Sherman Books

Walt's Time - From Before to Beyond by Robert B. Sherman & Richard M. Sherman. 1998, 252 pages.

The Sherman Brothers need little introduction to Disney fans. Prolific composers of music for films and theme park attractions, they have written some of the most memorable songs in Disney history.

This book, which looks at their long career, finally saw the light of day after the Sherman Brothers met Bruce Gordon and Dave Mumford. Just like The Nickel Tour, publishers felt that there was no commercial appeal in this book. Bruce and David had self-published The Nickel Tour and thought that they could do the same with Walt's Time. The Sherman Brothers, after shopping the book around since 1981, had worked with Jeff Kurtti to have a majority of it written. Bruce and Dave met with Jeff and they agreed to self-publish. The Sherman Brothers were thrilled to work with Bruce, David and Jeff.

The book was created to resemble a scrapbook of their career. It starts with their first day on the Disney lot where they land the title song for the Parent Trap while auditioning a song for the Horsemasters. It then launches through the highlights of a majority of their Disney work. The middle section is dedicated to their father, Al and looks at everything that he published and his successes. During the section on their father, they look at their family history and how Al Sherman influenced his children. It is obvious from Walt's Time that the Sherman Brothers were profoundly influenced by their father and Walt Disney. When the brothers speak of either man, the text is filled with love, gratitude and wonder.

The third section details more of their work with the Disney Company, before and after Walt's passing. It also looks at the body of work they have done since leaving the company. Stage productions, theatrical work and animated films make up the bulk of their work in the '70's, 80's and 90's.

The Brothers spend a lot of time discussing their interactions with Walt Disney and how Walt was an amazing and optimistic person. The song There's a Great, Big Beautiful Tomorrow was inspired by Walt Disney. Their proudest moments include It's a Small World and Mary Poppins. They wrote the songs for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang after receiving Walt's blessings to work on the outside project. Albert Broccoli (producer of the Bond movies) also owned the rights to Fleming's children's novel about the car. Broccoli brought the idea to Walt, who declined saying he had too much on his plate and wanted more creative control. After the success of Mary Poppins, Broccoli gathered most of the creative team that had worked on Mary Poppins. The Brothers were also involved with two of the biggest animated films of the 60's as well: The Jungle Book and Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.

Obviously, the Sherman Brothers' influence has been felt greatly in the theme parks. The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room, Magic Highways, Magic Journeys, Makin' Memories, Astuter Computer Review, the Best Time of Your Life and Miracles From Molecules.

Looking at everything the Sherman Brothers have done is a tad bit overwhelming!

Bottom Line: I enjoyed this book and was completely astounded by how prolific the Sherman Brothers actually are. The book is designed beautifully and features awards, personal recollections and photos from every period of their career (just like a scrapbook!). This is book is clearly for music fans, fans of the Sherman Brothers and fans of Disney films from the 1960's.

Every one of the more than 250 extra large Disney scrapbook pages is filled with unique, full color memorabilia from Walt Disney, and Robert and Richard Sherman, the song writers that created a world of popular music. Everything from pictures and memorabilia of Annette, Haley Mills, and Julie Andrews, to Tommy Sands, 101 Dalmations, The Carousel of Progress, and the Enchanted Tiki Room are featured. Items are grouped by decades. You can spend endless, enjoyable hours just looking in this huge volume that weighs 4 pounds !! Well worth adding to your Disney or music or movies or entertainment library.

What a great book about in my opinion the best songwriters! The Shermans had the opportunity to be with Disney during what I believe was the peak of the Disney Co. Their songs have warmed the hearts of millions of people across the world. My mother had never heard of the Shermans but whenever I sing their songs she says "I love that song, I didn't know they wrote that..." I can count on their songs being family friendly and joyful. I love Winnie the Pooh was not at all surprised when I discovered who wrote the songs! I never get tired of reading Walt's Time. The pictures are great and layout is so different. It is fun to read the background stories that is behind each song. Such as A Spoon full of Sugar and how Robert's son gave them the inspiration. I know the price makes it difficult for some of us. I personally do not own the book, but I love to borrow it from my library. It is a must read for every Disney and Sherman fan out there!

This book is truly the gem of my library... A beautiful look at the careers of Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman! Reading this book brought back so many memories! Little did I realize that so many of my favorite Disney (and even non-Disney) musical films all had one special thing in common... the music of the Sherman Brothers.

This wonderful book is formatted like a huge scrapbook... its fun to read, and just packed with rare photos, cartoons and other memorabilia that would delight any reader.

Wow!, What a feast of fun! Here's the story of two of this century's most prolific and popular songwriters, the Sherman Brothers, finally cronicled in a superb scrapbook. Discover the Sherman Brothers' insights into the enigma that was Walt Disney, and learn of their dream job with this man.. who nurtured their talent, producing a sound that is truly instantly recognisable, the world over. These are the guys who created "the biggest word you ever heard", who left us singing of a "small, small world".. and gave lyrical life to a "fantasmagorical machine" called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

This is a lovingly remembered book by the Dick and Bob, put together with the help of a few amazingly dedicated fans. Bruce & David and Jeff have produced another gem of a book. With them, too much is never enough.. the photographic treasures, the office cartoons all give the impression of being invited to dinner with the Shermans. I was lucky enough to hear the Shermans at the piano for a preview of this book at a Disney fan's convention last year. That was a night I'll never forget.. as the brothers sang their way through the songs of my childhood. Now the feeling of that night (and my childhood) has been captured in print, and I can't be happier! Thanks guys, it's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious !

Extremely cleverly cartoon with a wonderful "cast" of believable sea creatures. Pure delight and full of great humor.

Shermans Lagoon has to be the best comic I have ever read! (and trust me I read a lot of comics) This book deserves no less than 10 stars,it is so funny because of its cast of characters. They range from a fish genious to a big mean giant squid. But the top character has to be Hawethorne the hermit crab who seems to endlessly take advantage of Sherman the shark. BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One word describes the book--------FUNNY, FUNNY, FUNNY----OK, that's three words.

This is a really fun compilation. They did a great job selecting the cartoons for this one. If they start a thread, they finish it.

I love these - such a fun spot on the comics page. Hawthorne reminds us that sneaky lives everywhere.

Reviewed by Kim Peterson for Reader Views (1/06)

Despite the multitude of books about marriage and the easy availability of counseling, the American divorce rate hovers around fifty percent. Quite often an event or unacceptable behaviors prompt the dissolution, but just as often good marriages just wind down lost in the busyness of everyday life. Marriage Magic! offers a skills-based approach to fixing those types of marriages-ones that grew stale because they became routine, became a lower priority than children and careers, became less than the expectations held early in the marriage.

Sherman and Klein open their book with a quiz that asks pertinent questions about your union helping you determine the level of your disenchantment. They follow with an explanation of how to use the book. Then they launch into part one which helps define what might make up your general dissatisfaction and help you to realize how your marriage reached this point.

In part two, the authors posit that you can't move toward a solution without actually understanding your perceptions, so they examine and identify the emotions that might be infusing your relationship. They scrutinize feelings of disappointment, hopelessness, hurt, apprehension, neglect, boredom, lack of romance, anger and more. Exercises to help you deal with your emotion follow each evaluation. These activities motivate you to engage your partner and to initiate and prompt change within the marriage.

Part three addresses communication concepts and tools that make it easier to carry out the exercises. A brief look at the differences between male and female communication styles remind couples to bridge the gaps.

Much of the information in Marriage Magic! isn't new, but is repackaged for drained couples who want to experience vigor in their marriages again. The authors target the audience well offering hope and enthusiasm for restoring marriage to its intended vitality.

"All ya' need is love..." Thus goes the famous Beatles' song, but is love really the only thing you need in a relationship? As the author states, "Love is a good beginning--but it is only a starting point. Just as a plant dies without the presence of sun and water, so will a relationship wither in the absence of ongoing attention and nurturing."

Do you feel your marriage has gone stale? Do you feel it has lost the excitement and romance of those first months? You love your partner, yet keep asking yourself, "Is this all there is to it?"

Marriage Magic! is a user-friendly, practical book on how to revive a relationship that has lost its vitality, not because of lack of love, but because of the routine and stress of our daily lives. The premise is simple: It is possible to bring the vitality back to your marriage, but if you want something to change, you have to be the one to make the first move.

The book is divided in three main parts. At the end of each chapter there are exercises for further self exploration.

Divided into three parts, with exercises at the end of each chapter, in Part One, the author explains how relationships naturally change over time and can gradually become boring.

In Part Two, the author demonstrates how to identify and understand emotions, which sometimes can be very confusing and the cause of conflicts. "Without knowing where you are, it is very difficult to know how to get where you want to be."

Part Three deals with the importance of communication, the reasons for poor communication, and how to effectively communicate with your partner.

The author's warm, friendly approach will make you feel comfortable. Be aware, however, that this book doesn't offer solutions for those relationships with serious problems like alcoholism or physical or emotional abuse, but only for those worth saving.

Armchair Interviews says: Marriage Magic! is a helpful and enlightening book, one that offers simple yet effective tools and techniques for improving a relationship. Most importantly, the exercises and scenarios will make you aware of the problem, if there is one.

This book is different from your usual therapy manual in that it provides a means by which to identify your emotions and gives you ways in which to deal with them. I found the book easy and fun to read and useful; the exercises provided were practical. This book is a helpful tool for couples who are trying to renew their marriages and recover the magic!

A very user friendly book, full of useful advice for anyone in an important relationship. Before you "throw in the towel," read this book!

This is one great book...Written in a way that is informative and easily understood, my husband and I actually had fun acting out the scenarios! So many of them rang true...If you want to read a book on keeping your marriage alive and rejuvenated, from authors who really "get it", then this is the book for you!

This book along with the companion DVD helped me learn to not just be a better pool player but have more fun beating up on my boyfriend when we go to the local pool hall. Now I can hustle everyone at the hall!

This is DEFINITELY the best investment I've made in my pool skills!

I was not sure what to expect as I have over 100 books on playing pool. I must say I was pleased to not only enjoy reading Picture Yourself Shooting Pool but the video was a major plus.

In the Marine Corps the best comment you can get from a D.I. is "Outstanding" and I have to say this book falls into the "outstanding" list of books. In fact, I have an Adult Ed class that I teach in the local high school and I start new classes this fall, I will recommend this book to them without any problem. I have already mentioned it to some of my beginner classes.

Not all pool and billiards instructors are the same when it comes to what is the correct way to teach this material, and I feel Matt Sherman covered it very well. Of course, there are some things that I teach a little differently, but it still comes out the same way. If I had to make any comment about this book to anyone who was interested in learning the basics his book is on the "top" of the list.

Ken Tewksbury, Master Level Instructor
American Cue Sports & World Billiard Instructors Association

I simply cannot think of a better way to learn how to play pool than from a true master of the game. This book contains fantastic pictures and instructions on learning the art of the game. It's definately worth your time and money!

Any who would understand and play the game of pocket billiards will relish the book/DVD combo PICTURE YOURSELF SHOOTING POOL. Libraries catering to gamers will find a popular pick in a book loaded with color step-by-step, play-by-play photos throughout, covering the basics from selecting equipment to grip and guiding the cue and moving about the pool table. An outstanding beginner's guide.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

"Picture Yourself Shooting Pool" by Matt Sherman makes learning pool interactive, simple, and fun! The easy-to-follow, step-by-step format assures that both novices and skilled players will pick up impressive techniques and improve skill levels.

The book is filled with beautiful, full color images, and the DVD makes the techniques easy to understand: it's like you're one-on-one, with Matt in a pool hall!

You'll learn about equipment, pool basics, table etiquette (yeah...who knew?!?!), and so much more! This is a must have book if you're at all interested in pool. Watch the clip for a sneak-peek!

This is a fantastic book. I read a lot of technical books; actually, that's pretty much all I read. But all the books I read are usually on the topics of software / computer science -- as that is my trade. I recently bought my first boat, a 30 ft. cruiser. I am the kind of person that feels uncomfortable knowing very little about such a complicated beast.

I bought this book, among many others on various topics. The book exceeds on every level. First, the content is exactly what you expect. Sherman covers all the topics you need to know. Next, the editing is done well -- not too much detail, but just enough. Diagrams are great. Writing is fantastic. I really can appreciate Ed's style. He covers the underlying science without going too deep. I find this extremely important. I had all my physics/chemistry courses over 10 years ago. It is good to brush up on the basics. For example, he has a whole chapter dedicated to batteries. The first couple of pages describe the science of how a battery works, and the 3 main types of batteries you'll encounter. He then goes into the most pertinent issues with marine batteries: safety, diagnostics, maintenance, which type of battery to use, how batteries are wired toegether, etc. It is exactly what I was looking for.

The first thing he recommends in the book is trying to make an electrical diagram of your boat. He explains the standards and how to attack the problem, and shows example diagrams. I started this today, and in the couple hours I spent poking around behind distro panels and examining the batteries, I learned a lot, and it was precisely like he laid out in the book.

If you own a boat, I think it is the most responsible thing to do to make sure you understand it - at least from a safety standpoint; as an added bonus you'll probably save yourself a good deal of money.

He gives an example in the book where he saw a boat on fire, and tried to help the people. Their battery had no main on/off switch, and as a result it was just feeding the fire. This is invaluable knowledge to newbie boaters like myself. Educate thyself.

Great reference book for marine applications. Very understandable. If you own a boat you need this book.

Ed Sherman provides a great deal of useful information about the electrical systems on a boat. His troubleshooting guides to solve electrical problems are clear, understandable and easy to use. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to work on his or her boat.

This is a comprehensive guide that I feel is very helpful in all aspects of solving electical problems and maintaining the system on a boat .

Very useful, but recommend it only for those who want a very detailed description of 12vdc. While it is mainly for boats it is clearly a resource for all who are considering Solar or 12vdc systems. Detailed descriptions, photo's and diagrams. Well worth the money!

"Black Irish", by Casey Sherman will, without a doubt, keep the reader turning pages until the "we-hours" of the morning!

"Black Irish" is a fast moving adventure novel that carries a "somewhat" ..."Celtic" version of the "Cain and Abel" story line but, ending with a rather surprising twist of fate.

Sherman's book is like "taste-testing" some of Tom Clancy's "Rainbow Six" mixed with seasoned portions from such movies as, "The Pope of Greenwich Village," "The Devils Own," and even the more recent "Boondock Saints..." I must admit however, this story is much better developed and entertaining than ..."all of the above."

The author's research into the historical elements of the "times of trouble" enveloping Belfast, Bobby Sands, and the IRA (PIRA), is naturally, well done. However, it appears evident (to me), that a great deal of his insight was not just obtained through library research. His knowledge of the subject seems to go much deeper than the cursory historical lessons implemented in the book. Mr. Sherman's specific knowledge and feelings appear to have been obtained first hand through some of the "Boyos" who actually lived and experienced these events. There must be literally several hundred veteran IRA (PIRA) members "out there" who were willing to interview with Sherman in some Irish Pub over a few Guinness beers.

Sherman's main protagonist, "Michael Logan" becomes a contemporary "Hero/Villain" figure who seems to possess the cunning and prowess attributed to the ancient Irish warrior, Cuchulain. "Michael Logan" is after all, the "Black Irish" Angel of Retribution."

This was an outstanding piece of literature and story telling. It was superbly written by the author, and ..."greatly enjoyed' by the reader!

I think, this story line would make an excellent film script, and or, Play write!

Casey Sherman is an excellent writer!!

This is a superb book and I would recommend it to anyone!

This story goes full circle: In the present to the past and back. You will read it in one sitting. Worth it! Dia duit!

Great suspense, great action. Would love to see this in a dark movie theater on the big screen. The back and forth action made me pay attention. This is a busy time I picked to read it but I keep going back to find out what's next. I even gave this as a retirement gift for some very intriguing reading. Don't start it unless you are prepared to get hooked on it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Black Irish. I did not want to put it down once I had started reading it. I look forward to more novels by Casey Sherman.

This is the second book I read from Casey Sherman. His first was "A Rose For Mary" was an amazing piece of work detailing the search for the killer of his Mother's Sister Mary who was killed in downtown Boston back in the 60's. Now his second book which I just finished takes you through the lives of two twin Irish brothers and their plight to avenge their Parents death. He is an amazing writer that pays attention to the details and does a great job developing his characters using historical factual information. I would compare his style to that of Tom Clancy but I believe Casey Sherman may even surpass him one day in notoriety. I can't wait for his next book.

General Grant wrote this book while dying of throat cancer. He had been swindled by a dishonest Wall Street Broker and his trophies and possessions were stripped from him to satisfy the demands of his debtors. Bankrupt, suffering from a terminal illness and never passing a moment without acute pain, he produced this magnificent monument to his greatness. Those who denigrate Grant as a drunkard, butcher or bumbling President need to read this book in order to correct these errant assumptions. It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Grant was an inordinately intelligent man and one hell of a writer.

Grant's Memoirs are a deserved classic in American literature and considered the greatest military Memoirs ever penned, exceeding Caesar's Commentaries. Grant wrote as he lived: with clear, concise statements, unembellished with trivialities or frivolities. The only "criticism" the reader might have is that Grant bent over backwards not to wound the feelings of people in the book. He takes swipes at Joe Hooker and Jeff Davis, but what he left unsaid would have been far more interesting. A compelling and logical reason why Grant was so spare in his comments was because he was involved in a race with death. He didn't know how long he could live and therefore, "cut to the chase."

Grant's assessments of Lincoln, Sherman, Sheridan and other military leaders are brilliant and engrossing. His style, like the man himself, was inimitable and couldn't be copied. In everyday life, Grant was a very funny man, who liked to listen to jokes and tell them himself. His sense of the absurd was acute. It's no accident that he loved Mark Twain and the two hitched together very well. Twain and Grant shared a similar sense of humor, and Grant's witicisms in the Memoirs are frequent, unexpected and welcome. There are portions where you will literally laugh out loud.

Though Grant's Memoirs were written 119 years ago, they remain fresh, vibrant and an intensely good read. I have read them many times in my life and I never weary of the style and language that Grant employed. He was a military genius to be sure, but he was also a writer of supreme gifts, and these gifts shine through on every page of this testament to his greatness. All Americans should read this book and realize what we owe to Grant: he preserved the union with his decisive brilliance. In his honor, we should be eternally grateful.

If you're only going to read five books on the Civil War - which is like saying, only eat one french fry - make this one of them. Grant's autobiography, written under excruciating conditions of financial pressure and failing health in the late 1880's, is one of the most unforgettable reads available about the American Civil War.
Terse, simple, and almost painfully modest, Grant takes us through his life - the schooling at West Point (he was too retiring to point out they'd got his middle name wrong at registration, and was mistakenly given the name Ulysses SIMPSON Grant which he used for the rest of his life). The bravery and initiative of the Mexican War. The long, lonely postings in the early '50's to California, a continent away from his wife and beloved young children. The depression, leaving the Army, trying to make it in civilian life, failing at almost everything he tried. Then the war begins in 1861 when Lincoln calls for volunteers. It's typical of Grant that he goes to a little midwest recruiting post and modestly says he might take command of something very small - a company, perhaps? This, for a West Point graduate. From then on the book ceases being merely very interesting and starts becoming a can't-put-down.
The simple and good-hearted soul of the man just shines through his words, and he doesn't get caught up badly in the mid-century Victorian fustery of so much Civil War writing. He tells you what happened and what he thought about it; I remember about Lee at Appomatox, he said that he felt like anything in world after Lee's surrender except gloating over so brave an army as Lee's who had fought so nobly for a cause - even though he also thought it was one of the worst causes for which men had ever fought. His prose just flows through the extraordinary events he helped channel - Shiloh, Vicksburg, The Battle of the Wilderness, the surrender, and all points in between. It's an irreplaceable and wonderful resource and you end up falling big-time for Ulysses S. Grant. Don't miss it.

I first read U.S. Grant's memoirs when I was a college student during the Vietnam War. It helped me a great deal to appreciate how horrific war was and still is and that it should only be suffered when the cause is truly worthwhile. It was in the American Civil War and World War II. It was not in the Vietnam War. It was not our finest hour.

But this book also got me hooked on the history of the American Civil War. It is in my judgment, after more than fifty years and reading perhaps a thousand volumes about this watershed event in our nation's history, the single best written and brutally honest work on that event. Especially so in that it was written first-hand by one of the principal characters in that national and human tragedy.

For those of you really interested in becoming a student of the American Civil War, I recommend it highly, after you read the American Heritage History of the Civil War and before you read Lee's Lieutenants by Douglas Southhall Freeman and the four book series by Bruce Catton.

If by that time you're not hooked and become a Civil War junkie, you never will be.

Not only was U.S. Grant a superb general, but the man could write as well. He was known for being simple and direct, and this trait comes througgh in his writing style. Grant keeps his narrative moving along at a brisk pace, sticking to the facts as he knew them to be. One also gets a sense of the politics of Army life back in the 1860s, and one can learn more about the nature of the times in the careful wording Grant uses in some parts of his story so as to avoid offfending his fellow veterans of lesser stature. These added dimensions bring his chronicle of the Civil War to life in a way no modern author ever could. This book is a "must" for any armchair historian of the U.S. Civil War.

Written more as a military memoir than a personal, Grant proves to be an outstanding author as well as a General. Reading this set me off to find more about the General's personal life. I highly recommend to anyone interested in the Civil War, you won't be disappointed.

This book is great! This book does not teach one to do parlor tricks or anything so Hollywood. This book is a great guide for understanding intuition and the importance of positive thoughts, being authentic in what you put out. Wonderful book. Glad I found it!

This book changed my whole perception of the universe! I've noticed some ESP experiences before I read it, and this book confirmed I wasn't outta my mind and those weren't conincidences! Harold Sherman is of the best psychic in the US in the 60s & 70s, living in Arkansas with his family. He did a pioneering long distance ESp experiment with artic explorer Hubert Wilkins when Wilkins was in the artic. 80% of Sherman's records about WIlkin's activities & even thoughts while in the artic was correct! He's the man who can make coincidences happen and you can learn how. He can pick up your thoughts the first time he meets you. A deeply spiritual & warm man, his ESP books are filled with his life experiences with ESP.

This book was first published in 1964, at a time when, as Sherman reports, scientists were giving LSD to people as an aid in psychiatric treatment and to determine the reaction of mind and emotions. Sherman states that the "mental phenomenon" induced from this research was "worthy of investigation". It was also a time of uncertainty and Sherman relates how he used ESP to find out what the future held for the country. He describes how before sleep he would ask, "Determine for me what needs to be known to protect the leaders of our country and our national security", and of how he got the impression in June 1961 that a kind of "World Anarchy Society" had been established, involving Fidel Castro, and of how he wrote to a government official about this, also of his apprehension about president Kennedy shortly before his assassination, the date of which he states had been predicted to the day by crystal ball gazer Jeane Dixon in Oct 1963, who he states had tried to warn the White House. There's much about Sherman's own experiences with ESP and he mentions the potential dangers too, e.g. about how a friend, inspired by the Thoughts Through Space book, made his mind too receptive to outside influences and became obsessed by an entity which stated it belonged to the "White Brotherhood" and of how this friend ended up "a shadow of his former self" subjected to periods of full possession which he never knew would take place. Sherman also gives a frank assessment of people who describe themselves as being "mediums", saying that 95% are either outright frauds or else give indication of skills in telepathy, clairvoyance and occasionally precognition, whereas only 5% of all he'd met personally and of whose work he'd witnessed displayed "undoubted powers of mind which have transcended the physical". Sherman's techniques for practising ESP are simple and straightforward. Sherman maintains that "every thought is broadcast into the mental ether where it continues to exist and may influence other minds, either immediately, or in some future moment of time, regardless of distance". He also comments on the apparent relativity of time and of how the mind can seem to move backwards or forwards in it, and there's an interesting chapter on the healing power of the mind.

I read this book some 12 years ago and it changed my prospective of the world. Even if you are sceptic to paranormal phenomena, you will find this book credible and very useful. The writer is talking out of his personal experience and impresses with his radiating authenticity. What Harold Sherman has achieved throughout his fulfilling life is the impossible harmony between the matter and the spirit. He tried to tell us that it is after all possible to be good.. yet successful.

One of the most credible contemporary accounts, of and on the subject of Extra Sensory Perception.
I found this book by using one of the techniques Sherman teaches in it. For someone who has experienced one or more of the events we attribute to ESP, it is a great first training / teaching tool. He supports his claims and will fascinate the reader, recounting personal experiences over his life time.
The book takes one through a step by step process of learning to understand and utilize many facets of this little understood "extra sensory capacity" of the human mind.
Over all a great book for the uninitiated and interesting reading for those well familiar with the subject.

This is a terrific little book. Sherman Baldwin told his personal story of the first Gulf War in his book Iron Claw using letters to his future wife, which created a captivating narrative. In his latest book, Growing Up With Harry, he strings together concise memories of his father to convey great character, strength and affection. In many respects, Harry was just a normal man in a normal town with a normal family. But viewed through the eyes of his son, we see a hero. I think anyone who cherishes a father, in life or memory, will enjoy this book.

Sherman Baldwin's Growing Up with Harry is the story of a real adult - a hard-working lawyer, a loyal and generous friend, and a superb father. The book is filled with short chapters, each containing a single, personal, often humorous story with titles like "Determination," "Trust," "Fun," and "Honesty." Some chapters are funny (like "Martinis'), and others are simply emotionally moving (like "Patriotism"). If one wants to learn how human character affects others, and if one wants to know what makes a great father, here's a book for you.

In "Growing Up with Harry" Sherman Baldwin achieved two things: it made me think I knew his Dad for years, and made me wish I really had. Come sit and have a beer out back next to the millstone and find out why some children grow into adults who make a difference and some don't. You are treated to a family where love is a daily thing and an enduring legacy. The fact that Harry never lectured, he lived his lessons, and you feel that in this book as well, makes it a pleasure to read. My wife and kids have joined me in reading this book in the evenings in the rocker, yours will enjoy it as well.

Sherman Baldwin has composed a concise, well written and remarkably poignant book that captures the lessons of life and of love that his father Harry imparted to him and his family through his lifetime. This book has undeniably special meaning for the Baldwin family and is a gift to Sherman's children, most especially, who will grow up without ever really knowing their grandfather but through this book will learn much about the gentle manner and character that guided Harry through his life. It was certainly a life lived as an example to others, and through this book others may find great lessons and learnings to apply to their lives. It is a great gift to a new Dad or an old one. If Tim Russert has a reading list in heaven, I am sure that "Growing Up With Harry" is on his top 10. It should be for many of us, too.

Sherman Baldwin's book is an endearing read. It is something I have found that can be effectively conveyed in its family-centric beauty if you read it to family members, especially one's children, in the short chapters that form the structure of the book. It is very rich in the values, traditions, and reflections that many would want their own families to develop or validate. A wonderful, inspiring, and heartwarming read.

Laying Foundations: A Memoir by Lucy Wilson Sherman is the autobiographical story of an enterprising, diversely matched couple who spend a fulfilling year of restoring and bringing life back to an abandoned farmhouse. Without electricity or running water (and just as winter struck) Lucy and her husband Henderson worked together on this seemingly insurmountable project through trial and daily struggle. A warm, enlightening, uplifting story of rebuilding, Laying Foundations is very highly recommended as a true and rewarding account of personal growth and unconditional love.

Sherman's memoir is love-story, spiritual odyssey, character study and a how-to manual. That's a lot and it reads like a mystery. She is a wonderful word crafter. Many times her turn of phrase engaged me so thoroughly that I had to stop and savor her arrangement.

In the character study, Sherman never shies away from critiquing herself or Henderson. She is relentless in her analysis of herself, Henderson and the dynamics of their relationship. The reader gets drawn into her quest for understanding and growth. She plows, or more accurately, crafts right ahead whether she comes out looking worse for the scrutiny or not.
A warning is in order here.You will learn a lot about construction. If you have no knowledge in that arena, you will not be lost, as Sherman defines most of the terms in useable language. Still I had to stop and think hard about the technical parts of this book. I wanted to understand exactly what they were doing physically, as it was such an integral part of the dynamic and narrative. Taking time to understand each step in their physical construction enriched the read for me. However, the reader can speed read through placement of footings, digging wells or securing scaffolding and still enjoy the other three aspects of this piece.

Sherman uses straight-on prose with no hysterics although parts are hysterically funny, as when she is describing her attempts to connect the contents of a sawed-off shotgun with the target, an old wash tub. She even has the decency to feel bad about killing squirrels.

I read many books every week with no 'fluff' included and I consider this one not to be missed. I will re-read it again in about six months.

Laying Foundations is an honest, funny memoir. It is not only entertaining, but Sherman is so straight forward and open about her own humanity that as a reader I felt a kind of personal absolution for my own sins! She and her husband take on an enormous renovation project with little expertise. As a reader I couldn't help but be inspired and moved at their ability to get up, go on and continue to tackle the job when it seemed hopeless and foreboding. Anyone who reads this will eat it up like some delicious candy. It's a soul-searching, meaningful memoir rich with lasting insight yet funny as hell!

authentic and deeply moving. the house as a symbol of growth, solidity and
love works on every level, and the spirt of place and person inhabits the
entire memoir.

Although I know it's a trite thing to say, I'll say it anyway---I could not put this book down until I finished it! This is an extraordinary work of non-fiction that holds the reader's attention by incorporating all the elements of a really good novel---terrific character development, vivid descriptions of the people in the story as well as the area in which they live, even suspense (will these two "unmatched" souls manage to stay together and will they be able to complete their dream and finish the restoration of the house?) The reader really does share their frustrations and mentally cheers them on when they have set-backs in the reconstruction of the house as well as in their lives. The only question the reader is left with is---when do we get a sequel and see these two wonderful people again?