Kansas Books

With the city contemplating spending almost a billion dollars on "light rail" er streetcars, it's interesting to see what we once had. This book is about the rise and fall of the streetcar in Kansas City from the early days to its ultimate demise in 1957.

You can still see some of the remnants of the system in our streets here in KC. The wide parkway along the east side of Wornall and Brookside was originally a streetcar line that had its own separate track. If you're interested in what the city looked like before we got here and what it was like, you'll like this book. Just imagine what we'd have if we had kept the streetcars instead of the downtown loop.

The book is a good blend of maps, photos and interesting history
which add life to the stories I was told in my youth when I lived
in K.C.K. Reading this also helps in the undestanding of urban
problems due to the lack of good and fast public transportation.
All in All I love history and this give it to you from many sides.

Although I've never been in Kansas City this book tells its story so vividly it's like being almost there.
This a beautiful book, a labor of love.
There's not too much text which makes it perfectly understanding. It has no endless rosters of equipment (others will miss those I think) but its main focus is in general history.
Although the 3 maps are on the small side - I'd rather had those in fold-outs so I could give this book 6 stars - but readible with a good pair of glasses.
The whole work is so beautifully printed and has a great design. Really you'll love it.

Good historical review of bygone era of the streetcar in a major U.S. city. Many cities are returning to that mode of transportation..now known as light rail

What happens when you have everything, and it doesn't make you happy? Tom Bloch had a wonderful family, health,
wealth and was the CEO of his families tax preparation business.

But he decided that he could do more by being an inner city math teacher. So that is what
he became, and helped start a charter public school in Kansas City.

Whether you are an educator, parent, business person or someone thinking about your future, this is a GREAT book.
Bloch is tough on himself, recognizing that he had a strong support system.
He knows it was easier for him to walk away that it could be for others.

Bloch writes a strong defense of terrific teachers (some of whom he
describes, who he thinks should be paid a lot more money). He is explaining why the charter public school movement makes sense.

And he gently urges us to follow our heart, and to live the kind of life
that will most serve others, and make us happy. Wealth did NOT give Bloch what he wanted.

Walking away from a top corporate life, and walking into an inner city school to teach math, where he continues to
teach math, that's what added up for him. An upbeat and very encouraging book.

Joe In Minnesota

This book is both compelling and insightful. The narrative is engaging -- how many young CEO's quit million dollar a year jobs with giant family businesses (H&R Block) to teach in the inner city?! There is a lot more to this book than boy goes to work for his Dad and leaves to teach. Tom explores the hardest and deepest decisions we all have to make, and on his road to self discovery, presents quite a road map for us to follow. In doing so, he also gives the reader a view into the world of inner-city education and charter schools. Bravo - a great read!

Bloch's story is very uplifting. How many people in his position would leave it all behind to try to make a difference in the world? He readily admits he could afford to do so, but he has truly walked the walk, rather than just talking about it. This book puts it all out there--his internal struggles, the path he took and what he learned along the way. He underscores the importance of the teaching profession and makes a plea for society to give it more respect. This book will appeal to people considering a career change who aren't sure they have the courage to do it, teachers who question their significance, and just anyone who wants to be inspired.

This is a good read. Tom Bloch's personal story is riveting and he is brave enough to share some very private emotions. But this book is more than a collection of anecdotes from the classroom where backpacks leak pickle juice and children regularly lose family members to shootings. Bloch has taken a thoughtful look at the herculean challenges before America's urban teachers and the universal human challenge to find purpose and meaning in our lives. He is also brave enough to offer some suggestions for institutional improvements. Worthwhile reading for anyone worried about America's schools and its students. Knowing that the book profits will go back into teacher training makes it easy to pay the hardback price.

Few books approach the topic of small group ministry with the depth, clarity and practical insight that Teena Stewart has included in here work Successful Small Groups. With the input of her husband Jeff, a discipleship pastor at Northgate Christian Fellowship Church in CA, Teena, has written a step by step guide to creating a sustainable small group ministry. She begins with the big picture of why and how small groups impact the life of the local church. The body of the book walks the prospective leader thorough the lifecycle of a small group ministry, and concludes with lists of valuable resources. Throughout, Teena points out significant milestone, pitfalls, and other issues regarding small group ministry which only come to light through experience.

What sets this book apart on the subject is the input she has collected from experienced small group leaders around the country. By adding their voices to hers, the reader can see that the principles in this book are well thought out and insightful. Her words don't grow from ground of untested theory. Rather, Teena communicates what she learned from the trenches regarding how to plan, launch, grow and mature a lasting small group ministry.

As someone involved in discipleship ministry for over 20 years, I recommend Teena's book to anyone looking to create, or expand an existing small group ministry within the life of their church. Her wise advice and thorough treatment of the subject will help you create successful small groups that make a lasting impact for Christ's Kingdom.

Successful Small Groups covers it all from size to benefits, from coaching leaders to outreach to the unchurched. This is an excellent "how to" book if you're wanting to start any type small group. In my work as a speaker on family issues, I often speak to groups of moms and their leaders. This is a resource I can recommend to them for encouragement.

The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start

Some people simply work better in small groups - why should worship be any different? "Successful Small Groups: From Concept to Practice" is a complete guide for anyone who is seeking to make a successful small-group ministry granting its readers the information and skills they need to run their program as if they were a seasoned veteran. The guide encompasses methods for training, mentoring, and equipping your ministry's leaders, innovative teaching techniques, ways to keep your groups energized and fun- among other invaluable tips. The founder of Dream Builders Ministry in Motion, Teena Stewart serves as author of "Successful Small Groups: From Concept to Practice", lending it her grand expertise. Any small group that wants to stay strong needs "Successful Small Groups: From Concept to Practice."

Successful small groups from concept to practice is a religious book that can help anyone who is starting or running a small group, religious or not. Great tips and advice on energizing and getting your group involved and enthused in order to help make your group successful. The book is very well written and organized and includes specific examples to help you no matter what size or type of group you have.

Walter Noble Burns looked up Wyatt Earp with a view toward writing a story about him, as he had about Billy the Kid. His Billy the Kid helped establish once and for all the legendary status of the Kid. Wyatt Earp reported Burn's first visit to his friend, movie star, Wm. S. Hart, saying he was happily convinced Wyatt would allow him to do his story.

Unfortunately, for both Burns and Earp, Wyatt's friend John H. Flood Jr. had just written Wyatt's story, which was being circulated to publishers with the help of Wm. S. Hart. More unfortunately was that Earp loyally declined Burn's offer out of regard for Flood. The rub there turned out to be that Flood obviously couldn't write for beans. (Ask me. I found, bought and published his work after historians had sought for years this rare document, all copies of which had dropped out of sight.) As one editor said of Flood's work, it was "stilted and florid and diffuse." That may have been an understatement.

In any case, shifty Burns, despite what others have more kindly said about the sequel, tricked Wyatt into thinking he would instead do a book on Wyatt's intimate, Doc Holliday. And under that pretext he got a lot out of Wyatt, and used it to do a book that Wyatt finally concluded, was more about him than Doc. In fact when it occurred to him that he'd been tricked out of what amounted to the most interesting part of his life story he considered suing Burns. His friend Hart encouraged him, and thought he'd probably win big time. But suits cost time and money just as they do today. Moreover, Wyatt was old and tired. So Burns got away with his trickery, and brought out one of the most interesting, and accurate, books on what had gone on during what could be called the Earp, Behan, Clanton, McLaury, Cowboy Gang Feud. Behan was the crooked sheriff in spades. Burns did not learn that beneath much of the violence at Tombstone lay the fact that Wyatt had swiped the sheriff's cute, young, gal, Josephine Sarah Marcus. (Who later became his third and last wife, at least by common-law.) SEE THE STORY OF HER LIFE WITH WYATT ON AMAZON: "I MARRIED WYATT EARP."

Burns success in portraying things as they were was based on the fact that he found many of the participants still living, just as he had in the case of Billy the Kid. Burns was, however, basically a tenderfoot. For example, while researching Wyatt, an idea for another book occurred to him to cover the shenanigans of the many colorful old timers out in Cochise County, and he proposed to have the father of my old friend Ben Sanders act as his oracle and guide in seeking out old scoundrels. Bill Sanders reaction was: "You must be joking. These people are my neighbors!" If the implication isn't obvious to law professors from back East and that sort, he meant he'd have to move out if he blew the whistle.

In any case, this is a book well worth reading. It's author ended a colorful career shortly after the book came out, by dying quite young. Pity.

There is less fiction here than modern writers, who are shot in the pants with debunking, would like us to believe. Burns knew the foremost guide to writing such books was "stick to the facts, till you run out of them, and only make up as much as you have to in order to eat regularly." Editorial ethics then and now were much the same. In any case, Burns was not "stilted and florid and diffuse."

Since Flood's Ms. was not saleable, when Stuart Lake came along a few years later he took it over and made it that way. And Lake's so-called biography of Wyatt is a lot more truth than fiction. Read it, too: WYATT EARP: FRONTIER MARSHAL.

Burns was the first of the big name writers that started Wyatt Earp on the trail to fame and eventualy six-shooter Sainthood. I have a notion Wyatt would have liked the money in it, but not necessarily the fuss and bother of meeting celebrity seekers.

One of the editorial reviews above says that this book is "a mixture of fact and fiction." It seems to me that it is no more so than modern works on the topic and perhaps may be more accurate.

Written less than 50 years after the primary events that made the town famous, and while some of the people who participated in them were still alive, Burns crafts a portrait not just of those seminal events but a general history of the town from its inception to what had become of it in the 1920's.

Many other works about the Earps and their opponents tend either to lionize or demonize Wyatt Earp. Burns takes a more balanced view of both sides in the conflict, exploring their shortcomings and their qualities. Modern writers on the subject could take a lesson from him.

I read somewhere that more movies have been made about Wyatt Earp than all the U.S. presidents combined! There's something about the gunfight at the O.K. Corral that touches the mainspring of American imagination. Tombstone is the book that made Wyatt Earp famous and shaped forever our perception of him. I read Tombstone first when I was in high school back in the 1950s and I've since dipped into it countless times. Some might object to the author's purple prose and made-up dialogue and newer scholarly studies of the Earps and Tombstone may be more accurate and balanced. But Burns drew his material from interviews with old-timers and Tombstone newspapers and I'm confident that he comes about as close to fact as you can get. This is a magical tale and nobody could tell it any better than Burns.

Smallchief

tombstone the Iliad of the Southwest was a very informative book that keep me entertained as well as learning about the history of the people that shaped the southwest.I was very impressed how the author was able to interview many of the characters or speak to people that lived through that era.The book being writted in 1927 really brought out alot of history that would otherwise be lost.

I'm not a fan of the series but this one is great. I read hurricane{boring} and attempted titanic [to boring to finish] but this was great! Max is a future lion tamer and jodi used to walk the highwire. {her mom was injured badly when she fell off one and she can't find the will to go back on} when the train crashes they escape alive but it might have been better they did'nt with what they are going to face.

Now I would like the world to know that everyone who likes to read should be reading these books. These books are da' best in da' world. I've read every single one of them and they got my 2 thumbs and five stars. Karen and Kathleen better be able to hear this, they also get my two thumbs up and my five stars. Keep writin'. The next book should be #12 Tornado, #13 Tsunami, and #14 Avalanche.

These books are way awesome. They are so real and lifelike you feel like you are there. And they way they put fictional characters in famous or every day disaters is very intriguing. Duey and Bale had better keep writing these because no one wants to lose a good thing.

Maximo Reyes is a Mexican orphan who joined a travelling circus and hopes to become a lion tamer. Thirteen year old Jodi Jamison and her father are performers in the same circus. Jodi used to be a high wire walker, but ever since her mother was badly injured after a fall last year, Jodi has lost her nerve. When their train wrecks one stormy night, both Max and Jodi must face their worst fears if they can even begin to hope to live through the most dangerous night of their young lives. I highly reccomend this book, along with the other Survival! books by Kathleen Duey and Karen A. Bale.

Frank Roderus brings us another exceptional western in TROOPER DONOVAN. From the very first day John Donovan arrives at Camp Horan to his final decision at the end, you find yourself pulling for TROOPER DONOVAN. It is evident from the start that this is a very well researched book. Unlike other western fiction about the cavalary that tend to glorify being a horse soldier, TROOPER DONOVAN gives us an excellent window into what life must have really been like being a cavalry trooper in the old west. VERY WELL DONE FRANK!

Donovan joins N Troop, not really wanting to become an experienced calvaryman but would rather serve out his enlistment on the safer side of any combat. however, Trooper Donovan will see plenty of action throughout this book. This is a pretty good read, smooth but stimulating as are all of the RODERUS books.

"Trooper Donovan" illustrates the timelessness of some themes. Though thoroughly grounded historically in the Indian fighting army of the immediate post-Civil War era, the experiences of a young army recruit thrust into a military unit are ones with which many of us Twentieth Century warriors can identify. Roderus skillfully blends the minor, almost insignificant, details of daily life with the 7th Cavalry's mission to give a realistic portrayal of one man's experiences.

Frank Roderus does it again. Wet behind the ears Trooper John Donovan joins the newly formed 7th Cavalry, and is issued with second (or even third hand) kit, a purposely deafened horse called "Handsome"... and life gets a lot worse from there.

Frank Roderus has always got a knack for rolling a story right along, and whilst you`re skillfully transported there, you tend not to see all the little historical details he lovingly creates. But they just subconsciously add to the detail - and if the purpose behind a novel is to tranport the reader there, Frank does this splendidly. Close your eyes, and you can smell the coffee roasting. Recommended. As with all Franks` novels.

Dave

Governor Jack Garrett is one of the several Democratic Candidates running for the office of President. Twenty years ago, he was a smoke jumper whose bravery saved three men in an out of control forest fire on Pale Horse Mountain in Montana. His friend since childhood Wakely Fromm was severally injured in that fire leading to his being wheelchair bound. For the past two decades Jack has taken care of him.

When Jack and his campaign team come to Hampstead, Kansas, trouble follows. The wife of a man who was on Pale Horse Mountain when Jack was fighting the fire is found murdered in the trunk of her car. Her younger sister was badly injured by someone who broke into her home but with time she is expected to recover. Wakely is murdered in a homicide made to look like a suicide and if Police Chief Susan Wren finds the common link that ties these people together, she will have named her killer.

Charlene Weir weaves a tangled web that somehow is totally believable in turns of plots and characterizations. There are some very interesting sub-plots that enhance and ultimately run into the main storyline including a suicidal woman who finds she has much to live for when the killer tries to make her victim number five. In a classic turnabout, she is the one that finally confronts the killer and is doing so learns to cope with the loss of her husband and child at the hands of a drunken driver. UP IN SMOKE is a very creative work that gives readers an insider?s look into a political campaign.

Harriet Klausner

Normally I find a plot with so many characters muddled and confusing. No so here! The characters are so well drawn and interesting, each stands clearly on it's own, yet they weave together to form a very good story. It also provides and interesting, and timely, backstage look at the running of a presidential campaign. I've always felt Weir is a much-overlooked writer who deserves more notice. I highly recommend this series.

I won't bore you with the plot--let's go straight to the evaluation. This is a good book! It's got action, well-drawn characters, several intertwining subplots, lots of interesting background--and, the prose craftsmanship is outstanding. Well worth reading!

Susan Wren is Chief of Police in Hampstead, Kansas. Governor Jack Garrett is running for President. He and his entourage have come back to Hampstead to kick off his campaign with a homecoming rally.

Susan?s cousin Sean Donovan is in town as he is a reporter covering Garrett?s campaign.

Casilda Storm (Cass) has returned to Hampstead to Aunt Jean?s house. She finds a large dog in the middle of the road in a rain storm. She takes it in. Luke and Laura (her husband and daughter) were killed by a drunk driver. She is planning suicide. Jack is an old friend. He has Bernie Quaid enlist her help with the campaign.

M. L. Shoals (Em) has come to town planning to murder the governor.

Wakely Fromm is Jack?s childhood friend. He was paralyzed in a fire jumping incident many years ago. Jack takes care of him and has him travel with him. Jack?s wife Molly is not too pleased with this situation.

A woman calls 911 from the trunk of a car but no one can track down where she is located. She is later found murdered. Her niece Arlene Harlow (Moonbeam Melody as she prefers to be called) runs away. The killer comes looking for something and ends up attacking Moonbeam. Officer Luke Demarco cares for her and becomes her friend. This relationship is believable in a small-town atmosphere. It lets us get to know Demarco a little better.

Then Wakely Fromm is found murdered. Susan has her work cut out for her to get to the truth and find the killer.

I find these books a little hard to get into because there are so many different threads to the story, but once I?m in, I?m hooked! She has created fantastic characters for this story. Plus I really like Chief Susan. She has had hardship ? she lost her husband of four weeks! She doesn?t know if she wants to stay in Hampstead or return to San Francisco. The author has truly captured this struggle.

The various characters related to the governor are very well constructed and their interactions are so well written that I forgot they weren?t real.

I highly recommend this book.

This is a great read for kids and for anyone who remembers World War II on the homefront, no matter what their age. I find it interesting that PW criticizes the book for being too sunny and "Pollyan-ish." It is a sad social commentary that we cannot allow our kids to be happy, to think nice thoughts, to know that there are good, humanitarian people in the world and that not everyone is out to skin you alive. Not every good work of children's lit has to deal with death or betrayal or abuse.

I am a 5th grade girl. I did not think books about war could be this interesting. When I started the book I thought it was moving slowly, but it really picked up and gave a bang at the end. In some ways I could really relate to Teresa. I have older brothers and they give me nicknames too. I would miss them if they went to war. I went back to the map many times while I was reading. I thought the map was a cool idea. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes suspense and emotional stories.

I purchased this book for my 10 year old grandchild and decided I should read it before presenting it to her. I am so glad I did. It is a splendid combination of the spirit of World War II and the details of that period of history that should not be forgotten or changed. It was written for the kids we hope will never experience that kind of time, but who must learn about it.

It is not just a story of a victory garden but a child's view of the spirit of the people then and to some extent now. It is so timely because once again our children are called to the details of another world wide battle in which we (and they are involved).

Bravo to the author for bringing this charming, enlightening chronicle of a child uniting people by leading in a way that unified them while helping them. Isn't that what won that war?

I am a retired teacher. I retired early (age 25) to stay home with my first baby when she was born in 1989. We now have three children who love to read. I love children's literature and this book interested me. It interested me because entangled in the pages are history, family, friendship, devotion, loyalty and patriotism. The author had me glued to the pages and I, literally, did not put the book down until I finished it! She made the main character so real and I was cheering her on, feeling her pain, and could remember being a little sister to a big brother whom I loved and adored. My daughter is reading the book now - it is beside her bed. These are the kinds of books that I loved as a child and love passing down to my children. It's a wonderful book. I hope the author is inspired to continue to write more children's books. She has a gift and we are fortunate that she shared her gift with us, the gift of writing.

"I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I enjoyed "You Me and Apollo: Hope Beyond Bipolar Disorder." It is a wonderful message of hope and encouragement that really helped me understand Bipolar Disorder.

I feel strongly that 'Apollo' can be a real asset
to people needing to understand this illness, whether as a consumer or a family member and I am pleased to support it."

I just finished my third reading of this honest and hope-filled true story by J.D. Stottlemire. With each reading, I have felt a deepening of my awareness about Bipolar Disorder, as well as what it is to be human. The message of hope is for all of us, whether we have experienced Bipolar Disorder ourselves, or know someone that has, or if we just go through depression sometimes...(and who hasn't?) Mr. Stottlemire speaks from his heart, combining humor and seriousness in a very real-life way, that is so easy to relate to, and so easy to read. His story changes lives, by offering that we are not alone, and as he says, "Today there is a great deal of hope."

I never write book review becuase (well...frankly, I'm too lazy)but after reading Apollo I had to get off my duff and tell everyone what a great book this is. Informative, witty, an easy, quick read. If you don't personally know someone who would benefit from this book buy a copy to donate to your local hospital, mental health center, jail or library!!!!
This is the kind of book that could save a life.

J.D. Stottlemire takes us into the surreal world of a mind with Bipolar Disorder. Woven into one man's journey through life is a fascinating comparison to the Apollo 13 mission. Readers of this book will gather insights into the inner sanctum of a brilliant mind, a mind with "a hidden flaw."

This is an eloquently written account of a very personal struggle with Bipolar. Stottlemire humbles himself with grace and style and leaves the reader with real hope that they too can understand and get through the challenges. For all those whose lives have been shattered and broken by Bipolar, I urge you to read this book.

I have prepared many of the recipes from this book and have found all I have tried to be wonderful. They are easy to follow, and the collection of recipes is diverse and appeals to the most discriminating of tastes. This book also provides visuals on the art of artistic meal presentation. Of the cookbooks that I own, I know if a meal is prepared from this book all will be happy, especially me!

I've had this cookbook for several years and I think it's terrific. I haven't made a recipe from it that disappointed me.

The recipes are not difficult to make, so anyone should be able to cook from this book. The food turns out a bit sophisticated. You could easily use some of these recipes for a dinner party.

Two of the recipes I really enjoyed from this book were Mustard Ginger Pork Chops and Minestrone. The pork chops were wonderful - you basically add a simple marinade (pretty easy to do!). The minestrone is wonderful! It is probably my favorite soup ever. It uses ham to give it a smoky flavor, then you add a number of veggies and pasta to it, and top it off with cilantro and parmesan cheese. This is a great soup to make at the beginning of the week and have it for lunch every day for the rest of the week. I've made this soup so many times and I've even tried to freeze it (although I wouldn't recommend that). This is also a good soup to fix ahead of time if you're going to have guests. Add a salad and some bread and you have quite a nice lunch.

Besides the recipes, the photography in this book is amazing. It's quite different than other cookbooks. I would have to consider the photos as "art" because they are of the quality of framed photographic art. I keep thinking of taking this book off of my cookbook shelf and using it as a "coffee table book" because it is so beautiful.

Overall, I would recommend this cookbook to almost anyone. The recipes are simple but elegant and the pictures make the book a joy just to look through.

This book will hardly fit back on the shelf: Yellow post-it notes hang from its margins, nearly a pad-ful so far, each marking a high-taste recipe. I've only had the book a year, but it has fast become a favorite.