B Books

The message of empowerment that my daugter gleans from Karen Winnick's latest installment of what I hope will be a series of books from her on young women, is extremely important. However, the original artwork and thoughtfulness of the prose makes reading Sybil's Night Ride, for me, a pure pleasure.

Our 2 1/2 year old daughter has lots of books; many of these are for older children, and are placed higher up on the bookshelf, waiting until she is ready for them. This book is the exception. She keeps pulling it down by herself, telling me her version of a story of a girl and her horse, an owl, a dog, her family, all details she gleans from the rich, evocative illustrations. It's already a favorite. Karen Winnick has created a masterpiece; her understated narrative strikes just the right tone without terrifying young readers, while providing rich, historical details of everyday life. The rendering of Sybil, her expressions, her hair, her clothes, all bring her immediately to life. Her tender relationships with her family, horse and community are the focus of the story, against the background of sheer bravery. A wonderful role model for my daughter. The archival map reproduced at the back of the book can actually be read to follow Sybil's route. Thank you Karen Winnick.

Karen Winnick's Sybil's Night Ride is the children's book every parent should obtain for the soul purpose of giving the best of children's literature and illustration to his or her child or pre-adolescent. Karen Winnick skillfully masters the historical story of Sybil Ludington and transcends it into a captivating 20 or so pages of beautiful words and detailed oil paints, the likes of which I have only seen in such genius as Van Gogh or Monet. This is a must, a bestseller, a joy. Also, look for Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers, the perfect complement.

Certain children books have the magic that leaves lasting memories. The book paints a picture of a little known courageous girl that overcomes all odds to leave lasting historical mark. With vibrant art work the dark obstacles that she must surpass come alive. The book will set fire to a child's imagination. It is the perfect mix of a small simple story with a grand historical ladscape. I recommend to this anybody who wants to delight their child.

As a parent, nothing makes me happier than knowing my daughter is enjoying reading. And even better when the reading brings her inspiration. This is the case with Karen Winnick's Sybil's Night Rider. My daughter loves the book, fancying herself as Sybil. This is what a children's book should be - words that inspire upon graphics that ignite the imagination.

A Fascinating Historic Glimpse of Civil War Sacrifice, August 11, 2003
Reviewer: ndrsn1 from Moline, IL
This book captured my attention from start to end. It is informative as well as entertaining. It examines the sacrifices of going to war at a time when war was a line 'em up face-to-face endeavor. And it provides the regular soldier's insights as to why they were willing to fight that war. It also takes a good look at the Irish immigrant to this country and the internal conflicts within that immigrant community regarding the Civil War. Fascinating to read. Only negative - too many composition errors that should have been corrected prior to publication. But the story line carries the book past this irritating problem.

A gripping story!, March 17, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from MESA, AZ United States
My father grew up in the Philadelphia/Manyunk area where the story takes place. He gave me the book to read since I was familiar with the neighborhood. I sat down to read it, thinking this was going to be another stuffy history book that I was going to skim through. From the very beginning of the book, I was intrigued, and sat up all night to finish it. The writing style was very readable, and immediately I was taken into Keenan's life. I knew that most immigrants had a hard time when they arrived in America, but I had no idea they were treated just as badly as the blacks. This book gave me a new perspective on what the Irish went through, as well as the soldiers' sufferings in the Civil War. I saw how Keenan and his fellow Irishmen tried to get work or start a new life, but were greeted by competition for jobs at the factory, and signs in store windows that would not allow Irishmen inside. As Keenan and his friend went off to fight the Civil War, they thought things would change for the better. Instead they found out the cruel, harsh realities of war. Disentary, disease, starvation, frostbite, limbs blown off, and ears or eyes destroyed from battle. Both men in the story spent time in POW camps, if you could call them that, under horrible conditions. Death seemed imminent in these camps. When the war miraculously ended, Keenan finally returned to his wife and hometown expecting a hero's welcome. I won't ruin everything by telling you the ending, but it is a worthwhile read. A perfect read for St Patrick's Day.

The Debt Has Been Repaid, September 7, 2002
Reviewer: Dottie Wiegand from Atco, New Jersey
Within the realm of formal education, the Civil War has essentially been presented as a timeline of dates, battles, notable victories,and crushing defeats for both armies.Mr.Sudell modifies all of that. Through the introduction of authentic characters and veterans of that era,he colors that same timeline with such depth and dimension that the reader lives with the characters and endures their fears and fervor, their agonies and jubilations. John Keenan, Mr. Sudell's great, great-uncle and a Civil War veteran, relates his battle and prisoner-of-war experiences, and, while horrified by the indignities suffered, we are reassured by the indestuctible will of the human spirit and the unwavering sense of patriotism.The title,Though All The World Betrays Thee, provides a clue as to the manner in which we did not repay the debt of gratitude owed.It remained outstanding until the arrival of Mr. Sudell's book. I believe that he has repaid that debt in full. Thank you.

A labor of love, a pleasure to read!, June 28, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX United States
I've tried over the past few months to write an elegant review for "Though All The World Betrays Thee" which grasps the reader's attention and effective conveys the struggle of the "second-class citizens" during the American Civil War. I have failed. Fortunately for us, in his novel Mr. Sudell has not. It's a very good book, labor of love and a pleasure to read.

I've tried over the past few months to write an elegant review for "Though All The World Betrays Thee" which grasps the reader's attention and effective conveys the struggle of the "second-class citizens" during the American Civil War. I have failed. Fortunately for us, in his novel Mr. Sudell has not. It's a very good book, labor of love and a pleasure to read.

This book captured my attention from start to end. It is informative as well as entertaining. It examines the sacrifices of going to war at a time when war was a line 'em up face-to-face endeavor. And it provides the regular soldier's insights as to why they were willing to fight that war. It also takes a good look at the Irish immigrant to this country and the internal conflicts within that immigrant community regarding the Civil War. Fascinating to read. Only negative - too many composition errors that should have been corrected prior to publication. But the story line carries the book past this irritating problem.

My father grew up in the Philadelphia/Manyunk area where the story takes place. He gave me the book to read since I was familiar with the neighborhood. I sat down to read it, thinking this was going to be another stuffy history book that I was going to skim through. From the very beginning of the book, I was intrigued, and sat up all night to finish it. The writing style was very readable, and immediately I was taken into Keenan's life. I knew that most immigrants had a hard time when they arrived in America, but I had no idea they were treated just as badly as the blacks. This book gave me a new perspective on what the Irish went through, as well as the soldiers' sufferings in the Civil War. I saw how Keenan and his fellow Irishmen tried to get work or start a new life, but were greeted by competition for jobs at the factory, and signs in store windows that would not allow Irishmen inside. As Keenan and his friend went off to fight the Civil War, they thought things would change for the better. Instead they found out the cruel, harsh realities of war. Disentary, disease, starvation, frostbite, limbs blown off, and ears or eyes destroyed from battle. Both men in the story spent time in POW camps, if you could call them that, under horrible conditions. Death seemed imminent in these camps. When the war miraculously ended, Keenan finally returned to his wife and hometown expecting a hero's welcome. I won't ruin everything by telling you the ending, but it is a worthwhile read. A perfect read for St Patrick's Day.

Within the realm of formal education, the Civil War has essentially been presented as a timeline of dates, battles, notable victories,and crushing defeats for both armies.Mr.Sudell modifies all of that. Through the introduction of authentic characters and veterans of that era,he colors that same timeline with such depth and dimension that the reader lives with the characters and endures their fears and fervor, their agonies and jubilations. John Keenan, Mr. Sudell's great, great-uncle and a Civil War veteran, relates his battle and prisoner-of-war experiences, and, while horrified by the indignities suffered, we are reassured by the indestuctible will of the human spirit and the unwavering sense of patriotism.The title,Though All The World Betrays Thee, provides a clue as to the manner in which we did not repay the debt of gratitude owed.It remained outstanding until the arrival of Mr. Sudell's book. I believe that he has repaid that debt in full. Thank you.

This is a very touching, and very unusual book.

It's told from the point of view of an intelligent cheetah, born with a black pelt, and takes place in an alternate earth which, it seems, was ruled by an Egyptian culture. Kichebo's black fur makes it difficult for her to hunt and ambush, and draws the hostile attention of strange flying craft. An outcast among her own kind, Kichebo struggles to find a place for herself in her harsh world.

This is a very unique book that will stick in your memory, if you can manage to find a copy. If you like cheetahs or Egypt (or both) you will adore this novel. (I treasure my copy, even though it has very damaged covers - I found it at a used book store, lucky for me!)

This book was wonderfully writen by C.B. I could tell of her love for big cats as she was extreamly descriptive in her protrayal of these animals. The story is all set in the past, however there are two time periods that she bounces between in this story. Also there are some elements of the future written in as well, but the setting described is still in a time that we all have long lived through. I wont go into details about the storyline of this book as others before me already have, but I will say that this is an excellent book for young adults who love sci-fi elements as well as eygptian mythology and stories, ans espicially for the young adult who loves big cats being the protagonist of stories.

I fuond this rare gem of a book when I was much younger and not too long ago I remembred this book and also the fact that I hadn't finished it.(It was a library book). That is what led me to buy it again and re-read it. Although I enjoyed finishing this book finally, as an adult I wouldn't reccomend this book for older audiences. Certain parts of the plot would leave older readers wanting if a past relationship wasn't already developed with this book. That being said. Young readers... Enjoy! This is a rarity.

Tomorrow's Sphinx is an extremely imaginative and thought provoking read. With wonderful characters and beautiful descriptions, Clare Bell has created an exquisite world like no other.
Kichebo, a cheetah who's lucky to have survived past year one, is not like the rest of her kin. She is unique in the sense that she is black with gold tear lines, gold ear tips, and a gold tail tip, and that she is mentally different from her brethren. Shunned because of her differences, Kichebo is destined to find out that she is different in a way that she could never have fathomed. Through the guidance of Asu-Kheknemt, a long dead cheetah who protected and befriended Tutankhamen, a wise, grayed cheetah named Gray Cape, and the affectionate human child, Menk, Kichebo will soon discover what her place in the world is, and find herself.
I would highly reccomend this book to anyone who wants a fresh original fantasy read, you will not be dissapointed!!

I love this book! I found it in my school library a few months ago, and since then have read it at least four times. The story involes a type of cats and Egypt, both things I like. Now if only I could get my friend to read it.....But really, anyone who loves books in different times and/or cats will(or should) like this book!

Kichebo is a black cheetah, born in a far-flung future. Unlike the gold-coated, black spotted cheetahs around her, her coat is sable with gold markings. Everywhere she goes, she is hunted by strange creatures in sky vehicles that try to capture her. Unable to find acceptance or safety among her kind, she makes contact with another--amazingly like herself. Kehknemt lived thousands of years ago, the companion of an Egyptian Prince. Through these shared memories across time, and the strange friendship Kichebo strikes up with small two-legged creature, the black cheetah hopes to find the answers to the questions of why she is so different, and what her future might hold.

Clare Bell has a real love of the big cats, and provides an insightful look into the lives of these large hunters. Her depiction of the cheetah society does not try to over-anthropomorphize the cats into human beings. Although they communicate in a sentient manner and are provided with personality and purpose, their behaviors and lifestyles remain those of powerful semi-solitary predators. It makes for an interesting glimpse into how an intelligent society of cats might develop. Beyond this, Kichebo's story is one coming of age and discovery of self. The questions Kichebo most seeks an answer to are: "Why am I so different?" and "What is the meaning of my life?" Questions that are universal and easy to understand, if not easy to answer. Kichebo is destined to take her people in a new direction, one she never imagined. The time travel aspect of this book gives us a fascinating look into what might have been in the days of King Tutankhamen, and the reasons behind the young King's early death.

This book is written with young readers in mind, much of Kichebo's search for self and struggle to become who she is will echo with adolescents who are going through the same struggle. I read this book in my teens and have reread it several times since. I think adult readers will find the story lacks the kind of mature sophistication they might be used to in adult science fiction, but it fits the intended readership well. For those who enjoy this book, see if you can find Ratha's Creature, also by Clare Bell.

Happy Reading! Shanshad ^_^

For me, this is certainly one of the best recent books on pastoring. In a world of pastoral theory that is dominated by cut-rate corporate modeling, formulating, and marketing savvy, this work stands as a clarion call for a return to a thoroughly biblical and spiritual description of the pastor's call. A fear of mine is that most evangelical pastors would describe their jobs in terms more appropriate for therapy or corporate leadership than the biblical vision of shepherd. This book is an antidote to that ubiquitous cancer.

Written as a long reflection on the book of Jonah, Peterson writes on what it means to be called as a pastor (and a writer) and not have a congregation or a published work. He takes the reader through his own journey of discovery, what it meant to follow his calling in a biblically and spiritually faithful way, and introduces us to his mentors along the way (unlikely but powerful influences like Dostoyevsky).

This book was a vocation saver for me. I am a pastor and am almost constantly subject to the pressure to conform to a corporate model. Under the Unpredictable Plant helped me see through the flotsam and jetsam of current church-growth jargon to the clear biblical call to be a pastor.

I have served as a pastor in the Lutheran Church for 21 years. Having served a matriarchal, pastoral, and programmatic size church I have seen in myself the subtle slide from spiritual director to program director. Peterson is not only a very gifted writer, but one who pinpoints exactly what we pastors in the United States need to hear. May he who has ears to hear, hear well!

Eugene has a wonderful way of captivating the reader with conviciton and truth. This particular selection is my favorite because it targets vocational pride while providing the God-planned escape route. I will never read the Book of Jonah the same after reading this book. Prostituted vocations are evident all over the church world. This book opened my eyes and is a must read for all clergy.

"Parish glamorization is ecclesiastical pornography -- taking photographs (skillfully airbrushed) or drawing pictures of congregations that are without spot or wrinkle, the shapes that a few parishes have for a few short years. These provocatively posed pictures are devoid of personal relationships. The pictures excite a lust for domination, for gratification, for uninvolved and impersonal spirituality."

Want to read more? Buy the book! This book is practical, has theological depth, and is just plain fun to read. What more can you ask for? Few books are as exciting as this.

This is the third Peterson book I've read, and one of the five books he has penned for pastors. As the title suggests, this book is developed around the story-line of Jonah whose disobedience and running from God parallel similar sins in pastors. Peterson confronts pastors who do not stay rooted in one place, succumb to the lusts of "ecclesiastical pornography" (see the quote in a review below), and serve up religion to parishioners by making golden calves. His playful prose explores multiple dimensions of the pastoral vocation including prayer, spiritual direction, and cultivating (as a farmer cultivates a field, as opposed to a developer excavating land to build a shopping mall) the top-soil of the congregation. A chapter which meanders through the works of Dostoevsky, gleaning numerous insights into the soul-work of pastors, was especially helpful. I found myself rebuked, refocused, revived, and refreshed in my reading of this book over vacation this year. Just what I needed. The exegesis in Jonah may be strained at a few points, but the pastoral theology is sound and I'm grateful for what I gleaned from this book. I plan to return to it again in the future.

As a long-time PR professional and M.A. graduate in mass communication, I've read a number of publications highlighting best practices. Mark Weiner's book, Unleashing the Power of PR: A Contrarian's Guide to Marketing and Communication (J-B International Association of Business Communicators), is by far one of the industry's most powerfully informative.

Public relations professionals tend to be measurement agnostic -- an unfortunate occurrence for practitioners who answer to P&L-savvy organizational leaders. Weiner's book addresses this issue, detailing practical analysis techniques that both improve the impact of communication programs, and reliably measure the effects of those programs.

For example, Chapter 1 details research, initiated by AT&T, which measured the interaction and effect of public relations within the marketing mix. The study revealed a surprising finding: public relations generated as many new customers as mass-market advertising -- at a fraction of the cost. Further, positive news about AT&T enhanced the effects of other marketing mix components. Such findings offer practitioners a powerful argument when competing for finite budgeting dollars.

In summary, I highly recommend this book for practitioners committed to powerful PR. For communication professionals, the book is a literary workhorse.

I have been in marketing communications and public relations for years, and shortly will have a doctoral degree in public relations, and I have to say, I have never read a more concise and valuable book for public relations. There are things in this book that years in public relations did not teach me, and every public relations professional, whether executive or new practitioner, should read this book.

Too many practitioners get into public relations and think it's about writing press releases, getting media coverage, and planning publicity. In this book, Mark Weiner goes beyond the alleged "secrets" of good PR to provide the kind of holistic strategic perspective of public relations that most organizations overlook. And yet, his information is extremely practical and accessible to even the most neophyte practitioner.

Mark Weiner is one of the most talented and intelligent public relations executives in the world, and this book is testament to his simple genius.

This is the only professional business book I have used in my university teaching...and it's the first book I recommend for anyone interested in succeeding in public relations.

Mark Weiner brings a refreshing and much needed viewpoint to the public relations field with his in-depth book about the need to measure results and the value it creates. He provides the public relations professional with insights to help place him or her directly on the playing field as a strategic business advisor to corporate leadership. Mr. Weiner shows how PR professionals can be "change agents" by identifying mutually agreed upon objectives, measuring the results of PR efforts to accomplish those objectives and then making recommendations to improve overall corporate performance.

As Mr. Weiner points out, proving value can be a great challenge, but he shares several steps to make it a relatively simple undertaking. PR professionals will benefit from Mr. Weiner's perspective on how PR measurement demonstrates proof of performance and can result in bigger budgets to work with, earned respect for the profession and opportunities for personal advancement.

This book is a valuable resource as Mr. Weiner provides cost-effective tips on measurement strategies based on three types of "PR-ROI" which should create an "aha" moment for many PR professionals. In addition to covering the unintentional and intentional mistakes that can occur during the measurement process, Mr. Weiner has a wealth of information for the PR professional who wants to become a strategic thinker and have a place at the corporate decision making table.

Mark Weiner's book is a "must read" for PR, marketing and any communications professional working today. It's chock full of great examples as well as great advice. Mark's research background gives him a unique vantage point -- one we can all learn from. And, his experiences represent real life, not an academic approach. I highly recommend it and keep it on my desk as a resource.

Although hardly the "contrarian" of his book's title, Mark Weiner correctly identifies two problems common to public relations practitioners: They fail to set objectives, and then they fail to measure what they have accomplished. Weiner explains an uncomplicated way to correct these tendencies. He tells PR managers and their clients why taking a scientific approach can improve the professionalism of PR campaigns and gain respect for them in the marketing world. He uses examples from his own experience to buttress his arguments about the benefits of PR. Occasionally, the book is repetitive, but it is eminently practical. We recommend it to corporate communicators, PR consultants and their clients.

The Way of the Wilderking was a great ending to the series. I hope there will be another series that goes with the trilogy.

As I read the final installment to my 10 year old boy, I think we have enjoyed each book more than the last. The characters and culture have really grown on both of us, and we're getting a little sad that it will be over soon...the books are entertaining, moving, and inspiring; who could ask for anything more than that in any book, let alone a book written for kids?

This series is enthralling for my 10 year old daughter (who reads at a 8th grade level). It has adventure, danger, excitement and folklore to capture and maintain interest.

Well done series. All three books are strong. Character development is good. Likeable, sympathetic characters.

Read these out loud with my 9 yo and the teenagers who thought they were too old for that; but their music was shut-off and magazine pages stopped turning the first night and after that just joined us. ;)

I would recommend for 9 and up to read on their own. We just chose to read them together.

When fear of God has left the land,
To be replaced by fear of man;
When Corenwalders free and true
Enslave themselves and others too,
When mercy and justice disappear,
When life is cheap and gold is dear,
When freedom's flame has burned to ember
And Corenwalders can't remember
What are truths and what are lies,
Then will the Wilderking arise.
~from The Wilderking Chant



Corenwald is in trouble. Six years have passed since Aidan first went to Tambluff in service of King Darrow. Those six years have not been kind to the king. He's grown increasingly paranoid and he's made bad moves. Prince Steren has served his father well, soothing and advising him, but now even he is losing influence and the country appears to be in real danger because of the king's foolish behavior.

And yet, The Way of the Wilderking, the final book in the Wilderking Trilogy, is not a dark and depressing book. In fact, it opens with a hilarious scene and the comedy, much like the Energizer Bunny, keeps going and going and going. I thought these books couldn't get any funnier. After all, how many funny feechie feasts, feechie sings, and feechie contests can one swamp produce?

Ha! I forgot the old saying, "You can take the feechie out of the swamp but you can't take the swamp out of the feechie." Fortunately for feechie fans everywhere, Dr. Rogers thought to take the feechie out of the swamp. What do you get when mix Dobro Turtlebane with a civilizer city? One disaster following another, in finest feechie fashion.

Rogers, as anyone would expect, does a fine job with the writing in this book. The prose is great, the scenes are well painted, and the descriptions are clear. As he did with The Secret of the Swamp King, the author once again weaves in a bit of a mystery for his readers. The difference is that in The Secret of the Swamp King, the mystery, when solved, brought some heartache, while in this final book the solving of the mystery brings Rogers' account of Corenwalder history to a satisfying and happy conclusion.

There are some hard things on the way to that happy conclusion, though. There is war, for one thing, and with war comes death. The role thrust upon Aidan is also a hard thing--a heavy burden. There are some deep lessons in this book, too--forgiveness, sacrificial love, reconciliation, humility, obedience, fighting against a false humility--all of these things were touched upon. They weren't dwelt upon, I think they could have been brought a little more to the fore even, but they were there in the lives of the characters as they went about the business of the story.

Altogether a great read. I have to give it five stars. I can't imagine giving that gallant and goofy Dobro anything less than five stars for his wonderful performance in this book. I would love to quote several of his lines for you--there are so many to choose from. He is not only funny, he is sweet and chivalrous and adorable in so many ways. (Stinky, too, of course, but that goes without saying.) I won't quote, him, though. I don't want to spoil the fun for you so I'll leave you to catch his show for yourself. He is unforgettable--truly one of the greatest characters every created.

Over the Andes and through the jungle to ineptness we go. A quite humorous account of science gone jumbled. But not all is lost here.

In 1923 eight scientists plus the author venture through the South American mountains and rainforests to make further discoveries in their respective fields of study. Touted as, "The most perfectly equipped expedition that has ever started to explore South America", it quickly unfolds into a blundering journey with many problems and mishaps.

Thanks to MacCreagh's sense of humor and wit we see how every imaginable incident went from bad to worse. One by one these scientists quit the expedition to forsake the author and one other to travel up the remote Uaupes and Tiquie Rivers meeting face to face with hostile natives. What transpires is a remarkable short term study into the culture of these indigenous peoples.
Entertaining read.

I am enjoying this travel account very much. It's like Bertie Wooster goes to the jungle.

Mr MacCreagh has maganed to write an outstanding book based on a rather unsuccessful expedition. It is the tale of an expedition of eight eminent scientist in the Amazon, who were put together not for their ability in the outdoors, but for their scientific knowledge.

The author is a helper/manager of the expedition. He manages to describe the expedition from its beginning in the Bolivia highlands out to the Amazon plains and to its disintegration. It is quite clear that the scientist were not sure what to expect, and so had not prepared accordingly. Huge volumes of luggage went unused and were a huge burden. Egos and discomfort made the scientist into bickering children and inept explorers. The author masks their names because apparently these were well known figures of their time.

There is a bit of scientific content in the book, but clearly the main reason to read it is for the good humor of the author in describing the situations they get themselves in. One learns more about people and how they behave when taken to extremes than one does about the Amazon.

When your read of other expeditions and how well they were conducted, then you read Gordon MacCreagh's humorous account of a mistake-ridden expedition into the Amazon, and you may wonder how this could happen. Clearly, the leader of MacCreagh's expedition was no Roy Chapman Andrews. Too many mistakes with both men and equipment. It is a humorous, often hilarious account of how not to conduct an expedition into the Amazon -- or anywhere else. I found it to be much better than Peter Fleming's "Amazon Adventure" and somewhat better than Arthur O. Friel's "River of Seven Stars," which has not been reprinted. MacCreagh's sense of humor and keen observations are what place this book at the top of my list of exploration/expedition books. I found it difficult to keep from sharing portions of this book with family and friends...

I can't believe you can get this book used! I own three copies and I don't even loan it out. This is a terrific expedition book and a wonderful book about being human. My family was thrilled to know that this book was being re-issued. Like one of the other reviewers, I was brought up knowing who the various scientists were because my father had worked with a colleague. It gave us plesure to know the names, some of whom were quite well known even today. It was also nice to know that at least for the eminent icthyolgist and the eminent entomologist the work that they produced from this expedition was very useful. I have recommmened this book countless times, and get copies for friends I really like.

The result of Evans and Avis's five-year collaboration is an extraordinary book, The Women who Broke all the Rules, containing stories based on ideas, motivations, and behaviors of 100 selected female representatives of the Torchbearer Generation (individuals born between 1945 and 1955). By utilizing an effective interview questionnaire, designed by the authors and provided in the Appendix, as well as by conducting extensive face-to-face interviews, Evans and Avis have accomplished a difficult task. They have successfully managed to combine four decades of thousands of childhood, adolescent, and adult memories into an enticing exploration of American social history.

Pleasantly surprising, these 100 Torchbearers are not easily recognized public figures, superstars, or celebrities. Instead, they may be readily distinguished as any one of our own trusted wives, older sisters, younger sisters, cousins, aunts, friends, and colleagues who have had to "reconcile their 1950s childhoods with their more liberated adult selves." Whether married, divorced, remarried, childless, with children, or invested in any other combination of personal realities, the self-made female heroes in this book are cleverly discussed within the concepts of "old rules" (e.g, "Your families' values, beliefs, and practices should be yours") or "new truths" (e.g., "Honor your traditions but act on what you think is right"). Understandable, engaging, and thought-provoking, this fine piece of work presents significant "choices" to think about and discuss with friends, lovers, or family members.

What an incredibly well researched and well written book. For all of us who have struggled with living in a world different than the one we were brought up to live in, it really hits home and validates all those conflicting feelings that we have about who we are and what our roles are in today's world. And for the men who were raised by the same parents who raised us, and don't understand our struggle and why we aren't just like 'mom' this is a must read. And every marriage counselor who works with 'boomer' couples should read it, too.

As the daughter of a true Torchbearer, I deeply appreciate the candor, humor, and professionalism with which this book analyzes these women's lives. So many books have been written in the "spirit" of celebrating all women and their achievements, but they seem to be long on sentiment and theory and short on real research. Evans and Avis carefully structured their research to include women's persepctives about all areas of their lives but also leave the reader a great deal of room to understand and infer what s/he will. I also agree that most Torchbearers do not take enough credit for their culture-changing actions and attitudes, and I truly look forward to the day when (hopefully) my daughter and I can watch a "History of Women's Empowerment" program, and I can say to her that her grandmother was a woman who broke all the rules. More than any other I have ever read (and, as a psych major, I have read many), this book explains my mother as a member of this generation in a way I never could understand before. Plus, I now know that she really was part of a movement that, not unlike the civil rights movement, was part personal and part political. It brought Bell Hook home to me for the first time, without quoting her once.

I think this book is a must-read for all daughters AND SONS of Torchbearer mothers.

Just a hint, though, to those TB's rushing immediately to Amazon.com: You raised these kids, you know they won't read it if YOU suggest it : ) ha ha

One final note: I came to Amazon.com today for the first time ever (although I have previously used many e-commerce sites) expressly to buy 10 copies of this book to mail to my other 20-something girlfriends. Hey gen-x'ers: it's really THAT good!

REVIEW: The authors of WOMEN WHO BROKE ALL THE RULES illustrate the lives of women born during the baby boom era (1945-1955). A captivating story, read in a single sitting, about women who challenged existing social strictures by forging into professional fields previously closed to them. Most important for my generation to appreciate is the fact that they had to do so without the benefit of role models and mentors, which they now have become to those of us born in the 1960's. To hear how these ordinary yet exceptional women triumphed after immense struggles and conflicts they encountered in their lives, left me with a great sense of appreciation for what they went through personally, as well as,what they accomplished for women who have followed. This book should be required reading for both high schools and universities so that generations coming after the baby boom era can be reminded that the innumerable opportunities that exist today for women must not be taken for granted. Dr. Susan Evans and Dr. Joan Avis portray the lives of these women within the context of "Old Rules"--existing social constructs, and "New Truths"- the discoveries made when breaking the "Old Rules." This method perfectly illustrates the broad social impact of their individual acts of courage and their trail blazing spirits. The actions of these women literally forced society to think and act differently. I recommend and applaud this book and thank the women of the baby boom generation.

Evans and Avis have started to reconstruct the last chapters of Simone DeBeauvoir's book "The Second Sex." When I first read DeBeauvoir's book in 1973 I was dazzled by her essays, particularly 'Situation and Character' and the 'Formative Years.' Still, I recall being disappointed by the chapter on the 'Independent Woman.' It puzzled me that she didn't seem to have much to say that was new, fresh or interesting, and I was hungry for that examination. Perhaps too, my American sensibility expected a kind of formula on how to proceed. In retrospect, I have reconciled that women had neither succeeded nor failed on a public stage long enough for DeBeauvoir to have invoked a deeper analysis. This book makes an important contribution in beginning to record and analyze stories from this transitional group that the authors so accurately call the torchbearer generation. I think other readers would enjoy this book as much as I did.

While the loss of both legs gets your attention, the way Allen has chosen to live his life since is the real story, making him a true American Hero. This book illistrates his courage and struggles openly as he shares the unabashed truth of his entire life with no holds barred.
I had the rare privledge of introducing Allen to a group of 200 stout hearted men where he highlighted his book "Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior". He was an inspiration for all in attendance who learned he is indeed a healing warrior and patriot.
You are in for a real treat... an inspiring, must read.

I've had the privilege of knowing Allen and his family for some years. While I knew the stories behind his long and fruitful journey, in reading this book, I was still moved by the intensity of the pain that he met head on with steady determination. His testiment to Christ is clear. For those who will come to know him through this wondrerful book, his capacity to place himself in others' thoughts, sentiments and needs is also clear. So too is his wit throughout it all. Read this book for the journey to the sure, certain peace that we all seek. While his journey is unique, as is all of ours, his approach and commitment to the journey through his embrace of God and fellow man is universal. Allen's story is for the ages.

I read this book at a very important time in my life, when I needed to learn from a man of courage, faith, and selflessness. Allen Clark is all that, and this book moved me greatly. His open heart, quick wit, and trust in the Lord will inspire all who read it. It's not a book about Vietnam. It's a book about a man's journey through life under extraordinary circumstances who is lifted up by his faith and becomes a disciple we should all emulate.

Allen's book tells the story of a remarkable journey taken by an even more remarkable man. In the face of adversity, he summons the courage to face each situation head on, learns from it, strengthens his faith, and moves on to the next challenge. I highly recommend this book.

Allen Clark's book is a very poignant and compelling recounting of an American patriot's answering his country's call to arms. Set during the timultuous 60's when America was mired in those unpopular and far-off jungles and ricepaddies known as Vietnam, "Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior" tells the story of a scrapy Texas kid who yearned to get into the Military Academy at West Point, how he graduated and became an elite Combat Special Forces Officer and then volunteered to go into battle overseas; how he was wounded and knocked down by the enemy and then how he was picked back up and learned to walk yet once again via the Guiding Hand of GOD. This is indeed a timeless story of one soldier's ability to triumph and overcome some of the most haunting and hurtful exeriences of war; A war fought first against the enemy without and then fought again against the enemy within. As a Vietnam veteran who knows both Allen Clark and some of the soldiers mentioned herein, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who may need to encounter firsthand the very essence of HOPE, COURAGE, FAITH and LOVE.

Attention Michael Pachis and others who purchased this book in 2006: I am the book's author and when I saw your comments, I contacted my publisher. If you purchased a copy recently and received it in 3-hole punch format, send me an email and I'll put you in touch with the publisher. They have a small number of perfect bound copies they can send you instead. Use the email address on the right side on my personal web site (kensall.com) home page. I hope this helps.
(I gave this 5 stars simply to not impact the book's current rating.)

This is an excellent book to understand, develop and code XML. However, in the parsing discussions (chp 7-10) an understanding of OOP and Java programming are almost required. Other than that, it is an excellent text.

I want to warn customers that the publisher has gone to a "print on demand" publishing model and this book is not delivered as a paperback, but as eleven hundred three hole punched loose leaf pages! This leaves you with the task of finding a binder after paying 40$ for the book! Since it is book size (8 x 10) it awkawardly fits into a standard 8.5 x 11 binder, not very convenient for reading or transporting, and you need the binder to be 3.5" thick to fit the book in the binder.

I gave it five stars for content, but this new method of publishing gets zero stars.

This book is not an "how to" guide, nor does it claim to be one. I mean by this that if you are, say a Java programmer looking for a book that concretely shows you how to integrate xml with Java then you would be better off with one of the so many Java/XML books on the market.

However, if in your work or your studies you feel that you need to gain a more thorough understanding of the W3C specifications related to XML, then this is the book to buy.

All the W3C specs are available for free on the web. The trouble is, W3C documents are designed to provide a precise definition of a standards, they are not designed to be especially intelligible by mere mortals (however technologically enclined). Some are quite readable, others far less.

Firstly, I really like that this book present all the relevant specifications and working drafts in perspective. Secondly, I found that it does a remarkably good job at translating these specifications (without simplifying them) in understandable terms.

In my work, I am interested in gaining as thorough as possible a view of XMl technologies and this book helps me greatly. I also like the fact that it present a well-organized bibliography at the end of each chapter (sadly many computer books from Wrox, O'reilly, Que an like don't have a bibiography as if to say "everything inside this book comes straight from the author's mind. DO not look any further).

I have reviewed for myself around twenty XML books. I found this book to be one of my top favorite. I recommend it especially for:
- CS students or programmer with a theoretical bent.
- anybody who wants to get a thorough overview of W3C standards.

Where to start? With the concise history of where XML came from and why each design decision was made and how the evolution of specifications took place over the years, or the thorough explanation of all the XML specifications, or the programming and parsing aspects of XML and metadata, or the cool XML timeline poster towards the end of the book? This book has much to offer any person interested in finding out what XML is and why and how it has changed our world.

Kenneth B. Sall, the author of this book, organized this book in a fashion where each section could be studied on its own, and if there are references to the previous sections, they are appropriately mentioned. This way, one does not need to sit down and cover this 1000+ page book cover to cover to realize that the topic of conversation is. The stage is set at the beginning by the author commenting on the fact that XML can describe everything under the sun, even the kitchen sink:

"XML: ... maybe it's everything but the kitchen sink? Say, have you heard the one about the XML Kitchen Sink Language? ..."

I have been working with XML for sometime now, and I am still amazed at how it has grown and expanded in to our everyday lives in the past few years. One can spend months coming up to speed with the specifications and the XML "realm", and that's not enough. This book does not even cover, in a great detail at least, the Web services realm. That alone is a couple of thousand page book. The background topics are essential to any reader: basic XML syntax, DTD, Canonical XML, Namespaces and XML Schema. Once you have these topics covered and well understood, you can jump around to any other part of the book, displaying XML data for example or XML programming API's.

One can spend a couple of hours trying to figure out how these specifications fit in, but the author hs already done the job with a very useful picture inside the cover page. What's your forte? Cascading Style Sheets to convert XML data into a PDF document for example, or an XHTML document to display on a web site? XHTML is also covered in length, if you do not know that is and what it offers over the plain old HTML.
My favorite topics were probably the authors explanation of the XML parsing and the available API's and resources. SAX, DOM, JAXP and JDOM are covered in great detail.
* SAX - the API that started it all. Minimal and light-weight. Fast and event driven.
* DOM - Memory intensive, complex, but very powerful. It's a tree based model, and the tree represents the whole document.
* JDOM - java specific. Can be used with either DOM or SAX.
* JAXP - java specific again, but easier to use than JDOM.
There are also a number of C++ XML parsers that the author touches on such as the Apache Xerces, C++ SAX and many others, but the main topics revolve around the four most popular parsers mentioned. These sections are mostly tutorials and how-to's. Each parser is used in an example and example is analyzed piece by piece. DOM is covered in more detail due to the number of levels (DOM level 1-3) that it has. Since DOM is more powerful and more complicated, the topic is a bit more advanced and would require more attention from a novice. If you read thru the SAX chapter and understand it well, DOM would not be that much of hurtle, but make sure that you read understand SAX first. Java centric API's including XML-RPC, JAXB, JDOM, JAXM are covered by the author to depict how XML can be used and how it would benefit the application - and developers in-turn. The icing on the cake is when K. B. Sall outlines the differences between SAX, DOM, JDOM and JSAX. He talks about each of the technologies in detail, tell you what the advantage and disadvantage of each one is, and then it compares them against each other. By the time you are done reading these sections, you would become an expert in XML parsing and programming.

XLink and XPointer. How can one leave without these two core technologies and tools? They are truly remarkable; easy to use, light weight and easy to learn. Well, they are well covered - as you would expect from this book. One thing about these topics is that they could be very abstract and need examples, and we got lots of those. The example depict the efficacy of how one can use XLink to create complex connections between sets of resources, even though you do not have a write access to those resources. This is very handy and resourceful technique is you need to build an e-commerce site. With XPointer, one can locate individual XML elements, set of elements or even a range of XML data between two points. The ability to specify "range" of elements is where the true power of XPointer is revealed.

The references, the related resources for each topic, simple to complicated examples and a CD filled with goodies, source code used throughout the book and the W3C specifications at your fingertips outline the some of the other benefits of Kenneth B. Sall's "XML Family of Specifications" book.