Scott Books

A good book on an important subject-worth picking up. The illustrations are superbly done.

I teach 5th grade...in NC. Keith Odom, the author ANDillustrator of MERVIN THE PURPLE SCHMOO is my cousin...I would lovethe book if I was not related. The story is sweet and the artwork is beautiful. I read it to my students and then they wanted to re-read it individually. (I can't read it with the expression Keith can.) My co-workers love the book too and want personal copies AND copies for their classrooms. Keith is a very talented person and a fine author/illustrator. I am completing my 27th year of Elementary School teaching and I've never seen such a good book. MERVIN and KEITH are great...Keep it up Keith.

My girlfriend has been trying to get me to read the Bible. I told her it was to long so she borrowed the book about the schmoo from her sister and asked me was this one to long. I thought she was just being sarcastic because it's a kid book. At least I thought it was when I started reading it. I'm 22 and I really enjoyed it. My girlfriend must have pretty good taste in books. I might start the Bible now. I can trust her not to have me read stuff that will be a waste of time.

Read MERVIN at my Sister's house yesterday. She had recently purchased one from the author at a local book signing. She said Mr. Odom was a joy to talk to. She, my nephew, and I are all mezmorized by the story and the pictures. Mr. Odom had enclosed a book mark with your address on it to write a review. I don't really know how to write a review but his book is G-R-E-A-T. My sister said he's almost finished with a sequel. We can't wait to get one. Make that two. Hope he has another local signing. I'll be there and I'll bring some friends with children. There are none at my house unless you count ME.

I bought a copy of Mervin the Purple Three-Toed Schmoo at abook signing last week. It was intended for my 8 year old Grandson,who I haven't seen since, so he may never get this book because I love it so much. Mr. Odom was very personable and is obviously a brilliant writer as well as artist. He told me he was almost finished with his second book. He promised that the second would be better, especially artistically, than Mervin because he had been a little "rusty" doing the artwork for the first book. I can't conceive of anything surpassing Mervin. I can hardly wait to get a copy of the second book.

I read this book in High School (late 80's) on a recomendation of a friend and I just loved it. Recently I found a copy at a coffee shop for $1 and just had to buy it and read it again. Again it is a very gripping book about the vietnam war and a ranger team. This is a must for any fan of military stories and veterans.

This one of the best books I've ever read. I'm in college and don't get to read other books often, but this is a must read if you like action books.

I first read this book back in the summer of 1985. I was in jump school down at Benning. The author of this book was the commander of the school at the time. He was a little guy, but don't let that fool ya, because he carried himself like a giant. And while we were running in formation in the hot Georgia heat, he would be running around us and yelling, "gotta love it". We would all yell back in unison, "charlie mike, sir!" Man, that guy was full of energy. You should know that "charlie mike" means "continue mission... no matter what... and against whatever odds". The book carries the same intensity as the colonel.

During those 3 weeks of airborne school I must have read that book 4 times. Boy-oh-boy I loved that book. And of course I went with all my fresh-made buddies to the Benning PX to have the Colonel sign it one Sunday.

I guess I was kind of surprised 2 years later in the summer of 1987 back at Benning for Ranger School when we were all running on that hot Georgia hardball. Because there he was again! Commander of Ranger School.

I'll never forget during that first week there, called "zero week", on one morning jog, he comes running up to me and says, "Ranger, are you an officer?" I says, "yes, sir." And he says, "what school you from Ranger?" I sound off, "Lehigh, Sir." He then yells back, "Rangers from that school don't usually do very well here at Ranger School." So I sound off again, "We'll see, sir."

I figured he probably said that to a lot of us kids. But I took that as a challenge coming from this colonel. That's the way he was. He was always challenging us. Making us push ourselves to do better. It felt pretty good 8 weeks later after Camp Merrill, deserts of Utah, swamps of Florida, and then back on that parade field at Benning when ol' Scott pinned that black and yellow tab on my shoulder. I got pay back from a school that had just washed out 50% of the class.

That's the way COL Scott was though. He pushed us. And he taught us how to push ourselves. And the book is no different. The characters have been taught the same way. Because when the chips are down, they push themselves to continue, to continue mission.

So last year when my 16 year old son asked me what Ranger School was like and what Rangers do, I told him. But then I said, "if you really want to know you should hear it from the guy who taught me." So I ordered the book off Amazon (my signed copy had been lost over the years) and after he read it, he told me he wanted to be one, too.

Charlie Mike, Sir.
Airborne Ranger

This is probably on of the best books i've read ever. I just could not put it down.

This is a great book taking you out of this world and into the jungles of Vietnam. You make great friends and loose them but in the end you look at the world and life in a whole new way. Breathtaking from start to finish.

After High School, I joined the U.S. Army and Attended Jump School. LTC Scott was my commander and I bought the book at the Post Exchange, December 1985. I loved it and have the autographed copy still today.

Before approaching the text of Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, I had little realization as to the proper content of his prophetic work. To my former understanding, the text was merely a collection of adulation and reflections upon the American way of life by a French observer in the nineteenth century. Upon reading this abridged version of Democracy in America, I found a much more prophetic text which reflected more upon the cultural impact of democratic institutions than upon the praise which should be attributed thereto. While one may fault de Tocqueville for approaching the democratic world with the cutting eye of a small aristocracy, it is quite evident that he accepted the fact that the human spirit was led to greater democratic tendencies and that such was to be taken almost a priori as the state of the world in his era.

The truly important reflection of the work as a whole comes in the considerations which he places upon the consequences of equality which follows from democratic revolutions. The phenomena of hardy individualism and its potential devolvement into individualism were not lost in his reflections. From this hardy individualism, de Tocqueville feared that humanity in democratic times may tend more toward equality and stability than toward liberty. In this, he not only foresaw the simple tendencies of utilitarian artwork and literature but also the potential destruction of civil associations and the devaluation of individual accomplishment and differentiation. It is this latter point, which seems somewhat paradoxical at first glance, which is perhaps the most prophetic of his reflections. In the process of cultural homogenization and individuation, de Tocqueville foresees that centralization of power will become much more likely as the populace views itself to be nothing more than an accumulation of nearly-identical citizens. Beyond this, his fears of the tyranny which could result by the abandonment of liberties by the people are well founded, for a society which wholly forgets the fact that some human beings can stand out is one which can easily allow itself to be subjected to the capricious desires of a powerful state as liberty is wholly forgotten.

These prophetic words should be read by all reflective Americans as we continue to move toward a larger centralized state and clamor with greater intensity for security in all forms (be it physical or social), for such equalizing security can only come at the cost of the liberties which allow the individual to actually have the worth which we intellectually affirm that he or she has.

As an American living in Europe, I read with great interest Alexis de Tocqueville's book about a European experiencing America.

Like most people, Mr. de Tocqueville started out with a characterization of the United States, believing that the country's early 19th century prosperity was a function of its distance from rivals in Europe. But after his famous trip, he concludes that the real difference comes from each side's view of risk taking. It's an insight as relevant today as it was when it was written.

Mr. de Tocqueville predicted that the growing issue of state's rights would lead to bloodshed (it led to the Civil War -- though he wrongly predicted it would eventually lead to a breakup of the union, he was very nearly right on that point as well); he predicts the fledgling country's industrial rise and its emergence as a true world power; he recognized the symbiotic role between industry and democracy at a time when they were believed to be unrelated. His insights into the American psyche, optimism, and ambition at times seem timelier than most op-ed pieces.

More than a century and a half after it was written, I am hard pressed to conjure the name of a better commentary about America and Americans. It is an astonishing feat considering the brevity of Mr. de Tocqueville's four-month visit, his youth (he was in his early 20s), and early stage of development the country was in. But the result is something that shouldn't be skipped by any serious student of the political and social essence of the United States.

Praising this book is a bit like saying Huckleberry Finn was one of the great American novels - it's a profound statement of the obvious. Even so, it must be said: Alexis de Tocqueville's magnum opus is a brilliant sociological analysis of America, with his genius made all the more evident by how applicable his observations about 1830s America are to its twenty-first century counterpart. Everything from the solidity of America's political infrastructure to the disquieting trend toward anti-intellectualism are explored in this massive work, and his gift of analysis is matched only by his gift for prophecy (can you believe that he predicted a conflict between America and Russia before the rise of Communism?). An amazing book, and necessary reading for anyone who wishes to understand America, rather than merely talk about it.

I have three complaints about this edition of Tocqueville:
1) Nowhere in the book is the translator credited. This violates basic principles of publication and scholarship.
2) This is in fact an abridged version of the original English-language translation by Henry Reeve, dating from sometime before 1862. Unless you want to re-create the experience of a modern Frenchman confronted with de Tocqueville's somewhat archaic French by reading the text in somewhat archaic English, I would seek out any of the more recent translations: there are at least three.
3) The ellipses, that is, the abridgements, have sometimes been made to conceal some of the author's less flattering views America. In fact I suspect this is a "patriotic" abridgement. For example, in the second chapter of part one, Heffner has omitted references to some of the excesses of Puritan law in New England which the notoriously even-handed Tocqueville had cited.

As a former reviewer has stated this edition takes quite a bit of liberty in excising the less flattering aspects of Tocqueville's views of America. In fact the entire section on race-relations has been excised --perhaps it was deemed too controversial? This kind of editing is even more unacceptable in our age of open communications and hopefully open minds. Find another edition.

Its a great book for him to read and if he does it works wonders for us!

I think this is a great book that has some practical principles in it for all men to learn from and apply them to their everyday lives.

Well, this is a fantastic book for every man who is married and want his marriage to work whatever the price to be paid (and, since divorce is a financial and emotional ruin for men, this is not a silly attitude). If you are this kind of man, please buy this book. It is full of practical advice. Dr. Haltzman is a no-nonsense man and knows what he is talking about. So I think the book deserves 5 stars.

But being single I bought the book to know more about marriage (because I wanted to be married eventually) and I found it very informative but very depressing. After having finished the book I am fully convinced that marriage is a crappy deal for men and that I am not letting myself caught by this trap. Of course, this is not a problem of the book: Dr. Haltzman says things how they are and I ended up having stiff neck because I was nodding constantly to every thing he said. Even some past behaviours of my past girlfriends which had been so difficult to understand so far, now are very clear under the light of what I have learnt from the book.

Anyway, the message of Dr. Haltzman to make marriage succeed is, in four words, being your wife's servant. Simple but depressing. Some of his advice is :

1. Say "yes" or "no problem" to most things your wife ask you to do. (This way, the complaining and arguments disappear).

2. Fulfill all her needs before expecting your needs to be fulfilled. Expecting your wife to meet you half-way is delusional (when you think you are halfway, she thinks you are one-tenth of the way and her opinion is the important one). As Dr. Haltzman says, only when she recognizes the man is totally committed to her happiness, then (and only then) can the man begin to get his own needs meet.

3. Hide your feelings of vulnerability (these are some of the secrets which the title refers to), although women say "they love men who are in touch with their feelings" (but this is not true). However, listen very carefully when your wife expresses her feelings. (This is the most depressing advice. I wonder why I should marry, if I can't share my feelings of sadness with the person who I love most in the world, if I end up feeling alone in a relationship).

4. Make marriage your job. Problems in your relationship are to be approached with the same mentality as problems in your job. Keeping your marriage alive requires attention every day. (So there is no time to relax even after a hard day. You end up working twice).

5. Something along the lines that you may have thought the wedding ring was enough evidence of your commitment. But for her, the vows are only a start, she wants you to prove your love for her every day. To do this, you must give up your bachelor identity.

Reading this review it would seem that I am attacking Dr. Haltzman. I am not. He is so right. When reviewing my past relationships with this information, everything makes sense. This is the way to make a marriage work, no doubt. What is wrong is marriage. The depressing truth is that marriage is not worthwile for men. You trade your independence, your possibility of having several partners, your freedom, your peace of mind, your financial assets for..what? For working every day to please your wife, that's for. It is everything about HER. Your needs are only the last thing to be considered.

And if she divorces you - as Dr. Haltzman says, some 70% of divorces are initiated by the woman - it is even worse. She takes your children, your assets, your house and you end up paying her alimony and child support. So, bottom line, why marry?

So, in summary, if you are married and want to avoid divorce, please buy this book. If you are single and want to know what is marriage beyond all these coloured glasses the media (ckick-lit, romantic movies, etc) put on it, please buy this book (but don't be surprised if you end up depressed and sad, like I am now). This is a necessary book for men. 5 stars, and if there were 10 stars, I would rate it with them.

At the conclusion of the introduction to his book, The Secrets of Happily Married Men, Dr.Scott Hazelton writes that it is not his aim to merely assist in making marriages okay, he wants to help make them great! At the outset of the book, he creates a "job description" for husbands. He calls it; The First Way: Make Your Marriage Your Job
The following seven chapters enourage the reader to work toward that goal. From the Secrets of MarriedMen.com, Dr. Scott shares the following observation by a man named Frank, age 48, married for 25 years;

You both must give 100 percent of yourself in your marriage if you
want it to work. Love her the same as you did when you dated and
make her feel like the most important thing on earth. You had
better find the time or you will find yourself divorced. If you
can't find the time to do this, why did you ever get married?

Hazelman reiterates a conclusion that was made by Gottman which says after tempers flare and hurtful things are said, the future of a relationship depends on how the couple makes up-or at least engages in some sort of damage control.

He goes on to say that a husband's greatest challenge is to foster, within his wife's heart, a real and lasting faith that she can trust him.

I was looking forward to reading this book given the reviews and synopsis, but was sorely disappointed, and even a bit downright annoyed at Haltzman's subtle sexism and simplistic explanations. Better bets would be the work of Steven Stosny (wowed by his "I Can't Take It Anymore..."), Terrence Real (my hubby is impressed by his insight), and John Gottman (whose work in the love lab is remarkable).

This book is an easy read (2 to 3 hours) with deep insights about following your passion. The information is depicted like a story of a mentor and mentee.

Mr. Reid's message is very inspirational and it moved me to take action resulting in profound changes in my life. Mr. Reid "walks his talk" therefore the principals that he teaches automatically has an powerful impact to the reader in the most authentic way. A true masterpiece, pack full of solid teachings that will affect your life in an Incr-e-i-d-ible way!

This book is a quick and easy read that gets down to the basics of what it takes to be successful without the hype. Straight forward and fun to read, The Millionaire Mentor is a must for anyone who is looking for the foundation that all successful individuals have in common.

One of the Best books I have ever read! Teaching you the laws of success in a story format that hits home. A must read for anyone who wants to get to the next level of success.

Don Boyer
Creator of The Power of Mentorship series

I love the fact that the book is a combination of fiction and nonfiction, putting across a great message told as a story. To use a famous sales quote: "Facts tell, Stories sell", and the story in this book really makes sure that the message hits home.
If you love books like "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki and "The One Minute Millionaire" by Mark Victor Hansen and Robert Allen, make sure you get a copy of this great book as well.

Very well put together book of white captives abducted by the Indians.
Scott Zesch did a great job at researching information to put to this book together.
This book tells the life of the captured and also helps the reader to understand how the captives became Inianized with in a short time frame.
The transformation of being taken from the captives white family to become Indians, then being recovered back to their birth parents gives the reader a better understanding of what they had to go threw.
Thank you Scott Zesch.

This is a must have book.

A few years back, Scott Zesch was doing family history when he ran across a grave of a long-lost ancestor named Adolf Korn. Scott eventually learned that Adolf had been a captive of the Comanche Indians for several years as a boy. After being "rescued," he was always strange, and ended up living his life as a hermit in a cave.

Zesch expanded his research, and the result was "The Captured," a fascinating book about children captured by the Comanches, their experiences, and what became of them in later years. Zesch discovered that children younger than puberty tended to assimilate almost immediately; they forgot their native language (English or German) and even lost their attachment to their mothers. Zesch examines this heartbreaking psychology through his research into the lives of the individuals, which he relates in vivid detail.

"The Captured" is a thoughtful book that both sweeps you up in human drama and leaves you with a lot of things to think about.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Clare, co-author of the historical novel "To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark"

My 7th grade Horizons English class enjoyed this novel immensely! We used it as an extension of Texas History, combined as an interdisciplinary unit.

I have a Great-Great Grandmother who was kidnapped by Indians and taken to Canada. Her story is lost but I wanted to get the gist of what kinds of things may have happened, and why she didn't want to be "rescued". This was just the ticket. Well-researched and written, I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't dry or overly scholarly.

picked up my first copy of this book in Fredericksburg, TX where I happened to be eating some BBQ and looked across the street to see an old settlers outpost fort. I wandered around to check it out and the volunteer guide there showed me the book and said it was an amazing story about a little known niche of our history - children kidnapped by the Indians to re-populate their own tribes thorugh a process of "the strongest will survive and be good warriors" they rode the kids hard and if they cried or shoed signs of weakness, they killed them on the spot, figuring they wouldnt be worth the effort to train and raise. if the kids were able to endure the introduction phase, then they began living life like kings, training to shoot arrows, ride horses, fight, and hunt all day. leaving the domestic chores to the women. nearly all of them eventually were returned or sold back to the white settlers but some refused to go and a number of them ran away and rejoined their indian families.

it reads like an adventure book and proves that real life is better than fiction. the Author does a great job o story telling and is very diligent to accurately reflect true historical data as pulled from historical interviews, military records and newspaper articles.

It's a fun book to have - a coffeetable book. I purchased it as a holiday present. I may end of keeping it and purchase another for the holidays!

I just ordered this book after seeing Emily Scott Pottruck being interviewed on a local TV news program. I also ordered copies for two friends who I share a special bond with as we volunteered at the Michigan Humane Society together. I understand that some people think too much attention is given to animals when there is so much human suffering in the world. To them I would say that our pets give us unconditional love, which is a very rare gift. My 26 year old son died suddenly in June of '06 and I know I could not have made it this far without the companionship of my beloved beagle, Piccolo. She always senses my moods and is ready to give me extra cuddles whenever I need them. I think I am a kinder, stronger, and better person because of her.

Tails of Devotion is more than just a coffee table book. This book does what few books on animals manage to do, which is to attempt to raise the level of human consciousness about the necessity for relationships with companion animals and the sacredness of those bonds. At a time when companion animals are still largely regarded as "property" by many, this book will add to the growing understanding of the need to treat companion animals as valued members of our extended human family.

Karen Leslie, Executive Director, The Pet Fund

I gave this book as a gift to a friend who is a true animal lover. She absolutely fell in love with the book. Some beautiful stories of people and their love for their animals. Highly recommended!

Emily Scott Pottruck brings the unique relationship that exists between pets and their people to glorious life in this beautifully written and illustrated book. 'Tails of Devotion' proves that the love which is shared between people and their pets crosses all social boundaries, and unites us all in a way that few other loves could ever accomplish.

The life-affirming story of Elizabeth, a homeless woman living in the Bay Area along with her faithful companion, Hero, alone is worth the price of this lovely book!

In addition, Emily Scott Pottruck is generously donating 100% of the proceeds from 'Tails of Devotion' to non-profit animal welfare groups! So, along with receiving this beautiful book (which you will treasure for years to come!), you will also have the wonderful feeling that comes with knowing that your purchase has enabled animal welfare organizations to continue their work to help less fortunate animals.

'Tails of Devotion' will make a wonderful gift for anyone who has ever known the joy of loving ... and being loved by ... a beloved animal companion.

As a child, I couldn't put any of Poe's short stores down, now a few decades later, nothing much has changed. I was thrilled to add this book to my collection, it is well made, and comprehensive collection. All of this at a great price.

The book arrived just in time and it is in excelent conditions. This edition contain all my favorites works of Edgar Allan Poe. I recommend it!

Despite all who have attempted the genre since, Poe remains the supreme master of the horrific short story. From this collection I select "Berenice" to comment on, not only because it is a classic example of Poe, but also because it deals with a subject so typically his, that of obsession.
There is little point in trying not to "spoil" a Poe story by avoiding telling the final outcome, for in this story, as in much of his work, the fascination lies not in a teasing or elaborate plot leading to a surprise revelation, but in morbid, gristly dwelling on the awful texture of misery, melancholia and near madness. One can read them repeatedly, and they still taste satisfyingly rank and vile.
In this short story of brooding obsession, Egaeus looses his wife, Berenice, to illness, and in a fit of abstraction and obsession opens her grave and rips out the part of her that his mind has fixated upon: her teeth. Nasty and simple, but unforgettable.
There is little joy in Poe's world. Love, hope and happiness are only shown as a prelude to loss, to provide a fading dusk against which the blackness of the tragic end stands out more clearly.
It's interesting that some of Poe's readers complained to the editor when Berenice was published in the Southern Literary Messenger in 1935. This was early in Poe's career, and he reports the subscription list of this periodical as 700. In December of that year he was made editor, and by the time he left the subscription list numbered 5,500. Obviously then, as now, there was quite an appetite for horror amongst readers.

This is an excellent book including all of his poetry, short stories and other literary works! 832pages of Poe! Got it as a present and the person it was for loved it!

We received the book in the time designated and the book was in brand new condition

This book has changed my heart. This book has made me a better parent - as I live God's way. I am thankful to the authors for their wisdom.

Good and Angry is such a good book! I feel like I've experienced a shift in my thinking. I used to think that righteous indignation over being disobeyed gave me license to solve the problem full force with that anger. That had been the parenting model for me. Now it makes so much more sense to view that anger simply as a flag to identify the child's problem,  rather than the weapon, trusting God to move in the child's heart as I seek to direct them with kindness. It could almost be considered a theological shift as well as an emotional one. It has me moving in the direction of trusting God, and away from trusting myself as a parent.

Households get busy. And kids will misbehave.

After a while,a parent's patience can run a bit thin. Especially when children do the same thing time and time again. "Will they never learn?".

The authors provide the reader with a list of tools to get through these times. The goal is to build family relationships while helping kids learn better ways of responding to life's situations.

Kids learn from us. If you ever find your patience being tested in those difficult moments, then you will want to read this book. You might be surprised how it can bring a little peace to the household while building closer family relationships.

This book is excellent. I gave a copy to everyone in my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group because I really feel this book is a must read book.
Why?
This book helps you as a parent to recognize the five basic causes of anger and gives you practical ways to help reduce your anger and use it wisely. In my experience as a parent, I was suprised by what my kids brought out in me- especially anger!
"Emotions need to be interpreted wisely...Anger, for instance, is a flag that says,"Something's wrong here, and`I need to do something about it." The anger does not define what is wrong. You need to take time to think and interpret anger's signal appropriately before you take action...We believe that the key to using anger in a productive way is to separate the trigger from the response. If you can use anger to identify problems but not react to them, your perspective on anger will change." pp. 25-26
This book is written by Christians so they do quote the Bible and talk about God in the book. However, anyone can benefit from the very practical ideas in the book.
Some of my favorites are "The Lie Detector Test" p. 174-175 and the five steps for giving instructions in chapter 3. This is where a lot of parents get frustrated because kids won't do what you ask them to do.
One book is not going to cover all parenting issues(that's why I am continually reading parenting books because I need all the help I can get!) but this book covers what many books do not- how to use anger wisely. Other books often say don't get angry or seem to assume that you won't get angry and don't tell you how to break the anger cycle. That's why I like this book so much and feel it should be a part of your parenting library because anger is a basic emotion felt by every parent.

very well written, insightful and revealing for both your childs behavior and yours as a parent

I read this book when it came out and was also engrossed in the story. Almost twenty years later I vividly recall scenes from the book. It's surpising what publishers consider worthy to remain in print.

I thought this was an excellent, fast paced read. Scott sucks you into the story and leaves you wanting more. I lost my copy or loaned it out, either way I am looking for another. If anyone has one let me know.

I remember finding this book in the public library when I was a teen in the late seventies (the copyright on my paperback copy says 1978) and sitting down to read the first couple of pages. A couple became a few and soon I was completely caught up in the story of Hardin and his wife alone on the sea, blissfully unaware of the wall of steel bearing down on them. I actually had to stifle the impulse to yell at them out loud - LOOK OUT!

I've read the book four or five times since then and it gets better with each reading. Scott's ability to transport you into his character's world is second to none. The sailing scenes are told with amazing detail and authority - the man knows what he's talking about.

The back cover of my copy says "SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE". It's a crying shame that didn't happen - it would have made a whale of a movie!

The most seductive adventure I have ever read! The reader is engaged and captured from the first page to the last. The book is impossible to put down! The story exploites the adrenal system like no other! Time becomes irrelivent, hours pass like minutes as the reader becomes one with the unfolding power of this wonderful tale. The transitions are so seamless it reads like a single page. I too, am at a loss as to why we were denied the movie...until I think of what the current powers in Hollywood are calling entertainment these days!... Somebody call Mel!

I read this book many years ago, but today found myself recommending it to a friend...I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it is the type of book that I would have to have on my shelves at all times...Thanks, Janet