Warner Books

I am not a parent thus, this book allows me an insight into full time parenthood. I was attracted to this book not because it preaches parental duties, rather, I was intrigued by what a child could teach me about life- the title of the edition that I have does not mention trout fishing nor jelly toast. Before I commenced reading this book, I already have preconceived ideas about what these teachings are. Got some of these correct while missing some. One that struck me intensely was the depiction of the elder child wanting to kick a dead squirrel. How real and how many times we want to do the same but never cos' it is not the honorable thing to do, so we think. But kids are more intuitive and unpolluted by the adult notion of what's right and what's wrong. They just do what come to their mind. The search for a good school will strike a chord with any parent struggling to decide which school is best for his/ her child.

If you feel you aren't capable of dealing with the stories Marc brings up in this book, think twice about bringing a child into this world. People register their dogs, doctor's should pass this book out when they talk to woman about having children.

Great book. I too, miss Casey and Owen.

This book is wonderful beyond words. I read it, then my husband read it. We both laughed (I cried) and agreed that it was, indeed, one of the best books we have ever read (and we read quite a bit). Anyone who has children should read this and keep a copy on hand. We have purchased at least five copies and hand them out to friends who are expecting, grandparents, relatives, etc... The writing is great and the subject matter endearing.

Marc Parent knows what it's all about: the small things. Maple syrup and cowboy boots. Autumn leaves and Play Doh. The ironic afternoon on that ordinary Wednesday with the ceaselessly crying baby, the gap-toothed kindergartner, chocolate milk dribbled on the good sofa, no-you-can't-have-another-cookie. And silently pleading for five quiet minutes to write one more paragraph...one more page...daddy will be right there. Although the work at home option is idealized in current society, "Believing It All: What my Children Taught Me About Trout Fishing, Jelly Toast, and Life" provides an accurate yet optimistic viewpoint, observing children with their uncomplicated lives, simple pleasures exchanged all too soon, and the commitment needed to juggle work/family in the same location. A memoir more interested in the everyday nothing that constitutes a life of something, it's surprisingly worth a read for the 20-something childless as well as the harried soccer Mom (or Dad) who can relate entirely too well. Stroller walks, afternoon naps, and tying shoes. The novelty of all the small things which so quickly pass away, yielding to yellow school buses and the Nintendo blur. Laugh, cry, remember, anticipate, and perhaps most of all, face your brood with renewed mirth after an hour of peace and quiet reading alone on that milk-stained sofa.

As a part-time stay-at-home dad, I greatly enjoyed reading "Believing It All". It did take me awhile mostly because I didn't want it to end (also due to frequent diaper changes, nose wiping, sprinkler running cleanup, etc. ) Many of the challenges Marc and Susan faced (and are currently facing) during their two boy's early years will be familiar to parents of young children, but above this I would say this book is a must read for anyone who has children, who is thinking about having children, and who cares about children in any way. This book, I believe, charts a course for a new way of interacting with children and it's the best book I've read in a long time. Keep up the good work, Marc!

I am 56 and have been reading sci fi/fantasy since, oh, about 10. This is one of the best collection of stories I have ever read. You'll be glad you read it. The fact of the color of the writers is interesting, but not important. I have read so much sci fi, and even taken a writing course. The bottom line - this is great science fiction.

I've long suspected there were more writers of color out there besides Octivia Butler and Samuel Delany. Ms. Thomas introduces a rich collection spanning decades. My only question is when will volume 2 be published? If you love SF, add this brilliant work to your collection.

A huge sci-fi and fantasy reader I am also getting ready to be a high school teacher of special ed, reading & English. This is a book that will go on my list of books to write lesson plans about and to make sure my students read. The one complaint I have about this book is that I'd read the Butler, Delany & Saunders already. Couldn't we have gotten new stories for this historic anthology? But other writers were a revelation to me.
A great book! Nalo Hopkinson's story about a (...)gone amuck, Tannarive Due's story about the very human side of cloning and Steven Barnes' chilling almost apocalytic picture of a modern African state after a coup are all terrific reading-- and why my students -- and you -- should be excited!

Writers of African descent have played a long and important role in the history of speculative literature, even though that's not always recognized, either in the past or today. But this book opened my eyes to how much wonderful talent has gone underappreciated until now. Often raw, but always colorful and deep, many of the stories in this collection have the quality to be compared with the masters of the past and present. As both a reader and a writer, this collection inspired me greatly.

I highly recommend it to anyone who's a true officianado of speculative literature.

This is a collection that the literary world needed badly. Typical 'speculative fiction' (encompassing sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and other literary persuasions) often features humanity uniting against common enemies or disasters. But for people of color, the alternative present or near-future utopia/dystopia in any speculative story probably won't be so rosy. Technological advancement, alien contact, or astronomical disasters probably won't eliminate prejudice and inequality, as the writers of African descent collected here show us in consistently hard-hitting ways.

The settings and themes of these short stories are uniformly fascinating and thought-provoking for any intelligent reader. As with any collection of works from various writers, the quality of the stories varies a bit, and this book does have a few bumps in the road that deserve the thumbs-down for heavy-handedness. Examples include the predictable melodrama of 'The Woman in the Wall' by Steven Barnes, or the poorly-plotted conspiracy theories of 'The Space Traders' by Derrick Bell. However, these are minor quibbles, and even these stories contribute to the sheer fascination of this book as a whole.

My favorites include the supremely moving Jazz Age vampire story 'Chicago 1927' by Jewelle Gomez, an outstanding look at the human costs of cloning in 'Like Daughter' by Tananarive Due, the creepy erotic thriller 'Ganger (Ball Lightning)' by Nalo Hopkinson, and the heartbreaking dark fantasy of 'Gimmile's Songs' by Charles Saunders. Of historical interest we have 'Aye, and Gomorrah...' from the master Samuel Delany, the groundbreaking 'The Goophered Grapevine' from way back in 1887 by Charles Chesnutt, and the very chilling 'The Comet' by W.E.B. DuBois (I had forgotten that DuBois wrote fiction, and his important stories are ripe for rediscovery). Kudos to Sheree Thomas for creating this hugely important, haunting, and illuminating anthology. [~doomsdayer520~]

A thorough overview of the Lusitania's construction, features, and last voyage, as well as Ballard's impressive modern-day expeditions to the wreck itself. For the record Ballard's investigations strongly suggest the "accepted truth" of the liner being a clandestine courier of munitions for the British war effort was probably never true at all: or if true then stored armaments were not a factor in the ship's sinking. Rather Ballard points to the culprit being coal dust residue that had infiltrated the inner hull, and was set off by the initial impact of the torpedo. This is a great sort of book. It appeals visually, intellectually, and includes some terrific mythbusting that comes as a result of sound investigative work.

Of course, Dr Robert Ballard will forever remain the man who found the Titanic, but in this book he also provides the reader with an extremely well documented account of the loss of the Lusitania.

Mysteries are mysteries and whilst there are those experts which insist such and such happened, there will also be those who assert the opposite. I shouldn't say this I know, but it the way in which Bob Ballard takes such a thorough approach to his subject, it leaves one feeling that the only book you need to read on the entire subject of the loss of the Lusitania is this one.

Exploring the Lusitania - yet another four-funnelled passenger liner built before WW1, is a large coffee-table book approx. A4 size. Just a glance at the pictures throughout the richly illustrated pages (227 altogether) reveals the extent of the research to which the author has gone on behalf of the reader. There are many historic pictures of the ship itself - including when she was no more than a keel. Others include paintings of the day, newspaper cuttings and postcards showing internal and external views. Then there are the photographs of the tragedy itself and the effect it had upon the people of Ireland. Photographs of seemingly unimportant people at the booking office and individuals such as the Captain. Dr Ballard has been equally thorough when it comes to detailing the U-Boat which sank the Lusitania and we are treated to almost the same level of coverage of vessel and individuals and their trade of war.

Once again, however, the author has put together the most outstanding collection of artwork created by Ken Marschall. From thousands of photographic images taken from the wreckage itself, Bob Ballard created a complete montage (i.e. a big photograph made up of thousands of little photographs) of the various sections of the wreck so that Mr Marschall was able to provide us with the most accurate paintings of various sections and even the entire wreck. The one painting I had to look at again and again was the painting of the sinking across pages 96/97. For a moment there I thought the world's greatest photographer had been on hand to capture the event.

I congratulate Dr Ballard on another excellent and professional job of work. Another outstanding book and yet again 5 stars are not enough.

NM

The illustrations and photographs alone make this book worth owning. It is very direct and to the point for the most part.

Also of interest is the contrast between Lusitania, a shallow water wreck, and vessels such as Titanic and Bismarck which are under miles of water.

Bob Ballard's string of investigations into famous shipwrecks, while doing solid science continues in this exploration of the Lusitania.

The famous Cunard liner was torpedoed off the Irish coast in 1915, and was one of the pivotal events that dragged an isolationist America into the First World War.

Ballard's work at laying the groundwork for his book is again exceptional. Cunard's need to battle the White Star and other cruise lines for the transatlantic business is examined, and the method was indeed an interesting one. Cunard entered into an arrangement with the British government to build the Lusitania and her sister ship, Mauretania. In exchange for a loan, the government got the right to call the ships up for wartime service, and the builders set up placements for deck guns on the vessels.

This was before it was found that using cruise liners as "armed merchant cruisers" was just not practical.

In any case, the setting of the scene as the Lusitania headed east is well done--the German government has given fair warning to anyone sailing on British or Allied vessel that they're fair game. A German U-boat is known to be off the coast, the Lusitania is traveling at less than full power, her captain chooses not to zigzag, then waste time taking an involved bearing on the land...and the end is known.

Question: Did Winston Churchill stake out the Lusitania and let her be sunk as an effort to get the US into the war? It wouldn't be out of his mindset, but there appears to be little in the way of proof that he did such a thing. Of greater interest is the secret correspondence between Admiral Tirpitz and Admiral Jacky Fisher, in which the latter tells his German counterpart that he'd have done the same thing in going after the Lusitania if the roles were reversed.

The examination of the wreck is sad; there's not much left of her, as the ship has been used for depth charge practice. There was not much of an effort to get inside her as was done on other ships. Perhaps there's little point.

Once again, Ken Marschall's paintings are stellar and the book is well worth reading...and looking at.

This handsome companion to the excellent National Geographic documentary is the best overview and photographic record of the Lusitania disaster I have seen. If you only own or read one book on the Lusitania, let it be this one! It covers the key issues surrounding the tragedy: Why did the powerful, double bottom ship go down so quickly (only 18 minutes compared to over 2 hours for the less robust Titanic)?; What caused the second explosion?; Was the Lusitania carrying arms? Dr. Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic and explored the Bismarck, uses advanced equipment to go down into the ocean's depths to answer these questions and to give us a glimpse of how the Lusitania looks today through remarkable photographs and the masterpieces of maritime artist Ken Marschall.

The text of the book is very well-written. It does not go into as much of depth as longer books as it explains the sinking through accounts of select survivors, some alive at the time of the book's publication. Still, it reveals many lesser known points. First Sea Lord Winston Churchill, in France at the time of the tragedy, might have ordered a naval escort for the famed passenger liner (pg. 78). It notes that the U.S. tanker Gunflight was torpedoed the week before (pg. 124). Unlike the documentary, readers learn that nurse Alice Lines--who was still alive when the documentary was made--actually missed the lifeboat when she made her desperate leap with baby Audrey (pg. 102). The book takes a fair look at the sinking. There is much empathy for the German side (Lusitania was, after all, an auxiliary cruiser in a war zone) and is quite critical of Captain Turner who ignored the Admiralty's instructions on steering a zigzag course away from the shore in areas where subs lurked. The most valuable part of this book on a informational level is that it solves the mystery of the second explosion some witnesses believed was a second torpedo or the explosion of arms in the ships magazine.

As interesting as the text is, the illustrations make this book the best on the subject. Photos and startlingly accurate period postcards give the reader a look at Lusitania's interior in first, second, and steerage classes. Posters and memorabilia illustrate the propaganda war which followed. Finally, pages 144-89 explore the Lusitania and compares the ship then & now in remarkable photos. The highlight is a well preserved first class tub and shower found just outside the ship compared with a period illustration (pp. 172-3). A fold-out shows the sunken giant in full length thanks to the excellent work of artist Marschall. His realistic paintings look like photographs!

The book is very thorough. It includes a critical look at the inquiries into the sinking, the fates of some of the major players including U Boat commander Schwieger, a brief look at Lusitania's sister ship Mauretania, and a chronology of the two Cunard sisters. The only inconsistency I found was that Schwieger reported that he did not know he had torpedoed the Lusitania until he saw her name on her bow; however, the Lusitania name was covered up at the time to trick the enemy during the war (pg. 203). Still, this book is an excellent introduction to the Lusitania story and a more than sufficient and revealing account if one chooses not to read further.

I'll never forget the fall of 1969. I was 13. We, in the hood, were preparing for another season of both school ball and the NBA. I anxiously awaited the opportunity to see my hero, Lew Alcindor, do work for the Milwaukee Bucks. I knew he was the future of league. However, the real intrigue surrounded the fact that...'the Hawk' was coming!! We all knew of this shadowy figure with street-ball developed skills, who was going to legitimize our approach to the game. He was going to swoop down on the league and slam on every-freakin'-body, and do it smoothly, sweetly and without a bit of malice. We couldn't wait.

The Phoenix Suns had lost Big Lew in the draft the previous spring and seemed to get restitution with Connie...and how, he took the league by storm and along with Paul Silas, Dick Van Arsdale, and Gail Goodrich, came within one game of knocking off Los Angeles, (Wilt, Jerry, Elgin, etc.) in the first round of the playoffs. The Suns were up 3-1 and I still believe there were some unseen forces that refused to allow this man to be what he was...one of the best ever. Goodness he was so smooth. As the golf ball commercial says, 'as smooth as a pocketful of pudding'.

I found it interesting that when the NBA had it's fifty year anniversary and named its 50 best that Connie wasn't one of them. NBC had a special and when Bob Costas was interviewing Dave DeBusschere, Dave commented that he thought Connie was one who had been overlooked...it got very quiet on the set and Bob changed the subject, it was a very awkward moment, but I wasn't surprized.

I agree that all young people that aspire to athletics at the collegiate or professional level; male or female, white or black, rich or poor, urban or rural, need to read this book, because it says more about the system, than it does about Connie, he was just the sacrificial lamb...

Before there was Michael Jordan, before there was Julius Erving, there was Connie Hawkins. I recently found this for a second time in my mother's basement. I had to re-read it the past few evenings it because I remember enjoying the book very much the first time when I was in high school. I got to see Connie Hawkins twice in person in my life. The first time was 1968 in Denver's Auditorium Arena when he played for the Pittsburgh Pipers in the ABA's inaugural year and the second was his last year in the NBA when he played against the Denver Nuggets when he was with the Atlanta Hawks. The former was more rememberable than the ladder as the Hawk still had great knees while in the ABA and the ability to jump and hang like no one before him.

As a high school and school yard legend in Brooklyn, NY, Hawkins was victimized as a naive teenager by an over-zealous NYC district attorney who wanted to put a well known gambler, Jack Molinas, in prison for trying to fix college basketball games in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Under grueling and exhaustive questioning (without a lawyer), Hawkins tolerated only so much and told the DA what he thought he wanted to hear. That questioning brought to an end his scholarship during his freshman year at the University of Iowa. Although the truth of the matter is Hawkins was not fixing games, but did casually knew Molinas and did receive a loan from him (which his brother promptly repaid).

With Hawkins reputation smeared, his talents were repressed in playing with the Harlem Globetrotters and subsequently with the one year of the American Basketball League (ABL where he was the MVP in 1962) and then in the American Basketball Association (ABA, where he was also the MVP in 1968 and where I first saw the Hawk soar).

Enter the Litwins, a husband & wife attorney team who got to know Hawkins personally and who filed suit against the NBA to let Hawkins play for the Phoenix Suns. It took years of discovery and testimony, but the NBA finally gave way once they realized that Hawkins never dealt with fixing basketball games.

The Hawk's time in the NBA still showcased his talents for a time, but time wounds all heels (& knees). As an author, Wolf got to know Hawkins during his time in the ABA and in the NBA and subsequently wrote his autobiography after Hawkins first season with the Suns in 1969-70.

The Hawk has been vindicated. He was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. I only wished I had seen more of Hawkins when he was at his prime. He endured much, suffered much, learned much and is a true basketball legend. If you find this book, read it. If you're a kid, realize that it is your education that is more likely to get you places as an adult than beating the odds of becoming a professional athlete. Ultimately there is no doubt, the Hawk was one of the greatest players ever.

"The Hawk" found his niche too late in the NBA, but he gave his heart and soul to the game for the right to be a player. He was unjustly set up in a basketball sting that was looking to catch anything or anyone to show how hard the system (supposedly) worked to prevent corruption--but it took the best years from an innocent man's career. The manipulation of an athlete by college recruiters, especially for a promising black man, is just as timely now as from the Hawkins' days at Iowa in the early 60s! Connie and the others who were just tossed aside deserved a better legacy, and the "dream of playing in the NBA" still clouds the minds of young men who could learn something from the story of Hawk: get your education and make it worth your time and effort, 'cause you won't play forever. God bless you, Connie, for the fist-sized diamond in your chest, called "heart." Yours shines bright.

Any schoolyard player who thinks he has the tools and the skills to handle college ball should sit down first and read this before signing a commitment; it would be justice to understand the pitfalls. The same goes for any college player who thinks he's going to be the next big name in the NBA. I spent $20 just to find this book; Connie paid too great a price for you to let it go by. This story is timely for every young African-American who dreams of the name "superstar" and for a hero's valiant testimony.

This book is the account of the life of basketball legend Connie Hawkins. You've likely never heard of him. He played in the bush leagues of the ABA, before joining the NBA with the Phoenix Suns in 1969.

In breathless paragraphs, the book explains that he was an ESPN highlight reel. He was the Michael Jordan, and Dr. J, of the pre-television NBA. He played with the greats of the NBA: Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Billy Cunningham. His exploits were passed around by word of mouth. If he was in his high school years today, we'd be watching him on SportsCenter.

But the story that resonates is the story of lost innocence. While in college, Connie was accused of helping bettors 'fix games' by shaving points. David Wolf, the author, was perfectly frank about Connie's intellectual abilities: Connie wasn't smart enough to know what shaving points meant.

In the heat of questioning by the authorities, Connie confessed to things he didn't do. As a young black man of limited education, he was intimidated and scared. His "confessions" condemned him. Connie was expelled from college. The NBA shunned him and those other players involved with the betting scandal.

The Hawk's only talent was for basketball. So he submerged himself into the minor leagues. He played for the Globetrotters. He played for the ABA, where he lead his team to a championship. But this was the basketball netherworld. Throughout these lean years, he saw the life he could have had if he was allowed into the big show. The pride he had in his game made him yearn to be in the NBA, where he could play his best against the best.

David Wolf's description of how a group of lawyers befriended Connie, and rallied around his cause is thoroughly captivating and inspiring. People were drawn to his innocence, his demeanor, his innate goodness. This group pushed the NBA to a lawsuit. Connie was innocent, they contended, and the NBA was illegally blacklisting him. In 1969, the NBA settled, and allowed a grateful Hawk to join the league at the roughed up age of 27.

He brought his dominating style to the NBA, but his prime years were behind him. Flashes of his brilliance could been in his NBA years, but the knowledgeable spectators were left wondering "What if?" Yet the book emphasizes Connie's own peace with what happened. You cheer for him. You applaud his attitude. And at the end of the book, you wish, probably for the hundredth time, that you could have seen him play.

David Wolf tells the story of the bittersweet life of basketball great Connie Hawkins to great effect in this fine book that is a biography and more.

More because "Foul" recounts in detail the circumstances that led to Hawkins' longstanding ban from the NBA for his at best highly tenuous link to corruption in college sports. In telling the story, Wolf paints a damning picture of big-time sports, a picture that is, if anything, truer than ever today.

Wolf sets up the story by giving us a glimpse into Hawkins' poverty-stricken childhood in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where he led an unhappy existence that was relieved only when he discovered he had nearly unparalleled basketball skills. He quickly became a playground legend and developed the trademark swooping moves that many of us who got to see him play remember and that made his nickname so apt: Hawk.

Unfortunately, Hawkins did not receive one important thing along the way: an education. One of the most highly recruited players of the time, he was ready to play the college game on the court, but woefully unprepared to play it in the classroom. He was chronically broke, painfully shy, and extremely naive, a combination which made him particularly vulnerable to the unscrupulous character whose actions ultimately led to his ban from the NBA.

"Foul" also tells a detailed and fascinating story of the fledgling American Basketball Association, which was where Hawkins was forced to play and also where he began cementing his legend in the basketball world. It's instructive to read about the low pay and inferior playing conditions Hawkins endured, all the time knowing, of course, that he could easily compete with the best the NBA had to offer.

Finally, the book delivers a detailed account of the legal fight undertaken to remove the ban. This was achieved by his committed -- and of course poorly paid -- attorneys over the determined opposition of, among others, current NBA commissioner David Stern, who hardly expresses remorse in his interviews with the author.

The final sadness of Hawkins' story, of course, is that while he had an above-average NBA career, his best years were taken from him, and most basketball fans were deprived of seeing him when he was one of the best players in the game.

Connie Hawkins remains in my mind after reading this book, not only because of his compelling story, but because of his resilience and humanity. All in all, "Foul" is a sports classic because it fascinates on so many levels.

Reading "Good Intentions" evoked feelings similar to those when I first read Emerson's "Self Reliance" in college. The power of the book comes from reading in print what I have experienced, fell prey to, and have had similar thoughts on in the areas of personal relationships, anger and trying to always do the "right" thing. The pleasure of the read is having my own inner-examination verified and examined in an easy to read manner.

I found the sections on anger and reasoning with irrationality excellent reference guides for healthy management of these (nearly) everyday occurences. This book will be kept on my shelf as a reference book for life. Thanks for writing it Duke!

In "Good Intentions" Duke Robinson offers the distilled essence of his faith journey. In language that cuts across the exclusiveness of cultic talk he speaks in an inclusive way about life and the role grace and truth can play in its living. In our family there is a wide spectrum of religious orientations and of no orientation at all. We have given copies of "Good Intentions" to each one confident that it will meet them where they are and add a dimension of richness to their lives.

Always being "nice" looks so good from the outside, but oh, the pain that is there inside. Duke Robinson's touching book guides you through simple, yet challanging steps to relieve that pain forever.

My first intention was to read this book as a self-help guide in learnng how to deal with my mistakes. I found my "niceness" in many chapters and immediately began trying some of the suggested changes. They do work and I feel better!

Being a believer that continuing education is a lifelong process, I want to share this book with others. Using the author's study guide, I plan to introduce "Good Intentions" to an adult study group at my church.

This is one Oprah should have picked up on -- solid and witty advice on how to stop making those same mistakes, and start getting a grip on your own life. I read it slowly, absorbing its wisdom in increments...I recommend it to anyone who has a berth on this crazy ship called Earth.

We do not have to expect
that this book can completely change our life,
but it will surely help !

Keenan explores the realm of the soul in this pleasant, enlightening discussion. A problem I had is that he never (that I can remember) defines the soul or discusses the spirit. So, much of the language about the soul is somewhat ambiguous. I think at times he referred to what I consider the spirit as the soul. I never grasped exactly what he means by "soul," which is frustrating when that is the focus of the book.

Much of the book lacked the passion that really moves a reader to wake up to the sense of soul and spirituality and the need to address the unseen world. The book is told/read without much drama.

Keenan does share insights about life that will probably cause you to examine your priorities and direction in life. He shares stories that are relevant but that didn't seem to strike a loud enough chord to me. I think he could have gone deeper into his spiritual well to offer the reader more living water that what is here.

I think there is a lack of specificity about what he truly believes regarding the soul. He doesn't share much of his Catholic belief system but more of a watered down spirituality that ignores much of what one would expect a Catholic priest to believe.

There were some nuggets that I can take with me such as looking for the miracle in everyday life, expecting gifts from God and from life, and trusting in the guidance of providence when least suspected.

I would encourage him to be more earnest about what he believes in the future.

I thought this was a good book. Because it was about football. It was'ent just one team it has different players and some of the best players from the 80's to the 90's. Some players are still playing till this day.Thats what this books about good professional players ;about their good days and their bad days.

I didn't finish the book yet because I keep going over some chapters that apply to my own spiritual journey. I can relate to so many things Fr. Pauls says. He is truly a gifted author and buying this book was no "coincidence." I was looking for another book, but this came into my hand because God wanted me to read Fr. Paul's words. Thank you Father Paul for sharing your insights with us. We are on this journey together.

Sometimes, books like these can become too heavily optimistic and, therefore, alienate the reader that really needs comfort in a time of suffering. When I purchased this book, my older sister had just died at the age of 27 and I was desperate for some kind of comfort. My friends and family, though they tried, only seemed to make me feel worse. This book, however, was just what I needed.

Good News for Bad Days takes a sober and uplifting look at life without making your problems seem mundane or unworthy of notice. It is a book that is full of empathy and not pride or guilt. Father Keenan does not push Christianity down your throat or even try to convert the reader, rather he uses modern day situations to show the different ways one can look at life and times of need.

If you are looking for a friend to be compassionate and there is no one in sight, this book is just what you need.

This is a truly helpful book. Father Keenan's compassion comes alive on these pages. You can feel his hand in yours as you read. It's been a fad for quite some time now to say that one is "into spirituality" or is "a spiritual person." But to completely understand spirituality, one must first realize the function of the soul in life. Soulfulness is the basis of all things spiritual, emotional, and physical. It is our very essence. And this guide will help you in your quest to make your life a soulful one. On a personal note: My family sustained the loss of my dear sister just weeks before the release of this book. It served as a comforting tool to all the members of my family during this difficult time. But whether you are hurting, searching, happy, or sad, Father Keenan's words will lead you to a better understanding of the very thing that gives us the vitality and strength that we so need to survive: the soul. Father Keenan taught me so much through this book that I have actually been able to use what I've learned to help others through loneliness, loss, and frustration. And it's been an absolute delight to share what I've learned with all of God's souls who have come into my life.

This is a great product for Josh Groban fans who want to (attempt to) sing like him. Although the music itelf is simplified, it still gets the point across. I recomend it!

This music book is just what I hoped it would be. Easy to read/play, and the price was great!

This has everything I could have wanted.All the songs are complete and in the rights keys.Nothing is missing.It's magic to play Groban by yourself.Plus it has the English translations to the foreign language songs and great shots of Josh.

The sheet music here is challenging, but playable and close enough to the composition on the CD that it's amazing! the vocal is soprano, the piano moderate difficulty, it's exactly what i expected, and i would encourage it's purchase if you're looking for the sheet music to the Josh Groban Closer album, all songs are in the book.

Love the fact that the words and translations are provided. Not an expert pianist but the music works for my purposes (playing for fun and to sing along with).

Don't love the fact that when I tried to press open the book so that it would lay on the music stand of my piano, the whole cover fell off (cheap binding materials, apparently). But at least now I can use it.

Gary Larson has a macabre and twisted sense of humor and I commend him for it. His "The Far Side" comic strip was one of my favorites from the first time I read it until he retired the strip. This book contains the cartoons of the last six months of the strip as well as 13 additional cartoons drawn by Larson after he retired. They all have the twisted look at life that was Larson's trademark. If your funnybone is twisted into a similar contortion, then this is a book that you must read.

This book is the last six months of Far Side cartoons. Plus 13 new cartoons. They are phenomenal. And now, a moment of silence for The Far Side...

its like a drug. once you read 1 you cant stop. you got to read more and more AND MORE. till you read them all,then it starts slowly you feel unforfilled then you go in to denile"thair has to be more!!!!!!!!!!!" then anger"i need a (...) FAR SIDE BOOK!!!. then you find more and joy is restored. i just finished Winer Dog Art. now,i am in a state of peril. I NEED A (...)Far Side book. Larson RUN FOR PRESIDENT,you my not no this but you thousands of bystanderdeds who are willing to rise up and carry you to power.i know i would

This isn't Larson's best book but being his last Farside cartoon collection before retirement is a collectors piece. The 140 cartoons in the bulk part of the book contain some classics such as the Inferiority Complex Sufferers cartoon and the ACME Wingbaby cartoon. The majority are good but there are some that you can tell were being left out of earlier books due to their standard. I love the two cartoons on page 80 (the end of the general cartoon section) that tell us The Far Side cartoons were all a dream of a man and the cavemen, cows, nerdy kids all looked like members of his family. The 13 full page cartoons at the back of the book are drawn after retirement and in most cases I would say aren't up to Larson's usual brilliant standard.

There is also an Afterword by Gary Larson that tells a tale his father drew on his kitchen table about a kid in school, drawing a box that becomes a lightbulb then becomes his mum bending over. Interesting story but I would have preferred a few more cartoons.

There are better Far Side collections than this one but if you own the rest you need this to complete your collection. There are plenty of good cartoons here.

For those of you Larson~FarSiders like me, this is a must have. You need to love and see FarSide on your daily life to understand and enjoy Larson's humor. This last book has more of what we all wished he could and would continue giving us. On a scale of one to ten farsides, and compared to previous FarSide books, this one is an "8". Buy it!

Toni Blake's The Red Diaries is wonderfully written with very strong, soul-deep characterization and emotional depth. All of her characters ring true to life and leap off the pages. This book is a powerful read that squeezes your heart, so keep some tissues at hand.

I'd love to see a book for Elaine with Davy included and a book for Carolyn, too. (That's an obvious hint!)

Toni Blake has definitely found her niche!! Buy this book--you'll be reading ALL night!!

Nick Armstrong hates anything to do with the Ash family. After his mother died, his father took to the bottle and was ousted from a partnership with now multi-millionaire builder, Henry Ash. When Nick is hired to paint the house of Henry's daughter Lauren (whom he has not seen since they were children), he's instantly attracted to her, but can't fathom a relationship with the daughter of his enemy. When Lauren is out, he snoops in her house to get a glimpse of what "should have been his," only to find her diary. When he opens it, he discovers her erotic fantasies, and sets a plan in motion to seduce her with her own fantasies and break her heart. He doesn't factor in that his own heart might become involved. Lauren is not what Nick expects, and he soon finds himself falling for the one woman he doesn't feel he can have. When she discovers his deception, will she ever be able to forgive him?

While the plot itself is a bit predictable, the story is very engaging, and keeps the reader hooked. Nick has so many layers - he's both a tough guy and has a huge soft spot for the disabled brother he supports, while trying to find it in his heart to forgive his father for allowing their lives to be ruined. And Blake can really up to steam quotient - this is one hot book!

As someone who has read and enjoyed each book this Author has written, I must say that Toni Blake's transition from Catagory Romance to Single Title brings the talent that she has shown in previous writing to it's fullest potential. "The Red Diary" is wonderfully written, and combines all the best aspects of a truly good book. Nick has a stormy past and holds Lauren's Father responsible for it all. What starts off as a means of revenge turns into something that keeps you turning pages until the end. The story that weaves around these characters is one that will touch you deeply, and will definately earn a spot on the keeper shelf!

From the beautiful red rose cover to the end of the story, Toni Blake's THE RED DIARY is sexy, sweet and hot! A contemporary romance combines with a good old fashioned love story between two unlikely people. Even the secondary characters have a story you'll want to know more about--BIG HINT, WARNER! Overall, a very satisfying read and a story that will stay with you. Did I mention the sex? It's amazing. Thank you, Toni Blake!

This book by Toni Blake is NOT your typical erotic romance. It has warm endearing characters and a really touching story.

Nick is a housepainter with a wounded heart. Lauren writes her sexual fantasies in a Red Diary which Nick finds while painting her house. He is enticed by what she has written. He knows he shouldn't keep invading her privacy but continues to read the diary. They have some history and at first Nick wants to get even for a past wrong.

Lauren's love teaches Nick that love can heal even the worst of wounds. I definitely recommend this book!!!!

This book has helped my Lightwave skills tremendously. I would give it 5 stars except for the DVD wasn't checked before shipping and contains a few corrupted files (new files can be downloaded from website) and I don't like all the poor illustrations. I know it lowers the cost of the book to do the illustrations in black/white but I would be willing to pay more for colored illustrations. Even though the DVD contains the digital illustrations it's a pain to boot up the PC whenever I want to see them. That being said this is the best book to learn Lightwave because it contains beginner, intermediate and advanced topics.

I have purchased Lightwave books in the past and I am most happy with this one. It is well written informative with clear details. The pictures in the book and the video tutorials make for very clear learning. Lightwave Essentials is great. This book is money well spent.

The product was a great buy and in excellent condition. It was packaged well and sent quickly. Thanks so much for your wonderful service.
Sincerely,
G.K. New York

great book to learn basics of LW but also an excellent reference which comes in handy with the given task.

After reading Dan Ablan's "Inside Lightwave 8" - more or less THE standard in Lightwave - there were more questions raised than answered. Not that Ablans approach is a bad one, it's just that he picks up so many different aspects of the program along the thread of the book, that at times it can be confusing. This isn't the fact with "Essential Lightwave v9". Although the whole covering of every aspect from the absolute beginning seems a bit cumbersome, it's worth it at the end. This over 900 pages issue helps you get into nearly every detail of Lightwave and handle the program like some kind of 3D Photoshop.
Add the companion DVD with hours of live modeling and animating, plug-ins and illustration fotos and you surely got something to start your way into 3D via Lightwave.