O Books

Joshua's Quest brings to memory books by the masters of literature I read in college literature appreciation. It has all the elements of a great novel which students of literature can evaluate and contemplate for many years. Mr. William Walker's book compares very favorably with those of the masters of literature.

Joshua's Quest is not shallow mindless entertainment. It evaluates moral and social conscience through the actions of its characters. It brings to mind biblical events and themes of the old testament. The characters and animals presented to the reader are not from this world yet they are presented in such a skillful manner that the reader can visualize them and believe they are real.

The events go from one climax to the next with building suspense. It is difficult to put the book down.

Please tell Mr. Walker he's got an excellent flair for writing. The story flowed, the story was interesting and exciting, and the story was fa scinating. Thanks Bill, Looking forward to a sequel.

I was highly impressed with William O. Walker's writing style as well as the manner in which the material was organized and presented. The book is so easy to read that it enhances the interest of the reader, and once you start reading, it becomes difficult to find a stopping place. The ideas are presented so clear and concise that your own imagination seems to blend with his. You can feel and see the action as it is taking place.

The main characteristic of the Legend is the ability of the writer to describe events so that you can see a picture of what you are reading; but when you arrive there you feel certain that the next episode is going to be even more exciting and full of wonderment. The descriptive adjectives used to descriibe the beauty of nature in this unreal environment defies the wildest imagination of the reader, it comes alive with astonishing clarity.

This world is made up of creatures so different and unusual that they bring chills to the reader's spine, but even so, the unrealistic seems to become real.

To all readers: I have recently read "Joshua's Quest" by William O. Walker. I thoroughly enjoyed this creative and interesting book. Being a fan of fantasy type books, I probably would enjoy it anyway, but I found this book to be exciting, full of creative and imaginative images. It is rare to find this level of unique creativity. Fantasy books often begin to sound like each other. "Joshua's Quest," however, is a delightful exception full of unique images on a par with MaCCaffery and Norton. Mr Walker has created a fascinating world full of unique and interesting beings and creatures which drew me along and filled my imagination. Suffice to say, I loved the book and can hardly wait for the sequel book to be published.

Along with being an avid reader and lover of books, I am also the Librarian for Sunrise Community Church. I can assure you, my patrons are equally delighted with this book. Along with myself, they appreciate it's clear and distinct picture of Christ and the Christian life.

Reading "Joshua's Quest" was for me a very intriguing experience. This legendary trilogy by Willian O. Walker successfully blends three dramatic works into a great literary adventure. This book is so paced and written that it grabs your attention and holds it chapter after chapter, without pause. In addition, it is illustrated by beautiful word pictures that will aid you to clearly visualize each event.

Starting with the opening chapter, it graphically seizes the attention of the reader by tracing the steps of the hero, Joshua MacKinty into a raging rain annd windstorm. Joshua is searching for a revered manuscript that he needs to determine the truth of his supposedly assigned "Quest". The swirling wind mysteriously guides the hero's feet into a book store where a mysterious "person" delivers into his hands the manuscript that will clarify his mission and calling.

The suspense and actions that develop following the discovery in the bookshop will captivate the reader. I highly recommend the reading of this excellent book. It will stretch the mind and will be hard to forget.

I sometimes enjoy reading to my son from my old Calvin and hobbes comic books, even though many of the strips go over his head and some of the others aren't really appropriate for a six year old. Among our favorites are the classic "Spaceman Spiff" Sunday strips, where Calvin is piloting his spaceship and fighting evil monsters, before he suddently finds himself jerked back to drab reality, often paying a price for what he did in the real world while his mind was in outer space.

For me, this book read like a series of Spiff strips. Although this superhero ("American Eagle") stays on planet earth and has a cute "Bug Lady" sidekick, the theme is the same--he repeatedly gets caught up in his imagination too much and gets a little bit carried away. Since the author is not constrained by the comic strip format he can also stretch out the artwork more, which helps keep the book enjoyable during the 1,000 or so repeated readings that your child will no doubt request (if he's anything like mine was, anyway). Lots of fun for parents and children alike.

I think we've all seen the toys-come-to-life-when-we're-not-around fantasy in roughly 70 millions different forms of media over the years. Far less common, but no less a part of children's daily lives, are stories in which kids pretend to be superheroes. They exist, but few are so carefully thought out and amusingly illustrated as George "First Book" O'Connor. Choosing to present his picture book in a graphic novel style (and earning himself a mention at the New York 2005 Book Fest as a result) "Kapow!" is a novel telling of three kids, their world of make-believe, and the consequences of major roughhousing. It's not a particularly original idea or a huge departure from already existing picture book superhero tales (like "The Adventures of Sparrowboy" or "Traction Man Is Here!"), but it's probably going to be VERY beloved of certain children in certain households.

A small boy is playing with his blocks when, with a simple removal of his jacket, he becomes the muscly chin-clefted American Eagle. Joining up with fellow superhero Bug Lady, the two ignore his mother's warning against getting too into their play and trap a dangerous panther (or housecat, depending on how you look at it) in a cage (washbasket). Then it's off to stop The Rubber Bandit from robbing the First National Bank. At this point, however, things get a little too crazy. In the midst of the heroes epic battle a bookcase plummets to the floor. Now it's up to American Eagle to do something actually heroic. Will he tell the truth to his mom, or will he succumb to the temptation to lie? Tune in to learn more this week in the exciting picture book extravaganza, "Kapow!".

Like fellow fearless cartoony illustrator Kevin O'Malley (author of "Lucky Leaf" amongst others), Mr. O'Connor is not afraid to place his story within a contemporary setting. Some author/illustrators chicken out when it comes to books of this nature and feel safer placing their story in the 1950s, or some such silliness. O'Connor, however, isn't afraid to contemporize his tale. The mom of the American Eagle kid reminded me a little of the mom in Bob Graham's, "Let's Get a Pup, Said Kate" but with less tattoos. And she's still doing laundry, so don't expect any breaks from stereotypical gender roles or anything. There are fun little details within the seemingly straightforward story though. While the book never comes on out and says it, I suspect that the poor kid wrangled into being the Rubber Bandit is probably American Eagle's little brother. Try removing the cover and comparing the picture underneath to the one printed on the cover too. Also, I was happy to find that American Eagle's duckish baseball cap never changes expression, though the mouth below it (his mouth) might.

The leaps between viewing these heroes as spandex-wrapped adults and costume-laden kids will be enough in and of themselves to garner a fan base. It's nice to note that the story is a pretty amusing one as well. Though it doesn't do anything particularly new or original, this is bound to help get Cartoon Network junkies into the whole reading thing. A useful book.

This book is a big favorite in our house. My son loves to read it and look at the pictures. He is not quite 2, and I can't keep him away from it! It's also a fun read for adults. It has it all: action, adventure, comedy, and a moral at the end (that's not overdone). It's a great comic-type book without the stuff we don't want our kids getting into too young. The illustrations are fabulous, and the transitions between make-believe and reality are excellent. I highly recommend this book to anyone with young children.

This book is great. My kids ask to read it at least once a day since we got it a couple weeks ago. It appeals to my 2-year-old, 4-year-old, and 6-year-old at different levels. The switch back and forth between imagination and reality is very well-done and the colorful illustrations are excellent. Plus, every Mom will appreciate the little moral at the end (don't worry, it's not too preachy.) One of my favorite things about this book is that it gives kids credit for being thinkers and doesn't patronize them. I hope your kids will enjoy it as much as mine have.

Comic books have outgrown the kids who are supposed to read them in recent years. Most of the time, they're simply too advanced for the age group that I was a part of when I picked up my first comic. "Kapow" does a fine job of bringing the comics genre back to the 4-7 year olds in a friendly and creative setting that will certainly appeal to these young readers. Adults who might be concerned that the book delves into the similar violent and angry sub-culture that comic books themselves sometimes enter into should rest assured that "Kapow" is more about make-believe and playtime and correcting mistakes than about anything else. It should also be noted that the book does a nice job of integrating "minority" characters like Bug Girl into the storyline without making it a book about integrating minority characters. This might seem small, but not many books do this these days. "Come On Rain" comes to mind, and I'm sure there are others, but I thought it worth noting.

Carl Panzram was a serial killer in the 1910s-20s and wrote this book while in prison. He was subject
to incredibly cruel treatment in jail until a prison guard who felt sorry for him gave him $1. I guess
Panzram was touched so he offered to write his bio for the guard, if he could smuggle him pen and
paper. He did and what results is the most penetrating study on the mind of a criminal I think that
is available. The recounting of the disgusting crimes is one part of the book but his analysis can only
be made by one who has experienced what he has. One of the most important things I remember from
this book is that he says if a child is not taught the right way by age SEVEN, he is LOST FOREVER and
cannot be rehabilitated.

KILLER has been out of print for years, yet it is one of the finest studies ever done of a serial killer. Panzram was one of the handful of such killers who possess any real intelligence, and the book includes long excerpts from the diary he wrote in prison while cheerfully awaiting execution for his murder and rape of so many young men. I had heard a rumour in Poland last week that the book had been reprinted. Is it so? No library on the subject is complete without it.

As the writer in 1997 said, a movie has been made, written and directed by Tim Metcalfe, can be rented in most video stores. Its a powerful drama and the only reason i can think of that it didn't get the attention "Monster" is getting today is that the public wasn't ready for it since the quality of the writing, directing and certainly James Woods acting should have been nominated for an Oscar.

Why this has not been made into a movie or mini-series eludes me!Anyone who reads this book will see how far our prison system has come but how far it yet needs to go. It is the true story of a life wasted. Carl Panzram was not created evil...he was a created evil by mans inhumanity to man. I believe he possessed a great intellect as one can tell from his writings but this same intellect was disgarded to fester and rot from a very early age. Imagine...this man was deprived of any real kindness until it was already too late to make a difference in his life. Unbelievable, you say? Read this book and you will believe!

An excellent read that penitrates the mind of a serial killer. What's more shocking is that it actually happened! Panzram details his life from childhood through the hardships of adulthood which made him the hardcore savage animal that he ultimately became. I loved every minute of this book! It's a shame that it's so hard to find though or I'd buy my own copy and read it every night before I go to bed. I suggest that anyone who wants something new and exciting to read should pick up this work and start reading. The public library should have it. Get moving!

Kristin Sorra's vibrant drawings bring an old English folk story to life in Aaron Shepard's engaging King O The Cats. What kind of intelligence can cats have? Young Peter Black has noticed some strange things happening among the local cats lately; but nobody will believe his wild tale. His investigation of what is affecting all the cats in town reveals a changing world brought on by a single leader.

Aunt Mary read _King o' the Cats_ to niece Robin, age 8, who really loves cats. She liked it all, especially the coronation scene. Robin is involved in Renaissance Faire activities and is attuned to the rituals of royalty. Aunt Mary liked the irony of Father Allen gaining a reputation for telling tall tales. Also, the illustrations were lovely, dark and appropriately spooky.

I read "The King O' the Cats" to a group of children ranging in age from kindergarten through 5th grade. After hearing the story, all the children thought this was a good book to read to kids, but that it might be too scary for the younger ones. They all like cat stories and liked how the cats helped prove Peter's "stories" to be true. They thought it had to be something important to get the cats to talk to people, though.
The illustrations lead to discussions on how the pictures were used to bring out the most important parts of the story, such as how the King of the cats stood out from the crowd as he was being crowned and thought it was interesting that the priest looked angry but spoke kindly to Peter.
There was the one child who prefered books with non-talking cats, though.

Our class really liked the book King O' the Cats. Kelly enjoyed the crowning of the cats, and all the cats going meow, meow. Mary enjoyed the details, which made her want to read more and more. Cheyenne liked how in the beginning Peter was making up stories, and at the end, the priest does the same things. Marissa feels that the book was "fantastic and funny." She especially liked when Tom jumped up and shouted "Then I'm the king o' the cats!" Diana enjoyed reading about Peter's shortcut. Shannon liked it when the cat hit his head! Alex B. liked the cats on the foxes chasing the dog. Brittany's favorite part was the cats in the church. Alex C. made a text-to-self connection, since he has cats, and he felt bad when his cat died. Daniel H. made a text-to-text connection-it reminded him of The Secret Shortcut. Destin also made a text-to-text connection, with The Boy Who Cried Wolf. (He also feels this book should get a medal!) Efren liked when the cats cried for the dead king cat. Morgan liked the whole book, but especially when the cats were speaking. Preston says, "I love your book, oh yes I do!" Ty liked when Tom went up the fireplace chimney, and he liked the title, too. Michelle wants Aaron Shepard to write a King O' the Cats part 2!

First the disclaimer: I am the author's wife. BUT...Wait...Before you decide to skip this review, let me add something.

I've never reviewed any of his other books.

So why this one?

King o' the Cats is a very special book. It's a slightly spooky story with twists and surprises in both the plot and the characters. It dramatizes truth and imagination, creativity and conformity.

But mostly, it's a delight. A special book, a special gift--for children, grownups, cat lovers, and anyone at all who enjoys a good story.

By the way, Aaron has a reader's theater script of this book available online at www.aaronshep.com/rt/RTE36.html

This is the excellent book on Landscape Ecology. Instead of being an edited collection of research articles, this volume's chapters follow logically and treat the material comphrensively, while giving references at every turn to researchers books or articles. Monica, whose research publications are extensive, writes this introductory book well.

The images in this book are, however, in black and white. There is an accompanying CD of color plates, but they are no bigger then those in the text and are fairly useless. I was hoping she would have some data for her book's examples and perhaps even a whole project we might use in one of the current software tools.

Still this can't take away from the fact that this is the book I've been searching for. But a very "first" primer in this subject is a chapter written by Monica - "What is Landscape Ecology" for an 1998 Oxford "Ecology" text. You can download this for free. See item 76 of the publications page on Monica website ([...]).

One of the most comprehensive landscape ecology materials existing on the market nowadays. Ideal for landscape ecology beginners or for for anybody who wonders what fragmentation, ecological processes and patterns are.

This is an excellent book that intrigues the informed while explaining complex information in such a way that novice readers can follow along.

If the credentials of the authors didn't convince of the quality of this book, I'm not sure I can. I will say that I have read and re-read the book several times, and that it's a vital resource in our laboratory. From the various issues of scaling to what analyses do what, this book is an excellent resource of theories and technologies involved in Landscape Ecology.

I use this book as the recommended text for both undergraduate and graduate courses in landscape ecology. It has a useful synthesis of recent trends in the field and particularly good chapters on scale, landscape metrics and disturbance. The accompanying CD has jpeg versions of most of the figures, which is handy for preparing lectures, although the quality of some of the digital images from CD (especially graphs and line charts) isn't so great. The literature review is thorough without being overwhelming, so it's a good entry point into the professional literature in most areas of landscape ecology. My main criticism is that the writing style is somewhat dense; I didn't find it easy to read from cover to cover. People looking for a cursory introduction to the field may do better to start with an alternative text. As a teaching and reference text for landscape ecology, however, I think this book is the best available.

Good translation and the subject material in this book creates a deep emotional connection to parashah commentary. Highly recommended. Also the introduction to the book is well written and presents an interesting introduction to the Sfat Emet.

Arthur Green has done the Torah- learning public in English a great service with this translation and commentary. He elucidates the work of an important Jewish Hasidic thinker, one whose Torah is very much a teaching of the love of Torah. For the Sefat Emet the Torah is the unlimited wisdom of G-d that we can only imperfectly grasp. We human beings are half of our real selves, and the other half which is with G-d comes down to us on Shabbos, but also comes to make us whole whenever we learn Torah.
I hope this Shavuot to look into this particular Sefer more. It was also a favorite of my own Rebbe, the ' Holy Teacher' David Hertzberg who often taught it along with other favorites like the Kedushat Levi, the Moharran, the Degel Ephraim, Ishbitz, and others.

This is just to say that I enjoyed reading the above erudite review by mneueruncle.

Sfat Emet is an incredibly succinct and somewhat enigmatic work. There are portions that are so cryptic that one must read them several times in order to absorb their full meaning. Accordingly, Prof. Green's elucidation can be quite helpful. Furthermore, while Prof. Green taps into the universalism inherent in Sfat Emet, he is generally moderate in his interpretation of the Rebbe's work. As a result, he very rarely offends the sensibilities of the more traditional reader (i.e., one that might refer to "the Sfas Emes"). Finally, the historical information is good reading.

First published at the end of the 19th century, this is a work of startlingly radical theology. Green summarizes one short comment:

"There is an openness in this teaching to an authentic universalism that is rare in Jewish sources. All the tongues of humanity praise G*d, each in their own distinctive way but as part of the universal chorus. The Moses who "created openings, gates of Torah" in all the places and tongues of the world is not like the religiously imperialistic missionary who translates his own Bible into all the languages and thus rejoices at the spread of G*d's word. Here the "openings" have to come from within those languages and the cultures that are an inseparable part of them. If we understand that there is really but one G*d and listen to the prophet who says: "Everywhere incense and sacrifice are offered to My name" (Mal. 1:11), we will begin to understand our task as participants in and listeners to the truly universal human chorus."

The Gerer rebbe points out the real Torah was the innermost utterance of Hashem which created the universe. Everything in the universe is manifestation of Hashem. Even the Hebrew Torah itself is a "clothing" on top of the original Torah - a kind of translation, if you will.

One can only marvel at the succinct style and unique vision of this great spiritual master. While studying the Sefat Emet, I am struck by the spiritual poverty of this generations Torah leaders.

On January 28, 1999 I wrote the review of Laura Charlotte, and more than a year later it is still a favorite bedtime story of my, now almost 7 year old, daughter. It is one that my husband and I never tire of reading to her, and as any parent of a small child knows, THAT is a great recommendation in itself!

My daughters and I love this story, it is so full of love! It is getting more and more rare to find good childrens books that mix words, cadence & quality illustration. This is one that ranks up there with the best. It is simple and innocent, and the illustrations add to the drama of the story wonderfully.
I highly recommend this - it is one that you will enjoy reading again and again!

I bought this book for my daughter because her name is Charlotte and at the time, her best friend was Laura. How often is it that you find a beautiful story whose heroine is a red-headed, brown-eyed little girl named Charlotte! (just like mine!) This book is sweet, it makes you feel all warm and cozy inside, as it talks about the importance of a multi-generational family and the important family heirloom that stems from a birthday gift, a gift that was made with love from a Grandma to her granddaughter.

Laura Charlotte is an amazing children's story about the love of a family throughout generations. Laura's mother tells her about her favorite childhood memory and the history of her stuffed elephant, Charlotte. This book has been a favorite in my family and gives a sense of love to the reader.

Amber Campsen Clemson University Student

In Laura Charlotte, Laura is having trouble going to sleep and asks her mother to tell her the story of Laura Charlotte. Even though she has heard it a million times, she enjoys learning where her name comes from. To her surprise, this same elephant was her mother's and had received the name "Charlotte" because of the beauty of the name. This stuffed elephant, Charlotte, grows to be Laura's security object, which can sometimes, states Maria Nikolajeva, have a deeper context and meaning. Many of the words and illustrations also affect the way that the reader sees the main character as an innocent child who grows to need the elephant. She is a child who needs the elephant to help calm her fears and to be a friend, rather than a child who used the elephant as a play toy. Floyd Cooper, the illustrator of Laura Charlotte, makes it easy to understand the drawings in the story. Cooper draws with pastels and soft colors to represent pictures of children innocently. When seeing these illustrations, readers can understand the story from a child's standpoint. Cooper also places many of the shadows and dark colors away from Laura so that the reader can focus on her feelings. One point in the story, Laura loses Charlotte, and the reader can see the darkness outside the window. Laura looks out into the trees and says that she wants to find Charlotte because she knows that Charlotte is afraid. Laura tells this story in first person point of view, which makes a more personable story, than if the narrator had told it. Notably, the dialogue is written in small black print. This font does detract from the illustrations but still sustains the importance of the plot, due to its size. Maria Nikolajeva's 1998 article, "Exit Children's Literature?" states that the presence of one object can easily be seen as the representation of something else. "If we regard these figures as metaphorical representations of the weak and the oppressed or as the child's projections of his or her own desires, we should not be misled by the outer form" (222). According to Nikolajeva, children often use inanimate objects to help cover fears and hidden secrets. Like many children, Laura uses a stuffed animal as a security object. Laura uses Charlotte as an excuse for herself, when she speaks of the elephant as being afraid of the dark. She makes sure that she has the elephant with her at all times. Just as Nikolajeva says, Laura may be afraid of the night, and attributing the fear to Charlotte helps Laura over come her fear, since they are there for each other. The reader can see that Laura is using the elephant as an excuse. Seeing the attachment that Laura feels, through the text and illustrations, toward Charlotte, the reader can see how much she understands the importance of the elephant. Laura's grandmother wanted to name the elephant Charlotte because of the beauty of the name. It meant a lot when Laura knew she had been named "Laura Charlotte" because her grandmother had said it was the most beautiful name she had ever heard. Looking from the perspective of the reader makes it easier to understand this remarkable children's story in its entirety, coming from Laura Charlotte's standpoint as a child. Bibliography Gailbraith, Kathryn. Laura Charlotte. New York: Penguin Putnam Books, 1990. Nikolajeva, Maria. "Exit Children's Literature?". The Lion and the Unicorn 22.2(1998): 221-236.

Great book, easy read and offers something of value for everyone. The book speaks to people who are both familiar with some of the teachings behind the "BLM" as well as those just looking for a way to jumpstart their lives with new meaning. This book is inspiring. So often we get bogged down with day to day life we forget about living our lives with purpose. This book has gotten me back on the court in the game of life.

Simply do the leg work asked of you by Dr. Barrett, plot a course and step into your new life. Dr. Barrett is not giving you the blue print to his or anyone else's life. He is giving you the tools and skills needed to create the blue print for your life. Just remember you are creating it, so you can change it.

In this book, Dr. Barrett acknowledges that many people want a better life but do not know how to reach their goals/ultimate goal or life's vision. In many ways, I find wanting a better life to be a call to do and be better. The question I have always asked is: How? I often dream about a happier, healthier, fruitful, and more fulfilled life and I know many, if not most, of us have. According to Dr. Barrett, these desires when balanced are normal, natural, achievable, and within reach. However, he contends that the major barriers to reaching our goals include failing to create a solid plan that we wholeheartedly pursue (That was me in a nutshell!). What I like about this book is that Dr. Barrett's approach is realistic, doable, and a wonderful resource for people who are willing to create and be responsible for their own happiness. He illustrates that success is not by chance; it is intentional. In past years, I was unaware of how the sum of my small decisions created my lifestyle. I am now very aware. Therefore, I am more active and take a proactive approach in taking valuable steps toward designing my life and living my life's vision. I have devised and implemented a plan that helps me reorganize (or should I say organize) my life in many ways including: saving and investing more money, spending less money, pursuing my dream career, spending more time with my family and friends, and ultimately living my life by my design. Living and not just existing! Essentially, I have put first things first --- what matters most.

For many of us, change can seem real daunting but Dr. Barrett offers "Real" help. Oftentimes our emotions cloud our abilities to think clearly and help ourselves. These are two of the reasons why I recommend giving this book a try.

Pros: Dr. Barrett is honest in asking that the reader be active in creating and sustaining their own happiness. This request is realistic. It is impossible to build and sustain a happy and healthy life on wishful thinking alone. (If we could, I would have been a world renowned whimsy/fantasy architect)

Recommendation to readers: Take your time with this book. Do not rush. Learning and understanding the model is important. How can you apply what you never learned or understood? Reading to understand will help you absorb more and have less difficulty applying the techniques.

Cons/Suggestion to Author: This book does not have a simplified companion guide/activity workbook supplement. Dr. Barrett should create one that is easy, convenient, feasible, and pleasurable to use.

The most fundamental question that you need to ask yourself as you purchase this book is; are you ready for positive change in your life? For those of you who are having internal struggles as to how to attain lifelong happiness or to pose the easy although at the same time difficult questions Dr. Barrett ask of his readers, what does happiness means to you and what are you willing to do to achieve this happiness? Are you ready to venture on this magical yet attainable journey? It's a lifelong process. The author is quite frank and honest in his assessment in preparing his readers with the internal and external factors that the readers will come into contact with as they go on this journey and he does give valuable insight as to what is needed to be successful. The Barrett Leadership Model (BLM) is an eleven-step progression that does not have to be used in sequential order. You can take it in all at once or take it in tentative steps. (This works for me, I'm a coward, for now!). There are exercises that gently guide the readers to find clarity in their lives. You know this is an excellent book and an easy read. I give it five stars easily; however, the challenge is not in understanding the book, the challenge is you the reader. You have to ask yourself if you have it in you to make the essential changes in your life to get you to where you want to be; Dr. Barrett calls it sustainable happiness. This might sound like an easy task, however, we are creatures of habit and I can tell you from experience that this is something that you have to want for yourself. If or when you get to that point in your life when you say, "Enough is enough, I'm ready to lead my life and not leave it to others." Please purchase this book it will be your lifesaver.

"Leading from the Inside-Out" is an excellent book for developing Leadership skills in life, work, or education. It is a fast and easy development model that will put you to focus on yourself and then build outward towards achieving your goals. It is also a great companion to have while traveling. I read this book then , read it again. It is a well structured, organized, and a thorough leadership guide. I have a pocket dictionary, thesaurus and now I'll add the Barrett Leadership Model "Leading from the Inside - out." I really enjoyed this book.

I am always in search of an informative book and this was referred to me by a coworker. I borrowed the book to read and it was a very easy to read book it took me less than half a day to read. I was content with the way my life was going until I picked this book up. Now upon finishing it I have purchased my own copy and already read it a second time. I have started to do the exercises in the book and made changes in my life. I am in the process of pursuing a passion of mine because of the book. I think this book will definitely help a lot of people put life into perspective.

As avid golfers, my husband and I looked forward to reading this book -- and what a treat it was. We've never met Cotton and never been to Bethlemen PA, and certainly never to the hallowed halls of Saucon. But there is really something in the soul of the man, Ross "Cotton" Young, that is both inspiring and intriguing.

We could hardly put the book down and loved every touching, hilarious and uncommon moment that the author so skillfully lays at the readers feet. Not a "famous" man, not a man of means, but truly a man of high spirit, principles, devotion to the game and a gentleman, in the best sense of the word.

If you enjoy stories of bygone eras, and people from a time of ethics, values and true American spirit, you will find it all in Lifelong Looper. This would also be a great gift for any golfer on your list.

We highly recommend it.

Life Long Looper: The Story Of A Caddie Legend by Cindy O'Krepki is the intriguing tale of one man's seventy-seven year career as a golf caddie at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem Pennsylvania. Readers will be enthralled with the caddie's stories of comedy, drama, and intimate relationships between golfer and caddie as O'Krepki superbly details the history of the long lived caddie. Life Long Looper is very highly recommended to non-specialist general readers who appreciate biographies of interesting people leading interesting lives (and most particularly those readers with an interest in golfing) for its involved and personal telling of every given aspect of an inspirational life.

Although I've never golfed, I thoroughly enjoyed "playing it" through the eyes of a legend. I personally know this man and the author and can attest to their character and the amazing life story that is told. What a heart-warming look into the extraordinary life of a very humble man!

At 28 and being the old soul that I am... It's hard to find the depth of character found in this book in my generation -- I thoroughly enjoyed being taken back to such a simple time, through such a legendary game and visiting the life of such a heroic man. I don't know much about golf, but this book allowed me to see it through Cotton's eyes, a 'behind the scenes' look at what it takes to play, live and breath this game. I would recommend this book to anyone from a Pro Golfer to the soul who loves being touched by the integrity of heart and passion Cotton possessed.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the journey that Cotton Young undertook in his many years as a caddie. I also really enjoyed the writing style of the author and how she wove the history of the times within Cotton's story. And, of course, it was a real pleasure to experience a part of golf that I will never personally see; the world of exclusive clubs, professional tournements and famous personalities. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in golf lifestyles, golf history or the courageuous story of a working-class hero.

Collaboratively edited by Richard Goode (McMahon Professor of English and Chair of Queens College English department) and Robert Whalen (Carolyn G. and Sam H. McMahon, Jr., Professor of History and Chair of Queens College's history department), Like Shooting Rapids In The Dark is an informed and informative collection of writings on education by Billy O. Wireman, the recently retired president of the Queens College. Wireman's wisdom on the role of liberal arts education today and in the future, guarding against overspecialization as a form of "illiteracy" with regard to everything except one narrow niche, how people have readied themselves for a productive career throughout history up to the modern day, and more. Like Shooting Rapids In The Dark is highly recommended for its unique insights into the role colleges have to play in shaping a new generation of minds in the years to come.

Let me state first that I have known Dr Wireman for over a decade and consider him a friend. But after reading this book, I have new appreciation for his talents, quiet leadership, management style, perserverance and in particular, his prescience in recognizing the consequences of globalization before many others both in and out of education.

The excellent selections of his speeches and writings in this well-edited compact volume led me to think of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's former prime minister. Lee was a leader who started out as a socialist lawyer but pragmatically transformed himself into a firebrand politician and then into a visionary statesman who led his small, resource-poor country to become the most "globalized" market economy in Southeast Asia. Often the question is asked -- a tribute to Lee's intellect and leadership: What if he had been in charge of a big nation like China?

Dr Wireman started out as a physical education teacher and coach and turned himself into an innovative administrator and then a visionary educator who led a small, resource-poor institution into one of the most "globalized" liberal arts universities in the US. Queens may not be as famous as the Ivy League colleges, but it is a unique institution that has prospered in large measure because Wireman, his colleagues and his coalitions of volunteers all recognized the need to "think global, act local" -- to plug into the world, while serving the needs of their constituents in Charlotte and the southern US.

I hasten to add that unlike Lee, Dr Wireman did not achieve his goals through authoritarian rule. As one can plainly see in his writings and speeches, he is a committed democrat and liberal thinker. Readers will enjoy these gems of "disarmed truth." Wireman's views on the student protests of the 1960s are particularly insightful. There is humor, too. Take a look at his advice for fellow college presidents. He offers inspiration to fundraisers everywhere and especially to educators in developing and developed countries who may be struggling in little known, cash-strapped institutions but who are doggedly determined to provide the best possible education to their students.

What could Dr Wireman have accomplished if he had been running a larger, better known institution? It is a moot question that, as with Singapore's Lee, is silly to ask. The point is that Wireman, like Lee, made his mark by steering a small, but nimble player to become world-class. That was his mission -- and that is his enduring legacy.

This is a very unique book. Through it we have a vivid view of a man who, at one time was the youngest college president in the country, develop from a "jock", physical education instructor, to an internationally acclaimed leader in liberal arts education.
With his breadth of experience Billy O. Wireman, former president of Florida Presbyterian College (now Eckerd College) and Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina presents excerpts from writings and speeches given over 38 years.

He has the special ability to present his insights, visions, and hopes in a manner easily read and comprehended by the parents and their young person planning to enter college and, yet, thought provoking to a seasoned professional in the academic arena.

With uncanny accuracy, beginning back in the 60's, Dr Wireman scolds, cautions, and pleads with leaders in higher education to open college education to all ages, to move into multicultural arenas, to become interdisciplinary, to hold faith and reason in balance, to search for connections and to embrace our knowledge on a global level.

I consider this writing a benchmark in where liberal arts came from, where it is now , and where it needs to go in the academic field, the world marketplace and in the hearts and souls of the people.

"Shooting Rapids" is a well organized, insightful and entertaining collection of writings by one of America's finest educators. Dr. Wireman has done an excellent job of chronicling the recent history of higher education based on his firsthand experience. Dr. Wireman covers it all - from the student lead war protests of the 1960's to defining, in the new millennium, the age old question, "What is a university for?"

In my opinion, one of the most valuable pieces of knowledge Dr. Wireman leaves with the reader is on page 56, "The president's relationship is not one of employer-employee but rather colleague to colleague." As someone who has had the privilege of being a recipient of Dr. Wireman's tutelage, both as a student and colleague, the insights and lessons he shares are valuable to anyone striving for a productive career and noble life.

"Shooting Rapids" is a well organized, insightful and entertaining collection of writings by one of America's finest educators. Dr. Wireman has done an excellent job of chronicling the recent history of higher education based on his firsthand experience. Dr. Wireman covers it all - from the student lead war protests of the 1960's to defining, in the new millennium, the age old question, "What is a university for?"

In my opinion, one of the most valuable pieces of knowledge Dr. Wireman leaves with the reader is on page 56, "The president's relationship is not one of employer-employee but rather colleague to colleague." As someone who has had the privilege of being a recipient of Dr. Wireman's tutelage, both as a student and colleague, the insights and lessons he shares are valuable to anyone striving for a productive career and noble life.