May Day Books

This novel brings you to the late 1700's and offers the drama of a modern romance with all the trials of war while in another era and country.
Twists and turns along with an easy/quick history of early Poland will keep the pages turning. Quickly went to buy the sequel before starting a new book b/c I was up in arms to find out the happenings of these compelling characters.

This book is a page-turner right from the beginning. I loved reading in this time period when men spoke to women like this (from page 23):

"See the two meadow flowers, the yellow and the violet? One is as different from the other as day from night. Yet who will say that one is more beautiful? Oh, a fool might. But only a fool... But do you know what may determine the desirability of one over the other?... The fragrance!"

Be still my heart! If you love that kind of subtle romance, you will love this book.

Anna shows such strength despite the overwhelming tragedies (one after the other) she faces in her young life. And even though she is a Countess, she is very down-to-earth and sensitive to those "under her" although it was a no-no for those of such high society. Her tenderness and innocense makes her so very likable.

The book goes back and forth between family life and what's politically going on in Poland during the late 1700s with the underlying romance throughout. You're always wondering about what will finally happen with Jan Stelnicki. At no point was this book boring!!!

I loved it.

I loved this book. There are so few novels on the market about Poland and Polish history (I don't know of any others!). This is indeed a rare find. The characters are well developed, the descriptions of locations and activities are wonderfully detailed and passionately written. The setting and content about the significant historical moments are woven in expertly. It really is a history lesson embedded in a very fast-moving and dramatic story. Yes, sometimes it may be a bit overly dramatic, but I really enjoy that rich, gossipy style. So cool that it is based on REAL journal entries. These characters come alive and will stay with you well after you are done reading. Great ending, too.

Looking forward to reading Chrimson Sky.

This book very much wanted to be Gone With the Wind, I think.

It helped to know the story was based on the actual diary a Polish countess -- especially when reading the quoted passages from her cousin's diary, as I never would have believed them otherwise. So lurid!

The story itself is very exciting and tense, but the writing simply isn't up to the story. It is a shame. i think it could have been a great historical novel/romance/thriller in the hands of the right author. Instead it seems limp and tepid, filled with silly turns of phase and under-descriptive language.

I found this historical fiction text to be absolutely enthralling! It has not only provided me with hours of enjoyable, page-turning reading, but has also given me great insight into my Polish ancestry and heritage. The strength, spirit, and heart of the Polish people--MY people--is wonderfully portrayed within the pages of this book. I'm so looking forward to receiving Mr. Martin's sequel, Against a Crimson Sky. I'm sure I'll not be disappointed!

When I decided to buy this book it was becaus I was already thinking of a career in social work. And, I must say that the book is very inspiring and insightful.

The stories come from different types of social workers, in different fields, under different circumstances, and really gives the reader a sense of what each worker goes through on a typical day.

It's also very true to the field. Since buying the book I have had the opportunity to work in social service, and the day-to0day events adn issues the workers deal with in the book are very realistic and honest.

It's definately a must-read for anyone thinking about the social work field, no matter what service or population you are thinking about working with.

I thought it was filled with useful information, considering the different fields described in each chapter. PERSONALLY, I would have liked to see even more examples, but if you're leaning towards the medical field in social work, I think this is a great way to get an idea as to what you will be dealing with.
I would recommend the book to anyone since it's always good to understand how varied the field of social work can be.

Days in the Lives of Social Workers: 54 Professionals Tell"Real-life" Stories From Social Work Practice is an absolutely must read for unexperienced social workers as for experienced social workers.
This book provides the unexperienced social worker with the duties and responsibilities that are expected of you in your chosen field of practice,as well as in other areas. It also provides the opportunity for you to judge for yourself whether you are performing duties that are expected of you in your specific practice, and allows you to compare what you are being asked to do, with what others are doing in the same practice area . Moreover, you will feel motivated to join with other associations, and to volunteer your services as a means for professional growth as you read how other social workers manage to include these activities in their days.
For the experienced social worker that might be considering changing from one specialty practice to another, this book will provide a feel for what you may encounter in your new social work job.

If you are looking for a book that gives you information about the various specialties in the social work profession, then this is a very good start. I was looking for that and now I have a much clearer view of what areas I may want to study and eventually work.

If you are thinking of pursuing a social work career, this is a VERY helpful book. REAL stories about what the jobs are like - and what jobs there are in social work. Reads very easily. Best book on the subject I have found so far.

I can't possibly add any comment that wouldn't just echo the praise already heaped upon this excellent novel which I originally read as a teen in the early sixties. With the recent remake of The Manchurian Candidate updated to current events, Seven Days In May has preyed on my mind.

Possible scenario: The U.S. Military, totally disgusted with the Iraq War's civilian leadership and the destruction of a military establishment slowly and systematically put back together after Vietnam, decides to stop the carnage and waste and do SOMETHING about it. Of course, it would only be temporary until the next elections...or maybe not. A chilling possiblity.

This gripping 1962 novel provides a stark reminder of both the Cold War and the fragility of democratic rule. President Jordan Lyman has recently signed (and the Senate approved) a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. But the treaty remains highly unpopular, and has left many in and out of the military establishment frightful of surprise attack and seething with anger. Enter General James Scott, a charismatic leader with political ambitions. President Lyman learns that General Scott may be plotting against him, but the evidence is sketchy, and Lyman doesn't want to act against a possible military coup without something closer to proof. Adding to the President's woes are his current unpopularity, his doubts as to just who is loyal, and his uncertainty as to the correct course of action. As the story unravels, we sense the President's fear as well as the ever-present threats to democratic rule, particularly in times of danger and stress.

SEVEN DAYS IN MAY is an excellent novel as relevant today as it was in the 1960's. This fast-reading book was made into a very good 1964 movie with Frederick March (President Lyman), Burt Lancaster (General Scott), Kirk Douglas, Ava Gardner, and Edmond O'Brien.

Exactly as long as it needs to be--an important thing with books--"Seven Days in May" is a riveting thriller about the totally unthinkable: a military coup d'etat in the United States Goverment. Yet, the author makes it seem possible. A very popular general, a president with the lowest rating since Truman, and a Peace Treaty that has the country and the government divided...could it trigger a popular coup? It does in this book, and it is set forth totally realistically, as if something like this REALLY could happen. We think our country is immune from this kind of Byzantine political intrigue, but it turns out that we really are no less vulnerable from breakdown than your average banana republic...at least in this book. Chilling thought isn't it? Totally awesome book, I recommend it highly.

"Seven Days in May" is an authentic classic political thriller of the first rank. Authors Baily and Knebel present a scenario in which an unpopular President is targeted by America's top military brass for an actual military takeover of the government. The story is complex, but vividly presented with an authenticity that is both disturbing and plausible. The reader is brought to understand that it could happen here, and the story suggests how such a scenario could come about in these United States.

The novel is well-written and fast-paced, never drags, and absolutely holds the reader's interest throughout. The amazing thing about the story is that every bit of it hangs together without straining the reader's sense of credulity. The novel features excellent writing, and the authors weave the plot together towards a conclusion that is startling and believable (no spoiler here).

This was a big budget movie in the 1960s featuring Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster (available on DVD) and I would very much like to see a reprint of the novel become available, as my often-read paperback copy has long since fallen to pieces from frequent readings.

I read this book on a long airplane trip, and the story was so intense it kept me glued from lift off to land down.

As the other reviewers have summarized, the plot centers around "Seven days in May" as the President of the United States and his closest aides secretly scramble to thwart a coup being planned by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The book is very fast paced, and has no "main" character. The point of view shifts from one character to another, often on opposite ends of the country, with lots of action in between. There are numerous twists and turns, but the book is never predictable or cliched.

It's also a very well-researched story, and anyone well versed in National Security and the Pentagon will be impressed at the two authors' attention to detail.

I was really amazed how un-dated this book is, despite being written in the early 60's. The authors wisely never reveal the year the story takes place, but subtle hints indicate it takes place sometime in the 70's (Kennedy is the last "real" President mentioned). When you hear the logic of some of the coup-planners you have to wonder wheter or not such a scheme has ever been secretly plotted in the past- or wheter a similar one will ever be plotted in the future. Complacency in the stability of ANY democracy can be dangerous, and the events in "Seven Days in May" certainly proves that.

This book highlights the independence that exists between the military and civilian branches of the US government, and the careful dance that the president must do to appease both sides. When it comes to matters of national security, the book raises the important question of who is ultimately responsible. Should the constitution always be respected, even when the safety of the nation is in danger? Does the military have the right to surpass the president if he is acting in a manner that will endanger the country? Does the president deserve to have his role as "Commander in Chief"?

In this era of terrorism and uncertainty, these are all very relevant questions to ask. This book, especially the ending, answers these, and many others, brilliantly.

The May Day Murders kept me in suspense all throughout the story. Like Wittenburg's first novel, the characters are believable and the reader is drawn into the story from the very beginning. The small town setting in the Midwest was a great setting for such an edgy thriller/mystery! I highly recommended this mystery novel!!!

This is truly one of the best murder mysteries I've ever read! Right from the start, I was drawn in to this story and couldn't put it down! I highly reccommend Wittenburg's novel to anyone who likes an intriguing mystery with characters you can relate to (and fear)!

A really good mystery/thriller full of great tension. As in Katherine's Prophecy, Wittenburg paints the environment nicely with his visually-inspired writing style. Impossible not to get caught up in the story. Hard to put down.

I consider this novel a great contemporary work of mystery - a jewel in the treasure which such a genre is.
The plot of a mystery novel is probably the most important part of it - and here Mr Wittenburg provides the reader with a hard but coherent puzzle of events which is always thanked. But the plot is nothing without characters, and characterization is what I appreciate the most in this book. The author has given their characters a realistic psychological depth - even subject of a comparison with Jung's archetypes - and that is what makes the reader enjoy it. We can easily identify ourselves with the fictional people of the book, and I would say that Sam Middleton has much of autobiographic.
Doubtless, this novel is something that the fan of mystery literature will enjoy.

Rafael Pascual.
Granada, Andalusia, Spain.

The Lost Days is not an easy read, but if you are interested in solving the mysteries of the human mind and the mystery of Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926, The Lost Days is a very satisfying experience. Author Owens, a therapist, has done a very interesting thing, she has taken Agatha on as a client and the therapy session solves a seventy-year-old mystery as no one else ever has including the great Queen of Mysteries, Agatha herself.

The queen of mystery biggest mystery was her own. It was incredible to me to find out that Agetha had a mystery of her own that she could not solve. Doctor Owens approach to solving Agetha's mystery was fascinating and a real page turner. It was the most uniqe books I've ever read. Using Agetha history and passages from her books to coherently solve a previously unsolved mystery was a stroke of brillance. Dr. Owens takes us on an intelletual ride that keeps you interested from the first to the last page. The solution was so satisfing that I felt 100% confident that the ultiment mystery was finally solved. YOU WILL HAVE TO READ IT FOR YOURSELF TO BE LET IN ON THE SECRET! The solution and writting is something that Augetha would be proud to have authored herself 5 STARS!

I was surprised to find out that Ms. Christie herself had a mystery surrounding her disappearance in 1926, so I was interested to find this book. But I would have called it, "The Agatha and the Ecstasy."

It's too bad the All-Star reader series is no longer being published. This line of books is one the best tools I have found to help my children when they are starting to read. They have interesting story lines, but with enough easy "sight" words to encourage the new reader to keep going. The star stickers they get to put in the front of the book each time they read it, is a great incentive, and gives them a feeling of accomplishment. What a great idea to put the reward chart right in the book! Then in the back every time they know a new word from the story, they can color in an empty star beside the word (every word is there). Can't beat this series for giving a child positive feedback and interesting beginning stories they can read. Good colorful illustrations help to keep their interest in the story too!

I have searched and searched for the just the right books for my kindergartner. This series of books have been perfect. This book has a very good story, which has been hard to find in beginning reader books. It also has a reward for reading the book, evey time you read it you put a gold star (which are provided with the book) on the inside front cover. This has been a great incentive for my son to read the book and read it again. The words are just on the level of a beginning reader but it also has a very good story.

There is a movie of this real life event.

"Quattro giornate di Napoli" was made in 1962

Getting a copy of it however is the hard part. It does occasionally play on Turner Classic Movies which is how I knew that there was a film version.

FYI!

I first read this book many years ago as a child and fell in love with it's inspirational young characters. It trully is a terrific story of what one man can do regardless of size or age. Four Days of Napels is a true story of four boys, ages 18, 17, 13 and 12 years old who defeat the German Army in Naples in only four days. Afterwards, and for their incredible courage, each boy was awarded the Italian equivalent of the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, the Medaglia d'Oro. You can't beat this story for action, drama, and spirit. It's great to finaly have these cassettes available as the book has been out of print for many years. Now, if only someone would turn this incredible story into a movie for all the kids of today, what a childhood dream come true it would be.

Thius collection of essays is an invaluable tool for all serious students of the Book of Mormon, focusing on King Benjamin's farewell speech as contained in Mosiah 1-6 of the text, such as providing exegesis of certain pericope and showing the ancient background of the speech, such as the speech's roots in ancient kingship rituals.

In chapter 4, "Benjamin's Sermon as Traditional Ancient Farewell Address" by John W. Welch and Daryl R. Hague, shows that King Benjamin's farewell address may qualify as the best existing example of an ancient farewell speech rooted in early biblical tradition. Non-LDS scholar William S. Kurz has examined numerous ancient farewell speeches and identified 20 elements that appear commonly (no one speech has all 20). Sixteen of the elements are directly present in Benjamin's speech, and two others are implied. No other ancient farewell speech has a greater number of these elements. Further, Benjamin's speech is well focused on the most important elements typical of Old Testament traditions.

Overall, this book provides very stong evidence conducive to the ancient roots of the Book of Mormon volume, something that Joseph Smith could not possibly have hoped for if it were all a fraud.

High recommended.

That Ye May Learn Wisdom is the best commentary so far available for this incredible speech. It provides information from a variety of topics: the temple, coronation, widsom literature, doctrine and also a chapter on the use of King Benjamin's speech in the words of the latter-day prophets and apostles. An invaluable resource on those seeking a more scholarly look at the LDS scriptures.

When the late, great May Sarton was still with us...perhaps we had a treasure many took for granted. Here was a warrior woman from the early 20th century and throughout its many generations-of-changes, who made up her mind to go-it-alone as a literary artist helping to define for millions of people world-wide - what it means to be truly courageous and never surrender. We waited for each extraordinarily unique new journal to help us make it day to day. Not like many junk journals today but a true artistic genre ("Journal of a Solitude") in the tradition of the great Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield, and Dorothy Wordsworth. While critics disagreed as to the merit of her poetry, and novels, the people loved them - and like the spectacular Opera singer Andrea Bocelli - one cannot argue with demand that exceeds supply on a scale that skews the formulas and confounds the brains of bean counters everywhere. I, for one, hope and pray that May Sarton's incredible body of work will never be forgotten, and this astonishingly gorgeous book is a testament to her life and work and will stand as a great work of art to either start or end...in remembering that it is always worth the price to be valiant, true, passsionate and NEVER SURRENDER!

Read it. Explore these words and you will see that in all your life she can set you free. also...I have had a quote in my head for some time...can anyone tell me if May Sarton wrote this?... ...she became for me an island of light, fun and wisdom, where I could run with my discoveries, torments and hopes and always find welcome...

This is a book about the magickal use of the Medicine Wheel, or Circle Magick as it's sometimes called. It is centered not only on the common type of Medicine Wheel--the one we make and hang up--but also on creating a ceremonial space using a medicine wheel circle. In addition to the clear and easy-to-follow information, the authors have included a packet of Medicine Wheel cards with every book. It's a must-have for every magickal library

Medicine Wheel Ceramonies is a great introduction to the ancient Medicine Wheel Circle. The authors have done their homework here, and I was able to set up and execute my own circle very quickly while maintaining an understanding and appreciation for the traditional Medicine Circle. I immediatly felt the effects of this powerful medium. I use it weekly, and have expanded it to include family members. It is truly good medicine. The energy that that one can use for good is really powerful, and I recommend it to all those who wish to bring good medicine to their own lives, and this world in general.