Open Books

I really love this book. I read The Bad Girl's Guide to Getting What You Want first, because based on the title it had more to do with my situation than the other books in the series. I enjoyed it, but I have to say this book is better. Even if, like me, you have no real desire to go on a road trip, this book is hilarious inspiring. It quickly had me excited to pee outdoors, lie about my name, and sneak into empty motel rooms to take a free shower (this coming from a girl who normally obeys speedlimits, pays bills promptly, and is always so polite and tragically walked all over by authority figures). If you're looking for something to inspire your inner wild woman burried under layers and layers of social niceties, and rules about ladylikeness, this is the book.

My freshman year of college I took a trip to New Orleans with my roommate. Her mom lent us her minivan and left this book and a bag of marshmallows on the floor of the car. Six hours in a car had never passed so quickly! This book makes long drives of monotonous highway FUN. I wouldn't say it's a cover-to-cover read. Just pack it with your car snacks and flip through the pages to have some fun. Next time, I'll be sure to add a couple squirt guns to my supplies list.

Funny yet practical ideas on making the most of your trip trip when you just want to get away from the everyday stuff. Where to park overnight to sleep if you have to. How to get out of stuff, like speeding tickets. Where to take a shower or clean up while on the road.

Some stuff I would never be brave enough to try, like egging on a policeman by swigging a NA beer in front of them while you're driving! Why take that chance? We can get ourselves in trouble in lots of other ways besides having to interact with the cops on purpose! Good advise on where to bring your car if you're having car trouble. Funny dress up ideas if you want to exhibit a "road persona". Think Thelma and Louise. Now, if only I had that classic muscle car...

My girlfriend and I saw this book at Borders and had to sit down and check it out. We laughed so hard we nearly got kicked out of the cafe. People were staring. The smart ones came up and asked what we were reading and got their own copy. If you have a wacky sense of humor, this is your book!

A friend lent me this small, vinyl-covered pink book, and I read it in about two days. It's a fun, comedic chick guide for the all-American road trip, packing one-liners and humorous drawings in side-by-side with suggestions for trip destinations and crazy traveling advice. The book encourages girls to get out of the ruts in their lives and hit the highway with their favorite tunes. Packing light, eating junk, picking up cute hitchikers, and taking wild friends are must-dos, according to Tuttle. While most of the book's suggestions (such as using marshmallows to plug a muffler hole or jam a parking meter) are totally implausible, they do provide a few laughs. Not on my must-read list, but a nice, quick little book if you need a light pick-me-up.

Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul was suggested to me by a prisoner. Having worked in the California State Prison at San Quentin in the late 1960s and at other lockup facilities in California and Arizona, I am usually hesitant about inmate suggestions for my reading list. However, this book far exceeded my expectations. It is so powerful, I read only a few chapters at a time. The effect could be overwhelming. So turn off your speed-reading skills, resist any temptation to use this for bedtime reading and expect to get more than your money's worth

I brought this book for a good friend of mine who is currently in prison and he enjoyed reading the book and found it to be very encouraging.

This is a great book for anyone who is involved with prison ministry. It is full of stories about redemption, forgiveness, and restoration. It's easy to think of inmates as something other than people, formed in the image of God. This book reminds me that prisoners are still people, with hurts and emotions. This book has helpled me to grow in my ministry.

This book has really touched my loved one who is incarcerated. He has really enjoyed it and stated that the stories really give the extra step he needs sometimes.

I sent this book to my son who is incarcerated. He has read over half the book so far. He said the book is great. That it really gives him something to think about. He says the book should be manatory reading for everybody who is in a jail. He thinks the officers in charge of the prisoners should read it also, then maybe the harassment would stop.

"Genuine happiness, or enlightenment, is already within us; we have only to reveal it. As spring water rushes through open earth, so happiness flows through open lives." - Taro Gold
In just a few words of a good quote, you see the big picture or universal truth. This is a collection of Eastern Wisdom and contains quotes by Buddhist and Eastern thinkers such as Nichiren, Lao Tzu, Confucius, and Mahatma Gandhi.

Taro Gold sees these quotes as "guideposts." He believes in having an open mind and in illuminating your life's path with wisdom from great thinkers.

Taro also includes:

The Buddhist concept of the Ten Worlds
Short Allegories
Short Biographical paragraphs of Historical Figures quoted in this book
Longer passages for reflection
Common Sense Quotes
Universal Truths
Eastern Wisdom

An Iris represents Faith, Hope, Wisdom and Valor. Not only is the cover beautiful and filled with this flower, the entire books is beautifully illustrated in an ornate fashion. Almost every page has a beautiful border and then the quotes are in black ink and easy to read on cream-colored paper.

I've been contemplating the reality of how we become what we think. Lately I've been watching how my own thoughts change my behavior.

Taro Gold has included a wonderful quote from Mahatma Gandhi about this:

"Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive, because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive, because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny."

This beautiful book will have me contemplating "thoughts" for a long time! An enjoyable collection of quotes to reflect on in moments when you want to think more deeply about life and your own journey to lasting happiness.

A book you will love adding to your collection.

I bring this book with me wherever I go, in my car or in my purse. I have an extra copy in my desk at work. I love it so so much -- makes me feel a lot better just to read one thought from it or one page from it now and then in the day. My husband keeps a copy by the bed to read us a thought before we get up each morning which often makes for great conversations.

This book is a tasty buffet of enlightened eastern wisdom. The quotes and passages will inspire your life and give you ancient wisdom to utilize in your daily journey. Definitely recommended to read and reread.

This is a great book!

This collection of words includes not only great quotes from good men but a whole collection of pictures behind to draw you into your meditation.

At the same time, I would encourage those who have participated in other religions to look into this book. It puzzles me why Catholics and Christians must keep attacking Buddhism and eastern religious. Indeed they fear even body positions not deemed "worthy of God."

In this slim volume, Taro Gold has packed full information into a window into the soul. You won't be missing anything. At the same time, I have read most of the quotes you have been listening to for many years, and find them very puzzling and bizarre. They do not seem to mimic the exact translations of Buddhist wisdom or thought, but rather the English translations of them, beautiful, yet profound.

Perhaps that's what I like about Buddhism, and eastern religion. Though some of his quotes may be misinterpreted, they are not without character, or mind. The Tao has been treated to one hell of a lot of interpretation here, totally changing the words Lao Tzu said in some cases. But otherwise, it seems to be a perfect translation of the mind of Lao Tzu, and that's good enough to keep you thinking.

A very bold book, with uncensored views. It had a story to tell. A story of African American life.

Upon reading this book for the first time, I thought it was very raw and somewhat negative and offensive. After reading it a second time, I realized how true it really is. I understood that the words didn't come from the author's mouth. But from a mother, a man, a teen, a gangster, etc. Then, I was able to relate and appreciate the work. The author of this book is very talented as she travels through the thoughts of various individuals, in various situations. She definitely doesn't beat around the bush. Her words jump right at you. You can't help but recognize them, respect them and open your eyes.

"Open Our Eyes" is a poetry book filled with truth and power. It offers poignant reflections on the African-American's place in today's society. The poems are intense and absorbing. Nanci's poetry goes beyond the superficial blanket that many people tend to hide behind. The depth of the poetry will strike a chord in the souls of many. Nanci is truly a gifted writer who is using her talent to leave a legacy of hope for African Americans everywhere.

I really enjoyed the poetry of Open Our Eyes. Everything in this book has crossed my mind before or I have discussed it with friends. The author is bold and courageous enough to write about it. This author is a powerful performer. I was able to see her in action in Houston. She is adorable, funny and personable. I felt as if I knew her all of my life. Buy a book for yourself and a friend.

I am not much of a reader. It can take me weeks to finish a book no matter how good it is. I live in a slow town, but I just don't have the time,even though I live in a boring town. But this book was diffrent. It is so good I could not put it down. The poems are excellent and make you want to finish the whole book.

The Last Open Road
This story starts off with a young man that is called Buddy Palumbo. He has a friend that he trusts very well and no one else would listen to him the same way. Something vey bad happens to him and he got handed some of his responsibilities at the Sinclair. He never actually got hired when he started working there. They just started to pay him. His dad did not want him to grow up and be a grease monkey he told him to work with the Union. A very rich man that owns oil rigs all over the United States. He owns some of the very nicest cars that included Cadillac's and Jaguar. No one has ever seen or heard of them. Buddy got the opportunity to work on them and soon after he figured them out he was the only mechanic allowed to work on them.
I liked this book because I am interested in driving and racing cars. It was fun to read because it was so realistic and talks about real cars and real mechanical problems they have. I can relate to the people in this book because I race and I understand their family problems. You will figure out what I am talking about when you read this book.

mid-prairie teen

B.S. Levy's The Last Open Road is a great read for anyone who is interested in wrenching on cars, particularly classics. I'm college age and I can relate to Buddy Palumbo in a lot of cases. If you're familiar with older British cars, there's some unique humor there as well. Great read.

This is a good book for the British sports car enthusiast. It brings back memories of the 1950s and racing.

This is a well-written and enjoyable book that elicits images that are very familiar to folks who were teen-agers during the wonderful 1950's. It is almost as though I know the characters and can easily apply familiar names of real people in my past to them. Highly recommended reading, especially for car enthusiasts!

If you grew up in the 50's or 60's and knew a sports car from Detroit iron, and lusted after the former...than this is your book. This is a tour de force of the origins, excitement and naivete of what the attraction was for those weekend racers. Buddy Palumbo is this loveable amateur mechanic, hang-around carguy who through luck and heft manages to have the rides of his life at one of the first sport car tracks in the US. What you will enjoy is the reality of the details of the cars, the attitudes of those in and around the machines, the helter-skelter ways you drove in those days... and that BS Levy has captured this period in his own time machine for you. If you are a carguy, you cannot put this book down, and you will laugh your head off turning some of the pages as Bert reminds you of how we were. I had just reread Kerouwac's On the Road when I picked up Bert's book at the Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca...because it had a XK120 on the cover which was my first car...and because Bert, himself, was there guaranteeing me I'd love it. He was so right! I'm now onto his next novel, Montzuma'a Ferrari, which takes place on the Carrera Panamericana (translates The Mexican Road Race). Bert is a true race car fan and driver and describes emotions and thrills like you are there with him. I passed the book onto my car club members and its still being read and recirculated. This is a read to savor...enjoy!

This has become pretty much one of my favorite books. Open Your Mind, Open Your Life contains clearly written thoughts that are simple yet immediately strike a deep chord. The statements are common sense yet inspiring and profound, beginning with the very first sentence. The thoughts are encouraging and helped me to realize I don't have control over certain things and to let got of them.

I liked it so much that I have recommended it to about five of my friends and they in turn have recommended it to others and given the book as a gift. Because this mini version was so wonderful I also recently bought the larger version, which I have yet to read.

This book is a wonderful collection of ideas and thoughts which can guide one on life's journey. It seems to gently remove the word "enigma" from life as it profoundly teaches with simplicity and depth.

Each thought is incredibly powerful mainly because this collection touches and challenges not only one's mind, but it also reaches the heart and the spirit.

It seems that westerners have difficulty in knowing how to live life, and the eastern philosophers just have the innate ability to do so. We are too focused on analysis and we are not very action oriented, while they offer the path and emphasize the action. Knowledge without action is really useless.

If you want to recapture the magical warmth and joy of discovery, and smile as you ponder these words of wisdom, buy this book. It's inspiring, and well worth it's small price!

"Genuine happiness, or enlightenment, is already within us; we have only to reveal it. As spring water rushes through open earth, so happiness flows through open lives." - Taro Gold

In just a few words of a good quote, you see the big picture or universal truth. This is a collection of Eastern Wisdom and contains quotes by Buddhist and Eastern thinkers such as Nichiren, Lao Tzu, Confucius, and Mahatma Gandhi.

Taro Gold sees these quotes as "guideposts." He believes in having an open mind and in illuminating your life's path with wisdom from great thinkers.

Taro also includes:

The Buddhist concept of the Ten Worlds
Short Allegories
Short Biographical paragraphs of Historical Figures quoted in this book
Longer passages for reflection
Common Sense Quotes
Universal Truths
Eastern Wisdom

An Iris represents Faith, Hope, Wisdom and Valor. Not only is the cover beautiful and filled with this flower, the entire books is beautifully illustrated in an ornate fashion. Almost every page has a beautiful border and then the quotes are in black ink and easy to read on cream-colored paper.

I've been contemplating the reality of how we become what we think. Lately I've been watching how my own thoughts change my behavior.

Taro Gold has included a wonderful quote from Mahatma Gandhi about this:

"Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive, because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive, because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny."

This beautiful book will have me contemplating "thoughts" for a long time! An enjoyable collection of quotes to reflect on in moments when you want to think more deeply about life and your own journey to lasting happiness.

A book you will love adding to your collection.

This is by far the best little book of wisdom I've ever found. Packed with hundreds of uplifting thoughts and advice, I keep copies of it around to give away as well as to read from every day.

I am a 48 year old mother, wife, daughter, secretary, etc....., who was losing touch with reality, close to losing my mind !
Buying this little book has saved me. I carry it in my purse and read it over and over, while waiting in line, waiting on teens, sometimes just during a break, and almost always in the morning. In the mornings I read until I feel at peace and ready to take on the world, again. Thank you Taro Gold for your book.

I'm very pleased with this book. It's a great introduction to the GIMP, covering all the basics and also exploring some advanced effects you'll appreciate. It's got some great tips on drawing and photograph edition, with clear and simple examples. It's a must have for those who, like me, feel intimidated by the GIMP's unique interface.

If you're a novice at editing photos - the type of person who goes crazy trying to embed AutoCAD drawings or photos in Word documents - then this book is for you. I've been a little bit frustrated trying to find the exact page in this book that will tell me what I want to know, but overall, if you're patient, this book is great. If you haven't used the GIMP before, you should definitely have a text to help you out if you're doing more than cropping or color editing.
If you read through everything before attempting anything, I think this book may be 5 stars, but I haven't read it all.

A lot of folks don't know - or have conveniently forgotten - how daunting any technology can be, whether new or old. (If old technology, one is embarrassed in addition to being afraid: "how could I not have known this?" If new technology, one is embarrassed by falling back on the excuse of being old: "well, I come from the age of typewriters, so how could - or why should - I have known this?" Each is disingenuous.) The GIMP is no exception to those of us raised on the Royal Portable (see how easy it is!). Along comes Akkana Peck and demystifies that little Wilber. She takes me from one teachable moment to another, using the hokey-pokey approach. ("You've got knees... come on... everybody's got knees... just put them together close up tight....") And she mixes in plenty of immediate applications so you get immediate feedback and reward. And she uses clear, penetrable prose - the way real people talk when they're sitting together working through an issue. So, thank you, Akkana Peck. You really democratize technology and invention. (Thanks, von Hippel, for raising that question.)

One last thing. Real professionals, true to their calling, faithful to their foundations, never - *never* - flinch from relearning what they thought and hoped they learned when they were novices. Faith demands humility. One always learns from how a master does what you think you know. There is a difference between education and training. To criticize this book because it is 'not professional enough' merely demonstrates, I'm afraid (and you should be, too), that some of us confuse technology and technique.

David Block

This is a book about GNU Image Manipulation Program, an open source replacement for the expensive Photoshop software. I played with GIMP for a couple of years with some on-line tutorials. I didn't get very far and I was frustrated. With "Beginning Gimp, From Novice to Professional", I'm finding that the power of the software is amazing. It's also not hard to learn. Really! Now I'm doing great work and spending very little time getting it done. If you have done some photo editing, you know that getting great results quickly is a big deal.

The on-line instructions are out of date so forget it. Whether you are creating art with dazzling special effects, touching up vacation photos, adding text, making fliers and advertising copy, or all of the above, read this book. This is obviously a big endorsement of GIMP software too. [...]

This book is a must-have for anyone using GIMP for more than cropping and removing red-eye.

I've been using GIMP for about 3 months. I've been figuring out how to do different actions by trial and error, through web searches, and by reading PhotoShop books and tutorials. I tired of experimenting to understand the details of tools, and bought this book. It is OUTSTANDING. It contains clear explanations of many GIMP functions, and gives details and examples about the settings that control each one. I find the author's instructions very clearly written, well organized and complete.

Ms. Peck's technical skills and knowledge are reflected in her writing - she knows software development and software use, and communicates it well.

So far this book has greatly improved my use of many GIMP features and tools including: Layers, Clone, Selection tools, Selection Editing, Quick Mask, brushes, and paths, to name just a few.

My only criticism is that I have had a few advanced questions that are not covered, but this has been very rare. I'd welcome this book being twice as long - and I'd buy that new edition in a heartbeat. But until this outstanding author writes that book, the current edition is a great resource for learning and using GIMP.

I am a patient that has had heart problems for awhile now. I just had surgery in 2006, so reading this book really helped me to understand where heart surgery all started. It brought it all home for me at the end. There is something about this surgeon that I now have a close connection to, and I didn't even realize it until the end! Those of you who have read "King of Hearts" would understand! This book has taught me a lot, but it also has a lot of great stories intertwined within. Totally worth the read!!

The medical history related in this book is one of the boldest and most amazing one. If it wasn't for these highly risk taking individuals, open heart surgery would not be possible today.

When a friend gave me this book to read, I thought I'd skim a few chapters and either get bored with the technical details or be bothered by them since I have had heart surgery for congenital heart defects myself.

I thumbed though the first chapter and I was hooked! The writing demonstrates the intensity found in intense pediatric cases very well and uses that and the determination of Dr. Lillehei to move the story along at a fast clip. I finished it in about 36 hours!

I had gotten to the point there I was trying to take care of myself well as an adult with congenital heart disease (treated defects), but I hadn't quite grasped the details of my own surgeries nor did I want to. After I read this book I ordered my surgical records immediately and was excited to read them! The book filled the descriptions of the surgeries with such excitement that it carried over into my own personal education about my health.

I like how they told the story of Dr. Lillehei as a person who did great things, but was also human being as much as his patients - with faults of his own - but also clearly, great gifts.

For more information about the long-term outcome of patients with congenital heart defects/disease and how we continue to lead the longest and healthiest lives possible for us, please visit the Adult Congenital Heart Association's website at www.achaheart.org

Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. What a fascinating subject and such wonderful storyteller. From the mom of a "heart baby" it just amazes me how far we've come in such a short amount of time.

It's a good story, and Dr. Lillehei blazed an amazing trail, but this man appeared to be a sociopath who destroyed everything and everybody he touched - except, of course, his patients. I can't believe nobody addressed this yet, or maybe they were so fascinated by the story that they missed - or dismissed - it completely. This was more than a massive ego; this guy could have been a Dr. Swango had things been just a wee bit different.

I realize the book was about Dr. C. Walton Lillehei, but his brother Richard was also a transplant surgeon, as are his sons Craig and Kevin.

This book was an awsome book.I might be a guy but all these stories just fills your heart with good things. This book has fantastic real life stories that mean alot of things. It was so good that i read this book in 4 days. This book is great for any chicken soup lovers or people who likes touching stories.

I read this book in 2 days flat!! I love it. Brought back some memories of times in my life... made me cry mostly. Who doesn't love a good cry? I'm on track to improving my personal development and have since changed my reading material to awe-inspiring stuff. I encourage all women ages 21-100+ to read this book.

I have grown up with Chicken Soup For The Soul Collections. I can remember buying my first book at a book sale while I was in elementary school. I than moved on to Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul. I recently took a box of books to a book exchange shop and that's where I saw Chicken Soup For The Woman's Soul. I than remembered how much I had loved these heart warming short stories and since I had just turned 20 years old, it was about time I exchange my teenage collection in for the woman's collection. I am 20 years old, married and in college so sometimes I find myself stressed out and emotional so I like to sit down and enjoy a few of these stories. These are great books to own and there is a large variety so that anyone can find one that fits them. My husband and I like to read Chicken Soup For The Couples Soul together and I am looking forward to the day when I can read Chicken Soup For The Mothers Soul.

There are so many Inspiring and touching tales that fills our hearts with emotion. One wonders 'why' things happen as they shouldn't or 'How' do miracles change the course of our lives. There are moments in everybody's life where at a point you encounter obstacles, where your self esteem gets low, attitude differences opine or whatever be, awe-inspiring stories of this book glues you to stir your heart to be more wiser. It rekindles the spirits undoubtedly when we read the emotional narrations of others and wonder - We too come across lot of experiences in life. Should we not pen it down? Easy it may seem, needs inspirations like these stories to share alike tales. This book sure is a great 'light up spirits' book for woman, self inspirations you can say. Topics on Love, Attitude & self esteem, Special moments, Dreams, Truth & wisdom n more are widely covered which makes it a special read. I cherish this book and read n re-read at times. Good pick

I read this book in 2 days flat!! I love it. Brought back some memories of times in my life... made me cry mostly. Who doesn't love a good cry? I'm on track to improving my personal development and have since changed my reading material to awe-inspiring stuff. I encourage all women ages 21-100+ to read this book.

Very inspiring. It really helped me finish my book, "My Vow of Silence - the roughest 3 minutes of my life"...

Great for writer's block. Read one essay per day and call me in the morning.

[...]

Sometimes this series seems wussy but this particular book is absolutely great. You get to read about authors during their struggling years and times of doubt, and, it's all across the board in writer types.

Enjoy.

I'm going to admit it. I love the books in the series CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL. I became an addict almost from the beginning. I even remember the first time I read a story in one of the volumes. I was having a terrible day, and all I wanted to do was complain, but no one was listening. It was suggested I sit back, relax, and enjoy a fire roaring in a fireplace. I grabbed the first volume in the series, the only one available at the time, and read a story at random. It was about a little boy battling cancer who dreamed of being a firefighter. I read the first paragraph, figured it was going to be sappy, and if it was too gooey, I'd throw the book in the fireplace as kindling. Well, that's not what happened. The child did not survive, but the local firefighters made his frame come true and as I read, I became emotionally involved in the story, almost feeling as if the kid was my own son. But it did more than just make me realize I was getting a bit to cynical in my not so old age, it reminded me of what writing can do for a reader: make a connection to a person's heart in a way no other medium can. Over the years the books in this series have made me take a few moments to reflect, appreciate life, and see the good that is out there even if we don't always realize it. No, not every story moves me, but I do believe that every story in the series moves at least one reader, and if writers claim to be pouring out their heart and soul on the page, isn't this the point? In some ways I have this series to thank for reminding me of my dream to write something that will be published. As I read many of the stories in this series, it reminded me that we may all have a story to tell, but writers take that story one step further and put it on paper.

Now, while I love the books in the series, I wondered if CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE WRITER'S SOUL would have enough of an edge. I guess I believe books on writing should be challenging in order to be credible. I've read the books on writing theory by people such as Eudora Welty, John Gardiner, Anne Lamott, and Brenda Ueland as well as the "you can write a best selling novel in thirty seconds" type of books. Of course I read the former as an artist, but the latter for research purposes. The main character in my novel in progress is a popular writer so I need to know how popular writers write, right? Right. I wondered if the CHICKEN SOUP volume would have the critical push I need, or whether it would be enjoyable stories without a bite, so I avoided the book. Then I remembered something. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen are two of publishing's most successful writers/editors, and the first volume was rejected by publishing houses that thought the idea would never succeed. I'm willing to bet they regret rejecting Canfield and Hansen now, but it also reminded me, these two people know the ins and outs of writing and publishing, and they may know what writers need to read.

Obviously I purchased this volume, and I've read it as I do most of the books in this series. I look for a story that interests me and read it. Usually I take something with me. This volume shows the variety of people who take words and put them together in an attempt to find meaning. Some of the writers with stories in this volume include esteemed authors such as Ernest J. Gaines, best selling writers such as Clive Cussler, and writers from the world of entertainment such as Garry Marshall and Art Linkletter. Most of the stories are written by lesser known names that may not have the notoriety but have the same desire to put words to paper.

I'll admit, most of the stories in this book I use in teaching, usually when teaching junior high students about the importance of pursuing dreams or having confidence in one's abilities. Yet as I teach these lessons and remember where the stories come from, I am reminded of my own desire to write, and since that's the purpose of the book., it succeeds.

This notable volume of "Chicken Soup" consists of eighty stories within ten chapters to thoroughly inspire and give voice to the value of writing, whether for profit and as a career or for the sheer joy in the outlet of creative expression.

Each true-life story was written by a professional writer within some genre of the field, and I found myself turning the page to find any familiar to me. Regardless of familiarity of name, each story will inspire, even if you have no inclination to write. And if you do write, you will find helpful tips, comradeship and motivation along with the encouragement.

As with all books of the Chicken Soup series, this one can easily be book-marked and read at leisure. I enjoyed every page and every story.

This is a collection of approximately 80 stories from various writers, some famous, some not. The stories are personal anecdotes of the obstacles faced in becoming a writer. Most of the stories seem to have a hardship story to tell, for example, overcoming poverty or illness. My favorite story was from the Christmas Box author, telling how he wrote and self-published the book.

If you are looking for writing instruction, this is not what you want. However, if you need to be reminded that many other people who have aspired to become succesful writers have faced and overcome overwhelming odds, then you will enjoy this book. I recommend this book to any aspiring writer who is currently feeling discouraged from rejection or self-doubt.