Marshall Books

The narrator of this story is a girl who lives in a hotel with her father and mother. Larry, a polar bear, once saved her father's life, and as a reward, Larry wanted to live in a hotel with a swimming pool. So her father bought an old hotel, and Larry is the lifeguard. Every now and again, the girl disguises Larry in a very large coat, hat, and sunglasses, and they go to the Pancake Palace to eat blueberry pancakes. One day they go to the zoo, and I won't spoil the story by telling any more! The humor is wacky and sophisticated but will appeal to all ages.The style is simple and the book is fun to read because Larry is so clever and droll. I have read this book aloud countless of times to my 3-year-old. Larry has really captured the imagination of my son. Highly recommended for its humor and great illustrations.

Daniel and Jill Pinkwater have another winner in this book from the enormously funny "Larry" series. Larry is a huge but friendly polar bear who lives in a hotel and hangs out in the icy cold pool. This is a jokey-book, but even when the humor is predictable, the Pinkwaters' dry as ice delivery is irresistible: "NOTICE TO GUESTS: MAKE SURE THE BEAR LIKES YOU BEFORE USING THE POOL."

"...Guests ask [my mother] `How can we tell if the bear likes us?'
"...oh, the bear likes everybody."
Very few guests use the pool.

Later the narrator (a young teenage girl) takes a mildly disguised Larry out for blueberries: "people think he is just a big fat man with whiskers, wearing a pair of slippers that look like fuzzy bear paws." Then the rim-shot:

"If anyone were to ask I would say that Larry is my uncle from Milwaukee."

The one potentially tricky part of the book occurs when Larry takes his first trip to the zoo and sees his brother Roy. But the zoo is a fun place for them to meet and swim together and fool a few visitors as well. The zookeeper even lets Roy and his two pool mates out for the night, and they have codfish cakes and blueberries at the hotel Larry. Although I paused for a bit, the gentle good-natured tone drowns out any dissonance regarding free and captive polar bears: It's a kids' book, and the Pinkwaters' combination of deft prose, and bold, colorful pictures set a happy tone of fantasy and bearish camaraderie. Also check out Larry in "Bongo Larry," in which he eats (what else?) blueberries and plays the blues at a local club. Good fun, and definitely recommended.

At the Hotel Larry is just hilarious. Larry is a polar bear who has drifted from the polar regions to New Jersey. Pinkwater's trademark humor is in full effect. A great picture book for ages 3-103 !

I have had a copy of this book for years and I love it so much! It is a short daily devotion that tells you about a name of Jesus and has a Bible verse that goes along with the name for that day. It's short but means a lot. I bought some more copies to give to some of my closest friends - that's how good it is and how much I love this book.

Sarah Hornsby is a spirit filled Christian author. I have prayed through and own every book she has written. However my favorite is "At the Name of Jesus". Since it was published in 1983, I have given this book to over twenty friends. Starting with a title of Jesus from Scripture, Ms. Hornsby's 365 meditations explore the attributes of Jesus from Jesus is the Alpha to Jehovah Jesus is the Savior-Messiah. This book has lead me to an ever deeper and more personal relationship with Jesus. Chosen Books should bring out a new edition. This book is too precious to remain unavailable.

At the Name of Jesus is a wonderful devotional book. Each day's reading is short & to the point but deep enough to ponder all day. I have given this book as a gift to many people. Each one has loved it, & many have purchased copies to give as gifts to others. This book is a true blessing.

A must for the coffee table. All the places of fable and fact in one book. Well photographed and the text is useful. Valuable resource for young and old alike. A great way to escape the here and now...

This is an exotic travel book ideal as a gift for the intrepid traveler. It takes one to fascinating places every traveler would love to visit or to revisit. It's my favorite "coffee table book."

A top rate book, one of a series of five relating to worldwide travel. Excellent photography and design with in depth factual informative text. Set in a captivating imaginative layout. A must for any person interested in the world around us

The book provides a concise and clear introduction as to how the atmosphere and ocean behave on our planet. The authors apply first principles to explain the structure and circulation of both fluids, how heat is transported and fine-scale processes like convection operate. The explanations employ clear schematics, emphasizing the controlling processes, together with brief mathematical manipulations. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout including wonderful photographs of laboratory experiments, as well as historical asides about the key scientists who made the first break through. This is a great book for anyone wishing to acquire a more profound understanding as to how the atmosphere and ocean operate.

Very well presentation of the material acompanied of details to conduct laboratory experiments and all the data accessible through book's website. The text is clear with concise explanations and tips to follow and try all their derivations. The treatment of ocean and atmospheres as a continuum and unique system is simply amazing. Key references are provided for the reader interested in an in depth treatment of any subject, and in it is own constitutes a valuable reference for teaching as well as for self-study (especially beginners). Not recommended for those interested in mesoscale dynamics or microscale processes. Finally, the carefully edition (recreative illustrations, footnotes with details on fathers of the field, etc) of the book makes this indeed a beautifull book.

The only fault is that there is no paperback edition; this will help make this valuable reference more accessible.

This book is a concise, clear and holistic introduction to the subject of atmosphere, ocean and climate science. The book is written in a student-friendly manner. The authors present and develop the tools required to understand the climate system. These tools include radiation, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics. These tools are then used to understand the behaviour of the atmosphere and ocean. The interplay between atmosphere and ocean systems in giving rise to the climate system is elucidated. The last chapter is devoted to climate dynamics. While primarily discussing the general characteristics of atmosphere and ocean, the book also elaborates on slightly more specialized topics like wind-driven circulation, thermohaline circulation and paleoclimate.This book will help undergraduate and entry-level graduate students to secure a beachhead on the fascinating new territory of atmosphere, ocean and climate science.

This is a great read for all Americans interested in having first-hand information on conditions in Iraq, vs. information available in the mass media. Very timely, and written in a personal, readable format that engages the reader on an emotional level.

I have read the book and was very impressed with her account of being a mother of a US soldier, away from home for the first time, in an area of danger. Knowing Maureen and her son, we can relate to this situation and how my parents felt when I was shipped overseas during WW2. Her first hand account gave us a true insight to the war and how military families must cope, knowing that there is nothing they can do to comfort or help their family member in this situation. It's a must read for military families who are coping with this and also for those who cannot relate to what our soldiers and their families are experiencing.
From Bud and BC in Iowa

This was an easy read that displayed an emotional connection to the war in iraq. I can identify with the author and her son as they both fought to survive his year in Iraq. I really enjoyed reading it and finished it in one night, I couldn't put it down once I began. This really is a great read.

This is quite an interesting guide for those seeking for innovation in newspaper design. What makes it so interesting is the fact that it's assembled with pages and pages of newspaper desing around the world.
Good choise if browing for a change in your paper.

What's the matter with newspapers these days? Not enough creativity, put simply. blah, blah, blah. this is THE book that will get those creative juices going from the very first glance. Gorgeous format photography (the eager and well-sighted can even read the articles) encompassing designs from around the globe, gloss paper and well written guidelines consolidate a book that is a pleasure to view and a pride to own. In previous years I have found it is not wise to lend - it takes ages to get the blessed book back!! A genuine and completely worthy investment, and absolutely recommended.

Julie Jansen: Freelance Journalist, Brisbane, Australia. Email: julie@journalism.com

I bought this book because I wanted to see the world's best newspaper designs. What I got is more than expected. Now I know what makes best newspapers. It's a combination of a lot of things. There are lessons to be learnt although the book is not a manual. Newspaper designers, editors, photographers and art directors better work together hand in hand to produce the highest quality newspaper or else.... I found that european newspapers are superb in the combination of news, art and design. What more can you ask if they can blend them so well in a newspaper. The American newspapers fares equally well with a combination of news and photos. For the Asian and the Pacific,... they had better catch up.

Opening with a quote from Murakami Haruki's novel Norwegian Wood, Marshall Moore's short story collection Black Shapes in a Darkened Room takes the reader into a realm where ghosts await the deaths of those who have wronged them; vicious men wear suits of raw meat; and deaf boys can heal with only a touch. Dark and disturbing at a visceral level, I found myself uttering, "Oh my God" a number of times as I read through the collection, especially such gems as "Enough Oxygen" and "The Glue Factory."

However, while I recoiled at some gory bits that would please Clive Barker, it was Moore's attention to detail that truly disturbed me. The abusive mother's brutality in "Hurricane Season" both angered me and made me have to stop reading for a bit to let the imagery fade that was floating through my mind. One can literally feel the steam of the scalding bathwater and taste the fear of the children whom the mother has threatened to drown.

Yet, although the stories are filled with death, the stories also have a macabre sense of justice. People mistreated during life get revenge in death. Vicious mean and women are killed and the killers, who the reader is cheering for, are not caught and brought to justice by the law. No, instead they have been able to kill their oppressors and are able to get on with their lives after the murders. It might seem a bit odd to call this refreshing, but living in a world where child abusers and wife beaters go unpunished, it is nice to see them suffer a bit of the torment they have caused others.

While the story collection contains ghosts, tattoos made of the night sky, and dragons, well maybe on the last one, the collection also contains a number of other stories completely grounded in reality such as one concerning a young man who has grown tired of caring for his disabled father and another about a shut-in who is trying, or not trying, to get over a broken relationship.

The collection is also filled with sex that is entirely of the homosexual variety, but the collection does not use this aspect as a crutch. The stories are powerful enough on their own so it seems like one is reading stories that contain characters who just happen to be homosexual instead of the story leaning on this aspect for the sell.

Black Shapes in a Darkened Room is a very interesting collection that is definitely a cut above a good portion of fiction that is being released. If you want to read some stories that will terrify and intrigue you give this one a spin.

In "Black Shapes in a Darkened Room", the follow-on to his debut novel "The Concrete Sky", Marshall Moore brings his writing to a new level.

Moore delivers to the readers what his fans have come to expect: an exploration of the darkest aspects of human nature, woven with a razor wit and a sly humor that somehow make it fun. But this collection goes beyond his previous works, delivering a wild array of ideas, each one probed, explored, and exposed with a laser focus. The short story format is a wonderful boon for readers, allowing Moore to present vastly more of the lucid and disturbing products of his imagination than the novel format ever could.

The stories in this collection are haunting, stimulating, original, and utterly enjoyable - if you have the stomach for it. They'll make you squirm uncomfortably, wonder about human nature, snicker with guilty pleasure, and in the end will leave you with plenty to think about. Each one illuminates another hidden corner of the psyche, and showcases Moore's ability to give us touching but terrifying glimpses of the damaged souls that inhabit his tales.

"Black Shapes in a Darkened Room" is haunting, diabolical, and brilliant. One of the best collection of short stories one will find amusing, grotesque, and darkly illuminating. I enjoyed every page of this book and thensome. Authors like Moore are rare and hard to come by.

I have three grown daughters. Each rates this as their favorite book when growing up. It was such an important one for them, that when I found some Blue Faience Hippos at a museum shop, I bought one for each of us as a keepsake.

The illustrations are gorgeous, the story makes us cry every time. Still. Yes, we still read it. This book is a gem.

I love this book, I have ever since I was 5! I was doing an art presentation recently for a BA class and came across a blue faience hippopotamus in the history of Egypt. I was immediately brought back to my childhood favorite book! I recommended this book to my class and several people have reported back how much they loved it!

"The Blue Faience Hippopotamus" is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, a story for both children and adults. The writing is top notch, featuring what is almost a "hero's quest" for children, ending with an exquisite example of unselfishness and the true gift of love and life. While similar in many ways to "The Velveteen Rabbit," it is neither an imitator nor an homage; I cry each time I read the story. In addition to the excellent writing are the illustrations, featuring beautifully crafted images which bring the tale to life while utilizing numerous historically accurate artistic motifs of the ancient Egyptians. Although this book is currently out of print, I believe that a story of such lovliness should be reissued to entertain and enlighten those fortunate enough to read "The Blue Faience Hippopotamus."

Eric Kimmel gives new life to the same old hum drum fairytales! His charecters truly come to life...my husband and I find oursleves reading with crazy new voices we didn't realize we had. My children love that they recognize the story, but that it also has a new twist. Big faves at our house include Cactus Soup (Stone soup), The Runaway Tortilla (The Gingerbread Man), and The Three Cabritos (The Three Billy Goats Gruff). These tales are fun for the adult readers, as well as the kiddoes...for Kimmels great commentary on those with a "small world-view" check out Pumpkinhead. Great tales, with great lessons!

Cactus Soup by Eric Kimmel takes the timeless tale of Stone Soup and injects a Mexican flavor. The text is arranged into short passages that are easy to read and follow. The Spanish language that is native to the characters in the story is woven into the story. The Spanish is presented in a way that is easy to identify the meaning. For readers who still struggle with the meaning of the words, they can flip to the back of the book and find a glossary.
Kimmel has written his book in a way that has readers eager to flip the page. First he presents a problem, such as a hungry army coming to town who will eat all the food, and then he has the townspeople solve the problem. For every problem that is presented, the reader is anxious to flip the page and see the solution.
The beautiful illustrations by Phil Huling capture the feel of the Mexican Revolution time period. Huling uses reds, yellows, and greens to portray the vivid colors common to the Mexican culture. While the pictures exaggerate the actions taking place in the story, they still follow the plot line and allow the reader to get a comprehensive view of the book.
Since Cactus Soup is a variation of Stone Soup, the characters are predictable, yet still likeable. The mayor looks out for the needs of his people. He takes a misguided, yet authoritarian approach in his attempt to do this. The townspeople first follow the directions of their leader and then later enthusiastically help the captain of the army make the cactus soup.
The captain solves the problem of no food, without asking the townspeople for food they claim not to have. He craftily gets the townspeople to volunteer food in an attempt to improve the taste of the cactus soup. He teaches the townspeople (and readers) the valuable lessons of sharing and working together for a common purpose.

Cactus Soup tells the story of a town that doesn't want to share its food with a small approaching army. But in the end, the captain gets the whole town to "make" his famous cactus soup. I like the quote, "Why ask for what you don't have?" You'll feel like eating Mexican after reading this book! I especially like the "stretched" illustrated characters. Muy bien!

For years I have been embarrassed to affiliate in any way with the category of `Christianity.' The current mainstream of fundamentalism, literalism, sentimentalism, and moralism have robbed me of some of the deepest poetry by which I understand myself.

Gene Marshall's, The Call of the Awe, has helped me to reconnect with the center of my being.....the same center that has inspired all of humanity's religious creations over the centuries. Marshall invites us to enter, quite personally, into a never-ending dialogue with the Never Ending. He challenges us to become personally connected with the Infinite Actuality that is present in every moment of our existence. He gives us permission to become encircled and centered in the Awesome Presence that is everywhere present.

This book goes a long way toward moving us beyond the obsolete metaphors of transcendence poetry to a transparency metaphor that more clearly reflects the reality of our secular, scientific age and yet connects us powerfully with the Mystery and the Awe at the center of life.

Most of all, this book brings a giant sized dose of clarity for all who would seek Truth in our time and who would seek to trust that Truth at their deepest core.

I highly recommend this book.

The Call of The Awe
By Gene W. Marshall

A response by Joe Slicker

In these interconnected times, organized religions around the world are spewing out prescriptions of divisiveness, moralisms, hatred and violence that will destroy the world as we know it. Each has its own true God and usually a book to prove its god and its pronouncements are true. Furthermore many say they are willing to defend their prescriptions with their lives. But you may respond that you are not members of one of these religions, or that if you are, you don't agree with their prescriptions. Then why don't we hear this? Does it mean we are part of a silent minority or majority that disagrees? Are not we silent partners just as guilty of letting those prescriptions go unchallenged?

Enter a book whose time has come.

The Call of the Awe: Rediscovering Christian Profundity in an Interreligious Era by Gene W. Marshall starts from his journey into the Christian faith in this country. This continues in his many years of work in other cultures resulting in his experiential dialogue with Christianity and the world religions. This is not just an intellectual dialogue but a dialogue of one's life covering the last fifty years.
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The book is divided into two parts. The first is the journey of the author standing in the Christian religion. It is a radical journey of seriously living in the 21st Century and at the same time digging deep into the Christian faith with ones total being until the profundity of that faith flows through him. The call is for each of us to do the same thing with our lives. This is one half of the book. The subject is looked at from many perspectives and questions, which all of us have in entering such a dialogue. Some of which are God, Christ, resurrection, Holy Spirit; plus a delightful one called `Infinite Awe and Finite Religion'. These are restated so they are existential possibilities for all people. The Call of the Awe is solidly anchored in Part One.

Part two moves on. Ones dialogue is finally incomplete unless he enters the dialogue with other religions or traditions that are oriented toward finding and articulating that profundity. One almost wishes there was more on the Tao, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism plus one on Mysticism. But what he shares does the job. This is not the ordinary abstract `How we have different beliefs', but digs down to the basic profundity as articulated by these religions. For example, reading the Buddhist prayer for enemies on page 226 yields enough Awe to carry the reader through the whole section. One sees that other religions are pointing to the activity of the Mystery in surprising and profound ways. The author shares how many misunderstandings can be overcome by realizing this. Also, he presents many of the edges of this dialogue indicating places of disagreement, and those ripe for further understanding and mutual interaction. The Call of the Awe is like a global trumpet in Part Two.

The book has two parts plus a delightful another: "The return of Antiquity". Here the dialogue moves on to the `Great Goddess and Post-Patriarchal Patriarchal Religion'. It is an exciting and wonderful addition to the whole dialogue. Feminine energy is fully recognized and released to be part of the great creative activity of all of life. This is followed by a warm dialogue with `Primordial Manyness and Biblical Oneness' especially the tender one on tribal religions. One almost hears a native flute playing to the opening of the heart. The Call of the Awe is now dancing all over the place.

The book ends with `Some Non-Concluding Remarks on Interreligious Dialogue'. The last question the author raises is "Will participating in Interreligious dialogue mean that Christians will tend to lose their Christian identification?" The response is "No.....If we want to maintain our Christian identification, we must not only understand our heritage better; we must also practice a resurgent form of Christianity."
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The author is inviting us to join him on this journey with our own depth wisdom and understanding. Do we have a choice? I think not. It is not whether one agrees with him. It is not about the validity of the task. It is not about even whether making a needed change is possible. What is required is to enter the dialogue.

If your are a member of a church, attend or teach church schools, circles or bible studies, then this book is for you. If you are a seminary student, a member of the clergy or pastor this book is for you. If you have quit the church or given up on its antiquated messages and irrelevancy then this book is for you. If you are a religious person at heart then this book is for you. If you are a secular person at heart then this book is for you.

If you have longed to work with or dialogue with people who are struggling in today's world to make sense out of life, then this book is for you. If you see yourself as a global citizen, but don't know how to express it or respond to it, this book is for you. If you long to move beyond the old clichés and live in the world as it is, then this book is for you. If you long to work with people who love Being, the good earth, its people, and themselves, then this book is for you.

Perhaps you wonder how you can make a change in the world situation as an individual person, or whether you are properly equipped to undertake such a venture. If so, this book is for you. Enter the dialogue. Immerse your life in this challenge as deep as you can. Leave the results up to the Mystery. If you want to change the world you first have to change yourself.

Although grounded in Christianity, Gene Marshall rejects the idea of dual realms of natural and supernatural. He does not talk about a literal supernatural realm of being. He says: "--if God is a being in a supernatural realm, I cannot believe in God." God is a word he uses to point to an awesome infinite presence that has nothing to do with belief, but is a mystery we experience every day in this ever-present eternity, whether we are aware of it or not. Marshall shows how awe has been at the core of religions down through the centuries and gives a brief and understandable history of how religions develop. He brings meaning to ancient scriptures written centuries ago by interpreting them into our 21st century.

Having been on a journey of trying to understand my Christian upbringing and its outdated language in today's world, I found this book hard to put down and a refreshing encouragement. Gene Marshall picks up where such writers as Marcus Borg, Brian Swimme, and John Shelby Spong leave off. I expect their readers will be delighted to find this book. It is a book that will stimulate the renewal of Christianity and increase the common ground for dialogue among all religions.