O Books

Thank you, Rick Sammon! The photographs are incredible The descriptions of how thy are done makes me feel as though I could run right over and make those pictures, too. He makes it sound so easy to be a world class photographer. Thank you for the information
Gayle Gahn

World famous photographer and Canon Explorer of Light, Rick Sammon, shares the keys to taking great photos of people.

My copy came today from Amazon. I have just begun to dig into this but I can tell already that Face To Face will make me a better photographer. In one night...Face To Face has already changed the way I think about shooting people. Even more brilliant, Sammon has created a guide that allows everyone, including point and shoot photographers, to take better portraits. He shows how to light creatively with given light or how use of fillflash in the sun. He gives the basics of take three (you will need to get the book to find out what that means). Creating great group shots. And most importantly, he gives the basics of working with your subjects. All with a writing style that is warm and easy to read.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in taking better pictures of people...you know like your family.

I fell in love with Chapter 1 so quickly, that I went online and pre-ordered, Rick's next book...Exploring the Light. The premise is based on taking the best photos with your camera. This is not a photoshop book. I can NOT wait for this one. According to Amazon, my copy is supposed to ship around Oct 1. WHOOOO!

In the meantime, I will be like Linus, carrying around my copy of Face To Face like it's my blankie!

Thanks to Rick for teaching me "how to fall in love with my subject."

this is a great book. its really well written, and the photography is wonderful. I studied photography at the Pratt Institute and I found this book as informative and helpful as my advanced portrait class. Its fun to read, imaginative, and easy to understand. i really recommend it.

In an age where many academic Art historians and studio Art teachers often feel that art is about thought and explanation as opposed to inspiration, revisualization, craft and execution, this exquisitely illustrated book teaches how world-class images are the result of both inspiration careful visualition AND execution.

Rick Sammon shares techniques he uses to make extraordinary and artistic portraits. He reveals important tips and strategies for engaging the subject and setting up the shoot, along with techniques for photographing in a variety of conditions indoors and outdoors.

His side by side comparisons of subtle and sometimes not so subtle changes that make all the difference taking the image from acceptable to meaningful, is one of the most helpful aspects of his book. The book handles sometimes highly technical parameters in a simple and easily understood way. It teaches the value of understanding the craft so that the photographer does not stumble over technique as he/she tries to illustrate and share an important thought.

facetoface is a must study for young working professional portrait photographers but also extremely valuable for those wishing to commit art.. This book helps the artist to deliver on his/her vision. And as any mother knows it is easer to conceive than to deliver. Artists deserve to learn the same.

David A.Page
Fine Arts Photographer (ret.)
Duke University

I'm about to graduate from a digital point-and-shoot to an entry level DSLR camera. In order to create all those images that will wow my friends, I read through the book Face to Face: Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Photographing People by Rick Sammon. If you're looking to focus on people and faces, this book puts you in the proper mindset on how best to shoot in a way that captures more than just an image.

Contents:
Introduction - The Camera Looks Both Ways
Part 1 - Cameras Don't Take Pictures, People Do: A Quick Look at Gear
Part 2 - Photo Philosophies: Making Pictures Versus Taking Pictures; From Head to Toe; Creating a Sense of Place; Dead Center Is Deadly; Horizontal and/or Vertical; Silence Is Deadly; Being There and Being Aware; Portraits Versus Environmental Portraits; The All-Important Background; Paying People; Dress for Success; Body Language and Hands; Seeing Eye to Eye; Choose a Location; Adding Props; Seeing Pictures Within a Picture; Adding a Person Adds Scale to a Picture; Thinking Creatively; Taking Fun Shots
Part 3 - Capturing Action; Using Reflectors; The Beauty of Using Diffusers; Garage Glamour; Daylight Fill-in Flash; The Disequilibrium Technique; The Key to a Good Profile; Photographing People in Low Light and at Night; Group Photography; Take Advantage of Backlight; Photographing Festivals; Creating a Sense of Depth
Part 4 - Indoor Photography: Rembrandt Lighting; Shooting Silhouettes; Basic Flash Techniques; Using Lighting Kits; Working with Mirrors; Photographing a Stage Show
Part 5 - Enhancing Your Pictures in Photoshop: Create a Beautiful Black-and-White Image; The Renaissance Painter Effect; Color and Black-and-White in the Same Image; From Snapshot to Artistic Image; Create the Disequilibrium Effect; Change the Shutter Speed and F-Stop; Remove Distracting Elements in a Scene; Brighten a Subject's Eyes and Smile; Basic Skin Coloring; Hand-Color a Picture; Playin' with Plug-ins
Epilog: Your Assignment - On-Location Portraiture
Index

This seems to differ somewhat from other photography books I've read in that he spends more time talking about composition and lighting rather than the technical details of exposure, f-stops, and other nitty-gritty elements. It's not that he ignores those details, but he's more concerned about issues like framing, background, subject interaction, and telling a story. As such, I could implement many of these techniques regardless of what camera I'm using. Yes, there is a limitation when you can't fully control lens selection and such, but you can still using lighting and composition to get memorable pictures. As the title indicates, Sammon is focusing (no pun intended) on the techniques involved in shooting people rather than scenery or special effects. While I don't expect to be an expert a day after the new camera arrives, I now realize that shooting people is something that says as much about you the photographer as it does about the person being shot. I'm looking forward to working through the "lessons", which is how each chapter is laid out. I also got a much better appreciation for the role of Photoshop in getting that image that looks professional. I have so much to learn...

About the only thing I didn't care for in the book is that a significant number of pictures in the book are from a select few photo shoots that he did. For instance, Silence is Deadly introduces an attractive woman with different facial expressions based on how the photographer was talking with her. But she then shows up repeatedly in staged old-time Western shots, and you learn that she's a model. In that case, the photographer definitely has a subject who can provide more than a spur-of-the-moment series of images. The other western shots carried the old-time saloon theme, and they looked more staged than I would have expected. On the other hand, his African tribe shots are very real. I just don't think I would have used them as much or as often as they were used to illustrate the different points.

Even with that minor nit, there's a lot to learn from this book for people like myself who are trying to kick up their skills to a new level.

A very fascinating look at the human condition and shows our potential as human beings. I was very inspired after reading this book and changed the way I see fellow man.

I found this book through Eckhart Tolle and it is one of the best books I have ever read, a spiritual vision of history which explains how human beings have made such a terrible mess of the world through the workings of the ego. Its scope is awe-inspiring - from the earliest times of the human race to the future, through every culture and country. But it is by no means a negative or cynical book - on the contrary, the author shows that human life is meant to be (and actually was for much of our history) glorious and meaningful. He suggests that there is an evolutionary movement pushing us back to a state of harmony, and that we can accelerate this process through our own spiritual practice. An amazing book!

The Fall contains many intriguing ideas about why humnanity is in the situation in which we find ourselves. Taylor reminds us, thankfully, that all the misery encountered by so many people in the course of their lives is just plan wrong. It does not have to be.

I would suspect that many of his ideas would be challenged by other scholars and a discussion of his theories would be most interesting.

The Fall is quite repetitive in places. I would have liked to have read how Taylor thinks we can have a more compassionate peaceful society on a global scale with more than 6 billion people alive today.

This book had me riveted. If we'd read books like this in high school history class, I would have been a lot more interested. The author does a great job of combining history, anthropology, gender studies, and spirituality (among other things) into a fascinating account of the past 6,000 years of human history.

I know that, after reading this book, I'll never look at the world the same way again. The premise behind the work makes so much sense, and helps to explain why things (good and bad) are the way they are.

Typos and grammar issues bother me, and there were some really horrendous ones in this book. However, I am willing to overlook them in this case and give this book five stars because I believe it is so important to our understanding of ourselves.

This is one of the best books I read in 2007. I highly recommend it.

a totally radical view of human nature and our potential for overcoming the ills of "civilization."

In Getting Results, all logical arguments are backed by solid research studies. What is more impressive, in most cases the raw numbers are included, allowing the reader to analyze the data themselves. The author recognizes the need to substantiate all of his claims with measurable facts. The book also includes real world examples of how each of the 5 steps to getting results works in practice. This book is a solid foundation from which any manager should be able to develop a business strategy that will truly make their business get results! What is better, the book could easily be completed in a week; arming you with the tools you need to combat poor performance in a timely manor.

Getting Results: Five Absolutes for High Performance is a must read for every manager. It is an excellent book and it gets every mamager ahead of the game. I got real understanding of performance monitoring amongst many other issues. Thanks

This is a wonderful book. I would recommend it highly to anyone interested in reading how most of the successful companies are getting the job done. The survey and follow-up interviews from thousands of companies are well documented. It is easy to read and easy to ferret out solutions to specific problems that you may be experiencing in your business. What was striking to this reader was the general lack of the use of self-directed work teams in the businesses that were surveyed, and the continued reliance on the use of individual performance reviews and appraisals to motivate and direct employees. Successful businesses today are still following the basic rules of top down management that have been in place for many years. One must draw their own conclusion about whether this is the BEST way to do business. It certainly appears to be THE most popular and maybe the easy way to do business.

This is one of the volumes which comprise the University of Michigan Business School Management Series. According to Longenecker and Simonetti, there are "five absolutes for high performance" and they examine each with both precision and eloquence. Few (if any) are original. The most effective managers probably practice them (and others) to achieve superior results. Whichever "absolutes" are embraced, they are obviously worthless without effective implementation in combination with both a determination and an ability to adjust to circumstances which can change quickly at any time. Here are the five absolutes:

#1 Get Everyone on the Same Page: Focus on the Purpose of Your Organization

#2 Prepare for Battle: Equip Your Operation with Tools, Talent, and Technology

#3 Stoke the Fire of Performance: Create a Climate for Results

#4 Build the Bridge on the Road to Results: Nurture Relationships with People

#5 Keep the Piano in Tune: Practice Continuous Renewal

No doubt each reader can easily rephrase each of the five or at least cluster several synonyms which suggest each absolute's key point. For example, #1 suggests the importance of agreement (or consensus) on which teamwork always depends whereas #5 suggests the importance of constant attention to the progress of any initiatives so that appropriate modifications can be made. The Japanese word "kaizen" means more than continuous renewal; those involved in such efforts must always be aware of maintaining proper balance (or proportion), especially when responding to a crisis of some kind.

For whom will this book be most valuable? The authors wrote it for "managers at all levels who are looking for ways to improve the performance not only of themselves but also of the people they are directly responsible for." I presume to suggest that this book would also be valuable to recent graduates who have only recently begun a business career. Every organization (including non-profits and family-owned businesses) needs to have an easily understood system (as well as sound strategies) by which to achieve the desired results. Longenecker and Simonetti provide such a system in this book. It remains for decision-makers, especially, "at all levels" to modify the system to their organization's specific needs and objectives. In the Afterword, Longenecker and Simonetti suggest how to "get the ball rolling" toward getting results: Always start with the end in mind, build a model of the absolutes to your organization to be effective as a leader, identify the practices that are most critical to your success, and develop the talents needed to implement and sustain the absolutes for high-performance. Heard all this before? Probably. Are you satisfied with the results you and your organization are now achieving? If not, here is a source to help clarify and assist your initiatives in weeks and months to come. Longenecker and Simonetti conclude their book and I conclude this review with an especially appropriate observation by Henry David Thoreau: "This time, like all time, is a great time, if we simply know what to do with it."

Business is about getting results. And "Getting results" gets down to business in a very direct fashion, using research and the authors' work with senior executives to construct basic guidelines for enabling and empowering managers and organizations. The survey results on the top twenty things a leader needs to do to be effective is probably worth the cost of the book. Some of the ideas and data went straight into my classroom. This might even work for many business faculty as a text for a basic graduate course in management or leadership.

The book lacked a little bit of the 'Tom Peters verve' that wins over large numbers of readers and gets books recognized by business magazines. But serious, thoughtful students of the science (and art) of business will not be disappointed.

The God Who Pursues is a timeless book that speaks to us all - every human being, Christian or not. I was challenged as I read this book, and saw a reflection of myself in most of the author's illustrations.

Cec Murphey's openness and persistence in helping others understand God's care for us continues to enrich my life. What a comfort to read his words and hear that God does not give up on us. His examples from the Old Testament shed new light on familiar scripture and his shared personal experiences bring hope and inspiration.

The God Who Pursues, and the follow up The Relentless God, should be on every Christian's reading list. Cec Murphey writes in a personal conversational style that reminds me of Max Lucado. He uses OT examples and examples from his own life to illustrate God's continual pursuit of us despite what we do or don't do. His honest revelations about himself speak to the reader without sounding preachy.

Highly recommended.

Cec Murphey has personalized the stories of Old Testament Characters in a way that will make you reconsider your thoughts about God, His grace, and His unending love. Murphey uses real-life experiences that illustrate God's never-give-up attitude towards us. Time and time again I've mulled Murphey's lessons on Gopd and life over in my mind, only to see them in a new light each time. This is a must-read for anyone who's looking for a life changing book.

I finished this book a couple of weeks ago, but can't get it out of my mind. Never have I read a book that so clearly describes God's longing for a relationship with me. I think Cecil Murphey has made that so clear by his use of stories. He weaves in stories from his personal experiences, yes, but he also tells the story of various Bible figures.

Adam, Abraham, Jacob, Job, Moses, Samson, David, Jonah--and even Baalam--all their stories are told from the viewpoint of a God who was crazy about them. Some of them embraced the God who loved them, and some of them didn't. But with each story comes another layer of the story--the story of a God who cares and who relentlessly pursues.

This is a book I will read again.

This is the best book I have ever read, bar none. I'm sixty years old. Been in ministry 30 years. Mason has turned my nice neat evangelical theology on its ear. I never read a book more than once. Ever. I am starting my fourth reading this month. I would give a month's salary to sit down over coffee with this author.

An excellent book to have by your bedside and use as a devotional during time of suffering.. What an encouragement ! Very insightful and thought provoking!

This book is a wonderful commentary on Job, deep and thought-provoking. I have bought copies for friends who were having problems.

My uncle in recommending this book said, 'If I were stranded on a deserted island and could have with me only two books--one, of course, would be the Bible, the other would be The Gospel According to Job.' My personal choices, though, would be (one) the Bible and (two) a comprehensive survival guide with detailed instructions on how to build a boat. However, if I were given a third choice, I would undoubtedly have with me The Gospel According to Job. It's the most profound commentary on Christian living I've ever read. I've handed out dozens to friends and family.

All the chapters are two pages in length and are perfect in size for devotional reading. The Gospel According to Job, in truth, is so rich and deep with insight, I find it best to chew on small pieces of its wisdom at a time. It is--in its own right--a practical and spiritual guide for life, and has built me up in ways no other book has. Please read it.

Mike Mason's "The Gospel According to Job" creates a biblical sufferology: a theology of suffering. Point by point, or, more accurately, verse by verse, Mason guides readers, like an ancient spiritual director, into the depth of human suffering. His co-guide is the greatest human sufferer of all time--Job.

As Mason explains in his preface, "The Gospel According to Job" is not a commentary but a devotional. Those looking for an exegetical commentary will, therefore, be disappointed. However, those looking for an accurate, unique, refreshing, practical explanation of the life of Job, will be encouraged.

Mason is a skilled wordsmith which makes this rather lenghty book an easy read, as does the two-to-three page "chapters." Many of the insights, in particular that Job is about Job, more than it is about God, are startling. In fact, readers of this review are likely saying, "What!? How can Job NOT be about God?" Oh, it is. But it is MORE about God's view of Job than it is about Job's view of God. If I say more, I'll ruin the suspense . . .

Not every "chapter" provides the same depth of insight, with some more provocative and perhaps more exegetically grounded than others. But, isn't that the way with a "devotional book." More than enough chapters are "dead on" to make "The Gospel According to Job" a powerful addition to your arsenal in the battle for your soul when Satan assaults.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."

I first lend this book from collage developer an have read with great enthusiasms and finally ordered my own copy of this book.
The book gives detailed information on how to developing software from scratch, taken you by hand and leading you de hole way step by step.
With the different way to present the information en with lot of illustrations its newer a boring read.

Anders Kjaer

[...]

Although I was initially put off by the non-serious cover and gimmicky premise, I decided to trust to O'Reilly and give this book a try. That turned out to be a great decision!

Be forewarned that the real title should be "Head First AGILE Software Development," so don't expect other methodologies, but it definitely delivers. Whether you're just beginning to take the plunge into agile development, or you've been sort of trying to do it for a while but don't have a real clear picture of your goal, this is a great book for you.

However, if you've been developing agilely for a while, then what you'll find here isn't much more than a refresher course or reminder of how you should be doing things.

I've been eyeballing the Head First books for a while, specifically the Java and Object-Oriented Analysis & Design. I don't program in Java and I think I understand OOP very well. Because of this, the Head First structure looks to offer a bit less structure - so a good "read as you can" book.

I got this title in a raffle. I'm glad I did. It whetted my appetite for more Head First. Not so much for the content (Which I will review further down) but because it's almost like reading a comic book. Easy, entertaining and something my busy dizzy mind could readily grasp in small chunks. I will probably get another Head First book in the future. Probably more than one.

As for the content of this book, it was well laid out and for someone new to the concepts of formal software design, it was nice to see all the little pieces come together. I did have a hard time with the Java specific environment, but I guess it would be a much larger book if they covered other systems. The steps were clear, some of them a smidge corny, but most of them logical.

After having read this, I was inspired to put it to use. That's when it hit me. I can't see this working unless the entire development group reads the book - or they were all newbies. Well I can see it, just not in the places I've worked.

The way this book is writen is just fantastic. Wonderful book to LEARN how to develop GOOD software.

Head First Software Development is another home run from the Head First series. I have bougth the HTML/CSS, Design Patterns, Object-Oriented Analysis & Design, and now this book. These "Brain-Friendly Guides" are such wonderful learning tools packed with great information, and so much fun to read. Keep them coming!

Thoreau's journals ran to two million words and contained survey information and other matter most readers would not find interesting. This smartly edited collection spans Thoreau's writing career and reveals him as he truly was, in dialog with himself and the world.

It has become a cheap fad in some quarters to criticize Thoreau as a would-be outdoorsman when in reality he lived at Walden Pond on his friend Emerson's land and visited Concord almost daily. But Thoreau never claimed to be a John Muir. As this collection makes clear, his talent had to do with focusing on the ordinary but neglected. His mood is one of almost constant celebration of natural images and forces he did not see (as we tend to do) as necessarily in conflict with urban human life. As he says about seeing the beauty in people and things, "If I seek her elsewhere because I do not find her at home, my search will prove a fruitless one."

There is, of course, the less admirable Thoreau. He was prone to moralizing and offering suggestions of the "let a man do such-and-such" variety about how to live one's life. His comments about women generally do him very little credit, and they also explain the lack of an enduring feminine presence in his life. Fortunately, those thoughts are brief and few. Thoreau the activist and lover of freedom is here too, and Thoreau the social critic: "The council of nations may reconsider their votes; the grating of a pebble annuls them."

An entire life cannot be summed up, but this journal entry hints at the shape of his own: "It is not words that I wish to hear or to utter, but relations that I seek to stand in..."

How could this man have read every thought of mine over 100 years before my birth?! Timeless truth in all of his writings...not just this one. This is a most intimate example being his personal journal. Every word, every well thought out phrase speaks to my heart and idea of what truth should look and sound like. It should make you catch your breath and Thoreau absolutely accomplishes this for me.

We all know Walden and some of the other famous essays but the journals are sometimes hard to get through. This book of excerpts provides some of the gems from the journals and shows Thoreau in a new way.

The Heart Of Thoreau's Journals provides readers with an intimate glimpse into the heart and mind of American literature's premier individualist. Consolidated into 218 concise pages by Odell Shepard from the 39 volumes Thoreau left behind upon his death at 45 in 1862, the journals reveal Thoreau as an irreverent and shrewd observer of the human character who was happily fated with the gift of forever seeing the king riding proudly in public without clothes ("The mass never comes up the standard of its best member, but on the contrary degrades itself to the level with the lowest," "After all, the field of battle possesses many advantages over the drawing - room. There is at least no room for pretension or excessive ceremony, no shaking of hands or rubbing of noses, which makes one doubt your sincerity, but hearty as well as hard hand - play. It at least exhibits one of the faces of humanity, the former only a mask," "This lament for a golden age is only a lament for golden men").

Requiring solitude in the manner most require food and shelter, the philosophical, ascetic Thoreau lived most of his life in isolation ("The poet must keep himself unstained and aloof") as an ardent lover and keen observer of the natural world ("All of nature is my bride," "My profession is to be always on the alert to find God in nature, to know his lurking - places, to attend all the oratorios, the operas, in nature"). A comedic misanthrope ("I have lived some thirty - odd years on this planet, and I have yet to hear the first syllable of valuable or even earnest advice from my seniors," "The society of young women is the most unprofitable I have ever tried"), Thoreau also wrote with sympathy, understanding, and concern about the townspeople whose company he preferred not to keep. Even his plain - spoken contempt for the boorish, the smug, the pretentious and the assertively conformist ("What men call social virtues, good fellowship, is commonly but the virtue of pigs in a litter, which lie close together to keep each other warm") was often tempered with humanity and matter - of - fact acceptance for the inevitable variations of man's psychology. The simple, the genuine, the uncomplicated and the sincere came in for high marks in Thoreau's estimation of people, places, and things.

A Harvard graduate who was born and spent most of his life in New England, bachelor Thoreau set the standard and defined the blueprint for all introverted American artists and thinkers to come. Though Thoreau wrote incessantly and found work as a lecturer, schoolteacher, editor, and tutor at different periods of his life, he typically worked as a gardener, handyman or land surveyor, and spent a particularly frustrating period working in his father's pencil factory. Though he knew himself to be misunderstood by most, Thoreau was uncomplaining ("Ah! How I have thriven on solitude and poverty! I cannot overstate this advantage"), confident, ultimately self - satisfied, and generally unconcerned with what, if anything, future generations would make of him. The respect, acknowledgement, and honor of society meant far less to him than his day - to - day, moment - to - moment freedom to continue to enjoy his perceptions, sensations, and ideas, which he rightfully understood to be his life's work and birthright.

As one of the founders of Transcendentalism, the idealistic Thoreau was a dryly passionate believer in man's capacity to overcome mundane (and often self - imposed) obstacles, identify and focus his attention on the eternal fundamentals of life, and enjoy personal communion with God by utilizing nature as a lens. The journals abound with declarative passages which readers have found enlightening, guiding, and inspirational for generations ("Despair and postponement are cowardice and defeat. Men were born to succeed, and not to fail," "We forever and ever and habitually underrate our fate...ninety - nine and one - hundredths of our lives we are mere hedgers and ditchers, but from time to time we meet with reminders of our destiny"). Thoreau's journals, along with key American text and masterpiece Walden, represent the cream of his work.

I found this book on the shelf at my school's library after I had read a selection of Ralph Waldo Emerson's in which he praised Thoreau for being a particularly clear-seeing individual. I had never read Thoreau and did not know who he was, but this book immediately became my most valued possession after my own journal.

The editor did a wonderful job of selecting from Thoreau's many (often tedious) writings those that offer most in the way of communicating what he felt about life, love, society, government, death, religion, nature, science, beauty and self. The writing is in many ways flawless. Along with Emerson and Whitman, Thoreau embodied the spirit of American Transcendentalism, the philosphy under which one aspired to realize a word beyong the physical and social world. "The Heart of Thoreau's Journals" is the best evidence that Henry David Thoreau realized such a world and lived contently in it many of the days of his life.

This book is probably the best possible choice for anyone looking to read or know Thoreau. It is necessarily as honest as any other work. And unlike "Walden" or other commercially-produced works, it lacks the endless musings and explanations of ideas and events for the audience's information. It is only the bare naked thoughts and feelings of the author. I would suggest it as preliminary reading for anyone who wants to read his other books. It will give you the foundation of an appreciation for Thoreau that puts all other work in proper perspective.

Dr. Makarowski has hit on something that can carry over to all aspects of adult life, making this much more than a simple parenting book. Scripps Howard News Service

I think the general approach and specific techniques advocated in How To Keep Your C.O.O.L. With Your Kids is excellent. I especially endorse the emphasis placed on the parent/adult effecting change in their own behavior as a means of not only increasing their own effectiveness, but avoiding making the situation even worse. I am not aware of any other resources available that adopts this approach and I'm sure this book will prove to be a valuable tool for parents. A. Mitch Cooper, Ph.D.

One of the best books I have read in the last twenty years...first of its kind...applications are universal...great benefit to me, my administrators, teachers, parents and ultimately the students that are served in my school district.. an effective informational vehicle to educate parents...I particularly liked the sample exercises and the protocols from which individual and group work might be initiated...very powerful...It integrates behavior and stress management techniques with practical parenting strategies. I believe that this melding will prove useful to many conscientious parents with school age children. Frank Cranley, Superintendent of Schools

How To Keep Your C.O.O.L. With Your Kids is a practical helpful book for parents. It offers parents practical advice on dealing with their children that is based on solid psychological principles.

Guy T. Doyal, Ph.D.,

This book helped me look at some of my own situations in a new light and I almost cried when I realized that I had been sending some very negative messages without ever intending to to my children. It taught me to see how I would react if someone was sending those very same messages to me -- and I found out that I would have probably reacted the same as my children did (defiantly, angrilly). The author reminds us that our kids are not perfect and we can't expect perfection from them at all times. And that kids who are harder to be around can cause us to tense up even when they just walk into the room (a nonverbal sign that we don't mean to send, but the kid probably picks up). I have done better around my kids and have had at least two or three encounters that really, really tested me and would have sent me through the roof in the past, but I was able to get through with great results without screaming. Of course, I still slip up, I'm definitely not perfect, but the book says that is all part of the learning process. And I know I've gotten better and hope to keep on working on what the author has taught me.

"...a high-quality, hard-cover, beautifully crafted book, which could be a gift, a prize possession of a golfing fan or player-or to anyone who enjoys a little humor."

"The Humorous Golf Poetry of Tom Edwards is quite a good read. I got a kick out of it and I'm a pretty tough critic."

"...a delightful new book...Although I'd rather be beaten with sticks as play golf, I thoroughly enjoyed reading his [Edwards'] witticisms. Edwards may not have mastered the game itself, but he is a gifted wordsmith when it comes to describing his sport in verse."

I got this book as a gift. Being an avid golfer I thought it was a hoot. I'm getting more for gifts. Great illustrations too.

Tom Edwards slim book is packed with whimsey and verse so charming that every golfer needs one in his bag. Clever drawings only amplify the twists of rhyme that lead one down the fairway between sand trap and trees. Fresh, quotable lines for venting the frustration only the game of golf can create. This book was more refreshing to read than eighteen holes on an empty green.

The Island of the World is so much more than a wonderful
read. It is life-changing. The story of the earthly journey
of the soul of Croatian Josip Lasta is so beautiful that
there were times I wept.

There is nothing more I can add to indicate the profound
power of this book. Read it.

If you grew up, as I did, a child of the Cold War, and heard the stories of the repressive nature of Communism, then watched the Soviet system and empire fall apart, you might like this as much as I did. It follows a child of Croatia from WWII to contemporary times, chronicling his struggles and spiritual growth. The book is Roman Catholic to the core. Rather long, but it never seemed that way.

This book is a beautiful story of one man's journey through unthinkable tragedy to find love and meaning in life. O'Brien weaves parallels between his character development and the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey. With rich symbolism and an astounding sense of literary genius, O'Brien has created a masterpiece, a work of art. I couldn't put it down and found myself pondering the mysteries of human suffering and existentialism as related to the Christian world view. Very captivating and thought provoking.

Excellent! Should become a classic. I have read all of his other novels and they are also excellent. He is the greatest novelist and storyteller of our times and Josip Lasta (the main character)is an example of moral courage and character in overcoming life's trials. Should be assigned reading for all high school students.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this large novel, but I didn't expect something that made me look at my own life a little closer.

O'Brien does a perfect job drawing the reader into the life of his characters. I found myself identifying with Josip Lasta even though we have very little in common. Throughout the entire novel, I couldn't wait to find out what happens to Josip next. I had to keep reading to find out if he finally achieves and keeps happiness.

The tales of life under a series of totalitarian regimes made me feel grateful for my freedoms, and reminded me to be more active in preserving them. Josip's grappling with faith was inspiring, and caused me to ponder my own spirituality at length. I tried--as best I could from a novel--to learn from how Josip interacted with the people in his life. All of it put together left me thinking, and wishing I could go right back into the book and recapture the joy of first discovery.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy thought provoking, deep stories where the true meaning may take a bit of consideration to unearth.