Road Books

This is the best atlas I've seen for help in following the news in today's world, if you don't want an encyclopedic type book. I like that it's compact--perfect for the coffee table. The maps are clear, detailed and easy to read. The facts have just enough depth. This atlas is a great source for both children and adults.

I bought the large version of this atlas a few years ago, but after trying to carry it to my geography class for several days, I decided to buy the compact atlas. The maps are detailed and almost artistic. The facts section in the back makes finding quick statistics about countries simple. A few days ago, one of the sisters at our school asked me if I could buy her a copy, so I'm ordering one for her now. She called it "beautiful".

With everything going on in the world these days, you can help your children understand world events as they happen by showing them were countries are in this very compact World Atlas.

Even the small print was easy for me to read. While the Dorling Kindersley World Atlas is a much larger version, I prefer this one for looking up just a country or two. If you want a more detailed and almost encyclopedic treatment of the world, you could look up ISBN:078945620.

This size is much lighter and is easy for children to use. It is useful for school projects and you can look up each countries flag (and statistics) or look up a country of interest in the easy-to-use Index.

The inside front and back covers have a "key" to the Map Pages. So, if you are looking up countries in the Middle East, you would look on page 98. That is a great feature.

Perfect to keep in the family TV room.

The story of the beautiful butterfly from the lowly caterpillar has been done and it is a useful story for teaching self esteem at any age. However...I must applaud this tale by Tom McWhirter of metamorphosis and finding the beauty inside.

Like the caterpillars in this true to life telling of the story, to find our selves we must first face some major challenges. For some it is not as easy as stepping into a cocoon and - VOILA - a butterfly! Some of us are afraid of the dark or being blown away by giant gusts of wind! All delightfully illustrated by Mary Meade.

The 3-D cover brought back happy childhood memories for me also!

This is a classic tale told from a fresh perspective...I loved it and will be passing it on to my grandchildren.

Do You Know Why Butterflies Fly? is a wonderful children's book about the importance of opening oneself up to new experiences and having the courage to venture in pursuit of one's dreams. A beautiful butterfly speaks to a young boy, and explains to him that the majority of caterpillars never transform in a cocoon and grow wings because they are afraid. But the butterfly who dares to change itself is different. "If the winds carry me, far will I roam. / For how can I be lost when the / world is my home. / I'm not afraid, I have faith in me, / and the courage to change into / all I can be." Gentle color illustrations with anthropomorphic touches add the perfect complement to this uplifting and encouraging storybook.

Tom McWhirter draws on his own rich childhood experiences and imagination to recreate a sense of his own personal transformation in this beautifully illustrated book, "Do You Know Why Butterflies Fly?" This is a book for children teaching them how to meet their greatest fears with courage. The butterflies teach lessons on having faith and confidence in ourselves to change life's circumstances into something better.

The stunning butterfly hologram on the cover is designed to capture the child's imagination. The vivid and striking artwork by illustrator Mary Meade is breathtaking. The pictures beautifully portray and exemplify the important message of the story.

The book reminds the reader, whether young or old, to follow their dreams. McWhirter, through the master butterfly, encourages us to understand that there are no limitations in life other than those we place on ourselves.

This is a perfect read aloud book for family, school, and public libraries. It is a book that will proudly be handed down from generation to generation. I highly recommend this book for family reading.

.

In these days of "managed care" and doctors carrying laptops this is a warm memory of the time when doctors treated patients with care and understanding. Dr. Rosen has written a beauiful memoir that all seniors will relate to! It is a lovely book by a lovelyman.

This charming small volume combines elements of autobiography of an outstanding Jewish doctor in New England with fascinating glimpses into the world of medical practice in the first half of the 20th century and after. Some of the relatives, patients and colleagues evoked in the book seem to be straight out of Woody Allen's "Radio Days." Rosen presents the medical profession in a humanly complex manner. His central message is that practicing medicine has been made much easier by countless technological advancements while its ethical core remains unchanged. This is a book I'd love to see in many patient waiting areas across the country!

Dr. Rosen's tale of how he overcame so many obstacles to become such a successful Doctor was gripping yet really heartwarming. Dr. Rosen's insights into the historical changes of medicine and how it is administered is seemingly on point and true in my opinion. For a 99 year old man to write such an easy to read, jargon free, riveting book is admirable and impressive. An enjoyable read for sure. I Highly recommend! -Chris/NY

I think in this day and age to find a book that is interesting and a short series is something good. Although I enjoy long series....I hate waiting for them.....this book was refreshing. Thank you Tom!

Once again Tom Dietz has managed to combine an insight into the lives of the average young American with a truly fantastic world of magic and fantasy. As with all of his books, this was a true delight to read, and I honestly did stay up all night until I finished reading it

I loved this story of Tir-Nan-Og...as all the others. This whole series is great for the simple reason each can stand alone...in an age where books are constantly "to be continued" his works are fresh and the characters as strong as ever.

A very entertaining read about two young dare-devils. Interesting,informative and the author's dry wit is reminiscent of Bill Bryson

An amusing collage of adventures through New Zealand and Australia.

Drive-About is an attention engaging travelogue by Jeff Green of a road trip he took that introduced him to the sights, wonders, and cultures of New Zealand and Australia. From "crazy kiwis"; to lush rainforests; to meeting Aboriginals and sampling their "witchetty grub" (the larval stage of a large moth) as a snack, Drive-About is colorful, adventurous, exotic, which is especially recommended for armchair travelers -- and would well serve as a trip-planning template for anyone contemplating vacations in Australia or New Zealand.

This writer has been there and loves managing...The BS about babysitting is not what he preaches, True leadership is great coaching and Lehmann brings that across big time. Very practical...buy it!

The book gave me a tremendous "aha!" Struggling with the contradictions inherent between the linear application of quality process improvements and non-linear "whole systems" design, this book brought the two together for me in ways that I can articulate to others. Thanks!

If you're looking for more tools for your management toolbox, ideas as to how to embrace change, how to empower your staff - it's in here!

I travel alot to visit my college students. I am usually traveling alone and realized that 911 is not always the correct number to call in an emergency. The correct numbers are posted but only randomly. This is a problem when you have an emergency and have not been keeping track of the correct phone number as you change states or areas. I found this book and got three. I immediately placed one in my car and one in each of my two childrens cars. It gives me peace of mind that they will have the proper emergency number if they ever need it.

I travel alot to visit my college students. I am usually traveling alone and realized that 911 is not always the correct number to call in an emergency. The correct numbers are posted but only randomly. This is a problem when you have an emergency and have not been keeping track of the correct phone number as you change states or areas. I found this book and got three. I immediately placed one in my car and one in each of my two childrens cars. It gives me peace of mind that they will have the proper emergency number if they ever need it.

This is the greatest book and much needed for anyone traveling on the road. Most people are unaware that 911 is not an option everywhere in the US, and that dialing 911 from a cell phone is unreliable excpet in big cities - I learned this the hard way. This little book is great for a glove compartment or purse and it will provide you with emergency numbers for every state in the US! Plus, road hotlines, tourism contacts, seat belt laws, helmet regulations, alcohol BAC, radar detectors and more. And, each number is personally verified for accuracy. Very handy and a must have for RV people and campers! I love it - it will be with me everywhere I go! Well worth the price.

As the coordinator of the Washington, D.C. Spinoza Society, I'm often asked what book the Spinoza-novice should read first in order to gain an introduction to his writings. My answer is to begin with Runes's wonderful abridged version of the Ethics. Runes distills Spinoza's various propositions, axioms, scholia and corollaries into a small book of extremely readable prose. The reader is left to marvel at the combination of Spinoza's profound insights, incredible courage and common sense wisdom.

There is plenty of time in life for the Spinoza lover to read the unabridged Ethics and delve into his other masterpieces, such as the Theological-Political Treatise. But how does one get hooked on Spinoza in the first place? That's where Runes comes into the picture. In crafting a book with such simplicity and beauty, Runes beckons his readers to fall in love with Spinoza as perhaps the quintessential sage. Then, once the heart is engaged, the reader can spend many an evening reading the scholia and corollaries to engage the mind.

Look in any history of philosophy and Spinoza's Ethics will be described as "one of the most difficult" works in philosophy.

About two years ago I set my self the task of working through Spinoza's geometrical system of God, Mind, Emotions, The Strength of the Emotions, And The Intellect. I tackled it 5 propositions at a time. It was like reading a lease. Very dry, but very important. In short, I loved it, and really not that difficult. (I don't read leases in my spare time).

What I most enjoyed was Spinoza's grappling with the emotions and his focus on intelligent introspection. The end result of this for Spinoza was the happy discovery, arrived at by geometrical proof, that deep down we are good, indeed blessed. This is not wishful thinking, but a meticulous application of logic and the facts. How he does it is amazing, and worth reading

Spinoza's conclusions point the way to a happy life of self-discovery. His broader picture of God lies waiting for others, especially theoretical physicists, to pick up the trail where he left it.

The Ethics of Spinoza is one of the hundred or so most brilliant books ever written. It is also one of the most amazing accomplishments Man has produced. Not easy reading, it is worth working through. By logical argument piled on top of each preceding argument, Spinoza states that "God" is co-equal with the universe (he was a pantheist) and details a remarkable analysis of the emotions and how we can best direct them so as to reach tranquility of mind. He does this all with what must have been an astonishingly powerful mind with rare skills of analysis. The odd structure he chose may not have been the best vehicle for his philosophy but it was based on the then popular Cartesian method. A truly magnificent view of religion, life and the universe. While there have never been many followers of Spinoza's system, its influence has been felt throughout philsophy. This book is a monument to what the human mind is capable of. A landmark in Western civilization.

The House on Beartown Road tugged at bitter-sweet memories as I identified with the craziness we all go through trying to do all the necessary and out of the ordinary things as a mom, daughter and full time career counselor. The humor, pathos and frenetic moments stood out in the book as universal elements all of us go through when parents become children and out of necessity give us over their life. As Ms. Cohen remarked "the usefulness of being constantly busy gave me little time to think about all the things bothering me," with a new full time job, a house to run with three active children, and a run away mom who came to visit me and never went home again. As she described in her book, life takes a toll on everyone in our immediate families and it takes a long time for life to ebb and flow into any kind of natural order. Sometimes I feel that my mom died cell by cell. Elizabeth Cohen helped me remember what I went through but more importantly, find closure. I thank her for putting into words the impossible things that we go through to cope and make life work.

I've never been to Beartown Road but thanks to Elizabeth Cohen's vivid portrait of her life there, I've come to know the place. She writes in such a way that I "felt" the seasons change as well as "saw" the changes in Elizabeth and her family. Elizabeth's struggles were portrayed with clarity, warmth, honesty, and poignancy. In describing what life was like on Beartown Road, Elizabeth's sense of humor carried her and this reader through the hassles and triumphs.
I once read a quote that went something like this, "You're never ready for what you have to do. You just do it." That's what Elizabeth did as she undertook the care of her aging, ill, father, Sandy, and the nurturing of her blossoming infant daughter, Ava.
I laughed, I cried, I related. I highly recommend "The Family on Beartown Road."

Elizabeth Cohen pulls no punches in this beautifully-written story of the year she served as caregiver to her father, Sanford, who struggled through the late-middle stages of Alzheimer's disease. Suddenly the single mother of a toddler and responsible for Sanford's care, she sets down a record of her daughter's growth, her dad's decline and her own struggle as a caregiver. In this unsentimental, yet lyrical book, Cohen writes about her father's tantrums, having to clean him after he has soiled himself, and her difficulty finding daytime caregivers while she works. She also writes about their deep moments of connection that transcend the logical workings of the mind. As she records this watershed year, she finds both meaning and grace in her role as daughter and caregiver. The strongest point that this book makes is that Alzheimer's disease does not dissolve relationships; it transforms them.

After caring for my father, who had progressive dementia for over four years before his death, I regard this book as a gift and an inspration. A caregiver's job is a lonely one. No matter how much we try to connect with support groups and with other family members, we must shoulder an overwhelming responsibility. Books that detail the stages and symptoms of Alzhiemers and tell caregivers how to cope are important. The Family on Bearstown Road is a guide of another sort that is equally important.

The Fast Red Road is the kind of novel that makes you want to write, and drive, and read more of Jones' work. The prose is clear and uninhibited, and never takes itself too seriously. A syllabus in Jones' class at Texas Tech is more entertaining than most books on the bestseller list; his fiction is remarkable.

The Fast Red Road is a wild ride that moves beyond postmodernism into something totally new. This is a fun, fast, read that sticks with you after you are finished. Young authors like Jones give us a reason to be excited about the future of literature.

This is probably the best novel I have ever read. Jones' style in this book is very much akin to Pynchon's in The Crying of Lot 49, except more sonically tasty. The plot jumps out at you in complex imagery that mirrors this linguistic free-for-all (I read this book with more than one dictionary at hand). It's very tough to get a hold of mentally, but, in the end, well worth it. Anyone interested in contemporary fiction does themselves a disservice by not reading this book.