W Books

My 8 year old thought it was old and boring but he did seem interested in a few parts of the story. Probably a little outdated for kids these days but I loved it. It was the kind of story I would read when I was little, but I am going on 50.

This is a very long, very wordy book. It's not suitable for last minute bedtimes, nor for toddlers.

It's very suitable for kids in the older end of the 4-8 range, or littler kids with a good attention span, though.

Not much happens in the story - girl loses a tooth, gets her wish of ice cream, has clam chowder for lunch - which is just the way real life works. It's so well-written that you don't even *notice* that the story moves slowly, you might as well be talking about your own life.

I really sound like I'm criticizing, but I'm not. All the points I'm mentioning actually make it a good book. Really :) Definitely don't pass this classic book by.

This has to be one of my favorites and no child should be without it. The text is lively and easy to read and reads like people really talk, which gives the story a lot of warmth. The illustrations are beautifully drawn with lots of detail and humor and also look true to life, from the pained expression on the dad's face as he's rowing the boat, to sister Jane peeking from the top of the stairs or chasing the cat under the bench in Mr. Condon's store. Jane is depicted just as most children her age really are - a real livewire who is both curious and active, climbing and getting into things - she reminds me of my 16 month old daughter! And Sal is accurately portrayed as a typical preschooler - asking detailed questions about everything and talking up a storm.

You won't be disappointed. This classic is a must for any preschooler.

This book is a beautiful picture book, and I still enjoy looking at it. The pictures are gorgeous. And this isn't a cheesy book. It's a wonderful story for children, and I highly recommend it! Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

To a child, every morning is a new start with infinite possibilities; at least that's how it should be. In this classic 1953 book Robert McCloskey brings a child's simple world to life. McCloskey, better known for his Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal, gives us another look at little Sal. The story is timeless and his line drawings bring the children to life.

The simple coastal lifestyle of more than half a century ago may be hard to find today, in part because of the high local tax valuation of shore and island properties. Still, if you were to take a child to the rocky coast of Maine this summer, she could be little Sal in the clam flats. One Morning in Maine (Picture Puffin) is full of that magical atmosphere where the land and ocean meet. We all want that magic!

McCloskey's Caldecott-honored book tells a simple story. Young Sal wakes up on a sunny morning in Maine with an adventure in store. She and her little sister are going with their father in the boat to Buck's Harbor to dig clams. There are idyllic family scenes, lessons from their father about the world around them, ice cream cones at the store, and the disappointment of a loose tooth lost in the clam flats.

Simple stuff? It certainly is, and just the sort of simple stuff children thrive on. Sal's morning may be long ago and far away, but the curiosity and wonder of a child's new day will be with us forever.

Linda Bulger, 2008

I recently purchased and read this book as I continue to avidly research autism and it's treatment. I came across this book and purchased it based on it's reviews, and there is clearly a reason that this book has very high reviews. Dr. Koegel has written one of the best books that I have read covering this topic. The book itself is very well written and documented, and it gives hands-on treatment approaches to problematic behavior. Most books talk about the various areas of difficulties that a child w/ autism has, but for anyone that spends anytime around a child w/ it, we don't need a book to tell us what defines problematic behavior because we could write one ourselves. What someone needs is this book that discusses why the behaviors occur and how to replace the inappropriate behavior w/ something the child can learn from and consequently, yield appropriate behavior. After all, if we don't have a cure yet, we should at the very least, have a way to beat it and overcome it!

Thus, my appreciation really does go out to Dr. Koegel and her research/exprerience w/ dealing w/ children w/ autism. My only regret is that she works out of UCLA and is far away because she would be an incredible asset to a child w/ autism in Texas. She does however have available for purchase through her website, a set of various training manuals that cover areas of problematic behavior that give a more in-depth approach to how to teach and work w/ a child so that they can learn how to eliminate the behavior and replace it w/ an appropriate one. That is, after all, the point -- help the child learn by teaching them how to effectively deal w/ their autism so that they can overcome it! This book is the answer, I thank Dr. Koegel for sharing and allowing us to have hope in, at times, a very difficult world.

So full of hope and realism. If you are going through a tough time coping with the diagnosis, this book will get you back on track and focused on how to best help your child from an ABA/educational perspective. You won't find all the controversial treatments in here, but straight forward therapist and parent perspectives on how to help your child. I immediately started using techniques discussed in the book and was impressed by how quickly my daughter responded. At 3.5 she still has a way to go, but I have such an improved outlook for her future thanks to this book.

There are books on autism that I recommend that parents and heathcare professionals read. This is one book that I recommend that they don't just read but buy and keep it for future references.

There is such a wealth of info on autism here. If you can only afford to buy one book on autism. Let this be the one.

The authors take a highly optimistic view of treating autism. However, they make no bones about the fact that the treatment process is long, tedious and can even be painful. The first chapter deals with diagnosis and dealing with the initial shock.

From the second chapter onwards, the authors get down to earth with managing the autistic child. They go down to every detail on how to encourage communication. Start from the very simple and basic. Turn sounds into words. Reward, reinforce ...

Next, it's down to breaking the self-stimulating or injury cycle. Introduce replacement behaviour. The authors go into the dos and don'ts for breaking repetitive actions. Why punishment doesn't work for them. There is also a very practical FAQ section that deals with the common concerns and problems faced by parents and care providers.

The following chapters deal with imparting social skills, providing education and family support. There is so much useful info that it's impossible to finish, let alone digest in one reading. Buy this book and keep referring to it as you manage autistic children and see them grow up.

My son was diagnosed with ASD at 2. I read many books and this was my favorite. It was clear, easy to read and most of all it gives you techniques on how to help your child overcome. It gave me hope when I was facing his diagnosis.

Although I have not purchased this book, I have read a copy that I borrowed from a library.

While the author of this book doesn't guarantee that autistic kids will improve suddenly as soon as their cargivers start giving them the help they need, she talks about how much they can progress eventually if their caregivers give them all the help they need. I really like books that tell us about how much autistic people can progress eventually if they are given every chance to progress as much as they can, and that also give examples of those who have made great progress already, as a result of being given every chance to progress as much as they can. In fact, I really like all books that offer solutions to major problems and/or better alternatives to the status quo!

Filled with universal truths, you're sure to pick up a new distinction.

You might also want to check out:

The WealthLoop Series Beginner's Guide to Personal Wealth Creation (Combo Audio/Data CD): Audio Seminar With Downloadable 40-Page Action Manual and Active Link Library.

The book goes over the same success principles as in other books. It is easy to read and uses many examples from his life. It is worth reading.

This is a great motivational book with an upbeat optimistic message. The author has been through his share of disappointments, and -- as he explains using historical examples -- learning from our mistakes can lead to fantastic victories. I read it from cover to cover and found the content uplifting. As Dean explains, it is not always those with the greatest skill or intelligence who are the most fulfilled. Often, those people who truly appreciate others and are excited and persistent with their ideas achieve success.

This is a MUST READ for anyone that wants to enjoy their life more or to become more successful in their business (or both). This book has made me look at life and business in an entirely new way. I plan to read it again just to make sure I have not missed anything. *****

I found the book to be interesting enough; but it did not contain any new news. The author shares his experiences and insights in a very down-to-earth manner. Some may find it useful as the more one is exposed to an idea, the greater the likelihood of being able to understand and adopt it. I wouldn't consider the book as a "magic potion", but more like "help along the way".

This book is not only about creating music, but it's also about the business of music. From tips on buying instruments and equipment, to finding practice space, to touring and promoting your music, Michael W. Dean crams his book full of useful information. Plus it contains pearls of practical wit and wisdom, including: A musical use for used pantyhose; a simple workout regimen for drummers; and how to be invited to stay at someone's house for as long as you want, rent-free. Overall, I learned a lot, and the book was a very enjoyable read.

Michael has done it again. Reading both $30 Film School and $30 Music School back to back has definitely given my confidence and knowledge a jump-start.
With the $30 series and the documentary DIY OR DIE, Michael W Dean has created a foundation to start your own artistic journey and equip you with enough knowledge to survive in what can be a very cutthroat environment.

It is time to wake up, take control of what is left of your life and make an impression to last the ages. The $30 series is here to help prevent you from making the mistake of living old with regret.
For $30 you get way more than what you pay for.

The book's OK, but it's not about music: it's about running a garage band -- which is very different: in music school you study your instrument, solfege, harmony, and counterpoint; in a band you need to know how to find gigs, how to fight with your bandmates and come on top -- every time, all the time, how to deal with the gear, etc. With this in mind, the book is a good read for a newbie (but if you have a couple of years' experience in that area it is unlikely that you'll find anything you don't already know).

What's next for the author? I'm hoping for a $30 Brain Surgery School book, why not. After having starved in the company of beautiful women, one realizes that a man's gotta eat. ;-) God bless.

The title of this book caught my eye and I bought it after reading 1 page. It is well written and informative without being dry. Along with the practical advice given on purchasing gear, dealing with bandmembers, club owners, recording and other facets of getting your music heard, integrity and win/win situations are stressed throughout it. I have already applied some of the info presented and have undergone some major attitude adjustments (positive ones) toward my music and my musical goals. Although there is a lot of humor and an easygoing style about this book, it is very serious in its focus on how to get your music out there. Anybody who wants to pursue music further than garage band status should read this book. People who want to be big rock stars would benefit from $30 Music School, too, as it may prove to be a reality check for them.

Michael's writing style realy makes this an enjoyable read. This how-to for garage banding covers everything from managers and road managers and bookers to the handful of guitar and keyboard chords you need for rock 'n roll to tutorials for various software packages. Hmm. Like a boyscout manual for punk rockers. Lots of anecdotes and real-world advise.

Ted Lawson's first-person tale of America's first blow back at the Empire of Japan is a "must read" for anyone interested in military history. The first book published on the Doolittle Raid, Lawson's narrative describes the genesis, preparation, and execution of the raid, and should be followed with a reading of Doolittle's autobiography, in which Doolittle describes his mission as well as his despair after bailing out of his B-25. Little did either of them suspect that a raid intended to boost American morale would have strategic consequences, and that Japan would divert badly needed resources to home defense that otherwise would have gone to the front lines.

Well told story of the Doolittle raid told by one of the pilots on the raid. The story is about the pre-raid, the raid itself, and the aftermath, which tells about the injuries sustained by Capt. Lawson and his crew and the help they received from missionaires and the Chinese in escaping capture by the Japanese. He also relates the stories of some of the other crews on the raid.

This is a tense account of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in the spring of 1942. World War II pilot Ted Lawson describes the pre-raid preparation, taking off from the aircraft carrier Hornet, attacking Tokyo, and crash landing his B-25 bomber in Japanese-occupied China. As many know, the B-25's took off farther out to sea than planned after the Hornet was spotted while approaching Japan. With too little fuel to reach the safety of Chinese lines, the crews bailed out or crash land in Japanese-occupied China. The surviving airmen then tried to avoid Japanese army patrols and find help from friendly Chinese. Most flyers did so despite the language barrier and survived. But Lawson was injured in the crash-landing, and when infection set in his leg was amputated in a field hospital. Lawson survived, returned to the USA, and wrote this book in a matter of days in 1943. The story is often gripping but loses a bit of steam later on - thus just four stars.

I read this book as a youngster for its thrill value without fully realizing that war is mostly tragedy rather than adventure. The book became a 1944 film starring Van Johnson, Robert Walker and Robert Mitchum. As for Lawson, he returned with his wife to California where he eventually ran a machine shop and he lived until 1992.

It a first person account of the Doolittle raid over Tokyo in 1942, written by one of the B-25 pilots from the raid. It covers his story from flight school all the way through his eventual return to the United States. Its an amazing story, especially the crews crash in China and the 5 month ordeal of evading the Japanese. It is a great book for younger readers with its fast pace and informaly written style.

I first read this book so many years ago that I can't remember, but I think it was about when I was in the eighth grade, say about 1955. I remember the book, and I remember the Van Johnson movie. The scene where the Chinese peasant brings Van Johnson the pair of slippers only to see that he has lost one leg stays with me even now. ==This is a classic book. It was written by one of the pilots on the Doolittle raid over Japan. In fact it was the character played by Van Johnson, Lt. Ted W. Lawson, that wrote this book.

This book, these men as much as any other that I can think of illustrates exactly what Tom Brokaw had in mind when he referred to them as the 'greatest generation.' Especially so when you talk to one of them and they invariably tell you they were not a hero. Heros were the ones who didn't come back. Heros were the other guys. I was just doing my job. Heros they were all.

Read this book. Read it again if you read it years ago. Give a copy to that youngster in your family or church that you think will appreciate it.

A Child's Christmas In Wales CD: And Five Poems
Hurrah! Now I won't have to wait for the radio to play Dylan Thomas reading his wonderful Child's Christmas every Christmas. Truly a beautiful recording of the other poems as well.

My goodness, these illustrations are ugly. They completely detract from the beauty of the language. Either read it out loud to a blind person or stick with the version illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman.

This reading of A Child's Christmas in Wales is tops! It wouldn't be Christmas for us without hearing Dylan Thomas tell his story. He recounts a holiday of simple, family and neighborhood doings, and paints a picture of snowy, seaside Wales of the 1920's.

I love this story, as do all my children, who, from their earliest years, have not much struggled with the density of the language nor the scatteredness of the story. 5 of my 8 great-grandparents are from Wales, and the remaining 3 have the blood in them as well, so maybe it is like drinking water for us.:-D Our minds are all scattered, and words, even English words ;-D, fall on us in clumps....which makes it doubly hard to keep a clean house. LOL

The sort of prose-poetry imaginative way of seeing and describing the world unique to Welshwomen and Welshmen and Welshchildren, which does not seek to keep up the pretense that history can be separated from myth, story and desire, and which requires loving with eyes wide open to [and eventually embracing] one's own and others' bumps, bruises and idiosyncracies included, is extraordinarily well represented here. So, by the way, is speaking and listening to the close and Holy darkness!

My favorite version isthe one illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. To me she has captured the complexity of the Welsh personality best, though i have nothing to say against the other illustrators praised in these reviews. I DO have a warning for you: there are some skinny versions flying about which do not have the poem-story complete and correct. This sort of work cannot suffer removal or modification, IMHO.

gbg

If you have read A Child's Christmas in Wales, you know that it has to be a classic. But you can't fully appreciate it until you have heard Dylan Thomas read it. What a deep, expressive, poetic voice. For years, I have listened to the recording on a Caedman record. It is wonderful to have it on a CD.

I just finished reading this book and highly recommend it.It is an inspiring true and personal testimony of a wealthy traditional Muslim woman who came to the faith through vivid dreams from God. As she journeys from Islam to Christianity, her salvation leads to her to a wonderfully intimate relationship with Christ. She is dedicated and obedient in all details of her life, big and small , and openly shares her struggles with temporal things, a sharp tongue, and pride and how she learns to overcome her flesh and walk in a true relationship with the Lord. It is void of the shallow Christianity that is so prevalent in our society today, and I found that very refreshing . It left me desiring a deeper level of intimacy with God as well as causing me to evaluate my own obedience and faith in Him . The presence of the Lord she experiences is rare, but so is the faith and trust that she has for Him.

Her simplistic faith, untouched and tainted by modern Christianity and its rules and doctrine is a beautiful testament of how the Spirit will teach us all we need to know about Him. As He gives her dreams, leads her into the Scriptures and speaks to her she learns His word and how to obey Him. Her obedience, even as her life is threatened, is encouraging. I love a part in the book where she tells the Lord she doesn't have what it takes to be a martyr, so she asks Him to make her death quick and painless! I laugh because I have often prayed that myself.


Being a Muslim living in the middle east, coming to the faith in Christ was worthy of death. She was ostracized by her family and threatened with her life, yet she held steadfast and unwavering to the Lord in spite of it.

This book was originally written in 1978 but has been republished and includes an after word from two missionary friends who were close with her and were used to disciple Bilquis in her walk with the Lord. The author is now with the Lord, but has left behind a shining example of what a true relationship with Christ is for today.
It is an easy read and one that would make a wonderful family read aloud. I will definitely be adding it to book our pile to read to my children.

Stephanie
www.ahighandnoblecalling.blogspot.com

I love this book. It has become a friend over the years. It is written in such a way as you are sitting down and talking with a dear friend and she is telling you about her adventure.

What a life changing book it is. Read it.....and pass one along to a friend.

This is one of the most amazing books of a biography that I have ever read, on the power of GOD to show his LOVE for His children.

I am currently taking a course on Islam and the anstructor thought that this book would be an interesting read as to how women in that society were treated from their perspective. My wife and I read the book together in ONE DAY, she read it out loud as we drove around running arrands and then as we arrived home we finished that evening. Neither of us wanted to put the book down as it had us captured from page one.
This book was obviously written by a well educated woman raised in the Muslim faith who started on the journey to Christianity through a carefully thought out spiritual process.
I would call this book a Must Read for Christians of today as we have lost this simplistic view of our faith that this woman had and our willingness to defend it to the loss of everything.
The book is yet in a very simplistic writing style that it reads much like one of Kipling's stories that the author quotes and obviously was raised on in Pakistan.

Bilquis' story of her search for God and the way He found her shows the depths of his love for lost sinners and the powerful way he draws men to him. As the story unfolds, you can see how God is working out everything in the background, through dreams, events, chance encounters and situations to orchestrate the salvation of her soul. This is especially revealed in the Afterword written by Synove Mitchell, the missionary that Bilquis' first consulted, the despair that was going on in her spiritual life at the time, and her fervent prayers to God to show her meaning in her ministry.

After her conversion, Bilquis learns to walk with God, to feel for his Presence and to follow his leading. This part is very humbling for me because I have not yet learned to walk as Bilquis has, perhaps because I have too much material, Bible study notes, commentaries, preaching, programs, that I have not learned to lean solely on God, and what he wants me to do. I pray that I can develop the sensitivity that Bilquis has, about moving in his will, staying in his presence and his fellowship and then obey. Even though she was shunned by her family, threatened by the villagers, and almost had her house burned down, Bilquis learned to trust only in God and his timing. She was bold in her witness, she did what God told her to do, and was used by him to bring other villagers to Christ. Bilquis also recounts times when she grieved the Spirit, when she let her old self get in the way, and her immediate sense of being further away from God.

Servants and neighbors observed the changes that God made in Bilquis' life after her salvation. Whereas before, she was imperious, prideful, and hard to please. She became gentle, gracious, and giving. After years of observing her, her Muslim servant received Jesus as Saviour because she too wanted to know God, and asked Jesus to come into her heart. They both "have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2:3)

So it can be for you too, if you want to taste of the heavenly gift, then just ask God to show Himself to you. While visiting a hospital, she met a doctor who told her "there is only one way to find out why you feel this way. And that is to find out for yourself, strange as that may seem. Why don't you pray to the God you're searching for? Ask Him to show you His way. Talk to Him as if He is your friend.... Talk to Him as if He were your father."

James does a fabulous job with loads of newly released information to make it very clear that Lee Harvey Oswald wasn't just a patsy, but could have been a hero a few weeks earlier. If anyone doubts the CIA's hand on this, they haven't been paying attention.

JFK and the Unspeakable is a gem of a book. Due to the obfuscation of the events of that sad day in November 1963 by our own government, we may never be able to put absolute names and faces to the forces that caused the death of our 35th President. But the circumstantial evidence is overwhelming. James Douglass does a mighty fine job of painting the landscape and filling in the details of this dark period in a masterly fashion. When our own government stonewalls investigation into the killing of a president, keeping records sealed for half a century and then releasing them drip by redacted drip, is there any wonder that 75% of the population finds its intentions highly suspect? Douglass very clearly defines the motives that have shrouded this assassination discussion for so many years. And with the motive, method and opportunity of the clandestine forces to eliminate a sitting president so blatantly in place, it is a marvel of duplicity that they have painted "conspiracy theorists" into such a curious cul-de-sac. But finely written books such as Mr. Douglass's slowly prod this most obvious of viewpoints back into the mainstream of American conscience.

The disquieting question that arises after reading this book is - Where was America while this was happening? Why are we so somnolent when forces in our own government make a mockery of democracy and American ideals by killing popular peace-leaning leaders [JKF, RFK and MLK] and bringing us into war after phony war against the better judgement of reasonable people?

Where is America when the chips are down?

What an excellent book! Does not get bogged down in the relatively irrelevant details of the players on the ground in Dealy Plaza that awful day. By that I mean to say that Douglass is using a more "macro-view", if you will, regarding the Why of JFK's assassination. He is a committed pacifist and peace activist, as well as a Catholic theologian.
The book is meticulously researched and I found many excellent insights regarding the context of times in which these events transpired. It was well before my time, so I found that this book offered me a more complete picture of the political currents swirling around the US and the world at that time - while at the same time providing a balanced and insightful picture of JFK. Many writers, in my opinion, seem to want to deify or demonize the man. This book really humanized the historical character for me.
I have read many books on this subject, but found this one to be more satisfying and unique. "Satisfying" in the sense that the larger questions in my own mind were answered, at least as much as they are ever going to be. I'm sure that all of the really damning evidence is long destroyed and/or silenced. ( I hope that I am wrong....) "Unique" in that Douglass brings a fresh moral perspective to his political and historical analysis - whether one accepts all of his conlusions or not. Subsequent history bears out some of his conclusions, but dealing with and confronting totalitarian regimes and systems cannot always be wished away by hopes of peace - see the "Peace in our time" debacle in Munich in the late 1930's . Still it is a shame that Kennedy never got the chance to bring to fruition a number of his initiatives.
Finally, it offers the most credible answer to my mind about how and why so many people and gov't agencies particpated in the cover-up.
"Treason doth never prosper, for if it prosper who dare call it treason?", wrote William Shakespeare. How true. How many died in Indochina and elswhere because of that? How sad.

James Douglass presents a strong case that John Kennedy was assassinated by a CIA-controlled plot, and Lee Harvey Oswald was a 'patsy' that was set up to take the fall, aided by a CIA double. These are not new ideas, yet Douglass has careful references to document his thesis. This reader is not convinced. The contention that the shots came from the 'grassy knoll' rather than from the Book Depository are claimed by Douglass to be supported by the piece of JFK's skull that was dislodged by the fatal bullet. But, evidence shows that this bone particle came from the parietal portion of the head, and not the occipital as suggested by Douglass. As such, there is no way the bullet could have entered from any angle other than from the rear. Furthermore, the contention that the bullet entered the throat and exited the head would require a shot from the front and below, not from above as Douglass' conspiracy theory contends. There are other obvious flaws in the conspiracy argument, including eye witnesses with very shaky psychological pasts. Above all, how could it be that such a wide-ranging conspiracy involving even field agents of the CIA could have been kept a secret all these years? It is not a compelling rehash of the old evidence.

What is compelling, however, is the evil Douglass chronicles in his book that existed in the country in the early 60s. There was a deep hatred of JFK in the South and in Texas in particular. War mongering was at its height, and there is no doubt there was great rejoicing in the Pentagon and the CIA when his death was announced. This was the unspeakable that Douglass discusses in his book. In this matter he is right on. In that sense, as was discussed in the Dallas newspapers in those dark days in 1963 (I was living there at the time), we were all responsible in some way for his death by tolerating the intolerance, the outright hatred, and the talk of his demise. Furthermore, his book has the chilling effect of reminding us that we have learned nothing, absolutely nothing from that history. We have recreated over and over wars and insurgencies via the CIA or the Pentagon, and the ideals that Douglass' Kennedy represented have not found a place in the heart of the nation. For that reason, the book is well worth a read. Take in this reading, and whether or not you agree about the conspiracy, be prepared to be chilled by the animosity between JFK and the military-CIA leaders of his time.

This reviewer raptly read Mark Lane's Rush To Judgement, Jim Garrison's On the Trail of the Assassins: My Investigation and Prosecution of the Murder of President Kennedy, and Jim Mars' Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy when they were first published. This reviewer became jaded at the fictions published by the Warren Commission and the House Select Commission on Assassinations, and like America sings in Sister GoldenHair "I got so damn depressed" that I quit reading this stuff.

Since then, even more proof has piled up against the lies our "leaders" told us. JFK was 'turning towards Peace" and the "unspeakable" evil forces aligned against him and peace didn't like it. James W. Douglas has done an excellent, Must-Read compilation of that truth, especially important now that a similair scenario could be, like Carly crooned, "Comin Around Again" with a new president ("Yes we Can!" "Change we can believe in!") bucking an evermore entrenched Military-Industrial Complex - HalliBurton et. al. - that would prefer that we stay in Iraq for the next 100 years or so.

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"
George Santayana 1863-1952

Buy this book for you and all your intelligent friends and relatives and read it, so that we all can be on the same proverbial "Group W' bench with Arlo Alice's Restaurant: The Massacree Revisited (30th Anniversary Edition).

/TundraVision, "Hope springs eternal," Amazon Reviewer

I recommend this book to anyone who is curious about life. I already had a life purpose I felt confident and satisfied with before reading this book. I have a strong curiosity for life, and Steve Pavlina recommended it, so I gave it a read. I couldn't put it down ( except to do the exercises ).
I feel much more alive and on purpose after reading Swift's book. I feel much more confident sharing my purpose with others, and encouraging others to consciously pursue their own purpose, or the discovery of their purpose with this book.
I though th analogy with the cup and how water shape to the cup, is sensible and understandable way to explain your life's purpose. I don't want to give it all away. This book is phenomenal, and it would be silly not to read it.

Thanks Brad.

Walk into any bookstore and you'll find a dozen books that claim to have the keys to finding your life purpose. I've reviewed a good quantity of these types of books and the majority of them seem to have a ready made solution for you: the most common being service to God. Although inspirational, I find it really hard to believe that I could have the exact same life purpose as every other reader.

I believe that the biggest flaw in these resources is that the author's focus on doing rather than being. What will you do with your life to make your time here valuable? What have you achieved today, this year, or in your lifetime? The process is all a little external and designed to be sporadic.

Life on Purpose comes from a completely different angle. A life on purpose is more about who you want to be first and foremost. How do you want to feel each day? Who are you and how do you want to express these attributes? The doing comes later and is inherently shaped by your unique definition of being.

Before I read LIFE ON PURPOSE I participated in several of Brad Swift's Teleconferences where he outlined the process in his book. What and how he shared touched me and I wanted to experience going through the passages he spoke of and discover what it might reveal for my life. I found the book filled with questions, big, small, simple, easy and quite a few challenging - by far almost all worthwhile answering. The text is peppered with wonderful quotes that range from profound to hilarious. It is easy reading and light of heart for a 'serious' book about a big topic.
For myself, I found Brad's 3rd passage, UNCOVERING WHAT'S BEEN SHAPING YOUR LIFE, the simplest and most direct approach to 'examining the past' I have ever come across. Brad takes the seemingly complicated issues that often unconsciously shape our lives -survival patterns, role models, socio-economics, religion, nationality, etc - and renders them understandable in a 'non-psychological' manner - without bypassing powerful emotions such as fear and vulnerability. His path of questions reveal the pattern of the "wall paper" that you have been staring at in your everyday life and perhaps never noticed. Then, this pattern is distilled into a concise description he terms your "Inherited Purpose" which is from then on contrasted with the evolving discovery of your "Life Purpose" throughout the rest of the book. This distillation proved extremely useful to me, as I explored the rest of the passages and as I continue on in my Life Purpose. Every time the "Inherited Purpose" infiltrates my thinking I can easily identify and dispel its deadening presence. Now, my Life Purpose is an evolving endeavor that has the very best of me at the forefront of my life. LIFE ON PURPOSE is not a silver bullet with fast answers but an excavation that frees one's intuition and liberates consciousness for the purpose your heart cries out for.

After retiring from the Federal Government in order to move from DC and pursue a teaching career I had all but given up. No one was interested in hiring this late 50's veteran who just wanted to teach. I heard Brad at church and bought his book Life on Purpose. I did all the exercises which reinvigorated my belief the I was to BE a teacher. Within another month I was offered a job as a co teacher of Exceptional Children, teaching two Language Arts and two Science classes in a middle school. Brad's book was a significant part of my commitment to being a teacher. Read the book, do the exercises it may just work for you too.

I interviewed Brad on my radio show and found both Brad and his book to be sincere and enthusiastic. This book provides easy-to-use steps to a life more filled with awareness and contentment. Lee Channing.

What I as a man like most about this book is that Gary is humble enough to admit that he himself had to overcome the same typical male responses and insensitivity to women that nearly all men do. That makes me relieved that it's not just me, and gives me a lot of encouragement.


Lee Liebner, author/singer of As You Go, an inspirational gift book/song-on-CD/scrapbook-journal for young people leaving home to enter the world.

This book should be required reading for every married person - male and female. It's a quick read - written well - enjoyable and greatly informative. There's a ton of wisdom packed in its pages. My husband and I just read it and we've been together 11 years - it's truly helping us get back to where we used to be - the love of each others lives!! It will bless your life - it will also help you with your children. This book teaches you how to love unconditionally through commitment and kindness. It is a MUST READ!!

My husband and I read this book while we were engaged. It truly helped to prepare us for the love life in marriage that comes after the lovey-dovey stage is over. I have given this book to many engaged couples as well as seasoned couples who are having rocky times because marriage can be hard in the first, second, fifth, seventh years...

This is a classic book. If you are looking for some good information to build a life upon, this is a great book to start with.

If you are facing problems in your marriage, order this book and then look at The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His! and The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His 2 - Livin' It and Lovin' It! (Volume 2)

Blessings to you!

Joel and Kathy

Gary Smalley has written several outstanding books on building and maintaining a strong marriage. He has certainly earned the reputation of being someone at the forefront of marriage advice. Unfortunately, I do not find this book, LOVE IS A DECISION, to be anywhere near his best work. Here, Smalley teams with co-author John Trent. The work is good, and there is certainly some great advice here for both newlyweds and long term spouses alike, but I find this book to be difficult at times. What I mean is, I've read this book 3 times now. It is only just over 200 pages. Usually, a book of that size I would tear through in one or two days, but it always a week or more to read this one.

I must say, I certainly agree with the premise and foundational message of the book. So much so that I teach it as an integral part of my marriage coaching. Love is a decision. Oh, I know, it doesn't start out that way so much, but that is why our divorce rate is so high today. When we first meet someone, our attraction is emotional. We see qualities about a person that attract us causing an emotional bond to develop. However, usually somewhere between 1 and 3 years into living under the same roof as husband and wife, those characteristics that we once found attractive now are often like fingernails on a chalkboard.

We must keep in mind that we humans are static creatures, not dynamic. We are ever changing and when we build our relationships on characteristics, we don't realize the strain we are putting on our relationships, because, in time, our characteristics will change. Our interests will change. Our physical qualities will change. Even our opinions will change. Like the old saying, "a man in his twenties who is not liberal has no heart, but a man in his thirties who is not conservative has no brain". The point is, we all change. When we base our relationship on characteristics, we are basing it on something that will be much different down the road.

You see, at some point during the first few years of marriage, we lose our emotional attraction and we must find a new path to marital bliss. This is found through our decision to love that person, despite the fact that they are no longer the same person we fell in love with. That is the premise of the book here and Smalley and Trent do site some viable guidelines to that end, but for me, the book falls short.

I'm not one who normally puts down one book to tout another, but in this case, many people reading this review might find their marriage in a dire situation. Therefore, if you do find yourself in a marriage that seems to have lost its love, I would recommend first reading "Marriage Fitness" by Mort Fertel. It covers the same principles, and does it a more usable fashion.

Pastor Monty Rainey