V Books

This book is an excellent choice for the child or adult who is just gaining an interest in watching their back yard buddies! The book is color coded and so you can look up the bird by it's predominent color. It definitely narrows the field to the most common birds. We have really enjoyed this book!

A very colorful, well written review. I am very much a novice bird watcher but share the interest with my 5 year old grandaughter. She immediately scooped up the book and it is in her bike basket so that while she is riding in her neighborhood she can look up and identify her feathered friends. Has been a great tool to share with her.

Great ! This was a gift and it was the perfect for the bird watch beginners book. Now you can sit out in the back yard together watching the birds and naming all the little feathered friends we have attracted.
My husband loves his Book!
Great Bargin and experence.
Fast Delivery!

This book has pictures that are sharp, detailed and close. They are arranged by color, not species, and include the most common birds in the area. It is my third bird ID book and my new favorite. Have shown to other people and they love it, too!

Beautiful book. Good information. Very helpful to a new bird watcher.Gives common birds that everyone can find easily in their own back yard or local park. Gives a new birder confidence and practice in observing birds that they are familiar with. Another book that makes my grandson happy.

I picked this book up at the San Francisco MOMA a few years ago. I saw it and immediately began to wonder, "What exactly did I do with my old Blythe doll"? I spent endless hours as a child, pulling the string, and clicking through the eye colors (though I always loved the purple best). In the absence of my girlhood doll, the book was a delightful trip down memory lane!

I'm a collector and I love having a book with photos of Blythe that I can study for the endless possibilities the doll offers for dressing and customizing.

Oh my gosh I love Blythe! She is the best doll ever. in this book, gina garan photographs Blythe so well that the dolls actually look real. i have a Blythe doll collection for myself and I don't photograph it but maybe I should! Blythe might be expensive doll-whise but she's worth every penny! (Or every...dollar!) Blythe, your eyes can change but the rest of you can't! Blythe, dearest Blythe......YOU RULE!!!!!!!!!!

..I just had to add that I picked this up not knowing that my 30-year quest for a beloved doll that was taken from me was about to end until I turned to the page (near the end) where the two dolls are wearing that famous green dress (the only part of my doll I was able to salvage).

Gina Garan, thank you!!

I am several years (almost 5 to be exact) reviewing this book but after seeing a few of Gina's Blythe pics online, I ordered this book and ever since I've been hooked! BIG TIME. These pictures and all of Gina's are so beautiful that I had to get a collection of my own Blythes underway ASAP. Here I am 5 years later and more than 20 Blythes richer! Get the book! Like most people I know, you'll either fall in love or be creeped out.

This is a refreshingly open-minded source of health and medical information by a person's whose medical training began with the most traditional of medical approaches and expanded because of his receptiveness to his own intuitive sense and compassion. Tremendously valuable source of information and plan to follow.

I received the item in good condition. Well packaged and in a timely manner. D.Caradine

This is the best book on self-cure and healthy living, period.
It's easy to read and easy to follow. A friend of mine recommended this book to me a while ago and now I am recommending this book to anyone who believes in healthy living.
Dr. Frank Lipman provides detailed scenerio, and cures for 20th century health issues that he has helped his patients to overcome. I loved 'total renewal' book so much that I've been buying it for my friends and family members. The best part is that you don't need to 'join' website subscription if you are looking to cure your 'condition' like Kevin Trudeau's book on 'Natural Cure' does. In fact, I was quite shocked to see how Kevin Trudeau of 'Natural Cure' book never tells you about how to cure any illness in his book unless you become a member for his website which ranges from $10 to $500, which is just another way of making quick money.

I must, at the outset, declare an interest in my review. I am a diabetes sufferer currently being treated with a regimen of drugs living in a country where the foods one buys from any supermarket are diametrically opposed to the maintenance of good health.

My concern here is with the book per se as opposed to the beneficial effects that I may have gained from following the guidance contained within. It should not, therefore, be taken as a testimony about the good works of the doctor's method.

Given these qualifications, the authors, Dr. Lipman and Stephanie Gunning have done an excellent job. Essentially the focus of the book is that western medicine has become too narrowly focussed on the treatment of the symptoms of diseases throught the widespread use of manufactured drugs. Dr. Lipman's background has led him to explore alternative methods of dealing with the diseases themselves and found that some of these methods have generated results which are hard to ignore.

The book chronicles a series of steps which people should follow in order to restore a sense of balance in our bodies and in our lives and thus enable us to be fit and well.

I would stress that Dr. Lipman is not advocating a wholescale rejection of western medicine. Instead he embraces a holistic paradigm which incorporates best practices from everywhere, utilising approaches from yoga and acupuncture as well as herbalism and other areas in concert with the traditional enlightenment medical science perspective. He advocates utilising our physicians as partners in our health which we need to take personal responsibility for and advising us to be assertive with our medical practitioners if we feel that our concerns are not being addressed.

There are some drawbacks however, to implementing some of the steps he advocates. Firstly, in my experience, it is not easy being a vegetarian in the United States even though he is not advocating a vegetarian approach. Similarly, for working parents in corporate America, there is often not the time nor the capability to prepare food in the right way. To those who say that one must make time, I would only say that those people have the means to sculpt their schedules the way that they want or they do not have to be like the other rats in this particular trap because their partners are bringing home enough money to allow them that luxury. The main issues are essentially twofold. The lesser of the two is the lack of provision of retail outlets where health foods and specialist vitamins can be purchased over the counter. For instance, although I only live thirty minutes away from the New York metropolis, the nearest health food store is a twenty-two mile, thirty minute car journey away. The more serious negative factor is the sheer volume of sugar and calories contained in foods of all descriptions which are available from supermarkets and food outlets all over the country. At a back to school night last week the principal was boasting of the replacement of colas in the drinks machines with healthy drinks, and healthy snacks instead of chips and candy, while across the street from the school the catchment are parents continue to chop for food at the local supermarket, totally oblivious to the damage these foods do to their health.

That aside, some of the practical problems of instituting such a program, the central point is one with which I do not dissent whatsoever. The key to a long and healthy life is clearly a sense of balance, a yin-yang from which many in the world have strayed. A recent study in England, reported in the Financial Times indicated that Britain is now the fat man of Europe indicated by the huge volume of people who are now considered morbidly obese. This problem has severe implications for life and health but also for healthcare costs directly and indirectly.

Total renewal is one guide to avaoiding such problems and I have no compunction about heartily recommending this book to all readers.

This is an excellent rendition for total self-improvement. The volume covers holistic exercises; such as, triangular stretches,
the wall pose, half dog pose and many more. The volume lists
strategies to reduce stress, maintain bone density, neutralize
blood sugar, decrease body fat percentage(BMR) and improve
aerobic calistenics. Regenerate the body with Glutamine, Gamma
Orizanol- (rice bran oil compound to heal intestines ), Omega 3
fatty acids,flaxseed oil, Gamma-Linolenic Acid, Licorice Root
and Aloe Vera. Products which help leaky gut are Glutagenics,
and Perm A vite. Colostrum may be utilized to assist the immune
system in operating optimally. The author provides good protocols
for treating insulin resistance and metabolic syndromes.
He treats insulin resistance with a low-glycemic diet, limiting
intake of grains/cereals, exercise, non-starchy veggies and
Omega 3 , Omega 6 fatty acids and Glucobetics. A sluggish
thyroid may be treated with Thyrosol from Metagenics. Adrenal
exhaustion may be treated with Magnesium 300-500 mg.,
Zinc, Licorice Root, Siberian Ginseng and Ashwaganda (Indian
ginseng ). The authors deal with parasitic infections via
Grapefruit extract 300 millgm, Candibactin BR or Paraguard.
There is a resource section at the end of the book which shows
where to purchase the supernutrients. The book is an excellent
value for the price charged.

This book is truly amazing and I will always count it as my favorite science fiction story. If you are considering buying this book, you should. It is both hilarious and memorable, and you will probably find yourself dreaming of it and waking up to hungrily devour more of it. I simply could not put it down and I agree that this story has no age limit. Kids and adults might interpret it differently, both they both will love it. The True Meaning of Smekday is full of witty dialogue, takes at pop culture and famous people (Jennifer Lopez and Chelsea Clinton, for example), and wonderful illustrations. Some of the pictures in this book are comic book style. The others are pretend newspaper clippings and photographs from Polaroids. I discovered this book on a trip to the local bookstore. I opened up the front flap and read the product description. I was a bit confused when I got to the part about the mole (Aliens sending messages through a pimple. What's up with that?) I put it down and my attention was drawn elsewhere. I forgot it existed, really. I would not of read one of the most magnificent books EVER if on the faithful day my dad decided to purchase new books for me the book I had selected turned out to be not at all what I thought after reading an exerpt. It was terrible. I turned away and out of the corner of my eye, The True Meaning of Smekday twinkled serenely. I proceded hesitantly to read an excerpt which I found quite marvelous. Forgetting the fact I originally had not been atracted towards the book, I found myself dashing to the cash register as fast as I could. After reading it, I sat for a while, shaken from such a powerful read. I plan to make a landing tarmac in my backyard for the Boov ships. Just kidding! Enchanting and emotional, The True Meaning of Smekday will grasp you and never, ever let go.

This book is truly amazing and I will always count it as my favorite science fiction story. If you are considering buying this book, you should. It is both hilarious and memorable, and you will probably find yourself dreaming of it and waking up to hungrily devour more of it. I simply could not put it down and I agree that this story has no age limit. Kids and adults might interpret it differently, both they both will love it. The True Meaning of Smekday is full of witty dialogue, takes at pop culture and famous people (Jennifer Lopez and Chelsea Clinton, for example), and wonderful illustrations. Some of the pictures in this book are comic book style. The others are pretend newspaper clippings and photographs from Polaroids. I discovered this book on a trip to the local bookstore. I opened up the front flap and read the product description. I was a bit confused when I got to the part about the mole (Aliens sending messages through a pimple. What's up with that?) I put it down and my attention was drawn elsewhere. I forgot it existed, really. I would not of read one of the most magnificent books EVER if on the faithful day my dad decided to purchase new books for me the book I had selected turned out to be not at all what I thought after reading an exerpt. It was terrible. I turned away and out of the corner of my eye, The True Meaning of Smekday twinkled serenely. I proceded hesitantly to read an excerpt which I found quite marvelous. Forgetting the fact I originally had not been atracted towards the book, I found myself dashing to the cash register as fast as I could. After reading it, I sat for a while, shaken from such a powerful read. I plan to make a landing tarmac in my backyard for the Boov ships. Just kidding! Enchanting and emotional, The True Meaning of Smekday will grasp you and never, ever let go.

An utterly fantastic, highly creative book that both my 9-year-old son and I loved. The story details the adventures of an 11-year-old African-American girl and a friendly alien as they search for the girl's alien-abducted mother on the way to the new subportion of America set aside for humans. The first section is the school essay on "The True Meaning of Smekday" written for a time capsule project, from which the book gets its name. "Smekland" is the renamed term for Earth, and "Smekday" was the date of Earth invasion by the Boov.

This book is very funny, both directly and via the use of satire and irony, and very absorbing. I finished it, went to see what else the author had written (he's an illustrator, and this is his first major novel), and then immediately began rereading it. My son and I still quote portions of the book at each other, several weeks later, and my husband is next in line to read this.

I cannot recommend this enough, especially for fans of humor and/or fantasy. What a delightful surprise!

Let me start by saying I am 40 and I loved this book. I was a little surprised to get a chapter book - I was expecting a picture book for some reason. I have a 4-year-old girl that loves her books. Can't wait to read this one with her (you know, I mean I _have_ to wait cause she's 4 and it's a book about alien invasion, but I know she'll love it in a few years.) I am even breaking my read-it-and-donate-it rule to keep it on ice for awhile. Gratuity is such a plucky, clever heroine. I enjoyed her journey and wish the author could figure a way to slip her into another book.

It all starts as a school assignment. Eighth-grader Gratuity Tucci (known to her friends as Tip) is assigned to write a story about the "True Meaning of Smekday" as part of a national contest. The winning story will be buried in a time capsule, to be unearthed a hundred years in the future, in the year 2113.

It turns out that Smekday is actually Christmas, the day when a race of aliens (known as the Boov) invaded Earth (which they renamed Smekland after their leader), destroyed its most famous and valuable landmarks --- from the Statue of Liberty to the Great Wall of China --- and forced its inhabitants to resettle in small colonies while the Boov themselves took over the rest of the world.

It also turns out that Gratuity, more so even than the rest of the human race, has a vested interest in the meaning of Smekday. Gratuity's mother had actually been abducted by the Boov months before the invasion. While on the ship, she was tested on her language ability and on her talents at folding laundry. After her abduction, Gratuity's mom was never quite the same --- especially when she got sucked up into an alien ship on Christmas Eve, just before the main invasion began.

Gratuity also has a personal relationship with the Boov, or, rather, with one particular Boov who has named himself J.Lo. J.Lo is on the run from the other Boov for accidentally broadcasting their whereabouts to a particularly nasty brand of aliens, the Gorg. When Gratuity, who has decided to drive to Florida (the location of the American human colony), runs into J.Lo, the two join forces to escape from the other Boov and the Gorg alike. As the two drive cross-country, they rely on their limited shared language, on comic book drawings and on their growing friendship to cross the bridges between their cultures. The result is a road trip as riotously funny as it is bizarre --- and it's a trip that readers will willingly tag along on.

Adam Rex is best known as a picture book artist and illustrator. The clever humor he uses in his picture books is certainly abundant in his debut novel as well, as is his talent at drawing --- the book is illustrated with hand-drawn "photos" from Gratuity's journey, as well as by J.Lo's amusing cartoons detailing the history of the Boov, among other things.

In addition to being a wild road trip story and a completely original take on alien invasion, THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY also manages to include satirical (but surprisingly insightful) commentaries on everything from global warming to the state of Texas ("Who ever thought a state that big was a good idea? It's just arrogant.") to Walt Disney World to the resettlement of the Native Americans after European colonization.

Combine these social commentaries with plenty of action, a mission to save the world and a resourceful alien whose naiveté and know-how are both on display, and you have a novel with equal appeal for kids and adults. In fact, the best idea yet is for parents and kids to take this road trip together --- it's a journey you won't soon forget.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Breaks free of the conventional bonds of indoctrinated, cookie cutter, christianity. A refreshing view of spiritually and the relationship of God with humanity.

This book dissents from and defends religion in very different ways than most. It is a masterful treatise on the religion of love, the religion of inclusion, the religion of the goddess, and the religion many of us have lost to patriarchy and intellectual dominance. There is little pious prattle here, rather a statement of the value of all religions, human talents, and dispositions. All are needed to truly solve our problems.

The following summary was used in a discussion with Bob Thompson at Northwestern University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, in Evanston, Illinois, on November 30, 2007. This was one session in a semester-long study group titled, "Why Religion Matters." These notes highlight many passages and concepts but are only a small reflection of the richness of the material and the personal vignettes which illuminate Bob's ideas. We hope that this summary whets readers' appetites to experience the entire book. (Note: references, e.g."p15," are to page numbers in from which passages are quoted)

The Introduction distinguishes religion of the head from religion of the heart. "Religion of the head involves thinking about life's questions in order to come up with answers. Religion of the heart is about seeing our innate and unalterable connection to all others as both the question and the answer" p15. "Religious orthodoxy is the inevitable result of thinking exclusively from the head. The heart is always a heretic, however, and its natural inclination is to upend the status quo...and see the human race as one" p16.

Chapter 1, "For a Good Time, Call God" Asked if he believes in God, Thompson usually responds that it depends on what is meant by God. He cannot agree that God is a separate being with an extreme ego who controls the world. Rather God is a voluptuous ultimate reality which "calls us to laughter, love and joy" p23. "It matters whether we worship a God of distance or a God of intimacy. An intimate God is at once transcendent and imminent , beyond and within. We live in the Divine and the Divine lives in us" p27.

Chapter 2, "What is the Soul?" Thompson also disagrees with the conventional Christian belief that the human soul is separate from God and corrupted by original sin. Rather, "The soul is a drop of consciousness in the ocean of God" p31.

Chapter 3, "Soul Liberty." A preliminary title for this book was "Soul liberty - Meditations of a Christian Heretic." "Soul liberty is the freedom to seek the truth in one's own way, according to one's own conscience" p41. In this Baptist belief, a person may choose any religion or none and is only responsible to God for the decision. The chapter ends with several paragraphs on the importance of meditation, i.e. "opening to the inner teacher" p43. "placing our attention within ourselves," and "recollecting the soul." This work of a lifetime takes "our attention from life's broken surface to an inner truth" p44.

Chapter 4, "Finding God by Subtraction" God is always present but lives in silence. God can be most easily found in meditation, prayer, or even in the awkward silences in conversations. Bob quotes Meister Eckhart who said that "God is not attained by a process of addition to anything in the soul, but by a process of subtraction" p 54.

Chapter 5, "Do you Believe in Divine Intervention?" Does God answer prayers? Is God an activist? Thompson does not believe in a personal God. Rather, "The God I've met is impersonal or transpersonal. A transpersonal God does not seek out individuals by bestowing favor on some while turning away from others" p58. "We need the experience of an enduring presence that lasts an eternity far more than an intervention that lasts a few moments" p59. This enduring, compassionate presence helps us to realize that we are never alone.

Chapter 6, "The Greening of God." The prevailing Western view has been one of patriarchy or the right to dominate the natural world. Now "we are beginning to wake up and see the earth as indigenous peoples have always seen it, as a living organism....Mother Earth, the Great Mother, the Goddess" p68. And God connects everything and is in everything that lives. "Water and air pollution, deforestation, and global warming are all symptoms of a deep brokenness...we must address" p72.

Chapters 7-13 are an invitation to "Be a Christ," but not some distant savior dressed as a king, rather as one who lives a compassionate life. "We live in an eternal now. This is it... Spiritual truth is about fully living the moment we are in" p89. "Ego is the illusion that we are ...separate from each other, and separate from God" p99. "It is more useful to see sin as a condition or state of being in which we see ourselves as literally separated from ourselves, others and the Divine" p103.
Thompson, as a heretic, says we should live beyond the belief system we've been handed. "Real spiritual strength comes...from our own inner authority, the authority of our own experience, the teacher within" p120. ."Christ is the Christian word for the divine energy that connects everything" p122. It is called by different names in Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism and other faiths. It is intoxicating, so "it's not unusual for great spiritual teachers to appear to be a little too happy, giggly or simply `lit up'...Other people seem to light up when in their presence" p 126. "All will be well, no matter what...In our inner-most heart, in the soul, we know there is nothing to fear. And what we all want is nothing to fear" p128.

Chapters 14, "God and Caesar - Religion and Politics." Introduces the concept of the politics of conscience, or the politics of the heart. It will take a massive act of conscience to bring peace to the Middle East or to mitigate the suffering in Africa. However, "conscience is always speaking, but often we turn a deaf ear" p139.

Chapter 15, "A Greater Patriotism" states that we are surrounded by violence. "When we swim in it all the time, we just don't notice it" p146. But we notice terrorism and wonder where it comes from. Following Ury, Thompson says it's like a virus "that lies sleeping, then wakens and spreads throughout the body and attacks, as if out of nowhere....Violence prevention requires creatively addressing conflicts in their earliest stages" p147.

Chapter 16, "The Hospitality of Heaven is a Queer Thing" addresses the issue of same sex relationships suggesting that LGBT people "need to be healed back into the larger community' p154. This is done thru agape love which, following M. L. King, is "an understanding, redemptive, creative good will toward all human beings...it is what Jesus meant when he said `love your enemies'" p155. This is not the same as to" like" your enemies. "Like," in any case, is a fairly superficial engagement.

Chapter 17, "Surrender Your Life to Something Greater" Dealing with the ego is not easy. "We can be important one day, and a mere drop in a very big bucket the next. And when we realize this, we can let go of the need to be important" p163. True greatness, however, comes from our connection to others. Gandhi, M.L. King, and Mother Theresa all surrendered self will and said yes "to serving the human race, no matter what" p165. "The greatness of the servant comes from helping others to discover their greatness" p 166.

Chapter 18, "The Devil is Not What You Think." Whether you believe in a devil or not, the most serious temptations are from those you believe to be allies. They appeal to altruism, ego, and power; persuade us that " life is a puzzle to be solved;"....and "reduce the meaning of life to a formula" p171...or "to getting life to go our own way" p173. Rather, "Life is amazing and astonishing....Every moment of life is remarkable. Every moment brings astonishment. Every moment is a mystery." P173

Chapter 19, "The Things We Carry Around." "...to get over our narcissism, our self absorption, our preoccupation with ourselves. This is the very heart of all spiritual practice and it takes a lifetime" p179. "We reduce our our own suffering by letting go of the poison we carry around" p 180.

Chapter 20, "The Spiritual Purpose of Our Relationships." "When I'm experiencing tension or discomfort in a relationship, I inevitably realize that I am struggling, not with the other person, but with myself" p187. A person is only fully developed through others. "We can't grow in isolation and exclusion" p188.

Chapter 21, "Life is But a Dream." We need to be aware that life is neither permanent nor predictable, just "a succession of images and experiences" p 198 . "We are awake when we know that life is nothing more than a passing show." P201.

Chapter 22, "Every Tomb is a Womb." "When we say goodbye to a person or a place we love, a part of us dies. We are then reborn to another way of life. When we go thru a divorce, lose a friendship, or fail to get the job we want, something in us dies while something else rises up." P 204.

Chapter 23, "From Religious Tribalism to the City of God." Thompson talks about the need to cultivate interfaith relationships. This "encourages us to explore our own tradition and assumptions more deeply" p211. We become more welcoming to strangers, more willing to help them with whatever burdens they have, and more understanding of "what it means to be religious" p215.

I was born and raised Jewish, attending an Orthodox synagogue as a child and a Conservative synagogue as an adult. I now live in the mostly Conservative Christian community of Colorado Springs, CO. I never really felt drawn to organized religion and for years I found myself unaffiliated and searching for a spiritual home. For six years, I found that home at Lake Street Church. Bob Thompson's words have shown me the difference between religion and spirituality. They have also helped me to accept Jesus Christ - not as a messiah or savior, but as a rabbi, teacher, and mystic. I have learned to experience God on a personal level rather than as an omnipotent, wrathful, punishing presence.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Voluptuous God, connecting with the essence of Bob Thompson's spirituality, and learning to relate to the concept of being a heretic. I have purchased extra copies to share with friends of like mind living here in Colorado Springs. I highly recommend this book to any and all spiritual seekers.

Being raised a Catholic was a spiritually alienating experience. I tried to live the Word but seeing others in my church being pious in the sanctuary and then being less than Christian in the outer world made no sense to me. So, for many, many years I veered away from Christianity. I never thought a spiritual book written by a Christian minister would help me change my attitude about religion. The chapter 'The Resurrection of Judas Iscariot' literally moved me to tears. I confess I have been in situations where I did not speak out or act upon a situation that required my attention. Several days after reading this particular chapter I came upon a homeless man. He was looking for shelter and food. While I could not give him shelter, I did take him to a restaurant for a meal. I don't think I would have done this had I not read this chapter on Judas. I am now trying to live the Word. Thank you for writing such a meaningful book.

Many years ago I abandoned the Christian faith believing it was obsolete. However, I always said if some new philosopher comes along who can articulate the faith in a way that reconciles it with reason and makes it relevant in the 21st Century, I will reconsider Christianity. Thompson does that in this excellent book.

Really nice book with lots of good ideas for the serious grillmasters out there! Good recipes, good information on the actual art of grilling.... direct, indirect and much more. I will be exploring this art of grilling with all my new tools, accessories and knowledge that I've gained from this book and a few others. It's definitely a book for your cook book collection.

I bought my husband this a year after I got him a full size Weber charcoal grill. He was struggling to get chicken cooked inside without a black/ burnt outside, and this book provided exact charcoal arrangement technique and food positioning he needed to have it come out perfect. He loves all the recipes and exact directions for achieving perfectly grilled meats and vegetables. Excellent value, and a great gift.

I think this is a must have tool for any BBQ fan, regardless if you have a Weber grill or not.

I have all of the other weber grill books and I find this one even better. I really liked the begining of the book with the discussion of different types of charcoal and what to expect from them. It really is a grilling 101 course. I also loved the parts were they detail cooking right on or right next to the coals. Never used this technic and adds a great favor.

This is a nice informative book on charcoal grilling. Has alot of the basics, and also has a nice selection of recipes, and tips on how to get the best results. I would recommend this book to anyone with a new charcoal grill

What Is Your Life's Work? by Bill Jensen is more than just advice: it gathers life stories and case histories of those who succeeded in identifying what really matters, using the letters and work diaries of others to mirror reader struggles. While the overall message lies in identifying life purpose, all the advice in What Is Your Life's Work can be directed to business solutions and issues as well as more general life concerns over risk, worth, and achievement. An excellent, cathartic inspiration for change.

What's important about work? What's important about life? What would you tell your kids if you wrote them a letter about what's important, what work and life mean to you?

Bill Jensen is a self-described simpleton dedicated to fighting corporate stupidity. Living a simple life in this complicated world is challenge enough, but this brave soul has committed to an even deeper mission. Cutting through the stupidity, bureaucracy, and politics, you'll discover that corporations are comprised of people. People. Ordinary, heart's-in-the-right-place people. These people have feelings, experiences, perspectives, and stories to tell. They have vital messages to pass on to others.

Jensen has collected those messages. Thousands of them, in the form of letters. Written documentaries from the depths of consciousness of the writers. Some are short, some long. Some deep and profound, others relatively shallow. Each has a message. This book is a collection of samples of the letters Jensen has collected. They are assembled on these pages, not to be read necessarily from cover to cover, but to be selected and absorbed at will. Picking and choosing letters, as the author suggests, is not easy-you'll probably read most of them anyway.

The letters are organized into chapters representing what Jensen calls his Five Discoveries: Finding Yourself, Finding the Lessons to be Learned and the Questions to be Asked, Finding the Choices that Really Matter, Finding the Courage to Choose, and Finding Joy, Serenity, and Fulfillment.

The book concludes with a valuable chapter on getting started with your own understandings and choices. This publication is a learning, a sharing, an inspiration to look more carefully at your own life to see what really matters. Curl up with this book next week-end.

This is not one of those how to feel better about one's self or situation. Nor its instructions on to be better in life. The subject matter is like a brilliant snap shot of all sorts of people from various backgrounds and professions and levels of society. They share some of the most amazing fears, tears, and most of all lesson learned within their experience. there is no good and bad...its just a collection of REAL stories written by real people like u and me!!

get this for sure if u want to feel collected and want to reconcile yourself. I know i pick this up every time i feel lost and hopeless; it doesn't care if u made it or not as far as material is concerned. I had recommended this book to 3 people whom are very well off and yet they too have felt lost in their "supposedly" full lives. I gave this as a gift to another who just started their first job out of college. ItS fantastic stories that move u :)

How often do we define ourselves by our work? How often do we equate who we are in life with our job title: assistant director, associate vice deputy, CEO, chairman, stay-at-home mom, etc.? So many people focus so tightly upon their job description as their identity that they ultimately lose sight of their true self.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S WORK examines what truly matters from a distinctly human perspective. It does so not by dry, formal statements of principles (e.g., the 7-steps, the 10-tenets, the 9-objectives, the 431 value-added theorems . . . you get the picture). Rather, the author offers the wisdom of numerous individuals, precious metals refined in the furnace of everyday existence. The letters and journal entries, selected by Bill Jensen from countless thousands, answer the questions of what really matters in life and how one awakens (or reawakens) the passion in one's soul. The lessons are personal, poignant, and powerful; they are also as unique as are the individual personalities.

In lives of depth and meaning, certain themes emerge: self-respect, integrity, balance, the importance of family, faith, passion, selflessness, and compassion (to name just a few). Mr. Jensen's selections, for the most part, emphasize the transcendence of the individual toward a greater purpose than the accumulation of possessions, or the aggregate of mere activities and accomplishments.

There are two individuals, whose legacies to their children are sadly that of egotistical arrogance and strident selfishness. The reader will quickly recognize these shallow individuals - their stories too are most valuable.

Although a scant 200+ pages, WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S WORK packs a tremendous wallop, a wonderful wake-up call to those who have languished in a low-level comfort zone, or to those who aspire to a higher place. It is a wonderful series of discoveries to those seeking a life of fulfillment and meaning in those areas that truly matter.

If you've ever wished you had a parent or mentor who would have shared with you what it is that matters most in life, because you've noticed that people who get such mentoring seem to have some kind of natural edge in the world... you're in luck. Bill Jensen's book WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S WORK contains some of the most powerfully moving written exchanges between people that you are likely ever to find, and these gems of real life stories will set you on fire with their honesty and love. Every counselor, life coach, parent and child can benefit from reading WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S WORK, as some of the most important life lessons are touched upon in deeply personal ways.

In an age when it's been said that the art of letter writing is dead, this book dares to raise the subject of we can best find a balance between work and the rest of our life. The intense passion conveyed in most of the letters helps bring this subject to life in a way that is sure to help anyone rekindle their own inner fire, and regain a sense of what it is we're all working for that really matters.

Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb is an unusual combination of travel guide and presidential biography. The authors discuss the American Presidents by describing how they are memorialized. By exploring each Presidential gravesite, the Authors also describe the lives of the Presidents. The book is far from morbid and quite enlightening and entertaining.

Although this book is about the deaths & funerals of this nations chief executives, it brings history alive for folks like myself who enjoy all things presidential. Focusing on the events that led to the end for each of our late presidents, this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I have visited many of the gravesites mentioned here & intend to endeavor to visit the the ones I haven't yet. This book is an indespensible guidebook for my future travels. Lots of great photos, too.

This book does not immediately give one the impression that it would be as good as it is. My first impression from the cover was that it would be just a compilation of unknown facts and surprises about famous people ,things and places.Then, after noting the sub-title "A Tour of Presidential Gravesites";I thumbed through it and immediately saw it was a very good summary of all the Presidents,their time in office,their wives,what they did after leaving office,the cause of their death,funeral arrangements,interm and final resting places and detailed information for anyone who would like to visit any or all of them. From this book you will learn what to expect at the sites as well as what else exists as 'museums'
there,hours open and any admission costs.It also details other final resting places of other known personalities nearby.
Lamb does an excellent job of showing that in the American system of Government, the President is one of the people and remains so; even after his term of serving in the world's greatest office; he returns to being just another American Citizen;a point often made by President Harry S Truman.
One of the things I liked about this book was that the author didn't just put together a bunch of readily information to fill a few pages on each President.He provided all the same information for each President, and in doing that;he makes it very evident that these were highly different people and comparisons are clearly brought out.A guide of this type where things are given about one President ,but not another, would be a lazy approach and frustrating to the reader.
In a very thumbnail manner the author shows that all these Presidents put the privilige of holding the office above all the politics involved in their lives.
I have to admit,that the answer to the title,s question,left me wondering until I saw the answer in another Cusromer,s Review.
If I may,here is something to entice you;
What President was the sole mourner at the committal of a politician,who had gone to jail for tax evasion; and when asked by the pastor; "Mr. President,why are you here?, he asked. "It's cold and bitter. Did you know this gentleman?" The President replied; "Pastor,I never forget a friend."
Anyone interested in American History or Politics will find this a great source of information and a readily available reference source. While a super guide to the Presidents' graves ;it is also a good reference.

This unique book is full of surprises, plenty of clear pictures, and short evaluations of each president. From Washington to the present George Bush, the reader visits the final resting places of our American presidents and learns how and when they died and their final words, in many cases.

Altho this book was published before the death of Ronald Reagan, pictures of his library and of the other living presidents are discussed.

In back of the book are names and places of the presidential libraries, the presidential and vice presidential gravesites listed by state, the burial places of president's wives and a host of other relevant material. Websites are even included.

Reading this book is an armchair traveller's delight. The traveller will appreciate the excellent directions. The research is phenomenal. Students of American history may want to add this to their book list.

If you are a fan of the American presidency and appreciate the valuable information that Brian Lamb and C-Span staff give us every day on the cable channels, you will absolutely enjoy this lively and well written book. Chapters are short, to the point, and contribute a wealth of information .

Brian Lamb and his C-SPAN team have written a number of wonderful and extremely-informative essay-filled booknotes on American History and Characters. "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb" is no exception.

With contributions from Douglas Brinkley, Richard Norton Smith, and other noted Historians, this compact, easy-to-read volume is filled with vignettes and facts about all of the deceased Presidents, their last days, presumably their last words, and where they are buried. Admission prices to their libraries and museums (and this includes living Presidents and Jefferson Davis too) is also included.

Brinkley's insightful essay at the end of the book, in which he writes with great eloquence of the attachment of Springfield Illinois to Abraham Lincoln, and of his visits to other Presidential gravesites and museums is almost worth half of the price of this bargain edition.

Note: This book was published prior to the passing of President Reagan, yet it does note where he wished to be buried, and has information about the Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

The book shows the human and humorous side of the Presidents, including Calvin Coolidge's funny comment to a woman who said she'd bet him if he would say two words ("You Lose", was Silent Cal's response), or how William Howard Taft, a Unitarian, deftly fought back against religious prejudice.

A solid and fun read, especially around the July 4th holiday, and at 4.99 is a much better buy, and totally devoid of political commentary ala Sarah Vowell's weak-at-the-knees "Assassination Vacation".

Trever Arnason
Wide Open: A Life in Supercross
Jeremy McGrath
HarperCollins
© 2004
Pages 320


Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a professional motocross rider, or what it feels like? This book is an autobiography about Jeremy McGrath's life. It starts off when he is young and is first racing BMX bikes. He races in the local races in California, but these become too easy. As he gets older he gets better at racing and moves on to riding motocross. As the book goes on it goes through his adult life as a motocross racer.
My favorite part of this book was when he was telling about the parties that he would have at his lake house. The house would be crammed full of people and outside would be more people. He wouldn't even know half the people because they would just show up on their boats and get off at his house. His parties sounded like a lot of fun. The theme of this book was to not give up. McGrath had many struggles, which made it hard for him to go pro. Such as people telling him that he wasn't good enough, and not being able to get sponsors. But he never gave up and he was very successful.
I think that this book was really good. It had a lot of interesting stuff about the industry. Even though it was an autobiography and I thought that it would be boring, I really liked this book.

this book is great. this book will give you some helpfull tips in between the chapters. they've got some of his worst injeries ever. this book is great i think everybodey to read this book

Jeremy McGrath has been my favorite rider for a long time, and I was pretty excited to find out that he had put out an autobiography.

I thought the narration and sequencing of the book were solid. They covered all the major events of Jeremy's life and career. It is a very simple book, seemingly targeted for a young audience.

I had issues with the placement of some of the pictures, as well as a couple of typos. For example, a picture of McGrath with the caption identifying it from 2001, while the chapter the picture is located in talks about the 1999 season. Seems like the could have made room for that picture somewhere in the chapter that talks about 2001.

One picture was identified as Jeremy after winning the 1993 championship, when it was actually a picture from the 1998 championship, which was described on that page.

I really enjoyed the writing style and the pace of the book. I read it cover to cover in about 4 hours. I didn't really find any of it boring. The way the book is written makes it feel very down to earth and easy to relate to.

The book seems to be geared towards a younger audience, which is why I found it curious that there were a few swear words included. Not alot, maybe 4-5 in the entire book, but when I read those parts, the wording seemed very unnecessary.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I didn't find McGrath to be bitter or morally bankrupt. He worked hard for what he has achieved.

Seeing as how the book came out at the beginning of 2004, only shortly after his retirement from competition, it would have been rather difficult to include things that he has done since retiring.

One thing I know he did after retirement was to write a book... and it was a pretty good read. At least for somebody who has followed Jeremy relatively closely for his entire career...

Jermey Mcgrath grew up in southern Califorina. When he was 4 years old he started racing bicycles. He was very good and competitive. he moved up to 80 cc mini bikes when he was 8. He made his way up to the 125 cc. For a while he didn't have a factory ride, which is when you have a dirt bike company supporting you. Then, Kawasake signed him. Win he moved up to the 250 class, he went to Honda. He won 4 titles with Honda. Then, he went to Suzuki for a year and did really bad with them. He went to Yamaha and got 2 titles with them. He created a team called Team McGrath/Mazda/Yamaha when he was 30 years old.

It was a very interesting book. I could never guess what was going to happen next. I would have never guessed that he won as many titles as he did. I didn't know if he was going to get the win or not ot get the lead by the first turn. The races thatthey had in the book were exciting. Thje races were exciting because he won most of them. They were close, and i didn't know who would win untill the end of the race.

It was boring at times, like when he talked about his parents. It was also boring at the end because there was no activity. It would of been better if there would have been more ezcitment like races at the end of the book.

Over all , it was a pretty good book despite of all of the boring partsand the injuries. I learned several things that I didn't know about Jermey McGrath and about supercross and motocross. A lot of them were interesting to me.

Genre: Biograph
Three sentece sumary : The king of super cross tells the story of how he started as a privater with nothing; and endend up as a legend.
What i liked most about this book: the book told the story of a profesinall supercross racer.
What i didnt like and why:The book didnt say much about what happend after his mx carrer ended.
My fariot charecter and why: Well jeremy mcgrath of coarse.
My favriot line or scene: when MC was battiling for fist with RC.
What would i say about this book to some one else: Its a great book to see how mc followed his dream and became a legend.
One question i have after reading this book: What did he do after he retiered.
My strongest resone for rerading this book : Its about the king of super cross and how he started out with nothing and got every thing.

Wonder Woman: The Complete History is a delightful book for fans of the character, even if you only know her from the old TV show. The background of her creation by a clinical psychologist was very enlightening.

The illustrations throughout are excellent and all in all, it's terrific book, exceptionally well written by Les Daniels.

I have always enjoyed Les Daniels and his carefully researched books of comics history, but everyone has a blind spot. Wonder Woman is obviously his. This book, beautifully designed as it is, fails to capture what has made Wonder Woman such an enduring character and icon. It's clear on almost every page, Daniels is unimpressed by her. It's fine if he doesn't like her -- no one character can be everyone's favorite -- but it does make for a frustrating read at times when one wishes to celebrate Wonder Woman's unique place in comics history. His fascination with her creator is evident to the point that it seems clear Daniels would much rather write about Marston than Diana. His heavy emphasis on the bondage subtext of the Golden Age incarnation undercuts the more postive surface elements of those stories. Indeed, he sneers at Gloria Steinem's endorsement of those early years, casting great disbelief that there could be anything of substance taken from them.

Also, as another reviewer points out, Daniels gives short shrift to George Perez's post-Crisis revamp. Widely acknowledged by fans as the high point of her modern career, it's strange to see Daniels blandly note the support Perez got from female collegues in overhauling Wonder Woman's character and deride it by calling the later issues akin to ADVENTURES OF MENOPAUSAL MOM (I'm paraphrasing but only slightly). Daniels here suffers from the same fanboy syndrome that infuses the industry these days -- the idea that if HE doesn't appreciate it, it must be terrible. Meanwhile, Mike Deodato's art is viewed favorably, despite that being universely considered a lower point in the post-Crisis stories.

At the end of the book, it really seems as if Daniels only reluctantly churned it out because of a contractual obligation. His Superman and Batman books are excellent and filled with total respect for the characters and their appeal. If only he could've retained enough objectivity for the Wonder Woman assignment. Despite it all, it is a beautiful book and the history is thorough and still fascinating if somewhat subjective. Good for historical nuts, not so good for WW fans.

Not only do you get hte nostalgic book with the history of this heroine, you get the figurine that you can display and become the envy of all your friends! The statue is of classic Wonder Woman, the one from the 50's. She's still wearing the skirt.

This is truly rare. It's fantastic for all collectors and a MUST-HAVE for all die-hard fans!

First off, loved the book. It was nice to read the comments from Lynda Carter and see the multitude of changes that WW has gone through. But I did notice two things, the actress that played Wonder Woman's mother in that tiny demo in the 60's was named Maudie Pricket and the photo of Ms. Carter's costume says it is from the first season and it's not, it's from the CBS years as are the bracelets and tiara on the following page. I know Ms. Carter preferred the CBS years updated costume but the original on worn while fighting Nazis in the more humorous years will always be my absolute favorite! Thanx...

Les Daniels' Wonder Woman: The Complete History is the third book in a 3-volume series (the first two addressed Superman and Batman). While not without its flaws, it's overall a well-researched and enjoyable treatment of the character.

Wonder Woman first appeared in 1941, the brainchild of Dr. William Moulton Marston (writing under the pen name Charles Moulton), by any standard a bit of a weirdo who's remembered today for two things: (1) he invented the polygraph, (2) Wonder Woman, of course.

I could pick a few nits with Daniels' text. In places he does reveal an ignorance on certain topics. For instance, when speaking of Marston's World War I U.S. Army service, he states Marston "rose to the rank of second lieutenant." False. No officer (and I can't imagine someone of Marston's high educational level ever being an enlisted man) "rises" to Second Lieutenant because that's the absolute lowest officer rank.

Daniels is extremely opinionated. How much space is allocated to any of Wonder Woman's creative teams over the decades is very much controlled by how much Daniels likes their work. Obviously the Marston stories, with artwork by Harry G. Peters, are his favorites thus receive the most attention, though he devotes surprising time and positive comment to the generally despised stories written by Robert Kanigher. This is fine. Half the fun of a book like this is getting the writer's likes and dislikes on the character and her creators. Where I part company with Daniels is his low opinion of the George Perez stories of the mid-1980s thru early '90s. Daniels devotes an entire chapter to Kanigher's creation of such fascinating (hah!) characters as Glop (a "shapeless mass of grinning goo from outer space [which] absorbed everything in its path including 100 rock 'n' roll records"), Wonder Tot ("Mommy be proud to see me now!"), and Egg Fu (a Chinese Communist agent inexplicably shaped like an egg the size of a house, who used his mustaches as weapons and had a Charlie Chan speech pattern). After that, it was more than a little disappointing to have the Perez stories, considered by many Wonder Woman fans including myself the character's finest hour (especially the stories on which Perez did the artwork in addition to scripting) dealt with in a mere seven text pages, much of that explaining how they weren't really all that hot.

The only truly major flaw in this book involves its layout. These days, book publishers are terrified of the Internet. And well they should be. However, instead of focusing their efforts on what books do better that the 'net - provide one, continuous, uninterrupted stream of information - publishers' response has been to make their book pages look as much as possible like web pages. Lots of bright colors, lots of sidebars. I hate sidebars. I don't appreciate having to flip back and forth between pages, sometimes reading blocks of text in four or five different locations, to get all the info. More to the point in this particular book, choice of color on some of the sidebars is extremely poor, so much so it's difficult to read the text. Black lettering against a dark blue or dark red background just doesn't make it.

With those few negatives out of the way, this book is a delight. It's all here: a biography of Marston, on to the creation of Wonder Woman, all the creative teams of note and their storylines up til this book's publication date (2000), the Cathy Lee Crosby made-for-television movie, the Lynda Carter TV show, Wonder Woman merchandise, her appearance on the cover of Ms. magazine's first issue, etc. This book is a must-have for fans of one of the 20th/21st Century's most fascinating fictional creations.