B Books

I stayed up until 10:30pm the night I got the book and had read to page 110! I finished it the next morning! This is the fastest I've ever read a book because it was so exciting I couldn't stop! So if you want to go to bed on time tonight don't buy this! BTW there isn't any romance in this story. I'm in 6th grade.

This is zak the one you signed the book to. This book is awesome!And for the first time I actually stayed up late(10:00) reading this. I loved the book and this could be an awesome movie! Thank you for signing it it was a great book!

This was one of the best books i ever read. In almost each chapter there was something that always made me want to read on and find out what happened to the characters in the story.


I loved the book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I loved the book!!! It was really interesting and kept you guessing. When i was reading it, I would never want to put the book down. I'm now anxious to read the next book from John B. Hicks. I encourage everyone to go out and buy this book and buy the next one, too!

A fabulous story for young readers. My 9 yr old son picked up this book when he needed to read a mystery for a school book report. He flew through this book and loved it! I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it as well. There are many surprising twists that unfold and keep the reader wondering what is next. Billy is a great character with courage and strong values. We hope to see him again with Buddy and his friends in future adventures.

This one is by far the best out of this series. I don't know who enjoys these books the most, my 10-month old son or my husband who is learning Spanish. The beautiful graphics in all the books in this series keep them both engaged. After he outgrows these books, we are looking forward to utilizing them as a resource for art projects. This particular book contains no errors per se, but keep in mind that the Spanish language is very rich, and there are different words (used in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America) that mean the same thing.

Whether you're introducing Spanish to your child, or wanting a nice review, this book is GREAT because of the bright, simple pictures, its sturdiness, and its perfect size for younger children through upper elementary.

I pull out this book when I need another way to drill numbers in my Spanish classes. It goes great with the numbers lesson in the workbook Flip Flop Spanish!

A enjoy looking at this book just as much as my children do. I am a mother of 4 and a preschool teacher. The colors in this book are simple and bold. It is a great resource for teaching Spanish/English and numbers in the classroom. I like the fact that the Spanish words are not the simplest choices. It challenges the Spanish learner in me. I use this book with pre-schoolers mainly 2 year olds. It is easily adaptable to the older classroom learning Spanish.

MY NUMBERS/MIS NUMEROS is a simple, fun book. There are two pages for the numbers one through ten. The first page shows the number, with the name of the number in English and Spanish. On the facing page is a picture, with as many instances of that object as go with the number.

The illustrations in MY NUMBERS/MIS NUMEROS are spectacular. They look as if they were made using cutouts of construction paper, and combine overall simplicity with some fascinating detail. For example, for the number one the illustration is of a salamander with little round ends to his toes. My son puts his finger out and traces over the shapes with fascination. Each of the ten illustrations is excellent.

My 10-month old son loves MY NUMBERS/MIS NUMEROS. It is one that he will pull out of the book basket and look at at on his own. A good friend of mine, an artists and former teacher, loves it. Her 2 year old son also enjoyed reading this book, enough that we read it over and over when I recently babysat him. I am also enjoying MY NUMBERS/MIS NUMEROS as a way to brush up on a bit of my Spanish.

The vocabulary: 1 salamander, 2 leaves, 3 strawberries, 4 hearts, 5 carrots, 6 snakes, 7 stars, 8 bumblebees, 9 ladybugs, and 10 butterflies.

I have been using this entire series with my son since he was born, and he is now 14 months. He loves the pictures and turning the pages. The books use the format of one word per page and it gives both the English and Spanish form of the word. This is a great series for early language acquisition.

Excellent explanations of the symbolic meanings withen icons. I liked it.
Marguerite Culhane
Eagle River AK

Wonderful book. One those you can't put down. Great art. And i hope he does more on the subject. Just a great book. A+

A beautiful and helpful book. I'm glad I bought it. It is not a primer, but rather a middle school book.

An excellent book for those interested in iconography.Set at a level for both the experianced writer, who wants to refresh their knowledge and yet also for the novice who would like to investigate this area.The explanations of the icons are wonderful,while the prayers from the eastern orthodox church illustrate the deep comtemplative spirit of this media.

I read "The Language of Icons" with the intention of learning more about the mode of religious art most characteristic of Eastern Christianity. The book far exceeded my expectations. I learned more about icons than I ever would have hoped. The reproductions of representative icons were beautiful and luminous. Moreover, the text was deeply spiritual and inspiring. The reader is drawn to meditate on the Christian message that the icons symbolize. There are books that are informative and books that are inspiring. This book manages to be both.

Though my children are Spanish-speaking toddlers, they've appreciated this book and understand its warm and true message. It's beautiful, inspiring. Highly recommended.

A New Coat for Anna is a good book because it shows the cycle of making a coat. The book shows how hard it was to get a coat long ago in World War II. I think it is very educational. I bet there are lots of other people who really want to read this book. I liked this book because it was interesting how Anna's mother had to use her special things to help Anna get a coat. She had to trade the things because there wasn't much money because of the war. At the end, Anna celebrated with everybody that helped her make her coat because she was so happy that she had a new coat. I am eight and I love the book.

As the post-war child of a family that suffered through World War II in the Netherlands, I can say that "A New Coat for Anna" has the ring of authenticity. In many ways, it reminds me of first-hand stories I heard from my parents and older siblings about the hardships--and the creativity--of ordinary people during those very difficult years.

This well-written story takes the reader through a year in Anna's life, as her mother arranges to have a new coat made by bartering with her neighbors. She trades jewelry for wool, and then a lamp to have it spun. Anna and her mother pick lingonberries together, which they use to dye the yarn red. The bartering continues as the yarn is woven and then tailored into a coat.

The story concludes with a Christmas celebration, "the best they had in a long time," where Anna invites the farmer, the spinner, the weaver, and the tailor to enjoy a Christmas cake together. Anna also takes time to thank the sheep on Christmas Day.

Even the candles on the tree in Anita Lobel's cozy illustration remind me of the Christmas trees of my childhood. Whenever I share this inspiring tale with children, I wax nostalgic and tell about the candles on our trees.

"A New Coat for Anna" drives home the harsh realities of war and its impact on the daily lives of children... and their neighbors. But it's done in a heartwarming way. Highly recommended.

This book is a classic, and was taped by Barbara Bush as part of the Presidential Literacy Project. It begins in a post-war environment, where no one has any money. The story is not only about how a coat is made, but also about how Anna's mother trades her posessions for wool and the services of the spinner, weaver, and tailor in order to make the coat. It culminates at a Christmas party, where all of the people who helped to make the coat are invited to Anna's house, and she even goes back to thank the sheep. The illustrations are well done, and the repetitive text makes it a story that is appropriate for children from 3yrs.(my son's age) to second graders which I have taught.

This is a sweet story about how a little girl gets a new coat during the difficult years after World War II. Her resourceful mother must trade some of her treasures to get the wool, the spinning, the weaving, and the sewing done for Anna's new coat.

My daughter belongs to a FIAR (Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert) co-op of six 1st-2nd girls this year, and I hosted the co-op for this book. This book is featured in FIAR Volume 2, and the book has plenty of ideas for activities and discussions.

Using the FIAR book as a springboard, this is what we discussed/did:

1. WWII and how devastating it was. How difficult the aftermath of war is for ordinary people, no matter which side of the war they are on. Interestingly, we are not told where Anna and her mother live.

2. Sacrifice, how Anna's mother gave up her special treasures so that Anna would be warm, comfortable, and healthy in the winter with her new coat.

3. Sheep, how important they are to farmers in many countries because they provide milk, sheepskin, meat, and wool. Also discussed shearing. Activity: Made a spring sheep picture with a template I found on the Internet and cotton balls.

4. Measurement, metric versus U.S. Customary Unit. Activity: Measured items of their choosing in both US and metric units, and filled out a chart.

5. Dyes, how roots, nuts, and flowers were used for thousands of years to add color to clothing and make paints. Activity: Tie Dye tee shirts.

6. Bartering, its history, the problems with bartering and why it was generally replaced by money, but how Anna's mother was able to barter when she had no money.

7. Weaving, its history, some vocabulary, types of looms. Activity: Weaving on small looms I made out of foamcore. The kids wove with yarn, strips of fabric, and beads.

8. Vocabulary - clothesline, war, shear, porcelain, card, ligonberries, garnet, and weave.

This book is VERY similar to the book, "Pelle's New Suit" by Elsa Beskow, published in the 1920s, even down to the thanking of the lambs at the end! That book is also worth hunting down, the illustrations are just lovely. It could be a nice project to compare and contrast the two stories.

Your books have touched my heart deeply and show a magnificent pathway for parents to help their children reach the highest potential possible. I highly recommend both books as a beautiful tool to help raise the next generation to greatness.

In a world filled with parenting books on how to teach kids to stay out of trouble and how to be "good" it is very refreshing to read Dr. Goode's unique approach to inspiring and nurturing kids natural instincts, their intuition, their dreams and their internal wisdom to acheive the highest goal...acheiving their dreams and becoming all they can be. Dr. Goode's book is a fascinating and research based account that no parent should pass up.

Anne Leedom
Parentingbookmark.com

"Nurture Your Child's Gift" will give you pause for reflection and exploration into and discovery of your own parenting skills; subtly guiding you back to the inspired parenting path. Discover the power of this book by learning and applying the incredible wisdom of Caron Goode.

After reading Nurture Your Child's Gift, by Caron Goode, ED.D., you may never again view your role as a parent the same way again. Dr. Goode reveals how children's dreams and passions, when acknowledged and nurtured, can serve as a beacon forever drawing them towards their highest good and greatest joy. Dr. Goode invites you to experience your parent-child relationship on a higher, more meaningful level. What if your role as a parent served the greater purpose of helping your child discover and fulfill his heart's desire? Only when we know our children's dreams can we fully understand, accept, and celebrate their individual personalities, temperaments, and abilities. We discover how the stages of a child's development beautifully coincide with the blossoming of the dream. Dr. Goode also shares the latest in mindbody research while offering powerful techniques, such as deep breathing, guided imagery, and music therapy, which can help children release stress, gain energy, and create joy. Dr. Goode, whose knowledge and experience is drawn from thirty years in the fields of education, personal empowerment, and therapy, inspires us to open our hearts and minds to more powerful and thoughtful ways of parenting, while promising our children a brighter future than we ever imagined. Every parent should read this book.

As an author and therapist I'm pretty picky about what I recommend. But I can tell you that Caron Goode's book is one that I recommend to all of my clients and friends. She provides powerful insight and hands-on techniques to help parents reach their goal of raising self-confident, happy children who feel free to follow their dream. In a world so focused on fear, this book should go to the top of your purchase list.

With all the randomness that is going through Mormon fiction these days, it's not surprising that someone decides to write early Book of Mormon texts into "Work and the Glory" style. I actually prefer this concept to the overzealous W&tG, though admittedly this series takes its own sweet time about getting anywhere.

Still, it's a ride we enjoy, and Woolley is just fine establishing his characters and the ever-important groundwork for what is happening in Jerusalem.

Rather than the soap opera of Lund's work, Woolley's fictional family, that of Jonathan the Blacksmith, find theirselves in a bit more of a conspiracy world of political and religious persuasion. They are not the only focus--we see the lives of prophets such as Jeremiah and royalty such as King Zedekiah.

The family's still on the sugary-sweet side, but even so they manage to have their own personalities, and Woolley is good to keep up storylines for them while still focusing on the main plot.

His best work is when he recreates historical characters by giving them depth--some of the time (Lehi's family remains sadly generic).

"Pillar of Fire" is a well-written book that keeps a healthy hand of action mixed with the necessary testimony.

I love this book, and I will read it again and again. I love the way the words flow and how tension is felt on every page.

Sweden*

Pillar of Fire is very good. I love it, and can hardly wait for the third one to come out!!! I saw it at a store and asked Dad to get the two (he likes Church historical fiction too), which he did. I think I read the two in a day or two (I'm a voracious reader, and had a lot of time on my hands at the time, although I suppose it wouldn't have been much longer even if it was during the school year). Everything is so alive, and makes the scriptures come . . . well, alive! However, I think Gerald Lund and David G. Woolley are equally good.

I really like this book, it brought out a great imagination of what it might have been like for Lehi and his family. I really recommend it!

Pillar of Fire is not only a good read but also an important fictionalization of a period all but lost to the Western world. There are scores of doctrinal and historical treatments of the Book of Mormon, but no other author has succeeded so well in characterizing the historical setting of the text. The historical elements of the story are instructional and the fictional elements provide the rich background so often missing when we remember those who sacrificed to preserve our sacred scriptures. The Promised Land series is great for LDS and non-LDS audiences and will become a classic in LDS literature.

Although this book is over 10 years old, it could have been written this year. The concepts are still relevant.
The author concludes that there are 2 primary reasons to undertake a metrics program for software development -- 1) tracking progress and 2) identifying improvements. The book is divided into 2 parts, with the first part discussing project management metrics and the second part metrics to improve your software development processes. I particularly liked the goal/question/metric approach to validate the metrics you are collecting. The text is loaded with examples from the author's experience at HP. There are several charts and diagrams. This is not an academic read, but as the title says -- practical. The author also covers people issues, such as selling your metrics program to management and staff. It is a quick read and a very useful reference book.

This is Grady's first book and it sets the tone for his later two books, Successful Software Process Improvement and Software Metrics: Establishing a Company-wide Program. What makes this book so important is that it is one of the first to integrate software metrics with project management metrics.

What I particularly like about this book includes:

(1) Complete view of metrics that matter, and the chronicle of how these metrics evolved in a large company (Hewlett-Packard).
(2) Recognition that any software metrics initiative extends beyond the project that delivers the software - Grady examines post-production metrics and ties them back to not only the development life cycle, but the product life cycle as well. Ten years after this book was published there are still large organizations that are struggling with doing this, yet Grady's book provides a clear roadmap to achieving this elusive goal.
(3) Continuous improvement is the central theme in this book. Grady does not stop with collecting and analyzing metrics, but how to effectively employ them to spot improvement opportunities and develop a strategy to effect those improvements.

The book is written as both a story of how a successful metrics program evolved, complete with anecdotes that will prove helpful, and as a collection of data that illustrates what is and is not important to a comprehensive metrics program.

Among all of Grady's books I like this one the best; however, I recommend that his other two also be carefully read if software process improvement is your goal. He has much to say and backs it up with data and a chronicle of his experiences from real projects.

I bought this book about 5 years ago after getting certified as a project manager. This book give me a holistic view of how to intepret data collected from tracking the entire software lifecycle and manage and integrate best practices into a software business.

The author's vast experience in HP helps to provide good assurance that his concepts used were tried and robustly tested. Therefore, software failures, internal flags and customer feedbacks can immediately give you a fairly visible prognosis to the robustness of a release and flashes early warning signs of how you should manage that product to reduce damage to your business, etc.. Practical for technical managers having to manage the business operations.

Whether you're a fledgling company trying to design quality software with no guidelines to go by or a well-developed organization with processes in place, this book offers up many ways that you can improve your software quality.

I was introduced to Mr. Grady's work when I borrowed a copy of Software Metrics: Establishing a Company-Wide Program. Where that book interwove a storyline into metrics and how they support mature process improvement, this book is more like a desk reference. Mr. Grady has divided this book into two parts: tactical metrics, which are project-oriented, and strategic metrics which address process improvement.

The first part starts with a collection of practical rules of thumb for software managers. This collection of heuristics covers every phase of the development life cycle and are backed up with data gathered during 125 software projects at Hewlett-Packard. An example of one of these rules of thumb is that you will find 1 defect after software has been released into production for every 10 defects caught during testing. This, of course, is purely empirical, but is an interesting rule that I mentally filed away. Some highlights of the first part are: a good introduction to the goal-question-metric approach to determining what to measure based on your objectives, and a focus on project goals of maximizing customer satisfaction while minimizing project schedule and costs, and product defects. This is followed by chapters that address each of these goals. One of the best chapters in the first part of this book is work analysis. While I am more focused on the service delivery side of metrics (after the project has produced something that has been released into production), some of the metrics were very valuable to me - especially the ones that revolved around testing and QA.

Part 2 is squarely in my domain - production and application support, and service delivery. The best chapter, Dissecting Software Failures, was one of the most insightful descriptions of the defect life cycle I have ever read. It fully addresses defect data collection and analysis, and how to use this data to effect process and product improvement. Even better is the chapter on investing in process improvement. Here Mr. Grady gives a workable approach to using the defect data to developing a business case for process improvement. He guides you through developing a plan, selecting from among an array of solutions, and case studies.

This book is a quick read. It's main value lies in the many tables and facts provided on nearly every page. I use it as a desk reference, especially the appendices that summarize defect origins, types and modes, and metrics definitions. It spans both project and production metrics, and is as valuable to project managers as it is to application support professionals.

As a special education teacher, I have found this manual to be an invaluable tool for both classroom use, and at IEP meetings.

The goals are measurable and observable, covering every possible contingent a teacher, or counselor would face when dealing with a student in or out of the classroom environment. This work can be used as a "cook-
book" type of resource; you will not need another book besides this one.

This book is an excellent resource for teachers, counselors, and the entire school community. PRIM helps teachers identify both behavioral and academic difficulties by breaking each subject and behavior into categories. In addition, there are a wide variety of interventions that are practical for the classroom. This book is also a great to help with documentation of behaviors.

I bought this book two years ago when I was just six months into my four-year teacher training. I am now in my third year and the poor book needs a new cover. This book has not only helped me with my prac experiences but also given me an insight to the classroom and its operations. The book is an absolute God sent. I have referred at least 3 people that have bought it from Amazon and I am sure they have referred it even further. This book has also been a blessing to my parents who have used it to develop strategies for my youngest brother who has learning difficulties. Every teacher, atudent teacher and parent needs this one. The way I have been taught to find the value in a book is to give it one dollar for every good idea... well this book is worth a couple of hundred dollars! My only complaint is that they haven't released it in hard back. It gets used so much that there needs to be a hard cover version!

This is my first year as a Guidance Counselor, and this book has been a tremendous help. Using this book, I have been able to help teachers by giving them suggestions in working with students who were experiencing behavior and academic problems. I have also seen the suggestions in this book help students!

I have found it very helpful as a substitute teacher. It has a common sense approach to dealing with behavior idiosynchrosies common in children from varied backgrounds, and has enough suggestions to fit several cultures and teacher confort levels. As a substitute I find a different bunch daily. This is the perfect reference to eliminate almost every situation I've seen.
I've even used it at home to help my son to better control his temper. I've shared it with several teachers so they are able to help my son at school and church as well. The principal at his school has a copy now as a reference for the teachers. He feels it will drastically cut the number of special ed referals next school year.
I feel this is useful for anyone who works with children. It is worth so much more than the [$$'s]. My master's advisor was correct in stating that this is the equivalent to the Bible's prophets for a good teacher.

What an impressive, Christ-focused primer on prison ministry. The author is an ex-offender who knows how to bring the Gospel to the incarcerated. Great refresher for those who have been at it for awhile and an even better introduction for those who are beginning to hear the call to go inside the razor wire.

I conduct a weekly bible study in the local state prison and before I went in I ordered this book and it was so very practical and put me at ease right away with the experience. Highly recommend

The first time I read "Prison Ministry" resulted in it being a major part of planting a seed in my heart for what is now one of my biggest passions. I've since read it two more times and each time words of wisdom have taught me something new or reminded me of some old.

Lennie Spitale is not hype or as Duncan Miller says in his review does not sensationalize but is sincere in his sharing and giving truthful insight to the world of prison ministry. If you, your church or someone you know is thinking of or doing prison ministry inside the walls or outside (mentoring former inmates, consoling families of incarcerated loved ones) I strongly recommend this book.

I too have met Lennie and he is as real as his book reads and the book is a reflection of Lennie's heart.

It gives you a wide range focus on the mindset of inmates from why they turn to crime and for some why it is so difficult to leave, how prison life effects them in regards to family and other loved ones and much more.

If you have a passion to serve the lost you'll learn from Lennie's own words that this nations prison are one of the most if not most plentiful harvests.

This book gives you incredible insight to the minds of men in prison. The book is written in such a way that those who are not involved in prison ministry can use it as an inspirational book. It reinforces in practical and understandable terms that we are all fallen from grace and we all require redemption.

I bought three books on prison ministry, have experience with one on one prison ministry and mentoring, and have attended the Prison Fellowship VIP (Volunteer In Prison) Training.

Lennie Spitale's book is the best I've read yet. It gives virtually all you will need to know if you are considering prison ministry, already involved in and form of prison ministry, or just curious about what life behind bars is like. Spitale is probably one of the most authoritative writers on the topic, having plenty of experience of life from both sides of the fence.

He was a rebellious child, joined the military and was jailed a number of times before discharge. After discharge from the military, he served many years in prison on multiple incarcerations before turning his life around and going straight. Since his release, he has spent at least 25 years in prison ministry, and founded an organization dedicated to preparing others for prison ministry and chaplaincy.

This book has all the information and warnings any prospective prison ministry volunteer could need, as well as all the heart breaking and compelling motivations to become involved. It is easily readable, neither deep mind bending theory nor shallow boring fluff. Of all the books on the topic I have read this one is the most value for money.

If you only buy one book on the subject, this is the one that will give most value.

Professional BizTalk Server 2006 is one of those books which really goes over and above what you can find on online documentation . There are only few BizTalk books and thank god we have one like this . The books has a lot of hidden gems that will make you go 'aha '.

Absolute Must read if you love the Product. A great Chapter on Testing which I have not seen in any other BizTalk book .

Great book for all who want to know HOW BT really works and WHY it works like that. Very valuable purchase.

It took a long time for decent BizTalk Server books to start appearing, and those of us who have been committed to the product for some time know the pain (and fun) of having to work out, for ourselves, how this product works, how best to apply it to real-life scenarios and how to exploit its rich functionality.

I was really impressed with this book. It has two characteristics which I think are particularly noteworthy. The first is that it offers a huge breadth of coverage, but also manages to combine this with reasonable depth. This is hard to achieve when writing about BizTalk Server because it is such a rich an extensive product. The second characteristic is that it reads like a book written by practitioners - people with real-life experience of using the product, and the scars to prove it. Indeed, that it very much the case, and it means that the book provides far more than just rehashed information. It provides guidance, advice and best practice which is rooted in reality.

I like to think I know a thing or two about BizTalk Server (though it still manages to spring surprises on me quite regularly). I am not greatly addicted to computer books, because so many fail to be of any very practical use. However, I can report that this is the first BizTalk book (and one of very few books, generally) that I've carried with me into engagements to use as a reference. Warmly commended and highly recommended, especially for those who have done enough with BizTalk Server to realise the extent of the mountain they must climb.

I've been on a couple of BizTalk projects, all of them for Fortune 50 clients. We did a lot of things wrong, hence a lot of lessons learned. This book is good...REALLY good. How good? Well, let's just say that I never, repeat NEVER write book reviews, even if a book was the greatest thing since the bread slicer. (I guess because I'm too busy building Orchestrations and Custom Pipeline Components.) That alone should convince you that this book is a must-have for anyone wanting to know anything about BizTalk.

DISCLAIMER: Allow me to contradict that last statement... This isn't for everyone, however. It is really in-depth and explains more than the minimum required. The book also targets those of use that continue to ask the question "Why?" and it quenches our curious thirst. If I were to pick this book up when I was first learning BizTalk, I would throw it down and stomp on it. But now that I've been around the block a few times and I know the difference between a best practice and a "you're on your own" practice, I am able to get a lot from reading this material.

With BizTalk, there's so many ways to skin the proverbial cat. This books explains all of them (from what I've read), but then it points out the preferred approaches that one should take when implementing an integration solution via BizTalk Server...lots of Notes & Caveats sections, things that I crave.

This book will give you very objective insights into BizTalk. And you don't need to worry about reading it with your rose-colored glasses, either. It's neither half-empty nor half-full, it just is, you know?

This book has information in it that you simply will not find anywhere else. Its written by people who have worked with the product on some of the largest and most important projects where BizTalk has been the platform of choice, and the knowledge that thay pass on is exceptional.