This book is fantastic and a source of pride! I studied this period in undergrad. and I love to read anything I can find on the Harlem Renaissance. The book is beautifully done, the photos are great and the choices are interesting. Wondered why the authors placed Bill Robinson in the DC section, but the bios are concise and complete. A great book for young people as well as students of the period.

As a student of the printed word, I've always been fascinated by the Harlem Renaissance, or the "RenGen" (Renaissance Generation). This book is wonderful to me because it offers information and faces to match the personalities with which I'd found myself identifying with throughout most of my life. It is very uplifting and encouraging to read about such a group of classy, glamorous, educated, eloquent, literate, ambitious, and talented young individuals. Even though a few of their ideals were somewhat disturbing (mainly the whole "paper-bag test" mentality), this book was still thoroughly refreshing. With its wonderful photographs and biographical information, it is a plethora of information in sepia. Today's writers should emulate the literary (prosaic and poetic) elegance and grace of Johnson, Fauset, Larsen, Hurston, Hughes, and others, instead of seemingly automatically gravitating towards a written genre that seems to stress nothing but profanity and over-(overt) sexuality in the African American community. How I wish those days of class could come back to our literary community! Perhaps one day it will.

Marks' and Edkins' book is an elegant portrayal of the lives of those who created the Harlem Renaissance. Beautifully illustrated with historical photographs--most rarely seen, this book should be read by anyone wanting to know about the evolution of American culture. The authors' narrative reveals the strength and creativity of these African American women and men whose energy and talent has given the nation some of its richest cultural forms. They show how they grappled with questions of racial identity in a highly segregated society and how their relationships with each other fostered one of the most important cultural movements in the nation. Anyone wanting to know more about American history , its cultural institutions, and the legacy of racial prejudice should read this book and show it to their children.

I'm one of three teachers for 2nd & 3rd graders and I teach the "Christian Youth Praising Christ" class for our church. I just love this Praise Bible, the stories are short, accurate & to the point. The pictures are very colorful (just what children like) and our children are learning to pray with the help of the "praise prayers" shown after each bible story. Our children really enjoyed the bible stories & the pictures. I highly recommend this bible to all children.

First came The Beginner's Bible in 1989 that sold more than 2.5 million copies, also illustrated by Dennas Davis. It was a break through for children with illustrations and fast paced text. Now, The Praise Bible, also illustrated by Dennas Davis, combines a fun illustration style taking kids into the 21st century, with fast paced and biblically accurate story text.

The part we like best, is how each story is summarized at the end in a contemporary scene, that applies the truth of the story in a way that children understand. And, it helps children have a positive attitude about the Bible, since each story is up-beat and ends with a focus on thankfulness to God.

Anyone who opens up The Praise Bible to the story about "The Seed and the Soil" will immediatly see how the illustrator is able to teach the story so well with his fantastic art work - and then when the art is combined with the story - it truly is a master piece.

I highly recommend it for children from ages 3 to 7, and believe it is also simple enough for even college professors to understand!

This is my 7-year olds indispensable Scriptures. He loves it. Your child will too. The bright, vibrant artwork of Dennas Davis coupled with Mack's retelling of favorite Bible stories is wonderful. For children raised on VeggieTales and Nickleodeon, this is their Bible!

Living with a registered dietitian, this book has been an invaluable resource. Whenever a debate breaks out about how many grams of fat are in half an avocado, or how many grams of fiber an apple has, you can go to this bible and resolve it instantly. This is literally the book I open up most in my library.

I own several books on nutrition (both the 'advice' type and the 'what's in your food' type) and found that this is the absolute best on the market in the 'what's in your food' category.

This book gives the nutritional breakdown of every food you can imagine, from the very basic to the truly exotic. The chart for each food is simple to read, and for each item there's advice on preparation, best ways to keep the nutrition content high, comparisons to similar foods, etc.

The book also has an easy-to-use key to let you quickly flip through the whole thing to find foods that are good for weight loss, those that help lower cholesterol, those that are blood-building, those with high fiber content, etc. A great bonus: there is an index that helps you find top foods containing particular vitamins & minerals, and describes the body's use of that vitamin or mineral. For instance, if you need to boost your iron intake because you're anemic, you'll find a comprehensive list of iron-rich foods in the back of the book.

This is a fabulous book to own whether you're simply watching your weight or are someone who likes to be informed about what you're eating. I liked this book so much I bought it as a gift for two friends, and they've each raved about it. It definitely gets a place on the keeper shelf!

This book gives you the nutritional makeup of EVERY food out there--from fruits and nuts all the way to fast food. And it doesn't "look down" on any kind of food. It gives you the facts, and always finds some redeeming nutrition, even in a Big Mac! In trying to increase my fiber intake, I found this book invaluable--and an interesting read to boot!

Halleluja, what a book. That is the best in the line and in the world

This book was great. I couldn't put it down, after I read into it about 50 pages, I started reading it in class and not paying attention to my teachers. That started to be a problem... lol ...

The Prodigal Sorcerer was a great story of a human named Tagard Tarngold and a wizard named Aligarius have to make the different races of the land stop fighting each other.

Friedman is a very talented writer, and has chosen a magnificent but largely unknown figure to profile in this book. Filled with humor (wry and otherwise), great insight into baseball, and some surprisingly sober turns in the road, this book will be perfect for any hot-stove leaguers. If you can get it.

This is one of the better "first attempts" at baseball writing ever! Mark Winegardner spends a year w/ baseball's greatest scout and learns & shares all Tony Lucadello has to offer. Pre-draft Baseball is contrasted w/ post-draft Baseball. Several great pointers for baseball coaches and parents!!!! Prophet of the Sandlots (knowingly or otherwise) makes a very strong arguement that Baseball's HOF should make room for it's greatest scout ever.

This book is now out of print. This is unfortunate as it should be required reading for all fans of Baseball. I would make two recommendations to Mark Winegardner if a reprint is on the horizon- 1) Add photographs to the next edition. Ideas: Tony in his player's uniform, Tony at the gravesite of the Ohio born HOF'er, Tony's wedding pictures, Tony w/ Mike Schmidt, etc. 2) Add an index at the back listing people covered in the book w/ page numbers.

I first read this book in the eighth grade and was captivated by the story of Tony Lucadello. This is a truly heartwarming and very disturbing portrait of a part of baseball that no one ever really thinks about. This book, I believe, should be dedicated to all of the baseball travelers who drive the summer roads in search of the next Thurman Munson or Duke Snider. This book should also be dedicated to all those ballplayers who don't make it out of the minors. A must read...

Pyramid Pal is an extraordinary way to teach and familiarize all children about healthy eating habits. Pyramid Pal books have been illustrated in a creative, fun way that is appealing to children and will encourage them to learn. The books have a rhyme scheme that is fun for kids and enables them to learn in a manner that is not paragraph after paragraph, in other words, boring. The colorful rhymes and pictures also keep the children interested and focused while reading about their favorite Pyramid Pal characters. I am extremely glad that I have Pyramid Pal because it is a revolutionary way to teach children good eating habits early, which is necessary. Pyramid Pal is the only way I could get my kids to comprehend the importance of eating healthy because children can relate to the books.

At last, a fun and entertaining way for children to learn about good nutrition. I looked for easy reader books that would help children learn to read and learn about good nutrition habits. There simply were not any as fun and complete Pyramid Pal. These books really do an excellent job of teaching children about the food groups and balanced nutrition, and help children to learn - in a fun way - about foods other than cheeseburgers, fries, soft drinks, and sugar cereals. Pyramid Pal is such a neat character. The kids love him and carry the books everywhere. This is an excellent set of books, and I strongly recommend them.

When my seven year old daughter started the lunch program at her school, our discussions about making good food choices became relevant in our family. Pyramid Pals really helped. This delightful 7-book series makes learning about nutrition fun. It uses colorful illustrations, fun "food" characters and rhyming text to introduce the wide variety of food choices in each of the food groups. As a beginning reader, my daughter has included these books in her list of favorites and has come away with learning about good health too. I highly recommend them!

The market is flooded with qigong (chi kung) books. The magazines are filled with "masters" of this esoteric discipline. There are classes in every major city across the world. So how do we, as novices, determine which system or master is best-siuted to us? We try them and stick with what works.

For 30 years I have suffered from migraines, chronic spinal pain, and a general lack of energy. I have tried the Western treatments of massage, chiropractic, and bio-feedback. Nothing worked. I then purchased this little book of qigong exercises by FaXiang Hou and Mark Wiley, I practiced the self-healing exericises as described for three months. The result: I am pain free!!!

I am truly amazed at the efficacy of the exercises, and even at the seemingly simple presentation of the material in the book. It does not bog the reader down with heavy discourse, philosophy, or Eastern thought. What it does do is offer in clear language the exercises needed to build and maintain vital energy (qi) in the body to relieve and prevent pain and illness.

It works and you should by this book if all else has failed!

This is truly a wonderful book. I have personally benefited greatly from the exercises in terms of improvement to my health!

This book is essential to anyone who is interested in learning the ancient internal martial art of Qigong. For someone who has been fortunate enough to study with Master Hou directly, this book will serve as a valuable resource to the teachings, and for others, you will be able to learn simple and perhaps not so simple techniques for increasing your energy, and improving your state of being. Get the book, and start using it today!

What an insightful and humourous look at the meaning of life. I highly recommend that each of you take a look for yourself. I'm glad I did!

A truly enjoyable read that takes you on an interesting journey to find the meaning of life. Upbeat and humorous with pearls of wisdom in every corner. Quest for the Meaning of Life opens your eyes to new vistas from an insightful and fun perspective.

I had the wonderful opportunity of having the chance to read this book before it got to print! I thought that it was wonderful! It really got me thinking about the purpose of life. I encouraged my friend, MM (as he is known to many), to get this book published. I was so pleased today when I found out that he had followed through with his dream...at last, his book is available for everyone to read! I did some test runs on some "very trusted people", everyone truly enjoyed Mark's wisdom on life! I know that all of you will enjoy reading this book as much as I have! I have told Mark over and over again that it's going to end up on the New York's Best Seller List!

FYI, Just wait until he releases "The Many" - it's a much different approach, but, I couldn't put it down once I started reading it!

I thought the book was outstanding.. I keep buying extra copies which I have given to my mom, my sister, my friends, and the principal of our school. The book describes each one of us too well. I have three children and the stress and competition for these kids is 10 times that of when I was a child. If I can follow any advice from Dr. Marks, my children will benefit greatly. I thank him for writing such a down to earth and amazingly true book.

As a parent, I find it hard not to keep up with the Jones'. A typical Saturday for my seven year old girl may start out with a soccer game, followed by a mid-day birthday party and a three-hour afternoon playdate. It's no wonder that my little girl is whiny, clingy and exhausted by nightfall. All she wants to do is veg in front of the TV or play alone with her dolls.

Dr. Marks book made me aware of the consequences of these actions which is the key to good parenting. Dr. Marks is trying to say, "hey, sometimes it's OK not to keep up with the Jones's".

I read the book the first time in two nights and have referred to it a half a dozen times since. It's a real eye opener and definitely recommend it for parents.

What an enlightening book from the enjoyable anecdotes to the informative, positive and eye opening solutions to coping and ridding our children of stress in today's environment. Our parents had Dr. Spock. We are lucky to have Dr. Marks. This book is a must read for all parents.

"I just finished your book and felt your passion blazing through. My review of your book is glowing and positive, because I am in sync with your thoughts and your motivation, your ideas and that force that made you put them into writing. And photography. And art. I have zero criticism, only compliments."
- Jay Conrad Levinson
Author of "Guerrilla Marketing" and
President of Guerrilla Marketing Int'l

"Your poetry is astoundingly beautiful."
- Laurie Beth Jones
Author of "Jesus CEO" and "The Path"

"Starting each chapter with a short story followed by motivational and comprehensible poetry is unique. I thought the series of questions at the end of each chapter a great way to help the readers come to terms with how the theme of the chapter relates in their own life."
- Dr. Craig Barnes, Pastor
The National Presbyterian Church

"You have a clear understanding of the issues addressed by many of us in the high tech industry and your book can help us all ground ourselves with the appropriate perspective."
- Gregory L. Merrill
President & CEO, HT Medical Systems, Inc.

"I just wanted to let you know that your book has been a very positive force. It's funny how divine time works when we allow the natural things in life to take charge."
- Sonia Myles

"His poetry and questions are soul-searching to this "modern" age."
- R. Merwin Holman
Former Vice President, Kroger Foods

"I am very impressed, especially your poems! I have never really read poetry, but I found yours to be intriguing and enjoyable."
- Tracy Spitler
Executive Administrator, Silicon Graphics

"I thoroughly enjoyed your book ... Your poems were wonderful, inspiring ... I cannot say enough good about them."
- Susan Leva, MSW
Counselor

Do you feel like you are drowning in a sea of paperwork? Would you rather be on a cruise, hiking or perhaps even skiing in Colorado? Has your life become all work, no play and you feel bored, uninspired and basically burnt out?

Mark Sincevich encourages you see that your life can be more balanced. He feels his calling is to help others learn to express their thoughts sentence by sentence until they have developed a passion for writing. He encourages you to explore your mind, your environment and your dreams. What are your goals?

Most writers already love to write. Perhaps you haven't discovered that you are a writer or are not sure what you should be writing about. You don't have to be a writer to start a journal. Starting a Journal might make you want to be a writer.

Perhaps you feel you are in the middle of the ocean of your thoughts and feel that your life is swirling in a whirlpool of conflicted emotions, time constraints and desires. Where do you begin?

"The more you write, the more focused you'll become, because you'll ascertain your feelings and desires." -Mark Sincevich

Your journey becomes possible through the author's experiences (short stories), his motivational poetry and "project oriented" creative questions/encouragement. As you discover where the author has been, you discover where you are heading.

This book did not take me too long to read. You might want to read a chapter a day or read the entire book in one sitting, as I felt compelled to do. I wanted to get the entire picture, focus on the main points and enjoy a mini reading vacation.

Portions of the book I loved:

Excerpt from a Story:

"As I began to write, an interesting thing happened. The more I wrote in my journal, the more I realized that it is a place to get focused and a place to sharpen my plans and goals."

Portion of a Poem:

"Unafraid of society's pressure,
forcing me
to conform

I'll focus on what's inspired, regardless of
the norm." pg. 81

Question and Encouragement:

"What three things will you do to change/improve your life within the next month? Take action on it."

The Contents Include:

One: Yes, I Really Hate My Job!
Two: Having Trouble Concentrating? It Must be Friday
Three: Start to Learn for Yourself
Four: Challenging the System
Five: Feeling Frazzled
Six: You Mean I'm an Individual?
Seven: Anxious About the Boss
Eight: Learning to Fail
Nine: Begin to Take Control
Ten: Something New with Passion
Eleven: Break Out
Twelve: Creativity, Anytime!
Thirteen: Using Your Journal as a Guide for Your Future

Mark has written his thoughts in some intriguing places. Imagine brainstorming, writing poetry or collecting your thoughts in the middle of the sky on a flight from here to there on a vacation between jobs. What about writing a poem while analyzing art in a museum?

Much of Mark's writing seems to happen in coffee shops or when he is on vacation or in a moment of repose. He seems to love writing anywhere he can. He is more likely to take a "mental health day" than a "sick day."

He sees beauty in opportunity, brainstorming as a way to release his inner desires, action plans as his ticket to being in control of his destination.

This is not a book about how you should work harder to get where you want to be.
It is about enjoying where you are at, moving in a positive direction
and taking time for "me."

It is about rebelling a little
Just enough to let yourself have fun.
It is about making sure
that you are somewhere up near number one

Because if you are not happy
soon you will see

Life and work looks far from seductive
And you've become less than productive.

See, I'm already inspired. Now, where is my journal?

I look forward to reading his second book, "How to Laugh Through the Workday" which is scheduled for release in Autumn 2003.

Dive into your life and feel the momentum in the ocean of your thoughts take you where you want to be.

A Unique, Positive and Inspirational Reading Journey.

Mark's book prompted me to begin writing and keeping a journal. The combination of short stories, poetry and questions is very creative and made this book a delight to read. I enjoyed and related to his short stories at the beginning of each chapter. They provided a great foundation for the inspirational poetry that follows. His thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter allowed me to stop and reflect on those things in life we so often do without thinking or knowing the purpose of those actions. The challenging questions motivated me to find my creativity and get what I want out of life, and for that I am so thankful!