Way Books

I bought this book for my sister who just had a baby. After reading through it, I am green with envy that she will have access to all the useful and practical information in this book! I had to learn so much through trial and error (the emphasis on error). I would have saved myself so much time and energy had I had a book like this one! Do you know how long it took me to figure out how to go out of the house with my baby and how much time I spent feeling guilty for not feeling totally, unconditionally fullfilled by motherhood?

I will buy this book for everyone I know who is having a baby!!

This wonderful resource recently received a Gold Parenting Resource Award from the National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA). Susan K. Perry, PhD wrote the following review: This compendium of ideas guides expectant and new mothers toward balance and a sense of control as they plan for and face the upheavals of new parenthood. A wide rang of issues is covered, and the tone is reassuring, helping both expectant and new moms relax. The tips are practical and specific."

Written specifically for expectant and new moms, Sheryl Gurrentz presents a superb and infinitely practical compendium of advice, tips, and techniques to care of the new baby and themselves. Especially recommended for women who seek to combine child care with career employment, Gurrentz demystifies early motherhood by covering a diversity of relevant subjects such as how much the body hurts even weeks after giving birth; what to do when feeling jealous that your partner goes to work while you are preempted by child care responsibilities for a new born; how to get a spouse to act like a parent and not just an assistant helper; how to protect modesty while publicly breast feeding; and what to do when life with a new baby doesn't turn out quite like you thought it would! Highly recommended reading, The Guilt-Free Guide To Your New Life As A Mom is an invaluable preparation while waiting for baby's arrival, and even more welcome when trying to adjust to baby after she or he has arrived to enliven, enhance, bewilder, and change your life!!

"We are the first generation of mothers to want the best of both worlds, whether or not we work. We want to be able to take care of our own needs and pursue our personal interests in a wide variety of activities inside and outside the home - while we're being great moms." ~Sheryl Gurrentz

While many books on motherhood focus on what you "should do," this book focuses more on how to make becoming a mother an enjoyable experience for YOU.

Is this possible? Can you really make time for yourself and feel guilt-free?

Sheryl Gurrentz has helped thousands of parents redefine their goals. She believes you can have it all. As a trained ?doula,? she has experience couching women before, during and after childbirth. She wants you to know what it will feel like to be a mom and how you can feel good.

She also shows you how to choose baby products, create harmony in your life, make time for yourself, get things done, balance responsibilities and make wise career choices.

The Contents Include:

Adjusting to Motherhood - feelings
Creating Life Balance - time for you, time for baby
Dealing with Physical Changes - what will your body feel like?
Enjoying Nursing - to nurse or bottle-feed, that is the question.
Choosing the right baby products - deciding what you need and how to select items
Managing Family Dynamics - You, Your Partner, the new baby, other children, grandparents.
Making Career-Oriented Transitions - Getting what you need from working, returning to work and becoming a professional mom.
Creating a Safe Home Environment - general baby proofing and safety
Going Out with Your Baby - daily trips and eating out
Traveling with your Baby - planning what to bring and adapting to places you are staying
Finding Baby-Sitters
Finding Child Care

The author encourages you to look at your positive and negative feelings. She suggests making time for a massage or getting a facial to make yourself feel great. Just because you are pregnant, doesn?t mean you can't spoil yourself.

Throughout the book she talks about:

Dealing with Physical changes.
What the difference will be between various forms of childbirth.
How to prepare yourself for nursing. I had no idea there were breast shields.
There is information in this book, I have never read anywhere else.

The "Deciding What You Need" section is extremely good. Sheryl also explains how various items are more practical than others. This will save you money!

Would make a great baby shower gift.

A Unique resource for every mom or woman considering being a mom. 20 Stars for originality!

You might also enjoy:

Win the Whining War and Other Skirmishes
The Answer is "No"
Survival Tips for Working Moms
The Summer Camp Handbook
Good Friends are Hard to Find

~The Rebecca Review

A look of skepticism crossed my face as a friend handed me this book to read. Being a new, sleep-deprived, working mom, the last thing I thought I could find was time for a little quiet reading, but once I started flipping the pages I was hooked. Sheryl Gurrentz brings her own wisdom as a mother to a fresh new look on parenthood. She uses a mix of humor and real-life testimonials that not only provide good information but priceless wisdom and advice for surviving the many adventures of motherhood. The book talks about everything from dealing with the physical changes after childbirth to evaluating your career and life balance. It is packed with important advice including a resource guide in the back of the book containing contact information for manufactures, organizations and associations that you may need during that first year of motherhood. This book would help any new mom get through the twists and turns ahead. It is a book that new moms will use and treasure.

Having trouble finding your life's work? A lifetime of working on yourself, that is what you have when you awaken and remember why you're here. If you're having difficulty with this concept, I recommend this book as a place to start!

This book most reminds me of how I felt when I first heard the work ideas and how I feel about them now. The author's personal anecdotes and examples hit closely to home. I've bought extra copies to give to close friends hoping that maybe I'll be able to share some of my personal experiences with them more easily with the help of this book.

I first became aware of Gurdjieff and the work in the late 1950's while still in high school. The work intrigued me then, it intrigues me still. Whenever I tire it drives me still to begin again; mostly, I've been a borderlander, a traveler who often returns again and again to a favorite place. In this case, the work. From my experiences I can say that the concepts presented by the author are authentic, his presentation enjoyable, understandable and an easy read.

The movements are an important part of the teaching but as the author points out, teachers of this component are scarce indeed. An example of the complexities of the movements taught by Gurdjieff might be learned by studying Balinese dancing. But as a practical matter, I tend to agree with the author that Yoga, Tai Chi, walking meditation and other forms of physical activity are very useful if not essential and teachers are readily available.

I too am skeptical of groups and teachers of the work because of the potential for psychological harm. You have to be mentally healthy to undertake the work. I belonged to a fourth way group in Carmel for a very short time in the 70's while working on a graduate degree. A professor, in returning a paper I had written on the Gurdjieff work for his graduate course, commented " . . . this could lead to schizophrenia!"

The work, all true work, is about changing your level of being. And, echoing the author, after all this time I can't say I've made substantial progress but I've seen signs that my efforts have not been wasted. From the author: "...and I have been working on myself for many years and the progress is slow, but what else is there to do?"

Outstanding book! This was placed before me by my mentor. To say the book has been influencial in my life would be a gross understatement.

The beauty of Friedman's book and the "Work" versus other books on attaining a higher awareness is in the approach. There are no specific recipes for chanting phrases or hours-on-end meditation. Gurdjieff's work is about becoming more fully aware WHILE continuing on with normal life. Whilst all seekers seek because they know there is more to life than what we experience as part of the masses, Gurdjieff/Friedman teach the reader to LISTEN. There is so much more going on in everything we do than 99% of the world ever know about. How much more influential might we be if we could learn to tune into even a fraction of the rest of it?

I, for one, intend to find out.

Thank-you for this fine work Mr. Friedman.

As any serious student of metaphysics knows, Gurdjieff can be frustratingly abstruse. Gil Friedman has done the near-impossible: rendered Gurdjieff's esoteric philosophy eminently readable, even entertaining. For all its subtleties, Gurdjieff's philosophy offers many practical insights to help us manifest a happier, more fulfilling life. No serious student of philosophy or metaphysics should miss this great book!

This book most reminds me of how I felt when I first heard the work ideas and how I feel about them now. The author's personal anecdotes and examples hit closely to home. I've bought extra copies to give to close friends hoping that maybe I'll be able to share some of my personal experiences with them more easily with the help of this book.

I first became aware of Gurdjieff and the work in the late 1950's while still in high school. The work intrigued me then, it intrigues me still. Whenever I tire it drives me still to begin again; mostly, I've been a borderlander, a traveler who often returns again and again to a favorite place. In this case, the work. From my experiences I can say that the concepts presented by the author are authentic, his presentation enjoyable, understandable and an easy read.

I too am skeptical of groups and teachers of the work because of the potential for psychological harm. You have to be mentally healthy to undertake the work. I belonged to a fourth way group in Carmel for a very short time in the 70's while working on a graduate degree. A professor, in returning a paper I had written on the Gurdjieff work for his graduate course, commented " . . . this could lead to schizophrenia!"

The work, all true work, is about changing your level of being. And, echoing the author, after all this time I can't say I've made substantial progress but I've seen signs that my efforts have not been wasted. From the author: "...and I have been working on myself for many years and the progress is slow, but what else is there to do?"

The book gave me an overview of Gurdjieff's work and helped me decipher many unknown facts which were like puzzles to me. This book would be very helpful for anyone who wants to go into a deeper study of Gurdjieffs ideas and excercises.

As other reviewers have stated, this is not a simple text. Nonetheless, for anyone who cares about understanding Judaism, it is an essential text--and I mean that in all of its implications. This book is especially a must-read for those who consider themselves serious-minded about being Jewish, and yet have decided (without really understanding a thing about the subject) that it is advisable to advocate a Judaism devoid of Halakhic thought and practice--devoid of the hundreds of rituals and obligatory prayers that the Torah asks us to perform on a daily basis. I am speaking of Rabbis, teachers, heads of congregations, etc.

In this book Soloveitchik painstakingly draws out three crucial distinctions in his effort to communicate the fundamental ingredient of that unique spirituality that is Judaism: 1. the distinction between Christian religiosity ("homo religiosis") and Jewish religiosity; 2. the distinction between between the Jewish ecstatic movements of 17th-19th centuries and Jewish religiosity; and 3. the distinction between an over-rationalized, de-spiritualized gutted Judaism ("cognitive man") and Jewish religiosity. (This latter, in particular, has been the perennial accusation flung at the Jews and their Rabbis from the Church for millenia.)

In making these distinctions clear, what "the Rov" weaves for his reader is a picture of the ideal Jew--a person in whom the cognitive parts are fully operative at all times, a person who thinks and considers continuously the riddles that the Torah has constructed by establishing its complex web of personal and communal commandments, yet whose cognition leads to a surrender and wonderment and awe. Far from the rote performance of myriad minutia of senseless rituals, the halakha Soloveitchik shares with us is what amounts to a meditative discipline, intentionally constructed by the Divine mind in order to accomplish several critical aspects of the creation.

On the one hand, entering the web of halakha enables the individual person to establish a deeper connection to the Divine, a connection that that person can experience palpably everytime s/he performs halakha in a halakhic manner. Secondly, every time an individual says a Blessing over food, over an activity, or performs any other halakhic ritual that involves part of the material universe, that person is helping to elevate that aspect of the material creation, to infuse it with Divine intentionality--thus helping to complete the creation. Thirdly, an individual who submits to the Law and performs halakha fulfills the covenant that was established between God and the Jews at Sinai--and this has numerous cosmic implications, for the Jews and for the world as a whole.

Many of these themes are covertly referenced by Soloveitchik.....and even for the aspects of the text that are more overt, I recommend reading this book with a friend or in a study group, and I recommend reading it slowly. There is no McWisdom here. Only the real kind.

I think this book should definitely be a part of every synagogue library, Introduction to Judaism college course, and part of the seminary education of every Rabbinical student in every branch of Judaism in North America.

Get ready to be challenged to a strata of thinking rarely encountered. Rabbi Soloveitchik inspired me to live a better life, as well as to quit smoking. However, unless you are extremely well versed in metaphysics as well as wordly and religous philosophy get out your dictionary and keep it close by, you will need it. The frustration of having to look up and determine "what he means by that choice of word" is worth every effort.

It is difficult for me to express how deeply moved at times I was while finding myself lost in his thoughts. The man was a master among us. The book takes a determined effort to read and even though it is rather short by most standards, 137 pages, I found it to be very concise and effective, like a flash of lightening! I believe that this is the type of book that one would profoundly benefit from reading a second time since it is so grand in scope and substance.

It is no wonder to me that this man was so highly regarded by his peers and students. Rarely does a person have the opportunity to encounter such a brilliant mind. The book is a treasure house of uplifting intellectual concepts on how we can better serve God's purpose and actualize ourselves in this world, right here and now.

This work, translated from the Hebrew, "Ish Ha-Halakha" is a masterpiece. It draws from many different wellsprings of knowledge, including everything from the Torah and scriptures to the Talmud. It is presented beautifully; each word is specifically and carefully chosen. For some, this book may be difficult to read, as the prose waxes philisophical and very descriptive, and oftentimes one needs to make connections within one's own mind.

The basic premise of this work, in its simplest form, is to discover and delineate the differences between "homo religiousus" and the "Halakhic man." Whereas homo religiousus, for instance, may be thrown about the tempestuous waves of emotion and transcendental religiousity, Halakhic man is one who discovers the meaning of religion through the laws, the balances, the critiques. Halakhic man seems more analytical, whereas homo religiosus is expressive and emotional. While both serve God, and serve Him properly, they serve Him in different ways. Halakhic man desires to bring God down to this world, the world considered, "Olam Hazeh," whereas homo religiousus desires to transcend the world, so that he may reach up to God in, "Olam Haba" or beyond, the next world.

However, this work also includes specific examples of man's guidelines/purpose/understanding. One of the most fascinating ideas is that of man as a Creator, also echoed, in some ways, in books like The Fountainhead. Even as God is the Creator, we humans emulate Him, and therefore, we, too, are creators. This is a very uplifting view of life and Judaism, for if one makes mistakes, we may self-create. Teshuva, repentance, is regarded as the idea of self-creation.

All in all, R' Soloveitchik expresses himself in ways that cling to the mind and make us thirst for more. This is a fascinating world. If you wish to enter, there is perhaps no better place to begin.

This book (basically a comparison of mainstream Talmudic scholarship and mysticism, and an endorsement of the former) struck me as the kind of book I might get more out of in a few years, when I know a lot more and have read a lot more -- and maybe when I am a grownup I will reread it. But it is not a book for people just beginning to learn about Judaism (unless they happen to have a Ph.D in philosophy). The allusions (to other thinkers), the concepts, and even the vocabulary were often over my head and are probably over the head of most people who do not have an enormous background in philosophical matters. I learned something from it, but not as much as a more learned person would.

This is from the book- jacket."A profound excursion into religious psychology and phenomenology; a pioneering attempt at a philosophy of Halkhah ; a stringent critique of mysticism and romantic religion-allheld together by the force of the author's highly personal vision. Exuding intellectual sophistication and touching upon issues fundamental to religious life, Rabbi Soloveitchik's exploration, in sum, seeks to explain the inner world of the Talmudist-or as he is referred to typologically,halakhic man in terms drawn from Western culture"
This is as I understand it Rabbi Soloveitchik's defense of the ideal Jew, the Jewish way of life, the kind of Jewish life his family and he himself stood for for generations. I myself reading the work found it quite difficult to understand and its philosophical complexity often beyond me.
But it is the central statement of one of the greatest of all modern Jewish thinkers. And I believe all those interested in the deepest Jewish thought should know this work.

A great read for anyone that enjoys adventure stories. It may make you want to write your letter of resignation.

This is my second favorite book. My first is Off the Map and my third is To Timbuktu. Jenkins is an outstanding author.

A truly superb book. As a longtime reader of Mark Jenkins' articles in Outside magazine i was always going to buy any book he produced. After reading this book I will continue to buy everything he writes. No other writer out there has the techinque Jenkins does. He not only makes you want to get out and go on an adventure of your own, but he lets you in on his own thoughts while he was out there. He brings the meaning of adventure, the soul of it, right to you. While he is clearly a highly talented climber he never once boasts of his accomplishments, but rather shows that adventure is there for all of us to grab. The best thing about this book; you feel as if you could phone up Jenkins, tell him an adventure you had on your mind to do and ask if he wanted to come. I bet you he would say yes.

Mark Jenkins has one of the most honest and direct writing styles in nonfiction. This book is a collection of his columns from his years at Outside Magazine as well as other publications. When you read his unflinching accounts of his travels you are confronted with not only his exhilaration for whatever his predicament, but also his fears and self-doubt. His type of travel is not the package tour but definitely off-the-beaten-path. It's an unadorned and authentic view of humanity in the midst of challenge, against a backdrop of new vistas.

This was a very cool and exciting book to read. I have never read any of Jenkins's columns but I was intrigued by the premise of the book when listening to him on a radio interview. Jenkins sounds like the guy I want to be, but without the guts. He attacks life....he attacks nature, but he's turned his sojourns all over the world into a sort of an art form.

The book is a collection of adventures and I like the fact that he threw in other different stories in there including an encounter with a thief and parallel storytelling over a number of years.

I realized that it wasn't actually the adventures I enjoyed, but rather the memories and experiences he had while undertaking these adventures. Just like the cliche: "It's not about the destination, but about the journey."

The pace of the book is good and it does not get repetitive so please check this one out.

This is a great counting book for your little one who loves the game of Hockey. Even I learned a few things about Hockey from this.

I GOT THIS BOOK FOR CHIRSTMAS FOR OUR 3 YR OLD BUDDING HOCKEY FAN. HE HAS ASKED FOR IT EVERY NIGHT SINCE. IT HAS REALLY HELPED HIM GRASP THE IDEA OF COUNTING THE 20'S AND 30'S AND SO ON AS THEY ARE TALKED ABOUT IN THE BOOK. ONE PAGE HAS 80 JERSEYS WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT NUMBERS. MY SON LOVES THIS BOOK AND SO DO I.

My four year old loves hockey and really enjoys reading this book. He picks up on a lot of new hockey facts from it.

This picture book is darling, and holds the interest of the adult reading it to a child. If you have any connection to hockey,or Canada you will love this book which is beuatifully written and illustrated by two Canadians, Matt Napier and Melanie Rose.

This book is a good follow up to Z is fo Zamboni. It has numbers rather than letters, and the two would make a great gift together. As a stand alone book it is not as good as the Zamboni book though.

Have you ever read a book that felt like you were having a conversation with a good friend? Jeff Kane's new book, The Healing Companion makes me feel comforted, entertained, encouraged and enlightened; just as if I'd spent time talking with a good friend.

The book could be considered as a guide toward offering sick loved ones our healing presence. This guidance is valid for anyone relating to someone who is sick and is just as helpful to doctors, nurses and counselors as it is to family members and anyone who has a loved one who is sick.

A quote from page three says "This book will guide you toward offering sick loved ones your healing presence. By learning to ask them exactly how they're suffering and help them express their feelings thoroughly, you'll encourage an atmosphere of honesty. You'll move toward a perspective in which whatever happens physically, the emotional turmoil surrounding it will settle. All involved will benefit from increasing serenity."

I found especially helpful Jeff's discussion of how sick people suffer. He talks about really listening to their suffering and hearing their fears, anxieties, confusion, depression and rages. He says "I learned that people get emotional when they're sick and that fear and anger and despair aren't abnormal; they're a natural feature of sickness. In fact, I'd worry about the mental health of sick people who weren't affected by their consequent feelings. Hearing many hundreds of stories, I gradually learned that people don't generally suffer from their disease as much as from their emotions, the reactions their disease ignites in them." (page seven)

The rest of the chapters in the book are just as juicy and relevant as the above examples. In "Speaking With TLC", Jeff encourages speaking (only after much listening) with truth, leanness and compassion. He gives examples and practical questions to ask ourselves to pass the "TLC" test.

My two favorite chapters are "Welcoming Mystery" and "Healing Yourself". The first deals with the existential questions that illness can stir and the second with "continual" self care. What profound encouragement both offer for living in this world.

I truly enjoyed reading this book (and have read several sections more than once). The wonderful stories of courage and healing inspired me to be a better listener, a better friend and even a better person. Thank you Jeff.

Caregivers who live with a severely ill family member or friend receive a guide on how they can handle life-threatening and life-changing illness. From how to help others heal using one's presence and support to understanding differences between healing and curing, this is packed with advice from the author's own work with cancer support groups, and provides a solid foundation for understanding and growth.

I picked this book up off the shelf because I have been grappling with my husband's recent diagnosis. As his caregiver, I have often felt frantic trying to organize his medications, supplements, and doctors' appointments while searching the internet for some sort of "cure." Jeff Kane very gently brought me back to earth...and to my husband's immediate need for my compassion and calmness. Since reading this wonderful book and putting Dr. Kane's suggestions to use, I have seen a change in my husband's demeanor; a rise in his hopefulness and an abatement of his pain. All I have done is become a more patient, loving and affirming wife. I let him talk about his illness, when and if he wants to. I listen, without judgement or solutions. And I pray for a healing of his body and spirit. Thank you, Dr. Kane, for sharing your wisdom with caregivers- professional and amateur. We can all learn from this book.

Anyone confronted with the serious sickness of a family member of friend will find this sensitive but unsentimental book invaluable. Jeff Kane not only shows how the emotional support and participation of one's friends and family help the sick person in his or her illness (that is, the social and spiritual disclocation and emotional and psychological suffering caused by the disease), but also gives very concrete, practical suggestions on listening, responding, respecting, and feeling and showing compassion. Dr. Kane's insights about the experience of suffering, the devastation it causes and the opportunities it offers both the sick person and the care-giver for self-knowledge and personal transfromation make this a book to be read and reread time and again.

I LOVE this book. I'm a hospice nurse, and fairly comfortable talking with people who are facing their own death, but this is by far the best thing I've read on the topic. Besides being a wonderful, accessible writer, Jeff Kane is funny, wise, and practical. He's obviously done his own spiritual work, and his book shows that. I looked forward to every chapter, each of which seemed to answer a question I'd barely known to ask, and to answer it in a way that has helped me immensely in my practice, as well as in dealing with people in my own life who are dealing with things we wish weren't happening. Get it. Read it. Read it again. I'm on my second copy.

I was so very touched by Fern Stewart Welch's story - and inspired by the book as a whole. She is an amazing seeker and a very good writer. The Heart Knows the Way! is easy to read, poignant, and highly relevant to many dimensions of living. It is certain to help countless people navigate through the challenges that come with loving someone through difficult times.

I was initially drawn to "The Heart Knows the Way" by the beautiful cover illustration and the title. When I picked up the book and noted its size, I was instantly reminded of the half-dozen pocket-size books -- now dog-eared, time-worn and held together by masking tape -- that are my "go to" books when I need an attitude adjustment and to be reminded of and inspired by the goodness in life and in people. "The Heart Knows the Way" is a little book with mighty messages, and it now graces my collection of timeless treasures.

As I read The Heart Knows the Way, I was moved by the author's ability to write with such soul-baring honesty of the experience with her dying husband. Her struggle to find a more loving and enlightened way in which to share her beloved's final journey was intriguing. After years of facing feelings of helplessness and watching her mate lose awareness of their wonderful life, she finally turned within in desperation to seek communion with God. There was something universally familiar not only in her own concept of God, which she said was formed in childhood and ranged "from the ridiculous to the sublime," but in her very human reaction to actually making contact with God. It didn't surprise me that I came to care about these two people, the husband with an irreverent sense of humor, and the woman who was determined to continue their bond of love even when to all appearances it seemed impossible. It wasn't. This is a great read about real people living inspirational lives.

The Incredible Power of Love

In addition to being a tender love story, The Heart Knows the Way is a fascinating example of an individual's ability to successfully merge two powerful concepts to achieve a desired goal. In this instance the author wanted to help her husband through his lengthy death process in a way she had never heard of or read about. We are all, at some time, faced with such deep challenges. She intentionally chose to conscoiusly and thoughtfully be aware of the guidance she (we all) are constantly receivingt, to receive such guidance with harmony and partnership; and reports how she was guided in this process by a personal connection with God. No matter how challenging the "apparent" outside appearances, the author was determined to realize her heart desires in this highly emotional situation. Serving her husband's situation also served as tools for her personal awakening; the situation became the Teacher. On some levels unconsciously, and most apparently fueled by an inner urging, she hooked into a laser-like mental focus that was grounded in such desperate daily need that she was forced to live in the moment. For me, this was but another of the numerous reasons why the lessons in this book are important for each and every one of us. The author's "connection" to Divine Presence being no different from anyone else's. She permitted the situation to be a tool for her fully opening and receiving tht connection, which exists at all times, no matter what our mental state might be. As she said, "There was nothing else." Too often most of us hide in self-pity and feelings of desparation and aloneness - the author helps us understand how to "step-out" of this mindset and accept true and inspired guidance.

Shades of Eckhart Tolle and every spiritual teacher, the author, proponent of the incredible power of love in partnership with the mind and living in the NOW. Here is a present-time, first-person account of how one person pulled it all together, lived it, was transformed by it and now shares the journey. A wonderful and important read, and a great, uplifting confirmation of love, life and the mysterious and incredible eternal and sublime something in which we ALL live, move and have our being. Another tool for our awakening.

Rev. Jerome Allan Landau

In her book, The Heart Knows the Way! Fern Stewart Welch allows us to follow her journey through the passing of her husband. The piercing love and compassion, so eveident on every page, gives us deep understanding of this jounrey. I highly recommend this work for others. Laura Alden Kamm, author Intuitive Wellness; using your body's inner wisdom to heal.

what a terrific read about a young man becoming an adult as he treks from oklahoma to hollywood just after world war II to win a bet made by his uncle. shades of the poingnacy we saw in "lonely are the brave" to be sure, but this book inspires the reader anew as the young man and his horse face complications, danger and exhaustion before their ultimate triumph. there is a wonderful built-in nostalgia given the twilight of the cowboy era depicted here but the story remains both accessible and relevant in today's complex technological world. even with its simplicity of story, you won't be able to put this book down. this is a sure-fire winner; don't miss it!

I couldn't put this book down. The author has an excellent writing style which makes this a page turner. The true-life story of Jerry Van Meter's 1500 mile horse ride to Hollywood in 50 days, to win a bet his Grandfather made with a Hollywood star, captured the heart of this reader. I snuggled in my bed and didn't get up until I finished the book. Patti Dickinson has a fluid writing style, with an exceptional ability to capture the physical, emotional and spiritual essence of a young man's struggle to overcome his secret feelings of inadequacy in a family known for their strong character. He accomplishes this and more on his journey to Hollywood. I would recommend this book to all ages and gender because it just inspires you to walk through your fears, and accomplish your goal, for none other than yourself.

Oklahoma, 1945. Rolla Goodnight and Rolla's best buddy Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton are arguing with Jimmy Wakely, the Hollywood picture cowboy and Monogram Movie Star. Jimmy says the cowboy way of life is as good as dead.

Rolla and Frank know better. They make a small bet with Jimmy: It used to take three months to drive drive a herd of cattle along the Goodnight-Loving Trail between the Brazos and Denver--about fifteen hundred miles. Hollywood was about the same distance. Why, a good cowboy could make it, on horseback, in fifty days. They volunteer Jerry Van Meter, Rolla's grandson for the job.

Jerry honors his grandfather's bet, mounts Fan, his Osage indian pony and heads for Hollywood-the Hard Way.

With only a compass and map to guide him across rangeland, mountains and desert, young Jerry meets and defeats life-threatening danger from man and beast, the elements, loneliness and hunger, becoming a man in the process.

The author vividly parallels Jerry's journey with the newspaper headlines of the day, carrying the reader back to a time when this nation was on the verge of technology, a time when life was still simple and a man's word was his bond.

A true story. A great read.

Amazing true adventure story; a real page turner!

If your grandfather bet a Hollywood movie star cowboy that you could make a little ride to prove that real cowboys still existed and the ways of the old west were not dead, would you do it? Now imagine that in order to win you had to ride a horse 1500 miles from Oklahoma to Hollywood, CA in 50 days, would you? Oh yeah, and throw in barbwire fences, raging rivers, rattlesnakes, murderous robbers, a gunfight, suspicious police, Apaches, and getting lost in the Mojave Desert. Could you? Well, real life hero Jerry van Meter and his Osage indian pony, Fan, almost died doing it in 1946 as the old west was disappearing under post WWII development. He never profited by his adventure. In fact, his grandfather, cowboy legend Rolla Goodnight, never even told him what he bet!

Jerry was barely 20 years old when he made the ride. He is now 73 years old and lives in Kalispell, Montana. By chance, writer Patti Dickinson heard about Jerry when she stopped for a hamburger one day in Montana. It took her a year to track him down and verify his story. She tells it in a straight-ahead style that makes you feel that you are riding along with Jerry and Fan all the way. Thank you Ms. Dickinson for finding and preserving a fascinating part of our American history.

Dickinson has done a skillful job of bringing twentieth century history alive through the life of an Oklahoma individual whose saga is fascinating. Well-written, I found this book to be a great way to enjoy popular history and learned many things I didn't know about the recent past and the people who moved through it.

Excellent service and speedy delivery. My mistake was that I have the book already! Never mind, it will make a good present for someone. For some reason I thought I had ordered a book I did not have.

From this author's background comes the wisdom to write profound truths wrapped inside simple stories that delight one's mental appetite and creates a savoring for more!

Barbara Brown Taylor is one of the most thoughtful and creative of writers. I would highly recommend this and any of her other books to anyone looking to help understand, deepen, or explore their faith in God.

Not long ago I confessed to a dear friend. I reminded Milly that I review some sermon books without reading every sermon! After she had gasped, uttering words of disbelief, I explained that few books of even short sermons contain equally good sermons. On first hearing Barbara Brown, attending the Lectionary Homiletics Conference I remember how I was stirred emotionally, mentally, and spiritually with her dramatic imagination. I was seized by her creative images from the stories in whatever passage of scripture she had chosen.

On hearing her lectures about Job, I definitely looked forward to reading "Home By Another Way." Here I found one earlier excerpts, entitled, "Out of the Whirlwind." This is one of a few sermons in which she quotes from two sources, in those early lectures. I was impressed by friend, John Claypool's tributes to her "rare constellation of gifts: intellectual carefulness and depth," all coupled with an artistic sense of image-making. That alone speaks volumes!

With my usual skipping over a few sermons, I was most attracted to: "God's Beloved Thief, Home by Another Way, God's Ferris Wheel, Lenten Disciples, A Tale of Two Heretics, Life Giving Fear(from time in CPE) "It Is Finished, Out of Whirlwind, Bothering God." Most were notable for looking up-close at her perspective with intimate viewpoints by using tough disclaimers! They often appeared in beginings, mid-way or near her ending. There is one unique hitch in her re-telling the basic story: she often adds a touch of creative imagination to develop the problem with clever resolution relating to basic forgivness of weakness, judgement, or justice,

Placed within all ten books, I designate this one in being near the top of her Lectures and Sermons. From a semi-retired admirer and retired Chaplain, Fred W Hood

If you enjoy Barbara Brown Taylor's style of down-home wisdom and exposition on biblical texts, this is another worthy volume to add to your personal library. This book is a compilation of sermons that takes one through the various seasons unique to the Church. It is refreshing to reflect upon the texts that she has chosen-to hear anew the good news.

Knowing where this island is and most of the people mentioned in the book, I have discovered that there is a lot to learn about the place I call home myself.
The book is very easy to read and is so true to life out here in the West Indies. I really hope the author and his wife enjoy their paradise!

A delectable read. Robert and Sara, will you be there when we get there? I hope so.

On busy days filled with interruptions and stress, I often fantasize about escaping to an island paradise. Which is precisely what author Robert Benson and his wife have customarily done each year on their anniversary. Over the decades, they have polished this yearly trip into a fine art. Benson takes us along in Home By Another Way.

Having raised children, attended church, and built careers, Benson and his wife holiday on the islands and bring home with them a piece of paradise. "Not only is our calendar a little skewed," Benson wrote, "we do not even operate on what others would call a normal workday schedule, either. In the first place, we both work at home, and our workday does not begin with a traffic report. My commute is about thirty-five steps to my studio in the back garden. Sara does not even leave the house; her office is in the little parlor at the end of the hall." Back home in Tennessee, the Bensons have learned to live on island time.

An incurable romantic, Benson helps readers find the holy in the ordinary. Home By Another Way celebrates the simple things in life including family heirloom furniture, appreciation for our personal preferences, and the comfortable conversation traditions between people who have spent a lifetime getting to know each other. In between the picturesque descriptions of beach, sunset, and birds are the witty observations and gallant humor of the all-grown-up son of beloved writer and speaker, the late Bob Benson and self-proclaimed nester and winsome speaker, Peggy Benson. - PeggySue Wells, Christian Book Previews.com

This has to be one of the most romantic books I've ever read--and I'm a huge Jane Austen fan! I love how the writer sees the world. And the love that shines through on each page--love for this island AND love fo his wife. What a wonderful book that I will read again and again.

Robert Benson is my favorite author, and he has done it again! This time, I don't need to pack to go on vacation. Instead, I get to relax and slow down on a beautiful island with people I love. As always, Robert Benson causes my soul to remember what is really important in and about life. Don't miss this opportunity to kick-back and enter into a simpler more reflective world. Perfect for a day on the beach or a night on the couch. You'll love it!