Engagingly and with sympathy, The Uffda Trial tells of a time that has only recently disappeared, but which seems like an entirely different world. All the more reason to applaud this novel that so effectively recreates the language, attitudes, and daily realities of these Norwegian-Americans in the fictional -- but oh so real -- small town of Vingelen. With historical precision, it provides a running backdrop of national events, developments in agriculture and technology against which the sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious l920s storyline unfolds. Anyone who has relatives in the Norwegian-American midwest will recognize the characters immediately and want to share this book with friends and family.

I must admit that I used to take the whole idea of mediums with a grain of salt, until I saw George Anderson on tv. He was able to tell people all about their departed loved ones without requesting information or input of any kind. I was so impressed I bought the book.

This book is written by a highly sceptical radio personality, who has used every means at his disposal to debunk the whole medium idea. George Anderson cooperated with the book and the testing.

I was particularly interested to read some of the case studies, understand some of the rationale behind after death communications. It helped to understand in depth the passing of my brother, and by being able to get this perspective to deal with it better. I was also very interested in what he said about the nature of the afterlife. There is no hell per se, there are just different levels based on how spiritually advanced people were in life.

This is the kind of book to read when you need to read it, when the time is right. I passed my copy along to my sister who was also very impressed and she in turn passed it along to someone who found it to be a great comfort. This book could be helpful to someone you know.

In grief, the one piece of knowledge that might help you get the perspective that helps you to deal with the loss can be so elusive. This book can help you. I would also recommend Lessons from the Light, which focuses more on the afterlife.

If you are a doubting Thomas, read this book. After facing a difficult cancer diagnosis, I found this book a tremendous comfort. It confirmed my notions that death is not a final end. I am a discerning reader and a book reviewer for a large paper, and I am convinced that George is a gifted medium and the REAL DEAL. I liked this particular book because it was written by a journalist who watches George Anderson evolve. This book is guaranteed to help you make that transition, the one we all must make one day, without fear. (Question: why are the big three psychics in U.S.A--James Van Praagh, John Edward and George Anderson all from the New York area?)

I have read two of George Anderson's books now. The first being OUR CHILDREN FOREVER. I have just finished WE DON'T DIE. The premise is the same in both books. After reading them it only confirms my strong belief that there is an afterlife. I am not religious and have little belief in God but I know our engergy lives on. George Anderson is a gifted Medium. He has used his spiritual powers well. I enjoyed both books but WE DON'T DIE was a bit dull in parts where the authors go on & on with tales of people trying to debunk Mr. Andersons gift. I found myself skimming thru parts. However, It's a fact filled book worth anyones time to learn of life after death.

I have read all of Anderson's books, and each one is wonderful. "Our Children Forever" follows the same theme as the other ones: clear, simple, to the point. They are all worth reading.

I have read ALL of the books concerning George Anderson. I bought the Martin series (all three) after I read George Anderson's "Lessons from the Light." They are very good books, not as excellent as "Lessons", but terrific just the same.

I have previously read We Don"t Die and We are Not Forgotten and I must say this Our Children Forever followed the suit of the other two books.I couldn't put them down!I was getting so much peace and comfort from the writings that I never wanted them to end. I read all three books in 6 days and I am a very slow reader. I am waiting for the arrival of Lessons From the Light,as I am sure this book will be just as promising.I was experiencing a great deal of grief from losing a loved one and George Anderson without even meeting him has put my mind at peace knowing my loved one is ok.If you are reading any of these books it is probably because you have also lost someone.I hope you find the same kind of comfort I have in the readings.

Whether you find this book worth the money will depend on whether you think Ben Hogan was the God of Golf (or at least one member of the Trinity). It is a large-format book, and the quality of the photographs (all black-and white) is excellent. I believe they were all taken on the same day, when Hogan allowed Jules Alexander to accompany him. They pretty much just show Hogan at work on the course, and they do capture who he was. The accompanying comments and essays are interesting, but the photographs are the stars of the book. Just make sure you realize that you are getting a series of photographs taken on one day -- this isn't a retrospective of Hogan's career, and there are no swing sequences or anything like that. If you are a Hogan worshipper, however, this book is a must.

This book is appropriately titled. The photos are truly classic and do a wonderful job of portraying the on-course Hogan, particularly his steely focus and gorgeous swing. The accompanying text is solid. I most enjoyed Ken Venturi's comments which accompanied the photos, as well as Dan Jenkin's recounting of the man behind the mystique. I was somewhat disappointed that the photos are all from the late 50s, mostly from the same tournament. Yet, this is only a minor issue. Every true Hogan fan should add this work to his or her collection.

Molly Anderson, The Saga Of A Pioneer Woman, puts a human face on the historical events of 19th century Texas. From the time of the emigration and land empressarios to the post reconstruction era, author Etta Pruitt Martin brings alive the human drama to these times. Etta tells this story with knowledge and authority. She tackles all aspects of Molly's life including the frustrations of a woman raising her children alone and running a frontier farm. Also in this book, Etta addresses inter-racial relationships of the times, an aspect of life often overlooked.

Molly Anderson, widowed soon after her young family arrived in Texas, faced diversity head on. Within this adversity there was the mundane life that must be lived to survive in the frontier. With all that happened to Molly and her sons, they still had to plow and plant in the Spring and harvest their crop in the Fall. She struggled to educate her sons, She saw them go off to war and become men one at a time. After the fall of the Alamo, the defeat of Santa Anna at San Jacinto, the end of the war of Northern aggression and the end of the reconstruction era, the blue bonnets were in full bloom in the Brazos River valley. Life went on.

Molly Anderson, the story of an independent wife, woman and mother.

Etta Pruitt Martin captures the early days of Texas in her descriptive writing style and researched text in "Molly Anderson-The Saga of a Pioneer Woman." This historical novel is vividly interwoven with history of prestatehood Texas, the war with Mexico, the battle of the Alamo and the Civil War. This book is a must for the student having to learn Texas history, because when you read about Molly's life, you are learning Texas history. The main character, Molly, is a dynamic and loving woman who has strong family and community values; her life is steeped in adventure, spirituality, love and losses. The author, and eighty-five-year-old fifth generation Texan, has created and combined a saga that holds the interest of the reader. It is safe reading for ages nine to ninety. The author refers to Molly as a pioneer woman, but in today's world, Molly would belong at the top of the category of "First Ladies of Texas." Promoting education, civil rights, preserving the land, and healing the wounded are some of the accomplishments of Molly. And like a true First Lady, love for her family is foremost! If you have been looking for a "good book", take time and read "Molly Anderson the Saga of a Pioneer Woman."

I bought the third edition of this book hoping it would be something my ten year old son could refer to if he has questions he is embarassed to talk about. The book is very factual without being overly clinical, but some of the topics discussed at lenght are more suited for older teens. The exhaustive list of slang names for male and female body parts really isn't necessary -- adolescent boys seem to do well in that department all by themselves! I also feel that the chapter "Girls and Puberty" has far more detail than a pre-teen boy needs or can handle. The book would be much better if it were presented in a loose-leaf format so I could give my son the sections he is able to handle at his age. I also wonder why the author has removed chapters on the important topics of birth control and STD's, which she says were in her previous edition. The book will certainly help me in my talks with my son, but I'm still looking for the right book for him to read on his own.

Ms. Madaras does a pretty good job talking about the changes that boys go through during puberty. I think this book is good for pre teens and their parents. I also like her idea of introducing the topics of AIDS and STD's to this group. But the book does not serve older adolescents as well--the age group of 12-21. I know of a book by the Goldsteins--"Boys into Men: Staying Healthy Through the Teen Years" that is non judgemental, thoughtful and sensitive to the issues of adolescent boys. Dr. Goldstein is a physician who specializes in the care of adolescents. The Goldstein book goes into detail not only on growth and development, puberty, sexuality and nutrition, but also it addresses sensitive issues including behavior, mental and emotional health issues, gay adolescents, chronic conditions, understanding and taking charge of a teen's health care and many other issues. The book is really informative on sports medicine, outdoor issues and travel medical issues. The Goldstein book for the older adolescent, and the Madaras book for the preteen are a knockout combination in my view.

He said it explained a lot about some things he just didn't feel like asking me or his father about. I am glad I got it for him. He feels much more comfortable with his pre-teen body now.

This is a useful little reference amongst a sea of other such references. However, it's not a book!

Not a Book? This most certainly is a book. I hold a copy of it in my hands as I write this. It most certainly is a book. Cannot understand the reasoning of the reviewer below.

This is an excellent general fitness guidebook. It focuses on general strength training and aerobic fitness over a lifetime. The calisthenic exercises are presented clearly, as are the justification for the exercise. There are many good guidelines for maintaining fitness from an early age into late middle age. The calisthenic and weight programs listed at the end of the book are comprehensive and thorough, as you would expect from our military academies.

This is a great book for general fitness. It covers weight training sufficiently, but it is not a body building guide.

This collection of some of Reagan's pre-presidential writing is truly amazing - the man was clearly a visionary who, to a great extent, implemented many of his plans to rebuild America in the eight years he was President. The strength of his ideas, his uncanny ability to pick apart the arguments of the Left, and his fantastic senses of humor and timing made his writings great.

That having been said, I found the book to be a bit disappointing on the part of the editors. I fail to see any reason at all why words, sentences, and occasionally even paragraphs that Reagan crossed out are included in his writings. At best, these cross-outs are annoying; at worst, they greatly disturb the flow of the book as a whole. I suppose if you were using it to scrutinze Reagan's views on a particular issue, these cross-outs may aid in following his thought process and how he wrestled with an issue, but they make the book as a whole choppy.

I also fail to understand why the editors included pages and pages that actually pictured the hand-written radio addresses Reagan used (immediately following those very same writings within the text of the book!). While it would have been interesting to see ONE page of Reagan's actual writing for the sake of seeing his hand-writing, I think it was a gross waste of space and resources to include many pages of it. Again, including these pages only slows down the flow of the book as a whole. Someone interested in savoring each and every word Reagan has written in the original (including cross-outs!) would probably enjoy such inclusions.

Overall, Reagan's work is phenomenal. It's the editors' work that is not so much.

While reading this book, Eudora Welty's words come to mind: "The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time, but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order - the continuous thread of revelation." The intellectual breath of President Reagan's prodigious views on politics, arms control, communism, and societal concerns is an astonishing revelation.

This book is a compilation of Ronald Reagan's original manuscripts (with his own editorial markings) from the high school years to his Alzheimer's goodbye note to America in November 1994. The majority of the speeches and commentaries are written from between the years 1975 and 1980, the time between his California governorship and presidency.

"Reagan In His Own Hand" is divided into four parts:

I. Reagan's Philosophy
II. Foreign Policy
III. Domestic and Economic Policy
IV. Other Writings Nov. 6, 1925 - Nov, 5, 1994

The writings as preserved and presented in this book, have revealed Ronald Reagan as a gifted writer and speaker. In the crucible of the Great Depression, these abilities of his started to hone and condition. A story he's written in college offers an early glimpse of his true grits.

SQUALL (a short story written in 1930 at age 19)

"...A massive gray wall towers ahead of you. Up goes the prow --up--it hangs, then heels over-- you have lost! The canoe is off that absolute hairline of wind heading... Quickly the wind dies, the waves smooth out and you must wait for another squall to renew the feud." (excerpt)

This is a ponderous book to read. The materials are dated and might not have relevance to our fragmented society today. If one were to read some of the commentaries aloud and listens to what is read, one will understand Reagan is politically astute and his arguments persuasive. One will also marvel these original scripts have relatively few revisions.

In his own hand, this living former president has refuted the myth and mantra that he is an amiable dunce who neither reads nor writes. He, Ronald Reagan, has not left the building.

This is a must read for both avid admirers of Ronald Reagan (disclaimer: that's me), and his would-be detractors in the liberal arena. Far from being an "amiable dunce", this collection of radio broadcasts and essays, mostly written in the 1974-1980 period, shows Reagan's keen intellect and focus on his areas of greatest interest, such as the superiority of capitalism over communism, and the cause of freedom throughout the world. His radio broadcasts were short, only about 5 minutes, but they show that he was well-read and informed on any number of topics. Probably the most fascinating aspect was his ability to not only write a compelling, concise story, but to edit his own material. The compilers of this material wisely chose to include the words and phrases that were lined out in favor of the final, broadcast version. This gave me some real insights to Mr. Reagan's line of thought as the essays were composed. The final essay in this book is Reagan's farewell to the American people upon his learning of that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and is one of the most tender and touching messages I have ever read. God bless you, Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

Why would any educated person want to read what this person has to say? The only reason is because those who find Reagan interesting are those who never went to college and aren't smart enough to realize how dumb he is. The right-wing of America can't think of anything on their own so they have to look to an ex-actor to think for them. What a joke!! It is sad that people would actually admit to finding this book stimulating or intriguing. He didn't write it!! He isn't smart enough. Right-wing people are such a joke it makes me laugh and laugh. Only Liberals really get the joke while the rest think he is so smart and enlightened.

This is a compilation of transcripts of Ronald Reagan's radio talk-show from the late 1970s. Reagan always loved to use stories to communicate ideas and give advice, and this collection is replete with perfect examples of that. I believe that the four components of leadership are:

1) A clear vision of a better future
2) The ability to communicate that vision
3) The ability to get others to want to listen to your ideas and to believe you
4) The ability to translate your vision into action

Whatever you might think of Reagan's vision for America or of the actions he took, this book shows us how he excelled at communicating his vision and pulling people into it. He was not called "The Great Communicator" without reason, and this book shows you that reason clearly. This is a treasure for Reagan fans, and for anyone who wants ideas on how to be more charismatic.

If you appreciate Ronald Reagan, you will LOVE this book! If you ever felt you'd like to know him better -- read this book! His stories and examples are right to the point. His title, The Great Communicator, is well deserved!

I am one of those who was really ticked off when first they killed chewy, then they kill Anakin. I was hoping for more from this comic about chewy. I did not review this before because I was disappointed that they decided to kill chewy. Then I read Star by Star and was staggered by the mind set that would set up us for this kill the way they did. Now, I have re-read Chewbacca.

CHEWY. Some of it was warm and wonderful. But you can't get past the mediocre stories that were written. MASTADGE is no Lucas studge but he gives this 5 stars? What were you looking at? McInerney gets it about right. Handofthrawn must be an heir to the dark horse fortune. He often gives 5 stars to mediocre comic book works.

The stories are closer to mediocre, bad, choppy or stupid than to call them clever or well crafted. To bad. There was a lot of potential that was wasted here.

After Chewie's death in Vector Prime, it's nice to see that he receives a fitting eulogy. Quite a few famous SW characters take some time to remember Chewbacca as the fierce warrior, loyal family member, and lifelong friend that he was. Good artwork (poor Luke looks absolutely haggard) lends to the idea that while Chewie may be gone, the war against the Vong continues with no abatement. It's kinda pricy for its size, but again, it's a nice rememberance of our favorite Wookie.

This kind of makes up for the terrible way Chewie dies in Vector Prime, but not quite. the only thing I personally HATE about this comic book is the way the author makes Princess Leia sound like a selfish brat.