Phillips Books

there are a lot of "good" children's books out there. this is one of the handful of "great" ones.

it's extremely humane writing with quiet humor far removed from the "snark" common in many contemporary children's books.

it's also mercifully free of any ham-fisted "lesson".

while it doesn't really remind me of "The Wind in the Willows", that's the only other children's book i can think of offhand that stayed with me like this one did.

Although it is a long book for a 2 year old, my 28 month old son will listen to the entire book and he loves the illustrations. It is a great bedtime book for him. He doesn't ask to read it like he does the other books, but he listens very intently to this one. The book is lovely - I highly recommend it.

A wonderful story with beautiful pictures. If it doesn't warm your heart, you're not human! It is so good, I've bought a stack of copies to send out as Christmas gifts.

This is an extraordinary book. Antonia Barber has produced a superb story, based on the legend of the Cornish village of Mousehole. Tom is an old fisherman who lives with Mowzer, his cat, who is also aging gracefully. Their lives--organized around fish, firesides, milk, and scratching of ears--fill the first few pages, and then the Great Storm-Cat arrives, howling around the harbor and bottling up the fishing fleet. Food in the village starts to run low. Finally, the day before Christmas, Tom and Mowzer go out to fish together in the teeth of the storm, so that the children of the village should not be hungry on Christmas Day.

The text is powerful--remarkably so for a children's book. But Nicola Bayley's paintings are, if possible, even more astonishing. There is a gorgeous picture of the Great Storm-Cat and Mowzer at sea; fine, characterful pictures of Tom, Mowzer and the village of Mousehole; and among other treasures, one picture that always moves me to tears. Another reviewer said the book made them weep: I know the page they were talking about. It's where Tom and Mowzer sail back to the village, to discover that the villagers have realized they are gone, and are waiting for them.

Enough. It's a beautiful picture. Buy the book, even if you don't have kids, though you'll get far more pleasure from reading this to a child. The language is a little complex for a child under five, but you can simplify as you read. And you'll read it again and again.

When my children were young, this was one of the bedtime stories they loved best. It's particularly good for cat lovers! The illustrations are gorgeous, and the story moves through suspense to a beautiful resolution -- a feast at the end of a storm-tossed fishing trip.

Excellent book. I am not a golfer, but admire Phil Mickelson because it has always seemed to me that he has his priorities straight. His wife and his children are uppermost in his list of what life means to him. Must confess that I merely skimmed the details of the hole to hole play in the Masters tournament being described since I had purchased the book to read about his personal life. However, my husband, who IS a golfer, very much enjoyed the "play by play" in addition to more information on the personal side of Phil. This is an athlete children can look up to and admire without parents fearing an ugly, hidden side. That simply doesn't exist in this athlete. I have always enjoyed watching him play; now I will enjoy those tournaments even more.

This was a very personal book that brought you very close to the life of Phil Mickelson. When he describes his final round at the 04' Masters you feel like you were there with him every step of the way.

It was so good I got a audio copy for my husband.

i find this book very good , iam a golf player and i think that every golf player will enjoyed to read this book , phil mickelson biography is very interesting for a golfer , phil teach : thinks can do when you work hard .

If you are a golf fan, this is a must read. My wife read it too and she doesn't even like golf but she loved it too. Great insights into Phil's personal life, family, and values. Definitely worth the read.

Phillip L. Woodall reaches and caresses the heart of the Vietnam veteran. His poetry pays vivid tribute to the great service, sacrifice and continuing wounds that grunts of that war bear. Having never been one for poetry for its own sake, I am surprised to discover that through Woodall's makes me relive the experiences, complete with sound and smell of war in the jungle, which is a much more powerful than memories. I'm honored to endorse this fine little volume.

Phillip L. Woodall reaches and caresses the heart of the Vietnam veteran. His poetry pays vivid tribute to the great service, sacrifice and continuing wounds that grunts of that war bear. Having never been one for poetry for its own sake, I am surprised to discover that through Woodall's makes me relive the experiences, complete with sound and smell of war in the jungle, which is a much more powerful than memories. I'm honored to endorse this fine little volume.

Although I don't usually read poetry, I was surprised when I opened this book and found it difficult to close. I have read a number of war stories, many of which were about Vietnam, the people who were there and their accounts of specific events that took place. Some of them tell very emotional stories of loss, sacrifice and friendship. But not until now have I read words that truly reveal the emotions that had merely been described in the past. Instead of showing events through the eyes of a soldier, Phil Woodall's verse allows the reader to feel a moment in time with the emotions of a human being trying very hard to comprehend what is happening to him and the people around him. As such, it is much less a book of poems about wars fought by soldiers on far away battlefields, and more about the battle that rages within the souls of those who fought them, and are still fighting them long after.

Rhymer In The Sunset is making me like poetry. I dislike poetry when it seems to ramble in search of rhyme, often at the expense of any sense of logic. My military mind likes order, discipline and symmetry. The author of Rhymer drew me into his head. His thoughts are those of a person during a lull in the battle. One lies there, waits, and his mind races. It took me back to Vietnam, jungle firefights, minutes of terror and hours of tedium. It is a great read.

I met the author of this book in 1965. He and I have been friends for over 35 years. When I met him, he was the highschool football team quarterback, basketball star, track star, and actually a pretty good student. I never never knew about his poetry writing until the year 2000. I could not read the whole book without crying from his sensitivity and descriptive choice of words to describe where he was and why he was there. Here are the words that a soldier wrote, here are the words of the son of a preacher, here are the words of a man that was willing to give the ulitmate sacrifice for the rest of us, and here are the words of someone we can never appreciate enough, because Phillip Woodall is writing the story of every soldier, son, and friend.

There is nothing like having a book you want to keep reading. What's so Amazing about Grace is no different. Learn about what sets Christianity aside from other religions..not what makes it better or worse, but unique. Fantastic Read. Product was in wonderful condition, with quick delivery.

Yancey's book does have many good parts. It hasn't changed my life but I don't expect a publication with one person's interpretations to do that.

You will see the author is biased. He understates the fact that religious organizations have become too political. If you believe the "religious right" is more of a religious wrong, especially with Bush-43 and other neoconservatives, you'll be better off looking for a different author.

Unfortunately, I'd purchased this book without knowing enough about Yancey's history. Use a search engine to check out his style and personal opinions before you make the purchase.

This book really did change my life by forcing me to look at the world around me and how I react to it as a Christian. Since reading this book, I have felt personally challenged to convey God's grace to others, particularly those that are "different" from myself. I think this is the best Christian book out right now and I have already given it as a gift to several friends and family members. If you are a Christian and have become discouraged by the negative reaction to Christians by non-Christians, read this book and help me start to change those stereotypes.

It is an easy, smooth and deep read !
Certainly helpful for anybody who wants to understand more of Gods grace we already recieved.
Go for it, it will change the way you see things, your first thoughts in the morning and your relationships.

How can I add anything to all the rave reviews of this book? Why does everyone love it so much? Two reasons: the fact of God's grace and the fact that Yancey conveys that grace in a well-written book that is moving and touching. Yancey -- praise the Lord! -- is one conservative Christian who understands that Christianity is about God's love and forgiveness and not about a wrathful, rule-enforcing God who forgives grudgingly. And Yancey has a way of conveying this message with art and feeling. I have already bought multiple copies of this book to give to friends. I consider it a must-read for anyone looking for God's love.

This title was selected to help the children in our 1st and [...] elementary school acknowledge Animal Cruelty Awareness Month. It was a success! The children easily connected and could sypathize with James the cat. It is a wonderful addition to our library.

My friend Ann told me about this little book, and I decided that I too, should read it.

This is a poignant story of a lost and lonely cat. He's very attractive with black fur, a white chest, and white paws. The little feline wonders through a neighborhood hungry and weak, seeking a safe place. He meets some children and their mother who appear to admire him, but because he's wearing a collar they assume he belongs to someone in the area. The truth is, he's been lost for a long time and he has no home. The collar, once placed on him with care, is now outgrown and is causing him a great deal of pain. He does not remember how to get home. Months pass and the cat is slowly starving to death because he's too weak to hunt. One day, the exhausted cat is confronted by a large and aggressive dog. What happens to the cat and how he gets his name is a story every child will love.

This beautifully told narrative is well accompanied by memorable and touching illustrations. The fact that this is a true story makes it very powerful and reminds us that a stray animal may need help.

This is a great story to show things are not always as they seem. The people thought that James had a home, because he had a collar on. It wasn't until he was attacked by a dog that they took a better look at the problem. They took the tight collar off and went to the vet to get help for him. They try to find his owner, but no steps forward. It's cute how he got his name. It is a happy story, he fits in well with their other two cats and has a great home for the rest of his life.

This book won the coveted national ASPCA Henry Bergh Award for humanitarian children's literature. Deservedly so!

It is a poignant story that teaches kindness to animals without preaching. The detailed, realistic illustrations are beautiful. I think this book should have won a Caldecott Award as well!

Our family recently had the opportunity to attend a program at our local library. The author, Libby Meggs read this book, Go Home! and presented a slide show of the real James the cat. We learned of the process she followed translating her photographs into the beautiful, detailed illustrations contained in the book. The reading itself provided a most touching tale of love and caring for young children. Highly recommended!

When I first heard of my uncle James Going to jail over this car scam thing I truly didnt believe it was so big. James and Robert were great friends, but Robert always brought him down in alot of ways. Robert was a crook from the start but its funny to know just how they wrote a book about him and Robert and they"ll be on Cnbc 3/26/2008 at 9pmPT on the show American greed. I even rode in one of the cars in high school not knowing it was bought with criminal money. James came from a great family and a nice neighborhood unlike the Bulls%$t they're writing my uncle was a great football player and an excellent student he also wanted to be a cop. This sucks. I feel sorry the person who Charles Mansion's family member but I still love my uncle and I truly believe that he made a bad decision by being friends with such a loser like Robert Gomez. Steve V. Nichols, Jr. his nephew.

Truth really is stranger than fiction. An amazing story that was very well written.

Everyone should read this book. It is well written and a real page turner that is based on fact. I was surprised that the religious people had such a hard time accepting and admitting that they had been taken. Like God was going to protect them from crooks. It was a fasinating read. You will enjoy it. I did.

Americans' obsession with the automobile makes it the ideal object for a scam. Invoke divine approval and success is guaranteed. Yet the two young perpetrators could scarcely have imagined that the "miracle cars", which they promised to deliver to a Los Angeles church congregation, would eventually yield 21 million dollars nationwide. They were certainly incongruous partners: Robert "Buddha" Gomez, a brash, extravagant gambler and James Nichols, a serious, seemingly conservative church goer whose fellow worshippers provided the first victims. It was Nichols who was the "executor" of a vast estate, charged with the liquidation of an ever growing fleet of luxury vehicles at bargain prices. Even James' mother, a church deaconess, believing that she might serve God's purpose to provide deserving people with better transportation, was persuaded to help with the collection of money.
Throughout the five years that the fraud flourished, not a single car was delivered and the only visible evidence of the purported fleet was a distant view of some completely unrelated vehicles. As some of the original buyers became impatient, the operation became a Ponzi scheme, with newly collected funds being used to reimburse them. This had the effect of adding a false sense of good intentions to the scheme, thus prolonging it.
Phillips maintains a remarkably even tone in describing events that sometimes verge on the farcical. Judging by his reported conversations with both the primary and secondary players, the reader is left with the impression that they came to believe in the reality of their own deception. Only with the arrests did some admit to the fraud. Yet Gomez, true to character, would even then insist that he knew nothing of the source for the millions he had wagered.
The particulars of this account may be unusual but the general outline is all too familiar: greed combined with gullibility inevitably lead to disaster

As one of the prosecutors in the case, my review may be on the biased side, but I think John Phillips did a great job on this book. Somehow he made it accurate and entertaining at the same time. Having read John's articles in Car and Driver long before I ever met him, I always enjoyed his humorous writing style. After meeting him during the trial and afterwards, I appreciated both his writing and his humor even more. It was a very interesting case to investigate and try in court, but the book was entertaining even to me. Some of our witnesses opened up to him with more information after the trial was over. I hope anyone who reads this book will have an appreciation of the inside view of what seems like an incredible fraud scheme but is actually "sad but true." I know anyone who reads it will be entertained.
Dan Stewart

I am not a fantasy reader but when the rage over Harry Potter got to me I picked up the first book, read it, and enjoyed it. But when I read Michele's GreeHee The Journey of Five I felt that I discovered a new J.K. Rowling.

The lovable characters and their nightmarish adventures stemming from Michele's imagination - dragons, fairies, giants - are etched in your memory long after you close the book.

Like Harry Potter, Michele's fantasy will appeal to both children and adults. It's only a matter of time when the U.S. version of Ms. Rowling takes hold in America.

Francine Silverman, author of Talk Radio for Authors (Infinity Publishing 2007).

You have to read GreeHee the Journey of Five! It is so uplifting and inspiring! The characters in the book were filled with such goodness, love, hope, faith and tolerance. In a world filled with greed, war, anger and judgement, it was so refreshing to read this book. It takes you away to a better place - a place filled with the kind of awe, love and joy our own planet and people should possess more of.

The messages contained within the book are so important to our every day lives. We have to stay centered, balanced and fearless so we can find our inner selves and fight the internal/external battles that plague us daily. Only if we stay true to ourselves and love ourselves without judgement, and not cave in to pressures and expectations of others, do we win the war of life. If we stay true to this tenet, we will find ourselves surrounded by those who hold similar beliefs and values and love us for who we are as well, just like the five in the book.

I related to GreeHee the most because he had a difficult upbringing - parents who were not supportive of him and wanted him to conform to their twisted beliefs. Even though their conditioning didn't feel right inside, he was still fearful that maybe he was the one who was wrong - he was the one who was defective. But instead of just living a lie and going along with what others told him he should be, he struck out on his own, forged his own path and discovered his own belief and value system that was right for him. And because he stayed true to himself, he was able to conquer his fears in a way that others could not. His faith stayed strong, he was drawn to others who supported his search and in the end, he succeeded in conquering his demons - the ones we all face in our own lives.

There's something for everyone in GreeHee The Journey of Five - fantasy, magic, mystery, intrigue, adventure and especially wisdom. I still think about the wisdom contained in this book and try to apply it to my own life daily. I can't wait for book #2 to come out!

I couldn't stop reading this wonderful fantasy. I read it in one sitting through the night. Every character in the book touched a part of my soul as if I had been this character or at least lived the same experiences, feelings and thoughts at some time in my existence in this lifetime or in another. GreeHee, a young dragon, who wanted to be cruel like his father comes upon Loni,a young fairy, who helps GreeHee follow his heart. Together their adventures help them learn to love, overcome obstacles and be true to their hearts. This book is not just for children. Every adult should read this book. It helps us go back to our childhood where fantasy and dreams are always alive and real. You will love GreeHee, Loni and their adventures in Tamoor. I am looking forward to Michele Avanti's next book in the series. Thank you, Michele, for your vision and sharing it with us.

I'm a retired teacher. I've worked with elementary/middle school children and have tried to choose books to read to them or to recommend that would enhance their self esteem and encourage them to make good choices. GreeHee is an excellent book for these age groups. GreeHee is very unsure of himself in the beginning of the story but he grows into a self assured dragon because he learns to trust the love of his friends which helps him to learn to love himself. He learns that one can get through difficulties through teamwork and making good choices. He learns that following rules is essential to survival and doing well. I enjoyed watching GreeHee evolve into a happy and trustworthy dragon (friend). This story is uplifting and the loving qualities of the characters persist throughout. I felt better for having read it and I highly recommend it to any age group-even us big kids.

This is not my typical type of book to pick up...but I am sure glad I did!! From the moment I started reading, I craved more! I can see why so many children as well as adults enjoy this book!

GreeHee The Journey of Five, by Michele Avanti, took me to a whole different world. Every time I picked it up I forgot about the laundry, the bills, the to-do list... and just lost myself in the story.

GreeHee is a young dragon who seems to be born into the wrong form, as his heart is not that of what his father says a dragon should be - fierce. While practicing how to be fierce, GreeHee meets a young fairy, Loni. Intending to eat Loni and her family, GreeHee helps Loni find her way home. Along the way, the two become friends and face adventure together. I have to stop there or I'll give away too much information!

GreeHee The Journey of Five is a delight to read! Full of adventure, full of mystery, and full of magic ... you just won't be able to put it down! I highly recommend this for readers of all ages!!

-1smileycat :-)

I won't write specifics about what I love about this book and series so that I don't spoil it for other readers. I will say that this series is fantastic. It's incorporates fictional characters with non-fictional history and events. You'll laugh, cry, get frustrated...the Pella/Phillips duo is unstoppable in this wonderful saga.

Love this Novel series! I purchased this set for my mother's birthday, she is an avid reader and expects high quality writing. She loved them; her friends loved them and so do I! Full of historical informations, but not to the detriment of a great story!

I am reading through the Russians series. I enjoyed the first book and was dying to begin the second. The story line is interesting and the characters have depth. But what I enjoy the most is the accurate history woven throughout the story. You feel as if you are in Russia during the 1800's. I also value the Christian undertones. I have read other Christian fiction and many of the works come off as preachy, including lenthy sermons and life lessons. This book weaves religion into the story and gives you an appreciation for the characters and their strength and faith during the difficult time period.

After reading the first book in the series, I rushed to the library to get the second one. I was immediately engrossed in the story of the Burenins and the Fedorcenkos. Prince Sergei returns from the war to Anna, but quickly leaves to try to cope with the terrible things he saw during the war. Anna's brother, Paul, runs away to St. Petersburg and becomes even more involved with the revolutionary cause. Yevno Burenin, Anna's father, becomes ill and she must return to her home in the peasant village of Katyk. Prince Sergei comes to Katyk to help Anna and her family before returning to his home once again. Princess Katrina becomes involved with a dangerous revolutionary, but she will not listen to others who try to warn her of the peril she is in. Another beautifully written book in The Russians series. If you loved the first one, you will definitely love this one just as much if not more!

Book two of the Russians series has action, romance, friendship and best of all, an interesting storyline.

This series is typically categorized by bookstores as "religious fiction". I will say that there is an underlying message about God (after all religion plays a huge part of Russian history) but it was simply woven into the story subtly and relevantly. I have read other Pella books and found this to be the case with them as well.

This book was the start of my infatuation with historical fiction and I am thankful for it. I do recommend all seven in the series with five stars - read them, although it may take a while!

If you want your kung-fu techniques to be real, then you must read this book, then assess your techniques closely, and then work, work, work on them. Some more words: kung-fu - as any tradtitional martial arts - is about self defence, not sports figting (no matter how brutal), or bar-brawling. If you want to get stabbed into your ribs, take up wrestling. That's up to you.

Martial Mechanics is a great book for those practicing or who are thinking about practicing martial arts. While the book focuses on striking techniques, I think the message of proper posture and use of the entire entire body ( esp. abdomen ) transcends into all martial disciplines. I found the chapter on breathing techniques ( which is rarely taught properly ) really useful.

This is a very good book for anyone thats into the martial arts. I read the other book by this same artist (author) & it was very good also. This one was probable better written than the first.

Martial Mechanics is an innocuous title for an immensley powerful book! I am a student of the martial arts for 23 years and fortunately a practitioner of YiLi Chuan in the 1980's. Even though I am no longer officially affiliated, I was a student of a wonderful instructor of YiliChuan, a senior student of Master Phillip Starr. What Sifu Starr has done is to deliver a timeless, authentic, and ultimately practical skill set, and useful guides to put your martial art, whatever system that may be, as fundamentals are universal to any good art worth it's salt, in alignment with the soundest of martial principles. This stuff is GOLD! If you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced practitioner, this book is literally a treasure, a workbook, and a glimpse into what real martial arts look like, and when putting the principles into practice, what they feel like on the giving and receiving ends. These fundamentals I was privy to when I was just getting my "martial feet" wet so-to-speak, and those that have these skills intact, in my expereince are few and far between in West Texas certainly, and in many other locales too. I highly and exuberantly recommend this tome of martial transformation, as I am recommending this book to both students and friends alike. "When one goes to the well of knowledge, drink deeply or drink not at all." Drink Deeply my brethren! Drink deeply and get this book. I await the advanced volume with an expectant heart. Thank You Sifu Starr.

Sifu Starr has done it againg! Martial Mechanics is a stand alone work, that lives in any genre; thus making it a classic for the ages! Anyone exspousing to "work smarter, not harder" would grow by leaps and bounds. Martial Mechanics is suitable and highly recommended for all combat arts. I personally study Japanese bujutsu and have studied the Brazillian brand. I highly recommend this book to grapplers/submission wrestlers! If think I am bullshidoing you, go read chapters 8,10 and 11! As matter of fact be a blessing to someone and provide a copy of Martial Mechanics for them. I can promise you, they would be the better for it! Peace!

Don't be iontimidated by thinking there may be too much math or physics in this book. This is not a scientific biography as much as it is a fun trip through some of the things that made Richard Feynman so loved by all who knew him.

I admire the author's choice to have Feynman's colleagues contribute their knowledge of the incidents discussed. In many cases Feynman himself is cited to help understand the situation extant.

Whether you know Feynman's life well or not, this book is a fun read.

If you know of Richard Feynman's life and work, this is a great book, full of pictures and anecdotes from other emminent physicist w/ whom he worked (and sometimes clashed).

Very easy and pleasing to read. Nothing too in-depth e.g. Feynman's disdain for written fiction, "...I read 'Madame Bovary' once and it was NIFTY!". No more analysis beyond that. Enough said if you know something of the person.

Excellent book for anyone looking for a pictorial representation of Feynman.

This book made me laughed and it made me cry but most importantly it taught me a lot, not just about feynman but a lot more other stuff like science, life, having fun and reminded me why I got into science in the first place. It was very inpirational as well as fun.

If you want to know a little about what feynman was like, then you must read this book. I said
"little" because there is no way you will ever get to know this man just by reading a book. This book was really good at taking out the really good stuff from other books and integrating it.

I like what his friends and family had to say about him and adventures they had, as much as when Feynman was quoted. It is
really interesting and gives you a really deep insight on stuff he may not had put into his other books.

Even if you don't like to read biographies, or care about feynman, you could read this book like a novel. Its little
stories are so interesting funny (sometimes sad) that you forget that you are reading a biography. I say this because
reading biogrphies usually gets me bored. Not this one however, its and adventure!

After I read this book I felt like I lost a friend and mentor--it was that good or perhaps feyman's life was that interesting--I actually missed a guy I never met before! It sounds flaky, but I guessed Feynman would had liked it that way!

Alex Lee
...

My reading of "Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman" was surely "forced" me to read the life of Richard Feynman furthermore: NO ORDINARY GENIUS is a GREAT BOOK. Family, friends and colleagues of Feynman share their views regarding the genius (with bump's-language-style) Feynman. The photos are great and can make a good spot on his life. Truly inspiring especially when he stated that he's an irresponsible man! And also, he couldnt stop to do physics until several days before his death: he's still doing the physics in 70. Feynman also brought the tiny-state named TOUVA to the world: even a geographic teacher wouldn't know bout this region! Buy this book, okay?