X Books

Where were you in the 1980's? I was in junior high wearing rainbow stripped leg warmers, watching Flash Dance, and listening to Brian Adams sing.

I graduated from high school in 1987, and I am a Gen X Mom. How about you?

Author Tricia Goyer has put together a wonderful book just for us, Gen X moms. It is funny, meaningful and fun to read.

Maybe you have challenges in your marriage. Or you know someone who does. Or maybe you want to make yoru marriage even stronger than it already is.

So, do you still find yourself humming the love songs of the 80s and 90s?Do you still believe that every marriage should be between soul mates?

But -- do you wonder how you can succeed at love and marriage when the generation you grew up in didn't?Marriage isn't what it used to be-it can be better than ever.

If you are a Gen Xer, your marriage has challenges and potentials that no other generation has known. A Gen Xer herself, Tricia Goyer offers realistic help to achieve the God-honoring marriage you long for.

She includes:·Ways to protect your marriage despite the broken relationships modeled in your youth·Stories, suggestions, and confessions from fellow Gen Xers facing the "What now?" question of real-life marriage·

I had so much fun reading this book, and along with the giggles and chuckles, I learned a lot about how to make my marriage even stornger.

Blessings-
Trish Berg
Book Reviewer, Author
www.TrishBerg.com

Rattled: Surviving Your Baby's First Year Without Losing Your Cool

The Great American Supper Swap - Solving the Busy Woman's Family Dinnertime Dilemma

Tricia Goyer is back to talk the the Gen X'ers on her most important topic yet. She does an excellent job of getting the message across. Her format is sound bite easy to read. A perfect book for the uber-involved who read in snippets while escaping into the bathroom for some peace and quiet, or while waiting for soccer practice to end.

Being on the early, early edge of Generation X, some of what she shared didn't quite hit the mark with me, especially some of the music she quoted. But during the beginning years of my marriage and child raising, I became aware of the soundtrack for the Gen X'ers and the heartbeat of the generation sounds loud and clear throughout the book. Many of the issues that Tricia covered apply to most generations. So don't let a lack of immersion in the 80's/ 90's culture become a reason to avoid reading what Tricia shared, or for ignoring the truth that needs to be considered.

I appreciate Tricia's honesty. In Generation NeXt Parenting I considered Tricia an expert. Good grief, she homeschools and writes books and... well, you get the picture. But Tricia paints some not so flattering self-portraits in Generation NeXt Marriage that should endear her to an entire generation of wives. Thanks for your transparency, Tricia. And thank John for his willingness to allow your marriage to be placed under a microscope.

I am a firm believer in investing your money into your marriage since marriage is the framework you build on the foundation of Christ. What are you building, a ranch, a modular, a mansion or a shack? Don't buy the book if you have no intention of using it to guide your own growth and change. Don't buy it for your spouse, either. After all, you may be the only book your spouse chooses to read, so without your change, the message is lost.

If you are tired of doing the same old and getting the same old results, you might find it very useful to look at how culture and your early years have shaped you.

This is a great read. Especially if you are a GenXer or if you are struggling to understand a GENXer.

Generation NeXt Marriage by Tricia Goyer is a terrific, hip Christian guide to marriage for Generation X. As the first generation of latch-key kids who often came from broken homes, they view marriage in a way completely different than their parents and grandparents. They are less likely to see divorce as an option and more likely to require authenticity and honesty in their relationships. Each chapter begins with a lyric from a 1970s or 80s song, and Goyer uses that to jumpstart her conversation. And that's how her writing reads: like a conversation with a good friend. She uses statistics and studies to make her points, and them backs them up with Scripture. Goyer is very active online and uses anecdotes from her loyal readers about their marriages to add layers and depth to each discussion. Goyer is just as honest as Gen Xrs demand, including a chapter about a former boyfriend. She'll never make you feel guilty; she encourages and uplifts with humor and compassion. She's always a joy to read.

Young adults' search for God
Reviewed by ERIN RYAN, National Catholic Reporter

These days, there seems to be a lot of discussion in church circles about how young people are the future of the church and a lot of consternation about what Catholics can do to bring them in. However, most church ministry programs for young people tend to focus on teenagers or children. Two recent books speak to the young adults in our midst.

In his book for youth ministers, Googling God: The Religious Landscape of People in their 20s and 30s, author Mike Hayes makes it clear that young adults are more than just the church's "future." They are the church now.

Mr. Hayes is the associate director of Paulist Young Adult Ministries and the managing editor and cofounder of the savvy bustedhalo.com Web site for Catholics in their 20s and 30s. His book provides a close look at young adults in two specific generations: those in the often cynical, questioning "Generation X," defined here as people born between 1964 and 1979, and "Millenials," defined as people born after 1980, who are more often concerned with rules and order.

In Part One of Googling God, Mr. Hayes, who says he belongs to Generation X, explores how these two generations have been shaped by events in the world around them. Then, taking a cue from Mary Anne Reese in America and a symposium paper by Fr. Jim Bacik, he offers seven classifications or orientations that can be applied to young adult Catholics: eclipsed, private, ecumenical, evangelical, prophetic, sacramental and communal.

Part Two of Googling God contains interviews with 12 young men and women ages 22 to 39, six in each of the two generations. Most are practicing Catholics, but some have stopped going to church. Some grew up in traditional ethnic Catholic families such as Hispanic or Filipino households; others grew up in ecumenical families that practiced different religious traditions. Many people who cross over the "evangelical" category, say, are looking for emotional experiences in their worship: "God often is so far removed from young adult life that they long for opportunities where they can see, feel, taste and smell the very fervor of religion," says Mr. Hayes, who points out the importance of following up these experiences with solid church teachings and guidance from ministers.

In Part Three of Googling God, Mr. Hayes gives practical advice about methods of doing ministry and resources for further reading. He also stresses the importance of using technology, especially the Internet, and gives tips on how to start your own Web page, which every church should have, he says, in the age of Google search engines and instantaneous answers.

Mr. Hayes also notes that all the young adults he interviewed wish for "a more collaborative dialogue between the church and young adults," and that whether they are from Steubenville or from a Jesuit parish in New York, they tend to think beyond "liberal" or "conservative" categories. And from the interviews, it is clear that while their approaches to life are diverse, each young person has clearly given a lot of thought to the spiritual questions he or she has faced.

"God, for me, is like someone who's already up when you've come downstairs in the morning and you're stumbling to get that cup of coffee and he's already there with his," says 24-year-old Jeff G. "And you sit on the front porch in a rocking chair and the sun is just starting to rise over the horizon and he says, `It's a beautiful sunrise!' And I say, `Yeah.' And that's it."

It's hard to think of a more personal description of the divine than that.

Another book, Blessed Are the Bored in Spirit: A Young Catholic's Search for Meaning, is aimed toward young adults themselves. Author Mark Hart, vice president of the youth ministry LIFETEEN, leads conferences and retreats for teens and adults and is also author of Ask the Bible Geek: Answers to Questions from Catholic Teens.

Mr. Hart stresses on his first page that he is a "postmodern Catholic" and invites young people to delve more deeply into church teachings they may not understand. But while Mr. Hayes advised ministers to listen to young adults first and then explain church teaching within the complexity of their lives, Mr. Hart sees the situation a little differently. "The pews are emptying because the truth of Christ has been forfeited, too often, on altars of conformity, funded by the court of comfort and public opinion," Mr. Hart writes in his introduction. And later he writes: "People who can put a probe on Mars, clone animals and solve the intimacy issues of 80-year-olds want to alleviate all mystery and end all pain. ... The reality is that life is filled with sin and suffering and there are two kinds of people: those who run from it and those who deal with it. Do yourself a favor and learn to deal with it."

Mr. Hart intends to help people deepen their faith and their awareness of God's love for them. He has some lovely things to say about seeing the life of faith as positive fulfillment in God rather than a set of rigid commands, especially in Chapter Five: "Reconciling Your Issues: Thinking Outside the Box." It's a matter of taste, though, whether you find humor in his pun-filled chapter titles like "When the Family Meal Leaves You with Heartburn" (about bad liturgies) or "Time to Exorcise" (after a discussion of vain gym rats) or "Discipleship 101: The One Elective Needed to Pass."

Unfortunately, in spite of what Mr. Hart says about his book being a look at the "modern spiritual journey," his puns and light personal narratives, alternating with a heavy advice-giving style, wind up making the book rather bland. Mr. Hart does throw in references to anime or " `The Karate Kid's' Mr. Miyagi," but too often they come off as strained attempts to be relevant or funny. There's much general discussion about such topics as how young people want to be good but like to have sex, or how this is a culture of death, or how Mass is dull, or how it's hard to corral the whole family to church on a Sunday morning. But the book would have been more helpful if Mr. Hart had discussed more specific, concrete incidents in his life and how he faced them rather than relying on distillations and themes.

Both authors both clearly have a lot of experience with young people, but by letting the young individuals speak for themselves, Mr. Hayes winds up with the more engaging book.

Erin Ryan is an NCR staff writer. Her e-mail address is eryan@ncronline.org.

National Catholic Reporter, October 5, 2007

This is a highly readable, informative, balanced book. I'm picky about books on this topic; many of them lump all young adults together into the same category. I appreciate how this book acknowledges the different types of young adults (those who focus on social justice, those who are drawn to the sacraments, etc.) and offers concrete ways to minister to them. It's a wonderful read for those who minister to young adult Catholics, as well as anyone who is curious about how the "younger generations" of Catholics experience their faith.

Another unique feature of this book is the middle section, which offers in-depth profiles of a sampling of young adults. I'm someone who is fascinated by others' experiences of faith, so this section was a real treat. It's also a great way to put a "face" on the ideas discussed throughout the book.

One last reason I enjoyed this book: when I was getting my teaching credential, one of my professors told us to think about past teachers we'd had, and the teaching methods they'd used that had worked for us. She then told us that we needed to learn how to teach in a way that was totally the opposite of that. Her point was that kids learn in a variety of different ways, and that if we fixate only on the methods that worked for us, we won't reach a huge number of our students. This book makes the same point with regards to faith. Everyone engages with their faith in a different way, and if we want to effectively minister to young adults, we need to provide a variety of ways for them to connect with their faith community (sponsoring all-night Adoration, organizing volunteer trips to the soup kitchen, etc.). That's such a crucial message, and this book does a great job of communicating it.

Absolutely fantastic reading. Thank you for the time spent writing this book, it's a must have guide for those working for the good of all those young people out there.

This book is directed primarily at those attempting to organize Catholic youth ministries, but it's a very insightful read for anyone involved in recruiting or organizing youth groups (religious or otherwise) at all. Mr. Hayes draws on his many years of personal experience with younger Catholics to identify a wide variety of interesting Gen X and Millennial profiles. He sheds light on much of the outdated logic or group think which has lead to the declining numbers of younger Catholics who are actively involved in organized church events/activities. He also provides us with many helpful suggestions on how to appeal to both Gen Xers and Millennials. The last chapter of the book gives step by step directions on how to organize and get your message through to today's young adults. The easy to follow directions make you feel as though you're reading one of those "For Dummies" books. Overall, this is an excellent resource for anyone who's looking to recruit and organize younger people of faith. Many older church organizers would be well advised to read this book.

Fast read, easy to understand concepts of church leadership being presented, seems to speak mostly to ministers. Probably could have been done in half as many pages.

This book leverages the "Leading Change" model of John Kotter in a highly effective manner within a ministry context. Paul speaks as a real leader with successful experience in coaching, equipping and releasing real leaders in the mission field.

If you have never visited an organic church this is the place to begin! And even if you have visited or belong to an organic church this is the book to help you better understand and implement the effective, yet fluid, approach to ministry that is producing so many fruitful disciples and churches. Dr. Whitesel gives an academic, practical, and applicable introduction to twelve emerging organic congregaions from across the U.S. with examples from England and Canada as well. As a pastor and former youth minister and Christian school teacher, I greatly appreciate the author's insights into philosophic background, worship style, and church growth mechanisms of these multi- and younger generational churches that are effectively reaching the post-modern thinkers. Having just spent a week with thirty other church leaders in the San Franciso area of California studying and experiencing emergent worship and ministry with Dr. Whitesel, I can say this author lives out and teaches with an authentic passion to help all Christian leaders communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a culturally relevant way without marginalizing the Biblical message of redemption. Everyone interested in growing the church in a post-modern and often, post-Christian society needs to read this book!

Few in the North American church scene have as much experience with local church turnaround as Paul Borden. What makes Direct Hit so useful is that Borden addresses why turnaround is so often talked about, but so rarely achieved. He gives very clear rules about: the timing of turnaround, the role of pastors and leaders, using outside help, and the necessity of mission. Many congregations do not look to the deep issues behind why their church is the way it is. Not so with Direct Hit. Borden is up-front and passionate about his subject. A previous reviewer has put in this space a review of some other book about "Organic Church", not by Borden. There are a few typographical and syntactical errors here, but a lot fewer than his previous book Hit The Bullseye. The Appendices are worth the purchase price alone. Five stars.

"...I highly recommend this book...in fact, I foresee it finding its way to the bookshelves of many faculty members, albeit with frequent removal for consultation as an educational tool!" (Clinical Chemistry, Vol. 49, No. 7, 2003)

"...this welcome addition to the introductory crystallographic literature should be well received...recommended..." (Choice, Vol. 40, No. 8, April 2003)

"...an excellent introductory text..." (Journal of Proteome Research, Vol. 2, No. 2, March/April 2003)

"...a masterful presentation of the theory and practice of crystallography as applied to large molecules. Any student or professional who wants to deepen his or her understanding of the field should work through this text. The clarity, completeness, and simplicity of [Dr. McPherson's] treatment are impressive." --Andrew J.Howard, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois, and Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois

"Cometh the hour, cometh the man" is an adage that was penned for men such as General H. Norman Schwarzkopf.

It is very easy for Englishman to prefer British heroes over those from other countries. Some might say it is even easier for United States citizens to acknowledge the achievements of their own citizens whilst deprecating those of any other nation. Eisenhower, for example, was a great man - but so was Montgomery!

This book, however, is about a man who is not in open comparison to any. He tells an account of his own life which, as others have already stated, is so honest as to be brutally so. How odd that the fickle finger of fate is able to steer any man towards his ultimate destiny. What if Eisenhower (or even Montgomery) had joined the Navy?, what if Norman Schwarzkopf had railed against his father's wishes and "not" joined the US Army?

But they did and I am unable to avoid that cliché which demands that "the rest is history." Having said that, I would suggest General Schwarzkopf's contribution to that history is as great as any man's.

Other reviewers have sought to express their views in their own ways and quite rightly so! Some of those reviews give the reader a quick impression - "it's a great book" and all that, whereas others seek to paraphrase the book and, is so doing give the reader a better impression of what is found within it's pages.

Me, well, for the very first time in a long time, I feel as though I have read a book. Just think about that. Take a moment to look at any of my book reviews, then click on that button which says "see all my reviews" and you will see what I mean. Some of those books are on subjects I feel very passionate about. Some are great books and well worth the 5 star rating given. Others are less than ordinary and not even worth the single star one is required to donate to the charitable cause that best describes that particular offering in print.

Then I find a biography from a retired general who came to prominence during the first Gulf War, the biography of a man who recognised it does not take a hero to order men into battle, the biography of an ordinary bloke who did good, served his country and the cause of freedom well and expects nothing in return.

Buy it. Read it. Only then will you also appreciate what I mean by having "read" a book. There will come a time when you will read it again.

NM
Retired British Army major.

I started reading this book with some trepidation, thinking I would find a canonization of a soldier and the American war machine. What I found was an insightful and emotional look at the follies of war and the remarkable heroism of those who lay their life on the line so we may live in peace.

Schwarzkopf takes us on a journey covering the globe where america has had military interests, for those looking for an insight into the workings of the military machine are well covered. Those looking for an insight into the man made famous on CNN during the gulf war will find a man who is warm, humourous, intelligent and determined to be the best of the best.

As a young Australian I am proud to say that i class the author as one of the few people I would consider a true hero in a world of would be's if they could be's.

In conclusion do yourself a favour you will not be disappointed in this book or the man behind the legend.

This book should be read by every soldier, in every nation. it is so frank and honest in its account of military life and actions, it could have been written by any of the troops. .As a serving British soldier I have found it a requirement to read this book on a regular basis and absorb some of the ideas to use in my career and every day life. A great loss to the military service.

As a veteran I find that the accuracy, the notes, research and espiecally the historical and political events leading up to the event(Operation Desert Storm) are absolutely amazing. History will decide the outcome but today it is done

This book is a great way to introduce children to x-rays. The book comes with copies of real x-rays which help in explaining to children what will happen when getting an x-ray.

As a teacher, it is very hard to find books when we learn the letter 'x' in class. The story is great and the xrays that come with the story are awesome. The kids absolutely love them. Excellent purchase.

This is a great story for any child who has an interest in bones, doctors, hospitals, the human body etc. The illustrations are cute. The story is of a little girl, Jessica, who has broken her arm. As she is receiving care at the hospital, she sees all different types of x-rays and the different types of equipment that take them. The best part of all is that there are real X-rays on every other page for kids to study up close. My preschoolers really enjoyed spending some time looking over those pages. It's a very unique book. I would highly recommend it for the budding scientist or for any child who may have to have X-rays of their own taken.

This book is an amazing learning tool for kids and adults. Anyone could find useful information in Jessica's X-Ray. For kids though, the real X-ray's that you find within the book allow kids to become intrigued and raise there level of interest in the subject matter. I would recommend this book to anyone but especially children who might need any sort of X-ray, there is no doubt in my mind that it would ease their worries and facilitate a much easier and enjoyble experience in the hospital or doctors office.
Thanks,
Allison

Aaron Kipnis has put into words what I have felt for many years. He says that the "value placed on men's lives, as compared to women's, is greatly depreciated in our culture." It starts with how male infants are treated by their mothers right up to how devalued were the lives of so many men who fought in Vietnam. Had it been women who were dying senseless deaths over there, Kipnis points out, the war would not have lasted near as long.

He tell us in a way that resonates with me that, "Men frequently feel disconnected from an authentic source of aliveness within us." Maybe it is because so many of us have constructed an "heroic personality that is hard, inflexible and, like the armor of old, heavy to drag around."

This book was given to me by a friend who, with me, is a member of The Mankind Project, New Warrior Community, a group that Kipnis talks about in his book. The book has helped me to really understand the obsessive overachieving and workaholism of so many men and how they have numbed their lives and avoided real intimacy with both men and women in their lives, especially their significant others. (In reality, not very significant!)

Kipnis says, "This numbness includes loss of emotional and even physical sensitivity." Men come home and escape into a few beers and the tube or even worse. The price we pay, he says, is pain: isolation, alienation, stressed-induced illnesses, sex and love addictions, codependence (taking care of our women before even thinking of ourselves and being dependent on them for approval), fear and anxiety and God knows how much more.

This is a powerful book and an easy read. It is mesmerizing because it is so damn true and accurate. Kipnis does not stop at describing this devastating phenomenon. He offers up many ways for us to seek healing. He tells women readers that they would do well to listen carefully to what they can do to help the men in their lives starting with their male infants and sons. He encourages us to join men's groups and seek therapy from psychologists who understand the acute losses to the masculine soul and may be wounded healers themselves. He shows us that the spiritual dimension of life is critical for our emotional and mental health and that sharing openly with other men the pain and fear we're experiencing is the beginning of healing.

Kipnis speaks of the "uninitiated male". We in the New Warriors understand him when he says that the uninitiated male has many problems. He quotes another author who says about Shakespeare's Hamlet: He has "no roots in the instinctive world--and he makes only division and tragedy of [the divine and sacred] in us, not paradox and synthesis." Kipnis says, "The narcissistic male, unable to wield the power of the father, cannot generate and protect life or transform the world, only devalue it.---Hamlet retreats into immobility as a defense against the conflicting emotions he feels."

I like the way Kipnis tells the real stories of pain, healing and joy that he and his men's group colleagues experienced. That gives life to the book and helps men and women understand that we can rediscover ways of male initiation and heal the wounds between fathers and sons and between we men and those whom we claim to love but find so it so difficult to do. This book is a must read for every man and still, I realize that only a small fraction of men and their women will read the book and benefit from the wisdom and practical ways of healing found within the book. I am very thankful that The New Warriors have entered my life and made possible a path, a life-long path, of loving myself and following the ways of healing of which Kipnis speaks so eloquently. He makes the masculine soul real.

I have discovered my masculine soul and I am in the process of empowering myself to be vulnerable and open with my brothers so the strange paradoxes of life can be understood and realized, especially, the paradox that the more open and vulnerable I am, the more powerful I am as a man, a spouse, and as a leader. As a personal life coach and leadership consultant, I am grateful that Aaron Kipnis has written this and other books which I can strongly recommend to clients and friends.

I understood after reading the book in swedish way I lost contact with my now 14 years old doughter Emelie Finette, living in Westheim/Marsberg. I have seen her for only 6 hours totaly.

I also understood that we parents who wants to have equal rights for the children will have a long way to go yet.

Thanks Aaron for a wounderfull book.

Tommy Jonsson

Aaron Kipnis offers a comprehensive view of all aspects of the men's movement in this 302-page volume. Inspired by issues raised by members of an addiction/recovery men's group headed by the author, the book looks at various male images. Kipnis critically examines the old masculine values of the "heroic" male as well as those of the newer, sensitive man (what Kipnis calls the "feminized" man), and addresses at length the emerging "authentic, integrated" masculinity inspired by Robert Bly and friends. Intertwined with these accounts are stories and vignettes from men in the group, new knights of the round table on a quest for a new masculine paradigm.

Although the metaphor of the knights seems to get a little corny at times, the book has much to recommend it. This is the first, if not the only, book that globally looks at all facets of the men's movement. Everything from circumsicion, to myth, ritual and initiation, to the politics of male-bashing, is covered. There is an excellent table comparing the masculine images of the heroic, feminized, and integrated man and looking at how these differ along physical, mental, and emotional lines. There is a section on men's resources, with names and addresses of organizations and suggestions on how to get involved. Also, unlike most books on men's issues, this one actually has an index--a refreshing feature indeed!

I read this book in 1992 (?) and it gave me an entirely a new perspective on myself as a white male American. I was so taken that when I got to the end and saw that Aaron invited readers to contact him I did. Consequently I went to Santa Rosa to meet him and ended up not only attending a course he and his partner were giving at Sonoma State but got involved deeply in men's work. I included this and Aaron's other books on the reading list I used for a course I tought on men and women for 13 years. And it led to my writing an essay "Confessions of a Recovering Male" which has been published in several places, including an unauthorized translation into Slovak!

Aaron is real. He speaks from his heart and from a life that has been a challenge for him (as I suspect all men, including myself, find life.)

I am delighted to see that it has been re-issued. Just read it; if you are a woman trying to understand a man, or a man struggling to understand himself or a son/daughter trying to understand your father. The ultimate irony of all this is that I came upon this as Amazon Recommendation #500 something on a day in which I made email contact with Aaron for the first time in many years!

(Although the reviewer line above says I am from Claremont, CA, I emigrated to Tasmania 4 months ago and am now a resident of Hobart, TAS, Australia)

X. J. and Dorothy Kennedy have compiled a wonderful poetry resource that anyone who wishes to share poetry with children would find useful. Although the "Afterword for Adults" states that the book is "addressed directly to children from eight to twelve," (157) it is very conducive to teaching various aspects and uses of poetry with examples and commentary from the authors. Originally published in 1982, this edition has been revised and updated with contemporary authors and selections that can get students even more excited about today's poetry.

The contents of the book are organized into categories:
1- What do poems do?
2- What's inside a poem?
3- Special kinds of poetry
4- Do it yourself
Each category then has sub-categories with poems listed by themes. These would be particularly useful for teachers or students looking for a poem that has a certain topic, evokes specific feelings, or is constructed in a specific form (such as haiku or limerick). The book does not simply present poems in an organized fashion, however, but the Kennedys also provide background information, insight, and ideas to ponder inter-mingled with the poetry examples. The narrative text serves as a guide to young readers who might wish to know more about the background of poetry and delve deeper into the meaning, structure, and purpose.

The "Afterword for Adults" section at the end explains why the book was written, how to encourage children to like poetry, suggestions for helping kids write their own poetry, and ideas for those who work with groups of children, such as teachers and librarians. The Kennedys offer many suggestions for not only activities to use that utilize poems, but also how to best prepare yourself and your environment for sharing poetry with children. Other useful tools are: Index of Authors, Index of Titles, Index of First Lines, and Acknowledgements citing the original source for each poem. All in all, there are179 poems included that will spark a child's imagination and help in fostering a love and appreciation for poetry.

As a teacher- I found this book to an incredible assest to have in the clasroom. This is a very exemplary eclectic collection. It contains a wide variety of poem forms, styles, and authors. Usefully organized into category chapters, it easy to find a poem relating to a topic. The book is organized into useful sections that have equally as useful subcategories. These divisions make it easy to use these poems during a unit on poetry. The wide variety of types of poems in the book also is useful to assimilate these poems into the curriculum, either as a transitional piece or within a topic discussion. The students LOVE hearing these poems!

This anthology is a terrific mix of styles, subjects, and moods. Most of them I would not necessarily call "children's poetry" in that they are not obviously written by an adult trying to be clever in the way that a child would find clever. Instead, they are genuine expressions of truth, both the day-to-day variety and the larger truths we all understand, even before we're able to articulate our experiences. Robert Frost's "Canis Major," Gwendolyn Brooks' "Narcissa," and "The Eagle," by Tennyson are some of my favorites. There as also some wonderful rhythmic poems that are especially pleasurable for the pulse and the sounds of the words: Eve Merriman's "Windshield Wiper," and "The Pickety Fence" by David McCord are great fun.
This is a must-have anthology for elementary teachers, parents, or anyone who loves the sound and feel of poetry.

Kennedy informs students about the purposes for poetry by the categories he's formed. The selections are appropriate for elementary school children and is an instructive collection for serious poetry reading for kids 7-13.

Kennedy's collection is accessible, informative and a pleasure to read and mull over.

Ted Landau is the proprietor of MacFixIt, the pre-eminent web site for late-breaking information on what's working with OS X, what's not, and how to fix it. The site has grown to enormous proportions over the years, though, and it can be hard to find a fix or troubleshooting method for a particular problem or issue.

The answer is to buy this book. Not just for troubleshooting problems, but also for understanding how OS X works. And he doesn't hold back punches ... lots of times he mentions things like "Apple says [X] should work this way, but in my tests, it doesn't, instead, many users find [Y] works better." Trust this guy.

His book compiles and organizes just about everything on his site having to do with understanding and troubleshooting OS X/Panther and more, (and a lot of Jaguar, Classic and OS 9) in a crystal-clear, step-by-step way, with tons of sidebars that go into detail on tangenital topics. I've been using OS X for years, and train others how to use it, but via this book I finally understand the difference between a .pkg and an .app for example, and how to make a bootable troubleshooting CD, and tons more information.

It is a phenomenal piece of work. I don't know how he did it! I was on the waiting list for it for months, but it was worth the wait. I would've paid three times the price just in recognition of the amount of work it must've taken to write this opus.

Ted makes sure that complete OS X newbies are gently introduced to how OS X works, yet at the same time provides a ton of information and tips to OS X geeks who live in Terminal.

For example, in one small section of Chapter 3, he goes step by step -- in more detail and with more clarity than I've ever seen -- through the different application environments (Cocoa, Carbon, Classic, Java), making sure to always talk about why/when this should make a difference to you and how you can use the knowledge to help troubleshoot problems. In this same section, there's a page-long sidebar explaining a fundamental difference between OS 9 and X, that is, single-user vs. multiple-user. He mentions a couple different OS 9 technologies that I had forgotten about that tried to "enable" multi-user functionality in OS 9; and how OS X is set up from the start as a multi-user system.

Ted mentions in this sidebar that when you install OS X, the first user account is created (normally, the one for yourself, the installer) with admin privileges, and that *this user is by default set to "automatically log on" when the machine is started up or rebooted.* For this reason, many newbie OS X users don't realize that the mutli-user functions are in effect even if they've just installed OS X and are the only user. (And of course he tells how to turn off the automatic log-on feature.)

Many hard-core OS X users don't understand (or remember) how perplexing it can be for newcomers, and little facts like this one -- automatic login is enabled for the first user by default -- can easily escape them. New users wouldn't even realize there's a requirement to log on with a username/pw until they've created another account -- perhaps months later -- and are confronted by the login screen for the first time.

It's completely updated for Panther -- goes into detail about the new utilities and how to understand Activity Monitor, etc. -- yet contains a lot of info for Jaguar users as well. It's an essential book for ANY OS X user. It's the first book I recommend to students in my OS X classes, and the one I recommend to IT managers responsible for Macs on their networks.

MacFixit web site founder and author Ted Landau's newest book, Mac OS X Help Line, Panther Edition, has joined the ranks of David Weeks' favorite OS X books. Until now, I've recommended David Pogue's OS X The Missing Manual for beginners and intermediate Mac users. The nod for best advanced/expert level book has gone to Mac OS X Unleashed, penned by John and William Ray.

I've got to add Mac OS X Help Line (Help Line for short) to the canon of best OS X books. The Ray brothers' Unleashed is geared more toward the Unix-oriented sysadmin/expert user. In contrast, Landau's Help Line is written for the sophisticated OS X end user; someone who doesn't need the plumb the Uniy depths of OS X, yet needs detailed information on complex topics.

Landau has found the right balance: he provides 1144 pages of OS X depth and detail that "normal" people can use. Help Line does sit firmly in the "boat anchor" category (try holding it out at arm's length for a minute or so), but if there's an OS X question that you or I could pose, it'll most probably have the answer.

I could easily list the sections I found most interesting, but this review would swell to three or four pages. Suffice to say that you can find
detailed information on fonts (one of OS X's least intuitive areas), printing, permissions, and the OS X startup sequence. Each section has plenty of "Technically Speaking" or "Take Note" sidebars to add even more detail to particular topics.

Like almost all OS X books, Help Line covers the basics on the iApps that ship with OS X. Don't buy Help Line for the cursory coverage it provides on Safari, for example. Buy it for the detailed background information and troubleshooting tips for networking, instead.

Help Line's production values are very good: the screen shots are clear and legible. Sidebars are set off with background colors that don't get in the way of legibility. The binding has to hold 1144 pages together; I hope it lasts more than a year or two!

Now, Ted may object to my characterization of Help Line not being a newbie book, saying that he's written a book accessible to all. I beg to differ. The Mac newbie will probably be scared off by the pages of detail on complex subjects, as she pages through Help Line trying to find out how to just rename a file. Pogue's Missing Manual will better serve the beginner.

Even so, I can't speak highly enough of this book. If you want the best work for advanced/expert Mac users who seek to learn more about the guts of OS X, but not from a systems administrator's standpoint, buy Landau's Mac OS X Help Line Panther Edition.

MyMac rating 5 out of 5

This is a real go to book for troubleshooting under the hood types of Mac issues as well as looking for "how do I do this" types of information. I have been a computer technician for many years and have used a lot of technical books and I can say that this is one of the best I have used. It covers just about any issue you could come across in depth but concisely which every technician can appreciate.

This book will help you diagnose a problem, tell you how to fix it and where to get the tool to fix it if need be. For people that use the Terminal a lot it covers UNIX quite well. It will walk you through creating bootable hard drives and DVD's, configuring firewalls, installing 3rd party applications, configuring permissions. The book also covers the iApps, iCal, iChat, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, iPod, iSync and iTunes applications and so much more. This book will be very helpfull for everyone from the beginer to the most advanced user.

This is another outstanding Peachpit press publication.

If you only buy one book for your MAC Computer-this is the one to get!
Ted Landau's advice is without a doubt invaluable. His vast knowledge of the MAC and the Panther OS comes thru in easy to understand and simple to carry out trouble shooting advice. Even though the MAC is usually reliable, problems can occur. This is the book to go to before panic sets in. I have used the previous additions over the years, and only can give his "Help" advice the utmost praise. I have recommended the prior editions to other MAC users, and they have blessed his words. There is not only advice for correcting problems, but also preventing them. Apple should include a copy with every MAC .
This book should be owned by every MAC user. IF YOU HAVE A MAC-
PUT THIS BOOK NEARBY!!!

It's tough to tell this from Amazon, but this book is a thousand pages, which makes it quite a hefty tome. But that doesn't make it a doorstop. There are screenshots, but they are, by in large, useful and relevant, and the book doesn't use them to tell a click by click story of the interface.

The book is organized into four parts that start at the user interface and continue to peel away levels of the system until, in chapter four, the author covers the command line unix shell at a surprising level of detail. A level of detail which rivals O'Reilly's other command line exclusive books. In fact, this book gives a fine introduction to scripting bash and tcsh. It does as good a job there as it does covering printing, or the vagaries of the new Finder in the chapters that precede it.

This is a quality piece of in-depth work about the unmodified Panther operating system. It's well worth the price for those who are more interested in understanding than hacking (though I admit a love for the new Mac OS X Panther Hacks book as well.)

Do any of you remember the O'Reilly books from the late 80s on X Windows? Those became the definitive guides to X11, and probably were crucial in putting O'Reilly on the map as a prominent technical publisher.

Well, this book on Mac OS X Panther captures some of that early O'Reilly spirit. In its comprehensiveness and heft. But also in its terseness. Turn to a random chapter and start reading. The authors try to get to the point, without wasting time. They write at a technical level that assumes you don't know the specifics of that chapter, but that you are no novice to computing.

It should be noted that the second half of the book is essentially a standard unix reference. As you may be aware, OS X is now a unix variant. Which is neat. But also accounts for much of the book's size. Unix has built up a massive set of utilities in 20 years, and the length of the unix sections here reflects this.

Don't let this put you off either the book or OS X. On the contrary! The building of the Mac operating system on top of unix gives you more power and stability (against crashes) on the Mac.

The publisher, O'Reilly Media, seems dedicated to covering Apple's OSX operating system, OSX, from every conceivable vantage point. Its "Missing Manual" series on Panther is a user's reference on how to use the operating system and its applications for productivity and fun. Its "Hacks" series provides dozens of tips, guides, and project ideas. In the "Nutshell" series iteration, "MacOSX Panther in a Nutshell" designs to provide in-depth, comprehensive information about the inner workings of the OS. It is for power users and developers who want to master the OS and have the fullest description and explanation of OSX.

This book starts out detailing the multi-layered architecture of OSX and illuminates its power and elegance. In great depth and detail, it explains the Unix components, Aqua elements, OS9 and Classic, the Finder, and the multitude of Unix services, daemons, and applications.

This is terse, descriptive prose. The authors focus a sharp telephoto lens on the skeleton, sinews, and pores of OSX, starting with basic elements and probing deep into the details of the file system, networking components, directory services, printing configurations and more. This in-depth description and large handfuls of guides and tips totals over 1,000 pages.

A separate part of the book is devoted to Applescript, X-code tools, and Java. The X-code tools are for developers. Part IV is all about Unix, including three chapters on "shells" alone, plus sections on text editors, the X-Window system, and a full 262 pages of Unix command references, touted as the most complete such source in print publication.

No mere user manual would have ten pages devoted solely to understanding and managing preference files, or five pages on using the Colorsync feature with Quartz filter scripts.

Surprisingly, only ten pages are dedicated to security issues. Although the Mac is known to be extremely secure, recent news shows even the Mac is vulnerable to sophisticated exploits.

For those with a need to know, this is the definitive source for deep knowledge of OSX.

Since I converted I have found OS X UNIX is amazingly friendly and accessible. Some people who had never used it before type commands and work with the operating system directly as a "cool guys" in movies! This book is very helpful and well written and it is serves as a very nice reference. I paired this book with Linux and UNIX for a beginner training suite, 4DVDs + 2CDs includes 4 Unix Academy Certifications ed.2008 This book and a video they contribute one another greatly. You improve the reading and by reading you improve what you have seen.
The book is very particular about the subjects that related to OS X and because there are some differences between OS X and other UNIXes it is nice to have a book that deals with it.