Authors Books

Wodehouse is perhaps the best antidote I know for depression. His novels are literally unreal, for Bertie inhabits a world of leisure, servants, and privilege, an Edenic world where even the threat of pain, suffering, and mortality have no place, and Jeeves is always there as a deus ex machina. But ultimately we return to Wodehouse (again and again!) because of the language--quite simply, the man cannot write a bad sentence.

I am a big P.G. Wodehouse fan. This series of books is especially fun as each book is easily read and enjoyed. The print size is perfect. Great nighttime reading to relieve the stresses of the modern world.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about the inimitable P.G. Wodehouse???

Carry On, Jeeves is a great starter book for those who are intimidated with the amount of J&W books available (or rather, don't know where to begin). The first story in this book is about the first day Bertie Wooster met his personal gentleman (or valet, if you prefer), Jeeves. The stories easily stand on their own; with the exception of characters being mentioned or being part of the plot, the book is not a novel you have to read front to back. Consider it a literary sitcom, where new scenarios and conflicts arise with each story you read.

My favourite bit about reading Carry On, Jeeves was the last story of the book, where it takes a refreshing twist and is narrated by Mr. Jeeves rather than Bertie Wooster. It was great reading from Jeeves's perspective.

Lots of chuckles throughout and a few hardy laughs. Overall a perfect read.

Carry On, Jeeves is another classic from P.G. Wodehouse. It follows in the same kind of humorous hiliarious vein of his other books that involve Berty Wooster and his Man Servant Jeeves. This is a book that should not be missed. In fact,
all of P.G. Wodehouse's books involving Jeeves and Berty Wooster
should be thoroughly enjoyed by every one.

This volume of ten stories originally hails from 1925. I read them in the 1999- 2000 Penguin paperback edition. While many readers like the covers by Ionicus on earlier Penguin paperbacks, these recent editions with covers by David Hitch are my favorites. They are very well done, reasonably priced and just the right size, which is to say, perfect for the novice or seasoned Wodehouse reader. The stories are also among the absolute tops in the Wooster/ Jeeves canon, and give the back stories that Bertie meditatively refers to in so many of the later books.

As Richard Usborne notes in his invaluable guide, Plum Sauce, five of these stories appeared earlier in My Man Jeeves (1919). Two of the stories there told by Reggie Pepper are here transformed into Bertie's ruminations. Carry On Jeeves was the next collection following the ten stories in The Inimitable Jeeves (1923), and Wodehouse was on a roll. Here's Bertie's first engagement to Florence Craye, and his first encounter with her younger brother, Edwin, the Boy Scout, who rapidly renders unsafe house and home. Enter Biffy and Bingo Little, later fixtures in the Wooster ouvre. Here also Bertie pens his oft- mentioned "piece" for his "good aunt" Dahlia Travers, and her struggling paper, Milady's Boudoir. The last story in this collection is somewhat questionably narrated by Jeeves, but Wodehouse fortunately reverted to telling tales in first person Bertie in the later shorts. Some of these tales also found their way into the Jeeves and Wooster TV shows with even more riotous results. All in all, a capital collection.

Absolutely marvelous! This simple story induces you to think about morals, existence, and adventure. By having virtue, anyone can lead a life filled with wonderful encounters and a way of life that can only lead you to a good future.

I loved this book a kid and bought it for my own children. Each of the three joined my enthusiasm for our dear friend, Dominic.

My son is in the Army and now has a son of his own. I used to read "Dominic" at bedtime, until I knew the story by heart. If I tried to skip a line or a paragraph, my son would interrupt and tell me I had missed a part! Recently, he asked if I would get the book for my grandson. Now my son is reading to his son. I love it! Christina

Throughout my life, I'd always remembered the "first book I ever read" as about some dog who played the piccolo and traveled around with his possessions in a sack on a stick. I remembered it so fondly, like one of those few, golden memories you hold onto from childhood, when you still believed in the tooth faerie and unicorns.

I never remembered the title, though, and the book had long since disappeared from my parent's house. One day I did an extensive Google search with only the words "dog," "piccolo" and "traveler" and managed to stumble across William Steig's website.

I just bought myself a new copy of "the first book I ever read" and can't wait to read it again. It really is a book that has stayed with me my entire life. I just found it astonishing that so many other people wrote the exact same thing in their reviews. How can it be that one book has been the "first book" for so many people? I don't know, but I do know that if you can let it be your kid's first book, they will cherish it forever. I sure did.

This was the first "real book" I remember reading as a little boy. I suppose I was about 6 or 7. I read and re-read Dominic many times and loved it more each time. I suppose it has be something like 35 years since I first read this book and I still remember it fondly. How many things can you say that about?

This book is awesome with the kids running around and solving mysteries!!!

I've enjoyed these children's books for many years. They are very moral, and the adventures are exciting and educational! They're full of good, clean fun and imagination. They are family-centered, and acknowlege family authority. Your children will find that there is fun to be had without turning on the tv! Will be especially enjoyed by homeschooling families.

As a child in the early sixties, we lived in a rural area, and by most standards we would have been considered poor, and couldn't afford to buy these books. However, there was a small community library in our town. I went there every chance I had and checked out The Happy Hollister books. I am now a Grandmother and I still remember each of the Hollisters names and many of their adventures. I would like for my grandchildren to have the opportunity to read these wonderful books, so I am scouring the internet for them. They don't write em like this anymore.

I wish I could find my former school librarian in Dorval, Quebec, Canada (early 1970's) and let her know the tremendous impact her dedication to her job had on my life. I was in 3rd grade, it was during library period, and I was wandering around looking for a book to check out. She, sensing my interest in books, directed me to a shelf containing the library's collection of Happy Hollisters. I wasn't too interested at first, but with her encouragement I agreed to try one. Many years later, at 42 years of age, not only do I still enjoy reading them, but I have read them to both my girls (12 & 17), and I have been fortunate enough to collect 2 complete series over the years. When my daughters leave home, they will both have a set to read to their children.

I also discovered, when dating my wife, that she too had read and enjoyed the series. We were both amazed that there was somebody else out there who had heard of and loved the HH.

If you've read the books, you don't need me to tell you how wonderful they are. If you haven't read them yet, the comments on this page will let you know why you should. I can only agree and endorse what has been said here.

I have read many books in my life, and my reading level is much more sophisticated today. But every now and then, I grab a Happy Hollisters book from the shelf, and I'm a little kid once more in the sanctuary of the school library, returning to a simpler day, when there was still much magic and wonder to be found in the world.

I think my librarian would be pleased.

It is increasingly difficult to find the Happy Hollisters series of books. There were 33 books in this series, written between approximately 1953 and 1970. This particular edition was the introduction to the series.

The Happy Hollisters are somewhat of a relic of an era gone by. The family consists of five children, Pete, Pam (Pamela), Ricky, Holly, and Sue, and their parents Mr. and Mrs. Hollister. There are also Zip, a collie, and White Nose, a cat, who has five kittens in this book. Mr. Hollister purchases a store called The Trading Post, which sounds similar to general stores in days gone by.

Throughout the series the children solve mysteries, usually as a family. In this introductory book the family is moving to Shoreham. During their trip a van carrying the children's toys is stolen. The van is also carrying valuable papers for their father. As the story unfolds, the children also believe someone is entering their house. Mr. Hollister does not believe the children, but after Pete gets a picture of a strange man with a red hat in their basement, Mr. Hollister gets the police involved.

We also meet mean Joey Brill in this book. Joey is a recurring character who is a bully and generally obnoxious. As one example, Joey puts White Nose and her kittens on a plank in a lake. However, rest assured that Joey is nearly always thwarted in his attempts to be a bad kid.

The story finally arrives at an exciting chase between boats and a mysterious discovery in the Hollister's new house. However, though there seems to be a lot of danger for everyone, rest assured that everything comes out okay in the end.

The Happy Hollisters series remains a reasonably good, if somewhat outdated, read for younger children, perhaps from ages 4 to 9. I suspect that by age 9 most children are entranced by more modern pursuits. Also, many children may consider families of five children to be somewhat unusual and that may take some explaining. These books may be an excellent way to introduce children to the changes that have taken place in our society over the past half century.

One last word of caution. These books are becoming very difficult to find, and thus their price varies substantially. If you are interested in reading this series you may find editions without covers that sell for less than editions with covers.

I hope you enjoy The Happy Hollisters. They are a reminder of a simpler age.

This is a wonderful collection of poems. IT is a national treasure. I had this book and lost it, thinking that by now it was out of print. I love the variety of authors and the variety of each author's poems.

I've had many of these poems for many years. This was a nice addition to the family library. I now have 3 of the leather-bound volumes, and intend to buy several more. (each family member will get one of these TREASURES.

My Mother read these poems to us as we were growing up. I also memorized many of these poems at school. Reading it again was like visiting an old and familar friend.

This is by far the best collection of general heritage poetry I have come across. Classics when originally compiled that are still the standards for Americana poetry as well as a summation of our cultural history.

As a child my mother read from this book to me and to my father. She need
not have read much as she memorized many of the poems and can recite them
now, though well past her 90th year. I have given this book to many of my friends and consider it a gift of love and inspiration.

Okay, Oscar Wilde was an exception. But looking at Saki I thought he'd be the fop of fops. Not at all so. His short stories, typically only several pages long are all unique to every other story of his and versus the field. His novels, surprisingly quick and bright, almost right for our age of 30-second mentalities. His short stories, perfect.

He give great openings; I just flipped to an opening page. Yes, it was good: "In an age when it was become increasingly difficult to accomplish anything new or original, Bavton Bidderdale interested his generation by dying of a new disease." Quick, bright and paid off in the following few pages with never a boring, unoriginal platitude or easy, expected sentence.

Today H.H. Monroe (aka Saki) would make a good copywriter or do okay writing for SNL. For me, he's a nice writer to read in a nightly after-bed before-sleep ritual. A safe promise to make: You'll be delighted and may even happily dance to his word plays. And you will never be not surprised. Enjoy.

The writing in this book may well be described as a cross between PG Wodehouse and Evelyn Waugh. If you enjoy those authors you will enjoy Saki.

Hector Hugh Munro, who used the pen name Saki, is, along with Guy de Maupassant, O. Henry and Anton Chekhov, one of the most best writers of short stories in literature. This collection is well worth reading. I rate it at four stars because compared to the other aforementioned writers it has too narrow a focus. Saki's stories are almost unfailingly humorous and concerned with the foibles of upper middle class British society in the period from about 1890 until 1915. In this sense they lack the variety of O. Henry, the poignancy of Maupassant and the scope and harsh reality of Chekhov. The humor is also very, very British. This evaluation may be a bit unfair especially since all the other reviewers have given it 5 stars.

Having said all that, the stories are still very enjoyable and a delight to read. Many of the stories are about cynical young men, children behaving badly and often involve animals. Some are quite clever and funny in any culture. Most of them are quite short--three or four pages--and thus can be read in a brief period. One can read them while eating a meal, when riding on a bus or train, or in any situation where you have a few minutes to spare.

The book is divided into six parts, but this division is largely artificial and without real meaning. The first part (Reginald) deals with the affairs of a young man of that name. Reginald is a young man given to making sharp repartees to disrupt dinner parties. For example in the first story, which bears his name, he asks guests to their utter confusion, "What did the Caspian see?" In Reginald On Besetting Sins we find, "the cook was a good cook as cooks go; and as cooks go she went."

Part three, The Chronicles of Clovis, deals for the most part with another young man, the irrepressible Clovis, a seventeen-year-old scamp. Here we find perhaps Saki's most famous story, The Unrest Cure. Clovis is riding on a train when he overhears a man saying how boring his life is. Noting the man's address Clovis vows to make it less so. Upon arriving home the man receives a telegram saying that the bishop is coming to his house and his secretary will arrive shortly to make the arrangements. The secretary, Clovis of course, soon arrives and begins disrupting the life of the household. He informs the man that the bishop has arrived and is in the library and that the real purpose of the bishop's visit is to kill all the Jews in the town! The man is horrified and proposes to leave to get the police but Clovis tells him that the house is surrounded by people (including boy scouts!) with orders to kill anyone attempting to leave. Shortly thereafter local Jews began to show up in response to telegrams sent to them by Clovis. Chaos abounds and the man's boredom is definitely cured.

Saki's descriptions of people get right to the point: "He has delightful hair and a weak mouth. I shall take him with me to Homborg (sic) or Cairo." He describes a corpulent musician getting up from a nap thusly: "the musician's flabby redundant figure sat up in bewildered semi-consciousness like an ice cream that had been taught to beg." Then there is this description of the Salvation Army: " It was quite interesting to be at close quarters with them, they're so absolutely different to what they used to be when I first remembered them in the eighties. They used to go about unkempt and disheveled, in a sort of smiling rage with the world, and now they're spruce and jaunty and flamboyantly decorative, like a geranium bed with religious convictions."

Some of the better stories include The Lull about a politician who takes a respite from campaigning with the help of a precocious little girl; Dusk, a story about the dangers of believing people who ask you for money; The Story Teller, in which a man on a train tells a story to some children that they will never forget; Forewarned, in which a young woman who has been living isolated in a rural area all her life suddenly goes to visit in the city and finds the politics too much for her sensibilities; and Hyacinth, in which a small boy by that name disrupts an election.

The best story in my opinion is the one that isn't funny. The Image of the Lost Soul tells of a church statue (the Lost Soul) and a small bird who become friends. But there friendship proves fleeting and the church bell rings out the moral--"after joy comes sorrow." The last few stories are about war (Saki served in WW I and was killed by a sniper in 1916) and tend to be more reflective.

All in all these stories should not be missed.

For a perfect summer read try picking up an old favorite... this collection of the work of Saki (real name: Hector Hugh Munro) includes over 130 short stories, three novels and three plays and sports an introduction by Noel Coward. Though written 100 years ago, this vast body of work is amazingly fresh and contemporary. Many of the stories are under four pages long, but they manage to paint amusing pictures of the privileged class as seen through the eyes of an obviously gay, brilliant and somewhat bored young man who uses a sharp knife to pry up the upper crust and expose what's beneath. Sample the stories - his work is available on line - [.........]

Saki is the consummate stylist and chronicler of a stuffy Victorian England nearing the end of its reign and world dominance. He savors the comedy of manners with all its many class-based restrictions and inbred peculiarities and finds ways to highlight--through ironic twists of fate--the inherent and underlying pathos of a people so stuck on themselves they frequently are tripped up on their own vanities.Therein lies the "beauty" of a Saki short story: he fleshes out the quirks and peccadillos of human nature--its pomp and its farcical facets--and we come away the better (and ennobled) for it. If it's a Saki story--there's subtle mirth and magical missteps awaiting the reader.One wonders what great additions to his rather slim body of work there would've been had he not perished--fighting in the war that was supposed to end all war: World War I.... A man of "privilege" who purposely sought no special dispensation during the vicissitudes of warfare when mustard gas hung ominously in the air and men were often taken by disease sooner than they were by enemy fire. A short life it was for the "old boy," H.H. Munro...one that lives on in his brilliant body of work....Well-told tales that will live on as long as questing readers come calling at the "House of Saki."

We've read many books this year and I'd have to say this is one of my 6 year old's very favorite books. (She especially loves reading about "Moses the Kitten" and "Oscar the Cat".)
The illustrations are wonderful with a lot of detail but not so that they overwhelming. We've spent quite a bit of time going over the illustrations pointing out a lot of the detail.
I bought a used copy of this book. Had I known what an exceptional book it is, I probably would have bought a brand new copy.

I am a long-time fan of James Herriot's books. I worked in an independent book store when I found this jewel, and I have given it at every baby shower and young child's birthday since. It is a collection of stories taken from his books and illustrated. The stories are sweet, poignant tales of the literary veterinarian's encounters with four-legged friends in England.

If you are an animal lover or Herriot fan, this is a must- see. The illustrations are realistic with a touch of warmth and they bring life to the stories that graced these literary masterpieces. Many friends and family who recently have had children love this gift. It is a book to be cherished and read to/with your children for years!

The binding is solid with a dustcover I remove when reading with small children (who love to rip my dustcovers!). The papers is a tolerant high gloss that can easily withstand sticky little baby fingers. My niece and I have clocked many hours reading and cleaning this book!

The stories in here are not just bedtime tales. This is life-enriching literature with quirky characters and poignant emotion which you will treasure for years to come. I got as much out of reading these to our son as he did, and you will all enjoy the illustrations. As with real living, the death of a beloved pet is included in one of the tales, so if your children would be upset by this, you might discuss beforehand.

Our 3.5 year old daughter loves this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the stories compelling. They are on a level that she can relate to without feeling condescended to. The stories are interesting and fun for adults to read and they are great to talk about afterwards.

This is a great example of a living book. The stories transport the listener to another place, and the journey is a pleasure. My 5 and 8 year old daughters love these stories and their illustrations.

I really wanted to like this book. Ms. Alexander did an excellent job, especially at the beginning, of showing that the characters loved one another but couldn't really achieve intimacy.
But I think she just expected too much of the reader after that. Would someone in the 18th century really hire a woman who was visibly pregnant to be a housekeeper if there were rumors circulating about her? Especially since she had no references, other than, presumably, having a housekeeper when she was growing up? Most servants back then weren't married at all, much less "widowed" and pregnant. Who would have taken care of the child while she worked? And wasn't it unwise of her to be employed by someone who made it clear he wanted her sexually?
Then there is the issue of Larson not coming out and saying "Hey, it's me." If this was because he was angry, he would not have pursued her. It just didn't make sense, and it went on too long. I felt that she was asking a bit much of my imagination.

Kathryn Jennings made her vows for better or worse. In a childless marriage with an emotionally unavailable husband, she thought she was living the worse until her whole world turns upside down.

Widowed and pregnant, she discovers a hidden treasure in a deeply scarred man who loves her like she's always longed to be loved. I read this book in two days. I simply couldn't put it down. What a wonderful story of faith and restoration. I can hardly wait to read book 2.

My MIL read it and said, "I don't know how anyone could ever say a bad thing about this book. It's the best book I've read in years."

This is one GREAT story teller! I couldn't put the book down until about 4 am the first night! The author has done a fantastic job fleshing out characters, and reminding her readers of the Love God has designed and given us!

I was a little hesitant to read her books but I could not put it down once I got started on this book. True love wins in the end and it's so amazing how much these characters went through and had so much faith in God. I felt for them and was cheering the characters on. After all, who likes a sad ending?

I loved this book. I was so surprised that she still desired her husband after he was so badly scarred but that is, after all, what true love is all about. What is on the inside as opposed to what is on the outside. I was touched that he followed her and took such wonderful care of her all the while thinking she had betrayed him with another man. What a great book!

I liked that the story had quite a few twists and turns and kept you guessing until the very end about what Caroline would do with her life. All the characters were really developed and each had a story. Caroline's friends Hazel and Elle each have their story as well as Caroline's dad and his new wife, Caroline's brother and his wife, Mitch and J. D. - each has a story that makes you want to keep reading. Some of the story is a little too saccharine and there are some preachy moments that I feel are overdone but I still liked the story. I hope that someday Caroline and Mitch return to one another in a sequel.

I loved this book for all the reasons everyone else did. Then, all of a sudden, I felt manipulated into a story that seemed to have been written only to show us that the only way to make a sane, mature decision in life is through meeting Jesus. Caroline was a sweet-hearted, unselfish young woman before she gave herself to God. Not everyone needs religion to get ahead in life, nor to find herself. I was disappointed. I thought, "Uh, uh, this lovely, real, wonderful story is trying to trap me into turning my soul over to Christianity". Too bad, because the characters were so believable, the plot had me reading non-stop, and I fell in love with all of it. Sadly, for me, it ended up being a Sunday School lesson. This could be alright if there had been any hint of its bent in the publishers or the readers' reviews. Nothing from them. I was naive; not knowing the author I didn't know what to expect, but, maybe, everyone else did.

Caroline is somewhat of a people-pleaser. When there's a need she steps in to help without much thought to her own dreams. Her mother was flighty and ran off when she was younger, and Caroline desperately does not want to be like that. So she goes to the other extreme and becomes ultra-dependable.

She has lived in small town South Carolina all her life, but when a friend tells her of a job opportunity in Barcelona she decides to throw caution to the wind and go for it. But when the owner of the cafe where she works dies and leaves the cafe to her, it throws a big kink in her new plans. She feels the weight of responsibility to keep the cafe going and the other employees from loosing their jobs.

As if that's not enough, Deputy Sherriff J.D. Rand steals her heart and then her first love, Mitch O'Neal comes back to town. Who knew so much could happen in Smalltown, America! Caroline has some big decisions to make and she's going to need some big help.

I especially loved Caroline's humor and how her head and her heart would literally talk to each other in the middle of certain situations. I also like that Caroline is grounded and not flighty and helpless. The pain she's lived with because of her mother's abandonment guides all her decisions. It's made her who she is, but does she have to be controlled by it? She never understood the God-thing and I like how he got her attention.

I don't want to spoil the ending, but she had to make some really tough decisions and trust that they were all for the best. I think she made the right ones, but someone else may disagree. You'll have to decide for yourself!

This book is a wonderful example of "If I'd known what all I'd have to go through, would I still do it?" So many times we just want the answers. We want to know what to expect in life. But then we go through hard times and we have to make hard decisions. Looking back, if we'd known ahead of time would we choose to go through all of that? Or would we back out and miss what God wanted to teach us. The blessings from hardships.

Count me among Hauck's raving fans! Sweet Caroline was a charming read that had me laughing loud. Loved the characters, loved the setting, and especially loved Hauck's voice. This is one you don't want to miss!

I loved it! This is the first book I've ever read from this author and I'll be looking for more. This was such a great read, I dove right in an finished it in one day. It was almost as satisfying as a plate of southern comfort food!

The main character, Caroline, was endearing and I found the secondary characters to be so well written, especially Mercy Bea who I couldn't read without hearing a southern twang in my head. The lowcountry diner made a charming backdrop for the story. These people were all so real and heartfelt. I would love to see them in a sequel.

The 4:8 Principle: The Secret to a Joy-Filled Life

John Ortberg has done it again!It All Goes Back In The Box is an exceptionally entertaining and thought-provoking message that makes the reader RE-think life and whether or not he is focusing on the things that that really matter and have the potential to leave a lasting legacy.

Using the classic game, Monopoly, as a metaphor for life, Ortberg reminds us of the humorously blunt truth, that in fact, it will all be returned to the box. His writing style and wit add real value to the wisdom of his message and provide readers with the right perspective on living...and dying.
Highly recommended as well as the small group DVD and study materials!

I listened to the book on CD and enjoyed it very much. Not too long and very easy to understand. Many real life examples helped with the understanding of this book. I sometimes was repetitive, but did not go overboard. The big picture of "It all goes back in the box" is plain and simple, but it is a must read/listen. It will put your life and the issues you have back in perspective. I think we all need that once in a while.

The title of the book and the first chapter were wonderful. The rest of the book got a little preachy. I was looking for a metaphoric view of the folly of materialistic greed destroying the true wealth of relationships with people and this book didn't do it for me. I think the author started off right by illustrating what his grandmother taught him by example but then got off that track and tried to spell out what it meant to him instead of leading the reader to arrive at the conclusion himself.

First off, I never heard of John Ortberg until I got a spam e-mail from Amazon.com stating this book won the Christian Book of the Year (sorry - I don't recall who gave the award). So based on the highly touted reviews I decided to buy it and read it. From the opening pages, it's clear the Mr. Ortberg is a very gifted storyteller with a terrific sense of humor. The basic synopsis is that in our relatively extremely short lifetime (from an eternal perspective), we need to focus on what's truly important such as our relationship with God, prioritizing people over the trappings of materialism and "worldly" success and maximizing your talents and resources for the Kingdom of God.

All of these truths are for the most part biblical, focusing on many of the moral teachings of Christ. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but about halfway through, he made a statement that bothered me.

On page 136 he wrote, "The Christian gospel comes down to a promise from Jesus that [in the afterlife, there will be] a new world where God will set everything right. One day you will enter it, and so will I."

The problems with this statement include:
1. That isn't what the Gospel is.
2. If he's referring to "where everything is made right" as Heaven, then is he espousing universal salvation for everyone or is assuming everyone reading this book is a Christian?

From that point on, it hit me that he's giving a lot of great tips on what Christian living should be like, but if he really wants to emphasize what matters most, he has to make it crystal clear that we need to be reconciled with our Heavenly Father through the atoning work of Christ on the cross. This can only be attained by placing our faith and trust in Christ as our Lord, and all good works that he emphasizes will do nothing to get us in Heaven.

In fairness to Ortberg, he does tell the readers in several paragraphs near the very end of the book (p. 237) to believe in Christ to receive eternal life. But in my opinion, to tell someone to just "believe" doesn't adequately cover the whole scope of what's demanded. As James wrote, "even the demons believe and shutter". The belief that saves us is putting our faith in Christ and making Him first in our lives and trusting him as our saving mediator before our holy and righteous Heavenly Father and repenting from our sinful lives.

So with all of that being said, I think the book is still a great resource for the Christian who wishes to grow stronger in his sanctification, and as mentioned earlier, it's a very entertaining book. It's also a wealth of great stories for the preachers, especially regarding the topic of stewardship. One major problem in the evangelical movement today is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer defined as "cheap grace" - embracing the blessings of being saved through Christ, without making any sacrifices for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Again under the rubric of discipleship/sanctification, it's an excellent book, but it could be devastatingly misleading for someone who isn't a Christian regarding what really matters the most: being saved through Christ.

John Ortberg, a well-known California pastor and bestselling author (THE LIFE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED), knows how to captivate a reading audience, and he does it, page after page, in WHEN THE GAME IS OVER, IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX. Using playing games as a metaphor for life, Ortberg shows how the object of the game is a life "rich toward God" --- growing a healthy soul, enjoying the people around you, doing good work, becoming generous and savoring the moment.

Wise people, writes Ortberg, build their lives around what is eternal. He suggests asking yourself the question, "What in your life is going to last forever, and what is going back in the box?" Spend your time caring for the inner you as well as the outer you. Think about the changes you need to make. Let go of wrong priorities. Quit trying to control that which is out of our control, rather than letting the "Master of the Board" take the helm.

What makes this book so brilliant is not that Ortberg offers a lot of new information. It's that he has a flair for synthesizing this information and organizing his ideas in a way that makes them practical as well as soul-stirring. It's also a joy to read.

Gently, in one section, he calls readers to reassess a preoccupation with "stuff" and concentrate on what is most important. A "richness of being" is always available, Ortberg says. "I can seek at any time, with God's help, to be compassionate, generous, grateful, and joyful...usually it will not mean seeking to accumulate more stuff." As he shows through a moving story about Larry, a church member who is killed in an accident, in the end it's not about our achievements or our wealth. It's about our capacity to love. It's the people, not the stuff, that we need to focus on.

Ortberg also reminds his readers that Christians have to be consistent in acting like Christians instead of labeling themselves as such. "The world gets pretty tired of people who have Christian bumper stickers on their cars, Christian fish signs on their trunks, Christian books on their shelves, Christian stations on their radios, Christian jewelry around their necks, Christian videos for their kids, and Christian magazines on their coffee tables but don't actually have the life of Jesus in their bones or the love of Jesus in their hearts." "Be the kind of player people want to sit next to," he urges, borrowing from a Monopoly analogy.

By turns humorous, painfully vulnerable, poignant and wise, Ortberg weaves biblical, personal and fictional anecdotes together with practical points in a compelling way for the reader. He includes insights from many excellent authors throughout, including Anne Lamott, Lewis Smedes, Susan Howatch, Viktor Frankl, Marjorie Rawlings and Thomas Lynch. Rather than getting in the way, these quotes and excerpts enrich the text.

One of Ortberg's passages that haunts me is this: "We need to ask ourselves what we are doing (or not doing) with our lives now that could lead to deep regret." He urges the practice of "regret prevention" --- assessing the commitments we have made in light of what we don't want to regret. Then, he asks us to consider what we need to rearrange. Don't wait for a crisis --- a child running away, getting fired, having a spouse file for divorce --- to force your hand, he urges. More will never be enough.

Although he uses the game metaphor throughout, Ortberg doesn't force it to get his ideas across. The narrative flows seamlessly. In places, Ortberg writes about spending time with your children, but this book is suitable for readers at any stage of life. My husband and I --- almost empty nesters --- are planning to read and discuss it together. It would be an excellent resource for personal reflection or small group study as well.

This is Ortberg writing at his best. But reader, be warned --- you'll come away changed.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

I am just now rediscovering poetry. I've always enjoyed it as a teenager, so I bought three books by word-of-mouth this year. I can't say this one was my favorite, but it is a classic! I am sure the effect of Cummings at the time was great, but I strongly suggest that readers take in the writers of our day. This book is a great starting point, but it only gives you a history of what's going on with more contemporary poets.

Cummings is one of the best American minor poets. He invents a language, a style a way of saying things all his own. And he does this in memorable lines and with his own kind of beauty. "What of a much of a which of a wind " " There's a hell of a universe ,next door. Let's Go" " I sing of Olaf, glad and big " " Nothing not even the rain has such small hands" The style is magnetic and there is a most individualistic celebration of life and love.
Appealing. But without the largeness of Whitman or the mind of Dickinson or the music of Stevens,it is not at the very highest level.
And also sharing with Pound and Eliot, and to a lesser degree Hemingway and Fitzgerald the Anti- Semitism of his time which makes it therefore almost impossible for me to read the stuff with uncritical joy as I would like to.

I got this book in a used bookstore that was owned by a "former hippie"...is there such a thing, I always felt once a hippie, always a hippie...I didn't even ask for him to recommend it to me, he just looked in my eyes and said, "Hey, man, do you want to read something great?"

I read the whole book from cover to cover in the bookstore and I knew I had to have it as part of my collection. When the old hippie put the book in a bag he just smiled at me as if to say, "I told you so..."

So now I'm telling you, you who is looking for something crazybeautiful in which to pour your lovelyeyeslikemine over. Carry this book with you. Go to the local coffeehouse with pen in hand and make notes in the margins. Talk to Mr. Cummings as though he was right in front of you, because in a way, he never died. He is still very much alive and he especially loves new seekers of his words.

There are certain things that one must read before they exit the planet and this is one of them. You may not go crazy over it as much as I did, and if you weren't the least bit impressed I suggest that you make an appointment with the doctor and see if you have a pulse.

This little book is de-light-full and will work its magic in you if you let it.

This sweet little volume is a great introduction to Cummings' work...perfect as a gift to someone who's expressed an interest in him. The small, thin size makes it MUCH more portable than a 20-pound "complete works" volume!

I was determined to hate e.e.cummings. The quirks of his spelling and punctuation alone seemed to me to be contrived and overly pretentious and I felt instinctively (without reading it) that his poetry must be some sort of grand put-on. I am even today still not completely convinced he did not suffer some form of mild to severe brain damage (perhaps progressive) that increasingly affected his later writings. However, once I was introduced to the man through this excellent collection, I could no longer deny the stunning originality of his poetry or the gorgeous music of his lyrics, particularly when read aloud (most effectively and rewardingly to an adoring female audience of one). I have been converted into an admirer through this collection.

100 SELECTED POEMS is a fine and concise introduction to the works of this nonconformist poet. There is a sampling of his very best poems and enough variety to sway all doubters. This collection wisely (I feel) avoids the more terrifyingly eccentric typography of some of his more notorious efforts, though some of the later poems in this collection push the envelope far enough to be discomforting (but in a good way). No collection of American poetry would be complete without e.e.cummings, and this book rattles like a fragment of angry candy.

Jeremy W. Forstadt