Sherman Books

Ms. Sherman has a way of making history come alive, and her latest book is no exception. The interview technique helps make the characters very life-like and gives the book a very contemporary feel. Even readers who usually find history a bore will be kept turning pages late into the night on this one. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about two exceptional American women.

There are a few biographies on my shelves that I've had since childhood, history books intended to entertain younger readers, but not very many, and none as good as this one. When I returned home after a very long, tiring day and found that my copy of "Abigail and Mary" had arrived, I opened the package and immediately started reading. The next thing I knew, it was three in the morning and I was done with the book. This is an entertaining pair of tales that really bring Abigail Adams and Mary Todd Lincoln to vibrant life -- not just as presidential wives, but as full and fascinating people in their own right. What a wonderful way to flesh out U.S. history. Ever so much more fun than a typical history text, and really great for getting kids interested. It's particularly nice (and unusual) to read such a good work for middle-graders about *women* from this time period. I'm getting a copy for a friend of mine's daughter; I think she'll love it.

This book provides a heartwarming journey away from city life and into the peaceful serenity nature can offer. The writing is beautifully lyrical while the artwork is soothing and delicate. My son, who is a lover of nature, enjoys this book and pointing out the animals on each page. I recommend this book to anyone, adult or child, who loves to get outdoors.

Author Amber Keyser wrote this fictional story based on the life of Esther Sessions Keyser, one of Canada's only female canoe guides during the 1930s and 40s. Esther was also Amber's grandmother. Esther died in 2005 at the age of 90, and had been taking canoe trips in Algonquin Park till the age of 87. She was an amazing woman, indeed.

This high quality book is written in rhyming lyrics with the refrain throughout: Paddle my own canoe. The beautiful illustrations of Dawn Sherman, along with the exquisite wording by author Amber Keyser, makes this quiet book feel as if you are stepping back in time, to a quieter place, a gentler time as you ride along with the young girl as she leaves the hustle and bustle of the city behind. You feel the hushed beauty of nature surrounding you as the young girl pushes off the lakeshore into the gleaming waters of the lake as she paddles along. You observe the lake's brook trout; you feel the serenity of the cathedral formed by trees and the warbling birds during the portage. A moose is observed by water's edge, so she doubles back so that she doesn't disturb him. A sudden storm presents a challenge for the young girl to steady her canoe. Was she successful?

As one and at total peace with nature, this delightful story made me feel the same way as I soaked in the surrounding natural beauty along the way and had the confidence to continue my journey with her when the going gets a little rough. The lyrical flow of words combined with the outstanding illustrations of nature make this gentle book a "keeper". What a wonderful life Esther must have had if the journey described in her granddaughter's book is like the rest of her experiences in the wilds of Algonquin Park in Canada.

By:Gayle Jacobson-Huset
Assistant Editor
Stories for Children Magazine

Susan Sherman gives us a unique, beautifully written, deeply introspective and analytical memoir of the Sixties. She evokes what it was like for a lesbian with Left politics and a radical Leftist who loved women to navigate the often painful territory bridging both nations of the heart. She demonstrates how closely culture and politics were woven then--and are today. From Berkeley to New York and then to revolutionary Cuba and back, Sherman's narrative does what many memoirs aren't able to achieve: she remembers how it looked, smelled, felt, was--while at the same time employing some retrospective analysis. This is a beautiful book, and a must read for anyone interested in what our lives were like back then.

Sherman was not a child of the Sixties, but a voyager through them. A daughter of first-generation, working-class immigrants in Philadelphia, she did not have the sense of entitlements, keen political sense (which has since dulled considerably from what it was among the Sixties generation), and spirit of wild and sometimes reckless rebelliousness and abandon which characterized the mostly college-student members of the Sixties. She does not see the Sixties as a defining moment, but rather as part of "a historical continuum of struggle and cultural regeneration" of which the civil-rights advances of the previous decade of the Fifties, the labor movement of the mid 1900s, and the first meeting of the NAACP in 1909 were a part. "The Sixties was not an isolated era." Yet Sherman's interests, talents, and ambitions drew her to individuals, locations, and situations which typified the counterculture for which the 1960s are remembered.

At Berkeley, she met and was heavily influenced by Diane Wakowski and La Monte Young, a musician the noted poet and writer was living with. Wakowski gave inspiration and focus to Sherman's artistic bent. And it was as a student at Berkeley that the author first experimented with drugs, realized her lesbianism, and out of literary curiosity and proximity as much as sympathies began to pay attention to progressive politics; which political stripe at the time led to demonstrations and confrontations, and in some cases radicalism. After Berkeley, Sherman wrote plays which were performed and also poems and essays. Lesbianism became natural to her. She lived in New York and traveled to Mexico City and Cuba. She writes about her friendships, experiences, and observations in loosely-connected segments and chapters. She's not analytic, though sometimes explanatory. Nor is she deeply introspective, though she regularly looks inward to examine momentary feelings or responses. The thread running through the material covering 1958 to 1971 is Sherman's interests and career as a writer. These are the main sources of her friendships, etc. Her revisit of the Sixties in the relaxed style of mostly fond, uncritical, though not blinkered recall will revive similar times for ones of the Sixties generation and for those who are not, give a picture of what the lives of many were like apart from the oft-replayed media imagery.

In this diverse and masterly compilation, New Mexican Jewishpoets explore their Judaic identities as set against a backdrop ofarroyos, chili plants, and arid turquoise skies. Many of the poets are relatively recent transplants from elsewhere in the country, while a few have long made their homes in the Land of Enchantment. One of the Spanish-writing contributors is descended from the first Jews to arrive in New Mexico, fleeing persecution from the Spanish Inquisition in 1598. The theme of exile and searching permeates many of the works, with several poems inspired by the painful past-the Holocaust, the Inquisition. Other writers probe the wonder and strangeness of newly embracing their faith in this unlikely land. There are also numerous reflections on ancestors, family and religious holidays-one poem describes casting bread into the Rio Grande on Rosh Hashanah morning. Libraries serving communities with sizeable Jewish populations should consider this anthology a must purchase. Also recommended anywhere where interest is high in Western or Jewish culture, or just fine poetry.

Excerpts from a longer review by Judith Fein in HADASSAH Magazine August/September 2000: The book is sprinkled with Spanish, Hebrew, Ladino, and Yiddish. It is puctuated with love, questioning, humility, bravado, honesty, longing and anger.... At first the words seem tender and nostalgic and clever, but they begin to gain power as the diverse voices proliferate.... Of all the poems in the book, the Converso section elicits the most excitement. "I think this is because the phenomenon works both historically and metaphorically," Logghe says. "I ask,'What in your life have you kept hidden?' We all have hidden aspects of ourselves. The book is a vehicle for opening up dialoge with Jewsand non-Jews so we should find some common ground and hearts." Read the whole two page review and you will know why this book is a treasure to share.

I like to have an English translation with Tehillim. Though I know Hebrew quite well, and I know too the real feeling of Tehillim is only in the Hebrew the English helps me often understand a word or passage I am having trouble with.
The Artscroll Translation is often awkward. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of all their interpretations. But the fact that they do what they do out of a position of faith in Hashem often gives their perushim a special strength.
This is a Tehillim which should be in the person's personal library along with other translations and perushim.

This is the most compact and comprehensive Tehillim (Psalms) in the market (as far as I know it). Power-fledged and as a Noachide, Tehillim is the prayers that we can recite daily. Included is the variety of Blessings and a concise translation of the Tehillim in modern English. A very useful volume for travellers and busy people who always out of space in their briefcase (or my bag). A must buy for every Jews and Noachides!

this is a great quick-read book. it provides you with the informational tools you need in order to have a successful natural birth.

This is a good quick summary to give to those unfamiliar with natural childbirth. It covers how to choose an assistant coach (doula), preparations, and then a large reference section on birth.

I am so pleased to have discovered this book, first at the library and now I am buying a copy. This book is a great first book for parents trying to introduce the subject of touching and saying no. This book does not contain any sexual situations or any content that will at all make you uncomfortable, and for that reason, it's a great subject opener.

"Because It's My Body!" is a book about PREVENTION. It really does teach children how to act in ways that make them less likely to be touched when they don't want to be. It is unique in its non-threatening tone, never suggesting that anyone has bad intentions. Anatomy is never mentioned. The book includes a wonderful and useful educational note to parents on this topic. The author's success in reaching children became apparent when my 5 year old insisted on bringing the book to school for his teacher to read to the class. More information about this book and its talented author can be found .... I wholeheartedly agree with the praise of the professionals who endorsed this book. "Because It's My Body!" should be read by all children and the adults who care for them!

People new to the Bible code are always looking for answers as to the validity of code findings. That's really the core question that anyone should ask, "Whether the findings are scientifically significant or whether the code critics have a valid point?" Ed Sherman's book addresses that core question directly with tangible results--the development of long ELS terms that are phrases and sentences versus early Bible code findings that were by and large individual words as terms. He shows that while the Bible code critics may have had a valid point in the 90's with matrices that were simplistic with single-word terms, today's level of code findings with terms as sentences completely destroys the critics' objections. The skeptics have now been largely disproven. For that reason alone, Bible Code Bombshell deserves a read by anyone seriously inquiring into the Bible code itself.

However, one can still find an abundance of websites on the internet where beginner-level codes researchers are still doing simplistic matrices with single-word terms. I would never discourage these enthusiastic beginner-level codes researchers, since all matrix development starts that way. Yet, the casual reader ought to be wary of websites making fantastic claims; but whose matrices are comprised of single-word terms. The fact is that their matrices just aren't well-developed enough to know whether what they have found is statistically significant or randomness. If randomness, then of course their claims are invalid until the matrix is further developed enough to know whether it corroborates or disproves their earlier claims.

The value of Bible Code Bombshell is that it provides the mathematical underpinnings for one to judge validity (mainly in the appendices), and at the same time addresses common sense issues like, 'does the long term make sense?' That last question ought to be primary. For example, if someone came up with a lengthy Bible code term in a matrix on the theme of Thomas Edison, that read, "He invented the lightbulb. Spaceships travel throughout the galaxy. Many people don't eat enough vegetables. He invented the phonograph."; we would read that and say to ourselves that it looks grammatically correct, yet parts of it are entirely out of place with the theme of Thomas Edison. And we would be correct in our conclusion. I think Ed Sherman addresses the issue well in his book, of the 'common sense' test.

The subtitle of Bible Code Bombshell: Compelling Scientific Evidence That God Authored the Bible tells us that Ed Sherman has matrices on the topic of God in the Bible code in his book. He does have those matrices. Yet I think that a few well-developed and statistically significant open matrices does not fully prove the thesis; but then again Mr. Sherman says "compelling evidence" and not "irrefutable proof", so he backs up his claim without hyperbole.

Buy and read Bible Code Bombshell.

This is a substantive book on an intriguing and highly controversial subject. The skeptic, curious, and serious students on this topic should have their interest piqued with the thoroughness, reliability, and credibility of the author's research, documentation, presentation, and unequivocal conclusions.

Although the author is a consulting mathematician with 30 years of experience, he has wisely relegated the math to appendices at the end, making it an easy-to-read book. It addresses the most commonly asked questions about Bible codes on the basis of five years of intensive scientific research. The research team includes a Jewish agnostic, who is a retired professor of mathematics and physics and a part time Hebrew teacher.

The process of systematically extracting encoded messages has produced a wealth of reliable results that have withstood the test of rigorous scientific analyses, including a companion search in the Hebrew text of "War and Peace", as a control for comparison.

What adds credibility to these claims is that some of these equidistant letter sequences (ELSs) are quite lengthy, and much of the related information appears tightly packed together as in a crossword puzzle, sometimes appearing as a cross. The longer the string (encoded message), the less likely it is coincidental. Therefore, the conclusion is that many of these messages were intentionally coded.

But, what do Jews think of the encoding of Jesus in the Old Testament as the long awaited Messiah? Then, how about the fascinating discoveries relevant to 9/11, as you catch the sense of excitement in the quest for any codes surrounding that event; and they are there!

Yes, there are limitations; codes are not time dated, who is speaking to whom, what viewpoint is being expressed, what do some of the messages mean; but, then again, any inquisitive reader will want to investigate the merit of the claims of this book. I did and was not disappointed.

D. Wayne Linn, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Biology
Southern Oregon University

Life is hard in the expanse of the Palo Duro Canyon of Texas. For Chip Morgan, his mother Mercy and father Keith, as well as the other settelers of the region, the biggest threat comes from the Comanche's. Keith keeps after Mercy trying to convince her that they should move on to Jefferson Territory before the Comanche chief Red Hand sends his warriors to their ranch to destroy them or force the family to move off what the Comanche consider their land. Mercy keeps resisting until she sees what was left of their neighbors after the Comanche's attacked and butchered them. So the Morgan's along with their helper Luke Neely began the long and difficult journey from Texas to Ute Mountain. With the help of Julio Selva, the Morgan's secure a place to build a new ranch near Lost Creek. Not all the Indian troubles have been left behind in Texas. Now instead of the Comanche's to contend with, there are the Ute's, who prove to be equally as fierce and brutal to those they consider interlopers on their land. While out hunting, Chip is surprised by a half-breed Ute named Bear. The Ute takes Chip back to his lodge where he meets Bear's wife Willow. Bear teaches Chip how to survive and hunt in the mountains. Bear warns Chip to be careful because the local Ute chief Umiya does not want any Anglos or Mexican's to settle along Lost Creek or near Ute Mountain. All is going well until a Ute warrior sees Luke desecrate a sacred Ute shrine. While Chip and Luke are away, the Ute's attack the Morgan Ranch. Keith is taken captive and Mercy is savagely assuualted. Chip arrives at the ranch to find his mother barely alive. With the aid of Willow, Mercy recovers from her wounds. Chip now knows he must somehow kill Umiya or the family will be destroyed. With Bear's help, Chip devises a plan to kill Umiya and free his father. BLOOD RIVER is an EXCELLENT story of courage and bravery on the western frontier. DON'T MISS this outstanding book from Spur Award winning author Jory Sherman.

I just finished reading this book last night. It was good, but very shocking. The violence was very graphic, I found it hard to believe that I was reading a western. But what made it worth while was knowing that the good guys won and the bad guys lost.

Brilliant as usual, as always. Breaks out of the boxes that confine us outside while he serves time inside - wrongfully. But doing right - all the time. Thank you Sherman for your creative truth-telling and playful push. Keep on.

This is a fabulous book with some powerful writing. I hope the fans of American Stars will read this book. It's for young and for old. This is a little Grisham, Scott Turow and Gerry Spence all in one. I read it in one stretch from the first to the last page. This book is absolutely the best legal thriller this year. Sherman did a great job. Thanks!