O Books

So much research went into this book, it felt like I was right there with the characters.Kathleen deserves all the awards possible for such hard work I loved the book, I was sorry to see it end.I can't wait to see what she does next, she is a genius!

Excellent research by the author. It is much better than sitting in History class. I find it interesting the beliefs of the Indians and Jesuits. Also enjoyed the romance going on between a Priest and an Indian and there beliefs involving such relationship.

Is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Deuteronomy 24:17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's raiment to pledge.

What I remember from this book was the contrast between two jesuit priests sent into the wilds of Quebec to live among the tame Huron Indian tribe. One priest truly understood the love of God, the other, more legalistic and harsh, a rules rules kind of person, carrying his cross, rosary, bible wherever he went. The vector of the epidemic which rages amongst the Huron peoples following the jesuits arrival comes from one of the implements of their faith.

Kathleen O'Neal Gear and her husband Michael are both archeologists who have worked in the past for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Years ago, I read their series of books on American Indian tribes of North America which starts with The People of the Wolf, the account of the indians migration across the Bering Strait. Totally loved those books, learned so much about the different tribes' lifestyle and culture. Some common misconceptions of these people disproved by the evidence found hidden underneath the dirt covering their remains.

I avoided this book because it involved missionaries, well I was mistaken. This is a excellent addition to Ms Gears work. I couldn't put it down, literally. I took the day and just read. Fabulous.

So much research went into this book, it felt like I was right there with the characters.Kathleen deserves all the awards possible for such hard work I loved the book, I was sorry to see it end.I can't wait to see what she does next, she is a genius!

3 O'Clock @ Hyde Park is one of the best novels I have read in a very long time. It is a book that grabs you, and then you are so engrossed you want to read it in one sitting. I was especially trilled that the book was a very clean romance. It was so refreshing to read a great love story without the extra information that so many authors seem to feel compelled to include. I will recommend it to all my friends and family.

It has been a long time since I have come across a clean, modern day, love story! This story will intrigue you. Barbara Theesfeld has skillfully woven these characters together and made them leap off of the page! This book will affirm you in your "real" beauty. I can't wait to get my hands on her next book!

It is not everyday that you can pick up a book and be engrossed from the first turn of the page!

I love that this novel, while being a modern day love story, is written so that regardless of a woman's age, 13yrs to 80yrs, it can be read, shared, and talked about! I also enjoyed that although it is a love story, the real focus of the book is based on inner beauty and life recovery.

I am looking foward to reading more works by Barbara Theesfield!

Barbara Theesfeld weaves together a womans greatest fear, worst nightmare and her deepest desire, all in one heartwarming novel. Once I started reading, I was mesmerized. It is so tastefully written, I'll be sharing it with the teenage girls in my life because it teaches that real beauty comes from within.

I now count Ms. Theesfeld among my favorite authors. I am anxiously awaiting her next novel!

This book is one of those "I just can't put it down" types. Once I picked it up, I just had to finish it. The characters are very believeable and true-to-life in so many ways. I was even able to share this book with my 13 year old daughter who also couldn't put it down. She even brought it with her to the restaurant for dinner one night! Thank-you to Barbara Theesfeld for a wonderful book! I look forward to seeing more!

This easy-to-read book provides a unique perspective on guerilla battle tactics and how the outlaw rebels of Missouri saw the Civil War conflict. As a former Kansan, it gave me an insight into the slaughter at Lawrence that I was unaware of. Other than John Brown, this subject was rarely discussed in the Kansas history classes I took! And, the viewpoint certainly would have been taboo. The story filled a void in my educational background. Should be required reading for high school students in the Plains States. No wonder the sports rivalry between KU and MU is so bitter! Ironically, published by the University of Oklahoma Press (1992), 232 pp.

I Highly recommend McCorkles first-hand account. It is not often that we can resolve much of the differing views of history with first-hand accounts by those that were there during most of the events. I would have given this book a five had it not been for the very "out-of-place" commentary at the front of the book by someone named Hattaway (of West Point New York). I taped the aprox 25 pages together with an adivosry to skip this section as it only appeared to be added to censor McCorkles account and done in very poor taste. Why would someone want to take the time to distort someone's personal account of history. The Introduction by Barton is done very well however. Why would the publisher think that a commentary should be added when the work already had an introduction? I think the Commentary might have been added after the book was submitted just to try to promulgate a pre-conceived notion of history. Skip the commentary and its a great short work.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Any interested individual or serious student of this era must read this book. I am fortunate enough to live in the present day setting where the author's story took place. This is the real thing. I only wish there had been more works of this quality produced and saved. We would have a much better insight to those times.

Although I don't like giving a 5 star rating to any book this book deserves 6! This is the real stuff, pre WWII, pre WWI, PRE-TV! It was written at a time before historic brainwashing by movies and television existed. Before people were self conscious about telling the truth. We can see the actual format of the "Civil" War sentiments. He reveals the concepts of dying, of The North, Slavery, and other aspects of the era that we are usually forced to accept from modern day writings, reflecting only current, politically correct viewpoints. The down to earth flow of this book is very enjoyable and is great reading for anyone with interest in this subject matter.

Quantrill is often maligned as a psychopathic killer and a despotic guerilla. John McCorkle not only refutes this common claim by the writers of the winner's history, but shows that Quantrill was a compassionate and honorable man. He shows a side to the War of Northern Aggression that is rarely told.

The introductions decry the author's side of the story, but they provide no evidence that is substantiated. The factual errors that McCorkle relates can easily be relegated to the fact that he was in his 80's when he told his story to O.S. Barton and the ravages of time on the memory are well noted throughout history.

This book is a rare glimpse into what made the Missouri Bushwhacker, or Partisan Ranger as they were properly known, what they were. What they did, how they fought, for what and whom they fought: it's all in here and with a lively color that brings to life the way life was in those most trying of times.

I was anticipating the publishing of this book as I have been familiar with Stein's work as the Dodgers' official team photographer. What you get in this book is a nice blend of posed shots along with never-before published shots of various game stills along with behind the scenes snaps. In addition, Crosby and D'Agostino enlist the help of the still living Brooklyn Dodgers (including Vin Sculley) to tell the reader what is really happening in the photo or why the photo was taken.

This is clearly not a rehash of old Dodgers lore or the same, well-published photographs...but an intimate family album of the Brooklyn Dodgers from '37-'57.

Forests have been felled with books written about the much beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. Roger Kahn, Carl Erskine, Red Barber, and numerous others have relished telling us what life was like with Brooklyn baseball, especially from the years 1947 through 1957. In addition, numerous authors have written about Jackie Robinson. However, author Dennis D'Agostino and Bonnie Crosby, daughter of Barney Stein, who was the official photographer of the Brooklyn Dodgers have put together several of Barney's photographs of his years in covering the Dodgers from 1937 through their last season of 1957 in Brooklyn. These are photos not seen before in other books, and numerous details are provided that the reader may otherwise overlook in the picture. I'm fortunate to have the book entitled "The Rhubarb Patch" published in 1954 with Barney Stein's photos and text by Red Barber, and this new effort is a treasure trove of photos from this historical era. One photo that has been often seen is of Jackie Robinson stealing home in the 1955 World Series on pages 90 and 91. The view we are given shows the entire dugout and many of the fans in the stands, several dressed in neckties and fedoras. The on-deck batter for the Dodgers, Frank Kellert, appears to have the best view of whether Robinson was safe or out. When asked for his opinion on the play Kellert drew the rath of Robinson by answering, "I thought he was out." Not mentioned in the caption, but seated in the front row of the stands is "The Big O", Dodgers' owner Walter O'Malley, nattily attired in suit and tie. I'm thankful I can remember the Dodgers of the 1950's, but whether you are old enough to do so or not, if you enjoy baseball history, I would highly recommend, yes, one more book on the Brooklyn Dodgers.

I thought I had seen just about every shot of the "Boys of Summer" but boy was I wrong. The book had some fabulous and nostalgic photos of my childhood heroes. Well written and enjoyable reading added to the wonderful photos. A must for every Brooklyn Dodger fan

Having only been told of the folklore of the Brooklyn Dodgers from my father, it was a real treat to see new photos of a golden age of baseball. This book captures the essense of baseball in Brooklyn and the love affair of the fans and the players. My Dad's favorite player was Don Newcombe, and there he was putting on his uniform at Ebbet's Field with a huge smile. This book gave me a connection to Brooklyn I only heard from the stories of my father. After reading and viewing these photos I felt like I was part of Happy Feltons Knothole Gang....What a treat and I believe for Brooklyn Dodgers fans a Treasure!

Thank heaven for Barney Stein, the five foot tall giant of a man whose personal rallying cry of "Uno mas! One more!" allowed for the creation of THROUGH A BLUE LENS, a "family album" of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Barney was the team's official photographer from 1937 to 1957. Indefatigable in composing the best shots (he is said to have climbed the old dirigible mooring mast on the Empire State Building for a panoramic shot, and climbed the north tower of the then-under-construction Triborough Bridge for much the same reason), each of Barney's photographs tells a complete story.

Posed shots are here as well as in the old Dodger Yearbooks that Barney contributed so richly to. Action shots of crucial and not-so-crucial moments on the field pepper this book. What sets THROUGH A BLUE LENS so far apart are the informal and candid shots of the team going about the everyday business of Dodger baseball. Barney's quick eye captured the fun and the excitement and the team's Love of The Game, and captured the unique personalities of each individual Dodger. He also captured Ebbets Field at its best and in its sad death throes, the true end of an era in Brooklyn.

Did I say thank heaven for Barney Stein? Well then, thank heaven for his daughter, Bonnie Crosby, who has managed to preserve so many of her father's never-before-seen creations. Doubtless many of Barney's photographs are gone forever, and THROUGH A BLUE LENS is too short at 162 pages, but this wonderful coffee table edition is a must have for the dedicated Brooklyn Dodger fan.

This is a fantastic little book that is a joy to read and to share with the young and young at heart. The familiar story is well-told, but what really brings the tale to life is the exquisite illustration. Nearly every page offers a warm, colorful, and appropriate visual for the action, and the visuals are definitely very Irish in feel. The pictured food looks good enough to eat! LOL :) You can almost hear the wee people singing and dancing.

Young children will enjoy the story because the characters are well-defined, and they appear approachable--not scary, unpleasant, or weird. They are cheerful with their gentle, rosy, expressive faces. Even the naughty McGoons as they gleefully appropriate Tim O'Toole's magical prizes!

This is a beautiful book well worth the purchase.

Tim O'Toole is not exactly an admirable man. He's a lazy man. He's a man who sits around "bemoaning" his fate as he watches his children and wife grow thin from the hunger on them. Even the mice in the house are starving and the cat hasn't energy enough to chase them. It isn't until his wife, Kate, demands that he go off and earn some money that he rouses himself to knock on doors looking for work. So, it's not though any effort of his that his fortune is made, but rather through a chance meeting with a group of "wee folk," or fairies, while he is busily engaged in resting.
From them he demands treasure, and they give it in the form of a goose that lays golden eggs, but so feckless a man is Tim O'Toole that he allows a neighbor couple to cheat him out of it. The little people then give him a tablecloth that is always filled with food, but fool that he is, he is cheated out of that as well. The little people even help him get back at the folks who cheated him.
Was ever a man less deserving of reward than Tim O'Toole? Not likely. Yet, lazy and useless as he is, he ends up a well-to-do man of means and is the envy of all his neighbors, all on account of his luck.
It is a charming story and wittily told, and, because of the unlikely hero of the tale, about as Irish a storyline as one can get.
A large part of the charm of the story is the wonderful pencil drawings, rich in texture and color, and evocative in their composition. Each character is distinct and fully realized. It is in the drawings that one gets the sense that, although a worthless fellow, Tim O'Toole is warm and lovable for all that.
Highly recommended for ages 3-8.

This was a gift to a young child who has enjoyed having it read to him and will undoubtedly read it himself when he learns to read!

With so many long-time traditional holidays being pushed to the wayside to be replaced by those more currently popular and politically correct, we are always looking for ways to celebrate and anchor traditions with our grandchildren. To help our pre-school grandbabies get a little more anchored with their Irish heritage, we thought they were old enough this year to be introduced to the connections of this special cultural holiday. "Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk" was just the answer. Woven within the adventure of this tale of the very Irish Tim O'Toole are subtle but effective lessons about the benefits the moral values we hold dear, the outcome of choices made, and no small amount of fun, courtesy of the fanciful Wee Folk. To include in the package with this book and a strip of four-leaf clover stickers and green T-shirts, we also purchased from Amazon the "RiverDance" CD. We hear our grandkids were delighted with the whimsy of our gift and asked for the story of Tim O'Toole to be read twice before bed on March 17. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Tim O' Toole is a fantasy tale about a poor man who goes to find work in the town. When Tim takes a rest he discovers a festive group of wee folk. Tim being a wise fellow indeed he threatens the weefolk
to hand over thier treasure and they'll be safe . The weefolk disagree and they give Tim a goose that lays golden eggs. The weefolk warn Tim not to tell a soul. When Tim goes and tells his neighbors , the Magoons.Knowing the great tresures of cherish they steal the goose. When Tim comes crying to the lepracauns they give him a magical tablecloth.Once again the samething happens. Will Tim get his cherished itams back, buy the book to see. The main cahracters are Tim, his wife Kate,the Magoons, and the weefolk. The lesson is becareful who you trust.

very informative. covers many areas. I will use and reuse this book for many years .

Coaches and anyone who works with children should check out this book. It will dispel all those myths you may have heard about training children in sports.

I am from Greece and it was quite easy for me to understand it and apply the meaning of this book to my athletes. Thank you Mr. Bompa.

It helped me a lot to understand the essentials of training my young kid, and designing an effective training strategy for his age.

It's hard to write a review without it sounding like an advertisement...This book dispels many myths of youth training like the need for early sports specific exercises. It covers exercises for all phases of youth development from ages 5 to 20. His advice, backed by world class achievement, can help you resist the pressure to put children through adult style training exercises and at the same time properly train children for future world class competition. I have compared his recommendations against many sources and have become convinced that they are correct. This book is a must have for Directors of Youth Coaching and Physical Development.

This is a must have for anyone interested in learning more about the traditions and cultures of Native Americans. Thoroughly researched, well written, beautiful color photos, respectful.

This book is very well researched, and it makes one want to spend time traveling and learning more about Native American culture.

This book is worthwhile for readers new to Arizona as well as for those who may already live there.

I lived in Arizona for 28 years and traveled to many of the sites in the book, yet I still discovered a lot of new things reading it. I particularly enjoyed the sidebar stories about people, places and events that presented anecdotes and little-known facts about Indian Arizona.

In fact, in reading the book, I actually became a little nostalgic for many of the prehistoric sites I personally visited and explored over the years. This includes a moving experience that I had while visiting the Heard Museum In Phoenix.

One final note, the writing style is very clear and easy to read.

When you launch your own discovery of Arizona's Indian cultures..., I suggest you begin by reading a comprehensive new book, "Traveling Indian Arizona," by Anne O'Brien... Anne is an experienced hand in the Southwest, working with museums in Denver, Flagstaff, and Phoenix. She has assembled something much more than an instructive travel book; this is a small encyclopedia of the many native peoples that continue their customs, and their arts and crafts, in Arizona. The many color photographs and the essays by elders and by anthropologists provide an additional dimension. --Richard Sims, PhD, Director, Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott, AZ

This is a very well written guide for anyone traveling through the Southwest. The author provides excellent historical information as well as suggestions for routes, places to stay and nearby places of interest. On a recent trip to Canyon de Chelly, we used the book to plan our route, stops along the way, and as a reference for the history of the area. The author obviously feels strong ties to the native people of the Southwest..

I gave a copy of Treasures of the Heart to my grandmother and she loved it. She has been a Bible School teacher in Massachusetts for over 60 years, after reading the book, she commented "I wish I had read this book in the beginning, because Diane tells the stories so well and makes them so clear."

I read this review by Ron Kaplan in the New Jersey Jewish News and
wanted to share it:"That these stories are familiar in no way detracts from readers' enjoyment. Using copiously researched sources, Wolkstein makes the tales meaningful and lyrical as she traces Judaism's roots through its biblical generations.
Critical to appreciation of the stories themselves are the citations Wolkstein offers. As when reading the wroks of Shakespeare, one often needs explanations insofar as language, customs, and
context are concerned. Wolkstein's explications enhance the reading enormously. Books like TREASURES OF THE HEART are fodder for discussion, both on literary and religious levels."

I hope this book will be appreciated and enjoyed by many readers.

Pat Thurman

This book is extraordinary. As Peninnah Schram wrote in her
PARABOLA review:"Turning and weaving are the choreographic movements that Diane Wolkstein has used in composing her extraordinary expansive book. She has turned the Torah to
reveal its seventy faces interweaving, in various combinations, oral legends,
Talmudic and midrashic texts, history texts, academic findings,
along with her own interpretations and reflections....This is a
book that will truly give the readers an understanding heart, listening eears and vision through new eyes. Highly original in concept, it opens many pathways to understanding the spiral flow of Jewish time, the binding core of Judaism. Through the
sacred narratives that have been read aloud communally for centuries--and continue in synagogues today--the book highlights
the recurring holiness of sacred time....She infuses her work with the appreciation and learning gained under the mentorship of her acknowledged translators and guides, expecially Reb Sholomo Carlecach."
This is a very insightful piece that captures the essence of TREASURES OF THE HEART. I urge everyone to read it.
Nancy Kahan

I think of Diana Wolkstein as a female Martin Buber. She attempts to articulate a mature I-Thou spirituality just as he was, but without his abstract philosophical abstruseness. Instead, it is as if, in the true spirit of the feminine, she invites you to sit down at her cozy kitchen table and then announces that the constellations (the stars by which you guide your life) have shifted, but not to worry, "Have another cup of tea."

She says truly revolutionary things in such a loving way. Unlike the patriarchal prophets who threaten you with fire and damnation, she invites you to a loving partnership with God and your fellow human beings.

Her reading of the Old Testament is warm and inclusive. The focus is less on judgment, tribalism, smiting and warfare and more on what it means to have a relationship with God.

Like a deep sea diver she plunges into the stories and comes up with the pearl of great price -- a spiritual vision of who we are, why we are and where we are going for a post 9-11 21st century. I cannot say loudly enough how important this is. The Bible is the hidden storyline for all our current global crisis, from terrorism, to Iraq, to environmental destruction.

For westerners, these stories are our cultural DNA.
By changing the order of the holidays and finding the feminine wisdom that has always been present in the stories, Wolkstein invokes this mature relationship with God and moves Judaism from a 4000 year-old cycle of grief, guilt and lamentation to a Judaism of embodied joy.

Wolkstein's lifelong spiritual search for her own good heart give her deep eyes. With them, she sees the Bible stories anew and shows how they can light our way into a joyous and compassionate new century.

The God of the Old Testament performs many functions: he is a severe master, a patient teacher, the leader of his chosen people,the inspiration to all. He is also frequently puzzling. In this wonderful book, Diane Wolkstein has scraped away all the old habits, the many accretions which had taken the life out of these stories.Thanks to her, their protagonists are people we understand, people almost like us.
The soul of Judaism -that base of Western civilization- is indeed one of the gifts the author makes us: but there is also much more. As we come to know one of the world's oldest religions, it is also ourselves we discover.
All that is is a very great deal; but there is more. Diane Wolkstein never lets us forget that she is an inspired story teller. Who would have thought that the Bible could be filled with suspense, or indeed that we would be made to care so much about many of its figures?
This is a book that anyone with interest in the human psyche, in history, in drama, in religion should read.

If you want to be successful when you turn green wood or newly cut lumber on your lathe. I recommend purchasing this book and reading it all the way through before you begin your wood turning project. When you use green wood there are different procedures that you need to follow than when you use dried lumber. I had tried to turn some green logs on my lathe and had many problems with wood cracking and was very unhappy with the results. After purchasing this book I learned the reasons why my previous attempts had not been successful. I only wish I had gotten the book at the same time I purchased my new lathe. It is an excellent resource on how to use green logs and newly cut lumber that can add flexibility and save money on wood costs when you use "found wood" and cut the logs yourself.

Great book - great photos - great ideas - great explanations and written so anyone can understand the directions and concepts (even me).

this is a good basic book of how to deal with green wood and also the use of crotchwood. well written and illistrated

Great and a must have for all turners. The book is more oriented toward bowl turning but covers a ton on green turning with plenty of pics and diagrams. Michael O`Donnell goes to great length to educate the reader on how wood dries based on where it is cut form the tree.

As a beginning turner, I searched for books that were both informative and interesting to read. This book approaches turning with 'green' in mind but also has some very good information about wood properties and turning in general. Very much worth buying even if you are an experienced turner.

This chapbook should be on every coffee table. Kathy is an outstanding modern poet with insite into our heart. I hope to see more of her work soon.

This book of poems is remarkable! The author is an inspiration to all her readers and truely knows how to touch the human heart. I give this book as gifts at every occasion, as I like to give the gift of uplifting a person's soul and brighten their day with a present. I reccommend this book to people of all walks of life for every occasion, it will bring a smile to your face. When will the author publish another?

Each poem struck me with several unique and powerful emotions. I was able to identify with many of the situations and felt very close to the author's work. I was easily able to lose myself in each poem and found myself living all the different situations. Definetly going to check out other works by this author and I definetly recommend this book to anyone who ejoys poetry that causes you to relate and use your imagination in your own personal life.

Wow! I've never been much in to poetry before, but one of my friends told me that "Underbelly" is a must read. I read the book straight through. The author of this book was so insightful in her writing. Each poem really made me stop and think about my own life. I would definetely reccommend this book to anyone, in fact, I am going to be buying several copies to keep on hand as I need a quick gift to give out to a friend.

Underbelly is an inspirational book that breaks the silence of secrets, portrays the struggle of healing, and the triumph of love. Most importantly, this book shows us how poetry serves as a vessel for personal transformation and victory over the challenges that life brings before us.