I was overwhelmed by the hope and faith expressed by the author as she was dying of cancer. This book helped me put my petty problems in perspective. It points the reader to the God who comforts us in all our troubles and to an eternal hope waiting in heaven for those who serve Him.

Here's the disclaimer: My father is the author.

So I'll keep this brief -- folks who are interested in the facts of hard living in an era of urban decay will enjoy this book and find it quite informative -- drifters, homeless men and women, mentally disabled people about to get evicted... they all get an honest and fair hearing in this book. If you're interested in theology and religion, he provides much to think about. But there's no dogma in these pages. I would honestly reccomend this even if I weren't related to the author but I also honestly wouldn't have picked it up on my own. I guess I'm doubly lucky to be his son.

After I read "Sands of Ice" I realized how few authors attempt a story of worldwide scope. In Sands of Ice the story flows from continent to continent, very fluidly. Beyond that, I found the story very well written. I would recommend it to any reader that enjoys a good adventure/romance.

I find this book very interesting and certainly learn alot from it. The author is knowledgeable not only in the field of hypnosis but also understand more than many people in the world about the spiritual realm.

Dear Barbara:

Please forgive me for taking so long to finally get to your new book of stories, "Serious Kissing." You know what it's like being a college writing teacher--it seems there's hardly ever time for anything but student manuscripts. Thank heaven for the occasional summer off!

What struck me most was the intimacy of the first-person voices of so many of the stories. Small wonder that Grace Paley wrote your foreward--you've got the same knack. And you show terrific range. It's hard enough to inhabit the point of view of left-leaning, idealistic, romantic American kids trying to change the world (sort of) in Puerto Rico (In your story "Catching the Last Publico,") but you've gone beyond that to pitch us the voice of Puerto Ricanas as well ("After Death You Still Believe in Love").

In my favorite story, "The Spread of Maoism," you write, "Listen, ludicrous things happen to the young and Maoist." That's a promise that you deliver on with aplomb. Who would imagine that an account of life behind the scenes among the joyless cadres of the Progressive Labor party could be so funny, and human, and endearing? I remember those people from the late 60s and always managed to keep my distance. Readers will share my delight that you evidently didn't (That or you're one heck of an acute researcher!).

There it is: "Serious Kissing" is an intimate, funny, smart read, a short story collection that captures and preserves some of the unlikeliest slices on the left side of the American pie.

Your pal (We did meet once, all those years ago), Rod

This book is one of my daughters' favorites, and one that I enjoy as well. The illustrations show children of different ethnicity and abilities, and the story teaches problem-solving skills.

I found this book extremely helpful for devotionals - both private and in a group. The authors have edited together some of the classics in poetry and prose (i.e. Dylan Thomas, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Nathaniel Hawthorne, etc.) and have categorized them for liturgical occasions (i.e. baptism, confirmation, eucharist, etc.) as well as more general topics (i.e. nature, art, people, etc.) While some of the excerpts and poems are a bit long for a traditional worship service, if they are woven in as integral elements of worship or devotion - they are quite meaningful. Prior to each poem or passage, there is a description of the context of the author as well as the text. This adds great insight to the meaning and could add other dimensions to its usage. I strongly recommend it for a more wholistic worship or devotional experience.

A wonderful testimony of a man going through very difficult
times. Becoming very dark and seemingly desperate but in the
end realizing his true comfort, solice, and salvation. A must read for anyone who has entertained notions of suicide, been
through heartbreaking family seperations, or has felt that
there is no reason to go on.

The Smell of Sin is a refreshing book about a subject most christians ignore today and that is sin. Don addresses what Jesus thought and taught about the subject and how radically He wanted us to deal with it. As a Reformed believer I didn't appreciate the Arminianism in the book but I still think it a timely book on a timeless subject. His graphic poetry and stories of what sin really smells like are shockingly true. This is down to earth christianity! I wish he spent a little more time on the struggle that the believer continues to have with the old man of sin till death. It's a nice book to read over a couple of times, nice and short but to the point. I will recommend it to my reading friends.

This is a story about a lonely old woman, an alone young woman, and a little boy who needs a little attention. God brings them all together while teaching the old woman that opening her heart is a lot more fulfilling than having a full purse. A charming and heartwarming tale.