Smith Books

a masterpiece!!!

The ultimate source of Rumi`s work is the original work of Mathnawi, in Persian, it has a delicate taste of poetic dimension too, but even without the poetic contribution, Richard A. Nicholson has translated all the 6 volumes of Mathnawi with an excellent translation, eloquent, lovely and elegant. Rumi is an ocean, "The illustrated Rumi" is a very nice sampling taken from these six volumes. The illustrations are taken from the early islamic art, most of which, one has to remind himself, were performed bofore the Renaissance. It has a taste of Arabic Nights in the pictures, what is more important though is the quality of the samples. Nicholson has the best work accomplished, and I recommend it to anybody, to me that book deserves to be written with gold and silver. Still Illustrated Rumi will give an idea of Rumi, especially with the wonderful introduction of Huston Smith, who himself is a leader in religious studies, this book is like cream de la cream of Matnawi as an introduction. The book is worthy of being read carefully at least once. I would recommend reading this book to those people left undecided between a foot long sandwich and a glimpse of the soul.

This book is beautiful if only for the artwork, but couple that with the unique parables of Rumi and this is a rich treasury to be enjoyed and savored.

For those who know Rumi, here at last is a translation and presentation whose majesty match the wisdom of the message. For those who do not yet know Rumi, this exquisite book opens a window to insights that will always be treasured.

This is a great book. It is professionally translated and the words flow naturally. The introduction is powerful and it has a lot of useful information about the book content and the spiritual life of Rumi. The illustrations are carefully chosen and relevantly placed giving you a persian medeivial aura. Rumi was a great sufi poet who lived in the golden age of the Islamic civilization. His poetry is a guide to spirituality and wisdom. It is deep,simply-written and interesting. Anyone who reads this book will enjoy it.

This book has a great message. Very cute & fun to read with my little one! My little Jennie has two different colored eyes also!

Penelope Budd's story is an engaging and incredible work of seeing the best in any situation, being creative, and positive. In the "Incredible Peepers of Penelope Budd", you will meet a small child who was born with a special and unique characteristic: one blue eye and one brown eye. This surfaced at 3 months of age; of course the parents get nervous and take her to the doctor who, in turn says, "She's just the way she's supposed to be." Others view her as different, but she herself doesn't notice, as she is going about her warm-hearted, free-spirited, and optimistic day to day living seeing the imaginative and creative aspects of everyday life, while others notice abnormalities.
Would that we could engage in life in this manner and look for life's goodness, as if seeing thru whatever presents itself. Penelope Budd is the "eternal optimist".
Uniquely, both the author, Marie Karns, and one of the four preceding reviewers of this marvelous text have the same characteristics as Penelope: one eye is one color, and the other eye is another color. This would be a great read for the child who feels "different" in the company of others, while pining for acceptance. Great story!

Suggested reading age for this book says "5 and up" (or 4-8 according to Amazon) but our 2 year old daughter loves this story of Penelope, who has "one eye the color of root beer, the other as blue as a lake". Marie Karns has done a marvelous job of helping kids to see the "glass half full" approach to life, and that there's always a new way to look at things. This is her first book, so here's hoping for many more from her! Amy Wummer's illustrations are wonderful as well.

The Incredible Peepers of Penelope Budd is wonderful. Penelope has one blue eye and one brown eye and she sees the world in an imaginative and positive way. The book is very descriptive and gets you thinking about what is out there to see, like the ants in the shape of the number 8 and magic fingers.. which all kids have. My kids love this book, as do I.

My 2-year-daughter and I both love this book. I must say I am partial to it because I, like the title character and author, have two different colored eyes. I have never seen a children's book on this topic and when I saw this one I was so excited. My daughter and I love reading this book together. The story of how Penelope sees magic in everything is a great message for everyone, regardless of age or eye color!

If you are as new to the computer world and online investing as I am, then reading this little "Blue Book" is just the tool for you. It will take you through the entire process from useful internet terms to buying and selling securities on the internet. It's amazing how much information is compressed in that little "Blue Book". A must-have book for beginners.

I loved this book. Not only is its information concise and pertinent, but its illustrations make it a feast for the eyes. Its numerous lists of Web-sights are practical and resourceful, its information is up-to-date, and even for the computer-savvvy Investor, its helpful tips and hints are a time-saver. Plus, since its format is that of a 'guidebook' , its very handy to carry around or to pass to a friend. And I liked the fact that the book is durable and artistic; two features that make the book a keeper and/or a great gift. I'd recommend this book for anyone who is interested in looking into the opportunities of investing on-line seriously.

People seem to fall into two computer and internet categories: those who have an ever-deeper understanding and appreciation of that world, and those of us who feel intimidated the instant we hit "enter". What a gift INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET FOR INVESTORS is, making the complex simple, the ambiguous clear. Its cleverly and attractively done - amazingly easy to read - and something I can work through step-by-step. Thank you, KSI, for giving us a tool us neophytes can use with enthusiasm.

Well, it is about time that "normal" folks like myself have access to something that can really help them. "INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNET FOR INVESTORS" goes a long way toward helping me get a grasp on what all my friends have been talking about for so long. Finally I feel like I can join in because I was able to learn so much from this book. It is easy to read and so well illustrated that its like having an instructor in the room with me. The pictures of the windows screens were very easy to understand. It dares you to not follow along!

The best kept secret in this book though might be the chapter that lists search engines and worthwhile sites. I have no doubt that reading this book has made me money. What better endorsement is there than that!

A wonderful resource to help anyone get started investing on the Internet! Very concise, step-by-step instructions as well as helpful hints and directions to resourceful web-sites, bring confidence to the investor using the Internet for the first time. Even "seasoned" Internet investors with find this book a valuable resource and reference. "introduction to the internet for investors" is a must for every Internet investor!

Peter was able to give examples which made the complex easier to understand. The edges of the first sections in a copy in the Caltech library were black from use. I was privileged to be a guinea pig for the first edition.

Don't know of a superior first exposure to relativity. It starts with elementary situations and examines the conflicts with pre-relativistic kinematical viewpoints. This motivates the requirements for special relativities' postulates and their immediate consequences.

From here, the more complex issues of special relativity are dealt with in an orderly fashion; e.g. rigid body dynamics, relativistic hydrodynamics and electromagnetic theory from a relatavistic point of view.

General tensor analysis is covered in a separate chapter for pursuing the general relativity chapters of the book. Incidentally, this chapter is among the most clear expositions on tensors out there.

Finally, general relativity is covered in the same stepwise fashion as was done in the special relativity chapters. The natural introduction of more complex ideas which start from basics is perhaps, the single reason why this book is a hard to beat introduction to relativity.

After a thorough digestion of Bergmann, one is ready to spring up to the next level, the masterful Weinberg.

This book describes the foundations of relativity in a clear and concise way. The development of tensor analysis is especially clear. It is great for anyone who has studied calculus, differential equations, and classical physics. I highly recommend it.

Hey, it's endorsed by big Al, himself. The math intro pretty much does it all, but it would be good if you have a firm grasp of vector calculus, and linear algebra. And intro undergraduate physics wouldn't hurt, either.

This book is one of the first introductions to the theory of relativity that has the endorsement of the discoverer of the theory. Albert Einstein was alive when the book was first published, and writes the foreward to the book. Individuals who want to learn relativity should still take a look at this book, in spite of the somewhat outdated mathematical notation. In more contemporary textbooks and monographs the physical intuition is usually sacrificed and replaced with mathematical formalism. But here the author puts the main emphasis on the physics behind the subject. It is one of the few books still in print that discusses the relativistic mechanics of mass points and continuous matter.

The reader will also get an overview of early approaches to unified field theories. Historians of science will be interested in particular with this discussion. It is amazing how much has changed in this area since this book was published in 1942. The advent of superstring and M-theory has given physicists a view of reality that is set on a mathematical structure that is quite formidable. It now takes years for a student to obtain the necessary mathematical background to reach the frontiers of unified theories. In this book, it only takes the reading of the first two parts to be able to understand the author's overview of unified field theories. Particular attention should be paid to the treatment of the gauge-invariant geometry of Hermann Weyl, because of its relevance to the construction of gauge theories in elementary particle physics. The geometry of Weyl is constructed using a symmetric tensor representing the gravitational field and a pseudovector that represents the vector potential. When a gauge transformation is applied to this vector potential, it changes by a gradient, which, as the author remarks, is the historical reason for calling the addition of a gradient to the electromagnetic vector potential a gauge transformation. In addition, variational principles play a role in this discussion, and these principles have wide applicability to the quantization of gauge theories in modern developments. The role played by adding extra dimensions to formulate a field theory is summarized here by the author in his discussion of five-dimensional field theories and Kaluza-Klein theories. Ten- and eleven-dimensional theories now dominate modern unified theories. It would be very interesting to know what the author and Einstein would have thought about the theories of today, entrenched as they are in the most complex mathematical constructions ever applied to physical theory.

Awesome book! It was recommended to me by the author through a christian book club. I love the suspense and the thrill of Satan getting what he deserves, a kick back to where he belongs!
The only problem I had was the Catholocism in it, but I guess I can't be too picky. I prefer Christian non-fiction. I don't know if this book is considered that. Oh, well, it's written well. Enjoy!

In a day when there are tons of suspense/mystery/horror/thriller writers, a pearl has been discovered from the deep recesses of the literary ocean. Mr. David Michael Smith's book, The Invitation, is brilliant writing and an engrossing story. I found myself thinking, 'what if...' and that merely added to the build up Smith craftily creates in this book. I would simply say, 'highly recommended' and 'get the book if you want a great, captivating horror story to read', ok?
Seriously, this guy is fantastic and it's just a matter of time before some lucky publisher latches onto his work and signs him to a long term contract.
Again, great book with great characters. I really liked the Chief of Police; reminds me of the guy in my hometown! Bart was a likeable protagonist also. And the female characters, the lead Geri and her mother... very believable relationship between the two. What can I say? Good book for women and men readers. A little nugget of entertainment for all.

Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of the computer? David Smith, author of "The Invitation" does!

When you are alone in the middle of the eerie night with just the beat of your heart to keep you company and have that urge to turn on the computer and enter the dark world of the unknown chatroom -- have your Bible by your side because you are just likely to meet "Lucky Stars" or is it your "Guardian Angel"? Or, or -- is it -- "LUCIFER"?

David Smith's "The Invitation," sets the stage with characters who are known to all of us -- good -- and -- evil; believers -- and -- nonbelievers. Mr. Smith breaths life into these individual be they mortal or immortal. His imagination conjures vivid images of lurking, lusting and looking over your shoulder. You actually feel the fear; dwell in the shadows; smell the evil and all the while you prayer -- oh yes -- pray for intervention by a higher authority. Bu does it come?

With Mr. Smith's book you do not need a vivid imagination -- you need a strong heart -- in more ways than one.

So, go ahead, this is my invitation for you to read "The Invitation" -- but that's all I'm inviting over this mysterious unknown and unexplored depths of the world of the net!...

Fantastic reading and writing; David Smith is an up and coming author that's for sure. A friend recommended this book to me and I usually don't try out untested new writers, but I am glad my friend insisted. The Invitation was a great book, a little long but I hardly noticed since all I did was read and read until I finished it. Fast moving, great plot, fresh story and fantastic characters and development. Smith writes like a pro and should sign on with a big time publisher if he's smart. Can't wait for the sequel, if there is one! Great book: do yourself a favor and buy it today. You won't regret it. A great read for the beach or quiet vacation in the mountains. But don't dare read it at night; you'll get nightmares for sure!

This book has all the makings of a New York Times Bestseller!! The author has all sorts of twists to the book that kept me turning the pages to see what happens next. If you need an escape, you'll find it in this book. My favorite character was "Bart". Buy it and find out why!! :)

A GREAT BOOK,OBVIOUSLY WRITTEN TO VERY HIGH STANDARDS,AS IS USUAL FOR READER'S DIGEST.AS THE TITLE SAYS, IT THOROUGHLY COVERS JESUS'S LIFE, AND THE POLITICAL,SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CLIMATE OF THE PROMISED LAND, FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE HIS BIRTH, AND SEVERAL DECADES AFTER HIS CRUCIFICTION ( I.E., PAUL AND PETER'S TRAVELS AND TEACHINGS, THE FATES OF THE OTHER APOSTLES,ECT.)BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS, PHOTOS AND PAINTINGS OF BOTH PEOPLE AND PLACES, IT ALSO INCLUDES AN APPENDIX TO IMPORTANT TOWNS AND CITIES IN JESUS'S TIME. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN JESUS'S TEACHINGS AND BIBLICAL HISTORY.

This beautiful volume has a short introduction titled Jesus And The Four Gospels. The first chapter, The Birth Of The Savior tells of the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem and the visit of the wise men from the East. The attached portfolio illustrates the events surrounding the birth of Jesus by artists like Andrea della Robbia, Federico Barocci, Jan van Scorel, Giotto and others.

A Troubled Land, chapter 2, deals with the political situation of the time and a brief overview of the ancient history of Israel, Alexander The Great, Hellenism, the Romans and Herod. This includes information on the famous historian Josephus, maps of the Holy Land including a political map of the kingdom of Herod The Great, full colour pictures of the landscape, a chronology of Israel and tables of the Hasmonean line and the Herodean family.

The next: Classes And Masses, looks at Herod in greater detail, especially his building programmes, with photographs and illustrations of amongst others the remains of Herodium, the aqueducts and roads, Masada, Sebaste, the palace at Jericho, jewellery and household utensils. There are also maps of Israel and a political map of the division of Herod's kingdom into the territories of Archelaos, Herod Philip, Herod Antipas and Salome.

Chapter 4: Village Life, discusses life in the countryside, rituals and rites dictated by the seasons, family life and family home and the festivals of Israel. The next chapters deals with Jerusalem and includes impressive photographs and maps of the city, the old city, the temple mount, the wailing wall, illustrations of King Herod's temple and other landmarks.

Chapter 6: The Life Of The Mind, discusses the Torah, educational life, the synagogue, the scribes, Greek education, the arts, the Alexandria library and Hellenistic Jewish Literature, whilst the next one: Trade And Travel, deals with the vigorous flow of trade and travel around the Mediterranean, Europe and the East.

Chapter 8: Religious Conflict, addresses the political situation, religion, the priesthood, the Pharisees, synagogues, the two great teachers Hillel and Shammai, the Essenes, John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. The next: The Mission Of The Messiah, looks at the areas of Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, the family of Jesus, the Twelve Apostles, the travels of Jesus, the trial, crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension. It includes beautiful works of art by Duccio, Claude Lorrain, Domenico Fiasella, Giotto, El Greco, Rembrandt, Velazquez and others.

With its many maps, chapter 10: Spread Of The Gospel, traces the growth of the gospel message from Pentecost, the conversion of Saul and the spread of the Word to Asia Minor, Greece and Italy, also dealing with the destruction of 70AD, the further growth of the church and Constantine The Great.

The reference section includes Places In Bible Times which lists place names from Alexandria to Tyre, Biblical Citations and an extensive Bibliography divided into General, Bibles & Commentaries, History & Archaeology, Biographies, Jesus: His Life & Times, Daily Life and Art. The book concludes with an index. Jesus And His Times is an absorbing and richly illustrated text and also a valuable reference work.

Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus

Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church

Yeshua: The Name of Jesus Revealed in the Old Testament

The Sacred Names

This is undoubtedly the best book ever written about life in the times of Jesus. It is comprehensive yet detailed, with voluminous illustrations, maps, geneaologies, etc. There are chapters on village life, schooling, trade and travel, and internal politics. A few chapters are devoted to Jesus' life, and here the editors make a number of mistakes. For example:

- they seem unaware that the proper translation of almah is "young woman" and not "virgin" (p. 17)

- they make the common error of translating "tekton" as "carpenter" (p. 26)

- they seem unaware of the fact that the village of Nazareth didn't exist as a village at the time of Jesus (p. 91) and it was more than a century after Jesus' death that a synagogue was build there. As a consequence, they translate his name as "Jesus of Nazareth" when in fact the proper translation is "Jesus the Nazarene."

But these errors are few and relatively minor, when weighed against the plethora of interesting details that they supply.

Anyone looking for a desciption of what life was like in the times of Jesus needs to get this book. This isn't necessarily the best book about the life of Jesus, but it surely is the best book about his times.

I only rated this book at 5 stars because I couldn't go any higher. To think I got a copy of it for $.01 (a penny) plus shipping is unreal. Talk about a steal! This is one of the best books about the life and times of our Lord Jesus Christ that you'll ever find. The pictures of the Holy Land alone are worth it but there's so much more. By all means, get your copy NOW!!!!

This is a very good book for the student of faith who seeks a more thorough understanding of what life was like during the time that Jesus lived in the flesh on earth. Rich with photographs, drawings and maps, this book is a visual treat as well as providing much insight through the text.

The book is hard-cover, very study and well-made, and is 336 pages in length. There are 10 main chapters and some appendicies. The book begins with the significance of the expectation of a Messiah and his birth in Bethlehem. Then the political intrigue of the day is presented, especially a history of Herod the Great and the Roman Empire. The daily life of a typical Jew is then presented, how a person lived, what they did, what they ate, and how they raised their families. Jerusalem has a chapter dedicated to itself, with emphasis on the Temple that King Herod built for the Jews. The middle chapters deal with education, trade, travel, and religious conflicts of the time. Finally, the last two chapters explain the mision of the Messiah and how the gospel of his teachings spread after his death and resurrection.

This is not a book that is an easy or casual "fun' read. It is written for the more serious student of faith and the Bible. The information is detailed and quite extensive. A very thorough job was done in putting this book together. The reader can use it as a text book to teach themselves the cultural and religious signficance of the time. It is a good book to read for insight into Biblical times and Biblical narratives (scriptures).

At .01 cent (used), this book is a steal.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

This book by Wilson Smith is a little gem. He has written bravely and honestly about events in his life that will make the reader laugh and cry and just wonder how on earth he ever lived to tell the tales in Just Dirt.

It is amazingly touching and and not without humour. I think every teen who is thinking of running away should read this book. In fact every teenager should read this book and if I had a say I would put it on all reading lists in High Schools.

Just Dirt is not just for kids. Mr. Smith has recalled events that touched his life, his family and those around him. Every person reading this book will be moved in some way.

Mr. Smith has written the book in a really casual style, if I may say that. While reading Just Dirt, the reader feels as if he/she is sitting with a good friend while he is recalling episodes from his eventful past.

Wilson Smith, Just Dirt (Lulu, 2007)

I'll start off by saying there's no way I can write an unbiased review of this book. I've been reading Wilson Smith's writing for nigh on a decade now-- as hard as it is for me to believe that stockboy recruited me old pal Mike Burns and me for xnet membership almost ten years ago, such is the case-- and, like most of the list folk, I am well aware that Smith can spin a mighty fine tale when he takes the mike. And I have heard a number of these tales before, either just as they are here or in somewhat rougher form. Besides, I'm actually thanked in the credits. Me? Unbiased? Are you [censored] kidding?

I should also start off by saying that memoirs generally drive me up the wall. And that, interestingly, perhaps what I value most about this book is that Smith nailed why, on the head, in a brief digression in one of these stories. And then went on to write the first truly readable memoir (as opposed to those memoirs-passed-off-as-novels that are far easier to bear, witness Bukowski or Exley or even Jay McInerney's Ransom, his best and most underrated novel) I've come across in... longer than I care to remember. I consider this just payment for having forced myself though 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed.

Part of what makes it so readable is that this isn't a memoir in the way you might think of memoirs. It reads more like a collection of short stories. (As a side note, the book's main weakness also comes into play here; there are some times when pieces of a story are repeated. Remember in the Encyclopedia Brown books, where Donald Sobel's first few paragraphs were startlingly similar in every story? You get that here, but only once or twice.) The end result has a sort of concept-album kind of impressionism, a feeling that you're not getting the whole story, just the pieces that matter. Would that a number of other memoirists had thought to do such a thing.

But what really nails it for me is something I found completely surprising. In this scene, Smith finds a number of old stories (from a long-abandoned first draft of the title piece) in his attic, and is re-reading them:

"The stories, though, were non-stop "Show, don't tell" (the first rule of writing, eh?), to a degree of which I'm now mostly incapable. It makes me feel like a hamster on a wheel to try to write that way now."

Now, I'm a big fan of "show, don't tell." A huge fan. It's by far the best way to approach fiction. It's the only way to approach poetry if you want a poem that your public won't laugh at. But when I read that bit, I looked back on all those memoirs I've hated over the past few years, since they got so huge, and I realized that they were all trying way too hard to show (and to show every excruciating minor detail), whereas Smith is just sitting there like the guy next to you at the (juice) bar talking about all the stupid [censored] we did as kids. Well, some of us did as kids. (If you can't find anything in here to identify with, I envy you.) And, wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, it works. I'm not sure it would work in a longer manuscript-- Smith's book weighs in at a light, easy-to-digest-in-one-sitting 132 pages-- but it works here like a charm. (Which begs the question: how well do charms work? And what do they do? My mom's just dangled from her bracelet.)

This may sound like, well, it's just some guy sitting there telling you a story. Anyone who made the mistake of signing up for a first-year psychology class in college knows just how boring that can be (especially if you had my professor). Smith's self-deprecating wit coupled with the basic insanity of the times keep it from ever being boring. (Note: Smith does assume something of a knowledge of those times. If you're not familiar with, for example, the sixties hippie counterculture, you might find yourself confused. Be warned.)

Also, something else of note. As I mentioned; this is a one hundred thirty-two page manuscript. I grant you, I wasn't reading with a proofreaders' eye, but I noticed a total of two typos in the entire book. I can't think of the last book I came across from a major press with two typos. It's unheard of in the realm of print-on-demand books. That alone is reason enough to pick up a copy of this, even if the book itself had sucked. And this one doesn't, not by a stone's throw followed by a world-record chaw spit.

End result: even if you loathe the entire memoir genre, check this one out. It may just change your mind (though, I rush to add, just about itself. The rest of those memoirs? Yeah. Still garbage). *** ½

"Harrowing" is an over-used word in pop culture criticism, but I can think of few places where it is better and more aptly deployed than in a review of Wilson Smith's "Just Dirt." This loosely chronological memoir is crafted as an integrated series of short, near-still life vignettes (painting brutally honest and specific pictures of moments and places in time) and longer tales of transition (where thing/place/person A becomes thing/place/person B, and where the process, the crucible, is key).

In less deft hands, such a tale could have been ponderous, self-indulgent and dire, but Smith's story-telling skills are sharp, and his language and characterization are rich and evocative, drawing a reader into the emotional peaks and valleys that frame his psychological landscapes. He paints his self-portrait with brutal candor, and does a tremendous job at building tension in some of his longer works. You just know that something awful is going to come of all this, but you can't stop reading until Smith shines the spotlight on the shortcoming or mistake that wishes to expose or expunge, at which point you generally find a hidden element of beauty and grace, where you least expected it.

And ultimately that's what makes this book so lively and lovely: these are dark and troubling tales, but grace and transcendence and growth (and the desire to find them all) permeates the narrative, palpably. There's no treacly ending, no easy answers, no pat wrap-up, just an uplifting sense in the end that, hey, even though we're often our own worst enemies, and even though we may not always like ourselves, we're still something finer and grander than the sum of our molecular matter, and we're not just dirt, not by a longshot.

"Just Dirt" regales the reader with wonderfully disturbing stories, stories painfully familiar to many of us -- except we didn't have the balls to make them public. Smith has a refreshingly honest style of writing, sort of "in your face," witty, intellectual, anti-intellectual and hip all at once. Part journal, part personal journey, part freak show, it's a lurid, sensational look into the very deepest, darkest corners of not just Smith's world, but certainly mine and probably yours.

"Just Dirt" is a gloriously readable collection of events that may make you draw comparisons to your own experiences or may make you aware of your own relatively uneventful life. The style Smith employs is highly personal, and while he doesn't glorify the dysfunction, he embraces it in a way that helps explain how he has become the man he is today.

His ability to step away from himself and look back with remarkable clarity is impressive.

As a reader, I felt some guilt because I wanted MORE, even though reading his memoirs resulted in a level of discomfort. To say I "enjoyed" the book seems inappropriate, but I couldn't stop reading it, and it's been a long time since I can recall being so captivated.

For anyone who owns or loves setters, this is a wonderful book. Beautiful pictures and a lot of interesting information.

The pictures are beautiful and if you are a person like me who loves setters this book is for you!

Now I understand why the author put so much information and pictures of English Setters; he owns some. The author's love for English Setters is evident page after page after page, even in the sections 'dedicated' to Gordon Setters and Irish Setters. I cannot understand why the author would bother writing a book that included the Irish and Gordon if he seemed to have trouble fiinding good things to write about them. I was shocked to read his harsh and sometimes cruel opinion on the lovely Irish Setter.

All of the pictures are of the highest quality and are, of course, adorable. However even in the pictures, the author's love of English Setters comes through again, with almost double the amount of pictures there are of the Irish Setter.

Would I recommend this book? To an English Setter fancier - yes. To a Gordon Setter fancier - sure, if you have some extra money to toss around. To a Irish Setter fancier - Look at the pretty pictures while you browse through a bookstore then immediately put it back in the shelf.

O.K. its a dog book. But for all those folks who share their life with a setter this publication will give you an hour or two of smiles - more if you keep it on your coffee table. I have enjoyed my copy and feel the writing caputures both the regal hunting dogs and the personality of those who love them.

When I received my copy of this book, I was more than pleasantly surprised by the coverage and photo's! I was elated! It's an absolutely beautiful pictoral and the author truly captured the soul of the Setters! The history and antics of our dogs presented were excellent! Kudo's to the author!

I usually shy away from POD or self-published books, but this novel shone with refreshing, gritty honesty and a thoughtful treatment of real life issues. Though the story line of a minister's wife (herione Katie Means) becoming a burglar to save a school for children with autism screams unbelievable, I couldn't argue with the author's careful characterization of the protagonist. Cher Smith's easy writing style and snappy dialogue had me sailing through the book in no time.

For those who normally read "Christian" or biblical worldview fiction, you may find some content offensive. Or, this may just be the kick in the pants you need. For those who normally read general or ABA fiction, welcome to a well-written yet convicting story about people just like you and me, trying to find our places in the world.

Bravo.

The book is outstanding! It's a fast read with so much thought, you'll want to read it twice. It talks of life, love, sacrifice, sex, nudity, God, the Church, lying, stealing, and learning to be honest with yourself (& with God). I appreciate how it keeps your interest the entire book. This book would be a great movie.

A quick and entertaining read. Katie Means is the perfect character to fall in love with. The reader will feel her pain, anxiety, and pleasure at each and every moment.

The author has an amazing knack for telling a story and utilizing characterization.

Especially recommended for all those stuffy, staunch, over-conservative Christians who think if you follow God perfectly, nothing bad will ever happen to you. Think again!! Bad things happen to everyone, and this book shows how one woman overcomes that in her own way and mends her relationship with God.

Justified Means is the story of a woman dealing with a disabled child. It's also the story of a pastor's wife who steals. Those contradictories make for a very enjoyable read. Her honesty about being angry at God is refreshing, especially for those who are more used to black-and-white characterizations of churchgoers.

It's about time a writer used her wit, intelligence, and craft to create a delightful and meaningful novel. "Justified Means" is one of those novels that has you crying one minute and then laughing the next. I highly recommend this for anyone who's tired of the trite, silly chick-lit that's out there. I promise you will not be disappointed. (Also, if you are lucky enough to find a copy, check out Cher Smith's other novel, "The Falcon and the Serpant." Another great read!)

I never enjoyed reading as a child, but found this book to be so engaging and heart felt. I couldn't wait for each of the books in the series to come out. If you can get a hold of them I would highly recommend it! I always felt these books would make a wonderful television series (if they kept with the integrity of the books).

This novel, and its sequel, Glory in the Flower, spoke deeply to me when I was 14 (a scant 6 years ago), and are still worth reading. It is compelling without melodrama and familial without schmaltz. Buy this for any bat mitzvah, confirmation, or junior high graduation. Better than Little Women, even.

The entire series is wonderful, and its a crime that they are out of print. "Keeping Days" and "Flower" are on a lot of school reading lists, and rightfully so. Ranks right up there with the "Little House" series-Tish Sterling is a wonderful heroine!

Handles coming of age more realistically than Little Women, and much more intelligently than the modern teenage series. I don't know how Johnston remembered what it's like when everyone else forgets, but The Keeping Days, its sequel Glory in the Flower, and also the Johnston's Bridget Vandever books spoke directly to me when I was about 12 or 13. It's comforting when *someone* else in the world goes through the same things, even if she is fictional.

This is a long series, most of which Amazon doesn't offer, but if you're lucky enough to read it, you will not be the same. No cheesiness, nothing typical, it is the quintissential growing-up story of one amazing woman. The tales she tells of family, love, and writing will stay with you forever. BTW, the second book in the series is "Glory in the Flower."