V Books

I have been studying japanese for the last five years, from high school thought my first year of college and see no end to this pass time in sight. I have checked out numerous books and other materials on learning japanese and for learning kanji, none comes as close to perfect as this book and its sequels. While it follows no textbook perfectly, this makes it able to be used by any learner of basic japanese. By having the reader repeat writing the kanji and then providing extensive practice that has the reader use the kanji in context this book ensures that the kanji stay learned more than with other books. Also the grammar patterns used in example sentences get progressively harder ensuring that the reader has example sentences suitable to an increasing proficiency with japanese.

This book is a God send, or Whatever send for you non-Christians. It is a wonderful workbook that gives you various questions and methods to teach you the multiple kanji used in basic Japanese. The only down side is that there isn't a Kana section, and all of the pronunciation listings are in Kana. The plus side is that it trains you to not always have an English backup plan.

It's meant to be written on, which is something the various other books I have don't have in mind. They show you everything, and teach you nothing. I recommend this to EVERYONE.

I just started learning Japanese....oh, about 2 weeks ago. I had no trouble learning Hiragana and Katakana, but as I'm sure you already know, the Kanji seems to be nearly impossible. Well, this book pretty much solves everything.
It starts you out with the simplest Kanji and only builds each section off of previous knowledge. It is well laid out with thoughtful planning and it never eases up. I really have no idea how they managed it, but the book really immerses you in the Kanji and makes it so easy to remember with some of the best drills I've seen.

If you plan on learning Japanese, forget all of the other Kanji workbooks because this one is really the only one you need. I would also suggest getting the whole series because they are all built off of this first book.

I used this book about a week before I started taking my Japanese classes and to say that the beginning of class was easy due to the things this book taught me would be a great understatement.

I have bought several other Kanji books before buying this one. Some of the other books left me with unanswered questions. Others unmotivated me to study so i gave up studying. I bought Basic Kanji Book because one of my friends who is also Japanese student suggested me to buy it.


Basic Kanji Book is a great choice if you are learning Kanji. In every chapter you learn 10 or more Kanji characters. And at the end of the each chapter you will review them by having 30 or more questions about these characters. The good thing is that each chapter and the questions make you feel like you are learning Kanji. That feeling motivates you and makes you want to study more Kanji.

I suggest this book to everyone who is trying to learn Kanji. I am totally satisfied with this book.

Don't think about getting any other books to learn Kanji because this book is pretty comprehensive. It teaches you the stroke order and the meanings and then uses the kanji in practical context. For example, it gives you the layout of a train station and the various directional gates, N S E W, subway and the respective Kanji used. This was an invaluable resource in my learning of Kanji.

Wonderful book if you like vintage stories, especially of large innovative families.

There are a number of books related to this one, as well as movies connected as remakes of the books.

Belles on Their Toes, Cheaper by the Dozen, etc. are refreshing insights of life in the early 1900's.

especially for a sequel!

I found this book a couple years after I came across the first one as a teenager. It's a good continuation of the story and lets you know what happened, and how this amazing family all chipped in to make things work after their terrible tragedy.

This book continues the true story of the Gilbreth children or the sequel to Cheaper by the Dozen.
The story continues after the father died. The mother is now the soul supporter of her family. There is a graet saying in the book that says,"Mother wasn't afraid anymore because the worst had happend."
The mother carried on her husbands works. She held conferences and taught the scince of time saving. She became a very strong woman.
It was a long hard haul but ahe successfully continued her husbands work. The children successfully ran the household.
This story is humorus and very touching. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I can't believe I didn't know this book existed till very recently; I would have bought and read it a whole lot sooner had I known, having read the first book about five or six times. It's in the same funny spirit as the first, though the focus has shifted from the antics of the entire family to the mother's struggle to take care of her eleven children after her husband died. And the funny moments aren't as frequent as in the first book, since the children are older. It also seems like the younger children got the short end of the stick--less time was given to writing about their own humourous childhood anecdotes and stories, since time passes really quickly after Anne gets married. The only other thing in this book I wasn't keen on was how some of it was dated. Some of it, like Mrs. Gilbreth trying to find reasons for the oldest two not to smoke and then instantly retracting each reason, or the youngest boys teaching Jane how to be popular and get dates by not being her true self, is to be expected, given not only the era in which that happened but also when the book was published, but there are a few slang words and references that the modern reader might not understand or find as funny or relevant as someone who was a contemporary of the family might. We all know what a sheik is, but who uses the term "wet smack" anymore, for example? Still, overall it's a sweet fun way to wrap up the story of this funny family.

This is an honest account of a facially disfigured man who has done lots more with his life than most "normal" men. Anyone who has ever been self-conscious about freckles, a big nose, extra weight or any "perceived" deformity, will feel a kinship with his self consciousness. I certainly did, yet I also felt gratitude that I did not have to go through what he went through. I laughed hard, I cried a few times and I came to some peace with myself after reading this personal little gem of a book, written by a gem of a man.

What a wonderful book this is, though I look at it more as a funny and poignant memoir of someone who has seemingly overcome tremendous obstacles to create a wholesome and very meaningful and happy life for himself. Through significant events in his past, David relates, with great humor, how he was able to overcome the society's burden of judging people by how they look and lead a very fulfilling life. There are some aspects of a "self-help" book about the text, but mostly it is the story of David. At the same time, I found myself looking inward quite a bit and reviewing my own choices in life. David does touch on some aspects of faith, especially in his Catholic upbringing, but the book is mostly about finding the true self within and creating strength and thriving. A warm, funny, touching and thoroughly enjoyable read. I recommend it for all.

If David Roche did not exist we would have to invent him. He is one of those people (and I'm beginning to think there may be more of them around than we imagine) who make this tired planet a better place to incarnate. David is a truth teller, hope giver, path finder, holy clown and, as we now discover, a hell of a good writer. I read the book in one sitting weeks ago and have been letting its stories and images percolate in my mind, heart and soul ever since. David is not a new-age pollyanna. He reminds me of Barack Obama -- whose memior I"m now reading -- in the way he has earned the authority of the one who has gone through the dark night of the soul and has come back to tell the tale. His compassion, optimism and salvific humor come from his willingness to work with his wounded parts. He takes the alchemical path, transforming the "base material" his life has given him into spiritual gold. In modeling, especially as a man in this society, this willingness to look unflinchingly into his own soul he performs an act of service. And love.

Jeff Roche
Communication Arts 610
March 6, 2008
Critical Analysis of The Church of 80% Sincerity
In reading David Roche's The Church of 80% Sincerity, I thought that I would be able to "kill two birds with one stone," simultaneously satisfying my curiosity/interest and sense of obligation as the author's nephew, as well finding an autobiographical text that I could examine with a critical lens. However, while I satisfied one part of the equation, I complicated the other; it's not easy to be critical of family.
But I digress. Roche's book is not truly an autobiography. This work is a testimonio, as it "represents an affirmation of the individual subject, even of individual growth and transformation, but in connection with a group or class situation marked by marginalization," (Couser 88). Still, this description is not entirely accurate, as Roche hardly mentions his connection to and development with a community of performers with disabilities (Roche 6). Yet, to quote Steven Winn off of davidroche.com, "what's most striking, and finally moving, is the way he both draws attention to his disfigurement and makes the audience see beyond it as well," fitting nicely with the first part of the testimonio definition. Thus, The Church of 80% Sincerity is more of a semi-autobiographical, non-linear novel that draws attention to Roche's poignant life stories/events that fit into his overall themes.
One might then ask, what are these overall themes? "It is the story of accepting yourself, despite all of your flaws," (Roche 5). By recounting various life experiences, Roche tells his tale of finding self-identity as a person with a congenital facial disfigurement and the setbacks that occurred at various stages. However, for Roche, humor is a key element in the telling of his story. According to Krefting, the use of humor affords her "the catharsis of laughing at myself and my insecurities, as well as allowing me a modality to criticize/satirize," (Krefting 110). I feel the same can be said of Roche. Humor is one part of Roche's identity, but his is an expansive identity that is inherently tied to his ability to "find my voice...I continue to find it onstage, in the pages of this book," (Roche, 56). In many ways, Roche's path of self-discovery aligns itself perfectly with Gill's description of the four types of integration.
The first type involves one's "assertion of a right to inclusion in society," (Gill 42). Roche has several examples related to such assertions. Whether it was his right to be politically active by voicing his concerns on city buses (Roche 64), or preferences for what he wants in a companion (Roche 101), Roche asserts his right to not be excluded on account of his disability.
The second type of integration relates to "finding a place" within the disability community (Gill 42). Roche's initial avoidance of disability culture can be explained by the factors that made him shameful of his own disability, desiring to be "normal". At home, the issue was not discussed; thus, Roche "never learned to explain myself. Instead I learned the safety of standing to the side," (Roche 34). This, combined with feeling rejected by the god that he was raised to love, led to Roche's (unsuccessful) attempts at passing, avoidance, and later substance abuse (Roche 38). Eventually, by finding "community, the feeling of mutual support and being in it together," (Roche 69), Roche felt empowered to challenge his shame and the oppression of others and stop "pretending to be normal and began to accept myself the way I was," (Roche 6).
Now, in a way this seems good because Roche finds strength in a supportive community. What is disconcerting is the lack of a challenge towards the concept of "normal." According to Lennard Davis, the "the idea of a norm is less a condition of human nature than it is a feature of a certain kind of society," (Davis, 24). Roche never directly questions the very notion of "normal," but rather, he continues to make several "normative" remarks throughout the book, leaving the societal construction of the norm untouched. The closest attempts came by asserting how everyone is unique and that Roche's experiences are "wholly human," (Roche 11). By using the word "normal" in this context, it implies that there is a poorly connoted "other," and there is something fundamentally wrong with a society that requires one to assert their humanity because they are viewed as "other."
"Coming together" is the third type of integration, where one recognizes their sameness and differences (Gill 43). The Church of 80% Sincerity does an excellent job of portraying this stage's classical struggle of self-acceptance. There is no need to repeat the why of the matter, for the same mental/physical barriers that prevented Roche from finding a place within the disability community, also prevented him from accepting himself. Though I criticized this quote in relation to the concept of "normal," it accurately shows the integration of sameness and differences: "My face is unique but my experiences are wholly human," (Roche 11).
"I thought...that my face was an impediment...Amazingly, that fear turned out not only to be unfounded, but also to be the opposite of the truth," (Roche 69). A statement such as this demonstrates that Roche was able to reach the fourth type of integration, "coming out," (Gill 45). Not only does Roche see and accept himself as whole, he takes pride in his appearance while using it for his advantage (performances, keynote speeches, charming himself).
The Church of 80% Sincerity extensively covers Roche's personal development in relation to disability, but he downplays any notion of "overcoming". Rather than stating that he overcame ill-formed patterns of thinking about himself and the world around, Roche discusses several self-transforming "moments of grace." While the lessons to be learned from these moments of grace are well-intended and not overlooked, one cannot help but to be distracted by the fact that self-transformations are "a matter of individual will and determination rather than of social and cultural accommodation," (Couser 80). The fact that Roche discusses matters with more of an introspective focus may cause one to overlook the larger sociocultural factors that helped create the ill-formed patterns of thinking in the first place. For example, a sociocultural model of disability might examine societal conceptions of beauty and the assumptions that are tied to it. However, by examining the "random acts of cruelty" that Roche encounters, such as the man who spit in his face, The Church of 80% Sincerity points out the inherent flaws in all of us (Roche 40). Although this does not directly challenge sociocultural factors, it is a step beyond the phenomenological level.
And yet it is difficult to be overly critical of these "moments of grace," because all of these individual, phenomenological experiences have led Roche to form the backbone of his "Church of 80% Sincerity." Although no physical church actually exists, the "Church of 80% Sincerity" can effectively be classified as a lifestyle choice/ way of thinking about the world. The Church is an abstraction "for recovering perfectionists, You can be 80% sincere 100% of the time, or you can be 100% sincere 80% of the time," (Roche 7). Many tenets of the Church are mentioned throughout the book, but the primary tenet would have to be one that calls for self-acceptance, despite one's flaws. One could argue that "The Church of 80% Sincerity" is a sub-set of disability culture, one could even go so far as to say the Church is disability culture. If one takes a look at Gill's work on the eight core values of disability culture (Gill 2-3), one would quickly see that the Church embraces the majority of these core values throughout the book, with a few additions of its own.
On a final note, Roche is very modest about being seen as an inspiration by others. Yet, it is in this modesty that Roche fails to acknowledge the fact that his high level of intelligence and incredible sense of humor assisted him in his identity development and ability to work though challenges; perhaps Roche is modest because of the fact that he was not always looked at as an inspiration, either by himself or others. Roche's work does a good job of challenging the notions of the theoretical gaze and stare, as well as the diagnostic gaze (Millet 26) by reiterating his own experiences with the Western model of medicine. Roche relates his early medical encounters, "One by one they came forward to examine me...If our eyes ever met, it was only a nanosecond before theirs turned away with easy, practiced avoidance," (Roche 53), "You never talk about feelings...or anything!" (Roche 54). This breakdown of the medical experience into feeling like a subject to be examined and gazed upon was a powerful one; stirring up emotions in the reader, as well as inciting Roche to action, as he later became an expert on the physician-patient relationship.
Ultimately, Roche and the "Church of 80% Sincerity" seem to align themselves with many of the core values of Disability Culture. Although one might choose to criticize Roche for his lack of social resolution, political agenda, or inherent call for change, one must realize that that is not what The Church of 80% Sincerity set out to do. This was a story of "courage, faith, inspiration, and laughter...to understand that you and I are very much alike, with our gifts and our flaws woven together," (Roche 11). The majority of the criticisms presented here were merely a means of expanding upon Roche's already solid foundation of self-love, tolerance, and an appreciation for the uniqueness of the human spirit.


Works Cited

Couser, Thomas G. "Conflicting Paradigms: The Rhetorics of Disability Memoir." Embodied Rhetorics Disability in Language and Culture. Ed. James C. Wilson and Cynthia Lewiecki-Wilson. Southern Illinois University Press, 2001. 78-91.

Davis, Lennard. Enforcing Normalcy: Disability, Deafness, and the Body. London: Verso, 1995. 1-49

Gill, Carol J. "A Psychological View of Disability Culture." First published in Disability Studies Quarterly, Fall 1995. www.independentliving.org/docs3/gill1995


Gill, Carol J. "Four Types of Integration in Disability Identity Development." Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 9 (1997): 39-46.
Krefting, Rebecca. "'The Taming of the Sun': Finding the Joke in the Cancer Narrative of a Pedagogue." Disability and the Teaching of Writing A Critical Sourcebook. Ed. Cynthia Lewiecki-Wilson and Brenda Jo Brueggemann. Bedford/ St. Martin's: Boston, 2008. 109-116.

Millet, Ann. "Disarming Venus: Disability and the Re-Vision of Art History." FemTAP (Summer 2006): 21-39.

Roche, David. The Church of 80% Sincerity. New York: Perigee, 2008.

My wife, Wilene, and I saw David Roche perform THE CHURCH OF 80% SINCERITY on stage in 1996. It had rocked us with laughter and moved us to silence. When we finally spoke, I said to her, "He should write a book!" Now that didn't qualify me to be a prophet in his church, but it did make me a proud parishioner, because now that his message is out in print, everyone has access to Reverend Dave's gospel. And, that is a blessing!

David was born facially disfigured and I will say no more about that, because whatever I could possibly write, it would pale before David's words as he chronicles his life in this magnificent little book. I have known David for about fifteen years and what I love about the CHURCH OF 80% SINCERITY is the very thing that I love about him. It is about the place where he lives, the intersection of pathos wisdom and humor. When reading it, one is never a sentence or two away from the integration of these three forces.

Another potent and enchanting aspect of his writing lies in his ability to pilot the reader down the same road he is travelling. As David allows us to examine the grief,anger,love,and joy of his life, we are simultaneously compelled to examine and reexperience our own. Ultimately, what the book reveals is that David's journey has been been an alchemical one. We become very clear that he turns lead into gold, and there in lies the gospel; the good news that we can do the same. -- at least eighty percent of the time! -- I can't recommend it enough!

A friend recommended this to me when I expressed the desire to read a little more about elephants (after reading Philosophy Made Simple and Water for Elephants). It makes sense... elephants and the circus go together, yes?

In this collection, Cathy Day plays with the structures of stories. Each is constructed a little differently than the last, but all interweave to paint a portrait of a small town with a unique past and a distinctly midwestern present. Experimental structures can fall flat as easily as they work. I don't require a linear narrative, but I do require that a story be told. This book tells one.

True to the title, the circus performers are mostly shown during the downtime, weathering winter and waiting to get back on the train. The way that their lives butt up to the lives of ordinary folks is interesting to read about. Several stories deal with the ways in which men do not comprehend the longings of women, and Day handles this theme beautifully and without accusation, especially in The King and His Court and the very tragic The Lone Star Cowboy.

It's a beautiful book. But...

(spoilers)

...the elephants are only shown dying. I can't stand it. Their deep eyes, their hairy hides, their questing trunks, and then they die.

Since the stories are called "exhibits," the question of human oddity ("born" and "made") is called into question. Well, this was part of the circus. One of the stories deals with a young man who has dwarfism, and how he happily accepts the role of town mascot, and what happens when that role is inexplicably (to him) withdrawn. I've read too many stories in which a little person comes in to serve as a metaphor, a symbol, as if somehow a person who has dwarfism is not a person, just the condition that makes him short. Day does a nice job of portraying a person. He is an innocent boy, then a clueless young man, and then an angry young man. He is more than the sum of his bones.

Very highly recommended.

I've never liked the circus. But this book made me want to learn more about people who live a life tied to it. Day paints beautiful and poignant images of her characters and she weaves a mighty beautiful web in the process.

The first stories in this collection are small masterpieces. Cathy Day can take us deep into the secret, hidden hearts of her characters. There were passages that I read, over and over, just to enjoy the beauty of her writing.

It was close to perfect.

I was worried that a 'circus story' would be all about the freaks and geeks. Instead, it was about real people struggling against the loneliness of midwestern winters, coping with broken dreams, the constraints of small town lives, and the endless allure of life on the road.

Sadly, the seams started to show towards the end of the collection. There was nothing bad, so much as a sense of that, in a few of the later stories, she was repeating her best stories (or giving us an early, less polished version of them). One story could have been dropped with no loss ("Jungle Boolah Boy" didn't feel very integrated with the rest of the stories), and another ("Boss Man") felt a bit strained although it did help to tie some of the themes and characters together.

This is a wonderful,short book that I really enjoyed.
The author brings you into the world of circus folks. Sometimes funny,sometimes sad but always interesting. She gives us the story many different ways,which at times can be trying.

Her characters are well fleshed out making you want to know more. She carries thru with this by bringing you from the past to the future and back. A good fun read!

This book of interconnected short stories related to residents of the old circus town of Lima, Indiana (it's real life counterpart is Peru, Indiana) is just excellent. Great writing, great characterizations and great stories that seem like they could have really happened. Do yourself a favor and read THE CIRCUS IN WINTER instead of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS which is more romance novel than literature but for some unknown reason is reaping a lot of positive buzz.

I am a clinical therapist and use this book to inspire adolescent and young adult women in their journey! This entire trilogy is priceless for anyone who is interested in being blessed by watching another soul "unfold" and take flight! I love hearing about Oriah's metamorphasis... i can see her "grow up" throughout her trilogy! Watching her go full circle in her discoveries touches my heart and inspires my soul. She is human and she is courageous enough to share her story. I recommend you read all three... The Invitation, The Dance and The Call. Thank you Oriah!

Within the pages of this beautiful little book, the reader finds magic, truth, beauty and healing.

As an author, Chinese Medicine & Healthy Weight Management, and healer, I recommend this book highly to my patients and friends, as well as to you.

In the world of self-help books, the message is often variations of the same thing - work harder to improve yourself; be kinder; be more loving; focus your attention; change, change, change.
The Dance is quite different. Oriah asks you, "What if there is no need to change, no need to try and transform yourself into someone who is more compassionate, more present, more loving or wise? How would this affect all the places in your life where you are endlessly trying to be better?"
I really loved this book because it encourages the reader to just be who they are, because who they are is just fine. It's not that the author doesn't believe in the power of change, rather she promotes the idea that the moment we let go of our need to become "better," then everything in life will simply unfold as it should.
What I especially liked about this book was Oriah's down-to-earth manner of writing. Unlike so many other authors of the same genre, she doesn't pretend to have all the answers - in fact, she is rather self-deprecating. She gives examples in her life where she really did screw up, but I think that this makes her message more meaningful, and a whole lot more human.




Zara Stevens
Boy Meets Girl: A Pocketful of Wedding Stories

Words themselves can become acts of beauty that awaken and strengthen our commitment to living our soul's desires. ~Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Oriah Mountain Dreamer blends daily existence with spiritual insight. She survived a violent marriage, chronic fatigue and living almost next door to her ex husband when he remarried. Her life is a study in patience, emotional turmoil resolved and survival of the most open heart.

The start of the book contains a poem and then each chapter is an expanded vision of the elements contained in a part of the poem. After the poem, Oriah dives right into a retelling of her life, the conflicts she has experienced and how as a spiritual teacher, she too struggles to maintain emotional equilibrium. There is a subtle comfort in knowing that if Oriah can survive her life, then we can too.

This is the beauty mingled with the various stunning insights Oriah has while trying to unburden her heart and pull us out on the dance floor of life. She loves to read and a number of the books she mentioned where books I had just recently read. She quotes Rainer Maria Rilke and Rumi. She discusses Daniel Ladinsky's translations of Hafiz. Her "headed for home" comments made me think of Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet.

Throughout this work Oriah focuses on connecting, serenity, joy, an authentic lifestyle, living with passion, retaining energy and focus, being honest and finding happiness within the complex. She also provides meditations on worthiness, surrender, slowing down and letting go.

This is not a five-step or a ten-step program, it is more an unfolding of experience through an exploration of Oriah's life experience. She has struggled, she has survived. She also knows there are no quick fixes and that many self-help programs are no match for real-life situations. Sometimes there is no easy way out of the pain and you have to endure heartache to learn your greatest lessons.

"Take me to the places on the earth that teach you how to dance,
the places where you can risk letting the world break your heart,
and I will take you to the places where the earth beneath my feet
and the stars overhead make my heart whole again and again."
~ Oriah Mountain Dreamer

What did I love most about this book? The section where she talks about her ultimate fantasy of reading in bed with the man she loves. Yes, this book is mostly about Oriah, or the people she has met throughout her life, but the way she draws on her inner wisdom is by experiencing life and dancing with difficulty.

~The Rebecca Review

The Dance is a great book. I enjoyed it from the first page to the last. Oriah is not just a writer; she is an artist, with a new perspective on life, and on events. Her thoughts flow smoothly, as if you were reading something you wrote, or something you already knew to be true. I am going to say it again, she is an artist.

Some parts of the book, you won't help but read out loud to someone you care for. I did that with my mother, and some other times with a friend of mine. Both of them want to borrow the book.

This book will help you dream, and here I will quote something from the author, as she wrote "To dream is to create the stories of how we live our lives, and these are the stories our children's children will remember. I write with as much honesty and frankness as I can, because I want to offer stories of being present with what is. I recite poetry when I speak, because I want offer beauty and the power of art to remind us of who and what we are. I share personal stories, because I want to cocreate a story of intimacy and cultivate our capacity for compassion in dealing with out human failings. I tell love stories because I want to learn how to love well." (p151)

I will buy The Call, and I know it will be as good as the Invitation and The Dance. And hopefully one day in the future I will make it to one of Oriah's retreats.

The book is great--a long-time favorite of mine. Funny and touching at the same time.

The only drawback to my book: it was the English translation; not the American one.

John

I fell in love with both the priest Don Camillo and his faithful adversary, Peppone the Communist mayor, when I was only ten, and since then have read all of the books, several times. After my experiences of being in the USAF in Taiwan in the 1970s, and now a permanent resident in mainland China's Fujian Province, I can appreciate the kinds of clashes that can occur between Communists and Christians--serious, but at times quite humorous also. I appreciate the zany humor but most of all the down to earth warm portrayels of both Don Camillo and Peppone. The author shows good and bad sides of both, and Don Camillo's conversations with Christ, who speaks to him from the crucifix above the altar, are priceless. After a few stories, one realizes that neither Don Camillo nor Peppone are the good guy or the bad guy, but simple ordinary people--and though enemies, they each sometimes go out of their way to help the other (though secretly, to save face). The cast of supporting characters, like skinny Smilzo, is also a delight.
The line drawings of the angel Don Camillo and the devil Peppone are, of course, priceless. Simple and to the point, they are the icing on the Don Camillo cake, and probably the reason why I draw cartoons on everything from greeting cards to my books on China--Amoy Magic, Fujian Adventure, Mystic Quanzhou, deng deng (which is Chinese for "etcetera"). I highly recommend not only Little World but all of the Don Camillo books in print.

This little book is filled with quick-reading short chapters which each impart a bit of wisdom and a moral or biblical lesson, and always with humor.

The story format is short tales in the ongoing feud between village priest Don Camillo and communist mayor Peppone. One of them often ends up bruised (literally or figuratively). At first blush it would seem like a good vs evil scenario, but really they are very much alike, and secretly sympathize with (even love)one another. Each struggles through life's choices from the perspective of his own situation.

One of the best parts, for me, is that each battle-du-jour includes Camillo's "consultation" with and reception of "advice" from the Christ image at the church altar. Rich stuff. Of course the image is not really speaking, and this technique is the author's metaphor for the working of the Holy Spirit in Camillo (or "his conscience", depending on your own theological perspective).

The theme runs throughout the book. Each chapter in pretty much a stand-alone story, although a few chapters are coupled, dealing with an ongoing incident. An entertaining little read that is a superior choice to those "thought-for-the-day" motivational/religious pamphlets. I read mine a chapter at a time when going to bed for the night. It gave me a truth to ponder as I dropped off . . . zzzzzzzz. Or maybe install a copy in your bathroom book rack. This book is very Italian and very Catholic . . . but you needn't be either to enjoy it (I'm not).

I was at a summer fair recently and browsing on the book stall when I found a very old copy of the Little World of Don Camillo dating from 1953. I had no idea what it was at the time as I'd never heard of it but i was intrigued by the blurb. this book is HILARIOUS! I kept laughing out loud and getting very strange looks! but it was worth it! I am now determined to find the rest of the books and read them although I am aware that they may cost me slightly more that my 25p find at the Fete! It's a brilliant book that transports you into another world with ease and lets you meet characters that you can believe in and love. A very well spent 25 pence!

Having first entered Don Camillo's little world at 10, I have returned innumerable times over the decades, and frequently given directions to friends, too. This little work is a masterpiece. There is more wisdom, faith, hope, and love, to be found in its pages than in many far more "serious" works of fiction. All of that is accomplished in a deceptively simple gem of literary style. Like any great work of fiction, it captivates the heart as well as the mind. It is impossible to spend time in this little world and not come away with a smile on one's face and hope in one's heart. The Little World of Don Camillo is ideal reading for anyone, of any age or condition, anywhere.

All I can say is that I am disappointed with this book.

We're expecting our third child and I picked up this book because I liked the title. I figured almost two years worth of information in one book would be nice since we already kind of know about preganacy and the baby's first year. I wouldn't have to read too much with my busy schedule and maybe get one or two good tips I didn't get before. Was I wrong!

This book is not thin, total 317 pages. And yet, it reads so easy and fast (even considering my first language is not English). As I was reading this book, I was amazed how much information this book is packed with! This book covers not only the generic facts on how your baby grows, but also suggests what you can do as parent(s). It also has many wonderful photos.

Dr. Greene covers physical stuff such as nutrition, but also covers how you act and think may affect your baby. He also covers in detail how the baby develops - very informative and I had to read several passages to my husband. His respect and love for the life also can be felt throughout the book which also increased my own respect, awe, wonder, and love for our third baby.

I love to read and I've skimmed through many books on pregnancy, but this one is the best one and I am reading this thoroughly. This is like an all the best books on pregnancy and first year combined in one!

Although I read this book late in my pregnancy, I would recommend it to any expecting parents! I thought that his insight was more direct (and aligned to my own personal philosophies) than most expectant 'mom' books. Dr. Greene's other book, Raising Baby Green (my personal favorite), encouraged me to pick up this one, and I feel as though many moms and dads have a lot to learn from his experience as both father and pediatrician. Every question from should I eat organic to which diapers to use are covered- don't miss out on this book (it would also make a great shower or congratulations gift!)

My wife and I recently were blessed with the birth of our first child. Being new parents we often have felt overwhelmed and extremely inexperienced. Dr. Greene's book has proven informative and comforting in those moments when we needed a little helpful advice. "From First Kicks to First Steps" is easy and fun to read, and is a great resource for anyone with a little one at home or on the way.

Dr. Greene has put together a remarkable guideline that takes expecting couple from pregnancy through toddlerhood. Much like his award-winning children's health website, DrGreene.com, he does this in an engaging style with well-researched information.

Expectant mothers (and fathers) should look no further. This book is destined to be the "must-have" book for parents-to-be.

Daniel Z. Sands, MD, MPH
Assistant Clinical Professor, Harvard Medical School

Narrated in first-person by 12-year-old Livy Two Weems, Gentle's Holler tells the story of the Weems family living in the Maggie Valley area of the Smoky Mountains in the 1960s. With money hard to come by and 11 mouths to feed, the Weems don't have much. Daddy is a musician and has been trying to sell a banjo hit for years, and with nine children, Mamma is worn out. And what's more, there's something terribly wrong with three-year-old Gentle's vision. Livy Two comes up with a plan to train their dachshund Uncle Hazard to be a seeing eye dog and to teach Gentle how to read braille. But when tragedy strikes, the family struggles to survive and stay together.

From the very beginning of the book, you can hear Livy Two's voice and know instantly that she's spunky, smart, kind, and a bit loquacious. This voice carries through the book, and there were moments throughout when I laughed out loud, as I did here:

"I may come from a big family, but I already know I don't want children. I want my own house all to myself in the holler, and I swear I won't fill it with nothing but banjo music and vases of mountain laurel and plenty of food. My nieces and nephews will be allowed to visit on Saturday from one to two. I want a homemade rocking chair and a granny quilt on the bed and a rug from Persia on the floor. I wouldn't mind a fancy refrigerator or, even better, a record player like other regular folks have, and I would play me all kinds of music from Patsy Cline to Mozart." (pp. 54-55)

I found myself liking Livy Two and caring about what happened to this family, and Kerry Madden never lets the readers forget the poverty that surrounds the family. They're hungry. Livy Two often feels guilty and ashamed for sneaking an extra bite of cornbread, and her older brother Emmett, is angry at their father for letting them starve. They are unable to take Gentle to the doctor to get her eyes examined. When Daddy brings the dog, Uncle Hazard, home, Mama is furious because they now have another mouth to feed.

But despite this, it's evident that the family loves each other, and I was impressed with the way Kerry Madden was able to depict the love and tenderness that existed among this family. On one occasion, the tapping of a woodpecker inspires Daddy to pick up his banjo and start playing. Soon all of the children are singing and dancing, and Livy Two proclaims, "Sometimes our house is filled with so much love and happiness that a body can't hardly stand it." (p. 59)

On another occasion, Livy Two, overhears her sister Louise, trying to teach Gentle the colors through her senses,

"Pretty soon, I hear Louise carrying Gentle through the edge of the woods, telling her all about color. 'Now Gentle, eat this blueberry and you'll understand the color blue. Azure, sapphire, navy, and indigo. That's other names for blue.'" (88)


Gentle's Holler is a book about love, hardship, and hope. Livy Two teaches us to dream big and to never give up when faced with bad news. But she also teaches us to enjoy life regardless of how much or how little you have.

Gentle's Holler was my introduction to the Weems family. Totally enjoyable! Although the book is listed under youth fiction, I (well past youth) found the book absolutely delightful.

Kerry Madden tells a beautiful story in "Gentle's Holler." While on the surface it seems a simple story, it unfolds with a quiet power that resonates with the reader. Although it is written for young people, it held this older reader from first word to the last. And I will pass it on to my young friends and family, recommended highly.

In Gentle's Holler Kerry Madden deftly portrays the difficult lives of this family of ten without losing the musical voice of the 12-year-old heroine. As readers see "Livy Two" grow through her new perceptions of her parents, her older siblings and her blind baby sister, they can experience many wondrous complexities of family dynamics. It's a great read in the tradition of Betsy Byars. Readers who enjoy Gentle's Holler might also enjoy Danger, Long Division, in which a modern Maryland latch-key kid discovers that she has what it takes to help her baby brother who has special needs.

In GENTLE'S HOLLER, Kerry Madden introduced young readers to Olivia (better known as Livy Two) Weems, a twelve-year-old with a passion for books and music. Livy has eight siblings of various ages and tempermants, a sweet mama, and a starry-eyed daddy. Money's tight - Daddy's music fills the heart and ears more than it fills the pocketbook - but the Weems make do, and their household is always bursting with family, love, and music. Livy Two also sings and plays music, often writing songs about the struggles her family has faced and the hardships they've overcome. The story is set in 1960s North Carolina, a beautiful backdrop for this artistic and energetic family.

As the tale progresses, Livy Two watches carefully over Gentle, the next-to-youngest one in the family, who has always had difficulty with her eyes. Meanwhile, the eldest son, Emmett, looks beyond the holler and fixes his eyes on Ghost Town in the Sky, a new place on the top of a mountain where he might be able to get a job. Livy Two's trips to the lending library truck connect her with another kind soul, Miss Attickson, who encourages Livy's voracious appetite for novels and poetry.

GENTLE'S HOLLER is the first in The Maggie Valley Trilogy. The second book, LOUISIANA'S SONG, is just as precious as the first book. I can't wait to read JESSIE'S MOUNTAIN, the final book in the trilogy. This series will be loved by kids and families who enjoyed the All-of-a-Kind Family books by Sidney Taylor, The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall, and Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey.

A.A. literature and independent research make clear the relevance of this little book to the A.A., 12-Step, Recovery picture. See Dr. Bob's Library, 3rd ed.[[ASIN:1885803257 ; DR. BOB and the Good Oldtimers ; The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth [[ASIN:1885803265 ]; The Akron Genesis of Alcoholics Anonymous[[ASIN:1885803176 ; and Turning Point: A History of Early A.A.'s Spiritual Roots and Successes.[[ASIN:1885803079. A.A.'s co-founder Dr. Bob said hundreds of time that 1 Corinthians 13 was an absolutely essential part of the early A.A. program. He thought so much of this Drummond study that he circulated The Greatest Thing in the World widely among the A.A. pioneers. It was part of his library. It was part of his expression of the meaning of love. For that's what the Corinthians chapter and the Drummond book are about.

I heard Larry Burkett highly praise this book years ago so I got one. I agree, this is an awesome book. read just a few pages and it will change your heart to love others more, no matter how grouchy you are at the time. I prefer the older editions of this book, they fit in my purse better

My brother sent me a copy. He liked it so much he brought fifty copies to share with friends. I in turn have purchased copies to give away. It is the Sermon on the Mount, The Gospel of John, and First John all in one by way of expounding upon Paul's great love expose. Gary Trawick.

This book by Henry Drummond is a much-neglected meditation on I Corinthians 13. With kindness and gentle encouragement, Drummond walks the reader through the characteristics of love we all fail so miserably to exhibit in our own lives. Well-written and short, this book should be on the shelf of anyone who is trying to live Scripture.

Hadn't read Henry Drummond's book in years, but I recently picked it up again and re-read it and found it had lost none of its power for me. This book can be read in twenty minutes, but it's a twenty minutes that can change your perception of life and love.

Drummond, who was an inspiring liberal-thinking Christian of the 1800's, divides Paul's chapter on love in First Corinthians into three parts: "love contrasted," "love analyzed," and "love defended." He shows us what love isn't, shows us what it is, and defends it as the "greatest thing in the world." He helps us understand that it is not a burden to love - it's the easiest thing in the world!

This book is one of the most inspiring pieces of Christian literature I've ever read.

This is a wonderful book for any woman pregnant for the first time - with firsthand experiences I can relate to, and scientific data that I might not otherwise seek out. I'm really enjoying reading about each month as I approach it.

Sandra Steingraber is a scientist and writer whose early cancer has led her to explore the possible environmental causes of cancer and teratogens in our chemically laced environment. In this book, she talks about her own pregnancy and what happens to the developing life within in a very thorough, and beautiful, way.

This book starts out as very scientific and a bit dull, but picks up and keeps you reading. I admire the author for doing so much detailed research and yet being very happy and optimistic towards her own childbearing. An inspirational and eye-opening book that I would recommend to all my friends, especially young women.

This book is FASCINATING. If you pick it up you won't put it down. Everyone should read this book, but especially those considering having children. (I do not recommend this book to pregnant women, it could be very upsetting)

The book is beautifully written, personal, scientific, and life changing. I particularly appreciate the author's perspective that the onis to protect children from toxic chemicals that cause birth defects should be societal, not personal. It is insane that we have accepted that due to mercury pollution as a result of coal burning women and children should have to stop eating nutritious fish.

I loved this story, both as a scientific narrative and a touching personal story. I'm thinking about pregnancy, and this book awakened me to many of the dangers of toxins in the environment I hadn't even contemplated before. I'm so glad that Steingraber told the full story of fish in the diets of pregnant women, for example: that a food with such healthy fats and potential for fetal brain development has instead been rendered toxic by not just mercury pollution, but POPs like DDT as well. And anyone who wants to breastfeed should be aware of how toxins are magnified not just over the course of fetal development, but within the content of mother's milk as well. Steingraber seeks to educate us not to make us take action indiviually, but collectively: healthy food and a healthy environment should be the right of every pregnant woman, mother, father and child. It should be ours for the taking, because we adults deserve the right to have children, and those children deserve the healthiest world possible, starting in the microcosm of the womb. As an adopted child, a pregnant woman, a nursing mother and a biologist, Steingraber tells every woman's story of conception and birth to inspire all humans with a vision of taking action to create a healthier world. It's a lovely telling that everyone - not just mothers-to-be - should read.