Stevens Books

It's been 15 years since I first encountered this book - part of a vocabulary challenge in the sixth grade. I still remember most of the stories, and I must have infuriated my parents using each word incessantly as I learned it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This animated book gives children a new way to learn the definitions of words. It was highly recomended to me, and I loved it!

I love this book.This book is one of the best books ever.The reason why I gave this book five stars because its funny and senstive. My favorite word was laxcity.Laxcity means that you dont even care about whats gioing on.I think that this book is good for all ages. I hope that you read this fantastic book.

I use this book with my third grade students. We read a story per week. Many of their parents tell me it becomes a topic of conversation each week as the child teaches Mom and Dad a new word. It is fantastic.

This book is one of the best books I had ever read in my life.I would recommend this book to every one because its funny and great.

This book is awesome. I am very pleased to see it back in print!

As a local to Philadelphia, this came to my mother via the restaurant/ catering affiliations of Steve Poses, now of which I think there may only be Le Bus? Anyway, this has been a family staple for many years and the first book I grab for when I am serving company. Not light on calories, but guaranteed to be delicious... and I mean EVERY recipe. Awesome.

Absolutely crammed full of wonderful, flavorful recipes from beginning to end. I've owned this book since about 1988 and still use it more regularly for entertaining than any other. My favorites are the chicken satay, orzo salad, siamese chicken curry, grilled marinated swordfish, roast duck with Thai curry glaze, oatmeal sunflower seed pancakes, and pecan pie. Wait! I forgot the stir fry sauces and all those little suggestions at the end of chapters, and the broccoli and the gratin and the cookies and the ... You get the picture. Buy it.

I've had this cookbook since it was first published. I still turn to it for new recipes and I have adopted some as "my own"........I weed out periodically those cookbooks that I thought I would love but just don't.......this one will never get "weeded".........it's still great after all of these years......it's a classic.

This is my favorite cookbook. I haven't found a bad recipe yet and every time I serve one of these recipes, I get requests. The carrot cake is awesome, siamese chicken curry, curried chicken salad, hazelnut greenbeans...love, love this book!

I'm just an amateur, but this book seems to be the most comprehensive braising cookbook. Look at all the all-star chefs she has consulted. She explains the steps necessary to get a tender, flavorful braise and tells you why they are necessary. Loads of good recipes.
If you don't braise--you should--it makes the best dishes and is convenient for a group since you can do it ahead of time.
If you are going to braise, I think you could be wasting a lot of time and effort and missing out on wonderful meals if you don't have this book.

This is a superb book. Very well written thorough in its explanations and recipes with many varied recipes to choose from. Missed having lush photography to entice me more to cook, but a small omission in an overall impressive cookbook.

I never knew what braising was when I bought this book. It caught my eye because it was so thick, and I thought "How can there be that much on braising?" Well, I have to say, buying this book has been the nicest surprise in my cooking. I have made the absolute best pot roast ever (I never liked pot roast until I cooked it following Molly's recipes). She does such a terrific job of not only presenting the recipes in this book, but EDUCATING you on what makes a good cut of meat, how to buy fish, what to look for when selecting vegetables, etc. You will learn a lot from Molly if you read the book.
Note that there are very little pictures in the book, which usually renders a cookbook useless for me. However, the way she has described and categorized the recipes, I have never once yearned for a picture to know if something will be good. I just read through the title and recipe and think "Yum, that sounds great!" She's really a great cook and teacher. Kudos to you Molly!!! I love your book!

Buy it. You will be a better cook if you read the first couple chapters and make sure you spend the money and buy a good pot. You won't be sorry.

As for the two star review, I'm certain that their version of the crock-pot pot roast is the reason I never liked pot roast in the first place (you probably need half a bottle of ketchup to stomach it). Pay no attention to that review.

I can't tell you how much I love this book!!! If you like chicken, the chicken fricassee is the best. Also, her pork chops are to die for!

Update: I've been cooking from this book going on three years now and I am still in love with it. One of the great things is not only the recipes and education she gives you, but just about every recipe she recomends a side-dish and a wine. How great is that!? You don't even have to think about your menu. She also starts each recipe with a story about how she came across the recipe, which really gives it meaning and makes me appreciate how wonderful good cooking is. Great job Molly!

I've only had this cookbook for two weeks, but have already made 3 recipes from it and they all turned out amazing. The book is very well written and organized and it has a great variety of dishes from fun and different veggie dishes (The Butter-glazed radishes were a big hit) to old standards (the "Yankee Pot Roast Redux" was perhaps the finest pot roast I've ever eaten.) The wonderful thing about the book is it isn't just a collection of stellar recipes but a very readable discussion of technique, ingredients, and methodologies that will surely make you a better cook. I cannot recommend this cookbook highly enough.

UPDATE: After another couple months of making recipes out of this book I wish that I could give it another 5 stars. Every single thing that I've cooked from its pages has been a barn-burner. Do not hesitate to buy this cookbook.

Comprehensive, wonderful, fabulous...what more can I say? If you only want to buy one cookbook for braising, look no further. Molly Stevens covers just about everything and makes it easy. For a beginning cook all of this information might seen daunting, but the great thing is that she goes into detail for each preparation step and offers lots of good tips. I just purchased this book mid January and have used it many times already. Every recipe has been great. Highly, highly recommended!

I have finished reading this book, and here are my findings:

The book is very easy to read. In some portions, it is almost a page turner, and you could forget you're reading an instruction text. The information is presented clear and accurate, with enough personal stories to put the use of the techniques into context without becoming too "wordy" or redundant. The book does not extensively cover legal terminology or evidence collection and photography procedures (for that, I'd recommend "The Process of Investigation" by Sennewald and Tsukayama), but it does a great job of covering the basic techniques of Surveillance, Interviewing, Interrogation, Internet Database and Public Records Searchies and other Electronic Surveillance measuresOverall I would say that this book is a must read for anyone who is considering entering the field of Private Investigation.

I have briefly read through this book. It has a lot of helpful information. I do collections and have been doing skip tracing for several years. I am always looking for books or anything else that will help me find my debtors. This book, unlike some other ones I have come accross, has good legitimate information.

My husband and I own a private investigation agency in Florida. I ordered this book based on other positive reviews and it exceeded my expectations. The numerous web site resources listed in this book by Mr. Brown make it worth purchasing. Reading the book was like taking a mini-course on private investigation, and whether you are a newbie or an experienced investigator you can learn a lot from it. It is well-written, fun and interesting to read. I would have liked to have seen a little more detailed information on how to market your PI business, especially online, but that is just my personal opinion and that topic is probably another book in itself. In summary, I recommend this book highly for anyone in the PI field. FIVE STARS!!
Power-Save 1200

I am a licensed PI in Washington State, primarily working for attorneys providing litigation support. By the time I'd gotten to page 50, I'd learned something which would save me more than the price of the book on my next case.
Each chapter is summarized with "The least you need to know" and all are written in a matter-of-fact yet entertaining way. I enjoyed Mr. Brown's wry sense of humor and have gleaned much more from the book than I'd expected.
Lots of techniques, sources, and practical knowledge in here, an excellent value. Never mind the title, this is not for, nor written by, idiots, I wish I'd gotten a copy sooner.

Having researched many titles on private investigation before ordering any
books I placed this one at the top of a short list of "To Order" based on the excellent reviews. After receiving the book and reading it cover to cover I say WOW! The rave reviews were all true.I have since ordered and read the second book on my list(Private Investigation 101 by N.M Tillman). It was also very good and did offer some additional refrence sources.
For anyone who wishes to learn the basics of P.I. work this should be the
FIRST choice!

Family Apart follows the lives of Irish children. They move from Ireland during the potato famine to NY to survive. But then their da dies and their ma finds it impossible give her family the basic needs. She decides to send them WEST so they can have the basics, education, and love. I read this book to many children because it is a quartet of books. Afterwards, they want to read the sequels. These tell the individual stories of each child. Being historial fiction, it also leads into to reading real accounts of Orphan Train riders lives. The book is exciting and has many emotions that children can identify with now.

What if you and your family had to leave your mother and go west on one of the orphan trains to be split up into differnt families?

In this book you'll experience the wide array of feelings the kelly children are feeling and the adventure that the kelly chilren have to endure. The kelly's dicover Mike, the oldest boy, is a copper stealer, they are being taken from thier mother, and most comfort Mike because he blames himself for all that has happened.

I recommand this book to anybody who like suspenseful novels or is just looking for a good book to read.

I really enjoyed reading the book Family Apart, because it keeps you guessing , whats going to happen next? Also it helps you learn a lot about orphans and what they go through. A Family Apart has a lot important teachings to offer. I would love to read the next six books in the series.

This wonderful book A Family Apart has a lot of meaningful things that can be learned. One lesson that can be learned is, that you don't know what you've got until its gone. If you have something or know somebody that means a lot to you, once you lose them you don't realize how important it was until its gone. A moral that can help you in life is to believe in yourself. Believing in yourself is good because if you are trying to reach a goal and you believe in yourself you will reach that goal and if you don't you might not. Another lesson that can be learned in this book is to love your family. You should love your family because they do a lot for you and they are your only family. The last great moral is to accept changes. Even though accepting changes is hard we have to, because sometimes we cant change them. As you can tell this great book A Family Apart has a lot of important teachings to offer.

This was a thrilling book about a poor family that live in newyork the family has to deal with many problems first the dad dies, then the 3rd eldest gets in to some trouble because he is a copper thief Mike (the copper thief) is sent to a hearing The judge announces under there mothers wishes that the children ( Petey, Peg, Danny, Mike, Megan, and Frances) are to be sent west on the orphan train. Before the train leaves Frances the eldest child overhears that two kids in the same family are more likely to be adopted if they are boys. So Frances promising her mother that she would take care of her youngest brother cuts her hair and pretends to be a boy named Frankie. That's just the beginning Frances and her brothers and sisters encounter many other things on there quest to the west. Read this fantastic book and your eyes will open up to a whole new world of adventure thieves, slaves, fear, and depression it's sure to make your heart ache.This is a book you will always remember.

A good reference to the PERL language.

As opposed to the O'Reilly publications, this book does not assume as much reading between the lines as what is written at times in those.

So, this may be useful for people to clarify what is being talked about in entries there, or just as a more clear starting point to begin with for the areas of PERL programming that it covers.

This book is a great reference if you just want to quickly look up a syntax. The index is very good and makes it easy to find answers to problems quickly, and it almost always beats trolling through google search results! While it would not be useful as the only text for beginners, I think it would make a good supplemental text. It also might be a good choice for people who already have experience in other languages, and are switching to perl, or intermediate perl programmers who cannot remember where every comma and semicolon should go!

I am extremely impressed by this merchant. The shipping was on time and the book was in great condition

This is a great reference book for perl. It doesn't try to teach the reader perl, which after you already know it is really nice. This is more like a collection of all the perlmod/man pages put together in an organized manner. I reference this book all the time for different syntax structures and many other reasons.

As a new programmer and new Perl programmer this is an invaluable reference. For the ambitious newbie this book can serve as a great starter guide to the Perl language. As a reference and supplement to another beginner book, this book really soars.

I was able to quickly expand my understanding of Perl and started writing real perl programs (albeit very simple ones as a beginning perl programmer) by using this book. You'll become well versed in Perl using this as your constant guide.

When a programming reference can be distilled is such a highly useful and pragmatic way, you've got to add it to your library. Brilliant job on this one.

I highly recommend this work and I'm confident you won't leave home without it. Or perhaps you'll buy one for home and work. I also highly recommend 'Perl Power' by John Flynt and 'Beginning Perl, Second Edition' by James Lee (Apress) as companion beginner books to this one.

Steven will not forget how he met the unbelievably gorgeous Julie Montenegro. Her beautiful eyes and stackable body had Steven wrapped around her finger. The love he shared with her was deep, sensual and hypnotic. Steve never knew what hit him when he felt that first fatal blow. After the repeated cries of apologies, Steven knew that he was in for something terrible. After countless beatings, broken ribs and false promises, Steven decides enough is enough. Will Julie feel the same way?

Marvin Reid does an excellent job at describing what we as a country feel is a woman's ordeal. Hundreds if not thousands of men go through physical and mental abuse each year. While when women are victims, the courts are enthused to throw the men straight to jail. On the other hand the courts, almost laugh when the men are victims of women abusing them. Double standard at its finest. Marvin should have opened the eyes and hearts of many of his readers and his story should be passed on.

Marvin Curtis Reid is a serious novelist. He's not the type of author who gives you a story based on half-truths; rather, he does the research and gives you fiction that resembles the truth. Marvin's novels are the real deal. His second book, STEVEN is a journey into the world of domestic abuse from a most unique perspective, par for our society. This unique story centers on the abuse of an African-American male. The eye-opener for this tale is how the story is written. Not many stories are depicted about battered husbands and boyfriends. The popular belief is that this type of abuse is mainly a woman's domain, but rising statistics tell us it's more prevalent than we realize. The story takes place in modern-day New York City. Steven is a young Black urban professional who meets a beautiful woman on the streets of New York and they begin dating. Julie is high maintenance, independent, and a stunningly attractive woman who owns a Brownstone in Harlem. Her aggressive style attracts and intrigues him enough to fall in love, which is the beginning of his nightmare. The dark side of this pretty lady emerges, and Steven becomes her favorite victim.

I was impressed with the way that the author portrayed the soul and spirit of Steven. Readers will readily be drawn into this drama! Reid created rich characters full of human emotion, which will allow pity to be the main ingredient in understanding his ordeal. Paradoxically, his refusal to stay away from this woman who beats him so brutally makes you want to see how far it takes you. She almost kills him on more than once occasion adding fuel to the fire, making you angry and fearful for his safety. Julie, the girlfriend from hell, will chill your bones. The madness in the character's personality and her dark and evil acts will give you a villain you will love to hate. This is not a pretty ride and parts of the book are raw and revealing. The physical assaults on Steven will make cringe as you imagine both his physical and emotional pain. You almost wish that the court system would have been an ally, but does little to keep him safe. What defense does Steven render? And what turns the tide for him? Steven's needed to do the right thing, and his feelings of inadequacy make him a continuing vulnerable target. Finally, his spiritual strength kicks in and he moves on, but Julie will not let him be. She stalks him until the very end.

STEVEN is a book that you read in one sitting. I did, because I wanted to know so badly how the book was going to end. It was suspenseful and gripping. I enjoyed crying for Steven in his worst moments, and cheering him on when he was strong. I recommend this book to readers who appreciate a good storyline, great characters, and crisp clear writing. Marvin Curtis Reid is an author to keep an eye on. I'd rate this book a 4.5 because it was just that close to being a perfect read.

Settling in for a nice evening and curling up with a good book? Well, this ain't it. If you're looking for a nice chick-lit story or some sweet, honest drama, you've come to the wrong place. STEVEN is a gritty, shoot from the hip memoir of a man suffering the indignity of domestic abuse at the hands of his "gorgeous" girlfriend, Julie. About Julie: she's a character that you'd love to grab by the neck and squeeze. Her visceral actions will leave you speechless, especially one particular scene...but I won't give that one away.

Steven Porter himself is a sweet and gentle character who is exceptionally well developed, but his choices obviously contributed to his situation with Julie. Fortunately, Fallon, his subsequent wife is an amazing person. The author's characterization of her is obviously meant to send a message to the men of the world. She's generous, loving, patient and strong, just the way she should have been. She needed to be to deal with a situation like that.

Overall, this book is mind-bending and shows the triumph of the human spirit. I applaud the writer for his insight and taking on a topic that is extremely difficult. Men are often victims of circumstance and generally unwilling to come forward, Reid clearly points that out. Though some might be more interested in why Julie was the way she was, that really doesn't matter because it's about Steven and how he manages to get through it all.

It was indeed a pleasure.

In Queen Latifah's song U.N.I.T.Y she says `Put your hands on me again I'll put you're a** in handcuffs.



I know this because my boyfriend at the time would always say it. We would laugh about it, because it wasn't like I was beating him senseless we would just be playing. As ignorant as it sounds I would have never thought that statistics would be this high regarding men being abused.



Steven is a wonderfully thought out tale of abuse and then UNITY. Who would have thought that simple gesture of helping a beautiful woman out one day would turn into the kind of physical and mental abuse he suffered. Due to embarrassment he wasn't able to call the cops on his abuser or even admit the truth to himself that he was a victim of physical abuse from the hands of a woman. What cop, doctor, friend, sister, co-worker would believe that she was beating him unmercifully day in and day out. He wasn't sure who he could tell until he was almost beaten to a pulp and didn't have a choice but to admit what happened.



Months later and his neighbor turned out to be the woman that was made for him. Through love, understanding and UNITY they overcame all the abuse that was shed upon him and their relationship.



I really enjoyed reading this, I mean I wanted Steven to whoop her a** but I understood his reasoning behind not responding to her. He forgave her but as they say we can all forgive we will never forget.

Steven and Julie's relationship is a tumultuous one.

"You made me do this!"

Words uttered by one mate to the other after a fierce beating. Julie, a petite perfect size six, is no physical match to Steven at six-one, six-two, at least 200 pounds. If it were only that simple...

"You made me!"

With manipulation, power, fear, and sex, the scales have tilted in the other direction. It is Steven that is subjected to mental and physical abuse at the mouth and hands of Julie. Ashamed, broken, and scared, Steven doesn't know if he's coming or going. Slap after slap, punch after punch, kick after kick, he's dangerously nearing the point of no return. Will Steven continue to suffer in silence?

As this frank novel unfolds, Steven will suffer more than physical abuse as he questions his worth and manhood. Marvin Curtis Reid has drawn a vivid and dramatic portrait that gives readers a greater understanding of an often unspoken of abuse - men victimized by women. Steven's struggles will resonate for anyone that has themselves been a victim or knows someone that is - pretty much everyone. I highly recommend this novel.

Thank you Marvin. Did you succeed? Yes, you did.

How is it that a few select people are able to attract attention from others in ways that increase their business opportunities? It's because they've mastered the art of becoming "slightly famous". Think of it as using networking in ways you never thought of before. Steven Van Yoder covers this in his book Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort, Second Edition. Even if you're not running your own business, this book will more than pay for itself in turning you into someone who is considered an "expert" in your chosen field.

Contents:
Preface: How to Break Out of the Anonymity Trap
Part 1 - The Center of Your Universe: Just a Little Fame Will Do; Aim For a Target; The Brand Is You; Thought Leadership
Part 2 - Media Strategies: Media Strategies That Work; Attracting Media Attention; Getting an Article into Print; Broadcast Media
Part 3 - Reaching Out in All Directions: The Slightly Famous Website; Marketing in A Virtual World - Internet and Web 2.0 Strategies; Stand and Deliver - Speaking Strategies; Info-Products - Create Multiple Income Streams; Strategic Partnerships; Reach Out and Connect; Keeping in Touch with Newsletters; Cause Marketing - Doing Well By Doing Good
Index

You know the people... colleagues (or competitors) who are always in demand as speakers, consultants, writers, or sources for articles. Is it because they know absolutely more than anyone else on a given subject? Usually not. It's more because they've become "slightly famous" in their niche by making themselves known and available via various channels. Van Yoder covers the essentials of setting yourself up in this way. Part 1 of the book sets the groundwork for determining what it is that you want to be known for, and how best to position yourself as a person who is an authority on that subject. Once you've determined your niche and subject matter, you can use his techniques to start building your name as a brand in the marketplace. You don't need to become a household name to everyone on the planet. What you *do* need to do is start putting your name out there in your niche as someone who has valuable information, who can be trusted to share that information, and who is accessible. Once you start down that path, the rest of the book covers various ways that you can make this work in different channels, such as becoming an industry speaker or writer, becoming a person turned to for news stories, or making your knowledge available in audio/visual/written form for purchase. Once you start building up a little momentum (i.e., becoming "slightly famous"), the exposure starts to build a life of its own, and you're attracting business in ways you never thought possible.

While I'm not an independent businessperson or a consultant, I *am* someone who needs a certain level of exposure in my field in order to take advantage of various opportunities that come up. I fortunately did a number of things correctly up to this point, but with Van Yoder's book I can take it even further. Get Slightly Famous is one of those books that will cause you to rethink how you view yourself within your industry or community, and if followed it will lead you down paths that will surprise you.

If you are overwhelmed with the competition in your area of the marketplace, how do you stand out and shine? Steven Van Yoder provides a cornucopia of ideas to move anyone from their anonymous unknown position to becoming a slightly famous standout. He defines "slightly famous" as Just famous enough to make their names come to mind when people are looking for a particular product or service, and let them reap the benefits. They get more business--not only more, but the right kind of business--and they don't have to work so hard to get it." (page 3)
While the marketplace may seem crowded (pick your market), there is always room for innovative communicators who will gain visibility, credibility and become a thought leader. Through dozens of case studies and stories, Van Yoder proves his points.

The first section helps the reader think through their own distinctive, then the second portion explores different media strategies (for different types of media such as print, online, broadcast) and the final section gives a wealth of ideas for anyone to expand their own reach.

The book is well-written, easy to use and one that I'm certain you will use a highlighter and go back to review the concepts and apply them to your own business. I recommend GET SLIGHTLY FAMOUS.

You face an uphill battle everyday in a competitive market place. Not only are you competing locally, at the state and national levels, but in a global marketplace.

One of your key areas of defensible competitive advantage is your prestige and reputation. If you take the time to carve out your niche, and establish your presence as an "expert" in your field, you can increase your pull in the marketplace.

Yoder's book has three main parts with some sample topics listed below:

Part I: The Center of Your Universe
* Find your niche; Page 16
* Establish yourself as a thought leader; Page 50

Part II: Media Strategies
* PR vs Advertising; Page 69
* How to give a great interview; Page 88

Part III: Reaching Out In All Directions
* How you can create a virtual first impress; Page 177
* Why you need to network; Page 249

You could pay thousands of dollars to teach you what Yoder has in this book.

Save the seminar fee, read the book, and get famous!

Highly Recommended.

Cheers!

I am a landscaper with a unique niche, a big personality, and a strong point of view, and I can definitely see how becoming the most well-known person in the area, a local gardening celebrity, would provide great dividends to my business. The question is how do I get there, so that when local people think of gardening, they think of me first?

If you are wondering something similar, look no further than this book. I've read a few books designed to help you set yourself apart and get recognized, and none of them were as specific and practical as this one. This book takes you step by step through a number of techniques and approaches to become a local celebrity or one in your field, and not only gives you general advice about it, but walks you step by step through some of the common pitfalls and questions you'll encounter through each approach.

I have read it cover to cover once, and have bookmarks through the entire thing - some red (do it now!) and some yellow to remind me to try the steps later. I am thrilled at how down to earth and simple the advice was. I feel like I have someone knowledgeable walking me through these new activities, and it has given me the confidence to go ahead and do some of the steps right away.

I'd recommend this book for business owners, whether you have a three-person company like I do or a larger one - especially if you do any consulting work or work where you need to be respected for your knowledge. It's very helpful.

If you want an edge in today's highly competitive market where it is becoming increasinly difficult to get anyone's attention, then you need to Get Slightly Famous.

The book provides a highly valuable, easy to follow roadmap for anyone to follow. And if you follow the advice in the book, you will Get Slightly Famous. Getting slightly famous will separate you from the rest of your competition.

The premise of the book is that you do not need to be famous to be successful. But in your own niche, you need to standout from the crowd. And the rewards of getting slightly famous far outweigh the time and effort required.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section is devoted to why you need to be slightly famous and how you can achieve that goal.

The second section concerns media strategy. There is the basic information on how you must approach the media in order to be successful. There are excellent tips on how to get articles in print and how to attract the media to you so you can get on the radio or TV.

The third section shows how you can reach out in many different directions: your website, speaking, info-product and strategic partnerships are just a few that are covered.

The book is a combination of how to, why to and a reference guide. There are over 90 specific real world examples of entrepreneurs who have gotten slightly famous - telling what they did and how it has benefited their business.

Any size business can benefit from the information contained in this book. If you want your business to grow bigger, you must learn and apply the information in this book.

This book is unique because of the amount of information and the depth of coverage. It will not be possible to absorb all the information in one reading. But keep in handy and use it as a specific guide. It will give you so many tips and insights ... well worth reading and keeping handy.

This is probably the most important book on the market for people who have family or friends involved in destructive cults, or have been involved themselves.

A must read.

In Releasing the Bonds Steve Hassan brings help, healing and understanding to former cult members and their families and to sufferers of abuse and trauma in relationships. Mr.Hassan's in depth exposition of the interplay between individual personality and the psycho-technology of extremist organizations is fascinating and elucidating. His develoment of the strategic interactive approach to cult related problems and relationship trauma is a considerable contribution to contemporary psychotherapy.

This book is a must for students of psychology, anyone interested in the psychology of terrorism, practicing therapists as well as students of history and politics.

Hassan's insightful, inclusive and compassionate approach to the most intricate of human problems and suffering is a window into a world of hope.

I was first "introduced" to Steven Hassan when Dr. Phil had a program dealing with two girls who left a polygamous Mormon off-shoot cult, and Hassan was a guest consultant.

I found this book useful. Part of the reason is one of our family members are in a cult.

I've been familiar with cults for years, primarily from a doctrinal stance. Hassan is not a Christian (he's Jewish), but he approaches the subject differently. His focus is on mind control, and he points out that there are non-religious groups that are basically cults because of their mind control. Most people I know consider Mormonism a cult, but Hassan only mentions them in his bibliography. Jehovah's Witnesses, however do appear, because they use mind control.

This book is primarily aimed for rescuing someone out of cults, and is effective.

A master of love and compassion. A healer in every sense of the word. A gifted author who's outpouring of information gleaned through years of education, research, personal experience, and couseling ~ renews and restores lives shattered through 'cult-member' experiences. It seems he prides & reveres the personal freedom of each person as much as his own ~ and bends over backward to to educate and provide avenues for healing. Read this, read Combatting Cult Mind Control. To my way of thinking a hero in every sense of the word. There is help out there to get people out of cults and to help people in the healing of putting life "back together" again in hope and ultimately joy. Highly recommend!

Steve Hassan knows whereof he speaks, and this book will help anyone looking to rescue a loved one or friend from the grips of the mind control tactics that characterize sects of all kinds. The most important aspect of Hassan's program is respect: respect for what may have sent a person into the clutches of a sect to begin with, and respect for the individual lost in the double-talk miasma of sect manipulation. This is a book of hope and love; every single member of a family can learn and grow from it, and its message tells us never to give up.
Read it through to the end and make sure you understand all aspects of the intervention described in its pages. Hassan will arm you with the tools needed to act wisely, humanely, fairly. Your friend or loved one deserves it. So do you.

My sons and I got hooked on the Fablehaven series a few weeks ago. These books are fun to read for youth and adults. The plot and quality of writing is not quite equal to Rollins' Harry POtter series, but we still enjoyed getting lost in this fantasy world. I recommend this book and the series.

This is a great new book series for Harry Potter Fans! I love this author's work and I have read all his books so far. Brandon Mull you keep writing and I'll keep reading your work!! I bet this series becomes a movie like the spiderwick series did.

This has to be one of the best series ever written. I liked it just as much if not more than the Harry Potter series. You have to read all three books and I can't wait for the fourth to come out next year. It is somewhat strong for really young children but is really good for the imagination of the 8-15 range. Some of the subjects are dark but the overall is amazing. Two strong thumbs up. Highly recommend.

Brandon Mull has become one of my favorite authors in just a few short months. I picked up the first book at the end of the school year at the book fair where I teach and have been anxiously working my way through the series and am looking forward to the next.

Mull takes you to very real places with his exotic twists for a magical adventure and its all about kids and how they learn to cope with adult responsibility. To put such a learning tool in ones writing is a gift. Thank You for writing Fablehaven.

Brandon Mull is getting hotter
With books as long as Harry Potter
This one goes four seventy seven
For kids above ten or eleven

There's danger lurking everywhere
Friend or foe is now unclear
With darkness taking over light
And fewer folk to lead the fight

A plague of shadows spreads its wings
O'er Nipsies and all other things
There's no time left for talk or tact
Just find the missing artifact

Fantastic creatures, deadly foes
Centaurs with arrows and bows
See them change before your eyes
The dark forces are on the rise

Knight of Dawn or Evening Star
No one knows which one you are
Or is it what everyone thinks?
Can the traitor be the Sphinx?

Vanessa's in the Quiet Box
Dare they open up the locks?
Oh, the secrets she could tell
If released from her private hell

New characters and distant places
Returning long forgotten faces
Battle lines are drawn and crossed
Could it be Fablehaven's lost?

Before you end up all bemused
Read one and two, you'll be enthused
This is the best, book three of five
What next will Brandon Mull contrive?

I want to see this on the screen
Drinking in each thrilling scene
Surround sound and soundly cast
From Fablehaven to the last



Amanda Richards, June 29, 2008



Rise of the Evening Star (Fablehaven)