The book was an easy read full of good ideas, some of which I have already put into practice in my own life. There is a chapter on consumption, which is kind of depressing as it makes you feel guilty for shopping for pleasure. But the book makes you think, which is what Nell Newman intended. It also makes you angry that the government doesn't insist on a better quality of life for us as far as chemicals/ toxins/ produce are concerned.

This is a good, easy read for anyone interested in making their world a safer more pleasant place to live. It covers everything a person can do to make a difference as far as helping to reverse the damage done by decades of poisoning our planet and thereby ourselves with pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. The suggestions in this book are things anyone can do. It also covers the newest degradation to our food supply, genetic engineering. Not written in words that are better left in a science lab but in down-to-earth, common sense language.

Informative, funny and inspiring, this book is a delight to read. The tone - perfection is not necessary, small changes can make big differences - is excellent and not at all preachy. I bought this book on Earth Day and couldn't put it down. I hope this is the first of a series of books by the authors.

Once you start reading, it is hard to put down

A great read a la John Grisham. Terrific characters, suspenseful plot. I read it in two nights!

A gripping page-turner. I really enjoyed it.

Skakun's experiences are comparable to those of Yehuda Nir in "The Lost Childhood" and Moshe Perlman in "Europa, Europa". The crowning irony is Skakun's (almost) joining the Waffen SS in order to hide his Jewish identity, and to survive. However, there are just a few errors of background historical fact which mar "On Burning Ground". E.g., on page 203 Julius Streicher is named as the founder of the Nazi paper "Volkische Beobachter". This is wrong. Streicher founded "Der Sturmer". Volkische Beobachter was an outgrowth of "Munchener Beobachter", a paper purchased and re-founded by Dietrich Eckart. This is the sort of mistake that better editing might have caught. But "On Burning Ground" still stands as a riveting account of survival through quick thinking and a lot of luck.

I have always had a deep interest in the Holocaust, I think it is because of the fact that it occured so recent in our history, it is so incredible that in our modern society, a country such as Germany was so willing to carry out such a morbid and shockingly sinister plan of brutality and murder. That ordinary citizens could be so callous and treacherous,...I am amazed!

Joseph Skakun, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, takes us on a journey into his mind numbing past. Divine intervention, solid logic and humblness, play a major role in his reason for survival.

Personally I think this story is very unique and wouldn't be surprised to see it become a movie.

What can I add to the above? Not much. I rarely read Holocaust memoirs, but this one was amazing. Michael's father, Joseph, a Talmudic scholar with blue eyes and blond hair, who tried to save his mother in Navaredok/Novogrudek Poland, failed, and fled to the forests and to Vilna. As a circumcised male in Vilna, Joseph took on the identity of a Muslim Tatar, studied Islam, and became a foreign laborer in Berlin. A hidden Jew pretending to be a Muslim living in the Nazi capital during the War. And then he enlisted in the SS!

Peter's Choice by Joseph Orbi

"Peter's Choice", is a disturbing new novel that will infuriate some readers and leave others with a renewed feeling of hope for humanity. This first novel by playwright Joseph Orbi spans 75 years, from World War II to the early 21st Century. It tells the story of two children of wartime Yugoslavia: Felix Ronnoco, an orphan adopted by a powerful member of the Vatican elite; and Damir Pavelic, son of Ante Pavelic, the Croat führer. Both men, whose lives intertwine in mysterious ways, must face the crimes of their elders and seek their own redemption.

"Peter's Choice" mirrors the controversy ignited by recent U.S. Government charges - reported in the New York Times and U.S.News & World Report - that Croat fascist war criminals had Vatican assistance in escaping Europe with plundered gold after World War II. But, though grounded in these controversial historical events, "Peter's Choice" is a complex mix of historical fact, magical realism, and fiction. Orbi moves deftly between present, past and future in telling this story of horror, love, intrigue and hope. Actual historic figures, including Pavelic, Monsignor Krunoslav Draganovic and opera singer Beniamino Gigli are central figures.

Orbi's purpose is not to take sides in the Balkan conflicts or to flay the Vatican. Rather, he explores the need to confront evil and seek redemption through knowledge and love. His characters are flawed but never two-dimensional. Damir finds a love that frees him from shame and which overcomes even terrible tragedy. Felix moves through a world of power and intrigue but ultimately confronts the same shame and evil. His reunion with Damir reveals the transcendent power of love and gives him a vision that leads to the book's prophetic and controversial climax

The complex plot and magical realism of the novel take it out of the realm of conventional historical fiction. Orbi is concerned with love and redemption and with the interplay between goodn! ess, beauty and evil. Love - both romantic love and a mystical, transcendent love - is the path to redemption for his characters. That path winds through horror, intrigue, and murder, but ultimately leads to light.

Beyond its controversial aspects is a book more important for its real literary merit and its insightful and ultimately hopeful exploration of the questions that all of us must face

In 1998 my vote for best book of the year goes to "Peter's Choice," by Joseph Orbi. In terms that anyone in this forum will understand, Joseph Orbi writes in English like Gabriel Garcia Marquez writes in Spanish. Although he will make many enemies with "Peter's Choice," the book is an incredible mix of fiction and history. It is simply a great book.

T.Ball

"Peter's Choice" is a riveting novel that will anger many because, in part, depicts some extraordinary relationships that are not supposed to happen, like that of an orphan boy and his powerful mentor, a man who rules the Vatican with an iron hand. At its most basic, Peter's Choice is the story of two boys, Felix Ronnoco and Damir Pavelic, son of one of the greatest mass murderers ever, Ante Pavelic, the President of the Independent Nation of Croatia during WWII.

Some of the historical characters in this amazing book include Ante Pavelic, Father Krunoslav Draganovic and opera star Beniamino Gigli.

Joseph Orbi goes after hypocrites with a vengeance, pointing out contradicitons found in the characteristics of Argentinians, Croats, and opera aficionados. His purpose is not to offend, but to make people think, and even to laugh at themselves.

Last, I found the book to be a beautiful love story, one that made me think and one that ends with an amazing and courageous prophecy.

Albert Shammon writes a very compelling book on the Power of Mary and her ability to influence her son, Lord Jesus Christ, through praying and meditating on the rosary. The writer does a wonderful job of outlining the time line of all the apparitions of Our Lady and the overall purpose for all of her directives to pray the rosary. She is powerful in her influence over her Son's decisions and she will join her requests with our for peace and deliver them to our Lord. The book is well organized in comparing her apparitions to world events and the impact on the community afterward. The historical tidbits about world wars and political unrest prove this book to be of interest to young men or non-catholics as well as the devoted Marion follower. The only drawback to this book would be it's length. At 40 pages, it does not cover Mary in completeness (but, could any book?)and the author definitely displays his ability to organize a more complete book on Mary and her influence through the use of her devine rosary.

This wonderful little booklet can be read very quickly, within an hour. However, it is packed with useful information that will get you fired up about the effectiveness of praying the rosary. The author starts off talking about various Marian apparitions. He then moves on and refutes some of the objections people might have to the rosary (my mind wanders, it's repetitive, etc); Fr Shamon shows that the only bad rosary is the one not prayed. He then goes on to discuss various testimonials about how the rosary has helped people who were devoted to it, and wraps up with some major world events that were connected with the rosary. To me, the most fascinating anecdote in this book was the story of the Jesuit priests who lived eight blocks from Hiroshima's ground zero. Their devotion to Our Lord and Our Lady through the rosary left them and their house totally unharmed, while their surroundings were laid waste. What more proof do we need???

This is an outstanding handbook all about the Rosary! It is a must read for Catholic's every where. It is such an inspiring work that the author must be extremely proud to be able to touch so many lives in such a positive way. He obviously was inspired by the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have passed it on to my family and friends after reading several times and they to are passing it along.

All to often prayer is viewed as a perfunctory task that we go through in order to communicate with God. Our prayers may consist of flowery words that are not relevant to our lives and sound artificial to our ears. Is it a surprise then that people have such great difficulty with prayer?

Joseph Schmidt challenges us in breaking the above view by suggesting another alternative in communicating with God. Why not honestly reflect on the daily events of our lives and become aware of God's word and work in them? In other words, pray our experiences which give meaning to life instead of babbling to God about things that don't touch us.

If God is the source of our existence then we can know God through our experiences. Prayer takes on a new meaning and enables us to enter in life more fully and intereact intimately with the God who Loves us for who and what we are. Such a notion is radical and gives us a new perspective in honestly sharing ourselves with God.

Praying Our Experiences shows us the process of how we can get to know ourselves as God knows us. Step by step Schmidt introduces us to a way in which we can begin the experience. This is not a formula driven book on prayer where you learn techniques for praying. Our author presents to us a guide to enable you to develop a more fully developed prayer life devoid of the barriers which we place in the way of knowing ourselves and God. Such a book is an excellent guide in helping you to achieve a deeper intimacy of God in your prayer life.

I had been struggling in my prayer life, when I first read this book. I just did not feel like I was connecting with God when I got on my knees and "Prayed."
Prayer supplements your relationship with Christ; prayer is the conversation you have with God. This book points out where else in your daily life you pray. For me this was my primary form of prayer and I did not even know it.
This book is a MUST read. It is only 80 pages or something like that and is written in very simple terms. Give this book to yourself and someone you love.

I first read Praying Our Experiences when it first came out 20 years ago. This concise guide to prayer touched me deeply and opened me to the wide world of praying. I bought copies for friends, family members, and used it with classes that I taught. The praise for the book has been uniformly enthusiastic. Prayer is not just for clergy, rabbis, monks, and nuns: we can all pray, whenever and wherever we are, in any way that we can. The most important prayer comes from the heart and is honest communication about the real events of our lives. POE may be short in pages, but it is long on wisdom. I have returned to my well-worn copy over and over in the last 20 years whenever I have needed a reminder that the Creator is always willing to listen to prayers from my experience. I am delighted that the editors offer this anniversary edition: well done. The book is a gift to all of us.

Very easy to understand book with all the basics covered with one exception. No attempt at covering stair cutting. That is why I only gave it 4 stars.

One thing that should be pointed out is this book is more modern than any other framing book I have seen. They spend alot of time covering wood i-joists for floor framing.

If you have access to back issues of Fine Homebuilding and can find Mike and Rick's past articles you will have much of the information covered in the book. However, it is nice to have it all in one place with some added information.

Overall, I highly recommend the book.

I have many books on framing and this is one of the best. I found the info on using engineered I-beams in clear language. This series (For Pros, by Pros) is worth every penny of the price.

This book provides an unexpected but invaluable dimension over most books on the general aspects of building residential structures. Super for serious beginners (like me) or do-it yourself builders moving beyond basic projects and carpentry training/books into larger scale projects. Written by authors evidently experienced in running small but highly skilled crews, this book takes you through most of the critical steps of building with great annotations of why things are done, how to expect and correct imperfections, and the understanding that precision is based on care and comprehension.
Well-selected photos demonstrate a lot of unique tools and small-crew/equipment teams working with great care. It is more of a course that an encyclopedia, and that's a great feature as a learning text.
This book added a lot of real understanding to techniques I had learned from other sources. It is written from a first person and cordial perspective that makes it enjoyable to read. You may not be able to get experience from a book, but this is pretty close.
It must be a lot of fun working with these people.

The sub-title says it right: "Digestible Commentaries." The writing style is informative, entertaining and always illuminating. The narratives on diet, in particular, are very applicable to daily life. He does an excellent job of debunking the myths of "chemical content" in our lives and consistently makes the point that "chemical" is not a dirty word! A great and easy read.

Dr. Schwarcz is well-known throughout Canada (and especially, the University of McGill in Montreal) as being the consummate chemistry lecturer. His courses are filled with anecdotes, demonstrations, and humour. He has translated his infectious interest in chemistry to the written word, and the result is a fascinating book that you will enjoy reading, and likely refer to again and again when someone asks, "I wonder why....?" As the title promises, the book is a series of short anecdotes about a variety of chemical subjects. For example, the titular "radar, hula hoops, and playful pigs" gives the connection between these three items (airborne radar, hula hoops, and pig playtoys are all made from the same polymer). The majority of the essays revolve around health, probably reflecting both the author's training (as a carbohydrate chemist) and society's bias.

Schwarcz has two underlying, scientific themes. Science in general, and chemistry in particular, is neither good nor evil - it's the context/use of chemistry that gives a moral distinction. Likewise, chemical effects are generally driven by amount - arsenic is not poisonous in low enough concentrations, while water is deadly under certain conditions (if inhaled, for example). The second point is to make the reader a skeptical consumer. He gives numerous examples of good science vs. bad science - a product trotting out "testimonials" is not evidence that it will work in all cases (or even in the majority of cases!). That's not to say the book gets bogged down in details. His writing style is sharp, witty, and concise. The book can be picked up and read from any point, and you'll still learn something interesting.

I am a chemist, and can assure the chemists considering this book that the science is accurate. It's not the standard sugar-coated fare that appears on television. Likewise, a non-scientist will be able to easily understand the material because Schwarcz never resorts to lingo without first explaining it (for "proof" I point to my mother, who was an English major in university and who enjoyed the parts of the book she's read). Therefore, this book can be recommended to the widest audience, and all will find it informative and enjoyable.

I love this book! I can't wait to read the sequel! Dr. Schwarcz has a way of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, and making you actually care about chemistry. His secret is that instead of lecturing about chemistry for chemistry's sake, he uses chemistry to make sense of the nagging little questions of everyday life (Why is shampoo so foamy? Why does skunk smell come back the day after you wash it off your dog?). He also brings to light the people behind chemical discoveries, and has a knack for showing how their personal quirks led them to discoveries that changed the world. If you like chemistry, you will like this book. If you HATE chemistry (like I do) you will love this book!

As a lover of Yiddish writers I disagree with the reviewer who compared S.Y. Agnon to Isaac Bashevis Singer. I enjoyed Only Yesterday but don't think it compares at all to anything written by Singer. I found many passages in this book seemingly pointless and rambling, the grammar, in parts, was simplistic as was the style. This could have been the "fault" of the translators. I did enjoy parts of the books and wanted the whole book to be as good as the best parts but it wasn't the case. If you love books written by Yiddish authors I wholeheartedly recommend reading Only Yesterday by S.Y. Agnon but I urge you to read everything by Isaac Bashevis Singer.

"Only Yesterday" is, perhaps, Agnon's greatest work. In it, he displays the skill of a consummate novelist with the sensibilities of a poet. For those who are familiar with Hebrew poetry, particularly Biblical poetry, "Only Yesterday" conveys in English the rhythms and structure of classic Hebrew poetry while transmitting a sensual and, ultimately, tragic story. It is really not comparable to Singer; it is something far above and beyond Singer's work.

Agnon deserved his Nobel Prize. His most important work, Only Yesterday, casts an array of lights into the inner world of Judaism. Anyone who enjoys Bashevis Singer or Sholom Aleichem will kick themselves for the years they wasted without Agnon, who surpasses them. The translation itself is a wonder. It reproduces the Biblical style of narrative which Agnon brought to modern Hebrew literature. Agnon melds the traditional elements of Rabbinic parable and folkloric animal stories into the modern narrative of the turn-the-century Jewish settlers of Palestine. All in all, the appearance of the English translation is a great event, a must read for lovers of Jewish literature.

I think it is very important that people get to the originals works and ideas before listening to what others say about them. This Pilates works are the core of his Philosophy and must be undertood to fully comprenhend what many Pilate instructors or authors, men and women, are writing or teaching in todays world.
Here Pilates expose his thesis. This method of exercises are looking to re-integrate body and mind into a whole by re-teaching our bodys to be natural again, just as it was meant to be before human enter in the new slavery of modern times.
Don't expect pretty words, poems or trascendental meditation. Expect an argument, a philosophical statement and a contribution to a debate about the role of excersices on human well been. Read it and discuss it on gyms, ballet or dance classes, martial arts schools, with personal trainers, physical educational teachers, family and friends.

This book is a great introduction for beginners and will teach pilates veterans a thing or two. It focuses on the body, mind and personal aspects of finding the perfect pilates workout and understanding how each element of the prgram works. This book is alone enough to teach you about pilates and assist you with your home or gym pilates routine. Pilates is not easy - it takes focus and discipline but the mental spiritual and physical results beat any other exercise program out there. This book will help you help yourself.

Joseph Pilates relates his original exercise set and his original philosophies of fitness in this double volume containing the only two books he ever personally published. Edited and updated for the new millennium, the instructions in this book represent the official backdrop of Pilates' writings against which all the newest books by students and teachers must be measured.