Wilson Books

I thought this book was a great starter book for those who have little knowledge of AA worship. My main problem with the text it is a little to academic for the masses - a little too much jargon. But I could relate to much of what stated from my personal and family experiences.

A book that gives you more details of how Africans evolved into Afro Baptist, I would highly recommend Mechal Sobel's Been in the Storm Too Long." This book is excellent and can compliment this book. She deserves reading. She speaks truth.

Melva Wilson Costen's "African American Christian Worship, though now nearly a decade old, remains an undated core text for understanding the African American Christian religious experience. From a Caucasian perspective, some may mistake "worship" in the title as referring to one part of a Sunday morning service. As Costen, and African American Church history demonstrate, nothing could be further from the truth. "Worship" is a 24/7 experience of God and the gathered community of God's people meet to celebrate what God has done and to empower one another with what He will continue to do.

Costen's strength is her ability to tap into the history of African American Christianity. In fact, in many ways this book is just that--a history of African American corporate worship. Moving from the bitter waters of enslavement, to the Invisible Institution, to the Praise House, Costen shows both the actions and the theology behind those actions. She then beautifully ties together these historical foundations with the modern Christian worship experience of contemporary African American churches. For anyone wanting a well-researched history of the gathered African American Church, this is a great source.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction .

Ok, so what can I, a white guy (perhaps, I might emphasise, a VERY white guy), get out of a book on African American Christian worship? More than one might think - read on.

Costen, in her book 'African American Christian Worship,' begins with a discussion of core theological beliefs that shape all of such worship. This core seeks to locate and connect the liturgy with the rest of life, such that the practice of worship has meaning that influences the rest of life, and vice versa. These core beliefs are rather interesting, and not at all out of line with what my own basic theology would contain. However, the liturgical practice in my own background does not always realise the larger connection between the shape of the worship liturgy and the larger universe.

There is a strong focus on personal experience as a primary spiritual element. Being interested in such spirituality, I was intrigued by her quote:

'Unlike the Western-oriented Christian, whose theology is rooted in Greco-Roman concepts and culture, African peoples tend to seek to know God personally rather than to know about God from doctrines and creeds.' (p. 20)

While I am a very creed-based Christian, I still seek those experiences and practices which help me to know God, as well as having respect for those practices and studies which talk about God. There has been a tension between these orientations in the more Euro-centric history as well as the African American history, with each side having a similar suspicion of the other. One of Costen's shortcomings in this book is that she ignores the whole of the Western contemplative tradition.

Costen elaborates on the historical aspects of African American worship, particularly as it continues to be informed by its origins as an expression of oppressed peoples. There is, however, no single pattern or form for African American worship; rather, the variety of African American worship that exists today across many denominational lines are all influenced to varying degrees by this background. For instance, 'all African American denominations (Protestant especially) can claim heritage in the Invisible Institution, regardless of when and where they enter denominational history.' (p. 87) However, this is shaped and influenced by a number of factors, including location, leadership, daily life of worshipers, and what Costen describes as the 'denominational ethos' of the worshipers. To think that there is one pattern of African American Christian worship is a mistake.

As someone coming out of the Anglican tradition, I was interested in the discussion of the role of the Church of England and British-based movements on the early African American experience. This is not a history of which I am very familiar, and it is not one emphasised in other historical texts I have studied.

Certainly, practices such as the Ring Shout are very removed from my experience and tradition. I wonder if the description and discussion in Costen's book does this practice justice, as I did not get a good sense of what exactly takes places and what feelings and connections to God are manifest in the practice. This is most likely another case of the necessary difference between reading about a practice and actually enacting and participating in the practice.

I was very interested in the idea of the Invisible Institution and the improvised architecture and accoutrements dedicated to worship. As one who often has to improvise meeting spaces, etc., I have had to deal with some of the difficulties discussed here, albeit none as difficult to deal with as official societal and legal suppression as was enacted against early African American self-directed worship experiences.

Perhaps the most important chapter for me was the concluding one, which discusses worship as empowerment. Costen states, 'In order for corporate worship to be authentic and empowering, it must be psychologically relevant to worshipers and commensurate with their lived experience.' (p. 123) Likewise, she writes, 'The most effective demonstration of true liturgy is what we do in obedience to God in Christ with our lives when we gather and when we scatter as a community in the world.' (p. 127) These quotes sum up for me the importance of worship in life, learning, and the hoped-for relevance of what takes place during our liturgical-worshipful times to our overall lives. This transcends the unique experience of any particular group such as African Americans, and becomes important for all people.

It would take me several pages to adequately write a review that expresses the scholarship contained in this book. I am honored to be able to review this text because it is such an outstanding piece of work. I know that this book has been discussed by the academy, clergy, students, and laypersons alike. It is a very scholarly, well researched, and organized writing on African American Christian worship. I really don't know where to begin because there are just so many great things I could say about this book. It is a must for every library of scholars interested in the area of worship. I used this book as a primary resource for a seminary graduate project in music. But the book has much more to offer and is not limited to any one topic of worship. Costen starts with a discussion of the theology of African American worship and how this relates to our "core belief" system and our "doctrine of God." She notes that African American worship can be characterized in general as "experiential." African people "tend to seek to know God personally rather than to know about God from doctrines and creeds." She presents music, preaching, prayer, ritual, and shouting as a means of communication and empowerment in worship. These acts are also described as "celebrative acts of worship" that engage the community of faith into divine communion with God and with one another. From a historical perspective, Costen begins with worship in the Invisible Institution and discusses how it uniquely shaped the culture of worship for African American people. Later on, she provides a historical summary of the African American denominations and congregations and the history behind their formation. The book has much more than I could ever discuss - from a detailed history of African American music to a contemporary model for worship. This book is very well written, scholarly, and simple to read. It is a must for every library.

It would take me several pages to adequately write a review that expresses the scholarship contained in this book. I am honored to be able to review this text because it is such an outstanding piece of work. I know that this book has been discussed by the academy, clergy, students, and laypersons alike. It is a very scholarly, well researched, and organized writing on African American Christian worship. I really don't know where to begin because there are just so many great things I could say about this book. It is a must for every library of scholars interested in the area of worship. I used this book as a primary resource for a seminary graduate project in music. But the book has much more to offer and is not limited to any one topic of worship. Costen starts with a discussion of the theology of African American worship and how this relates to our "core belief" system and our "doctrine of God." She notes that African American worship can be characterized in general as "experiential." African people "tend to seek to know God personally rather than to know about God from doctrines and creeds." She presents music, preaching, prayer, ritual, and shouting as a means of communication and empowerment in worship. These acts are also described as "celebrative acts of worship" that engage the community of faith into divine communion with God and with one another. From a historical perspective, Costen begins with worship in the Invisible Institution and discusses how it uniquely shaped the culture of worship for African American people. Later on, she provides a historical summary of the African American denominations and congregations and the history behind their formation. The book has much more than I could ever discuss - from a detailed history of African American music to a contemporary model for worship. This book is very well written, scholarly, and simple to read. It is a must for every library.

This is a great workbook that takes you through the Bible. It shows the verses that demonstrates God's love and provision for animals, along with the relationship between humans, animals and Himself. It helped us a lot when our 22 y/o cat died.

Here is the book we have all been waiting for! "All Creatures of Our God and King: What God's Word Says About Animals" by Teri Wilson is a comprehensive study guide in an easy workbook format. Ms. Wilson's book guides us step by step through the scriptures, highlighting God's love and concern for the animal kingdom along the way.

"All Creatures of Our God and King: What God's Word Says About Animals" offers us the blessed assurance that our pets who have passed away are indeed in the presence of a loving God, and that we will one day meet them all again in Heaven.

Buy this book, and please encourage your Church to also purchase Ms. Wilson's book! It would make an ideal study guide for either a Bible Study group or Sunday School Class. The Church does a very good job of teaching us about God's love for mankind; but,sadly, it is too-often silent regarding God's amazing love and concern for animals.

"All Creatures of Our God and King: What God's Word Says About Animals" is destined to become a lifetime reference guide for all those who love animals!

This book has come at a time when our world is very thirsty for Truth. Teri Wilson has done a magnificent job in showing how God has, indeed, created all creatures, great and small, through Scripture analogies.

This is a book that is easy to understand, but more so, it is succinct in it's pertinent message, that our beloved partners in the animal kingdom need our love more than ever ~ just as we need their love as well. Even for any readers with no formal religious background, this book will bring home the message to you that everything is indeed, created by God.

I guarantee after reading this book, you will truly believe that God has created all, and by that new found, or strengthened belief, you will begin to help heal the animal kingdom and help create respect and peace for all creatures of God.


Rev. Paula T. Webb ~ Author, "Creating Perfect Relationships, "Life with Grace," "An Independent Ministry," "Cooking with Grace."

Attention God-lovers and animal lovers: Have you ever wondered if there are animals in Heaven? RUN- don't walk- to get your copy of Teri Wilson's "All Creatures of Our God and King: What God's Word Says About Animals. Ms. Wilson's delightful book is resplendent with personal and Scriptural insights about God's love for animals, in this life and the next. Who needs this book? Anyone who has ever loved a creature of any kind; Bible-lovers who never looked at the Scriptures from this perspective; those who love animals, and are only curious about what the Bible has to say about the subject; everyone who enjoys a great read by an ineffable writer- you won't be able to put it down.

-Neka Scarbrough-Jenkins

ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING: WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS ABOUT ANIMALS is a well-organized and thoughtful demonstration of God's Love for all His creatures. In the questions presented, the reader is challenged to think about the relationship between God, the creator, and the animals He created. Teri Wilson presents a stimulating study interspersed with heartwarming personal stories that will lead you into the next section of the study. This Bible Study is a must for anyone seeking to discover the place of animals in our world and is thought-provoking yet presents clear Biblical answers to some of the most asked questions. This is a must read for all people who care about animals and love the Lord.

Radio Golf concludes August Wilson's 20th Century decade play cycle with a tale of a business man whose ambitions for progress and success ultimately come face to face with his past and his identity.
Harmond Wilks was a child of privilege, growing up under the shadow of his successful father and his business in Pittsburgh. Now he is an ambitious mayoral candidate and head of a Hill District redevelopment organization planning to build an apartment and shopping complex featuring all the usual mall suspects; Barnes & Noble, Whole Foods, Starbucks, etc. With him is Roosevelt Hicks, an old friend and business partner, equally ambitious and unabashed in his drive to succeed, he is contemptuous of blacks stuck in poverty/anger/victim hood, and willing to get in bed with suspect real estate tycoons looking to take advantage of the government's minority ownership incentives.
Their plan is set to go, but for a rundown house at 1839 Wylie. The house at 1839 Wylie proves, through the personality and character of Old Joe Barlow to be a personal boom but professional bust for Harmond and his wife, Mame.
Radio Golf is a pretty quick read, and with five characters Wilson gets to the point quickly and with a subtle flavor, found mostly in Barlow and Roosevelt-both relative extremes in the 1990's Black American experience, with Harmond in the middle-and presents a question as to what progress really is. Full of the symbols and swift language of his other works, Radio Golf does focus for the first time on the middle class Black community and the according issues. Ambition or community, revitalization of desperate neighborhoods, the value of money versus community as well as the meanings of history within the interests of American Big Business.
Not as epic or traumatic as King Hedley II or Fences or The Piano Lesson, but ever timely, spot on and important.

5 stars for one of the most significant literary/theatrical endeavors of the last century, August Wilson's cycle of ten plays, a decade-by-decade chronicle of ordinary African-American family life from 1900-2000, elevated to the extraordinary by some of the most powerful poetic diction ever to grace the American stage; Wilson was the successor and peer of Eugene O'Neill and Tenessee Williams, refracted through the sensibility of James Baldwin. The bars, the churches, the backporch, the white-picket fence front yard, the crack-vial strewn alleys, the jails, the recording studios, the ballparks, this was the terrain Wilson took us through, no place was alien to him, every character, old , young, male, female, upwardly mobile, downwardly spiraling, or just holding on, saint and sinner had their gospel and blues-drenched monologue/moment in the spotlight. These ten linked plays are essential reading, and bear in mind Wilson kept himself alive while through sheer force of will while in the throes of a terminal illness to make sure he finished the cycle. And for the first time ever, all ten have been housed in one volume.

So why oh why has the tome been priced in the three figures, beyond the scope of the very people who would most benefit by reading it? A sin and a shame...one star to the publisher, Mr. Wilson's estate, whoever thought this gouging was necessary.

My students and I read Radio Golf in preparation for a video conferences in which professional actors were rehearsing a scene from the play for a show. The main character, Harmond Wilks, dreams of becoming the first black mayor of Pittsburgh, and it looks as if he has a good chance of doing so, but when he is confronted with evidence of an injustice that he can't ignore, and tries to right it, he stands to lose it all. A true, heroic figure, he soon realizes the ugly truth that "what is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right."

Having read all these plays as they emerged in print, having seen many of them on stage over the past 23 years, and having just had the ecstatic experience of witnessing all ten plays in the cycle performed in chronological order at the Kennedy Center in Washington, I confess a strong bias in this review! I believe that every literate American should have this set on his or her bookshelf. It will provoke laughter and tears, stir the mystic chords that bind all people together regardless of race or status, and provide the satisfying recognition that -- while life is an inscrutable mystery -- it is also a rich and rewarding adventure.

This is a proper finale to Wilson's century cycle, I read this play and the nine others as part of a college class and it wraps up the saga with Wilson's usual brand of honesty that makes his work so compelling. It speaks with sharp tongue about the ills of the black community but it all has the cathartic ring of truth. It is a bit slow to start but is an engaging story of redemption that is as funny as it is thought provoking.

I found this book to be quite interesting from start to finish.It gives description to psychoneurological development in different genotypes in a way that desribes what may be the differences in learning styles.Prenatal development and its relation to stress and responses was also fascinating when drawn in correlation to fetal development.I would highly recommend this book to parents of Black children or those individuals that work in close contact with Black children RE.esp.Early Childhood Ed.

I have have read and digested Dr. Wilson's books for years. This book, however, is for educators in urban settings. As an elementary principal in Columbus, Ohio it is imperative to know how to seperate good literature from exemplary literature. This book is exemplary. The main reason is because it requires critical reflection from beginning to end. The author wrote in a manner as to provoke questioning of one's psychosoical value system and how this value system is subconsciously transmitted to our children during the educational process. As a result of institutional and covert racism, many teachers mistakeningly teach Black children strictly from a Eurocentric perspective. This method of transmitting knowledge is harmful to both teacher and pupil. Dr. Wilson's book is gut-wrenching, sad and extremely enlightening. It's is highly recommended- but not the fainthearted.

Both descriptive and prescriptive, this work by the esteemed ancestor must be read by Afrikan parents and educators alike.

The only gripe that I have with this book is that the author could and should have placed more detailed information in the text. Otherwise this book is strong medicine for those parents educators and concerned community activists and excellent documentation on the genius that is inherent in urban, rural and suburban children….One of the most important detail being….some children already have a head start, it is up to the community to make sure this advantage is continued…..I’ve already put some points to good use.

To me few books are 5 star books, and I have never been compelled to write an online review of any book. But I must say that this book is so thought provoking and at the same time enlightening, that I had to write something. This book is a must read for any parent / teacher that wants to get a clear and intelligent perspective on how to properly teach / raise black children in the current society that we live in. It is not a long drawn out book, it is relatively short and to the point. As a parent of a two year old, I must say that after reading this book, I feel: motivated, educated, and stimulated to teach my child not just be "smarter" , but to be a better person overall.

In my book, Black Storm Comin`, Colton, the twelve-year-old boy who is the main character, is very responsible and knows everything he needs to know to travel by himself and knows how be a man. One example of that is that Colton has to work with his dad every day. Colton has to wake up at 6:00 a.m. in the morning he doesn't stop working until 8:00 p.m. And he has been doing that for 5 years straight. Another example of that is that he has good manners. Colton calls a lady ma'am and a man sir, he is really polite and he says please and thanks you. Colton also became the man of the family. After pa left after shooting Colton accidentally at the leg while he was asleep, Colton had to stand up and was forced to take responsibility for his whole family and he was doing everything. Colton helplessly needed a job so, he thought he could get a job at the Pony Express because it would cover up the pay and it would take him and his entire family to Sacramento, California that everyone needed to go there and he got the job. At the middle of the story Colton's ma gave Colton a letter to give to her half sister, then at the end of the story, Colton gave it to the half sister, but then ended u running for their lives meaning his pa and himself. Colton was the perfect kid at his time as I have already told you how.

A 12-year-old boy, Colton, tries to get a job with the Pony Express in this unusual "western". There are no Indians in the story, but race plays a part with the hero as a son of a white man and a free black woman, but who can pass for white. The family is moving west with a wagon train but is beset by the troubles of the trail--no doctors, difficult childbirth, broken wagon wheels, lack of food. A gun accident while in Nevada precipitates it all: the depressive father accidentally shoots the son in the leg, then takes off in apparent remorse, leaving the family to fend for itself. Racism is a theme of the story, but it is also about a boy's doggedness and the importance of cross-country communication on the eve of the Civil War. The prose is easy, in a colloquial style. Those who like horse stories and action-adventure will appreciate this one. I could hardly put this book down, and despite having to go to work I finished it in less than 24 hours. This book is heartily recommended, and should appeal especially to middle schoolers studying the pre-Civil War era as well as to horse enthusiasts, male or female. It would work well as a read-aloud for middle school, since the audience will be anxious to know how it turns out. It is devoid of love interests, but despite that it should serve a high school audience well, too.

I'm not usually a fan of westerns. I don't get that whole prairie, horse, dirt thing that many find appealing.

But this story is not a typical western.

It's the story of a 12 year old boy and his family - a 12 year old who's forced to take responsibility for his family (an occurrance common enough in the past).

There's a lot of historical information and environmental vibes packed into this book - it fairly places you in the shoes of a biracial child who, quite guiltily, can pass for white in a time right before the civil war. It gives you an insight into the Pony Express - a wonderful group of kids who kept the country connected and informed.

In all, this is a good read, especially for young boys, which will open the mind and the heart.

(*)>

Like all of Diane Lee Wilson's books, we get some excellent historical background to a great story. Her characters are always interesting and nuanced, not the stock character so often found in young adult fiction. Her stories are set in interesting times and we always learn something we didn't know. In Black Storm Comin, we get an insiders look not only into the Pony Express but also the challenges faced by the bi-racial rider. And the horses! Wilson can write about horses like no one else - she's taking over where Marguite Henry left off. This is a great read and I look forward to her next one. I recommend it for any reader, young or old, male or female.

Based on Wilson's research about the pony express, this story is filled with fascinating facts and tidbits about the old west. But what is so delightful is the intensity of the story, excellent horsemanship, and relationship of a small boy and his horse. It kept me on the edge the whole time. The young protagonist is also bi-racial, adding an interesting twist and subtheme to the entire story. I learned much about the pony express and its riders, as well as the challenges of being bi-racial in early America.

This was the first, but it won't be the last, travel guide I'll buy from the Bradt series.

It contains an outstanding overview of the Islands' geology, political history and economy along with great suggestions for active sports tourism and passive sightseeing.

I was so impressed I bought the Bradt guide to the Canary Islands too.

Both will come in handy on a trans-Atlantic cruise we've booked for this Fall.

I first visited the Cape Verdes in 1987 while researching the ATLANTIC ISLANDS, a sailing guide covering the Azores, Madeira group, Canaries and Cape Verdes, now in its third edition. Getting information on the Cape Verdes in the English language was difficult in the extreme -- if only Aisling and Colum's excellent book had been available then! These days no sane person should visit the islands without reading it first. The Cape Verdes come as something of a culture shock after the Canaries -- this book will explain why, and help you get the most from the experience. Buy it!

This was just the sort of thing a hardened backpacker needed. It had all the useful nooks and crannies of info you need - plus the fact that it filled in a lot of the extra info you like to get about a place you're seeing. They gave a great account of the islands' history - it was really moving.

Irwin and Wilson's guide gives you all the factual information you need, and in addition succeeds in capturing the spirit of Cape Verde, with boxes on cultural and historical issues linked to each island. There is no doubt about it: This is the best guide available. If you read German, Rolf Osang's "Kapverdische Inseln" from Dumont is nearly as good and a useful supplement (especially when it comes to photos). The chapters on Cape Verde in Rough Guides' and Lonely Planet's books on West Africa are neither up-to-date nor in-depth enough if you plan to spend more than a few days in Cape Verde (which you should!).

The appendix on Crioulo language in Irwin and Wilson's book is brief but good. Don't be put off by the nasty details on horrible diseases in the section on health!

If you plan on visiting the Islands of Cape Verde, this travel guide is essential. I have not found a better or more thorough guide. I currently live here but I am American and I knew nothing of the islands when I arrived. But after living here a while, I discovered that this book is as accurate as I initially thought. There are few things misspelled but that is to be overlooked by the amount of truely uselful and thorough the information is. I also liked the little touches of background and history on each island. It is very well done.

Clean Break,in my opinion,is one of Jacky's best yet.It's about a girl called Em who has a little brother and sister and an amazing dad.Sadly one Christmas their dad and mum split up.After that the kids,mum and gran have to live a life they've never lived before...At the end the kids and mum are lying in a bed next Christmas.Then they hear the doorbell and a familar voice!
Ellie Rebeiro,age 9(nearly 10)

I've really enjoyed reading this book and would really recommend this to an age group of 9to11.The ending of the story is very unexpected and does not give you a clear idea of what happens, however the description of the people gives you a clear picture in your mind of the characters.Having read almost all the Jacqueline Wilson books iwould say this is one of the best.This book shows that no'ones perfect. My favourite chapter is when they go and get books signed and meet their dad with another girlfriend.

Clean break is a great book for confident readers.i love this book and is one of my favourite ever.

This book is called Clean Break by Jacqueline Wilson. It is a book about a girl named Emily whose mom and stepdad have split up. Emily's stepbrother Maxie and stepsister Vita are both younger than Em(short for Emily) and don't really understand that he has left. When they see him during New Year's, he partially ignores him with his new girlfriend. He takes them home, but they are mad at him. Whenever they see him, everything goes wrong. In the end, Maxie, Vita, Em, and her mother are lying in bed waiting when they hear the doorbell and a familiar voice.....
I enjoyed this book very much. I thought Em was a great charecter through it all. She was a little self-consious of herself because she was a bit chubby. She had to deal with a lot of teasing and different problams. She was very brave and this book shows that life can be hard.
My favorite part in this book was when Em got her books signed by Jenna Williams. Em is thrilled to meet Jenna William and is a bit shy. After they talk and Jenna Williams signs Em's books, she compliments the book Em is writing. Em is thrilled. Afterwards, Maxie sees a clown a runs! Em chases after him and when she catches him, she sees their dad! They run after him, but Em falls and breaks her arm.This is one of my favorite parts, because Em is happy and gets reunited with her dad.

This story is about a young family. There is an older sister called Emily and she has a brother called Maxies but her sister Vita is their step sister. Vita has a really cool Dad who is married to Emily's mum. Unfortunately one Christmas they break up. Emily then tries to get them back together by planning day trips that never go right. Jacqueline Wilson has described in great detail all of the emotions of the characters, especially Emily, who desperately wants to get her parents back together. She tells me so much about the characters that I feel they come alive. Because I am a great fan I have almost all of Jacqueline Wilson's books and I think this is one of her best. I would definitely recommend this to young teenagers.
Does she succeed in getting her family back together? Well you will just have to read the book and find out.

Wilson is an absolute master of the weird tale, and a writer whose prose is a pleasure in itself. How can you resist an opening sentence like this one from "The Casino Mirago": "At the end of a very long chain of many things gone most astonishingly wrong I found myself booked out of season under an assumed name in the grandest suite of a Hotel Splendide located on the coast of Portugal."?

This collection features nearly four decades of the cartoonist's short fiction, culled from sources as diverse as Playboy magazine, the ground breaking Dangerous Visions anthology, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Omni magazine. As stated in the publicity materials, "Sometimes amusing, sometimes frightening, Wilson's short fiction is as eclectic as his cartooning." Like those cartoons, Wilson's stories are macabre, dark, and humorous, strange little forays into the weird and bizarre. My personal favorite was Wilson's tribute to Sax Rohmer and Fu Manchu, "The Power of the Mandarin," an engaging examination of the tension between authors and their creations.

I've always liked Gahan Wilson's cartoon collections... They're easily on par with those of the late Charles Adams. This collection of short stories is right on the mark. Sometimes jarring, sometimes thought-provoking, always entertaining. I strongly recommend "The Cleft and Other Odd Tales."

What an unusual book! This is my first exposure to any of Mr. Wilson's work and I am completely charmed. The illustration at the start of each story provides a clue to it's ending. It became fun to study the picture and hope that I could guess what was to come. I was never able to do it! The stories are a complete and engaging mystery until the very end. I especially enjoyed the macabre view Mr. Wilson took of several characters from the literature of my childhood. "The Sea Was Wet as Wet Could Be" seems like the sort of fairy tale the would result from joint writing between Robert Louis Stevenson and Steven King. Odd and unexpected tales that were a genuine joy to read. I can't wait to explore the rest of Mr. Wilson's work.

This book sent shivers down my spine and for days I was paralysed with terror. Hilariously disturbing - I absolutely loved the story about the blob. Gahan Wilson has a tremendous sense of the macabre, I laughed and laughed.

We absolutely LOVE this book!! Debbie Mancini-Wilson is an amazing author. My girls really enjoy interacting with the stories...so unique! They get a real kick out of the poetry and illustrations.
Makes a special gift for any child!

So you have "where the wild things are", "the giving tree", the Classic Pooh, and a handful of Dr Suess and Shel Silverstein books that no child should be without...
Well I'm happy to say that I'm more than glad to have taken a shot with this new and talented author of a future classic. This is the kind of book that you'll hang onto, and spend some quality moments in the future with your grown-up child, as you look over each magical page, filled in with those "literary building blocks" that help make up their formative years. Highly recommended to anyone with a child. And if you have multiple children, they'll each need their own. It's truly an interactive children's diary of sorts, that will last through the ages...

I have a box of old school papers from my sons that I cherish, and I have always had the intention to put them in a scrapbook or a binder to create an heirloom of their work, their development, their success in learning, their creativity. Well, the boys are 26 and 22, and the papers are still in the box. What a treasure a book like "Color My World" would be for compiling a child's thoughts, their stories, their art - all in a self contained, interactive album. Make no mistake - this is not a scrapbook. It's an interactive, thought provoking, challenging workbook for kids and parents. The kids essentially "write the book" as they go throught it. It's a great "snapshot" of what's going on in their lives, and in their heads at this moment in their lives. Looking back at the finished product will be a joy. Imagine reading through it again on their college graduation day, on their wedding day, or when they begin their own family. This is a "must have" heirloom that every child and every parent will treasure!

This book held my kids attention, because it allowed them to read and interact at the same time. The poems are fun for the kids to read. My 9 year old enjoyed reading them and my 6 year old liked hearing them read to him. The best part are the interactive sections where they write in the book. I would recommend this book to anyone with children.

How I wish there was a book like this when my children were young. With my younger son being so ill it would have been a great way for him to express his fears and for my older son who spent so much time having others take care of him while we were at the hospital, a great way to express his loneliness and confusion. I can't say enough about it and have already called several friends to tell them to watch for it - it's a MUST buy for every grandchild for Christmas or birthday or even Happy Nothing's Day. Truly a book like this is LONG overdue and that you realized what a need there is for children to be able to express themselves no matter what their feelings speaks to the heart of the author. Applause my friend! It is a book that is genuinely inspired.

In meticulously chronicling US/German relations before the Great War, Mitchell has managed to reveal that there never was any German designs on the Americas, and that she was used as a bogeyman and cover for US imperialism under the guise of the Monroe Doctrine. She also exposes the innate anti German bias of the Fifth Estate, as well as the perfidy and treachery of the British in sowing/fanning the flames of US hatred for Germany, while appeasing the US by bending over backwards, in Venezuela, Mexico and Panama

Actually what was most interesting was the last pages when Mitchell cursorilly mentioned the blatant land grabs, occupations and annexations in Carribean and South America in 1915 and thereafter by that hypocritical, amoral imperialist, Wilson once the Euroepean Powers were heavily engaged in mortal combat, all under the name of protecting freedom, democracy and human rights (sound familiar?).

Prof. Mitchell has written a very good, well-paced and well-argued treatise on a particular situation (German-American relations vis-a-vis Latin America at the turn of the last century), that is relevant to broader, more current issues. American exceptionalism has always required demonization of a perceived villain or adversary, the Devil if you will, in order to mask our neo-imperialist ambitions. As Mitchell argues in her concluding chapter, Imperial Germany and its bombastic monarch made convenient demons to suit the ambitions or moods of particular institutions, such as the Navy or the yellow press, and even Woodrow Wilson conjured up the Teutonic bogeyman when it suited him.
In reality, the central theme of her book is of inconsequential historical significance, since the German dog had no bite to support its shrill bark (as one German wag deftly remarked.)There simply never was any credible German threat to American security or even the ambiguous Monroe Doctrine to worry about. But what is more relevant today is how perception can be manipulated to justify imperialism in the guise of some nobler ideal. If you need any modern evidence of this proclivity of ambitious politicians, look at the Iraqi Tar Baby and the President that's struggling to break free of it today.
This book is a must-read for any serious student of international relations, especially of the tense situation prior to WW One.

This is a splendid book. It is extremely well researched, yet it reads like a novel, because the author writes so well. It illuminates US-German relations in the 1890-1914 period, as well as US and German policies toward Latin America in those years, providing a subtle and nuanced interpretation that is based on an impressive amount of evidence culled from the US, British and German archives. And, again, it combines the rigor of a superb historian with the grace of a first-class novelist.

A superb read. If I were a dog, I would be salivating.

I re-read this book recently, which allowed me to place it on my list of books worthy of review. To begin, Dr. Nancy Mitchell is an outstanding professor. Having sat in her classroom several years ago as a graduate student, I can now look back and add that she is one of the best teachers I've ever had.

The Danger of Dreams is exceptional because it is timeless. In the early twentieth-century, there was a political game being played between the US and Germany; but, as Dr. Mitchell clearly demonstrates through careful research, "the uncertainty of it all, of perception and reality," allowed policy makers to distort and twist perception until it could become reality. In this case, it was the dreams of a kaiser versus the ambition and intent of a rising power.

As a history book, Mitchell stepped to the plate and knocked the ball out of the park. She writes like she teaches (grabbing your attention and pulling you in), using such a wide range of sources that any student of history will be both envious and enlightened. As a careful analysis of diplomacy and policy making, she has added a great volume to the shelves of political scientists as well. For those who read purely for pleasure, here too she rounds the bases because this book is a great story and it is exceptionally told.

In the games that nations play, "perhaps there is a constant ratio of power to sense of threat," and perhaps there are some powerful and very modern lessons here. Perception is reality, isn't it?

Major Allen C. Boothby, Jr.
Infantry Officer
US Marine Corps

This is a splendid book. It is extremely well researched, yet it reads like a novel, because the author writes so well. It illuminates US-German relations in the 1890-1914 period, as well as US and German policies toward Latin America in those years, providing a subtle and nuanced interpretation that is based on an impressive amount of evidence culled from the US, British and German archives. And, again, it combines the rigor of a superb historian with the grace of a first-class novelist.