Despite all the hoopla surrounding the paperless society, I (and everyone I know that I have informally polled) find myself writing plenty for business and for pleasure. In fact, my motivation for purchasing and reading this book came from my children. They told me with that innocent honesty that they couldn't read the letters that I sent to camp for them. When I offered to type the letters, they told me that they would rather keep it the way it was, because they liked to get them even though they couldn't (save the oldest, who was recruited as translator) read them. I was struck with the truth; you give something extra of yourself when you write your own words in your own hand.
I found this to be the only book on the subject for adults at the local bookstore at that time. I read the introductory chapters with scepticism as it tried to point out the characteristics of handwriting that have been related to personality type, but that's my bias. It was entertaining enough otherwise, and there were some signatures of famous people that were interesting. The meat was next: 1)a discussion of why handwriting is generally done poorly in this country 2) a plan to improve handwriting by a combination of exercises. This book leaves you to design your own exercises within a general overall framework provided by the author. I was highly motivated, so that was enough for me. Others might have preferred a more step-by-step approach. I was introduced to an economical form of cursive writing and invited to incorporate aspects of it into my own style.
The result of my 30 day exploration was significant. Others at work who saw me doing the exercises on my free time became interested in the process. My handwriting improved in readability and style because of better small muscle function in my hand, but more because my perception of what constituted readable script had changed. My eye was interpreted my own handwriting differently. In the last 3 years, my handwriting remains much different and more easily read than before. The quality of my work in healthcare has improved because people read my handwriting without difficulty, and more of it gets read. And the kids can read what comes to camp.

This is a wonderful book that really works. Every since I was an elementary school child I had been plagued by feelings of inferiority because of my atrocious handwriting. In my late teens, in an effort to solve this problem, I gave up cursive writing all together and tried block printing. This was slow and tedious and the results were scarcely more legible. My handwriting was still a joke, so bad that even I found it impossible to read.

Beautiful handwiting has always held a fascination with me and I love the simplicity of pencil or pen on paper. After frequent attempts to write more neatly however, I assumed that this was a skill that was beyond me: my poor handwriting was something I would have to live with. I did so - for many years.

In my late 30's I found this book in a second hand book shop and purchased it immediately. Improving my handwriting took longer than 30 days, but after half a year of practise I suddenly began to recieve compliments on my penmanship. The high point came when a student approached me after a class (I am a teacher) and mentioned how much she admired my writing.

Rather than stressing individual letters, Paula breaks down handwriting into a series of basic shapes and stresses rhythm instead. Students work at writing down a series of patterns such as "waves" or "hoops." I found performing these exercises to be enjoyable and relaxing and did most of my practise, about 10 minutes every day, during a series of tedious staff meetings. After 30 days there was definately some improvement but in my case several months were necessary before I could feel confident going public with my new skill.*

I wanted to buy a copy of this book for a friend and was shocked to see it was no longer in print. Someone should reprint it. I would like to use this message board to publicly thank Paula and commend her for being an excellent teacher.

(*Unfortunately my happiness was short lived. A year later I developed RSI from excessive computer use and this, of course, desroyed my ability to write.)

Author of the romantic historical, The Rebel's Pledge.

I've had this cookbook for fifteen years and use it often. It contains sixty-seven kitchen tested menus for any occasion, from breakfasts, luncheons, and dinners, from the casual to the elegant. I really have enjoyed using the menus for special holidays, from an after caroling late supper, to a baby shower luncheon. The recipes are easy and fun to make. I will never part with my buffet book!

Everytime someone in my family had a birthday or my writing group needed to critique someone's newest 10 pages, I got elected to do the buffet. "You're so good at it," they'd say. Of course, I never told them Betty Crocker did all the work, I just followed her menu plans and table designs. And I never told them that I'd run to the library and hope no one had checked out their only copy! Finally I got tired of paying overdue fines and got my own copy at Amazon!

No matter what I've cooked in my life I always consulted one of the multitudes of Betty Croker cookbooks. This one is no different along with the fact that most of these dish accully have tast to boot.

I've used this cookbook for almost a year now and just realized that most of the recipes were low calorie, low cholesterol, etc. It's great. The meat recipes we especially like. The marinades are easy. Haven't had one that didn't hit the spot yet. Great purchase.

many years ago, in cols., oh., i attended cooking school at la belle pomme with rosbottom as teacher and director of the school. she was terrific then and her recipes are always a success and fairly easy for the ones who love to cook. all her books are wonderful and very easy to follow. i find myself going to her books before others and i have cabinets full of cookbooks. i highly recommend any of her books.

Of my library of over 200 cookbooks, this is one of my favorites. It is worth trying to locate just for the Lasagne with Spinach, Artichokes and Lemon recipe - prepared easily in advance! Her Barley with Leeks and Celery has become a regular on our kitchen. I have never gone wrong with a recipe from this cookbook

Maggie is a resourceful little girl who plays in Nowhere Land with her friends Hamilton Hocks and the Ferocious Beast. Put together by mother and son Betty and Michael Paraskevas, the trio is quite charming. In this story, the friends run across Nedley, a cantankerous rabbit trying to dig up an enormous carrot. Will he need help? Will he accept help? Will he share the Big Carrot? Maggie & Co. prove entirely up to the challenge, as usual!

The end pages feature a map of Nowhere Land and the storybook illustrations are bright and colorful. This is a fun read for preschoolers and young children.

I think that Maggie and the Ferocious Beast: The Big Carrot is an adorable and creative book My whole family loves it. It is one of cutest books I have read and my little sister adores it she reads it every night. The best part of the book is the illustrations...so bright!

In this new and exciting book about Hawkman, his friend Jesse has asked him to locate Jesse's missing daughter Destiny. The old man is heartbroken, and Destiny has a six-year-old girl who misses her mother very much. Then there is old Rochester, the families Bloodhound who hasn't left his place on the farm's front porch since Destiny has been missing.
All Hawkman has found out so far is that Destiny had gone to play bingo with her friend Rene. When Destiny won a lot of money playing blackout bingo she decided to continue her winning streak at one of the Indian Casinos. Rene did not go with her and that turned out to be the last time she saw or heard from Destiny. Or that anyone else heard from her.
Hawkman questions the help at the bingo hall and ascertains that she left the hall alone and that no one was seen following her out of the parking lot. He then heads for the Casino. Before entering the building he recognizes an armed security guard whom he remembers as an ex-agent buddy of his who, for security reasons, thinks Hawkman was killed many years ago. Max is not aware of Hawkman's new identity. Hawkman wonders what has brought such a good agent to become a security guard at a gambling casino.
As his investigation progresses he realizes that he needs Max's help and therefore must reveal his new identity to Max. It turns out to be a very wise decision because he learns that Max's niece had disappeared from that same casino a month ago.
So again the dynamic duo are paired to track down these horrific kidnappers.
Ms. La Pierre has given us another action filled adventure in this, the fifth of the Hawkman series. Ms. La Pierre continues to maintain her high quality of plotting and description of place. The characters are so fleshed out and alive that one can easily envision them. It's virtually impossible not to jump into the story and live it with the people involved. I even felt real creepy during the wild, dark-woodsy scenes.
And I love easygoing, restful old Rochester. My kind of dog.

A grizzled old friend from the past hires Hawkman when his daughter, Destiny, fails to return home after a rare night out. Looking into the circumstances of that evening, Hawkman learns that she won a lot of money in a bingo game and had plans to try her luck at the casino a short drive down the highway. The trail ended there. At least, it did until Hawkman started poking around with his customary doggedness.

Initially, he suspects an old flame from Destiny's past may have had something to do with her vanishing. She had a child whom she kept secret from the father, leaving Hawkman to wonder whether he had somehow learned about it despite her efforts to hide it from him.

When Hawkman's next clue takes him to the Indian casino, he spots Max Pritchard, someone he knew from the Agency in his past life. At first, he's puzzled as to why Max is acting as security guard in a casino - and one so close to where Hawkman now lives. He orchestrates a reunion with Max and discovers his old friend is looking into a disappearance that sounds eerily similar to Destiny's. The security job at the casino is simply a convenient cover while Max discreetly investigates. He and Hawkman share the meager information they have.

They return to the bingo parlor, which figures prominently into the story. Much action takes place there -- with some brightly colorful figures and Hawkman's wife, Jennifer, helping with the investigation. During one evening, a scraggly blond-haired man piques Hawkman's interest when he flees the building after Hawkman mentions the missing woman. A search of some of the man's personal effects turns up some promising leads. As he delves deeper into the mystery, he stirs up unwanted interest, resulting in a flurry of activity meant to scare him off. Hawkman isn't the type to scare off easily - if at all. It just makes him all that much more determined.

A hunting trip, complete with a hound called Rochester, splashes even more excitement onto the pages. Once Max and Hawkman head out into the mountains of Southern Oregon, the story twists and turns as much as the back-country roads. The ride is thrilling, right down to the very last page.

A meticulous detailer, Ms. LaPierre unfolds the action and builds the tension steadily. Her sense of suspense gets better with each Hawkman novel.

This is a guide to 21 road trips in California and 4 in Nevada. I've now taken a number of the backroads described in this book. There are some excellent suggestions for getting away from the interstates and finding the true character of these two states. The Martin's have a folksy style that I enjoyed. They didn't include much info about the scenery in between but mainly rundowns of the main cities along the way and places to eat and sleep. They really keep to the basics here. For example the section on "The Silver Trail" from Las Vegas to Virginia city is only 14 pages for a trip covering 443 miles. This book is a good starting point to get ideas for road excursions, but if you're going to spend any length of time on one of these trips I'd recommend getting further material before setting out.

I never thought a book could have so much information about how to get around to different places. The authors know what they are talking. They have researched all information that is in the book and now I can travel and see that I have been missing. Thank you for a great book.

I have been using this series as I teach my six chidren at home. The authors have done an excellent job of bringing us the best of the original McGuffy Readers, returning to the contents of the first series, not those later published under his name. My children are discovering a nobler time and way of life as they learn the basics with these fine readers. The study guide is simple to use with many practical exercises and examples. The only reason for less than five stars seems to be the quality of the paper and binding. In the noble effort to keep costs down, the durability of the product suffers. I am hoping for a hard bound edition. Should one appear, the publishers should be prepared for greater sales than the previous edition. Such excellent content deserves an equally excellent binding with the ability withstand being read again and again.

These are the original 1837 McGuffey Readers before the secular revisions, with slight revisions of archaic grammar. Four Readers and a Study Guide show you how to teach your children to reason cogently, speak persuasively, write clearly--all in a Christian framework. Each lesson has moral and intellectual content, and offers an impressive vocabulary. Words progress from 'learn,' 'keep,' in the early grades to 'assiduity, profligate, efficacious, calcaneous, penury, communition, execrated' in high school. Lessons are followed by spell/define exercises, and thoughtful questions. Ex.: "Is it not better to be industrious and possess a good name than to possess many riches?" "What is the effect of making public opinion the rule of life?" "Have we not reason to rejoice that we live where we may hear the glad tidings of salvation?" Each lesson begins with a basic rule of reading and elocution. Study Guide ties each original lesson to a biblica! l theme. There are 10 years of 36 weekly lessons (grades 1-10). Instructions on teaching reading aloud, public speaking, good writing habits, memorization, logic, love for language as one of God's gifts. Many famous authors like Blackthorn, Shakespeare, Bacon, Irving figure prominently. By the time a child begins the third reader he will have surpassed most of today's high schoolers. Mastery of the fourth reader puts him beyond most college students. Any adult can read the selections with profit. You'll be awed at what was once accomplished in American schools, and resolved that your children grow up with the same advantages. The lessons cover a broad range of worthy topics including history, geography, poetry, and virtue. These are just reading selections,however, and do not as such offer instruction in phonics or grammar. Some of the 19th-century perspecitves are quaint, even funny. These lessons are intended for Christian parents who homeschool their children. ! I'm happy to learn from them myself. I see the sublime ed! ucational value of these lessons, and see the great need for moral and spiritual training for young people. These lessons will provide those in spades.

The Church Librarian's Handbook is a wonderful resource. It describes how to start a church library, where to place it, what it should contain, how to select staff, how to prepare and categorize books and other media materials and how to finance the library. There is a detailed list of Dewey Decimal Classification. There are surveys throughout the book that tell you what other churches are doing. I was lost as a church librarian until I found this book!

Betty McMichael's book. "The Church Librarian's Handbook" is no longer available. Neither the author nor the publisher have copies. I have spent at least four hours on the Internet searching unsuccessfully for copies. I do think the posted price for a used copy is highway robbery, but that is my personal opinion. I finally wrote to Mrs. McMichael who assured me Baker Publishing had no intention of reissuing this excellent resource. It is a shame, since I have suggested it to many new librarians and would like to continue to do so.

      Pretty Claribel Brown was not having a good night. Waiting in line for a bus in a torrential London downpour is no one's idea of a good time, and it didn't help matters when the person in front of her stepped on poor Claribel's foot and injured it.  But a handsome Dutch doctor who witnessed the incident whisked the young lady away in his Rolls Royce to her apartment to clean her up, so fortune must have been smiling down upon her after all.

Or was it? The good doctor turned out to be as brusque a fellow as any you would want to meet, and rubbed Claribel the wrong way every chance he got! And to improve upon the matter, he was apparently taking over rounds at Jerome's Hospital where she worked as a physiotherapist.

How will Claribel manage working with this overbearing man every day?

What worked for me:

Normally I don't care for books where the couples are always cross and at odds with each other, but this one usually had me chuckling rather than feeling annoyed. (Though I will say that Claribel's independent streak sometimes appeared more like slight immaturity in the form of contrariness for the sake of itself. But then, Marc's personality reminded me very much of that of Professor Henry Higgins in "My Fair Lady". No wonder Claribel's knickers were always in a knot!)

I've enjoyed medical stories ever since my mother handed down her Cherry Ames books to me when I was ten. It was nice to pick up another one, even though there was no mystery to solve.

Size-wise Claribel was a tall, well-rounded girl whom the hero referred to at their first meeting as "hefty". I couldn't help but picture her as a Sophie Dahl type.

What didn't work for me:

I can't imagine hauling my own two cats with me every time I go home to my mother's as Claribel did!

Overall:

A solid read for fans of sweet category novels and medical romances.

If you liked "The Course of True Love" you might also enjoy "The Bridesmaid's Reward", "More to Love", "Runaway Bay", "His Seductive Revenge", "Carried Away", "His E-mail Order Wife", "Spellbound", "A Worthy Heir", "The Legacy Tree", or "Sweet Memories".

I like the novel because the settings are so well written that you can imagine your self there with the characters. The characters are realistic with old fashion values that show love in its truest form. The best part of novel is the way Ms. Neels doesn't emphasis the necessity of outer beauty in any of her heroines. Every novel is a prize in itself.