O Books

This book was very good. I saw more of Rachel and Moshe and less of the characters that I didn't like, the would-be-murderer David Meyer for example. I also was introduced to Leah and Shimon Feldstein who later play an important role in the prequal series Zion Covenant. There is a lot of senseless killing in this book and anti-Semitism from the British. Some of the scenes made me so angry that I swore off this series for a while and went on to the Zion Covenant which I could understand better. I didn't complete the Chronicles until later when I checked sound recordings of the last three novels out of the library. These books are supposed to create anger; the author accomplishes that very well. I don't know as much about the Israeli question, about Zionism, as I do WWII. My lack of knowledge made it difficult to know the "good guys" from the "bad guys," but one thing was very clear: innocent people do get killed because of the actions of a few, and that is the real tragedy. A reader sees an age old conflict in an earlier stage and can judge for himself if any progress has been made.

I was really surprised to see how much prostitution is despised amongst the Jews. Rachel was forced into it to save her life, and everyone hates her for it, except for a few. I really sympathized with her and hoped she would find happiness in the end.

Excellent and fast service.
Love all the Zion series by Brock & Bodie Thoene
1. A Daughter of Zion

I had to write this review to encourage people to read these books. I discovered them during exam time in my second year of Uni and can't believe I managed to pass my exams when I read each book non stop over four days. Truly exception books and an inspirational writer. I have never been so deeply effected by a novel before.

David, Ellie, Rachel, Moshe en Ehud, Shimon and Leah komen vaak voor in het boek. Ook Gerard is een hoofd persoon, maar niet echt de leukste. Rachel en Moshe die trouwen, nadat er ongelooflijk veel gebeurd is.

Never have I come across a better author. Bodie Theone (tay-nee) is truly amazing. These books are full of drama. It's like the characters became my friends. When I finished the series, It felt as though I lost some good friends. I really don't know if I could be as entertained, enlightened and fulfilled by reading anything else after reading this series. Originally I was checking the series out one at a time from the library. But when I realized I'd finally found something I couldn't put down, I figured I better buy the whole series. I have never bought books before, because I've never found anything worthy of being read more than once. I was just so compelled and I want to share her writings with all my friends and family. She's spectacular. So is anything written by her husband Brock, who helps her co-write everything. It's almost like watching a movie, because there are so many plots intertwined. I was shocked to read the epilogue in RETURN TO ZION. You'll have to find out for yourself. Just don't start reading in the middle of the series. If I could never read another authors works but one it would be the Theone's. - Megan Villa

Great book. I like that fact that it is laid out like a dictionary (By Topic) and not in commentary style.

Contains a wealth of solid and in-depth information aimed at scholars and educated lay persons. Articles are well written (and can be a bit dense), very informative, and contain a select bibliography for further study. An indispensible tool for any serious student of the Bible.

This is an awesome library. Jesus is everywhere in the OT. I hope to get the entire collection. Amazon is great and ships to military folk anywhere in the world with free shipping! This is a great buy.

This dictionary on the Pentateuch was very helpful in getting a historical perspective of these five books in the Old Testament. It added to my understanding of the books and individual passages, as well.

This would be an excellent resource for anyone engaging with the minimalists in regard to the historicity of Ancient Israel.

Here's the description and praises from the back of the book cover:

The first five books of the Old Testament lay the foundation on which the rest of Scripture stands. Its great themes, epochal events and towering figures set down vectors on which the biblical story is played out. The very shape of the rest of the Old Testament would collapse were the Penteteuch to be removed. The structure of New Testament thought would be barely intelligible without it.

Here we meet the great ancestral figures of Israel--Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--and the towering figure of Moses, whose presence dominates four of these five books. The creative act of God, the paradisal garden, the exile of Adam and Eve, the judgment of the great flood, the call of Abraham from among the nations, the covenant of Abraham, the exodus from Egypt, the giving of the law at Sinai, the plan of the tabernacle, the varied experiences of Israel in the wilderness, and the announcement of the covenant blassings and curses--all of these and more contribute to a work of world-formative power. This dictionary explores the major themes and contours of the Pentateuch.

Behind and beneath the grandeur of the Pentateuch, issues of historicity have both puzzled and beckoned. But wheras in the mid-twentieth century many English-speaking scholars were confident of archaeological support for the patriarchal accounts, the climate has now changed. In the most extreme cases, some contemporary scholars have radically challenged the antiquity of the ancestral stories, arguing for their final composition even as late as the Hellenistic era. This dictionary examines and weighs the historical issues and poses possible solutions.

The documentary hypothesis, the former reigning critical consensus, is now widely rumored to be on life support, with no heir apparent. Meanwhile, conservative scholars reconsider what indeed a claim to Mosaic authorship should entail. This dictionary offers an assessment of the array of questions surrounding these issues and considers some possible ways forward for evangelical scholarship.

At the same time, there has been a fruitful turning to the nature, message and art of the received text of the Pentateuch. Literary studies of brief episodes, sprawling sagas, complex narrative and even the fivefold composition of the Pentateuch itself have delivered promising and exciting results. This dictionary offers both appreciative panoramas and close-up assessments of these developments and their methods.

The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch is the first in a four-volume series covering the text of the Old Testament. Following in the tradition of the four award-winning IVP dictionaries focused on the New Testament and its background, this encyclopedic work is characterized by close attention to the text of the Old Testament and the ongoing conversation of contemporary scholarship. In exploring the major themes and issues of the Pentateuch, editors T. Desmond Alexander and David W.Baker, with an international and expert group of scholars, inform and challenge through authoritative overviews, detailed examinations and new insights from the world of the ancient Near East.

"The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch contains a wealth of important information for all students of this foundational portion of Scripture. The articles are all written by leading scholars in the field under the guidance of two preeminent Old Testament interpreters well known for their own work on the Pentateuch. This dictionary is not only informative but also readable. I highly recommend it."
Tremper Longman III, Westmont College

"I like the idea of a Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, and the decision to focus on major topics is well judged. There is a great deal of very useful discussion and analysis in the volume. It should open up the study of the Pentateuch in new ways for many a reader, and I welcome the project most warmly."
Robert P. Gordon, University of Cambridge

"By focusing on a single main section of Scripture, the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch allows for greater scope and in-depth handling of individual topics. Well researched and comprehensive in treatment, it will be a good addition to the library of students, pastors, scholars and laypeople."
Christopher R. Seitz, University of St Andrews

I must agree with the above reviews. I picked up this memoir on a remainder table a year or so ago. I started it but put it down. I suppose I was not in the mood for it. Thankfully, it turned up in a pile somewhere a few days ago and I find myself absolutely engaged. I studied Frank O'Hara in college and always admired his matter-of-fact attitude toward his being gay (or queer as the term was then). JL's book reconfirms that point. O'Hara never was the doomed queen, a persona so common for that time (Tennessee Williams being the reigning royalty of that court). JL, it appears, had the same attitude toward his homosexuality: it simply was his preference. Beyond the queer studies angle, JL brings a wonderfully engaging voice to his memoir. It is, by turns, poetic, conspiratorial, wistful, humorous. So if you want to know more about O'Hara and his circle, read this book

Joe LeSueur's memoir of his friend and companion, is a truly illuminating portrait of the artist. What makes these digressions so rich and rewarding for the reader, is the unique perspective LeSueur is able to bring to this material. These are LeSueur's memories of experiences and events shared with O'Hara and their myriad of friends and acquaintances. I found this book to be compelling, intimate and inspiring (indeed, "Lunch Poems" and "Selected Poems" were never too far out of reach, and both read from cover to cover). By virtue of having been a participant or, at the very least having been an eye witness to the events depicted, LeSueur has captured not just a time and place, but the essence of a cherished friend. I found myself reading slowly, savoring each passage. By the end of the book I felt I had really gotten to know O'Hara and his circle of friends, and found myself in tears as I read the last few pages. LeSueur's memoir is a tribute to Frank O'Hara as both an artist and a beloved friend.

At Frank O'Hara's funeral, composer Virgil Thomsom turned to the poet's longtime friend Joe LeSueur and said, "Baby, I hope you kept a journal." Though clearly not drawing upon stale journal entries, LeSueur's memoir of his relationship with O'Hara (which survived the vicissitudes of its ever-changing status...friends to lovers to friends, etc.) is a nice blend of personal memories and feverish impromptu research (Brad Gooch's biography seems to have been ever at his elbow). LeSueur is neither vindictive nor pointlessly benign. He truly understood and appreciated O'Hara's central position in the explosion of art that was happening in New York in the 50s and 60s. Unlike Ginsberg and the Beat poets, O'Hara was equally at ease among literary folk, musicians, and painters (especially the abstract expressionists). To read about O'Hara is to read about the greatness of post-war New York.

DIGRESSIONS is actually helpful, too. Because O'Hara often adopted a casual, off-hand, personal approach when writing his poems, it is great to have someone who was intimate with the poet to explain "who's who" and "what's what." LeSueur, however, is equally comfortable admitting when he's baffled by an O'Hara reference, and explanations (and reminiscences) are never forced.

One other thing--DIGRESSIONS is an enlightening portrait of gay life in New York prior to the Stonewall riots. O'Hara and LeSueur were both openly gay, though they had quite different approaches to meeting their sexual needs. O'Hara seems to have had fewer partners, usually choosing them from his circle of friends and aquaintances. LeSueur seemed to favor one-night stands and casual sex. Perhaps this difference is one reason their friendship continued long after their sexual intimacy ended. If only LeSueur had lived long enough to write DIGRESSIONS ON GAY LIFE BEFORE STONEWALL.

This is a remarkable book. If you ever loved Frank O'Hara's poetry, the book is really a necessity. It gives personal reminiscences about the writing of some of the famous poems: 'The day Lady died', 'A true account of talking to the Sun...', etc. It brings many of the more obscure and personal poems into remarkable focus. It also illumines many of names and references that appear throughout the poems. All of this from probably the closest witness to O'Hara's life, creative and otherwise. For these reasons, it is a quite an unusual treasure.

But beyond its usefulness to O'Hara's poetry, the book is the story of a friendship. And an account of a special time in American arts and letters - told from one of the members at the party. LeSueur's presence in O'Hara's life might have been partly due to charm and good lucks (which he discusses), but that apparently never stopped him from being important to O'Hara. (The famous 'Lunch Poems' is dedicated to him.) We are fortunate that he was a careful observer and was blessed with a remarkable memory. Apparently he died shortly before the book was published, which is poignant, because the book is also a tribute to LeSueur's life, and a celebration.

Joe LeSueur has provided the cultural history of American arts in the mid-20th Century with this seamlessly interesting and informative inside perspective on the important role of Frank O'Hara - poet, art critic, champion of the visual, musical, and literary arts par excellence. DIGRESSIONS ON SOME POEMS BY FRANK O'HARA is not only a clever and viable means to writing a memoir: it provides insights into the growingly important works of O'Hara who some are now ranking as the 20th century version of Walt Whitman as Poet of the City. While many of the poems introducing each chapter are well known to us, it is the window to the world of O'Hara's life and times that is so well served by Joe LeSueur's writing. Frank O'Hara was bonded with such luminaries as Willem de Kooning, Elaine de Kooning, Larry Rivers, Joan Mitchell, Jackson Pollock, Grace Hartigan, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Lincoln Kirsten, WH Auden, Kenneth Koch - the list is endless. O'Hara was a behind the scenes observor, never hogging the limelight and in fact avoiding it, always with his keen eye on good art, good music, good writing, and always turning out poems that only now are being read seriously by the general public. Joe LeSueur live with O'Hara, joining O'Hara in his flagrantly 'Out' gay life, hobnobbing with all the other gay artists of his time in a way that makes him the recorder of that important preStonewall age, a time when even the giants such as Aaron Copeland, Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, etc were closeted. At times LeSueur borders on the gossipy side, but that only enhances his subject. What we are left with here is a wonderfully composed tribute to a great artist and supporter of the arts. The overall effect of this book is monumental, and at the same time exceedingly conversational. Very Highly Recommended.

This book has enriched my life. I have bought several copies to gift to friends and loved ones. It contains an empowering message of what we can be and accomplish with and through God in our lives.

For any Christian who is stuck in a rut, this is a good book to read. It gives some spiritual and practical advice about finding your own niche. Doing the written exercises will give you a great starting off point to make changes in your life.

This book rises above all those other "get what you want in life" books because it is Biblically sound. It is a well-organized, easily understood and practical guide for identifying the passions in one's life and how to channel them the right way. Read it and be motivated! The only problem? Something outside the book: like the old adage says, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink," so with this book you need to read it and then take action.

I have to agree with Marc from Pennsylvania below. This is one of the most important books ever written for Christians--it deserves a much wider reputation than it has thus far.

In 1997, I turned 40. My father had just lost his final battle with cancer, and I was questioning my career direction. I'd read Kathy Peel's "Do Plastic Surgeons Take Visa?" and loved how she combined humor with practical suggestions for coping with everyday life--and I especially loved her story about how she went from being a housewife to a woman with a speaking and writing ministry. That story is repeated in "Discover Your Destiny" and it alone would be worth the price of the book. But there's MUCH more. Chapter by chapter, they talk about everything from discovering your dreams and passions, to preparing yourself physically, spiritually, and practically to embark on your next step. There are three great lists that I used not only with myself, but now with my students: "Spotting a Dream from God," "Preparing for Your Dream (this one is great--very practical and powerful at the same time) and the Growth Op for discovering what you're passionate about (For example, what issues make you pound the table and say, "Someone's got to do something about this?")

It was through doing the work in this book that I realized what was missing in my own everyday work--the career counseling component. These last five years I've attended professional meetings, bought books, gone out of my way to work on things related to what I wanted to do. And. . .oh, yes. . .I prayed. OFTEN. It took time. . .but when I finally helped create a position last year that combined academic advising with career counseling, it was the RIGHT time. I was truly ready to do the work. Even a year ago, I wouldn't have been ready.

This WORKS. Though I cannot proselytize on the job, I can certainly use the principles outlined by the Peels as the foundation for how I live and how I help others do what their book did for me.

This one is another one of my desert island books. Five stars are NOT enough!

It's revolutionized the way I live from day to day. The Peels have masterfuuly written a book that catapults the dreams in your heart while showing you how to practically live them out each and every day. Besides, it's loaded with quotes from major players in history who have reached their maximum, God-given potential. I recommend this book those who are worthy of it!

In A Doctor's Life: Unique Stories, Dr. William Close draws upon his many years of practice to present the reader with invaluable insights into compassionate care giving in today's high-tech world of medicine. A medical memoir sharing cameos drawn from fifty years as a practicing physician and surgeon in New York's "Hell's Kitchen", sixteen years in Africa's brutal and chaotic Congo, and as a country doctor in rural Wyoming, these vignettes and observations include a broad spectrum of patients and notable characters ranging from African leaders to oil field roustabouts, casualties of civil war in the Congo to older people in rural Wyoming reaching the end of their lives at home. A Doctor's Life is highly recommended reading as both an autobiography and as a persuasive testament that compassion and courtesy are as important as scientific excellent when working for the benefit of patients and the advancement of the medical profession.

An elephant in the maternity ward? A carpenter's brace and bit to drill a hole in the cranium? The "Urine Man" at the Presbyterian Home for Women? Oh, and much more! Here is the story of a doctor who, using the most primitive of equipment, performed a host of procedures in this African outback so far removed from high tech medicine as most of us know it today. From the often violent, always political machinations of civil authorities in the African Congo to the quiet complacency of a small Wyoming community . . . from the hectic internship in New York to the broad expanse of the western plains . . . it's all there. A Doctor's Life is the embodiment of the tragic, the hilarious, the truly compassionate. This is a trilogy in one book: New York, Africa, Wyoming -- an exciting, wonderfully human account of Dr. William Close and his keen insight into, not just the world of medicine, but the human condition -- witty, inspiring and stunningly true to life.

My main complaint with "A Doctor's Life: Unique Stories" is that I wish there was more. In this book Dr. Close shares many unique and moving stories from his medical practice in New York, Congo/Zaire, and Wyoming. His stories from his time in Africa are especially interesting to me. In the pre-independence Belgian Congo he worked first as a hospital surgeon in Kinshasa, then in independent Zaire, as President Mobutu's personal physician. From his perspective as a physician he sees the end of colonialism in central Africa, and the beginning of the chaos of independent Zaire. One very touching story is that of his domestic security guard, an elderly veteran of WWII, whose wish is for a doctor to see his dying wife, just so he can tell his grandchildren that she was seen by a doctor before she died. The chapters about Mobutu depict a man very different than is typically seen in print; apparently even dictators have their good side. This book is recommended to anyone who is interested in medicine or Africa. [Note: most of this book is the same as the out-of-print "A Doctor's Story"; the newer version has two new chapters and photographs.]

If you aspire to be a physician--not just any physician, but a good one--these memoirs should be required reading. I first read these stories in manuscript form as a medical student, and they became the template for my professional life. As Doc told me in my last year of medical school: "Let med school teach you the science of medicine; I'll show you the art." And he did, through his life and through these very stories. For as physicians, we are trained to guard our professional boundaries, to not get involved in the lives of patients, and to equate curing with healing. Dr. Close's encounters, chronicled in this very readable first-person account, prove that's not always the best medicine. In "Tata Felix," he exposes with candor, warmth, and humility the foibles of his own humanity and demonstrates how powerful (and often overlooked)a simple act de presence can be. In his Wyoming anecdotes, he convincingly shows that while knowledge without compassion may cure, it doesn't always heal. The stories are well-written, the real-life characters vivid in your mind's eye, and you feel like you are there with him in Africa and in Big Piney. Most of the stories leave you with the distinct impression that here was one of those sublime moments in life when you learned something profound about what it really means to be a doctor. This book is, in essence, an impassioned plea to physicians everywhere to not assume the mantle of medicine lightly nor haughtily, but to wear it in humility and reverence, even perhaps with awe, remembering that they are called not to be served, but to serve.

"A Doctor's Life; Unique Stories" is a gripping, funny and touching real life depiction of the odyssey of Dr. William T. Close, with a description of his career as a surgeon and physician in New York, Africa and a small Wyoming town called Big Piney. His experiences speak humbly of an individual who is a humanitarian and a practical idealist, who exhibits a deep commitment to his fellow human beings, regardless of their circumstance.

But there's more! This book goes well beyond a collection of stories about a remarkable man's life. The messages illustrated in the descriptions of the patients Dr. Close encounters refocus attention on the human side of medicine. Dr. Close effectively reminds individuals working in the medical field that it is the patient whose health crisis brings the medical team together with the multiple goals of understanding the pathophysiology of disease, the delivery of optimal expert treatment and compassionate care. The patient, Dr. Close teaches us, is more than a disease, more than `a case to be plugged into a treatment protocol'.

This respect for human life is evident in the stories of his practice of rural medicine in Big Piney, Wyoming. Dr. Close describes spending the time necessary for good care and seeing many patients in their homes, especially at the end of their lives.

The messages in this book will inspire many who practice nursing and medicine to approach the care of their patients with expertise and compassion, for the sake of the patient, and for the optimum experience as a healer. Potential patients will yearn for the kind of patient/doctor relationship that Dr. Close's patients enjoy.

"A Doctor's Life; Unique Stories" is a celebration of an approach to life and fellow humans that is dedicated, passionate and honorable. Everyone who reads this book will be inspired and entertained.

How can you not love a dog that drives, speaks French, and makes a mean macaroni and cheese? Once again, Fergus and his human Mel engage in a battle of wits and will. Naturally, Fergus comes out on top. (Don't blame Mel though -- he's only human.) This volume is actually my favorite of the three, mainly because it contains a sequence of strips en Francais. It's truly classic. (I think I still have the original newspaper strips somewhere.) There's also a good bit about Cuddles the Cat exploring his inner tomcat, leather jacket and all. All in all, I say buy this book and Vive les Weenies!

Searching the net for dogs in cartoons and comics, I stumbled on Fergus and Mel - and fell in love with them immediately. So I rushed to Amazon and bought the 3 "Citizen Dog" available books, and boy -- what a joy!

Fergus and company do entertain, with clever writing and appealing characters. Mel *is* dog's best friend; he and pal Fergus always are having fun together, like two children in a toy store. At the same time, they have their fights with each other. All in all, it always make you smile.

And although being a dog person, I cannot help from saying that Cuddles (AKA Claws, the culturally ambiguous cat) has become one of my favorite comic characters ever. Maybe because he is a little bit naive, and not so egoistical and mean like cats use to be... (sorry for that!). I also like Arlo and Bruno.

Forgot Snoopy and Garfield, folks; it's "Citizen Dog" time now. Way to go, Mark O'Hare!

Funnier than the first book? I found it hard to believe, but it's absolutely true! And while these books hold a special place for pet owners, everyone can relate to the humourous insights on everyday life.

Citizen Dog is one of THE best comic strip of the 90's. It's clever, witty, and downright funny. A great book.

The "Citizen Dog" comic strip was one of the best ever. Mark O'Hare has a delightfully wicked sense of humor and he brings such life and animation to his characters. You don't have to be a dog lover to appreciate Fergus, the smart-mouthed dog in this series ... or the lovable antics of his owner, Mel. Get a taste for the comic strip at: http://www.ucomics.com/citizendog/.

Unfortunately, Mark O'Hare is no longer creating new Citizen Dog strips, so all we have left is these fabulous books. There are three in the series:
1) Citizen Dog: The First Collection [ISBN: 0836251865]
2) Dog's Best Friend: More Citizen Dog Reflections [ISBN: 0836267516]
3) D is for Dog [ISBN: 0740704575]

Buy two of each ... because someone's gonna want your copy!
Happy reading!

I enjoyed this book, but thought it could be a little bit longer. I liked the part where Freeza got sliced up by his own energy disk. The best warrior in the universe did suicide!!! It was fun reading for any Dragon Ball Z fans.

Mirai no Trunks, or Future Trunks, shows up in the new DBZ volume, making the coolest character debut in any anime or manga in existence! The Frieza saga finally ends, and the Androids/Cell saga begin with this volume, as Trunks gives Goku a warning of danger(ps, that's also the title of a DBZ song). So, the Z-senshi, including Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Yamcha, and Chaozu, who all come back from the dead in this volume, train for three years. What will they face?! Will the training be enough? Find out, as the sequel to the original DB Red Ribbon Army story begins!

Freeza has escaped Namek and is coming to Earth. With Goku not back from Namek yet, the Z-fighters know that things are hopeless, yet they decide to die fighting. Our heroes are in more trouble than they thought. Another power, strong like Freeza's is coming to earth. It is Freeza's father, King Cold. Will Goku come back to a planet riddled with destruction?

As the Z-fighters believe that it is truly hopeless now, a mysterious boy wearing a Capsule Corporation jacket comes from nowhere to challenge Freeza and King Cold. What is he thinking? The only way he can have a chance is by turning into a Super Saiyan, and there is no way that can happen. Whoops. Spoke too soon. Trunks has turned into a Super Saiyan. As the heroes rejoice to the defeat of the evil in the universe, it is cut short by the boy's prediction of doom. The Red Ribbon Androids want revenge against Goku for stopping the plans for world domination held by the Red Ribbon Army (see Dragon Ball 5-8).
Can three years of training be enough to stop the Androids that destroyed Trunks' timeline?

This book,(like the other 11 before it) is amazing. However their is one bad thing about this book... it's the last one that I need to complete my set because after this book, all of the rest of them are in shonen jump (which I also highly recommend). So now that I have 1-12 I have decided to start reading dragonball. If Dragonball is ANYTHING like the Dragonball Z manga then it must be amazing. All there is else to say is congratulations Akira Toriyama for such an amazing creation!

This might be my favorite DBZ manga yet since Trunks is my favorite character. It starts when Freiza's gets cut in half and Goku nearly escapes Planet Nameks distruction. After that Frezia appears with King Cold. Just in time Trunks shows up and destroys Freiza and his father. Goku comes back and Trunks tells him that he came from the future and about the androids. Read it! The manga is much better than the TV show.

This is an excellent travel/ food book- A great gift for anyone traveling in the Northeast.

Guides like this can often give too little detail or too much, but in this book, the author gives the perfect amount of information about every location. Each ice cream parlor's individual style, history and unique offerings are expressed succinctly, but so well that you feel you really know the place.

The descriptions of the ice cream flavors make you want to try every one mentioned (except maybe the horseradish). You can tell the author has personally visited and sampled the wares and her descriptions make it easy for you to decide if it is a place you would enjoy.

I am planning a trip North in two weeks and I am definitely visiting several of the places mentioned. The book is well-organized and well-written. Location, hours, directions, etc. are at the top of each page. There are interesting bits of ice cream trivia interspersed.

Great choice for food and travel lovers!

This book is so fun and full of great information. It is an excellent gift idea for ice-cream loving friends and family.

The author has done her homework, detailing and distinguishing the nature of the scoop at supreme shops in the East. What elevates this read to something beyond mere (if yummy and useful) information is the elan' of the writing. The author has a knack for language and a very good ear for fresh prose to describe those fresh ingredients. A congenial and well done mix of sleuthing, road trip, and encyclopedia of blissful frozen treats. An enjoyable read!

I love having a happy belly and "East Coast Scoops" sure tickled my tummy! Each entry is imformative and unique. My belly concurs with Ms. Steintrager's assesment of Christina's in Cambridge. I was lucky enough to sample their fares twice during a cold and snowy winter trip (that should tell you something)! A trip to New York is in my future and I can't wait to try the lychee ice cream at the China Town Ice Cream factory, the Meyer lemon at Otto Enoteca Pizzeria, Lola's mint chocolate lace at Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, the concrete jungle at the Shake Shack, and the vanilla chocolate chunk at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory - to start with. I guess I better plan a longer trip and lots of walking! Please send Ms. Steintrager down to the deep South next. We could use a Deep South Scoops!

"EAST COAST SCOOPS" is a beautiful publication in every way. The text is especially well written, the photography, quality layout and information combine to make "Scoops" a real gem.
It is a FIRST CLASS publication, and for those of us who try to move through life delighting in "a scoop of this and a scoop of that" it's both a treasure and a pleasure to enjoy reading (and dreaming) as well as to frequent the sites that are included.
I'll be visiting in NYC (Chelsea)in late summer, and I already fantasize about "ginger creme brule'" at Ronnybrook Farm Dairy at the Chelsea Market.

The reflections in this book are of the nature that they may bring comfort for a long time. Sometimes I read many of them, sometimes just one or two. Sometimes the reflections and Bible passages help me to grieve, sometimes they help me to rejoice that my son is with our Lord.

Of the 8 or 10 books I bought or was given after the death of our son, this is one of the two that I find the most helpful (the other being - When Hello Means Goodbye, which is more for right away).

We have lost 3 babies in our family. Our dreams of great futures were gone with them. We were desperate to find comfort. This book is healing and helpful to ease the pain.
I am grateful that I discovered this book. I also recommend Write From Your Heart, A Healing Grief Journal.
It really is necessary to "work" through grief.
May you all find peace and comfort.

This is a very good book to give comfort to the grieving after the loss of a pregnancy or baby. The agonized reflections of grieving parents are coupled with scriptural references (some from the Catholic bible). The pages of the bible have much comfort for the afflicted, and the references here are coupled beautifully with the reflections of parents who have suffered. This book offers hope, comfort and encouragement for the bereaved.

As grieving parents, both my husband and I found these reflections very timely. It's the kind of book you can pick up and read for one minute or one hour, depending on your mood and current needs. It is definitely a Christian-based book...each reflection is followed by a scripture pertaining to the idea presented in the reflection. However, as non-Christians, we loved the stories themselves. They put so eloquently into words the many conflicting feelings we are having after the death of our son. I highly recommend this book to others who have suffered a similar loss.

I lost my son 3 years ago and I can still open this book and find peace. I would buy this book for anyone who has lost their baby. The emotions felt are placed side by side with words of scripture. It is as if God is helping you through your emotions. My husband's Aunt got this for us right after our son died. It helped me then and it continues to help me now.

I have the version which did not have the new added tips, so do not ask me how the newer edition is.
But the "old" edition is very, very good. It gave me many, many tips for solving problems I had with excel. And it helped me become the excel expert at my previous employer.

Do not use this book as a study guide, because it is not that. It contains hacks for several different types of problems.

Excel Hacks is extremely useful for anyone who works with MS Excel frequently. From the moment you open the book, or just page through it, you can pick up on so many useful tips that may not be apparent even in formal classes or after years of use. Having had both formal classes and spent years creating spreadsheets used in production environments, Excel Hacks has helped me improve my spreadsheet knowledge.

I've been preparing financial and statistical models in Excel for about 13 years, and I found the Hawley's book to be well written and organized. Unlike 2004's Excel Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools, this book covers how you can use Excel 2007 more effectively.

Disclaimer: I'm not a fan of Excel 2007 and its new layout and shortcuts, but this book is more useful than anything I've come across.

There are over 100 tips and tricks ranging from relatively simple for the novice user to reasonably complex for the power user. I've found myself going back to it again and again...and it's become the most dog-eared book on my shelf.

It does the best job of any book I've seen of truly explaining Pivot Tables as well as complex database functions.

Whether you're just getting started with Excel or whether you are a power-user (I generally fit into the power-user category), there is something for everyone!

I strongly recommend this book and give it my highest rating!

Users of the Excel program who want to move from beginning to intermediate levels without hours of study will find this handbook of over a hundred 'hacks' invaluable, offering tools and resources perfect for handling information, worksheets, and data analysis tasks. Hack formulas and functions show how to use macros and other shortcuts to maximum effectiveness, making this a fine reference for not only college-level libraries strong in Excel resources, but for general interest lending collections where patrons use computers for business purposes.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch