K Books

What a great idea for a book. I had loads of fun reading it (and reading it out loud to family members) during the holidays. We all thought that our family was the strangest, but, boy were we wrong! This book also helped give us tips on how to deal with the ornery ones in our family, too. Helpful and fun. What more could you want?

I haven't finished the book yet but there are clearly a few stories that stand out among the rest. Some were so entertaining & frank, you can't help but laugh. There's a story in this book for everyone because we've all been there!

This book is so much fun, and it's also packed with good advice & suggestions. My sides still hurt from laughing! I bought several copies--they'll be great holiday gifts this year!

Being in the funny business myself, I'm a tough sell, but this kept me nodding throughout -- nodding in agreement, not nodding off. I wanted to send the book to my own family members, but then make Thanksgiving would be even more awkward. Thanks, Evelyn and Pam (editors), for compiling this treasure of stories. Even if I do have to keep them to myself.

What a wonderful series of books, especially the Family Visits. With family coming to visit numerous times in the next two months, I will be chuckling much more than in the past remembering the stories in this particular book.
I highly recommend these stories for personal use and to give as holiday gifts.

The battle of Cedar Mountian was fought in early August, 1862. The battle took place just south of Culpeper, Virginia along present day highway 15. Cedar Mountain was a prelude to the battle of Second Manassas. Robert K. Krick has done an excellent job of bringing this battle to light. As in all of Krick's books, the research is outstanding and the story well told. This was not one of Jackson's best performances on the field of battle, and Krick does not gloss over the mistakes. Robert K. Krick knows his subject, and it shows up in his writing.

385 pages for a 5 1/2 hour battle tells you just about everything you need to know. Krick is very thorough in depicting the battle and is also forthright in warning the reader that he is sometimes delving into supposition and making logical conclusions from the facts at hand. His writing is reminiscent of Gordon Rhea as is his detail. Good maps. I am hard pressed to see how this added to Stonewall's reputation as Bank's men, far outnumbered, kept Jackson from interrupting the consolidation of Pope's Army of VA. This book should stand as the definitive work on the battle.

Jackson leaves his lethargic performance at the Seven-day's battles to go North to confront Pope and northwest of Richmond he runs into a former nemesis from the valley, Banks. Banks gives him great fits in a slug fest described in minute detail by his battlefield biographer Krick. The desperate battle shows Jackson's personal leadership as he is at the brink of failure when he impulsively rushes to the front to have his troops hold and counterattack. He heroically pulls his sword and leads by waving it to the front. Krick's descriptions are so detailed and accurate there is a bit of humor as Jackson, unable to pull his sword out of the scabbard, waves his sword with the scabbard still in place. This is a ferocious battle as a cannon shot decapitates the leader of the Stonewall Brigade, Winder. Ironically, A. P. Hill comes up and virtually helps save the day. The Union Commander, Banks, although not considered particularly competent, always gave Jackson an unusually hard time in battle such as an earlier defeat at Kernstown. This battle, although a victory for the Confederates, still leaves a bit of a shadow on Jackson, as he seemed ill prepared for battle and survived with assistance from Hill's legendary light division. This battle has everything including a virtual suicidal Union cavalry charge at the Union's final desperate attempt at victory.

The tactics of the battle cannot be better described by anyone other than Krick who was the Superintendent of the battlefields at and around Fredericksburg. A great researcher, Krick probably walked the entire battlefield. Comes with a number of helpful maps showing movements, which help the reader, follow the detailed battle movements.

Over several decades I have read thousands of Civil War
books, and this is one of the best ever! It should be required reading for anyone researching and/or writing about any aspect of the Civil War. Mr. Krick's masterful study of the battle makes any further account superfluous; it has
the suspense and excitement of a novel. And, after all, why
bother with fiction when such superb historical books are
available? Excitement and education - what could be better?

In my humble opinion, Krick has written an excellent account of a small-scale and largely forgotten but bloody battle. Compared to Gettysburg, Antietam, Chickamauga, Vicksburg, and a host of other larger Civil War battles, Cedar Mountain has been largely forgotten. Fortunately, Krick has taken the time to produce an excellent account of what Stonewall Jackson himself admitted was his finest battle.

Krick manages to weave accounts of combatants of both sides with vivid battle actions and excellent descriptions of various terrain features that figured prominently during the battle. The book also contains something several other Civil War studies lack - excellent and ample maps. The maps are of excellent quality and help the reader better understand the flow of battle.

I haven't visited the battlefield since the mid-1990s but plan to return in the near future. Krick's title will be an invaluable aid for better understanding the battle during my next visit.

Read and enjoy. Highly recommended!

After reading Before Women had Wings, I hungered for more from Connie May Fowler. I found Sugar Cage to be a deeply satisfying follow-up. The novel, told in many different voices, takes us on the unforgettable journeys of a diverse cast of characters, all of whom reel the reader into an intricate tapestry woven by Fowler. Startling descriptions of Hatian voodoo rituals were among the most vivid scenes from the book, whose magical conclusion leaves the reader spellbound. A mesmerizing novel, Sugar Cage, like Fowler's other work, has left me hungry for more!

SUGAR CAGE weaves the story of such disparate people as Inez Temple, black maid to rich folks, Patrick Lackley, finicky mortician, and Charlie Loonie, front-man schmoozer for a local band. The women in this book will steal your heart -- especially the dear-hearted Inez, Charlie's loyal wife, Rose, and the magical Soleil Marie Beauvoir. The story is often dark and sad, but the mystical ending will inspire and uplift you.

For a first novel, I found the writing astonishing. Anyone who can make you care about so many contrasting characters (and make it easy to follow the thread) is a born writer. I adore a novel that pulls you in from the very first sentence . . . SUGAR CAGE does that.

This was the type of book that you can never put down. I read it all in one night. The best part about the book is the way the author displayed each character individually. It then ended up showing how each of the characters were uniquely linked togeather. It's a book that I will always love to read again and again. I would most definitly reccomend it.

Inez Temple is working as a maid in a cheap tourist hotel on the South Florida coast when she meets Rose Looney. A Haitian woman with an ability to "see' the outlines of peoples lives, Inez sees in the sugar crystals in the bottom of a glass Rose has drunk from the outlines of a cage and knows early on that Rose and her new husband, Charlie, and their friends Junior and Eudora, and their children, are destined to be trapped in many ways in the years to come.

15 years later, Rose knows this as well. How she struggles to find her way through her broken marriage and try to save her only son from the same fate in the midst of all the "bars of the cages" society and life confine her within--poverty, racism, sexism, cultural snobbery and so on, is at the core of this unusual tale of life in the melting pot that is South Florida.

The mysticism gets a bit out of hand at times-and stretches credulity it the process, but this is a minor flaw in an otherwise excellent novel.

Connie May Fowler creates intimacy for the reader and all of the books characters. By bringing first person to all the characters we get to know more about how people choose the decisions they made and what motivates each one towards the life they choose. I really enjoyed the way she was able to keep the story progressing thorugh time but also using other's perspective on what occured or is occuring at the moment. Also the influences of Haitian voo-doo help add new depth to Florida southern culture. And gives new information to the reader about pagean religion and the intellegence and beauty it brings to the characters of this book. I felt her pride or her willingness to explore and place in a positive light Haitian voo-doo. I think the main essence of the book for me was that everyone needed to listen to thier own voice. And once they steered away from that is when thier lives turned towards unhappiness. The realness of coming to terms with our demons and releasing ourselves into our own strengths was what I felt Fowler was trying to get across. The beauty of how she used everyones perspective instead of one main character and narrator is what I enjoyed the most. I enjoyed being able to be sypathetic to everyone's life and the way they had/have chosen to live it.

As a child, Tove Jansson lived in summer on islands in the Gulf of Finland, and later she and her partner Tuulikki Pietilä lived on a small island called Klovharu. Jansson wrote many children books, including the Moomin series, and ten books for adults.

The plot of the most famous of her adult novels is very simple; an elderly artist and her six-year-old granddaughter Sophia spend the summer on a tiny island exploring and talking about everything but Sophia's mother's death and their love for each other. They wander, pick flowers, watch storms, take trips in a rowboat. The 22 short episodes create a unity: "On an island," thinks the grandmother, "everything is complete."

The interaction between Sophia and her grandmother is a clash of wills, Sophia stubborn, impetuous and supportive; her grandmother wise, unsentimental, on the edge of exhaustion, dizzy, fearful of losing her balance "the balance between survival and extinction was so delicate that even the smallest change was unthinkable".

"It was just the same long summer always, and everything lived and grew at its own pace."

The book has been a major best seller in Scandinavia since it was first published in 1972. Thomas Teal has produced a wonderful English translation. This new edition from NYRB Classics is beautifully printed and bound. This novel captures a summer growing "at its own pace."

Robert C. Ross 2008

Based very much upon the late (and yes, great) Tove Jansson`s own family experiences on an island in the Finnish archipelago, this magical, elegiac, very funny, yet - despite its title - autumnal book, subtly draws the reader into the seemingly mundane lives of six-year old Sophia, whose mother has recently died, and `Grandmother` (who could almost be a humanised character from one of Jansson`s immortal Moomin books), as they potter and squabble around their small, idyllic island summer home.
Sophia`s `Papa` never speaks (never? Hm...) but is a silent, prosaic presence throughout, while Sophia is (as her name implies) wise, as well as temperamental, and Grandmother dispenses brief, ironic snippets of wisdom and can be just as prickly. They are a double-act; and, like all the best double-acts, rely on each other - at least for the grateful reader - to each `complete` the other. One feels Grandmother learns from her granddaughter as well as vice versa.
This is a beautiful, thoughtful, unsentimental, deceptively straightforward meander through the summer months with three generations of a grieving family each determined to hang on to their individuality. There are also the occasional - and rarely welcome - visitors.
If I make The Summer Book sound more than simply a light read, it is because even Tove Jansson`s children`s books (of which this can hardly be said to be one) have a tough melancholy strain to them, and a `message` of independence and personal integrity as the sanest way to be.
In its modest, breezy way, this is a great little book. One to treasure.

Mm, this is a beautiful, wonderful little book! It is a collection of little stories of a very small girl and her small grandmother going adventures on their little island in Sweden. So full of green things and little bites of happiness. The grandmother is oh so clever and says so many poignants to the girl. The girl is wise too. So full of joy.

This book was given to me by an uncommon friend and I enjoyed it very much. It is about the friendship between a grandmother and her young grandaughter who live on a bit of an island in Finland (?). The beauty and treasures discovered in the quiet lives they lead, finding joy in simple things and loving each other besides those petty annoyances of personality (they are very much alike). There are many "huggable" humorous moments. I think of one in which they trade cats--their cat is indifferent to the grandaughter's overtures and the one traded was much more warm and cuddly, but then (and I quote from the book).

"Hunt! Do something! Be like a cat!" And then she started to cry and ran to the guest room and banged on the door.
"What's wrong now?" Grandmother said.
"I want Moppy back!" Sophia screamed.
"But you know how it will be," Grandmother said.
"It'll be awful," said Sophia gravely. "But it's Moppy I love."

I rejoice that this short work has come into print again, though it's rather sad that it took the author's recent death to prompt the publishers into action. I'd read an extract in a guide to the top 100 books of the twentieth century and was surprised and disappointed not to be able to get my hands on the full edition.

Jansson has an inate understanding of the wisdom and skewed world-view of children, and manages to capture the fragile - and ephemeral - friendship which can exist between the very old and the very young. There is a freshness about her style which never teeters into whimsy. A rare achievement indeed.

This is a very useful book. For one, Banzhaf traces the "hero's" progress consecutively from one tarot card to the next and frames his hero's progress according to an understood direction of enlightenment. Each card is viewed as evolutionary stages that may potentially yield insight into our current spiritual, material or social placement and well-being. What I find insightful and comprehensive about Banzhaf's schema is that Banzhaf explains the "hero's" path through the use of many different religions, myths and motifs, which serve to encompass a broad perspective on what enlightenment means. This is no small feat, since the Waite deck, which Banzhaf prominently displays (as on the front cover), is very Judea-Christian. This broadening of the hero's journey, to encompass a universal experience, manages to make the heroes journey a universal journey on becoming oneself; and it therefore functions well in a number of spiritual and religious frameworks.

Banzhaf-as is characteristic of him-uses brilliantly practical language. His layout is intelligent and well presented. Each tarot card is summarized in a chart, which appears at the end of each essay, and which has the following layout: Title: Keywords for (the tarot card's name goes here); Categories: Archetype, Task, Goal, Risk, and Feeling in life. As you can see, Banzhaf's focus is always lucid and balanced.

I do wish, however, that Banzhaf had extended his approach to encompass the minor arcana, too. In the minor arcana there is also a feeling of progression, which is not quite so clean and neat as in the major arcana. The minor arcana exposes the many side paths and loopholes, which the hero will meet and be challenged with. One can say, that they express the minute details of the hero's' experience, which I feel could have been quite innovatively placed in this hero's journey. However, my comment is not a criticism. Rather, it is a suggestion, which any tarot reader can meditate on. Since, Banzhaf's has the gift of lucidity and practical focus, I just wish that he had considered a broader and more complex schema.

Overall, I think this book is a well-written addition to any tarot card reader's library, and I do not think that it is too difficult for a beginner. In fact, this book has the uncanny ability to grow with you as you progress in your tarot card understanding, which mimics the "hero's" own growth. Of course, this is whole point. You will come to understand that you are the hero, and that both your paths are alike.

I'm by no means a Tarot, psychology or any other sort of scholar. What I am is a person who has been deeply fascinated by the place of enlightment found at the intersection of Tarot, psychology, and mythology. I itch to relate the Hero myth to Jung, Jung to Tarot, Tarot to the Hero Myth.

This book satisfactorily scratched all those itches, and more. It is a pleasure to read visually and in terms of the thought it provokes. I don't believe anyone could walk away from reading this book without having been enriched in many ways. Its diversity in the cultural, mythological, philosophical, and artistic traditions upon which it draws is enormous. This book could make a fine basis for teaching a university course in a number of disciplines.

I will leave you, gentle Amazon reader, to the wisdom of other reviewers, but I urge your consideration of this book. I believe you will not be sorry.

Enjoy.

If you know something about the Tarot cards, you may find TAROT AND THE JOURNEY OF THE HERO by Hajo Banzhaf contains familiar material as he agrees with much of what has been written elsewhere by Joseph Campbell and other experts. However, Banzhaf is extremely articulate, his writing clearly stated and beautifully illustrated, and his exploration of the links between the arcane language of the ancients and modern Jungian psychology rich and comprehensive.

If you are not familiar with the Tarot cards, Banzhaf's book is a good place to begin, especially if you have an interest Western literature, music, and/or the visual arts -- including Medieval and Renaissance paintings, German philosophy, and films by the Fargo Brothers such as "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Banzhaf is a very educated man who has studied religious and/or mythological tales and/or classical stories and appears to have an in-depth knowledge of the religious and/or philosophical nature of humans. He not only interprets key myths and tales, he explains the content of artworks from ancient India, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Italy, and Medieval Europe used to illustrate his text.

Banzhaf uses the Waite and Marseilles decks to illustrate each of the Major Arcana. Although he appreciates much of the content of the Waite deck, he challenges some of the changes Waite made relative to older decks. Banzhaf eschews discussion of the Minor Arcana suggesting these cards are more recent and may be nothing more than playing cards or cards for fortune telling. On the other hand, he views the 22 cards of Major Arcana (the Fool and his 21 stations) as the organizing principle for the classic tale of the hero -- whether Moses or Parzifal, Galahad or Ra, Gilgamesh or Jesus -- and the core story of every human life.

Banzhaf lays out the cards of the Major Aracana sequentially and divides the layout into two major paths -- the path of the daytime sun (active) and the path of the nighttime moon (passive). He suggests that each soul must follow this path to reach paradise, heaven or the spritual world however it is defined. The daytime path has to do with becoming EGO, the worldly individual. The nighttime path is more difficlut and many become snared like the hanged man, slowly twisting in the wind. The nightime path involves the spiritual life where the gate is narrow and the way is hard.

This is a beautiful book, and although I bought the paperback, I plan to purchase the hardcover since I will be referring to the book again..and again. As Banzhaf says, "If we look to the path as a spiral, that gradually leads us to what is Highest, then each turn on this spriral corresponds to one hero's journey. Seen in this manner, as long as we are traveling, we will return to all twenty-one stations over and over, yet--at least we hope--this will always be on a somewhat higher level. At the uppermost point of the path, but really only there, does this last card mean the unity of all things."

An entirely unique approach to the Major Arcana, returning us to A Sacred Process available in the Deep Minds of us all.

Fine illustrations. A brilliant mind. One can only marvel that the book is so cheap.

If you're looking for a book to help you with "readings," this is not the book for you. If you're looking for a book sharing deep insights into Tarot (the reading of which itself is a species of Initiation), this IS the book for you.

I've been a student of the Tarot off and on for 40+ years - and canNOT express what a delight it was to find this book.

An excellent book, worth the price for the artwork alone. Banzhaf offers an insightful look at relating Jungian psychology and the Tarot. His take on the Fool's Journey goes deeper than most. One thing that I liked was that he talked about the journey in middle age as well as the coming of age journey. One thing I didn't like was the fact that he focused only on heterosexual development and in fact commented that only those who had a sexual relationship with a person of the opposite sex could develop.

The book is pretty detailed and talks about many different laws that back up special students in education. It also talks about all the different types of special students that one ca n have in the general education classrooms. Overall I recommend this book if you have little or no knowledge of what is classified under Special students and how to go about helping them in their Education.

The book I received was brand new at an excellent price and the delivery was surprisingly speedy! I would definitely recommend this seller!

The book arrived quickly and in perfect condition. I consider this book to be a good resource for new teachers.
I have no complaints.

I've been a faithful user of the Lewis & Doorlag book since its first edition. Each subsequent revision has added substance and useful information that makes buying it worthwhile. Of all the introductory texts on special education, this one is the most concise, reader-friendly, practical and up-to-date. It has invaluable teaching strategies and resources to inform the practice of special educators and diagnosticians. The only downside that is consistent across all editions is the unevenness of its content. In virtually every chapter about a given exceptionality, say mental retardation, more emphasis is placed on nature of the disability and teaching strategies than on its causes. Therefore, when using this book as a teaching tool in college, it has to be supplemented with other resources that do more justice to the etiology of each special need.

I am a contract instructor who uses this book for an undergraduate level "Exceptional Children in the Classroom" class. I chose this text because it is practical and not as dry as Heward, another widely respected author of special education texts. Many strategies are provided for meeting the needs of students with disabilities as well as gifted students, those who are at risk, and those who are linguistically and culturally diverse.

This is the type of book for people who want just a touch of tradgedy and also a dash of romance. This is a book I totally recomend for all teen readers. It is an absolutely wonderful book and it has been like a delightful journey to a whole new world!

This is without a doubt the best book I've ever read. I have never read a more innovative, entertaining, and interesting take on the Arthurian legend. This book is absolutely fascinating, the kind you wish would go on forever! When I finished reading it for the first time, I turned back to the beginning and started it again. This book is wonderful!!

I thought this was the best book I had ever read. I loved how the author brought you into to this fantasy world as you were soon off on an adventure with Rigan, Morgan, and Arddu. If you haven;t read this book you should,. -A grade 6 student feb.16,99.

I read this book perhaps 7 or 8 years ago, and only once. But to this day, I remember it as one of the best books I have ever and most likely will ever read. Welwyn Katz takes a fascinating story and puts an entirely new twist upon this interpretation of Arthurian legend to make a truly wonderful, truly memorable book.

It was amazing. I read the book quite a while a go, but the images that I pictures were so vivid and the description of the battle of cruelties between the two magics were so imaginative - 5 stars way up!!!

I wish our geneticist would have had copies of this book ready to hand out (along with the medical information about our baby's chromosomal abnormality). It would have been a HUGE help to have read this BEFORE interrupting our pregnancy (We learned of this book the week after losing our baby). This reaffirms our choice...we (as THOUSANDS of other parents) chose the route we did out of the utmost love for our unborn son.

The book has stories shared by others who have 'walked a mile in my shoes'; however, most of them went through the L&D process (the main method at the time this book was written). It doesn't mention much about D&E (except for a short section).

If you find yourselves or someone that you love in this heart-wrenching situation, by all means read this book!!!

Unfortunately in my profession, as a prenatal genetic counselor, we occasionally providing bad news to expecting parents. Many of those parents have express great appreciate for this book as being extremely comforting during their time of need.

I bought this book after my husband and I lost our first and only child to anencephaly. I looked for ages to find a book which specifically addressed the emotional pain that parents who chose to terminate a fatally ill child have, and had no luck. Then I came across this book and it was a godsend. The book takes into account the very personal and gut wrenching decisions that parents must make, and talks about them in compassionate and empathetic ways. I would HIGHLY reccomend this book to any parent facing the loss of a much loved and wanted, yet fatally ill child.

I got this book after we made our decision, but I would recommend it to anyone who is making a prenatal decision or who is dealing with their decision. Well written, empathetic, a book any parent in this situation can relate to.

I found this book to be an expression of love and support by parents who have had to make the hardest decision. It is filled with wonderful thoughts and memories of those who have loved and lost a child. It was a help for my husband and I who had to make the heartwrenching decision of terminating our pregnancy.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has loved and lost a child.

Kids ...as well as adults... will love this book of poems. They're whimsical, witty, and just plain fun. The clever illustrations compliment the fun and lyrical text. This book is a joy to read!

This is a delightful book. As a former primary teacher, I recommend it on 2 levels. First...the poems will appeal to children (and adults!). Secondly...the poems can lead to more discussions about specific birds, bird feeder observations, and acquaintance with our natural environment.

This book of poems for bird lovers is a total delight. The whimsical illustrations match Ruddell's funny and clever poems. This book is great for older children who will appreciate some of the more sophisticated humor. My 12 year old's favorite is about the woodpecker:

If you think his life is a picnic,
a seesawing day at the park
I ask you just once to consider
the aftertaste
of bark.

My students chuckled with delight and begged me to keep reading Ruddell's wonderfully whimsical poems. Anyone who loves birds and poetry will find a magical pairing in these witty and wise poems and Rankin's joyous illustrations. Today at the Bluebird Cafe is a must for any library or child's bookshelf.

Although the poems in this book have a common theme (birds), they are anything but "common" in their use of language and the delightful way they tickle the funnybone while imparting tidbits of knowledge about our fine, feathered friends. The art is superb and complements the poems beautifully. The book is certain to become a treasured favorite in homes, schools, and libraries everywhere.

Sara, teaches how to turn your life from a Stone to a Gem. She motivates you to get rid of the debris in your life by coming out of the the Rock Pile and surrounding yourself with other Gems.

She tells about how she sat back and let God control her life. Sara Freeman Smith, is truly a GEM. A must read book!!!

After reading this powerful book,I was inspired, motivated and empowered, to seek my true God given purpose. This book offers practical and simple tools to aid in finding direction in every area of one's life.

Great job!!

This book is quite an inspiration to me for I am reminded of myself and the difficulties in life that befell me at an early age. I am greatful that the Love of God is displayed in the life of ordinary people.

I was moved and touched by the candidness of the author to share things that are quite senitive and kept close to the heart. That is something I want to do, yet the time is not right. To share how elderly people loved her enough to adopt her and rear her as their own child touched me in ways that are identifiable to my own situation.

It is my opinion that any oridnary person who is struggling to make their life worth while in the mist of difficulty would do well to read this book and discover that God knows how to intervene and provide you with what you need.

I must say that this is a very inspirational writing on what one could use to turn their life around and walk into a status of brillance. The author has explained in a clear format what it takes to accomplish the task of becoming a Gem...

Thought provoking questions are asked that will cause you to search your life and see where you've turned and maybe you should have walked straight or taken a step back and meditated for 15 minutes more. She realizes what the foundation should be in becoming a stronger person and uses sound doctrine to substantiate her findings.

She addresses throughout her writing expressions of possitive thinking and guidance on what process should be implemented to reach the next level in your life. You can not miss the mark once The Six P Process is setup and you are focused on obtaining change in your life.

As a writer and inspirational speaker, I can honestly say that this book inspired and motivated me! Sarah Freeman Smith does what few writers have the courage to do....she lets us see her as a person, not as a critical expert sitting up on a throne. After only a few pages, I found myself in awe of Sarah's life story. If anyone can tell us how to turn dull lives of stone into shimmering gems, it's Sarah. I put her in the league with Iyanla Van Zandt and Jewel Diamond Taylor!