I Books

Thanks to this book, I look at my people, Black people, in a deeper dimension. A lot of what we do today, whether food or clothes, comes from what was forced upon us in slavery. Black slave families torn apart, is the reason why TODAY, we Black people are family.

Extremely enlightening. First person acounts of the daily lives of real slaves in an undramatized style.

Norman Yetman has done every researcher of African American history a great service by his splendid compilation in "When I Was a Slave." Yetman used a precise formula for inclusion and/or exclusion in order to compile these narratives out of more than 3,000 interviews performed by the WPA in the 1930s. They are clearly representative of the entire 3,000, while at the same time of greater length and providing more detail than the 2,900 others.

Here the reader hears first-hand the voices of the ex-enslaved African American--telling his or her story with startling imagery and amazing detail. This is a one-of-a-kind collection well worth buying, reading, and re-reading.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Soul Physicians.

This is one of the most startling yet enlightening books I have ever read. Remembrances, recollections and memories of ex-slaves were gathered by Mr. Yetman and reproduced unedited (except for clarity) as a project developed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Written in the 1930's when a few very elderly slaves were still living and taken directly from them, the reader gets a true sense of the inhumanity of slavery.

Althugh some slaves were treated decently (I cannot say "kindly" - that word didn't exist when it came to slaves), most were simply a product or asset on a plantation or farm.

Families were ripped apart and sold at the owner's whim - never to see brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers again.

Husbands and wives suffered the same fate.

Many were starved and beaten. Many had no place to sleep at night.

It was forbidden for them to learn to read.

The treatment, tortures and torments these poor souls endured will break the hardest of hearts.

This was not just a "Southern" way of life. There were Northerners equally guilty of these crimes against humanity.

There is simply no way to describe the less-than-human conditions that slaves endured except to read their travails for yourself.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Yetman for preserving these remembrances of "our eternal shame".

I feel that this should be required reading in schools. And included in some way in the test for citizenship.

The book is slim and the memoirs are short and quickly read.

Although it is revolting, slavery is part of our American heritage and
every American should know that slavery was our legacy of dishonor" and will foreveer remain our eternal regret.

This book gives a wonderful insight into what slavery was like. It's hard to believe that human beings can be so cruel to each other. I don't know how slaves were able to endure such horrible lifes. This book helped me to have even more respect for my ancestors and admire their strengh and wisdom.

Jim Hayhurst has identified and hit the motherlode of true career fit. Using memory and reflection as his tools of excavation he has illuminated the process by which any person can finally uncover/discover his or her own unique pattern of personal excellence and expression and then apply their knowledge to the discovery of the kinds of work that best engages that personal pattern. The satisfaction and elation that follows this congruence between one's work duties and the real life engagement of one's natural pattern is very real. Jim Hayhurst has made a vitally significant contribution to all of us who wonder about our place in the world of work.

Jim's book has helped me look at things so differently. He is a wonderful author, presentor and this is his best book so far.

Marti Smye

After reading Jim Hayhurst Sr.'s first book, "The Right Mountain," I was eager to read his second book, "Where Have I Gone Right?"
This latest book is an insightful, and well thought out book. It is an easy read, and yet delivers strong, and important messages along the way. It has a structure that allows one to first learn about themselves, and then apply this new understanding to any aspect of ones life.
A great read for anyone.

I read Where Have I Gone Right? this weekend. It is simple, direct, positive and easy to read. Frankly, after
spending time working through Bolles's What Colour is Your Parachute?, I wish I had met this book first. Where Have I Gone Right? asks the essential question and demands the critical work be done first - determining who am I? Without actually having done the "gone right" process (I intend to do so)this work gets to point more effectively and adds important dimensions and communication strategies such as reference points and personal allegories -that separate and enhance what Bolles and others have done for job and life seekers. In a very few hours this book gave me the understanding and the positive tools to get accomplishments, skills, values, relationships into synch-- and to help tell my story in a more distinctive and powerful way.

If word of mouth can be a tipping point for a new career and
life change manual-- Where Have I Gone Right? has my word and I will spread it to anyone who needs or wants to hear.

I picked up this book in the midst of my career search, and I am very glad I did. After completing the book, which was an easy read but contained meaningful lessons, I realized I needed to first take stock of myself. The book, "Where Have I Gone Right?" is a must read for anyone who is frustrated, confused, or on the edge of insanity during their job search. It is not an easy process, but with the help of this book you will start applying to the jobs that you are interested and passionate about. I highly reccomend this book at any point in a persons life, the lessons drawn out of its excercises are relevant to anybody, at any point in their lives

This book is written with such clarity, love and hope. After surviving being shot in the head by her husband, Ms. Morris-Grant uses her total recall of the events leading up to and following that event to give readers a clear understanding of the confusing/contradictory emotions and circumstances that make domestic violence so dangerous and difficult to escape. A must read for anyone who is supporting someone as they deal with an abusive relationship.

Ms. Morris-Grant has truly been through a MAJOR life event and has shared her experience with the world. She is a gifted writer and her story is compelling. As a man, I had no idea that what Ms. Morris-Grant went through would be considered abusive behavior. My eyes have been opened and I am ashamed. Buy this book! It will open your eyes. I await her next book!

I am pleased to recommend "whom Shall I fear" to any and all readers. Ms. Morris-Grant reveals all sides of the story in dissecting her life from her childhood up through the present day in relation to her own self-image and her relationship with herself, God, and, most compellingly, her husband.
She is typical of many women who are abused verbally but who don't know what to do and are actually in denial about the existence of a real problem. Her husband is portrayed as endearing. I found that I, too was as surprised as the author when unappealing aspects of his character pop up. Ms. Morris-Grant strikes a balance. There is no glorification of herself and her actions. She is brave, she is strong, but one never feels that she finds herself to be infallible. Indeed, the flawed and honest portrayal of a wife and mother breaking away painfully, trying to identify the issues that plague her life, and to cope with them is done expertly. You feel as if you know a man who one could portray easily as a monster, as a man who has the chance to follow several roads, but who follows a tragic one. You feel as if you know the author extremely intimately, and she is also a regular woman who has several paths to choose from. She, however, chooses a path filled with light and makes the best out of what could be a devastating turn of events.
For anyone who thought that batterers (or worse) have horns on their head or have 'DANGER' clearly written on them, and who don't understand what goes on inside the life of a victim, here's a great book. to anyone, like myself, who has witnessed abuse of this nature, I say the same. In truth, there is no one who could not benefit from this compelling story.

This is an incredible story of courage, love and strength and a real page turner! After reading this book, I realized that others may try to victimize you, be you never have to "own" victimhood. Ms. Morris-Grant proves this point again and again in her story. She isn't afraid to reveal the truth about herself (all of it), and in doing so, she challenges the conscientious reader to do the same.

While I would highly recommend this book to anyone, I would ESPECIALLY recommend it to women who feel trapped in abusive relationships. Ms. Morris-Grant proves that you can truly rise above even the worst circumstances with faith, love and a continued sense of hope.

I find Lavon Morris Grant to be a very brave and trueful woman and writer. The book is very enlightful for all woman and men also who has been either a batter or battered woman. It lets people know that they are not the only ones out there with that problem. Its makes you stop and think that maybe this is happening to me or someone I know. The book is very helpful to let you know that it's not your fault and you do have choices. I really enjoyed the book and hope that every woman would read it and tell all their friends that it is easy reading.

I read just about every apologetics book I can get my hands on and in my opinion this is one of the best I've read. When someone gave it to me as a gift, judging by the title, I thought- "oh great, another introductory level apologetics book". But I was completely wrong. This book is full of top notch essays by the best Christians thinkers of our time. I highly recommend this book; every Christian should have a copy in their collection.

The revised, expanded edition of the classic WHY I AM A CHRISTIAN: LEADING THINKERS EXPLAIN WHY THEY BELIEVE addresses all the typical questions of modern Christian believers, from issues of belief in miracles, the existence of god, and the nature and purpose of suffering to the evidences and controversies posed by evolutionary theory. Contributors are expert witnesses for Christianity, from a mechanical engineer and lawyer to scientists, philosophers, former skeptics and atheists, and more. The result is a lively, diverse dialogue from many differing viewpoints: perfect for any Christian lending library or discussion group.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Too many Christians "feel" that the exercise of the mind is not important when it comes to the Christian faith. How wrong these believers are! In this day of easy-believism, where the intellect is forsaken for a spiritual diet of cotton candy and bon bons, it is refreshing to know that there are important Christian apologists who make it a point to write thinking pieces such as "Why I Am a Christian." Indeed, Jesus Himself said that we are to worship God with our whole heart, soul, MIND, and strength.

Although I don't remember seeing if the editors, Geisler and Hoffman, were attempting to respond to Russell's "Why I Am Not A Christian," this book certainly serves as a lob back to the atheist's court. Included in the book are essays on truth, God, miracles, the Bible, Jesus, and evil and suffering. Taking some of the better apologists who have already written on the topic at hand, the book's top two strengths were:

* William Lane Craig's chapter 4 entitled "Why I believe God exists." Using the same arguments that he used in a Willow Creek debate against an atheist in the early 1990s--Kalam, Design, and the Moral arguments--Craig's chapter is solid and is a good reference to utilize when determining strong rational arguments for the Christian faith. I think the following chapter by Geisler was very redundant and not as clear as Craig's. It would have been good had the editor perhaps narrowed his chapter since he commissioned Craig to work with the cosmological and teleological arguments.

* Although he offered very little new material, Barry Leventhal's chapter on Jesus as the Messiah was enjoyable to read. The chapter was well-laid out, fully supported, and summarized its points better than perhaps any other chapter in the book.

The book's top two weaknesses were:

* Beckwith's look at moral relativism. He tries to pack too much into too short of a chapter, and though I admire the man for his brilliant mind, I think he needed more room to complete his thoughts. Geisler does an admirable job with the next chapter (Why I believe Truth is Real and Knowable), but I don't think this issue is still fully resolved with these two chapters. Rather, I would recommend Beckwith and Greg Koukl's book entitled Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air to get a better look at this important issue.

* Chapter 7 regarding the miracles of Jesus was pretty dull and was written with little life. It seemed like Habermas could have simplified his approach with this chapter. The next chapter on divine creation by Hugh Ross had some excellent tables incorporated in it, but truly it just seemed dry. Also, not everyone will agree with Ross' view of the age of the earth--nor with Walter Bradley, a Progressive Creationist who in chapter 10 says on page 168 that the earth is at least 4 billion years old--Ross' ideas about the world being designed would not be quibbled with by the theistic thinker. However, I could see some of the Young Earth folks become offended with these chapters, and I'm wondering if perhaps the other side should have also been represented with an issue that, while important, is peripheral to the essential Christian faith.

Overall, I would say that the book as a collection of essays is worthwhile for readers who like to think, but the average lay reader would probably be best served in looking for other avenues, including Handbook of Christian Apologetics (Kreeft) or When Skeptics Ask (Geisler).

I really enjoyed reading this book. I think the topics that are covered in each chapter are well done. Each topic took opposing views and gave arguments to each of the views on the topic at hand. I feel each chapter is through enough to use as a sole source to debate/reason with most lay people but may need additional resources to debate a particular topic with a "professional debater".

Overall i would recommend this book to anyone intrested in apologetics.

This is a collection of articles (or chapters) from the top contemporary Christian apologists. The book is divided into 6 parts. Each 'part' deals with an issue such as Truth, God, Miracles, the Bible, Jesus, and Following Christ. Within each part is a chapter written by well known scholars/apologists such as William Lane Craig, Norman Geisler, J. P. Moreland, Ravi Zacharias, Peter Kreeft, Winfried Corduan, Gary Habermas, Doug Geivett, Francis Beckwith, and the renown Law Professor at the University of Texas, J. Budziszewski (a professor of law who at one time used to be an atheist).

The chapters are detailed, highly referenced, well researched, and well written. Of course, this book is a basic apologetics tool/reference but is quite compatible to those who might already have this knowledge (due to the articles and the caliber of scholars writing) since it is always nice to refresh your data base on these issues. I would recommend this book to anyone who is searching for solid answers to objections or issues which have been raised in witnessing to non-believers or in discussions about the essential tenets of the Christian faith.

The book is 318 pages long and is a nice companion to works such as J.P. Moreland's "Scaling the Secular City," or William Lane Craig's "Reasonable Faith," or Norman Geisler's "Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics." I recommend this book whole heartily.

This is exactly what we need to think about as we prepare our high school senior for technology at college. In the laptop vs. desktop debate, this handy, informative books lays out the pros and cons. It's perfect for those of us who will either have to transport equipment a few thousand miles or decide to buy it on site. I heartily recommend this book for any parents preparing to buy technology for their collegiate children.

This book offers great tips and advice on technology all those going away to college will need. As one reads it, one will definitely learn something new whether it's about computers, laptops, desktops or handhelds.

Not all those going away to college can afford to buy a laptop or a desktop. Hence, this book suggests ways one could get best offers in technology. Did you know some colleges and universities rent computers? I didn't know until I read this book. Now that's a good catch for those who are not willing to buy a computer.

Wish I'd Known That is something I would recommend to everyone going off to college. It's a great book everyone will find helpful. I did. You will not know how useful it is until you buy it.

This new book makes technology decisions easy for students as they prepare for their adventure in college education. It provides knowlegeable help in selecting the correct hardware, software and add ons for a student's technology package.
The authors have a great feel for the questions and difficulties encountered by students and their parents as they begin the collegiate journey.
Parents will be reassured as they read the comments and suggestions presented to the students - good sound technology advice. In fact, as a school administrator, I plan to share many of the helpful ideas with my faculty and students.
This book will guide even inexperienced users on their way to success with technology in their college careers. I plan to give this book as a gift to several students embarking on their college journey in the fall.

"Wish I'd Known That" by Diane S. Kendall and Dr. Merle Marsh thoroughly covers all aspects of taking technology to college. Everything is covered from determining what systems a school platfrom will support, to choosing a computer, to providing advice on what to do when everything goes wrong, all in a well organized easy to find and use format. The authors have also done an excellent job providing advice and support for both MAC and PC users.
One of the best features of this book is the list of "Universal Truths of College Computing." This list can serve as a veritable Bible for computing anywhere but especially on the college campus. Whether the reader is an incoming college freshman or a newcomer to technology, this book provides a full range of tips and guidelines to assist in making a wise technology choice, that is hard to find anywhere else. This book is Highly recommended.

As an advanced user considering majoring in Computer Science, having just graduated from a high school where laptops are required for all students, I was initially doubtful that I needed any technology advice. As I read this book, however, I did indeed find myself taking note of many useful suggestions that I simply hadn't thought of. Even if you've been using computers at school for as long as you can remember, the college environment presents its own new set of challenges and obstacles to overcome and avoid. What better way to prepare yourself than with a guide based on input from current college students who are just like you except that they've "been there, done that." This book is so comprehensive that I would recommend it for absolutely anyone entering college: technophobes and technophiles, History majors and Computer Science majors alike.
Best of luck at college!

Everything Conant writes is so relatable as you follow his journey through all the seasons in his year. Conant truly has a gift for words and storytelling and this is definitely one of the best books I've ever read!! :-)

Just like his first book, Cameron draws you into his story with tales of love and life that are familiar to all. In his first book, he tells how he got married and divorced all before he turned 27. Now, a year later, he has turned over a new leaf, scored a fantastic job, fallen in love, and is leaving the predictable Midwest for the promise of a dream in Nashville. I laughed out loud as he described small town living, but his love affair with the girl of his dreams and an interesting roundtable of friends keeps you turning the pages!

I am nearing the end of "The Year I Got Everything I wanted" as I type this review. I have to admit that I stumbled across Conant's earlier book, "With or Without You" by accident but it was a wonderful read.

I went through an un-wanted divorce a year and a half ago and can relate to much of what Cameron writes about. The sometimes overwhelming feelings of rejection, loss, confusion, heartache, loneliness, sadness, depression, etc. are not new to me. I often wonder if I will fully get past these things. My divorce experience was interesting because the one place I expected my failing marriage to get better only allowed it to become worse-----a small town Southern Baptist Church. The church became an outlet for gossip, deception and non-biblical teaching. It also allowed my ex-wife to find companionship with other women who were going through marital problems and divorces. Instead of encouraging my wife to stay in the marriage these women only gave advice which eventually allowed her to walk away from the marriage. Misery loves company apparently rears its ugly head once again in the local church.

I'm thankful for my church friends that cared enough about me and God to tell me to never give up on the marriage. My experience has allowed me to see the blatant contradictions found in church life today in the area of marriage and divorce as well as many, many other social, political, spiritual, and theological beliefs and practices. This has inspired me to write my own book dealing with the overall theme of contradicitons the church does not want to deal with.

I'm grateful for men like Cameron Conant. In a world of fiction we need more realistic writers who are not afraid to expose themselves and write about life as it is. What makes Conant's books worthwhile is the fact that you can identify with him. We all experience life with pain and loss. As I type this I have returned home from my residence in Tennessee to my birthplace in Pensacola, FL to visit my dad who just underwent emergency surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor. Again life has thrown me a curve ball and I'm trying to figure out how I want to swing at this one!

I encourage you to read both "With or Without You" and "The Year I Got Everything I Wanted". These books are for anyone who has struggled through a broken marriage, divorce, and the pursuit of happiness that makes most of us continually seek true love and acceptance. I often ask myself, "Why do I bother trying to find anyone to love me?" After asking the question I realize-----we do believe in fairy tales. It is that fairy tale belief that there is someone out there for all of us that allows us to pick up look past the pain and try it all over again.

For now it is just me and God. Perhaps we will fair better when we realize that on most days that is quite enough. But, I am gently reminded of the phrase, "God looked down and saw that it was not good for man to be alone" I say amen to that!

If there's one happy side-effect of being someone who has spent time in the darkest places of the spirit, it's that you can detect beauty in the smallest of things, and in the unlikeliest of places. Cameron Conant has the uncanny ability to do that - he can capture a moment in time, savor it, and hold it up to the light for us in a way that shows us beauty where we might not have known it would be. I think that's my favorite aspect of Conant's writing style. It makes me wonder how much more there is to my own life that I am not seeing, and it reminds me to be mindful of the simple, seemingly mundane things in daily life that are in fact not mundane at all.

In this book, Conant bares his soul to the reader and shares thoughts and experiences that many of us would hesitate to tell our friends, let alone the world at large. It is this openness that gives us a glimpse of some very deep but universal struggles that we all share, but often fail to confront directly - the grasping at something outside ourselves to find satisfaction, and ultimately the failure to find it anywhere but in the Source within ourselves. And although this book is classified as Christian literature, I believe that it would be an enjoyable and easy read for anyone who is the least bit spiritually-minded, regardless of religion. It speaks truths that reach beyond those boundaries.

Cameron Conant writes with great skill, depth and reflection. The Year I Got Everything I Wanted follows a year full of promises (new city/job/girlfriend) on the other side of his painful divorce. Conant's honesty and transparency stand out amidst endless stacks of "how-to" and "step-by-step" books, while the narrative challenges our perspectives on God, success, love and the church. All who struggle with pain, expectations, disappointment and faith will enjoy, finding themselves in Conant's story--and the greater narrative of life.

you are a little bit happier than i am is about severely depressed hamsters. you are a little bit happier than i am is about existential despair. if you are a little bit happier than i am is about severely depressed hamsters, then cognitive-behavioral therapy is about a way for severely depressed hamsters to maybe transcend existential despair.

I enjoyed this short book of new poetry. Tao Lin is ordinary and honest, making him an excellent poet.

If you find it difficult to sleep at night and wake up with bed sores, aching bed muscles, it may be time to purchase a new bed mattress. King Koil bed mattresses are specifically designed to alleviate bed sores, bed muscles, and pain caused by improper alignment of the body while sleeping. If you suffer from these bed symptoms, consider purchasing a King Koil bed mattress.

King Koil mattresses are available in standard bed mattress sizes that include bed twin (single), bed double, bed queen, bed king and California bed king. As with any other form of bed mattress, the price will depend on the bed size and bed quality of the bed mattress. A single bed mattress will cost considerably less than a king sized bed mattress, but will not provide nearly as much space for bed sleeping.

[...]

I don't think I usually like poetry. I went to a poetry reading tonight and I did not enjoy it. I liked this book. It was like reading transcripts of my own thoughts. It validated my thoughts somewhat I guess, in letting me know that other people thought similar things, and that other other people were publishing transcripts of them. I think writing like this is positive in that it encourages calm reflection on one's own life through direct analysis of another's. I feel like an idiot right now. I have tried to describe why I like this book. I like this book.

Motifs in _you are a little happier than i am_ include emails, fruit, hamsters, loneliness, beauty, and sadness--what would have been a difficult and problematic combination of objects and abstract terms in the hands of a less talented poet. Tao Lin, however, links these elements effectively with plain, frank language that conveys immediate feelings and observations, often with sympathetic or humorous results.

The surprising concerns in these poems range from the personal to what many readers may resonate with. For example, in the poem "thanksgiving," Lin writes:

i feel most comfortable around middle-class japanese people
i know they are all thinking the same things as me

WHY ARE THE LINES SO LONG?
WHY AM I IN NEW JERSEY?

though their faces appear calm
their thoughts are exactly like i just put them
(Lin)

It does not seem to matter here whether the people are middle-class Japanese or middle-class any-other-American-or-foreigner. Lin points out how anyone might feel in this situation: the lines are long, and (more philosophically) why New Jersey? The contrast between calm faces, yelling interior monologue, the poet himself and Japanese people proves humorous when one reads Lin's conclusion to the poem "we just want to get our food/ and eat it/...and go to sleep."

An uniquely enjoyable, highly recommended collection. Tao Lin's other books include Bed, Eeeee Eee Eeee, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.

This was the first work on depression authored with a real life perspective on the illness and its affects on "life" that I had read. Having been trained in the mental health field and being employed in a mental health related job, this was the first work to help me feel better about my own illness. It was so easy to be understanding and supportive of others with this illness, but when it came time for me to understand and to be caring for myself, it all but elluded me.

Also in this work I found the connections between depression, addiction, weight related issues, and hormonal problems. Every little piece of my spotty medical history came into focus under the hands of the author in this book. I have yet to read anything that has helped me on the road to understanding my depressive illness any more than this book. Having a lay person relate information through her own real experiences is a definate plus as well.

The author feels that many substance abusers have an underlying emotional problem like depression, anxiety, bi-polar disorder etc. They really need to be treated for this in order to get the substance abuse under control.

If you are having a substance abuse problem, read this book and be sure you get screened by a real professional for emotional problems. Keep an open mind and save yourself a lot of trouble and heartache. When the emotional issues get resolved, the substance abuse problem may practically take care of itself!

This is a very accessable book for anyone concerned about depression in a loved one or yourself. Written so people (not just professionals) can understand it. I've given it to several friends who were helped, too. Best of all, it helped my partner realize the behavior wasn't crazy but treatable. Excellent book.

This book is up to date in its information. It is very informative, and reader friendly. It explains the cause of some mental illness, addictions, phobias and anxieties. These down to earth explanations take all the guilt out of having a disorder, disability, or addiction. This distancing from self blame enables action and change.

A great "primer" on depression. This is the first book I read on depression after reading Darkness Visible, and I still think it's one of the best, especially as the author's daughter, who suffered from depression, contributed to it.

I gave this book to my 4 year old niece and she LOVES it. She now likes to "interview" everyone that visits their house to see how they will answer the questions.

This is a children's book and memory all in one! It's so interactive. The book prompts you to ask the children questions that you record for your memories. We can't wait for time to pass and re-read the book to see how things have changed!

I just got my copy and it is truly a wonderful book. It is a memory book. It would make a great gift for a new born or a toddler or any child. It has a wonderful story in the front. In the back are several pages where the child is asked to answer questions and write them in the book!! What a great concept! The baby lightning bug is adorable anyone who reads the book will delight at the well thought out illustrations and text! It is a book the child will keep and cherish forever.

After being surprised by my four year daughter's answers, I realized this book of cherished memories is a must-have! Every child loves to reminisce about the silly things they did and said when they were too young to remember. This book makes it easy to share and laugh with your child as he/she gets older. Excellent bonding time!
I bought one for my daughter's teacher, she loved it so much she bought one for each of her students to give to their parents for parent appreciation day. What a great idea!
Many thanks to the brilliant author!

Zubie The Lightning Bug: I Want To Remember Your Thoughts by Candace Coleman and with colorful illustrations from Ginger Nielson, is the colorful tale of Zubie the little lightning bug and his loving mother. Following the little bug through his adventurous life, Zubie The Lightning Bug offers parents and children a wealth of fun and interactive questions about their own life as a way of preserving those memories to look back upon in the years ahead. Original, entertaining, "kid friendly", and a lot of fun, Zubie The Lightning Bug is very highly recommended for parents and their children ages 5 to 9 for its approach to remembering the adventures of childhood and the accomplishments associated with growing up.

To my surprise, this book is very well written, not preachy or ideological, but rather is a "laundry list" of facts and well documented research on the topic of vegetarianism, why people have switched over, the current role society plays in the environment and of course, health. The facts are compelling, and you cannot deny the truth. As everything is footnoted and sourced, the author challenges you to read the articles and publications that are referenced in her 101 reasons. This is truly a must read book for those who are interested in the truth about eating meat and the effect it has on a person's health, the environment, the economy, world hunger, and of course the animals. This book sealed the deal for me in fully converting to a vegetarian diet.

I loved this book! It was candy to my soul. I read it twice and probably will again. I highly recommend it to everyone that wants the facts, the whole facts and nothing but facts. A brilliant piece of work. Very well done.

"101 Reasons" is full of facts I didn't know, and full of stats for those I did. I particularly learned a great deal about the impact of factory farming on the environment, and fish in particular. Although the book is barely off the press, it already predicted things that happened after its printing: additional cases of mad cow; enormous numbers of deaths for animals during the Katrina hurricane; and outbreak of avian flu.

"101 Reasons" is unlike most books and lectures on vegetarianism, which preach to the already converted and don't teach me (already converted) anything I didn't already know. "101 Reasons" will surprise people whether they have, or lack, previous knowledge of the rationale for vegetarianism.

The book is beautifully written. To the point, and humorous puns makes a hard-to-take message more palatable.

I want everyone I know to pick this one up!

-- Jean Thaler Brooklyn NY
for some reason Amazon shows somebody else's name as the reviewer

There are all sorts of reasons to become a vegetarian, and this little book contains 101 great ones. From the effect of animal production on the environment to the destruction of genetic diversity and the spread of disease from animals to humans to the horrific treatment of farmed animals, many of these reasons will sound familiar to a lot of people.

Still, these reasons are articulated in intricate and often disturbing detail. The links between dairy production and the life (if it can be called that) of veal cattle, the extreme overproduction required of laying hens and mother cows, the huge amounts of waste produced by factory farms and the dangers of biotechnology, genetic engineering and cloning are outlined in stunning detail.

Of course there are also reasons involving the positive health benefits (and benefits for the planet) brought about by eating a vegetarian diet, from reducing your risk of several kinds of cancer to increasing beneficial phytochemicals in your diet and reducing the world's oil and energy drains.

There are probably reasons here that most readers have not considered, and facts you might not know about; for instance, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest pregnant women heat cold cuts to 170 degrees to reduce their risk of getting listeria. Or that even though its forbidden for cows to eat other cows because of the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease), the Food and Drug Administration says as many as 350,000 cows that humans consume were fed bovine by-products.

So many moments in this book will make readers gasp in surprise and horror at the state of the average American diet and what it is doing to the animals, the workers who are paid to kill those animals, the planet that must deal with the waste and corpses of those animals and the people who consume such a diet.

If nothing else, this book will affirm everything you believe about why the vegetarian diet is right for you and the planet. Perhaps you could also use it to convince family and friends to stop their meat-eating ways, or at least to show them why you are a vegetarian.-Sarah White

Be prepared, this is no ordinary book on vegetarianism. It is undoubtedly THE BEST I've read on the subject in over 24 years of maintaining a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

101 Reasons is a gift to society. A clear, comprehensive log of the myriad reasons a vegetarian diet just makes sense. The tone is perfect-unapologetic and direct while still light and conversational. Reading this will strengthen your convictions if you are already vegetarian, and will make you stop and reassess if you are not. This is a "just the facts" approach. Thankfully, not once are animals referred to as "cute" anywhere in the book. Covering everything from individual health benefits to environmental and global impact, and everything in between, this book should be a treasured resource in any home library to be referred to again and again.