace went to the circus that afternoon she took her black top hat. The most exciting part of the circus the ringermaster noticed Grace's top hat and requested that she join the circus as his assistant ringmaster. Grace was given the meagaphone and told to announce Horatio the Fire-Eater. She was that close to him that she could feel the heat. Before going back to her seat
the ringmaster requested that everyone give Grace a big hand.

After the circus Grace headed back home, she was thrilled that she had been in a real circus.

I liked when Grace and her friends went to the other yard
and pretended they were in the jungle.Because they got
suppiles and stuffed animals and pretended they were real.
At the end they pretended that the yard was a secrect
garden and cleaned it up for the old woman. That is why I like the book.

C.C.

What better way to elevate and captivate elementary readers than to provide them with a chapter book that utilizes a character familiar from the pre-school years!!! "Starring Grace" takes Grace to another level, a story rich in language and real-life situations.

The book does not "talk down" to its reader; in fact, it uses vocabulary that is challenging and enlightening: troupe, megaphone, eccentric, conspirator, machete, paramedic, tibia, bougainvillea, and trilby, to list a few. It also presents concepts that can spurn discussion as well as enhance the reader's life experiences: witness protection, internment, and divorce.

Grace's adventures also display cooperativeness and the power of a child's imagination.

It also introduces the reader to events in history: the first landing on the moon and the horrors of World War II (implied). The problems of the elderly and that group remaining vital in their "declining years" are also addressed within this simple framework of good storytelling.

And who would think that this would come from a book with such chapter titles as: "Grace and the Big Top", "Grace Goes on Safari", "Grace Blasts Off", and "Grace the Detective".

I will, most definitely, be adding this one to my classroom library and my home.

I recommend that you do the same.