Fashion Careers has been an extremely useful tool for graduating seniors and an excellent reference for those seeking new opportunities in fashion and related industries. In these ever changing times within fashion retailing, product development and manufacturing , this book allows individuals the ability to analyze their strengths and weaknesses and ultimately develop a resumé that will help land them an appropriate position in their field of interest. The workbook is particulrly helpful, in that it allows the opportunity to xerox and reuse worksheets as one evolves through their chosen career path.
I recommend this book to all individuals thinking about or actively involved in a job search.

I purchased this book after being downsized as a retail buyer. I used the book to help me focus on what my skills were, and to give me tips for writing a punchier resume. The book was easy to use and yielded great results. I am working again, this time in sales and earning a higher salary. This is a book that will stay on my bookshelf!

What a joy to find an industry specific text for use in "Career Planning" courses for college students majoring in Fashion Merchandising and/or Fashion Design. While there is no shortage of "Career Planning" texts or workbooks per se, this is the only one we have seen that so perfectly fits the requirements of students seeking appropriate Fashion Industry related examples of everything from writing an effective resume, to cover letters, to interview techniques, to thank you letters following an interview.
The workbook exercises have proven especially useful in helping students identify and focus on specific areas of career opportunities within the Fashion Industry, as well as where and how they might begin their job search/careers. The text also includes useful reference lists of Fashion Industry websites and professional organizations.
As a Fashion Merchandising and Career Planning instructor, I would highly recommend this book for consideration as a required text for Fashion Merchandising and Fashion Design students.

Nash-Marshall offers a quickly read, introductory book on Joan of Arc in the same history-and-meditation format at Mary Gordon's for Penguin. Most of the meditation is in the last two chapters, some of it a bit weird. The author believes that the source of Joan's power must have been God, because if Joan had been the source of her own power she would have found a way to escape from prison in Rouen. Nash-Marshall's Joan is a "doer" and an "energetic warrior," in seeming disagreement with the Chapu marble Joan in repose on the book jacket (see p. 168). Typos ("Crepy" for the big battle at "Crecy") and curious sentences like the one in which Joan convinced soldiers to "live without the female attachments to which medieval armies were assuaged" suggest some of the difficulties with this book.

Finally,a story teller opf depth...one whose clarity and understanding are the equal of her poetry. Certainly the entertaiment value of Ms Nash Marshall's "Spiritual Biography" of Joan of Arc will have its place,and won't leave anything of the bitter after taste of one who spends his time passing his time... but the life and case of Maid Joan, as told here, brings us something lasting. The author reveasls the master hand of the historian as she tells of the times and situation of the pulcelle of Domremy. Her tale leaves us with an exquisite background to our own age... how much more easily is the utopianism of our days to be seen as the dismal failure that it is... as well as the catastrophic attempts of the collectivists, with their socialism and communism and whatever... in the light of the idea brought to us today by a 17 years old farmer girl who knew, similarly in an age of little faith, that her nation might have a sacred cause, if it would only accept it, and be able to live the human, the holy life by it.

We live without the light of a maid who believed and was sure of the fact.

Congratulations, and thank you, Ms. Nash-Marshall. Our world, we hope, will be a less vague and frightening place for your recalling the work of Joan.

Sonia, Gaia & Sophie

A relatively short biography -"Joan of Arc: A Spiritual Biography" by Siobhan Nash-Marshall is a marvelous first book for someone wanting to read about Joan of Arc. It is not as intimidating as some of the larger tomes. While reverential, it is not, as the title might suggest, unquestioning in its acceptance of a divine origin of Joan's mission. It is intelligent, entertaining and easy to read.

I am not a scholar but the book looks solidly researched and no errors jumped out at me. Ms. Nash-Marshall's theme is that Joan is a "questor". Her success was due to the extraordinarily intense focus she had on her mission to the exclusion of all else. Joan believed down to the very core of her being that her mission was from God and that her voices were of divine origin. The book is a good solid well-written account of what we know of Joan. The last chapter offers an intriguing premise I had not seen before. It first dealt with the question why it might be important to God for France to be a nation and to reinforce the divine origin of the French crown. This assumes Joan's mission was a success and God's plans for France and Europe generally came to pass.

As we all know Joan was betrayed. Perhaps small shortsighted men thwarted God's real plans. I think the book offers another interpretation of what God's plan might have been. The Hundred Years war drained much of the energy of Western Christendom to aid Constantinople. The author states: "The Hundred Years' War ended in the very same year that Constantinople fell. In 1453, one nation was saved and one perished." What if a France under Joan's banner had been victorious and ended the war in France and against England. In the early 1440s, John VIII, emperor of Constantinople tried to bring about an end to the Great Schism. He went to Florence and at the end of a council there decreed that the Eastern Church give its oath of obedience to Rome. The author writes: "He had, he felt, done his part. The West would have to fight to protect its own kindred in faith. And what ensued is one of the most tragic episodes in our history. The West did virtually nothing." If The Hundred Years' war had ended between these two great powers of the West in the 1430s, could they not have saved Byzantium from the Turks, ended the Great Schism, resulting in an invigorated and more diverse Church? A stronger more diverse church might not have been so insecure and frightened of heretics and both the horrors of the Inquisition and the Christian civil wars of the Reformation might not have been. Nash-Marshall points out that two years before she died; Joan invited the English to participate in a crusade:

"You, Duke of Bedford, the Maid begs and requires of you that you discontinue the destruction. If you grant her right, you may still come into her company where the French shall do the greatest feat of arms that was ever done for Christianity . . . "

As if the tragedy for that young girl was not enough, Ms. Nash-Marshal implies that the implications to Christianity of what they did to that child of God in Rouen are enormous. Her mission had just begun . . . " . . . the French shall do the greatest feat of arms that was ever done for Christianity . . . "

Read the book!

leon

The stories are based in West Virginia. There are three stories and our children personally favored, "THE OCEAN VACATION" and "THE BOY WHO HATED HALLOWEEN."

If you want to introduce chapter books to young readers this is an excellent choice. It will not frustrate the early reader. The writing style is fun has good flow and the illustrations are sure to aid in holding the interest of any child.

As a mother of advanced twin 8 year old readers, a son and a daughter, both children eased through this title. They also truly enjoyed it. The book is reader friendly not only in story line and fun sketches but the print style and size are perfect for the 4-8 age group.

An adult will enjoy sharing these stories with any child. There is a classic feel and a sense of days gone by that the adult reader will appreciate.

Overall an excellent choice for a first chapter book pick!

My son is 5 1/2 and is beginning to have a desire to read "chapter" books but often finds them difficult to actually read. The "Little Ned" stories have been perfect for him! He reads them again and again, and really identifies with this little boy. The illustrations help him understand the story as he reads. I would encourage parents (and teachers) of early readers to purchase this book to encourage more advanced reading by allowing young children to have success while reading "chapter" books.

Little Ned Stories: Book One is the first of a four volume series of "chapter-picture" books designed, written and illustrated for young readers ages 4 to 8, in grades K-3. This easy-reader series is highly recommended for parents and teachers seeking to wean children away from picture books to the longer chapter books they are expected to have mastered by the third grade. Little Ned Stories: Book One features three separate stories centered on the realistic adventures of a "six going on seven" year old boy set in West Virginia in the early 1950s. One story has a central message with a life lesson to be learned (The Ocean Vacation), the other two stories are just for fun (No Soap and The Boy Who Hated Halloween). The 128 pages comprising Little Ned Stories: Book One are enhanced 45 b/w illustrations.

I found this book in a library and read it. I was surprised that Mark Twain wrote such a serious piece -- it did not contain his typical wit or sarcasm, but was a rather sentimental account of Joan of Arc. I wasn't sure when I started or finished it if it was actually a translation he made from a real account or if he had written it himself as a sort of historically based piece of fiction. I gather from what I have seen elsewhere that this is considered fiction -- a novel -- but he was painstaking in his attention to historical details and facts. It was a wonderful book, and I found it inspiring. He persuaded me to believe her story.

Albert Paine's biography, "The Adventures of Mark Twain" says: "It was just at this time [while Clemens was still in Hannibel working for his brother's paper] that an incident occurred which may be looked back upon now as a turning-point in Samuel Clemens's life. Coming home from the office one afternoon, he noticed a square of paper being swept along by the wind. He saw that it was printed . . . . He chased the flying scrap and overtook it. It was a leaf from some old history of Joan of Arc, and pictured the hard lot of the 'maid' in the tower of Rouen . . . . Sam had never heard of Joan before -- he knew nothing of history. He was no reader. . . . But now, as he read, there awoke in him a deep feeling of pity and indignation, and with it a longing to know more of the tragic story. It was an interest that would last his life through, and in the course of time find expression in one of the rarest books ever written. The first result was than Sam began to read. He hunted up everything he could find on the subject of Joan, and from that went into French history in general -- indeed, into history of every kind. Samuel Clemens had suddenly become a reader . . . ."

Mark Twain's best. I couldn't put it down. I was away for the weekend, found it on a book table in the lobby, and bought it for bedtime reading. The rest of the weekend was devoted to living Joan's story. A great weekend. An incredible book.

This book will make you feel like you walked with Joan, knew her, loved her - READ THIS BOOK. Truly one of the greatest reads of my life! A Book that really changed my perspective on a lot of things.

Much of what J. Borysenko writes is, for me, too "out there" to be accessible (e.g., her chapter on past lives). However, much of what is written here is also extraordinarily helpful to those of us seeking practical steps toward creating a more compassionate relationship with ourselves and with others. If you can read this book with a view to skipping over the more fantastic claims and discussions, then I suspect you will find some profoundly excellent guidance.

Insightful book which does an excellent job of teaching spiritual optimism. I particularly enjoyed the chaper on meditation and the mind. Book also contains an excellent resource list as well.

This book is correctly named. It is an excellent book for those who find themselves feeling sad, depressed or just out of sorts and they can't seem to figure out why. It is helpful for looking at our own shadows and dealing with them in an effective and healing manner.

Any book which extolls independence from men, I'm for. I bought this book three years ago, and the best thing I've learned from it is the Rule of 72. (What is that? Read the book.)

I've since learned that there's more to picking investment vehicles than finding one you like and feeding it. If a person already has their "dignity money" built up and want to maintain it, that's the only time bonds and bond funds should be considered. If a person is still in the process of building assets, then use safe savings vehicles like money markets until enough is attained to start investing, after that only consider stocks and stock funds to invest in for growth. And watch out picking mutual funds! It involves more than choosing no-loads over loaded funds. For more information on this, I highly recommend another book, Eight Steps to Seven Figures by Charles B. Carlson.

I disagree with not waiting until credit debts are paid off before investing. A person must have something to invest WITH, after all! If a person has such serious cash flow problems that any cash they have must go to pay off these bills, it would to me be fooling to be sending off that money to an investment firm at the risk of losing a house or a vehicle. That person needs help, most of all they need discipline and less dependence on material things. I say clear the debt or at least bring it way down; then work on a savings plan, then work on an investment plan, in that order.

A girl does need cash, but in order to have that cash she's simply got to quit spending it. She needs discipline and faith in herself to meet her financial goals. Part of that discipline is not relying on others to take care of her financially, whether it's a man or other lover or the Federal Government or even the stock market. This book doesn't really tell the whole story in that regard, but I think it's a good start toward self-education.

I just wish it had been a little more "condensed", if you will. I'm extremely busy with not a lot of time to just sit around reading a book, and this book in particular could have been a bit quicker to read without all the personal anecdotes and individual examples. BUT...this is a good book if you want to learn about taking charge of your financial future. For the most part, her strategies sound very accessible. For example, she recommends paying your mortgage plus the next month's principle, which is highly do-able. Most financial gurus admonish us to pay no less than double our mortage payment (yeah, right). And, I love the fact that the author advises readers to NOT wait until credit cards are paid off to begin saving. Another refrain of financial gurus: "it's absolutely ridiculous to put money in a 3% savings account when you could be paying it on your 20% interest credit cards." Granted, theoretically that is sound advice, but it's just not logical for most of us, including me. I for one do not want to wait until my credit card is paid off before I start building a savings account. After all, the only way to prevent more debt is by having cash available, and how will you have any if you're paying every nickel and dime on your card? I also love how the author describes credit cards as "the Draculas of the financial world, draining assets out of our lives", how true! A great and very insightful book. It wasn't entirely easy to understand (unless you're already a financially-minded person) but the more I read it, the more I get out of it. The author also encourages readers to sit down and map out their financial future, for instance, if they want to have $1,000,000 to retire on, they need to actually write out how much that will require per month and how they will get it. I did that for the first time after reading this book, it's something I've never done before, and it has given me a more tangible goal to shoot for. I love this book and others like it for encouraging women to take active control in their financial future, not just mindlessly float around expecting someone else to take care of them.

For the first time in my life, I feel in control of my finances -- and what a great feeling it is! As a professional woman with feminist leanings, I've long perceived myself as being in charge of my career and my love life. But economically speaking, I've always been more or less out to lunch. For some reason, I zoned out when the topic turned to finances...I let my father -- and then my husband -- handle my money. Well, no more. After reading this book, I feel more than capable of managing my money myself. I dare say I now know more than either my husband or dad, both of whom now defer to my judgment. I've bought copies of this wonderful book for my sister, my best friend, and my niece. And I'll continue to give copies of "A Girl Needs Cash" to my nearest and dearest female friends -- anyone who would benefit from this one-of-a-kind gift of financial independence.

I really enjoyed watching Kathy Levine on QVC. I was interested in what she had to say by reading some of the reviews. I purchased this book and couldn't put it down. She talks about behind the scenes of QVC and the Jeff & Judy Crowell saga. I never knew about those two. I think you will get a good kick out of this book. You can see Kathy on HSN now, but not as a host but a vendor with her own clothing line.

You really have to be a fan of QVC, America's leading retail broadcasting network, to appreciate this book. And if you are, you will! Within these pages, The Diva of Diamonique reveals everything! Secrets, desires, hopes and regrets. It's all here. If you watch QVC, you don't want to miss this book.

How she can keep her hands off that impossibly handsome Dan Huges is simply beyond me! He makes my morning every single day! With his Morning Show, at 7 p.m. EST.

Kathy's book is a real joy to read! Although most of us will ever get the chance to meet Kathy in person, this book offers us a personal look into her life.

As a Proud Gay Man, I am not ashamed to admit that Kathy is a role-model for me. And my dream is to someday meet her. And maybe then she will introduce me to that hunk, Dan Hughes!!!

Kathy tells all from grade school to nose jobs, from failures to success. I've read this book three times and love every minute.

Perhaps I'm being too cruel. This was a "Nice" book. Ms Goldsmith has thoughtfuly considered the activity which gives her the most joy in life: emotionally, philisophically and even technically (from a layman's point-of-view). I felt as if I was reading her diary...that the diary had been written with me peering over her shoulder. I was very uncomfortable with that--as if she was waiting for my acknowlegement or approval.
The subtitle speaks of 'Music and the Passionate Life', but Ms Goldsmith's writing implies that she's seeking little more than comfort in life. Ho-hum.
Exploration of human experience or gooey sentiment? I prefer mine dry, I suppose. Make me laugh, make me cry, just don't expect for me to sit still when you rattle on....

I believe I have found a kindred spirit in Joan and in this book. Each chapter is dedicated to an aspect of music that she then relates to "life." My favorite chapter was the chapter about friends. She writes about the everchanging relationships that we have with people we call "friends." I appreciated this chapter because, having just graduated from college, keeping in touch with all my college friends seems a bit daunting. I feel like Joan affirmed my various feelings towards my friends (who I want to stay in touch with, who I think will stay in touch with me) and made me realize that it is ok to let go and not be as close as you once were. I, too, appreciated her advice on mistakes, relating it to wrong notes. It helped me put aside my first big "mistake" from my current job. Her book has given me great ideas of how I can live my life to its fullest, and I intend on doing so!

My typical reaction in situations when I didn't succeed, when I made mistakes, was to run away. I would stop doing the activity (change jobs, refuse to play softball again, etc.) Thus, I used to hide and pretend that I knew what I was doing in choir rehersal. But I came to realize that I couldn't sing out if I was afraid of making a mistake. And the best way to do that is to not hide my mistakes, but to try to learn from them, asking questions. That the point about rehersing is to practice - and that making mistakes is part of that (and part of life). Joan Oliver Goldsmith has been there, and has learned to learn from her mistakes. Reading her book helped me learn from mine.

Rebekah's Big Dreams

This book was about a Jewish family, The Levinsky's, who are escaping Russia to start a new, fresh start in America. They get to sail on a big ship, but their grandfather does not get to stay because he does not pass inspections. They must leave with out him. Rebekah gives the rest of the money to him so he can save up to come back to America later. When, they get to America , it is not the dream they were expecting. Rebekah wants to go to school, but she has to stay home to make a living for her family. She waits and whines for what seems like forever so read this book to see what happens. I thought this was a good book because it shows that even if you are poor you can still have dreams.

This was a really good book! It tells about how jewish, scottish, and all other types of peoples come i mean came from other countries to America. A girl named Rebeka Levinsky is the main character in the book. Her family is all admited to the United States except her grandfather who later dies in Russia. She meats new people and finally gets the education she has wnated for so long. Over all i give it 5 stars(like 4.6 or somethin like that). Sorry for all the typoes, I am tryin to work on my typin for school. Odoyle Rules! my email is tylermains_17@hotmail.com if u got any questions.

What a realistic beautiful portrayal of life 100 years ago! The struggle of the immigrants to make it in the States is realistically portrayed. I actually felt like I was there in that awful-smelling steerage hold & the scariness of the storm. I thought it was interesting & neat that three girls from three different countries & religions form a strong bond. Ellis Island was really accurate too; I especially loved the scene where the immigrants see Ms. Liberty (I personally think she's the most beautiful statue in the world!). But what was really true-to-life was the struggle once the Levinskys get to the States & the portrayal of the sweatshop they're forced to work in seven days a week. The descriptions were so vivid that I could actually feel the heat & grime of the garment sweatshop as well as visualize the rampant poverty & noisiness of the Lower East Side of New York. It made me think of how we've come a long ways since, but still have a ways to go. A great historical read for history buffs!

The Winter clan's century and a half reign over Tiamat is ended and now its Summer's time to rule with Moon as the leader. Moon, vowing a different economic path through technology, has ended the harvesting of the Mers whose blood was the cash crop sellable commodity, providing off world longevity to clients. The Hegemony also has left the planet.

Moon's former lover, Gundhalinu, attempts to save the Hegemony by trying to gain control over stardrive plasma spilled from a wrecked Old Empire ship. If he succeeds, faster-than-light travel will become available as it once was and Tiamat will no longer suffer periods of isolation. However, the Brotherhood seeks the immortality elixir allegedly found only on Tiamat while Moon clashes with opponents over the fate of the Mers, as these intelligent beings are the source of the elixir. She also must keep safe the ancient computer hidden under the planet's prime city that links the galaxy's clairvoyants. If the Hegemony obtain either the people of Tiamat will face endless winter, but if the Hegemony gain both the people of the galaxy will face eternal winter.

Surprisingly the sequel to THE SNOW QUEEN is a tighter, albeit still very complicated, planetary thriller. The story line is loaded with many concepts though some get shortchanged because of the abundance. The key charcaters are fully developed (critical in this novel) so that the audience appreciates Moon's troubles and her former lover's endeavor. Joan D. Vinge provides readers with a strong galaxy tale that shows why she was nominated for a Hugo for this work (and won with the first story).

Harriet Klausner

Although Summer Queen lacks the mythic structure which lent such power to Vinge's Snow Queen, it is an expertly written "social science fiction" exploration of colonialism, as well as an appealing story about characters worth caring about.

The characters who were young and simple in Snow Queen have grown up, and grown more complex in their view of the world. Vinge also develops the political situation on Tiamaat in more complexity. The world she develops is believable. Her best characters struggle heroically to do the right thing, but are often hampered by the need to compromise with more powerful military, cultural, or economic forces--just like real revolutionaries, visionaries, and leaders. I'm impressed by the depth of political consciousness Vinge brings to this story.

Joan Vinge developes characters like none other, by the end of the book you are left with a "leaving camp" feeling...like you just spent a week at camp making new friends and now it's time to go. Sure other books develope one or two, but Joan has nearly a dozen going by the end that are all wonderfully done.

Which has it's drawbacks, you get the feeling thoughout the read that Arienrhod is constantly being dwelled upon, and much of the 600+ pages are spent backtracking on character developments. This detracts from what could have been one of the better storylines in sci-fi, I wanted to hear more about the Sibyl net and the mers. I feel perhaps a character could have been cut, or a development cut to make way for this.

At any rate, if you liked the Snow Queen then you need to be reading this, however don't expect to finish with a pleasent feeling. There are some slow parts in the beggining and middle, but once you hit the home stretch it can't be put down :)