News Books

I purchased this item for my 12 year old daughter for Christmas. She received other flashy and expensive gifts but this was one of her top favorite gifts!! It is a great outlet source for writing thoughts and feelings while reading others as well.

It is great to have a place to write down all that you are feeling, and it gives you little clues so that you can write down things that you are not even necessarily thinking of at that moment in time.

This book did absolutly nothing for me. Just a boring thing to write in, which I haven't.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Journal, was one of the most moving books I have read. It's directed towards adolescents, and deals with issues every adolescent girl faces. It's a blend of stories, quotes, poems, and spaces to write your thoughts. This book has many different sections such as: family, love and kindness, learning lessons, and though stuff. My favorite section, however, is "loving yourself". This book gave me a chance to deal with issues and see that I'm not the only girl whom faces such issues. Chicken Soup is a book that I am able to pick up at any time if I need some inspiration on a situation, or some reassurance. Other issues helpful to me were on drinking, self-esteem, eating disorders, and how to deal with my past. The best part about this book is that a lot of it is compiled with texts written by teenage authors. There are spaces for friends to write about you, and spaces for you to express how you feel about certain things. Chicken Soup allowed me to realize I was not the only girl who had experienced some of the feelings that I did. After reading this book I knew I wasn't alone! I do highly reccomend this book to any teenage girl. Adolescence is a hard time to get through, and many girls need inspiration. You do not have to read the book cover to cover; you can pick it up any time and read whatever section you desire.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Journal, was one of the most moving books I have read. It is directed towards adolescents, and deals with issues every adolescent girl faces. It's a blend of stories, quotes, poems, and spaces to write your thoughts. This book has many different sections such as: family, learning lessons, love and kindness, and tough stuff. My favorite section, however, is "loving yourself". This book gave me a chance to deal with issues and see that I am not the only girl whom faces such issues. Chicken Soup is a book that I am able to pick up and at any time if I need some inspiration, help, or reassurance. Other issues helpful to me were on drinking, self-esteem, eating disorders, and how to deal with my past. Another good part about this book is that a lot of it is compiled with texts written by teenage authors. There are spaces for friends to write about you, and spaces for you to express how you feel on certain issues. Chicken Soup allowed me to realize I was not the only girl who had experienced some of the feelings I did. After reading this book I knew I wasn't alone! I do highly recommend this book to any teenage girl. Adolescence is a hard time to get through, and many girls need inspiration. You do not have to read the book cover to cover; you can pick it up any time and read whatever section you desire.

Constance is a book about a girl who moves to America and starts out on fresh land. i love romances and this book is very romantic! Constance is a complete flirt! Theres many twists in the book but i still liked it very much. basically its about a girl who grows and learns about her new home theres indians and a great sickness and many romances. enjoy!

This book was given to me when I was nine, and is a long-standing favorite. I'm now in my late teens, but every November I read it again for old time's sake around Thanksgiving, and every year I love it. It speaks many truths about life in general, and Constance is an engaging and highly relatable character. I looked online out of interest to see if it was as widely read as I thought it should be, and thankfully it appears to be. This book would make an excellent gift for a young girl; it is gaurenteed to be a book she will read over and over again and always hold a special place in her heart.

I picked up "Constance" somewhere - I have no idea where, but my copy is old and yellowed and falling apart. I read it and fell in love with it. I must say - my old copy has a fantastic cover and I much prefer it to the one depicted here. But that's by the by... =)

I'm teaching my (7th grade) son the 1600-1850 time period this year and was able to pull "Constance" off the shelf and introduce him to its delights. It has been the ONLY book he has begged me to continue to read to him outside of planned school reading times. WOO HOO! It warms the cockles of this mother's heart. We've laughed at the funny bits, sobbed our hearts out at the sad bits, and marveled how these people, with their numbers decimated that very first spring, worked together to make a successful community.

We'll be finishing the book tomorrow. I drove him bananas by reading the first sentence of tomorrow's reading, telling him WHO proposed but NOT what the answer or consequence was. He says I'm an evil mother. =D I laughed with joy at his enthusiasm for the book.

I got this book on a trip to the East Coast when I was ten years old and fell in love. It was my favorite book during all of my early teen years; and though I haven't read it in years, I think it will always hold the place in my heart as my favorite book.

I read this long before I knew a key fact about Constance Hopkins, and I thought it was terrific. Of course, I still do. The tone of high spirits forced into apparent submission is perfect. I do think the cover illustration on the Beech Tree edition is awful; the cover on the Dell edition is far better.

Key fact: she is my nine-times-great-grandmother. (Patricia Clapp, the author, is also descended from Constance.) I have dug around in other books and on-line sources about Plimouth Plantation, and the historical facts are dead-on. I don't at the moment remember whether "Constance" mentions that her father was not a Puritan, Dissenter, Separatist; he came not for religious reasons but because he wanted his own farm. Constance, her husband Nicholas, and her brother Giles left Plymouth for the same reason in 1644 -- and also because they were fed up with the Puritan oligarchy in Plymouth.

So her family represents, in many ways, the American quest for independence and farmland -- the Jeffersonian ideal of the free citizen. (Constance's descendants were still farming as late as 1940, though my father left the farm in 1921, finding farming a new form of tyranny.)

Very informative. The Courage to be Yourself makes you delve into yourself and gives great examples that help answer the question of "Why am I feeling this way?"

Such a feel good book, I have been really down lately after ending a bad relationship and my panic attacks came back. From the first minute I started reading this book I started to feel much better. Sue Patton Thoele know what a woman needs and delivers, she makes us realize our true potential.
I know feel totally empowered!!

This book is an amazing map for the journey of a woman's lifetime. Never has a book so related to women's issues and self esteem. Any woman who has ever wanted to take charge of her life and all she can be really should read this book.

Years ago I opened this book and recognized myself in too many ways. Through gentle nudging and no nonsence from Sue, I was encouraged to admit "Hey, that's me!", followed by understanding, then action to change. This book changed my life, and continues to do so, as every so often when I can feel myself slipping into self doubt &/or martrydom I pick it up again. I can't lend it out because I have highlighter all through it! But I have sincerely recommended it dozens of times, & will continue to do so.

As a Christian, I was very offended by the views and statements in this book. Sue Patton Thoele (author) states in this book..."Is it possible that we are made in the image of a Mother God, a feminine creator, a divine spiritual essence? We're beginning to accept the answer as yes."

Sue continues to lead her readers into using the divine feminine within and uses what SHE calls "prayer" as a means of overcoming negative emotions. This "prayer" is either directed inward to oneself or to a Mother/Father God, not to God in heaven.

To top it all off, she has one of her chapter topics labeled "bitch". I know that the same points in this section could be made in a much more tasteful way.

If you are considering this book and have any belief in God whatsoever, you may be offended as I was and be very disappointed that you wasted your time and money.

To start, I will say that I have lost 19 pounds since I obtained this book. That, to me, speaks volumes.

I found the principles of this book to be very intuitive and in line with what I believe to be true. I personally did not feel that my weight problem and lack of health was something that could or should be "cured" by pills, medical procedures, and doctors - I was looking for common-sense solutions. That is what I found in this book.

Without calorie-counting, or filling out forms and journals, or buying prepackaged foods, I have used the tools in this book to make HEALTH my focus, and it is truly working for me.

This is an extraordinary book that separates reality from myth. Dr Jamie Fettig explains why Viruses, Bacteria, and Parasites do not make you sick, and why your Genes do not dictate your health, and gives you the key to being well and healthy.

This will probably be the most important book you'll ever read and is surely unique in its concept. If you only read one book on life, diets and health, make sure it's this one. Highly recommended.

Found this book personnally satisfying. Our family has gone through a medical crisis lately, and with the help of this book I have been able to come through with my own health less damaged. The medical professionals have not been able to help in our situation, but with the understanding I have received from this book, I am sure we will be able to come the rest of the way in good health and a better understanding of what it takes to maintain it.

My husband and I read this book aloud while we traveled and by the time we returned home, we had decided to switch to PURE and FRESH foods. What a simple concept!

I read this book (in about one sitting) 4 months ago. I didn't know it at the time, but Jamie's insights and practicality transformed me. Today, I'm 20 pounds lighter and I feel more vital than I've felt in a long time (maybe ever). I asked myself what happened that I've had such great results? I remembered it started with reading Jamie's book. I went on to discover the joy of raw vegan food, something that probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't read this book (no, you don't have to become a raw vegan foodist). While reading the book, Jamie assured me (with compassion and simplicity) that if I didn't take care of my health that it would fail. I know this sounds simple, who doesn't know that? However, how many times have I known things were bad for me and I did them anyway? Lots. So, Jamie managed to break through that veil of lies that I was telling myself. He wasn't preachy or anything, he delivered his message with love and excitement and profound respect for his readers. He is creating health for the whole planet. I saw that health is possible and started making the changes that were necessary to create and "add health" to my life.

i bought this book when it first came out, but just read it a couple of months ago. this is a really good book. i felt it was a page turner. it was well written and the story had a nice flow to it.

This was the best book I have read in a while. C-Murder is a great writer and I am looking forward to more. I have a 15 year old cousin that is captivated by the street life and I will be purchasing another book for him to read.

This book was interesting but at first a little confusing since I thought the book was about C-Murder. This book goes into the life of a boy playing a man's game in a grown up world. I found myself wanting to know what was
going to happen with the character in the book. I find that I would recommend this book to my friends. It's a must read.

A Letter to My Sisters: The Way Out
I must say I was very reluctant to read this book when it was suggested by my book club president. I was surprised at the content and life lessons shown. I had difficulty wading through the language, but I was not so narrow minded that I failed to see that there was dissapointment, intrigue, love, family failures and many societal failures taking place in the life of the characters.I realize that obcenity and profanity are very prevalent in the life of certain segments of society. I so much wanted the influence of the grandmother to dominate more, but that didn't happen. There was definitely a battle between evil and good taking place. I felt Daquan's pain as he attempted to struggle with the issues life threw at him. The book came to an inevitable end.

In an instant, young Daquan Watson's world was turned upside down. One act of violence has shattered the family life he once knew. Now living with Grandma Mama in The Calliope Projects, Third Ward, a notorious, drug-infested housing projects, it's just a matter of time before the lure of the streets is too much to resist. With death around every corner, will Daquan escape?

And with that, DEATH AROUND THE CORNER heads off into a violent, complicated, gritty and fascinating storyline. Books about the hood appear in a steady flow today and the flow just seems to continue to increase. However, quantity does not make up for quality. DEATH AROUND THE CORNER beats the odds. C-Murder's gripping account of one young man's experiences adds immeasurably to one's understanding of the challenges faced by many of our black youth. Its setting is rich in local color and local characters. DEATH AROUND THE CORNER proves to be exciting, with a jaw-dropping climax. Multi-platinum rapper C-Murder takes a gamble and wins, so does the reader. Maybe he can do for New Orleans literary what his brother Master P has done for New Orleans ' rap scene. Highly recommend. Looking forward to Tru Publishing.

Reviewed by: Toni

"The Divine Plan of the Ages" was written in 1886 by Charles Taze Russell, one of the innovative religious thinkers to step forward in the United States during the 19th century. Other examples would include Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy and Ellen G. White. Russell founded the Bible Students, a movement that much later developed into the Jehovah's Witnesses. However, the Witnesses have abandoned many of Russell's original ideas, so this edition of "The Divine Plan" is not published by the Watchtower Society, but by a independent group of Russelites in Canada. Amazon customers should note that this is only the first volume in a seven-volume work, known as "Studies in the Scriptures". The entire set is available at another product page.

Russell's ideas are really to complex to be commented upon in a short review. Only the bearest out-line of "The Divine Plan of the Ages" is possible here. Anyone who reads the Bible is immidiately struck by real or apparent contradictions, for instance between the Old Testament and the New Testament, or between the Pauline epistles and Revelation. Russell attempts to harmonize the various end-time scenarios with each other, creating a fascinating synthesis of his own. His main idea is that God have offered different kinds of salvation to different categories of people. Jesus came to gather a small minority of really devout followers, who would be willing to sacrifice their humanity to follow him completely. These will be transformed into mighty spirit beings at the Second Advent, seated in Heaven next to Jesus, from where they would rule the world. The majority of Christians, however, while justified by faith in Jesus, will never reach such a high level of perfection. They will be resurrected to an earthly existence during the Millenium. Russell imagined that the Millenium wouldn't be completely perfect. Mortality and evil would still exist, but at a much smaller scale than today, since society would be ruled by the resurrected saints of the Old Testament, and ultimately by Jesus himself. Esentially, the Millenium is a kind of benign theocracy. Thus, Russell harmonizes the more spiritual Kingdom of God of the Gospels with the more political Kingdom of Revelation or the Old Testament, by declaring that they are both true.

One of Russell's more innovative ideas was the notion that all humans, living or dead, would be given a "second chance" during the Millenium. In this way, he solved the vexing problem of the unsaved millions of humans, who according to traditional Christian belief go straight to Hell, for no other fault than never hearing the message of the Gospel. In Russell's scenario, all humans are resurrected during the millenial reign of Christ, and put on probation. If they refuse to accept the Gospel message even then, they will eventually be destroyed. Thus, Russell was not a strict Universalist, but his scenario nevertheless allows for more people to be saved than, say, Calvinism.

Other ideas usually associated with Russell are also expounded in this book. Russell denied the existence of Hell and an immortal soul, no doubt because of a literal reading of the Old Testament, some would say over-literal. He believed that the resurrection of Jesus was spiritual. Jesus rose from the grave as a spirit-being, not as a human. This idea, anathema to "traditional" Christians, explains the curious appearences and disappearences of the resurrected Jesus recorded in the Gospels. Also, Russell points to Paul's statements about "heavenly bodies" as proof of his contention. He is not unsympathetic to the plight of the workers, and occasionally lashes out against giant corporations, predicting sharpened class struggles and even socialist revolutions. However, Russell eventually recommends his followers to abstain from politics, instead concentrating on spreading the Gospel and live moral lives. Russell was also a Christian Zionist, believing that Israel would become the most prominent nation on Earth during the Millenium. While it would be a Christian Israel, in other writings he explicitly rejected attempts by Christians to convert the Jews, instead supporting a return to Orthodox Judaism. The rationale behind this is not explained in "The Divine Plan of the Ages". Russell's failed prophecy about the Millenium commencing in 1914 is not included in this work either, but belongs to the second volume. However, the curious idea that God has a body, and is hence limited in space, although omnipotent in power, is mentioned.

Some of these ideas sound vaguely familiar, probably because we associate them with the Jehovah's Witnesses. Others sound odd to us, since the Witnesses rejected them during their amazing expansion through-out the world. In a sense, Russell is the least known of the innovative religious founders of 19th America. Reading this book fills a gap.

A absolute must read , if you want to know the God of Justice and not the God of Just Us.

This book abolutely opened my eyes to the incredible Plan God has as revealed in the Bible! The author lays out beautifully how God has different periods of time which progress toward the blessing of all mankind. There are so many good people today who are not Christians, but the DIVINE PLAN explains everybody will actually have their first real opportunity to choose God when Satan is out of the way in God's Kingdom. Everybody is already praying for His will to be done "on earth as it is in heaven." But this book explains how that will work. And it explains how all the evil in the world is not because God doesn't have enough power or love to stop it. It gives scriptures for everything. It makes so much sense!

This book is the only one that accurately and harmoniously presents the truth of the Scriptures. It lives up to its title, "The Divine Plan of the Ages". It answers all reasonable questions on the Scriptures. A must have and a must read.

It is truly a vindication of the character of God.

As an explanation of the problem of evil, this book is the best ever written. C.S. Lewis made a valiant attempt in The Problem of Pain, but his book is an apologetic of discredited Christian traditions, and as Amazon reviews demonstrate, is unsatisfying at an emotional level.

The Jewish answer is famous, too: "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People." It's conclusion: there are some things even God can't do.

The Divine Plan of the Ages, which was written in the 1880s, was a seminal work that, as Progress and Poverty by Henry George did to the world of economics, turned the religious world upside down. It was considered so subversive that bookstores refused to sell it, and churches organized book-burning parties to destroy it. It's a credit to our day that Amazon carries this book, which has been almost entirely promoted for the last 120 years by people who love the Bible, whose lives were changed for the good by the powerful insights contained in this book.

If you're a Christian who, say, wonders about the controversy between Calvinism and Arminianism, this book is for you.

If you're a missionary who feels like you are trying to sweep back the tide with a broom, this book will revive your faith.

If you're a skeptic who has become disillusioned with the answers offered by Christian apologists, you'll discover that the Bible is more harmonious than you ever dreamed, and the reasonable prospects for the future of mankind are brighter than even Christians have dared to hope.

I read this book at the age of 17 and it changed my life forever, leading me to receive Jesus Christ as the Lord of my life. More than that, it unlocked the simple, Biblical keys that present a victorious gospel, a fair and just God, and a balanced view of what's happening in the global village today.

This book is absolutely perfect for anyone, who appreciates hands-on learning. It provides young women with self-affirmations needed for them to navigate a sometimes hostile world. I would recommend this book to parents, teachers, school counselors, or community leaders. Adolescent girls love it!

I brought this book for two young girls. They both have told me that they love the book and it has help them to love themselves more. It has made them think about there self value in a way they never thought about. They both loved the book

This book will very good for your young girl or teen-ager. The workbook has space for journaling and is a great self esteem builder.

Iyanla is a very influential and inspirational author. She would be a top five person to talk to in my lifetime. I reccommend everything she has to write or say.

This book changed the way I viewed myself in this world. It really helped me change from a depressed teen to someone who sees themself as a smart, beautiful and loving person. I did a presentation of this book and the presentation actually changed lives. A must for teen girls!!!

Spectacular, but not a quick read! If you or someone you know has cancer, then this is a must read. The author did a marvelous job of chronicaling the research path to great discoveries for cancer. Unfortunately, Dr. Folkman passed away last month but after reading this book you will have a better understanding of the legacy of important research he left behind and how it is continuing by the minute

This book is great gives a good understanding of the research community and the search to understand angiogenisis.

This book is a very well done documentary of the trials Dr. Folkman went through to have his ideas on cancer treatment considered. His ideas are now becoming the new approach, offering much needed hope for patients and their families. For anyone interested in cancer, this book is worthwhile.

This book by Robert Cooke is incredible! Mr. Cooke is able to explain to the average layperson the medical concepts of angeiogeneis conceived by the most under-valued person of our time: Dr. Judah Folkman. Dr. Folkman is to cancer what Salk was to Polio! Personally, Dr. Judah Folkman is my hero! A real hero, deserving of the Nobel Prize....and I don't speak lightly. I am a cancer patient that has recently learned that my cancer (thought was beat) has advanced to my lungs. The ONLY therapy for me is in an ANGIOGENESIS drug therapy program for a drug currently in study and labeled as "PI-88." I am just so confident this drug will work. I am the only patient with my type of cancer cell (adenoid cystic carninoma), so I am a little bit more of a lab rat for this program.

God Bless Dr. Folkman and h is incredible perserverance! His story should be a movie----a tale better than SeaBiscuit! He is my SeaBiscuit!

LHH

Chances are someone close to you has succumbed to the ravages of cancer, while you and the medical establishment could only sit by and watch the process reach its inevitable conclusion. The good news is, for nearly 40 years, Dr. Judah Folkman has been pursuing a cure for cancer -- or at least a way to fight tumors more effectively than chemotherapy or radiation -- that only until very recently has garnered serious attention. Dr. Folkman's theory is called angiogenesis, the process by which cancer cells emit an agent which triggers the growth of blood vessels to feed the growth of the cancer itself. For years Dr. Folkman's idea was basically scoffed at as the flailings of an amateur researcher, but Cooke shows how Dr. Folkman has perservered -- while maintaining his brilliant career as a physician -- and eventually, through a slow accumulation of experimental evidence, as well as the discovery of several antiangionesis agents, turned opinion around. Throughout this engaging and fascinating retelling of Folkman's journey, Cooke also provides an eye-opening account of the workings of academia, medical research, and their relationships to those Orwellian biotech companies you keep hearing about. The science is clear and vivid, the battle to defeat cancer inspiring, and the promise of victory -- thankfully, finally -- just around the corner.

I am a woman, and can't imagine what it would be like to be in the Vietnam War. Karlson puts you there, right in the heart of the heart of it all! Dark and Light, Beauty and Truth, Tears and Fears. It is All here. You will be touched by the courage it took Karlson to act from what is right and the influence that those actions had. This book will touch you deeply to the Light of your Being. I promise!

Fall to Grace is absolutely riveting in its intensity. I have not been able to put it down. I give it six thumbs up. Congratulations on a vividly crafted work!

Karlson does an amazing job of combining spirituality, sex, and adventure. I never would have thought the CIA would have done some of the stuff he talks about...but it's persuasive. The sex scenes with Vietnamese girls are not to be missed. And the spiritual experiences suggest possibilities beyond our ordinary understanding. It goes from the depths of depravity to the heights of wisdom. The full range of humanity is in between What more do you want?

Fall To Grace awakened my soul to the healing that unconditional love can bring to all humanity if we will choose to give up our wars and recognize that the enemy is within us.

Eric Karlson's struggles and ultimate triumphs are presented throughout "Fall To Grace" with engaging detail, brutal honesty and a surprising innocence; I have read few tales which simultaneously disturbed and inspired me as this one has. I cried through the chapters detailing the author's drug addictions, empty family life, and witnessing of unspeakable atrocities; I felt a powerful calm and inner-peace as I read the pages telling of his courageous anti-war protests and profound spiritual transformation; throughout, I cheered on Karlson as he accepted the challenge to better not only his personal situation, but also the life of every person he encountered. Above all, "Fall to Grace" reinforced for me the dangers of complacency and the strength of the determined individual.

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a just sensationalist, glamorized account of sex, drugs and war; rather, it is a very real and sharp journey through personal and political conflicts, told in a straight-forward manner that makes the reader feel as if he is right there. Evolving from the darkest of circumstances into an enlightened state of awareness, Karlson's experiences represent both the best and the worst aspects of the human condition.

This book comes with my highest recommendation. It definitely deserves a re-read (and will get one, once I have gotten it back from a friend who insisted on borrowing it!).

Best photography book about we human beings covering pictures about love, marriage,birth,childhood, growing up, work, getting along, war, and old age.
It is truly well done and my favourite for myself and to give as a gift to someone you care about, who is interested in humanity.

Great book! I grew up with it, and rediscovered it just now. Wonderful!!

This is my favorite book. I purchased it when I was 18, and loved black and white photography. I am now 65, and still see the same basic beauty in the photographs. It's not about the 1950's, or showing American culture. It shows how universal and similiar all people of all races and cultures are. It shows young children playing, people falling in love, weddings, births, hard work, wars, death, grieving, and even hope from various people and countries from our planet Earth. One family. One people. This is a collection of love, not about a specific time, or place, or our differences. This is a book that shows our skin colors, clothes, and countries may change; but we are all the same.

I am so glad Family of Man is still available. I would also suggest that in conjunction with this book, you offer Family of Women, and Family of Children.

I first found this book at Foyle's in London, about 35 years ago, and it struck me. Since then, I bought five copies of the Family of Man, but no one remained in my home, because ever I felt the need to give this book to someone I loved or trusted.
What is making this book so precious to me?
First the idea itself of collecting pictures from the whole world (remember, when Steichen launched his project, the Cold War and the related hysteria was at its peak). This to demonstrate that all the human beings have to pass through the same events in their life: birth, growth, education, emotions, work, love, children, reflection, death. This apparently trivial concept leads to a conclusion by far less trivial: we all do belong to one family, our species, the humans (by the way, this thinking had not so great success in the past, nor the present seems to be more benevolent).
The Family of Man is exactly the visual demonstration of such a concept, by comparing the same events as viewed from different geographic and cultural perspectives, by means of photos from renowned or unknown photographers (of course, the pictures from the US are prevailing in numbers for logistics and statistical reasons: it was by far more simple for an US photographer to even simply receive the news of the Steichen project than for a photographer in Rwanda or in the USSR).
Steichen and his assistants made an impressive selection, shortlisting 503 pictures from the over 2 million they received. By the way, Steichen was a photographer, and his selection also considered the aesthetic side of the question: most of the pictures selected simply are wonderful.
The result is this book. I think no one on this planet can miss it, because The Family of Man is representative of a large part of our culture and on our very nature.
To give an example, in my opinion this book is at the same emotional and rational level as Homer's Odyssey, Dante's Divine Comedy, Melville's Moby Dick, primo Levi's If this is a Man, or the ancient Greek lyrics, to quote some comparisons.
I hope it will continue to be published; we, the humans, desperately need it.