Rich Books

We live a World where every new technology is ogled at, studied, and reviewed months before it is on the market. We spend our time trying to find faster and easier ways to do things in the future. In a world like this, the past is given very little thought. I very much doubt your Wall Street sharpie could tell you a lot about the War of 1812, or the St. Valentine's Day massacre.

But the past is not lost. There are a few incidents, which remain with us today. One of these history-making events that are in the minds of all of us is the legacy of Amelia Earhart. She is with us because her dream and her story are eternal. Hers is the story of a hero. A woman venturing on a path that many of her male counterparts would never dare. But this book not only relates the heroic tale of this woman, but the dream she left us with. The dream of an existence that was not always cut and dry. Not just a Lawyer, or a accountant, or a housewife. We could be anything, if we reach for it, and feel it strongly enough in ourselves. And as her dream has persisted through the decades, so has her story, and her sprit.

Superb biography which open the window (and the door) into Marjorie Merriweather Post's fascinating life - - and shows that "money cannot buy everything" ....

As a former student of Barbara Estrin at Stonehill College, I hear her loud and clear in this her newest work. As a social activist, her perspective and insight into this noteworthy subject deserves close study and reflection. The connections Estrin makes between literature and these historic yet tragic events provides an interesting view of our world. Estrin challenges each of us to not only look deep within literature, but she forces us to confront new and disturbing reader responses that further our appreciation of her subject. Today I realize what a honor it was to have taken courses with this skilled scholar.

This book is a must for anyone interested in the 3 title poets. Wendy Martin does an excellent job in her analysis of these great female poets. She provides necessary backgound information along with correlative interpretation and history of the authors' works. This book is not only a informative and helpful tool, but it is an interesting read.

Vanity of vanities. I am writing a review of my own review.
But I am not really writing a review of the review but rather trying to understand why I feel this book of Oz is a great work. Why I feel it gives so much. And what I believe the reviewer's job is in writing of such a book.
1) Describe what the book is about
2) Explain why it is so special. What makes it great.
3) Convey the enthusiasm and deep feeling you have for the book. I was tremendously moved in many places of Oz's book.
4)Convey honestly the reservations you have in the book while underlining its strengths.
5) This book is a remarkable telling of a family history in pre- state Israel( then Palestine) It sees the world through the eyes of a growing child. It gives a panoramic view of the society, but a most intense and deeply felt - view of the main characters, parents and family. It in a sense tells the story of pre- World War Two European and Palestinian Jewry.
6) It is in effect ' a history of the Feeling of those times' and a set of inner histories of the various characters.
7) Jokingly I want to say , in the words of the Camus character, the would be writer rewriting endlessly the first sentence about the Bois de Bouloungne " Hats off, Amos Oz"
This man done it -yes he did he done it he done done it he done it -he dah greatest.

This book contains some very interesting essays on Balthasar, especially on his use of Goethe's thought, and an essay on him and Rahner. Very interesting.

There are only a handful of books that I have read more than once, and only one or two that I have read twice or more. Angel Flight 44 is the first book ever that I have read perhaps a dozen times...and I cannot help but think I will pick it up and read it again yet more.

Angel Flight 44 simply moves me. Whenever my eyes find themselves dancing once again upon its pages, I discover fresh nuances that somehow I had missed before. Certain portions moved me to tears the first few times I read them; yet these are not tears of sadness, but of an overwhelming sense of God's goodness and love for mankind. Even the most recent perusals of this magnificent text have caused my eyes to water a bit when I have reviewed these same moments within the story. That said, few books have ever moved this former military man in such a way. For Angel Flight 44 do so is quite a testimony to its uniqueness among books.

I have discussed Angel Flight 44 with other readers, and have found that regardless of gender, race, economic status, or even religious preferences, people are similarly moved. One gentleman was even moved to the point of pursuing flight training so that he could participate in such courageous relief missions himself, should the need once again arise.

Another businessman, whose shadow rarely darkened the door of a church, called his Christian son and began regular attendance at his congregation. His reason? He discovered within the pages of Angel Flight 44 that the miraculous was real, and that Christianity was indeed intended to empower real men of courage and faith.

One Christian woman found similar motivation and commented, "I want to live a life by the power of the Holy Spirit too!" The wife of a certain pastor commented, "This is going to change the way the Church does things forever." My own wife, for that matter, has seemed to be in competition with me to see who can read it the most. We have even purchased copies and given them away to others that they may also be blessed by its pages.

I could expound upon the elements of the story itself, but to do so would spoil the surprise. So I will refrain. Let me note, however, that I am impressed with the design of the flow of the book. Rich Vermillion chose to fashion its order into multiple sections, each apparently designed to simulate some form of other media in its textual flow. For example, the main story reads like a movie. It then has a "Special Feature" chapter that describes the history of the airplane, which reads like a small documentary. Then the "Extra Scenes" sections adds short stories that seem like movie scenes perhaps cut out by the director. The author comments that these were stories worthy of inclusion, but which either followed the time frame of the main story or were difficult to work into the text, and so were set apart within their own section. Finally, the book ends with a "Most Important Decision" chapter written by Rich Vermillion in his capacity as a minister.

The author credits his inspiration to this unique book organization to his desire to inspire young readers to delve into its pages by simulating media they are more familiar with. Whatever his motivation, it works very well.

Angel Flight 44: A True Story is actually a recently released abridged edition (at a bargain price). I can also recommend the original Angel Flight 44: The True Story of Two Dedicated Pilots, a 60-Year-Old Airplane, and the Amazing Hurricane Katrina Mission That Birthed a New Aviation Ministry, which I have also read. It contains all the same elements of this abridged edition PLUS "Behind the Scenes", "Spiritual Commentary", and "Future of Angel Flight 44" sections as well. (You can read my review under that title for additional details regarding these added sections.)

"Most Important Decision" chapter in this abridged edition is actually expanded quite a bit and, in my opinion, much better than the original version. The main story, "Special feature", and "Extra Scenes" sections are perfectly intact in this abridged edition. This is simply a streamlined version that contains the most powerful elements of the original book, and is a much quicker book to read as a result.

Overall, I cannot express enough how impacting Angel Flight 44 is to whomever reads it. The miracles, the courage, the testimonies - these cannot be described adequately in an online book review. Simply put: To get grasp how powerful and unique this book is, you will simply have to read it for yourself.

This is the fourth in the five-book series, Angelic Layer, and picks up immediate where the third book left off (really this is one story, rather than five separate stories). The Angelic Layer tournament in Kanto is into the final round, but Sai "Ice Machine" Jounouchi is working Hikaru's weakness for all she can. Can Misaki pull another rabbit out of the hat? You bet she can!

What a great and exciting series! As with the other books in this series, this one is great, with fast combat, and a wonderful story. You can feel the story roaring towards the finale, but beware, this is another cliffhanger!

Always remember that these books are printed so as to be read from back-to-front, right-to-left, in the Japanese style. This is a great book, one that I highly recommend. Go Misaki and Hikaru!

This is the third in the five-book series, Angelic Layer, and picks up immediate where the second book left off. The Angelic Layer tournament in Kanto continues, and the contests are getting harder and harder for young Misaki Suzuhara. But, fighting with skill and luck and a lot of heart, she is a fierce competitor. But now she is coming up against the top fighters, the ones talking about her "weakness." What does that mean?

This is another great Angelic Layer book, one that keeps up the quality that you saw in the first two. The action is quick and intense, leaving you on the edge of your seat! As with the other books, this book is printed so as to be read from back-to-front, right-to-left, in the Japanese style, helping to give the reader the feeling of entering another world. This is a great book, and I must say that I can't wait to get on to #4! Go Misaki and Hikaru!

This book is one of my 2 year old's favorites. (He won't let me sell it, LOL.) To me, it doesn't look like much, but it has some really neat animals in it doing things that people do, like getting ready for bed and looking at the stars out the window, and reading books. He's had it since he was very little, it being one of his first books, but instead of bringing it to me to 'read', he 'reads' it himself. It's a cute picture book that makes him feel he can read by himself. He knows most of his shapes, and I attribute it to him looking (and 'reading') this book.