Rowe Books

I like how it shows the elevation changes on a scale. Would like to see more detailed maps where to find the trail heads / roads etc. Could use more of within 45 minutes drive from central Spokane but otherwise its a good book.

The Inland Northwest is rich with hiking and backpacking opportunities. This guide takes you to the best places. Good directions to the trailhead and extensive information on the hike or backpack opportunities. I like the information that allows one to extend a hike into a loop. The second edition is better than ever. And the best for the region.

The reviewer who found the book out of date very likely had an old edition. The revised edition of 2003, with the dark blue cover, is massively improved, updated, expanded with trip options and bonus hikes, and it's as accurate as a guidebook can be in this changing world.

I've hiked dozens of trails out of this same company's trail book for Oregon and found it extremely useful, so upon moving to the Inland NW, I bought this book. Overall the book is great - it has excellent trail overviews, difficulty levels, elevation profiles, "landscape" style maps rather than traditional topographical, and reasonable text describing the trail. It's perfect for any hiker in the Inland NW wanting to find some well known and not-so well known trails in the area.

I would add that having hiked several trails out of this book that there have been times where I've wished the descriptive text was more descriptive. I've had confusing moments out of every trail "guide" book, this is certainly no exception. A good map of the area, common sense, and experience will help there. The other thing I don't like about this particular line of trail books is that everyone you meet on the trail has one of these guide books. I guess I'm not the only one on this island - but I sure love trails with very few people on it or even noone at all!

As I have completed approximately 30 out of the 100 hikes that are described in this book, I feel that it has been an excellent guide with only minor discrepencies. The accuracy of "100 Hikes" is difficult to match and one rarely finds the number of pictures that is offered. A definite must for anyone planning to hike in the inland northwest.

I recommend that you read the Hickory Chair to find out if a young blind boy can uncover a note that his recently dead grandmother left behind. This book has one-of-a-kind pictures that almost look like real people except for the fact that they are painted! This book is mostly for younger kids ages 4-9. Kids would enjoy this book of adventure!

I have a three-year-old son who is blind and this is his favorite book. Many children's books rely heavily on the pictures to carry the story. Though this book has no shortage of beautiful pictures, the text can stand on it's own feet making it ideal for a blind child. My son happily tickles his belly as Gran talks about the old hickory tickling the belly of the sun and sniffs the air when Louis sniffs out Gran while playing hide-and-seek. This story is touching and warm in a way that you can feel with all of your scenes.

Louis is the youngest grandson in the family and has a special loving relationship with his Gran. Singer, wind listener and storyteller, she shares lots of sensory experiences with all her grandchildren. Like many other multi-generation relationship books, Grandmother is wise and wonderful. When Gran is gone, Louis misses her very much, especially when she seems to have forgotten him. I really empathized with the feelings that Louis must have had at the loss of such a close and powerful relationship and at his grandmother's seeming abandonment. How painful to a young-without defenses boy.

The artwork, bright, naive, folk-style paintings is pretty and gives a southern feeling to the book.

I'll come right out and say it. I had a very very mixed reaction to this book. Very indeed. Partially, this reaction can be blamed on my initial response to, "The Hickory Chair" when I picked it up. I thought to myself something along the lines of, "oog". Because, you see, I was instantly turned off by the illustrations. Now I recognized that this was a very unkind thing to feel about a book that, honestly, I hadn't even read. So I read it through intently. Then reread it. And I came to the inescapable conclusion that this was an exceedingly well-written story. And I also came to the inescapable conclusion that no matter how many times I read it I was not going to be convinced that the illustrations were a good compliment to the text.

The story of "The Hickory Chair" sounds a little bleak when summarized. In it, a blind boy named Louis is very close to his grandmother. They've spent good times together playing hide-and-seek, sitting in the attic listening to the wind sing on the roof, and reading by the grandmother's old hickory chair (carved, you see, by a single hickory tree that grew on that very spot so many years ago). When his grandmother dies, Louis and his family gather to hear her will. In a final game, they find that their deceased matron left little notes all around the house saying what each person would receive as their legacy. Louis is exceptionally good at finding everyone's note but his own. Finally he turns to the hickory chair and searches it, finding a slip of paper just as he knew he would. Unfortunately the note is only an old shopping list and the family has to face up to the fact that somehow Louis was forgotten. Later, Louis is given the chair anyway and he decides that the lost note isn't important. He knows that his grandmother loved him. It's only years later, when Louis is old and his granddaughter is asleep in that same chair that she discovers, inadvertently in the batting of the cushion, a note that reads, "For my favorite youngest grandchild with blind sight". His grandmother's final lost bequest.

It's a very touching story, you know. Author Lisa Row Faustino has penned it well. Perhaps most wonderful, and extraordinary, is that this book features a boy that is blind without making that plot point THE crux of the story. Instead, Louis's blindness is just one of those things. The real focus of this tale is the love shared between Louis and his grandmother, a love that lasted generations. The bittersweet ending and great evocative characters really make this a great tale. But then there are the illustrations to contend with.

I feel bad about not liking them. They're very artistic, you know. According to the bookflap, illustration Benny Andrews has presented his work at the MOMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, etc. He's obviously well regarded in the world of fine art. But for me, Andrews doesn't translate well to the picture book stage. There are inconsistencies and abnormalities about this book that bugged me. For one thing, granny's skin color changes every other page. The artist has wisely cast the characters in this book as black, and the story works perfectly as a result. With the possible exception of granny. The woman on the cover of this book is completely different from the woman handing Louis a flower on the dedication page. One minute granny's black with grey hair. The next she's white with black hair. Then it's back to black but with white hair. No other character shifts like this in the book, and you kind of have to wonder what the artist was thinking. People in his pictures in general are a bit expressionless, though this is more the author's technique than any real flaw. Far more condemning is the illustrator's inability to match his pictures, at times, to the narration. In a particularly confusing sequence, Louis's mother talks about how when baby Louis was rocked by his grandmother in the hickory chair, he somehow managed to forced his hand into the chair's batting so that when she stood the chair came with her. It's a little hard to understand just through reading, and well nigh impossible if you look at the picture. A similar situation takes place at the end with Louis's granddaughter doing the same thing with the batting with her own hand. The picture however shows her draped over the chair's arm, no hole in sight. You can argue that these are slight inconveniences in the narration, but I really do feel that they detract from the entire book. The illustrations do not serve to help the story in any way and I feel that had the artist been trying he could have done a lot better.

In the end, loving a book really just boils down to personal preference. There is not a sliver of doubt in my mind that there are huge Benny Andrews fans out there that will fight to the death to preserve his good name as a children's picture book artist. Be that as it may, I didn't think he added anything to Lisa Row Fraustino's otherwise very capable and well-written tale. For me, a better illustrator could have done a far more moving job than the one we see here. If you'd like to read a touching book about an intergenerational love that can touch you deeply to your core, I really do highly recommend this book. As for the pictures, think of them what you may.

Fraustino, Lisa Rowe (2001). The Hickory Chair. Illustrated by Benny Andrews. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 0-590-52248-5...

Louis can't see his Gran, because he is blind, but he can smell her, "lilacs, with a whiff of bleach," and he loves her "molasses voice." When she dies, she leaves behind a note for each of her family, hidden on a favorite thing she wants them to keep. Louis is the best at finding the notes, but no one can find the note she left for him. Since he has no note, he can take his pick, and is comforted by the hickory chair in which she often held him, which still holds her smell and her shape "rocked into the seat." Years later his grandchild finds the note his Gran left him, hidden in the hickory chair.
This is primarily a story about the ways memories, love, and the senses are tied together. Louis' memories and love are both expressed in sensory images. When he is happy, the air tasted "sweet and light." When he is sad, the air "curdled in my throat." We are given a vivid portrait of the manner in which a child without sight perceives the world. Benny Andrews' oil and fabric collage illustrations complement the text. The angular figures show us the emotions of Louis' African American family, sometimes joyous, sometimes somber, but always loving. The text is straightforward and vivid. A good choice for elementary school age children, this book will be even more effective with a discussion afterward.

I really loved this book. It had great poem some that are not shown on t.v. I really liked reading myself to get the full dept of each poem...

The Def Poets words lose none of their punch or power on the page. Although I wish there was a cd as well, to fully convey the voice of the poets, the book is a good substitute. As a teacher, I find it great resource for my poetry unit. Unlike the same old Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, etc...they get to read the relevant and well spoken poets of their generation.

The tv show is amazing on HBO, and if you get a chance to see it, the live show is also incredible!

An advisory...if you're right wing, intolerant, or closeminded, this isn't for you.

This book manages to capture the whole Broadway show and then some in 209 pages. I find the poetry in this book phenomenal and very truthful. I recommend this book to anybody who loves poetry and has and has an open mind. The actual Broadway show was magnificent, the TV show is wonderful?and if you haven?t read the book, it is excellent!

I saw the group of eight in concert about a month ago and I was so disappointed to see the performance end. I REALLY enjoyed their poetry and this book just gave me another dose of it. Sometimes you need another dose to fully get into poets, because when Beau Sia came to Northern Michigan University, I didn't care for him. I didn't think he was funny. But when I saw him in Chicago, I cracked up. Poets are funny people. Sometimes they just take some getting used to and some grow on you before they can open their mouth (i.e. Lemon). I'm curious why the ninth poet wasn't on the tour, but atleast I got to read his poetry in this book, which was excellent from beginning to end. My favorite poem is "Love Poem" by Lemon, but the rest are all good in separate styles. All the different techniques and language are what make this group so entertaining. Keep up the great work! I was advertising for them coming to Chicago like I would get commission for it and I'm going to do the book the same way!

This book manages to capture the whole Broadway show and then some in 209 pages. I find the poetry in this book phenomenal and very truthful. I recommend this book to anybody who loves poetry and has and has an open mind. The actual Broadway show was magnificent, the TV show is wonderful?and if you haven?t read the book, it is excellent!

Ann Rowe Seaman has written another fascinating and captivating masterpiece. It works well in paperback format, but a hard bound edition would have been nice to see as well.
Ann has a way of drawing the reader into the life circumstances of the persons whom she is writing about. She deserves a Ph.D. for all of her writing efforts.

For better and for worse, Ann Seaman's biography is now the definitive account of Madalyn O'Hair's life. Let's start with the worse.

The sensationalistic title might be confused with Jon Rappoport's hack piece. Perhaps O'Hair was America's most hated woman at one time, but Jane Fonda replaced her in the early 1970s, and various feminists and celebrities have since vied for the distinction. "Gruesome death" reveals the climax, implicitly letting reviewers do likewise.

This is yet another biography that starts at the end, with the burial of O'Hair's remains. The device has been done to death, and it never works. I hope that whoever started this trend met a gruesome death similar to O'Hair's. Authors take note; we're born, we live, and THEN we die.

O'Hair's life story is often interrupted by that of her killer David Waters. At one point, I yelled, "Whose bio IS this?" Waters certainly belongs here, but Seaman would better have waited until he entered O'Hair's life to begin his history.

O'Hair's son Bill Murray is quoted throughout this book. Like Waters, he's necessary to the plot, but his Christian agenda requires that he slag atheists, which he enjoys doing through his mother, never mind the Fifth Commandment (does he also preach "family values"?). By taking Murray's alleged "In Hoc Signo Vince" nightmare at face value, Seaman failed to recognize its origin in Eusebius' falsified Constantine biography, thus missing the irony of a Catholic propagandist turning Murray into a Baptist.

Occasional digressions promote Seaman's contention that state and church should commingle. When religion is the topic, opposing viewpoints are forbidden, but when freethought is discussed, religious replies are mandatory: with two exceptions, Seaman adheres to this mainstream dictum. The reader is left to wonder about the author's motives for writing this book.

While Seaman's writing is concise, she sometimes sacrifices clarity. Several threads are left dangling: When the Truth Seeker sued O'Hair and her attorney John Vinson under the RICO act, "Vinson quickly extricated himself, ultimately testifying against her". Two years later, after a scuttled agreement and a mistrial, Vinson was again her attorney. What happened in the meantime? Jon Murray's cellular phone reportedly went dead (meaning disconnected) on September 29, 1995, but "no one answered" it (meaning that it rang) on the following Monday. Exactly what became of the phone isn't revealed. The July 1995 American Atheist newsletter detailing David Waters' criminal history was faxed to Waters. By whom? Another disgruntled former AA employee? O'Hair herself? And with what devastating information did FBI agent Donna Cowling prompt Waters into entering a plea agreement?

Then there are the dozens of errors, including: "Lena even welcomed her daughter's recounting of DEEP THROAT one night after Madalyn had seen it in town." Lena died in 1967: DEEP THROAT premiered in 1972. That conversation didn't happen. "...in next November's U.S. Senate race, Texan Lloyd Bentsen, a conservative Republican, defeated longtime liberal incumbent Ralph Yarborough..." Bentsen was never a Republican; he defeated Yarborough in the 1970 Democratic primary. In November's general election, he defeated Republican George Bush. "David Waters was indicted on the same five counts as Karr had been." One of the counts was different: Karr wasn't charged with interstate transportation of a firearm by a convicted felon. Granted, many of the mistakes are minor, but collectively, they call the book's entire account into question.

In her favor, when Seaman sticks to O'Hair's story, her book is engaging. She comes closer than anyone to understanding O'Hair's behavior: "She learned early the value of being in control when others were not. It so marked her that she eventually sought out or created chaotic conditions so she could feel in control." "...she enjoyed outsmarting people and getting out of scrapes, and the only way to defeat her was either trickery or betrayal. She would navigate hundreds of close calls in her life, and develop an addiction to brinkmanship and even danger."

O'Hair's belligerence is also attributed to her wildly fluctuating insulin dosages; a potentially malfunctioning pituitary is mentioned, as is speculation that she may have been bipolar. Such an unstable individual shouldn't be considered a reliable advocate, yet the press made her the sole atheist representative because she was the perfect bad example.

Seaman has found more details about O'Hair's pre-fame decades than all of her prior biographers combined. One of O'Hair's jobs during World War II was to invent Allied victories for the newswires. From it, she learned a valuable lesson that later served her profitably: "The ability of those in power to manipulate the media, and to lie and get away with it, impressed her." Seaman's assertion that O'Hair "chronically lied about everything" isn't off by much.

During the McCarthy era, O'Hair's inability to hold a steady job generated resentment, which led her to communist circles. She abandoned her communist connections after her notoriety produced a healthy income.

Only two of O'Hair's dozens of lawsuits succeeded. The rest of them (aside from those that harassed former members and ex-employees) strengthened the religious opposition by establishing negative precedents. Seaman confirms that O'Hair used lawsuits primarily as publicity and fund-raising tools.

Seaman's sleuthing results in the most accurate account of the Murray O'Hairs' final days. Allegations of torture were apparently false; murder wasn't planned until one of the kidnappers lost his patience. Seaman also exposes holes in the gold thieves' story.

The book is well written, extensively researched, usually chronological, and probably the most complete and informative account of Madalyn O'Hair we'll see. I'd recommend it, but if it were a car, it would be recalled. Its publisher should cease current production, correct the errors, tie up the loose ends, replace the editorial digressions with facts, limit David Waters to the book's last third, change the beginning, and issue a new edition.

Or not - maybe such a severely flawed woman rates only flawed biographies. I hope this is the last one about O'Hair; atheists deserve better than to be continually smeared by her taint.

There aren't many who live their last days in more sensational and mysterious circumstances than Madalyn Murray O'Hair and her family. It is amazing that there hasn't been more attention, although the reason is probably due to the length of time between their disappearance and the discovery of the bodies (as well as the criminal trials). The publicity was victimized by the drawn-out nature of the series of events. The public simply doesn't have an attention span that can accommodate a five year time-frame between events.

But it's now ten years later and all of the facts that we're probably ever going to know are on the table, so it's a great time for anyone curious about the details of the life and death of this tragic family to take an interest in the case.

This is a well-researched book. The author really goes the distance in providing a deep sketch of the Murrays. I found myself detesting them and, at the same time, feeling sorry for them, particularly the children, who seemed incapable of resisting her gravitational pull, and, consequently, never had lives of their own.

My feeling is that Madalyn was never as bad as she pretended to be, but neither was she as good as her supporters thought her. She played a role to two different audiences and pulled the wool over each.

This is a pretty good book on O'Hair's life, although, like another reviewer, I did wonder why there was so much material on her murderer, David Waters. It is likely because the author interviewed him, wanted to used the material in the book, and the information is somewhat relevant to the story. However, it is really hard to read a book about O'Hair and really get a feel for the woman.

There is a radio interview/debate between O'Hair and Walter Martin, a Baptist minister, that occured in 1968 on the Long John Nevel radio show that is very illuminating, if you care to take the time to listen to it. If you go to the Wikipedia entry on Madalyn Murray O'Hair and scroll down to the "external links" section, there is an entry labeled "Baptist minister Walter Martin vs. Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair". Click on it, and you'll get the entire three hour radio program in MP3 format. The first hour or so is the interview, and the last two hours is the debate and call-in part of the show.

Listening to this show after reading the book really gives you a feel for the facts presented in the book. For one, O'Hair really shows herself up to be quite the publicist in spite of her claims of not caring what other people think. As the book says, she needed these "other people" as a revenue stream. In this broadcast she claims that she is married to a "Mr. Murray", that he is Roman Catholic, and that both her sons are products of that marriage. Even O'Hair knew that, in 1960's America, most people would be much more willing to accept that she was an atheist than the fact that her sons had two different fathers and that she had never married either of them. She also makes the statement that if her son Bill decided to become a Christian minister that she would accept his decision. 12 years later when this actually happened, she took the attitude that he had commited treason. As the show wears on, O'Hair's end of the debate largely consists of name-calling, bullying, and claiming that "she had read every book Mr. Martin has read twenty years ago". In short, the radio program gives life to the facts presented in the book for those too young to remember what this woman was like in person.

If you want to read a biography of O'Hair, this is probably the one to get since it is the most unbiased and least sensational of the books written on the subject.

Madalyn Murray-O'Hair may not have been an easy woman to understand. Her forceful, often intolerant-seeming personality did not make a good case for herself in the media. Indeed, this book, (one of two having been published) proves how difficult it has been to reassess Mrs. O'Hair's legacy. Whether right or wrong, it is hard to pin-point just exactly where Mrs. O'Hair stopped being an idealist, someone who truly wanted to change society and right some of the wrongs she saw in American culture, and where personal opportunism and megalomania began. One thing is clear: Mrs. O'Hair had ideals! From what I've read about her (and I have most of her published books), she was ahead of her times; her intellect was eclectic, but her interpretations of ideas and current affairs often bordered on the brilliant. Unfortunately, her personality, accentuated by a bad public image, plus her personal life (her son, William Murray, went on to write a tell- all-Christian book) all worked, I think, against the message she tried to communicate.

Most leaders of the freethought movement have been relegated to a side note in history. Ironically, Mrs. O'Hair remains the best known atheist in the world.

As a biography, this book provides a much needed gap about the life of an American historical figure, especially her earlier life. Perhaps, American Atheists should publish a biography about their Founding Matriarch, a biography that will continue to further the dialogue about Mrs. O'Hair's legacy in American life and culture?

I couldn't put this book down! Mr. Rowe does a wonderful job at captivating his audience and keeping you wondering what will happen next. All throughout the book, you can't help but wonder if this is really what life will be like in the future...you almost hope not! Definitely a must read...the characters are both dynamic and life-like. Buy this book today and experience the rush for yourself!

Comparing Hoam Rowe to Vonnegut is like comparing Tom Robbins to Vonnegut. A comparison I've often heard made, that I scarcely believe is fair or accurate. Vonnegut does not own the rights to being brash, odd, and darkly comedic. Other authors have done it just as well, and completely on their own. Rowe included.

Rowe is his own writer. While you may be able to detect influences, the world he creates is ultimately unlike that of any other writer. And while that world at times can be a little difficult to navigate... the fact that this book challenges your mind now and then is what makes it refreshing and entertaining.

Personally, I look forward to more from this writer. I think the best is yet to come.

What can I say? It was a great book. I didn't think I would like it. A freind said try it and then I couldn't put it down. This book should be a movie!!!

I received a free copy of this book from a colleague with the understanding that I would read it and write this review. I have to say that I would not have taken the time to write it otherwise.

The book is dull and poorly written. The writing style lacks finesse and the dialogue and characters are incredibly flat. I thus frequently found myself not caring about the story or its characters, which made the entire read a real drag.

The writing style displays an obvious Kurt Vonnegut influence quite prevalent among young authors. Vonnegut's style combines the blunt with the appalling. As one reader recalled, "Vonnegut is the only author who can make me laugh and cry in the same sentence." This phenomenon is due to his original style, and its frequent imitation in other authors' works is a testament to its quality. Unfortunately, it works best only when executed by Vonnegut himself.

Rowe employs Vonnegut's technique throughout "Life Begins" by discussing sexual themes and perversions, murder and death, drug use etc. in a very frank manner. I find it interesting that the author appears to not care for Vonnegut's work (he makes this clear in a footnote 63), yet he copies so much of Vonnegut's style.

One of my greatest problems with the novel are the puerile attacks on the Bible, my favorite of which being found on page 37: "While most of the book is B.S. some is not." I could not find a better quote to display Rowe's unoriginality, callow technique and style, undeveloped skill and lack of finesse. This quote was the first of many instances in which I found myself thinking, "as someone who agrees with you, please just stop."

I also frequently found myself wishing Rowe would show instead of tell. By this I mean that although the author is clearly very knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics, the way he displays his knowledge is through the incorporation of unnecessary footnotes. It seems like the only point of the vast majority of the footnotes is to allow the author to flaunt his knowledge, as if that gave him more credibility or integrity. To the contrary, he would come off as more intelligent and much more clever if he managed to work his body of knowledge into the story itself, rather than reserving his comments for footnotes which only detract from an already lacking story. This again reflects the lack of finesse previously mentioned.

One part in which I think it is possible Rowe *did* show instead of tell were the scenes where a character would "die" only to come back to life again - in essence, they cannot be killed. This happened to both LeRoy Jones and Thomas. Given the author's diverse knowledge, I find it possible, however unlikely, that he is referencing Act I, Scene 4 of "The Ghosts of Versailles," where a very similar scene is found. There was not enough material in the book to discern if this correlation was intentional or not. Regardless, I enjoyed the parallel.

Rowe makes a number of comments against Yann Martel's novel "Life of Pi." While I have to agree that "Pi" is not a very compelling novel, it *is* well written. Rowe disagrees: "One award winning author wrote a whole book, Life of Pi, that asked you, essentially, the same question: what is true to you? Which do you believe?" I can't help but think that Rowe missed something. Though it has been a few years since I last read "Pi," I seem to recall the question posed at its conclusion being "What is the better story" - not "what is true to you". This is yet another passage where I found myself thinking, "as someone who agrees with you, please just stop."

Perhaps I missed something, but I found the book was not worth my time. On the third-to-last page Rowe hints at a sequel. I won't bother reading it.

Few authors dare to defy convention. Luckily, Hoam Rowe has the fortitude to tread where others would fear to go. Will his book make you feel agitated, and sometimes even angry, before you find yourself laughing out loud? Yes. But isn't that what a book is supposed to do? I thank Mr. Rowe for having the courage to attempt to expand the parameters of readers' minds, and his genre, in the process. You shouldn't read this book if you are afraid to read anything other than what your high school teachers taught you was acceptable material. On second thought, maybe you should.

Well-written. informative on life in Roman Britain in the later days of R oman occupatiion. Not of the quality of books by Stephen Saylot which to me are the best of this genre.

The master of the mystery set in Roman Britain. A scholar with a sense of humor

Libertus, the mosaic maker of Glevum, Britannia, must solve a murder on the property of his patron Marcus Aurelius Septimus before the Lemuria, the festival for the souls of the departed, takes place. Mystery builds on mystery. Complicating the matter, the daughter of an an irascible tribal farmer has disappeared at about the same time. As Libertus sets to work, he is constantly belittled by the haughty guest, strange things happen, more bodies are discovered, and Marcus' gatekeeper is murdered, and there seems to be obstruction all around.

As all the novels in this series, this book is written in a rather serious vein. Nonetheless, there is quite a bit to smile about, mostly about the young slaves in both households, especially the eager to please Maximus and Minimus, who are signed over to Libertus while Marcus travels to Rome and tend to finish each others sentences. Life in the villa, town life in Glevum, Libertus' little household, and the hostile British farmers whom Libertus encounters, are believably portrayed. All in all a good book by a dependable author.

Rosemary Rowe's exhaustive scholarship on Roman Britain is admirable, but doesn't really make up for a story that is unnecessarily dense and convoluted, overly burdened with mundane dialogue and generally lacking in punch and mystery. This book did not compare favorably with any of the Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis or "The Water Thief" by Ben Pastor.

Paris Jackson has a lot on her plate for one woman. Trying to start up her own shoe company using a product she and her friends developed called Sfoam. A job at a local bank she's not entirely happy at, but she finds her boss attractive. A boyfriend who keeps changing the rules of their relationship, AND an ex-husband who wants her back. Not to mention her mom is now going to random funerals of people she doesn't even know and dating ex cons she finds in the personal ads?

It's enough to make Paris want to run, from everything and everyone.

Great book I enjoyed this one immensly. One of the best chick lit books I've read.

I read this book in less than a day because I just could not put it down. I had to know what was going to happen with JWP, Inc., whether Paris was every going to achieve her dreams and see her company succeed, and if all the people in her life truly had her best interest at heart.

I know that this is Chick-lit but there was a lot of real world experience that you can take away from this such as: trust your gut instinct, never give up on your dream but don't be afraid to make adjustment, learn to think with your head and not just with your heart, and sometimes you have to take off the rose colored glasses to really see a person.

I would truly recommend this book, you will not be disappointed.

It looks like PWJ, Inc; the company that is making Sfoam (a cushioning system for running shoes) is going to go belly-up because none of the foot wear companies are willing to give it a chance. Paris Jackson, a runner who created the concept is ready to throw in the towel due to a lack of funds when her ex-husband Greg, a venture capitalist, comes to town five years after he left her one month into their marriage.

Paris has a no commitment relationship with Will, one of the scientists who developed Sfoam but he is very unhappy that Greg is back in town. His possessiveness makes commitment shy Paris back away from him and move closer to Greg while she fantasizes about her boss who is about to fire her because her work at the bank has suffered because of the hours she puts in at PWJ. When Will and Paris officially break off, Greg is there ready to pick up the pieces and help her run the company. Paris has to find out what she needs to make herself happy before she can make any decisions about the firm or the men in her life.

This is as much a character study as it is a chick lit tale. There are many funny scenes as well as serious moments. Readers come too really like and care for the vulnerable protagonist. Stephanie Rowe knows how to grab and keep reader interest as IF THE SHOE FITS is a terrific reading experience. This is an author who makes chick-lit tales deep and enriching novels.

Harriet Klausner

This is definitely a chic-lit book. I prefer romance novels. The story is about a woman's stresses and indecisions over work, friends and lovers. I didn't admire or like her. Because of her dream job at night, she was doing a poor job at the bank and that bothered me. No integrity. She would make up sicknesses to get out of work at the bank. I wasn't drawn into the story or other characters that much, except for Will, one of her lovers. I didn't laugh. Nothing surprised or delighted me other than having a happy ending. I would not recommend it.

Rowe's obtuse, convoluted writing style buries his ideas in a morass of verbal sludge, rendering them totally inaccessible to the layman and barely comprehensible to the typical architecture student. After encountering this book several times in the course of various classes, I was surprised to realize how comparatively simple the ideas it contains are. In the typical fashion of upper-level humanities academia, however, Rowe hides his point behind impossibly twisted sentences and an onslaught of outside references that seems designed more to impress the reader with Rowe's own wide-ranging knowledge than to enlighten. The ideas of this book could be condensed to a short essay, and the only thing lost would be the page count.

This article defined visual analysis of two dimensional architectural and urban design compostion.

I'm a student, Transperency: the book gives you a new way to think about architecture, outlining a basic characteristic in architecture that transcends major movements. Crucial to the understanding of buildings. best of all. .. Colin Rowe is really easy to read.

This book is not out of print and is available from the publisher. It has been published in Germnan and in English so if you want an English version make sure you order the correct edition.

Bert does not fit the typical "stereotype" I'm sure many people have. He's not gay for one thing. Most cross-dressers aren't, but there is so little information in the "real world". This book is a breath of fresh air. I highly recommend it for married couples dealing with these issues. Bert is basically your average guy, except for the fact he likes wearing dresses!

THe Autobiography of a cross-dresser was a unique book, It gave the reader a unique understnading of cross-dressing from the cross-dresser and from his own words. It also gives a history of when the author started and How it affects his life now, All in All it was a good book

THe Autobiography of a cross-dresser was a unique book, It gave the reader a unique understnading of cross-dressing from the cross-dresser and from his own words. It also gives a history of when the author started and How it affects his life now, All in All it was a good book

The best parts of this book are providing an understanding that there are different kinds of creativity and being able to assess one's creative potential, the chapter on education and how essential the creative process is for learning, and how to use our creativity to understand and solve problems in our turbulent society. Creativity helps in taking the risks that improve problem solving.

It is absolutely essential to develop our creativity to our fullest potential in order to be successful in our careers as well as in our personal lives. Creativity helps us see more options in every situation that confronts us.

For today's business people and for educators, I believe this book is an absolute must!

Good News: Dr. Rowe makes new and useful distinctions on the four demensions of creative intelligence. Bad New: the book is missing the answer key to the Creative Intelligence Profile, which is the heart and value of the book rendering the profile useless. Too bad interesting tool. And attempts to reach out to Dr. Rowe go unanswered.

Creativity is power. The author makes a compelling case that in today's complex and chaotic environment, it is essential to solve what increasingly seems like the unsolvable.

The author, an emeritus USC professor of management, breaks his treatment of creativity into four parts:

1. Learning to harness your creative intelligence.
2. Exploring opportunities to apply your creativity.
3. Helping others recognize and use their creativity.
4. Creating open environments to support creative endeavors.

To me the most practical part of the book is a test instrument which identifies a person's creative potential. The 25-question test determines the taker's aptitude for the four basic creative styles:

1. Innovative
2. Imaginative
3. Intuitive
4. Inspirational

With the problems facing business and society, it is surprising more effort is not made to identify and encourage creative thinkers and thinking.

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "A mind that is stretched to a new idea never returns to its original dimensions."

Given the number and depth of the problems facing humankind, it is surprising to me that we continually resort to the same, worn-out and tired solutions.