H Books

I have been branching out to a wide variety of new authors. I had only read one of Ross's books prior to Fair Haven. It is the prequel to this book, A Woman's Heart. A Woman's Heart earned a five star rating when I reviewed it on Amazon. Fair Haven, however, will not rate as high. Joann Ross is a very good author and writes charming, personable stories full of Irish history and fables. But Fair Haven was a fairly boring book. The Irish history was interesting but I admit that I am not drawn to ancient Irish myths, fairies, guardian angels, and ghosts of relatives. There are many very old Irish tales told in this book by my more than one character. I know it is to draw me into this slightly magical world of Ireland in present day. But the tales were lackluster and the appearance of the dead or the reliving of lives through reincarnation was wearisome rather than intriguing. I state all this upfront for you to understand my reasons for rating this book three stars.

This is a story of family, recovery, death, love, and magic. It reads like a novel rather than a romance novel. The romance is only a portion of this book (probably a third) and the remainder of the book concentrates on secondary characters, characters from the previous book in this series, and - as mentioned before - the telling of many, many Irish legends.

Michael Joyce, the brother of Nora from A Woman's Heart, is the hero of Fair Haven. He is a celebrated photographer who has covered the wars across the world and has become cynical and withdrawn in the process. Although he has won a Pulitzer Prize for his work and published books, he no longer wants to be associated with the dredges of war and ethnic cleansing. He has returned to his farm in Ireland and spends all of this time alone attempting to find a life again after becoming a shell of a man.

Erin O'Halloran is a physician who has worked the hospitals on the warfronts of the world in relief aid. She too has seen the atrocities that Michael has seen and is burning out. Her best friend and former relief worker, Tom Flannery, also a physician, is dying in his home country of Ireland. Erin goes to Ireland to assist Tom in his medical practice and to find a cure for Tom. She is a rather stubborn, single-minded lady who has known little but school and medicine in her life. She first meets Michael when Tom picks her up at the airport. Michael is a best friend of Tom's as well and he has accompanied Tom to assist in the driving. Erin recognizes Michael immediately although they have never meet. He is quite a celebrity as a photojournalist and she casts him in the same mold as all journalists - only out to record the horrors of the world on film and make themselves famous in the process.

Michael and Erin clash almost immediately. It is difficult for them both to recognize any attraction between them. I found the first half of the book to be very slow and somewhat tedious. I made a few notes as a read and read, hoping to finally find the story moving forward.
Page 181 - I must consider Ross's books as more fiction than romance. It's page 181 and the leads don't even really think they are attracted to one another yet. At this point, this book would be no more than a three star review.
Page 230 - I still don't like Erin, the heroine. She has just made such an immature, bratty, and unfeeling remark to the hero that I feel like giving up reading anymore of this book.

I continued reading however, and thank goodness I did because the last one-quarter of the book was tender and intriguing reading. Erin makes a sudden and almost unbelievable shift in her attitude towards Michael and life in general. But it allows the romance to develop and Michael's daughter gradually assumes a larger role in the story. If Fair Haven had been my first Ross book, it would have been difficult for me to read another. However, A Woman's Heart was my first Ross book and so precious that I will still seek more of her books for reading.

Erin O'Halloran is off to try and save one of her best friends in Ireland. She is called by her friend Tom to help with his medical practice as he is dying. As a fellow member of "Dr.'s without Borders" she immediately is off to not only help him but to find a cure for him also.

Michael is a boyhood friend of Tom's and trying to shut out the world. He has returned to Ireland after leading a dangerous life as an award winning photojournalist. As a matter of fact, one of his last assignments almost got him killed in the same area where Tom and Erin were working. He now has a simple life of farming and sheep herding. Suddenly things change for him. The mother of an ex-girlfriend drops by with a child. She says not only has her daughter died but the child is his, and is 6 years old. Michael is stunned but instantly mesmerized by the child and takes her in.

While neither Erin nor Michael is looking for a relationship they are instantly drawn together. In fact circumstances seem to make them closer than either intended. As Tom gets sicker and it looks like Erin can't figure out how to save him she finds herself wanting to take over his practice permanently. She has fallen in love with the land and the people.

Suddenly Michael's daughter is having issues with behavior and memory. She seems to have things happen or act out in ways that don't seem consistent with her personality. When she falls unconscious Erin is able to help determine that she has a brain tumor. Erin calls in a specialist she knows from DWOB and they manage to save the little girl Erin and Michael finally face the fact they are better together as a family than apart.

I was a bit surprised by the amount of magical interaction in this story as I had started reading JR with her more recent romantic suspense's (Blaze and Impulse) so I was taken aback. But, the book was still very well written and caused me to be concerned along with the characters as to the tragedy and human spirit that was portrayed in the book. I think it is another good one by JR.

This book was wonderful! All the characters - Michael,Erin, Tom, Shea, - were "real" and the whole story was believable. Even the Irish magic that was woven in. Michael and Erin's love story was sweet and passionate. My special favourite was Shea: what a litle charmer! She had all the insecurities 8 year olds have, though. Sometimes kids that age act so mature and grownup that you forget they need to be constantly reassured about family security and love. Ross' style reminded me of Nora Roberts and Maeve Binchy. She's an excellent writer and this is truly an exceptional novel. Bravo!

This was my 1st JoAnn Ross to read- and it won't be my last! After arriving home to spend some time with her family, Dr. Erin O'Halloran receives a request from a dear friend to travel to Western Ireland. After years of working on the front lines of war, Dr. Tom Flanner is now dying at a young age from the effects of gas warfare. He says that his reason for requesting her to come is for her to help with his medical practice as he slowly loses his strength and becomes bedridden but there's a hidden agenda.

Michael Joyce has come home after spending years as a Pulitzer Prize Award photographer from the front lines of war needing to recover physically and emotionally from the effects of war. He has escaped to his family farm but the ghosts are even there. His childhood friend Dr. Tom Flannery is dying. While Michael is having to face the future loss of his best friend Tom, he is approached by his old girlfriend's mother accompanied by a little girl. He discovers that the past girlfriend/lover was killed in a bombing at her wedding and has left a daughter who she claimed was Michael's by blood. Michael who never wanted to marry, much less have kids, now finds himself with a daughter he did not know existed to raise.

After leaving Coldwater Cove, Washington, Erin travels across the world to Castlelough, Ireland. She is introduced to Michael at the airport by Tom and her first impression of Michael is one of his being a cold- hard man. But as time goes by she learns that he does have a warm heart and they have a lot in common from what they both experienced with war. As time goes by Erin feels she has come home and known Michael forever, which can not be since they just met- and there is a little mystery there that I will leave for the reader.

It is a story of the love between friends, father-daughter, lovers, family, etc. The setting being in Ireland is delightful. I really enjoyed this story! and highly recommend it to the reader. I will go back and get the prequel A Woman's Heart- I enjoyed the story that much.

As a relief doctor, Erin O'Halloran has seen things that most people only see in their nightmares. When her best friend and mentor calls from Ireland and tells her that he is ill, Erin flies over to find something to save him. She is ill prepared for the magic of Ireland, nor for Michael Joyce, whom she is drawn to like she has been drawn to no other man.

Michael Joyce has gone into seclusion at his home. Away from prying eyes and gossipy mouths, Michael is content with his solitary life. When the mother of one of his ex-lovers shows up with an eight year old girl in tow, Michael sees is solitary exsistance dissolving as if it never exsisted. When he first sees the lovely Dr. O'Halloran, Michael vows to stay away from her, as his life has enough complications.

Ross brings the reader to the magic of Ireland, again, where anything is possible, from having guardian angels to talking with people that have passed away. She brings together Erin and Michael in an unbelieveable story that she makes the reader believe. The reader will also love Shea, Michael's daughter, from the first page she graces. I can't wait until Ross's next book about Ireland comes out!

Great book! I find it important to learn about history and what better way than 1st hand accounts such as this one. Learned a good deal about the Marine Force Recon and their important role in the military family. I came away feeling a great respect for the men of Force Recon and hope they know that through books like these those men and their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

I cannot add any more than what has already been written below, except to say I like TRUE stories books better than fiction, and this book captivates your attention right at the beginning and takes the reader right through the very end. For a first book by this author, it is a superior read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I highly recommend any of Major Norton's books. This book is very well written, and provides an honest opinion of his experiences during his first tour in Vietnam. It also gives a good, personal look at the inner workings of Marine Recon teams in Vietnam.

Major Norton's easy and honest writing style make his books very hard to put down once you start reading them. He also does a great job of bringing the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of combat in Vietnam to life for the reader.

Most of all, Major Norton does an outstanding job of making one proud of all our fighting men & women who served in Vietnam; they did a great job and books like this one are long overdue.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to all who might be interested in the personal experiences of Vietnam combat, as well as for anyone interested in the extremely tough job of gaining intel on enemy forces in Vietnam.

This is a very sobering and informative account of the author's 1969 stint in Vietnam. The early part contains background on how the author joined the marines and became a medic. Later chapters recount particular missions into the DMZ. You get to experience the danger of what's it like to be part of a small team, sometimes just a few yards away from an enemy of greatly superior numbers.

This short work is extremely well-written, direct, and very interesting. The author provides great insight into the special comradeship within the US Marines.

This is a story about Bruce Norton, who joined the Navy and then became a
> Navy medic.(Corpsman)
> > He was assigned to 3rd Force Recon Company in 1969-1970 in Vietnam. He
> served with Alex Lee, who wrote his own book about commanding 3rd Force
> Recon Company.
> >
> > Norton, like the Marine sniper Carlos Hathcock, was raised in the woods,
> and learned to shoot and find his way around the woods as a kid. This came
> in handy in Vietnam.
> > He learned to shoot rats in the city garbage dump in his home town in
> Mass. They hunted at night, with flashlights taped to their rifle barrels
> to spot the rats.
> >
> > While in Vietnam, he went through a typhoon and was in the jungle, with
> his 6 man team. They tied themselves together, and to some banana trees to
> avoid being blown away by the 120 mile per hour winds.
> >
> > He was on patrols that encountered a bear on one, and a tiger on another.
> >
> > He lost several friends in the Ashau Valley. Alex Lee describes the
> Ashau Valley as spooky and filled with evil spirits in his book, Force
> Recon. Horton, on the other hand compares it to the Garden of Eden.
> > While in the Valley, he describes how he got very sick on water the North
> Vietnamese poisoned by killing a pig and throwing the carcass in a pond.
> Norton drank the water, not realizing there was a dead carcass in there,
> even though the North Vietnamese left signs on the nearby trees announcing
> this.(The Marines could not read Vietnamese)
> > The 3rd Recon Company was disbanded when he was there, after Gen
> Nickerson, who created the Company, got transferred back out of Vietnam.
> >
> > Norton notes the outstanding leadership in the Company. Alex Lee, Major,
> Commanding, had the Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Bronze Star, 3 Navy
> Commendation medals, Navy Achievement medal, 2 purple hearts. Today, Lee is
> still considered a genius at small unit tactics. Clovis Coffman, another
> officer won the Navy Cross.
> > Two of his best friends, died bravely in the Ashau Valley winning medals.
> Charles Sexton, won the Navy Cross in the Ashau Valley and Paul Keaveney
> won the Silver Star.
> >
> > Norton stayed in the military, leaving the Navy and made a career
> > of the Marines, and was a Major when writing this book in 1990.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

I originally bought this book for my daughter who had recently moved from Austin to Boston. However, after she finished reading it, she gave it to me and told me how much she loved the story and told me to read it.

I was fascinated with a book about an area of Texas that I had lived in for many years. As a result, Janice Woods Windle became one of my favorite authors. I have purchased every book she has written and many copies to give as gifts. I have never been disappointed.

Hill Country is an mesmerizing story that keeps the reader turning the pages. Janice has the ability to take life, historical events and people, and intertwine them into stories that come to life.

However, the best part is that the reader is not only entertained but educated as well.

By the way, regarding all of Windle's books that I have given as gifts--everyone has thanked me after reading them and in turn buy them as gifts for others.

Brenda Ritter

Janice Woods Windle proves that lightning can strike twice.. Following her highly successful debut novel, True Women, which was made into a 1997 television mini series, the Texas author has penned Hill Country, a sweeping historical drama fraught with danger, excitement, and love - all the more fascinating because it's true.

Drawing from an unfinished autobiography plus a trove of letters and notes, the author has revitalized the indefatigable spirit of her pioneering grandmother, Laura Hoge Woods, an amazing woman who fought marauders, scratched a living from unfriendly soil, raised seven children, counted presidents as friends, and flew with Charles Lindbergh.

Much of Laura's grit came from her mother, "Little Mattie," who once pulled down Old Boomer, an "ancient, ten-gauge, double-barreled, shotgun" to protect 7-year-old Laura and her two brothers from hostile Indians. Herman Lehmann, who had been kidnaped by Apaches as a child, was among the intruders. To Laura, he was beautiful, "His hair was golden and long....his body seemed carved from ivory."

As a teenager Laura met Herman again, at Eager Mule Creek, her wilderness hide-away. They fell in love, but the gap between Indian life and the white world proved too wide for him to bridge. Wealthy Peter Woods, owner of a large horse ranch and chairman of the Blanco County Democratic Party, became Laura's husband. Through him, she hoped to satisfy her political aspirations - if she couldn't run for office because she was a woman, she decided to be a candidate's wife.

When government railroad land was offered for a dollar an acre, Laura and Peter bought. There was one qualifier: a buyer had to build on the land and remain there for six months. Agreeing to live in this new territory while Peter tended their present ranch, she "moved to the last place on Earth....the wild empty lands of Central Texas," where she felt her life was "sliding backwards."

In 1894, a violent storm arose isolating Laura and two young sons at the distant ranch. Days of incessant rain made puddles in the cabin, brought creek water to the horse pens, and serious illness to her youngest boy. Despite the blinding torrent, Laura managed to hitch a buggy, cradle the paroxysm seized baby in one arm, hold the other child on the floorboards between her knees, ford a wild river, and drive ten miles for help.

After the rigors of wilderness life, she was delighted to move to Blanco, into a stone bungalow overlooking the river. This home, known as "Hanging Tree Ranch" because of its proximity to a lynching she witnessed as a girl, was where Laura lived her glory years.

She gave birth to their first daughter, Winifred, and met the young woman who became her lifelong friend, Rebekah Baines Johnson.

It was also at "Hanging Tree Ranch" that Peter and Laura entertained Teddy Roosevelt who bought horses for his Rough Riders. Despite initial misgivings about Roosevelt's Republicanism, Laura was won over.

Later, in 1911, Laura again doubted a political hopeful; she was dissuaded by his scholarly mein. But when Woodrow Wilson came to Texas and advocated women's suffrage, Laura enlisted in his cause.

As the United States teetered on the brink of World War I, some suspected an alliance between Mexico and Germany. Asked to provide horses for an assault on Pancho Villa, Peter mortgaged his land to buy the animals.

An attempt to transport the Spanish cow ponies by train proved disastrous - a derailment injured the horses so severely that Peter was forced to shoot them. Laura wrote, "It was like something in Peter died that night, as well."

Always troubled by Winifred, who seemed uncommonly distant, Laura was pleased when her daughter married. But Winifred's first child was stillborn, a loss that pushed the fragile girl beyond reason, and eventually warranted her institutionalization.

As Peter faded to a shadow of his former self, Laura realized that she would have to support them. The family moved to San Marcos where she opened a rooming house. Of this journey she wrote: "The road from Blanco to San Marcos, Texas, is only 45 miles as the snake slithers.....Every mile of that road is littered with little pieces of my soul, with discarded notions of right and wrong, love and duty, and all the dreams and easy pleasures youth sheds on its way toward the setting sun."

In 1924, a young Charles Lindbergh barnstormed through Texas selling plane rides. Laura flew with him twice, finding "It was like riding on a beam of sunlight and being in absolute control." That evening she pretended not to hear when Peter asked her where she had been.

Outliving her husband and her close friend, Laura saw Rebekah's son elected to the presidency. She waltzed with Lyndon Johnson at his Inaugural Ball.

At over 90 years of age, plagued by failing eyesight and osteoporosis, Laura became the unwilling resident of a nursing home where she was repeatedly told to lay "back and rest." Valiant in her obstinacy, she would have none of it. After escaping her confines, Laura thought, "Maybe if I was old like these others I'd lie back and rest. But I've got things to do." One can scarcely imagine what it was that this remarkable woman had not already done.

I was so sad when this book was over...I couldn't put it down!! I highly recommend this for any woman to read. A wonderful story, made all the more exciting because it's set in a region of My great state that is dear to my heart!

Ms Windle has given us two books in one. A thoroughly delightful sequel to "True Women" in Laura Woods and a thoroughly boring (even to a Texan who lived through it) story of Lyndon Johnson.

Too bad they were not bound seperately so I could have only read the one about Laura Woods.

Having grown up in the Hill Country, I was immediately drawn to this book. Woods' protrayal of her grandmother's life brought out the history of this area and her descriptions created vivid mental pictures. You'll find yourself not wanting to put the book down as you travel through time with this story of Laura Woods.

Mr. DeVos' book has moved me deeply and powerfully. I have already started applying some of his beliefs and principles in my life and am feeling more empowered than ever. He also has boosted and strengthened my belief in God and my trust in Jesus. His inspiring personal story and his acknowledgement of the power of God's grace will have a lasting effect on me. I suspect anyone else who reads his terrific story will feel the same. The book is a "quick read' and I love the format of how the ten lessons for life are presented. This book should be read by Christians and non-Christians alike in my opinion. Thank you Mr. DeVos for sharing your story, your wisdom, and your unshakeable faith in our Lord and Savior. You have made me realize even further just how much He loves each and every one of us.

Rich Devos, co-founder of Amway and owner of the NBA Orlando Magic, writes his passages from his own experiences. He is encouraging and honest by presenting the many possibilities of life's pained times while showing how to positively grow from them. This book is dressed with vibrant pictures from cover to cover and filled with inspirational quotes that are the kind anyone will want to jot down on a post it and leave next to the front door. Rich Devos will give the reader an edge and feel of strength page by page.

This book is like a life guide for me. Rich Devos really knows how to touch you deeply with simple facts of life. I'll recomend to anyone and hoping this book will be translated to many other languages so it could really reach anyone.

If you need rules or guidelines for your life without an entirely religious or spiritual basis, this is them. Rich DeVos is a very religious person, but is able to relate ten lessons of how to succeed in life. From faith through love, Rich tells us how each one provided great things in his life. Being successful in all areas of his life, Rich is someone that everyone should listen and learn from, in business or not, christian or not, successful or not. There is always room to grow in your life, so let Rich lead the way.

I can't think of a better word to describe this book than - INSPIRED! You will be blessed by this book. Grab a cup of coffee or tea, get comfortable on the couch and.....enjoy.

with detail. But it has fascinated my kids from 5-9, yes I've bought the older books as well - the oldest one I think is still a bit much for my 9yo, but she likes the middle one . . . but they all enjoy this one - it seems to hit just the right notes for interesting information without too much yuck factor for them - and the cute illustrations confirm their ideas that some of this is just a little bit weird when you hear it!!

My not-quite-four (but very verbal) daughter got this book for Christmas, and it immediately became one of her favorites. I am pregnant again now, so she is very interested in all the discussion of pregnancy and birth, and it opened up discussions about what her birth was like and what it will be like when I have this baby. The first few times we read it she just listened wide-eyed and didn't talk much, but now we chat while we read it, and she will periodically come up to me and inform me that the food I am eating will go to the baby through the umbilical cord. I recommend this one highly for any preschooler who is curious and likes to understand how things work.

When my kids started asking reproduction and anatomy questions, I checked out and read the reviews of every book on the subject I could find. I'm an RN, so it was important to me that it was accurate as well as engaging for my kids. I am so glad I picked this one. My children were 4 and 6 when we bought this book, and they absolutely loved it from the first reading. So did I. It has all the information I was hoping for and it is presented so appropriately for the age. Nothing is scary or more detailed than necessary. The illustrations are bright and fun and keep the kids engaged. The book is set up in such a way that is easy to navigate - that is, you can read it from beginning to end, and it flows appropriately - starting with body parts and boy/girl differences, reproduction in the middle, and a small section at the end about good and bad touches. You can also easily jump to the section that you or your child prefers without taking away from the book. For example, my daughter is fascinated by the cartoon showing the sperm swimming to the egg and we often just start there.

As a parent of young children and as an RN, I recommend this book to all parents

I got this book for my two boys, ages 10 and 5. They were so interested in it. My 10 year old's best friend was there the night when I started reading it to my 5 year old. At first they were giggling at some at the pictures. But pretty soon I had all three of them on the couch with me just soaking up information. They even asked some questions, and said they learned some things they didn't realize. It's very simple, and to the point, without going into great detail. The pictures are cartoons, but very realistic. It's a great book to start out with, because it doesn't get bogged down with details that are too complicated for children this age. I plan on getting the next two books for my older son.

While I recommend this book for pre-puberty kids with their parents guidance, I do not think it is appropriate for 4 years olds as the book portrays. I read it and then reviewed it with my 7 year old daughter because she had been asking alot of questions as I am pregnant with our third child. She still said "yuk" or giggled at some of the drawings, which is fine. But there is no way I would read it to my 4 year old son at this time.

Excellent reference. I used this in my Six Sigma Black Belt course. I referenced it many times. I could not have passed the test without it. Some of the chapters (e.g. quality in foriegn countries) did not interest me, but seemed to be well written -- such is the case anyway with references. I heard Dr. Godfrey speak at a national conference -- he is a real champion for Six Sigma.

"Juran's Quality Handbook" is an excellent book on Quality by one of the most well known quality gurus. The book gives a comprehensive coverage of the subject of quality management. It includes the latest techniques on quality as well as quality theories.

This is a very useful book for those who are interested in producing quality goods and services in a customer focused organization. This huge tome is of immense value to all those involved with the quality profession and is an excellent reference book that covers the wide range of topics and subjects pertaining to quality.

This is a well written book that is very useful for all businesses where quality matters (that is, all businesses). This should be essential reading for quality specialists such as control and quality assurance personnel.

The most complete quality reference available.
The fifth edition includes new material on ISO 9000, benchmarking, the Baldrige and other awards, adoption of Strategic Quality Planning and TQM, management leadership for quality, self-directing teams, quality function deployment, and Tuguchi Methods.

For decades Joseph Juran has been a famous name in the quality movement. He formed his own institute for quality and has for many years edited an extensive volume on methods for improving quality in manufacturing processes. This Quality Handbook, now in its fifth edition has long been the basic reference for quality engineers and statistician alike. To honor Juran, the fifth edition is titled Juran's Quality Handbook. The volume is now over 900 pages and consists of 48 chapters and 5 appendices. There are 53 authors including Juran himself and his colleague and co-editor Blanton Godfrey. Many other well-known persons have contributed. It includes a chapter on government services by Vice President Al Gore. Prominent statisticians who have contributed include Don Marquardt, Stu Hunter, Bill Meeker, Luis Escobar, Gerry Hahn, Ed Schilling, Ed Dudewicz and Necip Doganaksoy.
As a statistician, I particularly like having a wealth of practical statistical information and tables in one source. Dudewicz provides the introductory statistical material necessary to understand the four other statistical chapters that follow it (SPC by Wadsworth, Acceptance Sampling by Schilling, Design and Analysis of Experiments by Hunter and Reliability Concepts and Data Analysis by Meeker, Escobar, Doganaksoy and Hahn). These are all distinguished authors who are excellent writers and several have written whole text books on these subjects. This edition is up-to-date with the latest advances in quality techniques. Statistical advances in robust design (Taguchi methods), bootstrap methods, process control and capability are all included. Juran and Deming had major practical impact on the quality movement because they both emphasized the need for proper process management. This can be seen in many of the non-statistical chapters that deal with successful management techniques such as six sigma.

This edition is even better than the previous editions and is indeed worthy of the title of bible. Despite the high cost this book is prominent on my bookshelf. I recommend it to anyone heavily involved in product reliability, even if they own copies of previous editions!

Excellent reference..........Oh man the language and the content rocks. You need to read other books to appreciate this book more.
Quality pro's..........you need to have one of this for sure.

Warning: Not a best choice for "just preparing for a certification exam". It is too much of content for a "small goal of exam". Primer seems to do a good job

Yes Natasha wrote this book and with me being a young adult her book really inform me on alot of things us young women need to know! I'm glad that I found this book. I was just walk down the aisle in the nonfiction section at the public library looking for good book to read and this book caught my eye. I'm glad that I read it and many other women should to also. Its show alot how to love yourself, be yourself, and create a life that you will love. I've learn that now for myself!!!!

Life lesson # 120: Share your knowledge.

The first thing I thought when I finished this book was that I wish I had money like Oprah to buy a copy for every woman that I know and meet. It is ageless and colorless in it's message. I'm in my 30s and I felt like the book was written just for me at this exact moment in my life. I plan to start 2008 with a new perspective and this book is will be a constant reference. Thank you Ms Munson!

I have literally read this book 4 times and each time I re-read it I gain new insight into my life. A good gift for any girlfriend and or teenager going through life's difficulties.

This had everything from poetry to insight and it was all spoken from real life experiences the author lived through. Like another reviewer said, all the topics was followed by a summary that showed a outline of the main points. This book was informative and inspirational and gives teenage girls the best advice they could ever have, to love themselves before they can love others.

Natasha Munson's book Life Lessons for My Sisters is a compilation of poetry, insight, and lessons based on the author's real life experiences. Munson describes in a unique, yet simplistic manner how to succeed in life and in love with an emphasis put on first knowing and loving one's self. I enjoyed that each point was often enhanced by a poem and after each topic, there was a summary to show the main points.

Life Lessons for My Sisters tackles all aspects of life in an informative and inspirational manner. Although the book seems to be geared toward a teenage/young adult audience, it contains information that women of all ages need to heed. I highly recommend this book for any girl or woman who needs guidance or positive affirmations in their lives.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
APOOO BookClub

This is a major compilation of the work of the intriguing graphic artist, M. C. Escher. Remember seeing depictions of events that seem plausible but, under closer analysis, involve impossibilities? That describes some of Escher's most interesting works.
The book provides just about everything Escher produced (appearing in the "Catalog" section of the book), including his earliest works compiled during his teens. Among the most well known (and fascinating) include "The Waterfall," "Ascending and Descending March," "Convex and Concave," "Liberation," "Synthesis," "House of Stairs," and so on. The catalog section is fun, for one thing, simply to trace the evolution of his art.

But there is more to this volume than the works themselves. The volume provides context, with a brief description of his father's life as well as a more detailed analysis of Escher's life, from his birth in 1898 to his death in 1972.

There is also a most useful chapter labeled "The Vision of a Mathematician" (featuring the thoughts of mathematics teacher Bruno Ernst). It begins by noting two periods in the work of Escher--(page 135): ". . .pre 1935, in which landscapes predominate, and post 1937, which is characterized by a marked mathematical tendency." Ernst describes the mathematical principles in some detail (for those interested in this, a fascinating discussion). The textual portion of the book concludes with an essay by Escher himself on "The Regular Division of the Plane," including his reflections on his art.

This book has been around a while, but it is a valuable backdrop to getting a sense of the art of M. C. Escher.

I love everything Escher. I have several books, numerous calendars, as well as large jigsaw puzzles, T-shirts, magnets and mini jigsaw puzzles. Because of the detail in this book, I will never need to add another book to my collection. I especially appreciate the explanations. I am nowhere near smart enough to figure out what Escher was doing in each of his artworks. The detailed lesson on what each piece means is much appreciated by an art fan who is not an art scholar. I think this book would be great for any Escher fan, but I feel the need to tell you it is very large. Make sure you have room for it.

And c'mon - if you've seen his work, you're a fan.

The great thing about this book is not just the extensive and readable biography, but the complete (so they say) catalog of his graphic works. Even people very familiar with Escher's ouvre will be surprised by some of the entries here. They go back to work he did at ages 18 and 19, and show the devleopment of the Escher that has become so famous. It's just a little disappointing that the catalog is printed only in black and white, when so many of his works used color. The catalog reproductions are just that - a listing of his work, not a gallery, so the quarter-page size of most pieces is adequate for recognizing a piece, if not for appreciating it fully.

It is fascinating to see Escher's style develop though his (and the twentieth century's) twenties. Various influences early on suggest Beardsley (cat. 49, 67), Picasso (cat. 51, 58), or the pervasive Art Deco of his time (cat.34). Even then, some of Escher's later fascinations begin to emerge, including hands and reflective balls (cat. 88 and 80), symmetries and tilings (cat. 61, 65), and complex interactions of many figures in a repeating structure (cat. 90). The lesser-known parts of his work also start to emerge by the time he's 30, including delicate lithographs (cat. 129, 132). As much as I love his visual paradoxes and flirtation with the infinite, the lithos and mezzotints are the pieces that truly move me. "Snow" and "Blowball" (cat. 278 and 330) have an eloquent simplicity. "Eye" and "Drop" (cat. 344 and 356) demonstrate his classical sense and his perseverance with the demanding medium of mezzotint.

The text is also thorough and enjoyable - a good thing, since it takes up half of this heavy book, including its own set of illustrations. I admit that I have only skipped around this section, which starts by describing Escher's father. It's small wonder that his father was an engineer and that his son Arthur studied geology. Although an artist to the core, Escher had fruitful contact with mathematicians and crystallographers. He is one of very few artists that have successfully incorporated hard science into their artistic vision at such a visceral level, and the scientists appreciated that as much as anyone.

Although out of print, this book is available inexpensively on the used market. It's one of the best bargains around; if you've read this far, you'll probably find it well worth having.

//wiredweird

I haven't even had a chance to go through all of this remarkable book yet, but I am so impressed with it so far I cannot burble enough about how delighted I am with my purchase. This is a beautifully produced, designed, and wonderfully complete book. Many tales of the personal life an vision of the artist, countless, cleanly reproduced graphics, many works I have never seen or heard of before. Terrific! Can't recommend enough!!!

Definitely the first book every Escher fan should purchase. It's helpful in getting to know about the man himself as well as his brilliant artwork. It may seem pricey, but it's totally worth it, being hardcover (at least the one I got), and high quality photos of his work. It also shows his lesser known works (ones never released apparently), as well as photos of himself and his family. A very informative read and a quality edition.

I love Morris the Moose! I'm a very intelligent grownup now and I still had a ball purchasing this absolute favorite from my childhood and reading it again! My grown children probably wondered what I was doing with that recent purchase! It was a loving, comforting trip down memory lane, and I still recommend it for today's youth! Easy read, fun read!

I'm 23 years old now and thinking about this book just makes me smile. It was my favorite book growing up along with The House That Jack Built. I could read these books OVER AND OVER again every day of my life and be content. It's a great book to not only learn to read, but a good lesson in accepting differences among each other. And that's a great lesson to learn at that age!! If you're looking for great book for your youngster, THIS IS IT!! (along with the whole series!!) :)

This book is absolutely wonderful. I remember loving to just look at the pictures before I could read! I cannot say enough about it. My favorite book of all time.

I use this book every year to introduce ACCELERATED READER to my students. I introduce it as a "read-aloud" and we discuss the text and pictures as I read. Students "act out" the various things that Morris does and students even sit ON their desks when Morris does. There is always a lot of laughing and giggling as Morris learns many things on his first day of school. Morris Goes to School is a great book to show your children how involved they can become when reading.

THEN....... they get to go take a short 5-question AR test on the computer. It's a great book and a great introduction to AR.

I picked up this book to read with my son, and I have to say that we didn't find it particularly funny. Certainly not as funny as the other Morris books. We had about two chuckles in 64 pages. Which is not to say that the story is bad. It hangs together well and provides some very good kid-friendly examples which show why it's good to attend school. Morris, for example, is shown fumbling around town, not knowing which store is the candy store because he can't read. And Morris is also stumped when it comes to figuring out how many gumdrops he can buy, because he can't count.

The publisher suggests this book as a practice reader for those in first grade or younger. My experience convinces me that this book is a little too hard for most children in this age range. For one thing, there are 64 pages of text, which is quite a bit for newbies to sit down and read at one time. And the vocabulary is fairly advanced with words like: wrong, sting, meant, interrupt, couldn't, sandwiches, cream-cheese, piece, fruit, hamburgers, arithmetic, antler, count, make-believe, and forest. And in fact, the Accelerated Reading designation for this book is 2.0 -- which means that those experts feel that the book is suited for entering 2nd Graders.

[The AR designation is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.]

Three Stars. This is an okay book which shows why learning is necessary. In my and my son's opinion it wasn't as funny as the other Morris books. The Publisher suggests this reader for ages Pre5 to Grade 1. The 'official' Accelerated Reading (AR) designation, however, is 2.0.

this is a great book and i received it just like i expectd to receive it.

We have read this book repeatedly, and my first-grader enjoys it every time. Now he enjoys reading it to me. Great for beginning readers.

WHAT A JOY THIS BOOK IS. THE STORY IS FUN AND SO CUTE. ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES TO READ TO THE CHILDREN.

This is one of those that is an absolute delight to read to and with kids. A mouse, minding his own business is caught by a weasel who of coure plans to whip up a batch of Mouse Soup. Our fast talking little mouse simply talks his way out of the dinner by telling the weasel four delightful stories, thereby distracting the weasle and at the same time, teaching the weasle a good lesson. The illustrations are great the the story telling is of the highest quality. Cute is a word that is over used, but in this case I have to use it because it fits so well. This work is almost along the same lines as the famous Uncle Remus tales, but in many ways is more appealing. I liked this one and do highly recommend it. The art work alone is worth the price of the book.

I have to bow to a superior opinion in rating this book. After reading it to my 5 y.o. son, I had come to the conclusion that the subset of stories were pretty lame and uninteresting. I mean one of them is about two rocks that get lied to by a bird (or so the rocks think). And another is about a rose bush growing out of a comfy chair.

But my 5 y.o. informs me that I don't know what I am talking about. This book is great, he told me. And he convinced me that this was true by doing something his active little self seldom does: he went and got the book off his shelf and dragged his father over to the couch so that dad could listen to him read the stories. [Could have knocked me over with bookmark.]

The AR Reading level for this book is 2.4 which means that the Accelerated Reading committee, and it's software, suggests this book for Second Graders in their fourth month of school.

[The AR designation is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.]

Four Stars. This book has a mouse cum Scheherazade premise: A weasel captures a poor little mouse and the mouse plots to get out of being eaten by telling stories. The stories the mouse tells didn't appeal to me, but my five y.o. son sure liked them. The AR reading level indicates the book is suitable for Second Graders.