Way Books

First of all. The most telling information in this book was that some people stop reading it in the middle because they know that if they finish it they will quit smoking. Or they were given the book and didn't read it for a long time and wished after reading it that they had read it right away.

I have been smoking a pack or more a day for 10 years. I have tried to quit several times either on my own or with the patch. I always failed. Now I know why. This is the easy way. I have only had a couple of bad days and when I say bad, I mean, I though about buying cigs for a bit on the way home from work and then laughed and just didn't do it.

One more great suggestion in this book is to after quitting, go to a party or somewhere that you usually smoke at. I didn't wait until after my final cigarette. I just went to a party and didn't smoke and I noticed how uncomfortable that made the "smokers". I didn't brag or even talk about quitting. (I had said a month ago that I was quitting before my 50th birthday). I just had a great time without smoking and I truly didn't miss it. I think that helped me most of all to get to that final cigarette and keep it final.

This is the book for you if you are finally ready like I was!

I highly recommend this book to anyone that is thinking of quitting smoking. I quit many moons ago for 8 years and did the "will power" way. I was miserable, I changed my life completely to stay away from all my triggers, was grumpy and almost lost my best friend. Oh, and gained 20 lbs. I had been smoking again for about 8 years (yes, ridiculous!) and tried several times to quit (will power, hypnosis, anti-depressants, you name it) but eventually started back up again. I can't even describe how different it is this time quitting with the guidance of this book. I have no doubt I'm done for good and feel fabulous!

I also bought a copy for all my close friends that still smoke and the 1 that has finished the book has also quit and feels great about it.

My Hubby and I both quit after reading this book. We had tried hypnosis, gum, patches, Wellbutrin, Chantix, herbs etc in the past.
I did not know that stopping smoking could be so easy and I can say with
confidence I will never smoke again.

Think maybe you're different? That YOUR smoking addiction is unique, and that's why other people can quit, but you can't? And that nobody but you can understand that?

Uh huh - been there. Done that. That's why I smoked every day for 46 years.

The day after reading Allen Carr's book, I quit and stayed quit. Nuf said.

Get it the book and do what he says, simple as it is! It works!

Purchased this book for myself. I liked it so well I bought 3 more to give to my smoking friends. It took me awhile to read it; I would read small sections at a time (the book actually deals with that same head game we smokers play). But once I resolved to actually read it, by the time I was finished with the book, I was finished with cigarettes. This book cost under $15 and it worked for me. All the other "Quit Smoking" gimmicks and drugs cost way more than that. This book was written by a 5 pack a day smoker. There is no excuse or "reason" for smoking that he hasn't thought of already. He pretty much nails every one of them on the head. If you truly want to get away from this habit, purchase this book. It was the best money I've spent in ages.

This book is fantastic, I own three editions.

But the Kindle edition is a pale shadow of the print edition. Purchase the printed edition first, use the Kindle edition only as a portable reference. Expect your reading speed to be much slower on the Kindle edition than in the print edition.

The Kindle display is too narrow for the code, causing lines to wrap at inconvenient places. Code is mostly readable, but the line wraps render the code less readable than the print edition.

The Kindle edition uses the same serifed font for both code and prose, all in black. The printed edition uses a serif font for prose, and uses a sans-serif font to differentiate code. The print edition uses color to identifies important code.

Comparing the two editions gives you deeper appreciation for the art of typesetting.

Photos comparing Kindle and printed formatting at
http://gallery.mac.com/ziggr#100056

The Scott Meyers books were *the* reason I bought a Kindle: these books were in my backpack on the day I ordered my Kindle. "I could carry a 10oz Kindle instead of a stack of books? Sold!" Even with the Kindle's limited formatting capabilities, I'm glad to finally have them in a Kindle edition.

This book must be required reading for anyone developing in C++. I count this book as essential as Bjarne Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language"; these two books are a necessity.

Mr. Stroustrup's book could be considered a technical reference to the C++ language. This book I consider as a technical reference for how to use the C++ language.

The book was well written. I found the book to be easy to read and the index to be exhaustive enough for the book to be used as a quick reference.

Is this a great book? I have been asking myself that question ever since I found out that Scott Meyers does not write (or has not written for a long time) production code in C++. With that said, book is a great theoretical treatise on how to make your C++ code better but it is not a "cookbook" which will be immediately useful in day to day tasks. This is not necessarily a bad thing; such approach will encourage deeper understanding of issues at hand and that will lead to better code.

A good book in an informal language to take a look at the most importance topics to avoid many common errors during the programming in C++. Widely used in the industry.

This is a great book which covers a lot of useful topics for every C++ professional. I have been programming in C++ for a while so some of the topics Scott Mayers discussed were already familiar but I still picked up a lot from this book. From a beginner to intermediate programmer, this is a must have. Advanced programmers probably have this book already (or its previous editions). Otherwise, if you bought this in order to learn something new then you are not really "advanced", are you?

This book assumes that you already used C++ and understand its fundamentals. Scott's goal is not to teach the fundamentals but to advice readers on how to use the language effectively - generating good, efficient, re-usable, portable code. On this goal, he was successful. Its pretty much like when I was learning Japanese. I understood the fundamentals and word translations but in order to effectively communicate in that language, I had to be familiar with proper sentence construction, various formalities (some words are not appropriate for certain settings or people) and word dynamics as well. In a sense, this book (or Scott) is your sensei to good C++ programming.

Some more suggested reading to complement Scott Mayer's series:
Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)
and
Modern C++ Design: Generic Programming and Design Patterns Applied (C++ In-Depth Series)

John Kremer's book has answered alot of questions that I had that I couldn't seem to get answered any where else. Now I have the ultimate tool to assist me in putting together a great marketing plan.

I recommend this book to anyone who really wants to make their book a success.

Susie McCray, poet & author
"See What I See"

Jam-packed with ideas to help you market your book. Writing amazon reviews is one of them!

Author, "Trust is Everything: Become the leader others will follow"

John Kremer's book is by far the best on how to effectively market your books. He gives idea after idea (many of them low cost and no cost) on how to get the word out.

Anyone who is in the know, knows that John Kremer's book is a must have.

You want your book to succeed? Get this book now!

Kathleen Gage
The Street Smarts Marketer
101 Ways to Get Your Foot in the Door: Success Strategies Guaranteed to Put You Miles Ahead of the Competition

PROS: Outstanding tips. Excellent advice and ideas. Original.

CONS: A bit expensive, even though it's over 700 pages.

CONCLUSION: Both small and large publishers do a lousy job at promoting their authors. With rare exceptions (usually for high profile authors), the publishers expect the author to do most of the work. Therefore, all authors should get this book if they want to promote their work. Without marketing, most books die a quiet death.

1001 Ways to Market Your Books is the bible of marketing books. I have read the book cover to cover once and refer back to it again and again.

I used up half of a highlighter and dozens (if not over a hundred) post-it notes to mark the important pages and key points in the book. The title of the book is quite humble. The material actually has probably 2,000 or more ideas to market books.

1001 Ways to Market Your Books covers it all. It addresses the fundamentals, how to open new markets, marketing and selling in bookstores, schools and on the internet. It also discusses selling overseas, selling subsidiary rights, offbeat advertising, promotions and more.

There are so many great ideas that every time I pick it up again I find more marketing ideas to consider. Even if a person cherry picks, there are still enough ideas to keep one busy for years!

What also makes this book a great resource is that is that John Kremer thoroughly researched the work. His common sense approach makes the book a page turner. Although there are 700 pages, there is essentially no fluff.

Thank you John Kremer for providing a path to successfully marking our books!


The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

I gave this book to both of my kids before they went to college.
My son first said that he wouldn't read it but when his roommates started getting into credit card problems they turned to this clever guide to see how he could make it through college without falling into the ubiquitous debt trap.

His fraternity brothers graduated with thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Two of them even had to move back into their parents' homes because they couldn't afford aparatments on their small starting salaries since their credit card payments far exceeded their salaries.

My son got a great job after college using advice he also found in this broad ranging book. Granted hia job didn't pay much in the beginning but without credit card debt he was able to get an apartment that he could afford and buy a used car with cash he had saved. A year later he has enough left over from his paycheck to put into a 401(k) plan. He's happy and able to support himself and his mother and I are proud that we have raised such a financially responsible son.

Our daughter chose to go directly to grad school. Learning from her brother's experiences she also followed the advice in this savvy book and just said NO to credit cards until her senior year of college. She uses the cards but pays them off each month.

While most of our friends don't like to discuss the financial problems that their kids have gotten into a lot of our neighbors' growns kids have shared their credit card problems with our kids. Some are even using the book to help them get out from under their college credit card debt.

That just scratches the surface of the useful advice in this book. All college kids and teenagers should be required to read this book before they've dug themselves into debt.

I highly recommend it.

Most of reviewers who gave 5* have only one review on their pages. At least it looks suspicious, at most like fake promotion.

This is one of the worst books written on finance. Nancy lloyd has a lot of fluff in this book and its only marketing. Iam glad my friend lent me this book and I didnt have to pay money for this POS. Compared to the peter Lynch and Graham book, this one is surely aimed for preschool toddlers.

If you have been trying to make money in the markets or even just getting started by paying off debts then you -- like most of us -- have probably bought many books that purported to help you manage your finances and create wealth.

Like most of us those other books probably did not work for you --even if they were recommended by TV celebrities who know nothing about finances but can't resist recommending books for other motives.

If those other inferior books did work as they were purported to then why would you still be looking for a book with usable answers?

This book, Simple Money Solutions, is a stunning exception.
The advice is accurate. It includes an array of advice because money advice is not one size fits all. And the advice never becomes obsolete. It does stand the test of time!

In fact those other books that claim to have THE One and Only answer is almost guaranteed to be nothing but a book built on unproven gimmicks or trendy tricks that do NOT work and that certainly won't work over the long haul.

This book and its author, Nancy Lloyd, have taken a different and sound approach to money matters. She presents the issues we're all struggling with out in a clear and concise way and then lays out the options, including financial products, services and strategies to implement various plans.

My neighbor and I both read this book but based on our individual situations we chose different financial strategies that fit our unique lives.

I have now thrown my other financial advice books out (I wouldn't even give them away for fear that some unsuspecting reader would follow those other books' feeble and inaccurate advice).

But I have been punked by other books for the last time.

Simple Money Solutions is a KEEPER!!

Our book club had a secret a few years ago. In addition to loving to read good books with strong narratives, it turned out that all of our 18 members also had huge amounts of credit card debt. Some of us had about $5,000 in debt, most of us hovered between $20,000 and 35,000 and two of us actually had over $50,000 in unwanted debt. Things were getting desperate.

When we finally fessed up to this secret problem we started looking for good money management-debt reduction books but while many claimed to do it most left us with more debt than we started with. Eithher their advice was too convoluted, or too simplistic or in some cases not legal.

Several of us had even been to debt consolidators and other debt eliminators but many of them took our money and fled without ever paying our bills.

Then we saw Nancy Lloyd on Good Morning America and decided to give this book a shot. Ding, ding, ding. It was a winner.
She explained in plain talk how to get real about our debt. We learned how to negotiate with our creditor -- even exactly what to say to get them to lower our interest, forgive some debt and get some negative marks taken off of our credit reports.

Nancy also showed us some simple ways to, as she put it "free up cash each month" so that we could finally make more than the minimum payments.

What can I say except that after several years all but two of us are DEBT FREE. The other two women can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Our book club has now become an investment club and Nancy's great advice on starting and growing a portfolio are paying off even in this sideways stock market.

We now have Peace of Mind at last and no longer fear answering the phone because the creditors are no longer calling!!!

It cost me about $200 to fill my raised bed with the planting mix recommended. It was a complete waste of money, as the water runs right out of the mix. It is far too light. He's right, you cannot overwater, but it also does not hold the water. In areas where water costs money or is scarce, this soil mix is a very bad idea.

This book is very helpful to learn a new way of gardening for higer yields in small areas. It has very helpful advice and good graphics to follow. It is easy to read and understand.

I guess I was looking for the quick answer version. Here's your square, now plant this....Not a book for the average gardener. Unless, of course, you are a botonist.

Have bought several Square Foot Gardening books since they are used so much. Now the second and third generation are reading it in our family. Full of clear, simple solutions and ideas which makes gardening easy and profitable.

I have owned this book for years. Worn out more that one copy. This copy was purchased to give to a new urbanm garden project in a develpomently challanged area of my city. We will be teaching at rick young people how to garden and landscape. This is one of many tools we will use and is as far as I am concerned the best how to do it garden book for people who have little or no knowledge about gardening.

Another excellent book by Homer Hickam, If you don't read the trilogy you're missing a true West Virginia experience

I'm not sure where the below reviewers are coming from. The Coalwood Way, although including the Rocket Boys, is very much different from the first memoir. And it is not a bunch of disconnected stories, not at all! The Coalwood Way opens with Sonny Hickam in a strange depression a year after the death of his grandfather who had lost his legs in the coal mine. It is a depression he struggles with throughout the book and is the core thread. How he determines what is causing that depression really fills out a part of the original memoir that was left out and provides us with insight as to how he ultimately succeeds. Hickam reveals how that last winter in Coalwood so much is happening to him and his friends. His rockets are starting to work, but nothing else does. He even lets Chipper, his mom's beloved squirrel, escape into the winter cold and snow. He also meets Dreama, a young woman also struggling, and wanting Sonny to be her friend. Dreama is considered something like white trash, and is living with one of the most detestable men in town. Sonny also falls for Ginger who dreams of being a professional singer and provides an interesting counterpoint to the coal miners' sons of Coalwood with their dreams of spaceflight. "Dad," or Homer, Sr. is also struggling, trying to open a part of the mine that has defeated previous mine superintendents but upon which the future of Coalwood depends. "Mom," or Elsie, struggles with her failure to win the annual Veteran's Day parade (Coalwood's float has always won before), as well as her continuing attempts to get Homer, Sr. to quit the mine before black lung kills him. Elsie also identifies very much with Dreama and wants to help her but is held back by the "Coalwood way". The story is told with Hickam's tradmark humor and there are as many laugh out loud moments as tears. The dramatic arc of these threads to the story all join in a night of murder and mayhem when Coalwood is also buried in a huge snowstorm and cut off from the rest of the world. This is followed by another night of hope and amazing redemption on Christmas Eve that will cause even the hardest heart to melt. In many ways, this is Hickam's Coalwood Christmas story and it's a great one. You will love it.

Dr. Werner von Braun once said, "Matters of faith are not really accessible to our rational thinking. I find it best not to ask any questions, but to just believe..." These words are truly conveyed throughout the second of Homer Hickam Jr.'s memoirs, The Coalwood Way, originally published in 2000. Although following his acclaimed, Rocket Boys, this compelling story does not continue where the last left off. Portions of the memoir take place during the same time period as the last, however, this tome portrays the life of Homer "Sonny" Hickam in a different light. This particular memoir focuses on Sonny's senior year in high school and the hardships he must go through when growing up. In addition to working diligently on creating improved rockets, Sonny must focus on achieving A's in school. Most importantly, he must focus on his family. In 1959 Coalwood, West Virginia is a ticking bomb and as it becomes more and more difficult to keep the mines running, the bomb seems to always be the verge of exploding leaving the people out of jobs, homes and, even worse, their town. Sonny must now try to keep his family together while the town falls apart and yet keep alive the dream of leaving in order to join his role model, Dr. Werner von Braun, at Cape Canaveral.
Sonny Hickam is on his way to fulfilling his dreams as the book begins. However there a few obstacles on the way. Troubles in his family prevent Sonny from leading an easy, carefree life. His mother, Elsie, is growing increasingly impatient with Sonny's father. Sonny's father, Homer, is the mine superintendent and with the opening of a dangerous new mine, 11 East; ultimately, he is home even less often than usual. The strain on the marriage becomes too much for Sonny's mother and she insists on leaving Coalwood to escape to Myrtle Beach in order to sell real estate. In addition to his domestic hardships, Sonny is having troubles with himself. Every so often, although only lasting a few minutes, Sonny will find himself engulfed in an unexplainable grief. This mystery baffles Sonny day after day. As he searches for the origin of this mystery grief, he learns more than he ever imagined. Sonny's emotions and adventures are vividly depicted through a truly sentimental story, splashed with humor in all the right places. The writing style of Homer Hickam in this memoir is once again captivating and absolutely unforgettable.
Although one may think memoirs aren't written well due to the lack of an experienced writer, The Coalwood Way reads like an old time fable. It is written in such a way that you are taken from your own world and thrown into the small town in West Virginia. Hickam depicts Coalwood in such a way that the image of every part of the quaint town is etched into your mind. His method of writing will bring you to tears when tragedy strikes and laughter when Sonny finds himself in a humorous predicament.
This memoir is all about finding yourself and realizing that whenever life trips you up, someone will always be there to catch you when you fall. Throughout this lucid story, Sonny tries to find himself, and while looking down on his beloved town, he finally realizes the answer to what he's being puzzling all along. He understands his feelings, thinking: "My parents, and all the people of Coalwood, had given me the only true gifts they could ever give, that of their wisdom, and of their dreams, and of their love. All fear, sadness, and anger inside me had vanished. I knew who I was and where I came from and who my people were. I was ready to leave because I could never leave." Once Sonny realizes he can let go of the past, he is able to finally leave his hometown with the closure he needs to succeed.

"The Coalwood Way" is the part 2 contiuation of the "Rocket Boys", AKA:"October Sky". I just really like the way Mr. Hickam tells his story in his books. I find them to be "Americana" like- a success story from a humble start. I think the series could be a must read for middle and high school students as a way to see their potential in their own future and not just the here and now. A great book (and series) to read!

A story told first time can be fasicnating. As Rocket Boys was. The same story told second time is just boring. The first one had a backbone: boys trying to achieve the goal despite the circumstances. The second one - ranomly selected stories about this or that - I simply don't care. Meaningless and boring

Eleanor Payson has written a groundbreaking book on the dynamic, dysfunctional dance of codependency and narcissism. The information in this book has helped me reclaim myself and also start the process of going much deeper in healing my wounded child. I would highly recommend this book to anyone questioning their relationship with family, spouse, friends, boss, therapist, medical professional, etc...

I am a little over halfway through this book but I cannot believe how squarely the author has hit the nail on the head with this book. It's like looking in a mirror when I read through the scenarios, thoughts, feelings, and actions. I feel like someone wrote this book about me, only they've never met me. I hope to use this book to become less co-dependent and work through my relationship with a narcissistic husband.

After reading many books in search of answers for a difficult relationship that lead to eventual divorce, I was finally able to understand it from another perspective, and now, am more conscious of these pervasive personalities in our society. As a former codependant, I realized the patterns of the NPD I was feeding. It's my belief that NPD people seek and cling to those who are naturally empathic, that ironically, they lack in themselves. They count on you, to empathize with them.

Of the many destructive characteristics besides the most prevalent: lack of empathy, I encountered his exploitive sense of entitlement, the grandiose thinking, envy, blaming yet not being able to admit to mistakes, manipulation and vengence, polarized emotion, and inability to maintain any long term relationships.

Sadly, I now appreciate that Narcissists cannot be reasoned with, and is better to ignore them. Thereby, removing the attention they so desire.

If I could give this book another star, I would! I have read so many books on abusive relationships and personality disorders that you could say that I needed to get a life. I was married 15 years to an emotional/verbal/financhial abuser that was turning physical. I also have 4 children with him. I was despirately looking for answers to what I was experiencing and needed validation for the abuse that my publically charming hubby was never showing anyone but his family and those closest to him. Psychologists...marriage counselors...friends...family you name it, he fooled them all. They all loved him! By the time I left this man, I was almost insane and was diagnosed with Severe Post Trauma and Battered Wife Syndrome. Worst still, our children were begging me to never leave them alone with him and our oldest even asked that cameras be put into our home to "prove" that their dad was acting this way. An absolute nightmare of grand proportions. This book was like looking right threw his game and put everything I was experiencing from him and "his family" (esp his narcistic mother) into a crystal clear realization. I now have the tools I need to detach and drop the guilt/blame that the narcissist are so skilled at using. This author also helped me understand why I was attracted to him (and so many others like him) in the first place and even identify my own narcisitic and abusive mother. I now know where I need to work on myself to make sure the same mistake does not happen again. It also talks in depth about the effects the narcissists have on their children and the different ways they exploit them. I owe this author my deepest graditude for my, and my children's sanity. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ANYONE IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP OF ANY KIND.

I bought this book with a friend in mind. While I enjoyed the book, it was a life-changing read for her. It is a bit technical at times, but does a terrific job of explaining the narcissistic/co-dependent relationship, whether you are on the outside looking in or on the inside looking out. I highly recommend it.

P.D. Ospensky as a teenager decided to forgo an academic education and instead to search for or hidden knowledge. His search lead him to study Theosophy, to travels in the East, to India, and such. Yet, he remained dissatisfied with what he found. Little did he know that he would find what he was looking for (The Miraculous) in a teacher who showed up from the East in his very own Moscow!

This book is about Ouspensky's experiences learning from this teacher, a mystic and very strange one at that, G.I. Gurjieff.

Gurjieff teaches Ospenskys things he never knew, gives him experiences he never thought possible. This book is Ouspesnky's gift to us from of what he learned and experienced.

Certainly, this book works mostly on the intellectual mind, and yet, Ouspensky frequently tells us that we must find an 'emotional state' and that, my friends, is 'The Work'.

This is easily the most important book I have ever read, and afterwards, I could lo longer see the world the same, or live my life in the same way.

If I was forced to have only one book, this would be it. Not for the Herd or Lazy. No fluff around the edges, tells it like it really is.

Written during the outbreak of the First World War in Russia, this book presents an interesting view of humanity in the context of the European war. One should take into account the propositions of Ouspensky's school of thought and see how relative they are in the context of our global 'war on terror'. Thus, the book stands the test of time and will continue to be discovered and re-discovered.

This work is powerful not just for the growth of one's own being, but also for how we see that the programs that control the population in turn create an unhealthy, unbalanced society. Overall, a treasure containing a wealth of knowledge.

P.D. Ouspensky's "In Search of the Miraculous" is one of the most profound and one of most memorable books that I have ever read, and it is most certainly the must-read. Not only that, it also forces one to question one's reality, self-identity, actions, and surroundings. With each time that I read this book, I began to notice the number of little false "i's" that popped up in my being. Every little lies that I ever believed were being exposed. And, my understanding of the world that we are living in has changed in such an enormous way and with such a powerful impact. This book certainly changed my perspectives of life and the understanding of who I am.

I would highly recommend "In Search of the Miraculous" as it is most insightful book of Gurdjieff's unique teachings ever written. It is clear written yet certainly tough to take in. It is also comprehensive on the profound theories as well methods of the mentioned teachings.

Reading this book is most certainly the first step towards being awake and becoming aware of oneself and one's surroundings. Before reading Gurdjieff's three books and any Fourth Way literature, "In Search of the Miraculous" is a great introduction to the unique concepts and the esoteric Work.

I absolutely love this book, so much so that I have given it as a gift a number of times and my copy is one of the most well-worn volumes on my bookshelf.

Among its many outstanding features are the Planetary Tables on pp. 134-135 that show you where the visible planets will be located as the years pass. The tables run from 1997-2006. The tables in the current edition are therefore out of date (type "134" into the "Search Inside" box and look at pp. 134 and 135).

I realize this is a minor quibble, and it is the ONLY reason for my 4-star rating. But these pages deserve an update. There are easy ways to get planetary information on the internet but it would be nice if the tables were updated in the book.

This book is a very good guide for the beginner as well as veteran stargazers. The book's biggest asset lies in the way the stick figures are drawn. Unlike the drawings before this book was published Rey's drawings are realistic in shape, corresponding to the name of the constellation, making them easy to spot and memorize.

This is a great book....reducing the complexities of the always in motion astronomical world to something understandable by ordinary folks with a curiosity.

This book is the BEST format for learning the constellations with your kids, and getting a good feel for the "summer sky", "winter sky", etc... Even my six year old can pick out obscure groupings by using the charts. We spend evenings after dinner finding as many as we can and we can hardly wait for camping this summer!

When I was a kid, my father had a clever response to my "Why?" He threw books at me. Once I asked about the stars, and this book was what I got. And what a book it was! It taught me the mechanics of the nights sky, about the Moon and planets, what the constellations looked like and how to find them in the sky... Everything I needed to go outside and start finding things.

The book didn't stop there. It teaches about the seasons, the difference between 'star time' and 'sun time', why the stars and constellations precess as they do, and MUCH more.

All this was about 1957. For whatever reason, my interest in all this got rekindled around 1997. But my old friend - the book my father gave me - had been lost many years before. So, I went to a local book shop, looking for a some kind of substitute, and to my astonishment, there it was! A copy of HA Rey's book, my long lost friend! So I was off again, looking at the easy-to-use diagrams, finding the constellations in the sky.

You may go to astronomy forums on the net, and you'll find this book mentioned all too seldom. The one most mentioned (to my observation) is "Turn Left At Orion", which is a fine publication, but it is NOT a beginner's book. Rey's is, and there isn't one better, and never has been. (The net forums seem to be for folks that are beyond the beginning stage, and I've found none designed for kids just starting. So, for absolute beginners, these forums can mislead, though, I'm sure, not intentionally.)

For absolute-beginner backyard astronomy, if you're looking for a book for your kid (or you're a kid looking for something to pester your parents to buy), you've found it. And at a rediculously low price to boot.

If I were king, this book would be in every library that calls itself a library. No praise can be too high, for this book does, exactly and completely, what it purports to do. Mr. Rey passed in 1977 (Wikipedia, "HA Rey"), and his work has long outlived both him and his wife. But, as long as a publisher with a heart and brain exists, his masterpiece will continue to show kids (of any age) the way to the stars.

The author shares some inspirational stories of the lessons her grandfather, a Rabbi taught her as a child that served as building blocks for the rest of her life, as a Dr. and then a counselor. Whether you read this from cover to cover, because it is delightful and insightful, or take it story at a time over a period of time, it is a wonderful book. There are important life lessons for us all. Some will make you laugh, others cry, and others to say, "Oh wow!"

This is one of the best inspirational books I've read in a long time. I love it so much I'm buying it for friends! It is so full of wisdom...rich, rich, rich.

I happened upon this book by chance, and it is quite possibly the best book I've ever read. If you are looking for a book to inspire you and give you a positive outlook on life, this is it. It is incredibly refreshing and easy to read. Rather than one long story, it is a bunch of short stories, which makes it great for reading a little bit at a time. It has really helped me remember what is important in life. After reading this book, I can't wait to read other books by this author.

What a wonderful thing it would be if we all had a grandfather like Rachel Naomi Remen had. Since we don't, the next best thing might be to learn the lessons and experience the blessings by having her share her stories about him with us. She does so in a beautiful, almost under stated way that is never intrusive and leaves us with a feeling of deep appreciation. These are very human and moving parable like stories that enrich our connection to each other in almost imperceptible ways. Although this is definitely not a how to book, the stories may effect how we live our lives. Thank you to Dr. Remen.

I'm working toward a Thanatology degree and although this book is not required reading, it should be!!! So many thought-provoking ideas are presented. This book is both enjoyable, educational, spiritual, a true blessing. Thanks for sharing your grandfather's blessings!!!