Nova Books

Great novel, full of adventures and mystery. A father goes on a hidden treasure hunt and gets kidnapped. The son goes on his own adventure to find his father.

Recommend for those that like adventures and mystery.

For lovers of fantasy with a good versus evil theme, this is a "good" book but is mostly for teens. The story line is well done but simple and is an enjoyable read but not much depth.

I loved this book. It has all the elements that make a quest book great: an unsuspecting hero who has a coming-of-age awakening; a wise mentor who guides him through the adventure; a villain's villain with a dark plan; and a hopeful prophecy of a returning king. ALso--lots and lots of colorful characters and creatures who populate the land of Humus where Jeffrey's family runs an inn. The plot itself twists and turns and keeps you reading. And while there are Christian undertones--they are not preachy, but powerful. I hope someone in Hollywood picks up on this book because it would make a great movie!

In the 1990s, ordinary 'white' Canadians were shocked by a flood of revelations of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse affecting thousands of First Nations women and men who as children had attended the church-run and government-funded Indian Residential Schools. As it turns out, these abuses were only symptoms of a deeper violence: the purpose of the IRS system was to eradicate Indigenous culture in Canada, to "kill the Indian, save the child" by teaching children to abhor their birth culture and accept a stigmatized and inferior position within Canadian settler society. Knockwood was one of these children, and Out of the Depths is an ensemble of personal narratives from her own experience and those of other students whom she interviewed. The stories are sometimes homely and humorous, more often chilling or atrocious. The rough and unpolished quality of her writing is more than offset by the sincerity and emotional rawness of the stories she has to tell. I assigned this book to a class of first-year sociology students, and many of them thanked me for giving them the chance to read it and to discover a dimension of Canadian society that they had not realized even existed.

In unflinching detail, Mi'kmaw author Isabelle Knockwood describes her years of fear spent in the Indian Residential School at Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, which she entered at the tender age of five. Life in this bleak institution comes vividly before our eyes in scene after heartrending scene, from the harsh discipline of the classroom, where her language and culture were so relentlessly stripped from her soul, to the drudgery of the kitchen and laundry, where small children worked unsupervised with dangerous machinery. Presiding over all and often meting out brutal punishment were the nuns and priest assigned to act as the children's guardians.

Amid the pervasive gloom are fleeting moments of sheer delight - glimpses of little girls skating on the pond in winter, or excitedly weaving skipping ropes in spring. The happiest moments of all, however, are the author's visits from her parents every Sunday throughout the years of her stay. Without them, she could not have survived.

This is a courageous book. Woven among the personal memories and reflections are the stories of other survivors of the school - stories never told before. The stark testimonies have shattered a taboo. Like the blighted walls of the old school itself, the wall of silence protecting its secrets has at last come tumbling down.

Isabelle Knockwood has a shocking story to tell. She will take you by the hand into her past and the atrocities commited within the walls of "Shubie" Indian Residential School in a way so simple and literal that will grip your understanding until the very end. Definitely the first book to read if you have plans to understand the Mi'kmaw people of eastern Canada and their modern culture. It will take you right to the depths of collective consciousness and the indifference of an entire colony that allowed this cultural massacre to endure for over 30 years. Read it with an open mind and you will have gained access to a wealth of hidden and opressed Mi'kmaw culture, one of the roots for many Mi'kmaw social problems and identity conflicts pending. As a foreigner to the Mi'kmaw culture I must say that this book has been of invaluable help to my research. Thankyou Isabelle.

C. Milton

I found the book intresting and informative, a good wolf book for general wildlife lovers. But I also found that some of the pages, like regarding hunting and conservation, leaked some proaganda and it made the book seem rather off. Instead of going into depth about the alaskan wolf control program, or the issue of wolf conservation in canada, the author seems to lightly touch on the subjects and take off agian. I was also slightly dispointed to read that Canada is only mentioned just a tiny bit in the whole book. The title clearly says US and Canada but focuses on american science that many biologists have already gone over numerous times. serious wolf people would add it to their collection but it doesn`t cover anything new.

The wolf has long both entranced and terrified humans. It wasn't long ago that most of America harbored an intense wolf-hatred, and it was routine to kill as many of them as possible, as quickly as possible. Ranchers saw the wolf as the ultimate danger to their livestock, and offered bounties to wolf-hunters. Such policies quickly led to the depletion or eradication of entire wolf populations in many parts of the continent. Folk tales like "Peter and the Wolf" and "Little Red Riding Hood" are evidence of an even more long-standing fear and hatred of the wolf. Wolves are a predator at the top of the food pyramid, just like humans, so they can seem quite threatening, as our "niches" tend to overlap.

More recently, public opinion has seen a dramatic swing in the opposite direction. With the advent of environmentalist groups, the wolf is now seen by many as a symbol of the wild. It is often idolized and viewed as the epitome of nobility. Yet the author of this book asserts that neither this idealized depiction of the wolf, nor the previous view of wolves as bloodthirsty, ruthless killers that should be eradicated at all costs, are accurate perceptions. He states: "People used to view wolves imperfectly through filters of greed and fear; they now view them imperfectly through filters of guilt and romance" (pg. 31). For instance, wolf advocates have often said that wolves will never attack humans, but this is not entirely accurate. While such incidents are rare, "never" is not the correct word to use here.

Steve Grooms works to dispell the myths that have evolved around the wolf. He begins by describing its history, the stereotypes attached to the wolf, and the long-standing tradition of persecution. It's not a pretty picture. The book offers several very graphic examples of human brutality toward wolves (some are quite disturbing). Grooms goes on to describe the wolf itself and how it lives. He explains the pack system, a wolf's physical traits, what a wolf eats, where they live, etc. The main portion of the book is devoted to the various issues and controversies surrounding wolves today. Unlike other publications, he does not focus on any one particular breed of wolf, or any one particular issue concerning them. Rather, he goes through and describes each of the breeds on the continent - the Red Wolf, the Gray Wolf of the Great Lakes region, the wolves of the Rocky Mountains, the Mexican Wolf, and finally the large Gray Wolf of Alaska. Grooms explains the controversies surrounding wolves in each area, and the various reintroduction programs (some successful and others not) that have made attempts to reestablish the wolf where its numbers have been severely depleted or entirely wiped out. The most notable of these programs are the restoration of the Red Wolf in the southeast, the Mexican Wolf in the southwest, and Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region and in Yellowstone.

I found Grooms' presentation to be very fair and balanced. He acknowledges the concerns of all human parties, be they ranchers, hunters, or environmentalists. He does not ignore arguments on either side, and validates many on both sides, making corrections when necessary: "Because some wolf groups have deified and romanticized the wolf, today it is sometimes as necessary to correct the myths of wolf advocates as the distortions of wolf haters" (pg. 183). He obviously admires and respects wolves, but he takes a realistic look at the consequences of sustaining wolf populations in close proximity to humans. When he speaks of environmentalists, he makes two subdivisions - idealists and pragmatists. Idealists tend to see all management (the term being used to mean killing troublesome wolves) of wolf populations as bad. Pragmatists concede there are circumstances where such management may be necessary. He even shows how these two pro-wolf groups have conflicted and sometimes hurt their own cause.

As a former Alaska resident, I found Grooms' treatment on wolves in the state to be particularly pleasing. I can say with certainty that he accurately captured the essence of the issue here. Alaska is the only place in the United States where the wolf has not been considered endangered. An estimated 7,000-10,000 wild Gray Wolves make the state their home. Such large numbers have led to a concern opposite that found for wolves in the Lower 48. How can the wolf population in Alaska be effectively kept within an environmentally sustainable limit? Many more radical wolf supporters have expressed outrage at any sort of management program, and even to hunting game animals such as moose. They accuse Alaskans of having "sold out" to the income generated by leading tourists on guided hunting trips. Having lived there, I know for a fact that most Alaskans have a deep respect for the wolf and most other animals. I was very glad to see that Grooms has accurately represented this outlook: "Alaskans typically have a strong attachment to the natural world, but are less sentimental and more utilitarian in their wildlife values than citizens of the Lower 48. . . . [Alaskans] tend to see hunting as a natural, time-honored way of putting meat on the table" (pg. 164). Having grown up on wild moose-meat and fish, I can testify that this is true of most Alaskan hunters.

At the end, Grooms provides a nice summary, including an overview of well-reputed wolf advocacy groups. He gives a short description of each, as well as providing website addresses for further reference. This is particularly nice since the book, published in 1999, does not have the latest information on the various wolf programs and related disputes that are still ongoing. Furthermore, the book contains an abundance of beautiful photography. There are full-color pictures on almost every page, some of them full-page images. And finally, Grooms' writing style is simple and fluid, making the book accessible to the layman. The book holds a wealth of good information, and I recommend it most highly.

Over the last 20 years there has been growing sentiment favoring the restoration of the wolf to many places in the United States where the often feared carnivore was extirpated. Sentiment has been turned onto active restoration, and Steve Grooms is the first to write a book for the general public on the subject. There have been books about the Yellowstone wolf reintroduction and the Mexican wolf reintroduction. However, Grooms looks at them all -- the two just mentioned, but also the restoration of the red wolf and the successful conservation of the gray wolf in the upper Great Lakes.

The book has a number of fine photos of wolves. It is factual and moderate in tone.

Those is a very useful, readable overview for those interested in the comeback of the wolf

This is an excellent introduction to Kepler for people not confident in their ability to breeze through the more complex mathematical arguments of his "celestial physics." Kepler's own introduction is enough to enthrall any reader of history/philosophy of science. Anyone who has some geometry and ancient astronomy under their belts will see that he's a stunning mathematician. Even for this edition of selections, I advise having some familiarity with Euclid and Ptolemy. General familiarity (from Wikipedia, even) of Copernicus and Brahe would be very helpful to understand what he's arguing against. I suppose it would be possible to pick this up and read it without any of this other stuff, but I personally would've been lost without the undergirding of first year-and-a-half of the mathematics program at St. John's College.

After reading this I quickly put Kepler at the top of my "Must Read More" list. The editors and translator are very helpful and accommodating.

I recommend this to any mathematics/physics-lover looking for an introduction to Kepler's world.

I love using this as one of my required texts for the History and Philosophy of Science course I teach. It's great at introducing Kepler's work to first time readers and it also has primary sections from his work. What's best is that you can guide your students through these prime selections without having to lose them in mathematics. And if you are so inclined, and it's worth the try, there is some problems you can tackle and you only need a limited amount of geometry.

I also recommend it if you're just into the history of science.

"My aim in the present work is chiefly to reform astronomical theory ... so that what we compute from the tables may correspond to the celestial phenomena. ... Meanwhile, although I place this goal first and pursue it cheerfully, I also ... inquire into celestial physics and the natural causes of the motions. ... Indeed, all things are so interconnected, involved, and intertwined with one another that after trying many different approaches to the reform of astronomical calculations ... none other could succeed than the one founded upon the motions physical causes themselves, which I establish in this work." (Introduction, pp. 4-5). A decisive step towards this new physical theory is Kepler's proof in chapter 24 that the earth requires an equant, i.e. that the point with respect to which it moves uniformly is not the center of the orbital circle but rather a point close to it. The old theory, without the equant, had worked well for Ptolemy (sun instead of the earth, of course) and Copernicus, since it predicts the angular position very accurately. But Kepler shows that it fails to predict the distance between the earth and the sun. This distance at different times can be determined by observing the sun and Mars at times 687 days apart; this is the period of Mars, so we get a simple trigonometric calculation with both Mars and the sun as fixed points. Thus the earth now has an equant just as the outer planets did for Ptolemy and Copernicus. "Further, there is nothing to prevent our believing the same of Venus and Mercury. Indeed, I now have a proof that this is the origin of the belief that the centers of these planets' eccentrics move around on a small annual circle. Therefore all planets have this [eccentric circle with an equant]." (Chapter 32, p. 52). So the equant is no longer just some trick but in fact a universal principle, so we feel that it must have a deeper explanation. The key observation is that the equant (with bisected eccentricity) makes the planet's speed inversely proportional to its distance from the sun (chapter 32). This suggests that "the power that moves the planets resides in the body of the sun" (chapter 33). Kepler thinks we should pretty much have seen this coming, considering the "worthiness of eminence of the sun" and the fact that "the source of the world's life ... is the same as the source of the light which forms the adornment of the entire machine, and which is also the source of the heat by which everything grows" (pp. 57-58). Indeed, the motive power's "very close kinship with light" is confirmed by its linear deterioration with distance, since it spreads over the circumference of a circle so to speak (p. 59). Of course one might argue that since light, and perhaps also the motive power, spreads in three dimensions, i.e. over the surface of a sphere, it should obey an inverse square law, but Kepler has already made up his mind on the linear law---"And this is true, both of the steelyard or lever, and of the motion of the planets: that the weakening of power is in the ratio of the distances" (p. 56)---so we stick to two dimensions and conclude that "in all respects and in all its attributes, the motive power from the sun coincides with light ... although this light of the sun cannot be the moving power itself" (p. 59). The motive power instead appears to be of a magnetic nature. "The magnet, however, does not attract with all its parts, but has ... fibers ... extended throughout its length, so that if a little piece of iron is placed in a middle position between the heads of the magnet ... the magnet does not attract it but only directs it parallel to its own fibers. Thus it is credible that there is in the sun no force whatever attracting the planets ... but only a directing force, and consequently that it has circular fibers all set up in the same direction" (chapter 34, p. 69). But what about the equants? This makes them look artificial and silly. Kepler has the answer: equants are nothing but a pale manifestation of a deeper principle, the law of equal areas (chapter 40). Ok, so equants are out. Now what about the orbits? Actually, circular orbits will have to be abandoned altogether, as Kepler proves in the case of Mars in chapter 44, essentially by switching the roles of Mars and the earth in the argument of chapter 24 above. Donahue notes: "Interestingly, Kepler's working notes show that when he first made this comparison, he was sure there must be some error and made a note that he must give some thought to how to adjust the planetary positions to make the orbit circular. Several weeks later, when he was comparing the area law with an equant-based theory, he realised that his physical theory demanded an oval orbit. Only then did he trust the observational evidence!" (p. 85). Ok, so now orbits are ellipses ("ovals"). But what physical principles could possibly explain that? How does the planet know in which direction to turn and at what speed to go if the orbit is so elaborate? "So then, Kepler, would you give each of the planets a pair of eyes? By no means, nor is this necessary, no more than that they need feet or wings in order to move." (sic, chapter 39, p. 75). The magnet analogy suggests a solution. The sun's motive power creates a circular stream, but the planets don't quite follow this stream because they themselves are "magnetic"---this is how the earth can make the moon move---and this interferes with the stream as if the planet held a slowly turning oar in the stream: sometimes it agrees with the stream, sometimes it counteracts it. Kepler does not intend to build a quantitative theory on these grounds, but only to illustrate that the phenomena can be explained by basic physical principles: "I will be satisfied if this magnetic example demonstrates the general possibility of the proposed mechanism." (chapter 57, p. 94).

There are many books on the race to the South Pole. Thomson's book is one of the good ones. It is not a super quick read, but very manageable when compared to Roland Huntford's massive work "Scott and Amundsen." Although the title of Thomson's book includes the names of all three of the chief South Pole competing explorers, he covers Scott and his crew much more extensively than the other two (the original 1977 release of the book was entitled "Scott's Men," so Scott was the main focus of his study at one time).

Thomson admits that Scott was a childhood hero of his (pg. x). His coverage of Scott's background is at times deeply analytical, jumps around a bit and is rather flowery, even ending with a lengthy poem Scott penciled in his address book (pg. 24). His examination of Scott's marriage to a woman of means seemed overly analytical as well: "So long a history of family making-do had numbed Scott permanently, and the rift of self-doubt in his character has every debilitating trace of fallen gentry. Is there another lure in the south here? That it was a world free from the cost of living?" (huh?) (pg. 88).

Thomson's research had him abating Scott's heroic image by finding flaws in his judgment and character (i.e. not being open to the advice of others or learning from the past experiences of fellow explorers). Still, Thomson's book, although a little controversial in England when it was first published, doesn't go quite as far as Huntford's sometimes vicious account.

Due to the title of the book and the more thorough examination of Scott, it comes to reason that a reader may see the other two main players in ways they compare (usually favorably) to Scott. That is what this reader took from this book, anyway. Amundsen was the racer, Scott was the journeyer (pg. 111); Amundsen's aim was to be the first to reach the Pole, Scott's publicized goal--although privately it was probably the same as Amundsen's--was scientific research and not competition. Amundsen immersed himself in Antarctic culture and was keen to learn survival techniques from the natives. Scott often did not heed the advice or the example of others whether it be the eating of seal and penguin meat or the use of dogs (the squeamishness of working dogs was also due to British culture abhorring the practice--pg. 61).

Shackleton and Amundsen regarded their crew on equal standing while Scott continued the cast system. Shackleton was more drawn to the South than Scott (pg. 95). The former returned to the Pole even after it was discovered, Thomson questions whether Scott would have done the same (pg. 102). In 1908, when Shackleton penetrated the South further than anyone, he turned back to save his men. Scott "pressed on because it was the plan" (pg. 110).

One interesting point that keeps surfacing in the book is that, despite all his research on the subject, Thomson finds the whole race to the South Pole (as well as to the moon and other such endeavors) as "marginal," "pointless" (pp. 2-3), "a futile and fatal pursuit" (pg. 170), "purposelessness" and "senseless" (pp. 281-2). Certainly, the efforts of Scott's men to collect emperor penguin eggs at Cape Crozier was an example of "the measurable achievement [being] less than the momentous endurance," of course the team did not know the meager results of their efforts at the time (pp. 215-21). However meaningless the race to the Pole was in the scheme of life, it still makes for an intriguing story that is the subject of many nice books, including this one. For a contemporary account of Scott's failed pursuit to be the first the reach the South Pole that includes a new line of research, I highly recommend "The Coldest March" by Susan Solomon.

David Thomson's "Scott, Shackleton, and Amundsen" is sub-titled "Ambition and Tragedy in the Antarctic", which nicely captures the thrust of the book. At the heart of the narrative is the race by a handful of competing explorers ambitious for the glory of being first to the South Pole.

First off is Shackleton's 1907-1908 expedition, which walked to a remarkable 88 degrees South latitude, literally within a few days march of the Pole. Shackleton made the hard decision to turn back because he correctly realized how desperately narrow his team's margin of survival had become. From Shackleton's attempt should have come hard lessons in just how strenuous and tenuous life would be in the extreme conditions of Antarctica.

Scott and Amundsen launched expeditions in 1911-1912. Amundsen, a Norwegian with considerable experience in the Arctic, learned from previous expeditions and traveled by the proven means of skis and dog sleds. His team made a remarkably fast and ultimately uneventful run, achieving the South Pole first.

Scott's expedition experimented with primitive motor vehicles and ponies, both badly unsuited to the conditions, and ended up dragging a sledge over the ice and snow. Scott's team persisted through a variety of challenges all the way to the South Pole and the crushing discovery that they had missed being first by a month. The struggle back from the Pole ends in tragedy, as insufficient supplies and cold weather sap the team into extinction just eleven miles from a vital depot of supplies. Ironically, Scott was at the time more famous than either of his competitors, thanks to the heroic cast given his failure by his journal, which was recovered and published by a rescue team. In retrospect, as Thomson brings out, Scott must take the responsibility for the tragedy, for failing to learn from the experiences of others, and very likely for letting pride and ambition overrun common sense.

Thomson's book is well-researched and highly readable, sown with the kind of excellent biographical detail that brings to life the men who participated in the expeditions. This book is highly recommended to those interested in polar exploration.

This is a pretty good review of the short era of Antarctic exploration. It's not nearly as detailed (or long) as Huntford's tome, "The Last Place on Earth," and so comparisons between the three explorers are a little more "watered down." Even so, Thomson is a tad more sympathetic of Scott without becoming a cheerleader; in fact, Thomson basically reaches similar conclusions about Scott's failings as an expeditionary commander, but manages to point out these failings without vilifying Scott (something that Huntford has been accused of doing). "Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen" also gives more detail about the men under Scott (the original title of the book was "Scott's Men") than is found in most other books about Scott et al., and I found this refreshing. If you're looking for a good review of the Antarctic saga that can be read in a few nights, then this is the book to read.

"Tis the season for angels to come down to help those who are in need of something special. I've had a couple of guardian angels to be at the right spot at the right time to keep me from being injured. Today, however, God was sleeping and his angels busy elsewhere. I was attacked in the downstairs laundry room of the apartment building where I live. He almost strangled me to death. The fact that he didn't succeed doesn't mean that my special angel was here.The old man was apparently having a WWII flashback and he kept saying, "I'm going to kill you, Polock." He bruised my neck and throat severely but when I was able to grab his eyeglasses and throw them, he started slapping both sides of my face and then he threw me down on the floor into the wood end of the fold-up table. I was not prepared for this attack and so I did not fight back, but did manage to get away and someone else called the police for me. We all need angels at times of trouble, but in a time of great suffering and pain, we need God. True spirit of Christmas lies within your heart. Shirley came down to earth to restore a young boy's faith in God. Each of the three angels this story follows must teach a memorable lesson before the wish can be granted.

Goodness watched over Monica, a minister's daughter had found life in the movies out in L. A. too much to handle, and needed more than a little help to extract herself from the drug culture. She ends up marrying a detective, thanks to the ministrations of Goodness, her special Christmas angel. Love happens anytime; it does not need Valentine's Day or Christmas to cause miracles to happen. Goodness' mission was to find Monica a husband. Monica was devoted to Patrick but he chose someone else to marry. The hurt of having someone she had trusted and was devoted to (had loved with all of her heart) to say she was just his special friend, was a little more than she could take.

Timmy's father had died when he was only ten months old. He wrote a letter to God (not Santa Claus) begging for a father. Every boy needs a dad. Any man can be a biological father, but it takes a special man to be a dad. At Cub Scouts, many years ago, one little boy tried to let the block of wood suffice as his project, car, rocket, sailboat, etc., as he had no one to whittle or show him how to be creative. His mother didn't even try and apparently she had no one to ask for help with her son's projects. It was humiliating for him, but his mother didn't let it phase her. At Christmas, sometimes miracles happen. Because it is Christ's birthday, the angels from Heaven are merciful. And so we come to Mercy.

Leah was a nurse in the maternity ward, who had never given birth herself. She wants a child but times her responses to her husband to the propitious exact moments only, like an automaton and not a loving wife. It didn't work that way, as it is unnatural. When God decides you should have a child, it will happen without all of that manenuering. I'm surprised she'd want to go through all of that fierce pain after watching all those women suffer through the birthing process. That is not a pleasant sight and the pain is worse than any other, even a toothache. The worst pain of all does not have anything to do with having a baby -- it comes from those children you risked your life for, then they neglect you when are are old. You gave them life but they tend to forget that "you have only one mother." Leah prayed for a child of her own. God does not always answer or fulfill our prayers or wishes until it is the appropriate time for things to change. People are nicer during the Christmas season than at any other time with the "peace on earth, goodwill to all men" ringing in their ears and hearts. May this be your best so far, but the best is yet to come -- when you are in need of your own miracle. God works in mysterious, wondrous ways for those who have faith and do unto others as you would have them do to you.

This a bright cheery and uplifting story for christmas
about 3 wonderful angels, Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy.
They will make you laugh and cry. If you love angels
you have to read this series. There are 4 parts.
God Bless and enjoy.

This is my favorite Debbie Macomber book, and definitely the best of the angel trio (Season of Angels, Touched by Angels, Trouble with Angels).

The book features a trio of angels (Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy) who have to answer the prayers of three people on earth. The only problem is, the angels enjoy getting into mischief and causing Gabriel many headaches!

The book is funny and romantic. It's a wonderful Christmas romance, and does not include the promiscuous sex found in most of the romances printed today. It fits well with Christian beliefs, and doesn't offend.

I highly recommend this book, if you can find a copy! It's very hard to find as no one wants to let theirs go, and it is out of print. But, if you're lucky enough to stumble upon one, GRAB IT!

One cannot have a rounded view of the American revolution without seeing the extent to which it was also a civil war, and understanding the viewpoint of those in America who shared in the resentment of King George's policies, yet renounced violence as a remedy and saw no need to overthrow the existing rule of law. Susan Shenstone's thoroughly researched and detailed study of James Moody does precisely that. It is I believe at least as important for an American audience as for a Canadian one.

This is the first book I have read which describes the American revolutionaries unsympathetically. At one point, I thought the book must have been written during the current conflict in Iraq, but the copyright is dated 2000. I guess those who fight against authority have something in common with each other.

I did not find this book exciting to read. Perhaps the author is trying to be authoritative at the price of being dull. Altogether, I suggest it's a great book to have read, not such a great book to read.

This is a very readable scholarly book about Captain James Moody of New Jersey. A man denounced by Washington ( he regularly swiped his mail) and all but forgotten in the parts of Nova Scotia where he was essential in civil development. Being a descendent of his compatriot, Lawrence Marr, I have an axe to grind, but if you have seen the movie "The Patriot" and find yourself distressed at the actions of the Loyalists in America, you owe it to yourself to read this. Moody, being aware of the usages of war at the time, was careful to wear his uniform and carry his commission on his adventures in the Delaware Gap area. His escapes were legendary and he became the subject of children's tales to the "patriot" third that remained behind when he and compatriots fled New York at the end of the Revolution. The first chapters reveal the situation at the beginning of the Revolution and the social web of the time. It is easy to understand his actions given the treatment of his in-laws and associates by the radicals, and one might suspect an element of class warfare motivated acts against the wealthy farmer class to which Moody, the Brittains, and the Marr families belonged. The later half of the book deals with his attempts to acquire a loyalist pension and his role in establishing a community in Nova Scotia. As such, the book is a valuable addition to the "Loyalist Studies" program of Canada's scholars. Nonetheless, it is also of great value to those of us in the States. It demonstrates the complex situation at the time of the Revolution with son against father, brother against brother. As one reads about denunciations and persecutions, one learns not only that "It could happen here" but that "It has happened here."

Social styles is one of many two-quadrant systems for explaining people's personalities and interactions. The unique perspective of this system is it is concerned with how other people perceive you. On one axis you are rated if you are concerned with people, or with tasks. On the other axis you are rated if you ask, or if you tell, when you want someone else to do something. No one social style is superior to another. The key to being effective is your ability to be flexible and work with the various social styles. Thus, style versatility is the second portion of the book.

I found this model very useful in all facets of my life. Where I work the dominant personality quadrant outnumbers the others 2:1 and determines the site's personality. We have a companion division with a different dominant personality - friction between the two sites on projects is just as the social styles predicts.

In my workplace this material is taught as Leadership Styles using materials Wilson Learning also prepared. The class to me presented the material much better than this book. The book is missing something - thus, minus a star.

Another book on the topic is "Personal Styles & Effective Performance" by
David W. Merrill and Roger H. Reid. According to my instructor, it is the original source which Wilson Learning and The Trane Co. created their respective training programs.

francisco@yoursocialstyle.com
On these day of tech-changes and everything is changing up side down, never has been as necessary as it is now to nurture relationships. When Visionaries like Peter Drucker mention that knowledge society is here and we can prove that, the theme of social styles, show us the extent of working relationships, and in personal life!

Cogratulations to the people at Wilson Learning,

Francisco

The Wilson Learning version of the social styles matrix is one of the most valuable interpersonal vocabulary lessons most of us should take. Although there have been modifications and restructuring of these principles over time, the basic message remains very clear and timely: There are recognizable patterns of social interaction; they can all be successful; they can be accomodated positively and negatively; and we can reach each other and encourage each other effectively by recognizing them and training ourselves to be flexible and empowering in our relationships with others.

The book is an excellent recap for those, like myself, who were formally trained by the folks at Wilson Learning. It is also an introduction worthy of passing on to any who have not had the privilege. I have purchased and shared three copies of this volume with my co-workers in the past two months, and we are having (once again) a whale of a time discovering how we behave towards each other and how those behaviors affect our productivity and job satisfaction.

Invaluable.

I love reading true stories to my kids. This one is memorable and thought provoking. My kids wanted to know more about belugas and whales in general after reading it. Great photos of the main character, the beluga named Wilma, throughout!

A WHALE ON HER OWN is a charming story of a young beluga whale who decided to make Chedabucto Bay her home for a while. Jim Johnson, an old time sea traveller and scuba diver got to be friends with Wilma and explained alot about beluga whales and their habits while describing their adventures together. Although told in a story format, the book is quite informative with definitions of terms at the end along with book listings and websites to pursue if this book has piqued your interest. Brian Skerry has done an absolutely striking job with the photography. It really makes this more than a good story and more than a way for young people to learn about beluga whales. It makes this book an exceptional treasure for library, classroom or personal collection.

Internationally acclaimed photographer and diver Brian Skerry does an outstanding job with this fine book for children. If you have children and love the sea I highly recommend this most worthy effort. This book is filled with Mr. Skerry's excellent underwater photographs. These pictures illustrate a fine and entertaining story line that every child (and adult) will enjoy. If you love the sea and the creatures in it this pleasing work is a must have for your bookshelf.

Debra Waterhouse has researched and written a practical work which dispels numerous myths of female food cravings. She brings a practical understanding to the complex body chemistry of women while elevating America's favorite food ... chocolate ... to its place of national prominence!

DON'T JUST BUY ONE COPY! ........ BUY TWO AND MAKE A FRIEND!

Karl W. Grube, Ph.D., Editor of Games By Grube

This book takes a revolutionary approach to a woman's nutritional needs and how they affect her energy level, mood, and actual weight loss. The author encourages women to learn to follow food cravings and satisfy them within reason. Her view is that denying a food craving is denying your body what it really needs at a given time. She also details a simple exercise plan to coincide with an eating schedule that will produce optimum benefits for women. I highly recommend this book for women of all ages, whether dieting or not.

This is one of the best diet or nutrition books I have read. Its main premise, which is the focus for the first several chapters, is that you shouldn't feel guilty eating, and you should eat what you're body really craves. She says that doing this will stabilize your mood, give you more energy, and help you lose weight. Many people who have said this in the past have been called flakes and faddists. But this author is a real nutritionist who shows you why eating like this makes sense, and how to do it, as well as how to work it into a very healthy diet with lots of vegetables, how to eat many meals a day, and how and why to exersize. (This book has given more and better reasons to exersize than any other book I have read.) She tells how to eat what you want, eating five tiny meals a day, having one piece of chocolate when you feel like it, and how to focus on the first three bites of what you're eating. She devotes a great deal of space to why restricing yourself doesn't work, and how someone trying to restrict himself or herself will likely eat much more of that craved food later. Towards the end, the book felt a little disjointed, because she was talking more about what you're diet should look like, rather than how to make such a diet, or why diets don't work. Plus there aren't any footnotes, and I think footnotes are very important in a book like this, to make its claims seem more sensible. For example, the book claims that the only study that linked chocolate with pimples was one where the teenagers smeared it on their faces rather than eat it. I want to know what study that was, and to see the list of the rest of studies, otherwise no one will believe me! But other than those two shortcomings, this was a very complete, consistant, and very logical book, and I would reccomend it to anyone, men or women, who want good reasons to exersize, a good way of eating, and to feel better about eating what they want.