T Books

It's so great to hear someone speak the truth amongst the competitive child-rearing nonsense that so many middle class parents find themselves trapped in. I thoroughly agree with Jen that parenting has changed from the authoritative to the democratic. Time for us mums to let our kids get dirty again, stop the ridiculous circus of classes, teams, and schedules and for goodness sakes be kids! Thanks Jen for finally empowering us 'slummy mummies' and helping me to put the brakes on my kids' childhoods before I wonder where it all went and how I missed it.

Just when you think everything has been written on the topic of motherhood, there comes another great book on the subject that handles the topic with flair. A surefire way to instill confidence in a new mom, this book hits the issues dead-on. Fashioned in a simple way by addressing the 14 Secrets To Finding Happiness, the author manages to address all "mothering" insecurities and provide encouraging words as well as a bit of a kick in the pants for those self-proclaimed slacker moms! Offers some great advice for mothers of the 21st century. Don't miss this one!

I'll admit up front that I'm bias ... Jen is a friend of mine. And as a friend, I've had the good fortune to see and hear Jen's humor over the years -- on the soccer field, in the pub, at weddings. And I've long thought, and this book just proves it, that Jen is a rightful heir to the following of Erma Bombeck. Why? Because they find the humor in the every day. They are willing to mock themselves while showing us the absurd we take for granted as normal. And they both make me laugh despite the fact I'm neither a housewife nor a mom.
Paraphrasing a favorite commercial of my youth ... buy it, you'll like it. And Jen, keep 'em coming.You're a Good Mom (and Your Kids Aren't So Bad Either)

It's very rare to find myself nodding my head and agreeing with the author throughout an entire book. But that's what was going on while I read this book. I agreed with Jen Singer so much, I almost felt like I wrote this book! It was an easy read, well written, and very fun.

I was at the bookstore with my husband and stumbled upon this book..and I am SOOO glad I did. This book gives you the reassurance that there's nothing wrong with not being perfect. It also gives you a reality check that some of the things that you get caught up in believing are the "best" for your kids, may not be. For example, TV may not be the "ideal" according to the AAP, but for me to be a good mom and not blow a fuse..a 30 minute cartoon may be just what the doctor ordered in the long run!!

Cool alphabet book. I didn't even realize that the illustrations were paintings and not photographs until I read some reviews! Encourages kids' imaginations, encourages them to notice their surroundings, gives an opening for a geography/history lesson or an opening for an art discussion -- all kinds of uses including the most important one of all - simple enjoyment.

Great book when teaching the alphabet, students can see that letters are not just in the classroom but also in real life.

Reading these exciting words: "The paintings for this book were created with pastels, watercolors, gouache and charcoal on hot pressed watercolor paper" I feel a deep urge to take a plunge into doing art. Luckily we can see "it" everywhere, not just New York City.

Stephen Johnson dedicates "ALPHABET CITY" to his parents "for their constant belief in me and my art." Besides instilling confidence & joy, they must also have helped their son develop a sense of color & texture, humor and even x-ray vision! Now he has his first Caldecott award.

This is a joy-filled book. Children spontaneously shout the letters but also share their own made-up stories as they see beneath the surface of the paints. "M" is a favorite of mine, and "W" and "Y" (and on & on!). Who could choose a better image than the "A" of sawhorses to lead to "Z"? Sometimes obvious, and other times subtle, the contrasts in color and season are lovely and great fun. Many eyes will open much wider after experiencing "Alphabet City."

Reviewer mcHAIKU is crazy about art AND this book.

How successful an alphabet book is relies entirely on how well it conveys the alphabet to children. Sometimes books of this nature are so wrapped up in their own cleverness (like the wearily look-at-me-aren't-I-a-visual-delight, "Graphic Alphabet" by David Pelletier) that they forget who alphabet books are supposed to be FOR. Now "Alphabet City" is clever too. No question of that. But what Stephen T. Johnson has done here is whip up a book that inner city kids will immediately recognize and cling to. How many alphabet collections are there out there that form letters out of pastoral or countryside setting? Plenty. Johnson turns the idea on its head with near photo-realistic paintings of recognizable city objects and places.

In his forward to the book, Johnson explains that the roots of this project are based in his own love of the, "particular energy one senses in the people, sounds, and structures, old and new, that constitute a city". While out for a stroll on day, he found he could find letters in the most basic city structures, like fire-escapes and sawhorses. "Alphabet City" is the result. Each letter, always a capital, is presented as part of the environment around it. So the aforementioned sawhorse is the very first picture, with kids being able to readily recognize the "A" hidden in its crossbeams. No letter is going to be immediately easy to find. Johnson doesn't outline them in darker paints or even necessarily point them out in any way. The "R" hidden in leaf covered cobblestones is evident if sneaky. He also cheats a little here and there to get just the right shape. To find the "C" in the cathedral's beautiful window, a late afternoon shadow covers part of the circle. By and large, however, Johnson executes an extraordinarily clever conjunction of images. I would have thought it near impossible to find a "Q" in the city, but the wheel well of a stationary train proved me wrong. Johnson also flits back and forth between different kinds of light and shadow. You'll find yourself quite taken with his mysterious and towering "T", or the snow-covered bench that provides an "O". It makes for perhaps the most interactive alphabetic picture book out there.

This book does work on the premise that the children reading it already recognize the alphabet as it stands. How hard would it have been for Johnson to have place a large black letter in the corner of each page, allowing kids the chance to learn as well as explore? If you're a four-year-old and can't remember if "Q" comes before or after "R", this book will be no help to you. That said, for those kids already familiar with the shapes in this collection, "Alphabet City" can become a game in their off hours. They can walk down the street pointing out the letters they see in their own neighborhoods. Some pictures admittedly feel like Johnson is cheating. He obviously could have located an "L" anywhere, but did he have to make it so difficult for the readers by constructing such a convoluted image? Try flipping randomly to some of the pages and see whether or not you can figure out what letter you're on. Betcha bottom dollar you don't guess "F" or "G".

I complain, but only because I love. Truth be told, "Alphabet City" blew me away. There are all kinds of seasons here and a true love for city living that rings true. Johnson has a keen eye for the beauty inherent in urban living. Rust and peeling paint and moldering iron and missing tilework all combine into truly beautiful portraits. The alphabet has never been done so eclectically. Alphabet books with a designer bent always leave me a touch cold, but "Alphabet City" is different. Like its sequel, "City By Numbers" it's original and lovingly rendered. Consider pairing it with "Achoo Bang Crash" by Ross MacDonald and "New York, New York: The Big Apple From A to Z" by Laura Krauss Melmed for a truly urban and urbane alphabetic threesome.

Stephen T. Johnson's Caldecott Honor Book (1996) Alphabet City is a wordless book depicting paintings of scenes from urban life cleverly depict each of the letters of the alphabet. Each letter (and painting) has its own page, such as an "E" in a side view of a traffic light, an "M" in the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge, an "R" in the cracks in the sidewalk, and a "T" in the negative space between two tall buildings. The paintings are photo-realistic in style and view scenes from a variety of unique vantage points, some showing an entire landscape while others focus on a small detail. The large size of the book and the high-quality glossy paper display the paintings to full effect. Children who have newly learned their letters will enjoy showing off by spotting the letters "hidden" in the everyday settings and will likely begin spotting more letters in their own surroundings. There is a secondary message in this book about the prominence of language in our daily lives and that we are surrounded by letters and language.

I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, the engaging style that invites the reader into the world of Octavian and many of his contemporaries such as Herod the Great, Tiberius, Cleopatra, Cicero, Livey, and many others. You come away from this book feeling as though you experienced something of the past. It is though you were there and lived through it yourself. Second, this book is a history of religions in that it focuses on the world religions of the first century all over the world. You learn about the religions of Rome and how they were evolving, as well as Judaism, Christianity, Buddism, Mithraism, Hinduism and many more besides. The story of the Roman and Greek gods are told. Third, festivals and there meaning are focused on. This is particularly true of December 25th and how the various religions treated this date. Other festivals are taught about as well, like the Jewish passover. Fourth, the calendar and how it come into being is another great feature of this book. One learns about astronomy and astrology as well as how all of the months and days of the week that are currently used in the west were named. Fifth, the founding and history of various cities are told. Finally, one can not leave this book without sensing that he has taken a trip back in time. The one negative about the book was that the author takes a religious stand that "all roads lead to god". There is very little negative treatment of the various religions. Most people and religions are cast in a very positive light. Octavian was likely a little meaner and cold hearted than he comes off here. Of course, if Octavian was telling the story himself then he may have told it like this since we are all the hero of our own story.

One of the best all-ages history books. :) Gorgeous illustrations, useful family trees, all told in a friendly and familiar style; not dry and academic at all.

What a wonderful book and introduction for a young person to learn about the Romans, and the way they lived! I remember first being introduced to this book in the 9th grade, when I had a mild obsession with the Roman Empire. This book has stuck with me for a long time. It is written in an entertaining manner, and makes these people seem more real and human than some stale 3rd person account of how things were. Each historical figure is depicted as people with the same basic fears, hopes and desires as everyone else, in relation to the society in which they live. It of course being for children is toned down as far as some of the facts we know or speculate today about these people (ie I, Claudius) but it gives a great account of how an individual of the day might have lived, and it is not just about Octavian/Augustus himself, but the people around him and alive at the same time, sometimes even in another country. This was the world of that time, and was a fascinating period of history. This type of book can easily open up a historical interest for a young person for life. I myself searched 10 years ago to find a used copy of this gem, remembering it from high school over 10 years prior, and successfully found a copy in an old book shop. I was thrilled to death to read it again, even after reading several translated histories from the Roman Empire.

I cannot say enough good things about this book! I just finished reading it before using it for homeschooling, and am amazed at how much I learned! If only they used history books like this in when I was in school, I may have had an interest in history.

The books covers from Octavian at age 18 (when his uncle Julius Caesar is killed), through his death. The beauty of this books is that it covers world events during the time period as well as daily life in Ancient Rome. It's wonderfully well rounded and the illustrations are a nice bonus.

I will absolutely read her other historic fiction books and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one!

One of the great bonuses of parenting is that you get to introduce books to your own kids that wowed you when you were a kid yourself. Sometimes your children love the books as much as you did; sometimes they don't. But in either case, you get to revisit with old friends and see how much you and they have changed and retained over the years.

Some of my best book friends when I was a kid were the wonderful illustrated histories of Genevieve Foster, and the one I loved most was *Augustus Caesar's World.* I recently introduced it (and a few others: *Washington's World*, *Lincoln's World*, *John Smith's World*, *Columbus's World*) to my 8 year old, and he's discovering the magic in them I did so many years ago.

There are three qualities to *Augustus Caesar's World* that make it so entertaining and educating. The first is that it's incredibly well written. Foster has the gift of breathing life into historical accounts. In reading about Cicero's execution or the life of Siddhartha, for example, one experiences all the dreadful waste of the one and the liberating wonder of the other. Second, the book is wonderfully illustrated by Foster herself. The illustrations are themselves instructive: along with individual scenarios, she provides time-lines, illustrated most fetchingly, that conveniently encapsulate events and persons. Finally, Foster's histories are really world histories. In *Augustus Caesar's World,* she focuses on the events leading up to the end of the Roman Republic and the establishment of the Empire (roughly, 44BCE to 14 CE). But she doesn't limit herself to Roman history; she also examines events taking place across the world during the time frame in which she's working: the druids in Gaul, Hindus in India, Confucius in China, Mayans in the Americas, and so on. She even includes intellectual history: the origins of Christianity and Buddhism, the Upanishadic culture of the Hindus, etc. Her aim is to give the reader a wide angle of vision, and she succeeds wonderfully.

I'm grateful that Foster's histories are being republished. They don't patronize kids by resorting to silly gimmicks that supposedly make learning more palatable (or at least more marketable). Instead, they make history fascinating the old fashioned way: by showing that it's a great story in its own right. They're a great discovery for my son, and a great rediscovery for me.

Eric Kassan(1st reviewer), has it right. So many books these days are word stuffed by the publishers to give them more apparent value. I'm guessing editor's jobs these days are to add "breadth" to books.
Bob doesn't do that. To describe the book in one word would be SUCCINT.
I never felt like he was spinning his wheels.

I don't want him to blush now, but, with all that I've read and studied in IT, outside of some of the original IBM manuals for VM and CMS, his book gives the most bang for the buck. He's not pedantic. Rather than codifying some new method, the Lewis Method, he gives advice wisdom. He's trying to let people know what its really going to be like to run a project. The way he starts out with Sponsorship and Governance in unusual and a critical point. I've seen many projects fail because they get orphaned, either by a sponsor leaving the company or deciding there is bigger fish to fry and this project isn't going to shine up his finish as much as some new thing. Also hadn't considered many things in the way he puts them, such as the only three ways a business can improve. I've run many, varied project but can still learn. I loved the Dilbertian sentence, "The usual root cause is that the project is good for the company without being good for any of its executives." So true. I've seen it so many times. Once the execs complete their analysis, and realize they have nothing personal to gain, the 180 degree turn is quick and startling. Don't completely agree with everything in the book, but I'd say 99.5% of it I do agree with. He pointed up a number of my owns, which I always need work on. The people management advice is excellent and much ignored by other writers. An unhappy team member starts to build a gravity that can pull the whole project down with it.

I'm a pathetically slow reader, my comprehension is great, but I read and think. I finished in two days in just two sessions. The end of chapter "steps" summary is incredibly helpful as a memory tool.

I'll be rereading the book and keeping it close at hand for the rest of my career. Its an excellent addition to anyone's toolkit and reference shelf. Great job Bob. Thank You.

As manager of a small IT shop in a not-for-profit organization, the overhead of a rigorous application of the PMI methodology is often overkill for our projects. Many of our projects are run by small team that need to focus their time and efforts on accomplishing the work and moving to the next project rather. The Bare Bones philosophy provides sound project management principles in a format that is easy for any project manager to understand, regardless of his or her project management experience. The principles are easy to apply and all but guarantee a successful outcome to the project.

There are very few reference materials that I will carry with me on any business trip but this book is one of them. Mr. Lewis is so well versed in his subject that his distillation is refreshingly concise and complete. It's an excellent "airport read" on your way to your project's kick-off meeting. Get this book before you need this book!

An excellent summary of the key steps to successful project management. Somehow Bob Lewis manages to write in an entertaining fashion, with flashes of his trademark humor, cover the basics, and throw in useful tips all in just 52 pages. If you're not an experienced project manager, do yourself a favor and take an hour to go through this book before tackling that "hot potato" project your boss just handed you!

Where was this book when I first needed it. This book is indispensible for a first time project manager or even for project team members. This book is a great combination, short enough to quickly digest, readable so its points are easy to understand, detailed and relatable to be put immediately into action, and comprehensive enough to cover all the major issues. Project management training is the most useful training I have received, and frankly, this book does a better job of distilling the finer points of good project management than my two week intensive courses, and was a lot more enjoyable to experience.

I totally loved the first book in this series, The Begotten. It was fabulous. The second book in this series, The Betrayed was just as good. I recommend reading the series in order. There was a point in the middle of The Betrayed when I put this book down due to other commitments, but when I picked it up again I was pulled right back into that world.

The brutality the "gifted" experienced was as powerful as the miraculous events. I couldn't believe how many times they were captured after trying to get free. And being pursued like that had to make them crazy. I found the parallel between the "dark" lord and Satan quite interesting. He would get furious when Daria quoted scripture during times of suffering, yet that was the one thing that sustained her. For me, another profound conclusion from this story was how God will sometimes allow others to suffer alongside us to provide encouragement.

I loved the message about God's perfect timing and tuning into his voice. And the strategies that the evil Lord, Sorcerer Abramo, used to try to break them were so similar to the devil's. First he tries luring you in with your own lusts and weaknesses. If that doesn't break you he goes after your flesh (like with sickness) and if you still refuse to curse God in the midst of that pain he tries the ultimate tactic of hurting those you love. What a wicked enemy we have!

Bergren did such a fabulous job of making me see how the enemy works through this parallel story. It makes me want to memorize more scriptures that I can use when I need encouragement and when I need to fight off the enemy's attacks. As far as the edgy factor goes? I'd rate this with 8 out of ten stars for edgy content. If you want to experience an adventure that will both thrill you and at the same time cut you to the very marrow of your bones, you will love this book.

After reading THE BEGOTTEN I was hooked and quickly located THE BETRAYED to read. Then I realized the third book wasn't out yet and am still on the edge waiting for it. Bergren has a way of weaving her story with history and religion that makes me want to learn more. Not only is the message important but the way it is presented is exciting enough you can't put it down. HIGHLY recommend "THE GIFTED" series by Lisa T. Bergren.

Hard to believe Lisa Bergren could out do herself, but she did! The 2nd of the Gifted Series is even better than the first. If any drawback, its that I found these before the 3rd book was out. I am counting the days to see how this plays out. Excellent characters and storyline. And nothing beats the message!

This is a great continuation of the Gifted's journey through Italy to battle against evil and heal the sick and innocent. It kept my attention through all the twists and turns. I recommend you read the first book in the trilogy before you read this one.

The Gifted continue their quest for St. Paul's lost letter, seeking the guidance they need to fulfill their roles in the prophecy and to serve God. Even as they come closer to their goal, the forces of darkness assemble against them, and now it seems might have won a victory. Betrayal delivers them into the hands of a sorcerer who is determined to make the Healer, Daria, his own. Alone with the enemy, it will take every amount of faith and grace available to the young noblewoman to resist the pull of temptation to give in to her fears. Will her friends be allowed the grace to deliver her?

**** Gripping suspense and action abound in this sequel, proving that Christian novels need not be tame and blah. Ms. Bergren brings spiritual warfare to vivid life in a rich setting that will appeal to fans of not only stories with a message, but of history as well. ****

Amanda Killgore

A great read and informative even for someone knowledgeable on the topic.
He gets a little crossed up when it comes to KW hrs and KW but what the heck, the book is so thorough otherwise that you have to cut the guy some slack. It still gets a 5 in my book.

I've recommended Boston's books to several people, and those who bit were very thankful. Boston is knowledgeable and fun to read: read the fine print of the subtitle! My wife was especially happy I found this book and was not turned off by the Y2K part of the title, since it opened my eyes to how much better a father I can be. It's not really about computer crashes, but rather how to become educated the way Americans were a few generations ago...how to survive. In many ways we've lost the ability to do just that, the further we get from the Depression or a war which makes demands of the populace. How would your family get along without public utilities or grocery stores? It's not a book of fear-mongering but of common sense and thinking ahead. Unless you're a farmer and hunter on 40 acres, you'll likely learn much from Boston. You might even develop a new, fun hobby which will improve your quality of life, regardless what the future holds.

a full rundown of life when things go south . dont get be left in the dark with out it

I just bought this not to long ago and it was worth every penny.

It's much better than many books that claim to actually be the end all be all of prepardness. From food storage, putting some gold away in case the bottom drops out of our economy and a detailed explanation on gold and silver, firearms, ammunition, off road vehicles, communications, power and light, advice on medical kits, transportation, what people should be considered threats, where to move and what advantages a certain area can do for you and your family, it's in there.

Although the title has Y2K in there, it only has a couple chapters on Y2K and the rest of the book is still valid. There is also quite a bit about how fragile our society is and why a disaster can have far reaching and long lasting effects and why you should prepare for such an emergency.

Buy this if you're looking for a prepardness manual, you won't be disappointed. It's alot better than most of the other manuals out there. I should know, I've wasted a few bucks here and there and have bought some of those other manuals that claim to cover everything. And if you buy 3 books on this subject, you'll end up with a dud as well. This book actually does cover everthing you should think about before, during and after a disaster.

It's a classic and I'll be keeping it.

This is an excellent book to get you ready for whatever is coming--computer collapse after a cyber terror attack, a civil uprising locally or nationally, bad weather or just everyday living. The chapters on food and electricity are worth the price alone. I recommend you also buy "Boston's Gun Bible" for an in depth look at guns you need, though this book hits well enough for those that are not "gun nuts". It gave me valuable insight on what I need versus what I THOUGHT I needed.

Well worth the money. I am thinking of buying several copies for gifts to family members!

In Brother to Brother, Reverend Thomas Walker is encouraged to have radical surgery over and over again by urologists who practice bad medicine. The Reverend seems to know propoganda when he sees it and refuses to have his body destroyed for no benefit. He makes good decisions despite the urological establishment's pressure to do the wrong thing. A nice enjoyable read. Like the other physician who reviewed this book, I rate it very high.

Bravo to Dr. Walker for writing such a compelling book about prostrate cancer. This book is certainly a "must have" for all men, especially african-american men.

In the only randomized placebo-controlled study every done on the radical prostatectomy, radical surgery was no better than placebo. Reverend Walker seems to figure this out. Instead of being pushed into surgery by several urologists he undergoes the much less harmful treatment of radiation seed implants. Definitely read this book and note how much pressure was put on the reverend to undergo surgery, while other less harmful options were ignored. The reverend triumphs over his urologists.

This book chronicles more than one man's struggle with this dreadful disease. It provides spiritual hope for the masses of men who are having the same experience. It proves that I don't have to die SPIRITUALLY, SEXUALLY, EMOTIONALLY OR PHYSICALLY from prostate cancer! Thank you, Thomas L. Walker!!!!

As a physician recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, I found the book entertaining and easy to read in 2-3 hours due to the large text. I applaud him for encouraging men to have their prostates checked starting in their 40's. Unfortunately, the book is directed to Blacks more than to all men. The reader is cautioned that the author delays treatment and eventually chooses one form of therapy at a specific institution. The treatment option that has the greatest chance for cure is downplayed. Use this book as only one resource among several. Also, I would have liked more encouragement to let the diagnosis change your life for the better. Best wishes.

As a lover of the french philosopher and his time i can only
recommand with passion his works and especially Candide together with the other stories issued by the so prestigious Oxford
world's Classics -its a genuine pleasure

A great selection of stories where Voltaire shows off his literary style and espouses his philosophy on different topics.
He is a great story teller and has a great sense of humour too.

Voltaire is a master saterist, not a comedian. As with all satire, it hslps if we understand the contemporary world in which the author writes, but Voltaire's skill raises Candide above this level of satirical writing. He is masterful in the use of comedy to poke fun at the customs, mores, and beliefs of his time and show us the silliness to shich theunenlightened mind can go in the pursuit of perfection in an imperfect world. As a commentator on human culture he is followed by Mark Twain. Not that Twain can match Voltaire in his skill, only in some of his perceptions. This is an "old" book by new world reckoning, but as a masterpiecce well worth the time and effort of exploaration it is a timeless masterpiece. I highly recommend it to both believer and non-believer.

This was a first source cited in "A Visit From Voltaire" which turned me on to the man with its lightly comic approach to a formidable subject, BUT I have to add that I only understood it bettert after knowing what role Candide played in the political mayhem of his life fighting "infame," and only after I knew more about his social/irreligious context, did I really "get" what he was doing in Candide. I'd send light readers to "Voltaire in Love," and wannabe scholars to the Portable Voltaire and whatever basic biographic texts they can find, as well as Visit from Voltaire, A which is hilarious fun.

Voltaire's Candide is a scathing satire on one of the more popular metaphysical theories of his day: that is, we live in the best of all possible worlds. In spite of the disasters and disappointments that befall mankind, Candide and an array of companions attempt to make sense of their personal tragedies while shoehorning it into the Leibniz theory.

Candide is well-written, and sprinkled with cute and clever irony. I also enjoyed the references Voltaire makes to his personal enemies in Candide. However, the optimistic theory that prompted this satire has been rejected, which leads me to believe there isn't much purpose for this book any longer. Really the only reason left to read Candide is to become 'culturally literate', I suppose. Don't get me wrong; the ultimate message of this book is a good one. However, I hope readers don't think Candide's lesson must preclude optimism all together, or love, or friends, or God. That fact is obscured to make a literary point.

The only interesting question that remains to be asked from this book is: why does such cyncism accompany 'enlightenment'? Both French and American societies are rife with it after all, so much that I doubt even Voltaire could manage much of a smirk. All he could do would be to join the choir and tend the garden he has sown.

I'll add my kudos to the list... this is a fantastic read, overflowing with strong arguments for classic Catholic doctrine. I am not Catholic, mind you - I bought this on a recommendation when I first started my investigation into the claims of the Catholic Church.

If the Catholic Church of today even remotely resembled the ideal put forth by St. Francis de Sales in this collection of letters, one would be hard-pressed to deny the validity of its claims. However, in a post-Vatican II, John Paul II "universal salvation" era, it is impossible to reconcile the two.

Too bad.

I recommend this book for Protestants and Catholics alike.

Illustrates what a man with the truth can accomplish. Every Catholic should read this book which proves the teaching of the Catholic church.

Up until the time of St. Francis de Sales, the printing press had been used as a battering ram for reformers of all stripes to destroy christendom.

However, with the start of St. Francis de Sales' mission to the French Calvinists that changed dramatically. When people refused to listen to him because of contempt or fear of reprisal, he printed tracts and slipped them under doors or put them up on public squares to bring the Calvinists back to the Faith.

The result: nearly 72,000 French whose parents abandoneded the Faith a generation ago were brought back to the Catholic Church.

If you read this book (a collection of the tracts St. Francis wrote), you'll see exactly how it happened. The arguments are cogent, simple, easy-to-follow and strike at the heart of whatever matter they address. The arguments against Protestantism in general and Calvinism in particular are relevant and still thorns in the side of the Reformed apologetic several hundred years later. If you're Catholic or Protestant you owe it to yourself to read this collection of tracts!

In addition to what is common in all other positive reviews of this compilation of writings by St. Francis, there yet remains at least one other strength of this book that is to be praised. That strength is his cohesion to the traditional Catholic Faith. There are other books that give overviews of the Catholic Faith, but often times their consistency with Scripture and Tradition should be questioned. That is something that one need not worry about with this work. Not only does St. Francis give sound arguments for the Catholic Faith, but he does so with plenty of Scripture, Church Father quotes, and reference to Church Councils. He also shows an understanding and love for Catholicism that is sopping wet with intellectual genius and passion for Christ! He will make a knowledgeable Reformed churchman (that was his intended audience, after all) take a few steps back and rethink his doctrine of the "visible/invisible church distinction" and how God has commanded the Gospel to be preached and succession of church leaders to continue. Not only does he understand Catholic doctrine, but he also understands his opponents, and often quotes from Calvin, Bucer, and other Reformers. Also, his treatment of the Papacy is probably one of the most concise anywhere. So I challenge you to read it, but I warn you, you may find yourself defending Catholic doctrine afterwards, even if you're Protestant when you first read this book!

The book is easy to read. It provides a detailed insight into most of the contentious issues that separate the Protestant churches from the Catholic Church. It is an excellent reference for anyone who wants a better understanding of the Christian faith. For the Catholic, the book is also an excellent resource for defense of the Faith.

This book was riveting. I found amazing revelations about my own childhood while reading this book, and I quickly discovered I have some background in common with the author. Never before has any psychology, non-fiction or self-awareness book kept me in such profound awe or has unlocked the key to understanding the emotional, mental and physical impact of my being one of a half million children of Holocaust survivors raised in America.

As the child of a survivor, this book talks about many of the things our family kept silent. Just reading that even one other person out there had similar feelings, experiences, and views was so very comforting. It is important that society acknowledges the 2nd Generation's special status. May the memory of all who perished, of all who survived, and all who have come after them be ever for a blessing.

I purchased this book for a friend who had been unable to get a copy here in Australia.

As an 'outsider' to the experiences described I find this book remarkable in its bredth and depth. Epstein manages to convey as much in between the lines as she does in her sensitive, unjudgmental tellings. She has allowed her subject to expand and flow without careful categorisation and containment so that I have the sense that most children of survivors would find something to recognise in this book.

What a humane and remarkable writer she must be I would like to read more of her work.

I read this book many years ago. I was greatly moved by it, and through it understood the special burden children of survivors have to live with. Helen Epstein was the first to really explore the feelings and situation of the children of survivors. The secretness she writes about it, the things which were in the air but never spoken about play a large part in this.
I do remember having one point in which I felt the author did not do enough. While she deals with the individual psychological of problems effectively she does not really consider the ' collective side' of the disaster.
The imperative to keep the Jewish people alive after such a great disaster is not a subject she dwells on intensely.

As a daughter of Holocaust Survivors, when I first read this book (over 15 years ago), I was astounded. This author was the first to raise the issue at all: how has the Holocaust affected those whose parents survived it? When I was growing up, not only was the Holocaust itself practically a taboo subject, but no one ever, ever discussed the children of Survivors. This author had the courage, the foresight, and tenacity to do just that - and to do it in the most sensitive and articulate way.

When I first read the first chapter, I was so astounded that I stood up, and read that chapter standing up! She describes exactly, to the letter, how I felt growing up: that the Holocaust was a locked black box in your household, and that its secrets were more secret than sex, or anything else you can possibly imagine. Finally, someone has put on paper what I always felt, but could never describe. Everyone I have ever given this book to, no matter what his or her background, said he couldn't put it down. To anyone interested in the Holocaust - you must read this book!