My 9 yr old struggles with dyslexia and I read to her - the classic Nancy Drew stories, Harry Potter, of course, and the Pullman stories (Golden Compass, etc) but this is the first time she brought a book to me and ASKED TO READ TO ME. The reading level is perfect for her (3rd grade) and she is intigued with the relationships of the girls as they sort things out in school to solve this junior mystery. I will be selecting other "Notebook" stories for her to enjoy.

When Mari's new unicorn toy is stolen, Nancy is on the job! On the first day, she find's the comb and the stand! But that unicorn is nowhere to be seen! Will Nancy catch the theif before Brenda Carlton does?

This book is the type of book that reminds you that stocks are not the only investment around. In plain language he discusses yield curves and backs up his information with solid charts and graphs.

Mr.Cescenzi opens your eyes to the psycology of those that sell bonds and the importance of bonds in your own personal portfolio.

Since I am an author of Futures/Commodities books and an investor in Bond Futures, I read this book to enhance my knowledge of bonds and to take advantage of the bond trading pits in Chicago.

I believe that's the only failure of the book. He discusses that there are no centralized exchanges for bonds and grossly neglects that many bonds have a futures component and are traded for only a fraction of their face value.

All in all this is a great resource book and should be seriously considered for those investors that are tired of being abused by the stock market.

Unlike books addressing stock market investing, there are relatively few investor-oriented Bond books, probably due to several reasons - (i) bond concepts are somewhat more quantitative compared to stocks, (ii) bonds have no central "bond exchanges" with readily available price quotes, (iii) bonds can't be sold and bought as easily as stocks, (iv) perception is people can't "swing for the fences" with bonds.
However, as the "Strategic Bond Investor" makes clear, it is imperative to become familiar with bond market dynamics to understand how and why interest rates are set, which in turn affects the economy and the stock market. The book does a wonderful job of laying bare the intricacies of the bond market, at the same time stays away from the more technical aspects. The writing style is very engaging, and the content is very organized. The discussion on Bond Types - how big various types of bond markets are and how they got that way, is fascinating. So are practioner-oriented "rules of thumb" permeating several chapters. Chapter on "real yields" was a bit confusing (when inflation is expected to go up or down, why do real yields move as opposed to "expected inflation"?) I initially felt the visual presentation (charts, graphs, tables etc) was somewhat limited, but as the book progressed, it seemed to be just the right amount, and contained a lot of high impact information. There is a good appendix containing a primer on economic indicators. With this, you'd be better able to judge the reaction of the market to CPI, employment, consumer sentiment, etc., etc.
The book seemed somewhat repetitive at places, but still read well. With this book, one should be able to answer: (1) How can bonds be expected to perform given the current economic information, market sentiment, etc. (2) what types of bonds can be expected to do better? I highly recommend the book for purchase. Another great book for the bond investor would be William Gross's "Everything You've Heard About Investing is Wrong!"

This book rebuts both environmentalists and road lobbyists, by explaining why neither expanded transit nor expanded roads will have significant impacts upon congestion: expanded transit is of minimal value because it affects so few people (except perhaps in downtowns), expanded roads don't work because of what Downs calls "triple convergence" -- when a road is built it fills up because (1) drivers who used alternative routes switch to the new or widened road, (2) drivers who avoided rush hour start traveling during rush hour, and (3) drivers who used public transit switch to the improved expressway. (And triple convergence doesn't even take into account the long-run congestion that results when people move to be near a widened or new expressway, thus causing additional ridership increases). The only solution is to reduce demand for transportation, by encouraging ride sharing through tolls, fuel tax increases and other unpopular steps. In short, the most effective ways of reducing congestion are also the least politically popular.

I have used Anthony Downs, "Stuck in Traffic" for three years for a short course in urban transportation planning. Students find it clear and yet realistic on how simplistic solutions like "building more highway lanes" have unintended consequences that cancel out the gains.

He also looks at urban planning solutions, and shows that some gains might occur from increasing housing densities from very low to low or moderate, but most other solutions have little effect.

Finally, the most powerful solutions, including higher gasoline taxes, increased public funding for transit, and tolling on highways are also the least palatable politically.

Downs, an economist, is strong on the economic aspects of transportation, and has a good grasp on the planning issues. The book does not cover any of the engineering details of possible schemes.

Overall, an clearly written and strongly argued book.

Jim Mars School of Urban and Regional Planning Ryerson Polytechnic University Toronto, Ontario, CANADA

Father Anthony Coniaris, a Greek Orthodox Christian priest serving the Church for over fifty years, offers the comfort and wisdom of the faith to those who mourn. Drawing upon a wide range of sources, including his own life experiences, Father Anthony presents a Christian perspective on grief to be read and re-read by those who have suffered loss and by those who would offer comfort. One memorable passage is the comparison of the loss of a loved one to an amputation. A part of us is gone and yet we go on living. As a priest, I have given away over fifty copies of this volume, and will continue to do so. I give this great book my most heartfelt recommendation.

This book is really great. It really helped me grieve the loss of my grandfather. It helped me retained my strength with it's helpful advice. I would personally like to thank A. Coniaris.

Sincerily, Johnny Wilson

The way this book is written presents a dialog between an angel and his friend, a man who appears to be very human and quite delightful in his sense of humor! The reader feels as if they are witnessing a conversation between two very old and trusted friends, with one being a teacher of great skill and insight and the other being a gifted poet with an agile mind and striking presence. I began to feel as if I knew them both well before I had finished the book.

I especially enjoyed the way the reader is brought into these conversations, repeatedly referred to as "the eavesdropper" for whose benefit all of this information is being conveyed. It truly makes one feel as if they are a part of the entire scenario and is a refreshing and ingenious approach.

The information passed along spans an enormous amount of knowledge, and it is presented with such a clarity and depth of subject that one is driven to contemplate and reread the pages for days. Questions which have crossed every mind in relation to man's situation with God, the world and Nature find recognizably truthful and awe-inspiring answers which seem to reverberate throughout one's being as undeniable truths. I highly recommend this book to everyone-whether of a spiritual bent or just curious and searching for something that makes it all seem to just make more sense. Just in the way the book is presented, as a conversation with a very knowledgable angel, makes it enjoyable and interesting. It is both joyously uplifting and deeply profound and is much more of an experience than it is just reading a book.

I am fey, so they say; I have seen the walking dead hurry to Mass on a weekday morning. I have heard the doors go bang and have heard their footsteps hurrying. I have heard the solemn warning through and beyond the bell's wild clang; the long clear call fron the tower. [From "Tewkesbury Abbey", p 162]

Messages from angels, spirits, and galactic aliens are being published with increasing frequency these days as we approach the Third Millennium. And sometimes, ratherthan acting as a blind channel for proclamations of wisdom or prophecies of doom, an intermediary will question his source directly and be rewarded by responses of more astute relevance. But rarely amid the current flurry of communiques from the Other Side does one encounter anything that comes close to intelligent and intimate conversation. Whomever, or whatever, these Beings are, and wherever they come from,you suspect that they would not be treated as welcome strangers at a company lunch, even if they WERE visible. But after reading "Sword in the Sun", I would certainly welcome its author, Anthony Duncan, to lunch, even if the appearance of his angel could not be guaranteed.

Before he retired to the splendid (relative)isolation of Northumberland, a gray stone's throw from his native Scotland, Duncan was a parish priest for thirty years, an occasional exorcist, and Honorary Canon of Newscastle Cathedral. "Sword In The Sun: Dialogue With An Angel" was the second and most extraordinary of five books he wrote during the early 1970s "within the context of a profound inner compulsion". He had just passed his fortieth birthday. It is a record of experiences he had over the course of several weeks, often seated in his study, in the presence of his "guardian angel" who, from the outset, encouraged him to write their conversations down so that others, sooner or later, could "eavesdrop".

What transpires is a grand journey full of surprises, subtle and huge; from dark mossy bog and bright Highland hill to the far-flung and horizonless corners of the mental world and back again, much as they have been seen and inwardly understood by the keenest and most sensitive of British folk -- poets or mystics, artists or vicars, warlocks or warriors -- down through the centuries and back again. Always coming back to the Presence, which is always, and usually in a small churchyard amid tombs and gardens, or in a spring breeze that sings among stones on moorland.. hymns that plunge and rise again, from sorrow to ecstatic union: a bliss, clothed in glories which may be Christian, with integral trimmings of high Pagan delight, but which enfold an essence that is irresistably inclusive and universal.

Yet "The Sword" is a small book, and modest. In some ways it is like an updated and revised version of Revelations for children. Even Pan, arch-deva of the animal realm, drops by to chat. Although what Pan says, and how the Qabala is unveiled by the angel, (along with some profound basics about chakras and reincarnation), seems slightly beyond the comprehension of an average toddler, never mind an educated theologian!

In other words, it is a soul-stirring book for all ages,in more ways than one, and perhaps will be understood best by those who have not been entrained by dogmas, churchly or alienesque. And for those who like good poetry -- because there's more than a touch of the laureate friar in Duncan as well as visionary bard of the heathery glen -- this book will shine like an amethyst at dawn. Review by Rab Wilki

This book is full of excellent photographs and provides enough evidence of the unfullfilled genius of Jorn Utzon, who was prevented from completing his magnificent building concept.This was acheived by the reportings of an ignorant press, and political pressures brought about by some smalltime polititian, who wanted to exploit the costs of this wonder, and bring himself to the forefront, as the saviour of public money! It is unbeleivable today, that such treatment could be given to a man with such vision as Utzon displayed in his drawings. If costs were all that counted in buildings - we would never had seen York Minster, for example.

The people of Australia are today proud of this building, but it is only a shadow of what Utzon had in mind. Ah well, its only money!

university architectur

Finally this cookbook has been re-released. I own many, many cookbooks and this is by far my all time favorite. You can use these recipies as a first time try on your guests. No worries.

This book is full of delicious and appealing receipes for summer. It's wondefully put together, and so easy to follow. The receipes are easy enough that anyone (even those with little experience) could create wonderful and tastey meals. The photography is beautiful and it's enjoyably constructed. Highlights are the "Cold Lobster Salad" and the "Summer Squash Gratin" ...but, there are so many more that I can't wait to try. I recommend it to any cook out there!

The work of this author just continues to get better with each book! I found that it was inspiring, uplifting and profound. The premise that all is based upon relationships, whether they are relationships between God and man or relationships between man and his fellow man, brings to the forefront the idea that at the root of everything of quality within our lives lays the importance of how we relate to all which we approach in life. The representation of such subjects as Grace, the Incarnation, the Sacraments, and the relationship within marriage creates an understanding of a way to achieve totality and wholeness within ourselves. Through aligning our perceptions and understanding with the reality within Nature, we are shown that there is a way of healing our relationships with God, others, and most importantly, with ourself.

These ideas are presented in a beautifully written, thought provoking and spiritually oriented way which I think will touch many people in many ways. I recommend this book to the layman who has no previous religious training, as well as to the clergy who ministers to a congregation. I would think that it should be a welcome addition to the bookshelf in every theological seminary's library!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book encourages one to re-evalute one's prior spiritual beliefs and religious training by putting into prospective our relationship with God. I found that it was well written and flowed with such ease that it can be read in one sitting. I especially enjoyed the section in which the author speaks of the Bride of Christ in reference to the Marys. I would recommend this book to persons of various religious backgrounds.

As I started my classical vocal training, several teachers mislead my natural vocal instrument through other singing publications. Until one day I was referred to a Bel Canto teacher, Kamal. He highly recommended me to order this (difficult to find) book "Tenor Voice" for our training sessions were based on the principles of the translated writing by Anthony Frisell. As the training continued, I realized that these principles found the natural vocal dynamics within me which I thought I never had. As a result, I developed a three octave range in a 'one column voice' (without breaks). This technique launched my Broadway career in New York and Europe. Thank you Mr. Frisell and Kamal.

This book is clear to understand these principles.
Breathing exercises are minor issues and it wouldn't teach you to places the "three fingers in the mouth looking into the mirror" rule which I've come across in other publications.

There are versions for Soprano and Baritone. And if you are luckly enough to get a hold on any, you've been blessed to venture the world of the Bel Canto.

I've taken many singing lessons in the past, by promanent teachers, Studied many techniques, classically and the most respected, but one day I had a trade with a great singer friend of mine, who is now the vocal coach for Motown Cafe' around the world. Cary Gant had a real natural approach that I related to. My breath seemd stronger and my confidence became clear after just an hour of working with him. Anyway, I have only studied with him 2 or three times, cause he was so busy doing his own work singing. I am the kinda guy who loves to sing, but didn't have the discipline, if I wasn't inspired. I got bored with most techniques. But, for some reason this style of training which is used in this book, which has a simple but time honored technique, rings true for my need of a natural aproach. Years later and lots of strained singing, wondering how I can utilize my vocal chords in a supportive way, I stumbled into another teacher, David Sobella who sang in the first staging on Broadway of "Chicago". Guess what? That's right, he is also using this technique, where you utilize both the higher "head voice" and the lower "chest voice". (As the great Tenors,) I was so happy when his teaching encorperated this blending, so here I am buying it, I looked all over New York City for it, it seems many have forgotten about this outstanding find. An authentic book for singers that want a safe and wonderful way to sing, like the greats before us. A find that you will not be sorry for and neither will your vocal chords, Hey, I am going to sing, really sing! Thanks to Frissels research and some fantastic teachers that also believe in this style of teaching.

This book provides a great progression of training excercises to help riders SLOWLY work with young or poorly trained horses over the span of two years. A great tool for anyone who may be bringing a horse along without a professional trainer. Well written with great explanations.

One of the best parts in this brilliant book, from the author who obviously cares for the horse, related to LEG AIDS - I will quote : "The most common, not to say universal, method of calling on forvard action is the age old BACKWARD KICK. It may be a violent kick with the spur,or it may be a relatively gentle beckward movement of the leg against the ribs and away from the girth. The latter may not be cruel, but it is just as ILLOGICAL as the former. No dubt both metods can be made to produce forward action from the horse, but only because in principle it make the horse, or threaten to make the horse, too uncomfortable to stay where he is. If we want the INTELLIGENT CO-OPERATION of our horse we must clearly use the more intelligent form of communication than that. We express our wish to go forward by a distinct INWARD AND FORWARD ACTION of the leg ... sufficient to rub against the lie of the hair. When spurs are worn they also will ultimately come into contakt , but only in a comparatively sensitive and kind manner. ..."