I like that there is a glossary of Spanish words at the end of the book, because I know that if I ever go to Mexico, I will know how to say thank-you and stuff like that (gracias). The idea of a maid teaching Josephina and Josephina being so eager to learn makes me stunned. I think that you will very much enjoy the pictures, as I did. I did not recognize the dyes that the girls used to dye the wool, but from the pictures I understood that they were very beautiful. (Carmelle, Age 8)

This is another one of the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a nine-year-old girl (almost ten!) living in the New Mexico of 1824. When a flashflood brings disaster to her father's rancho, Josefina's aunt Dolores suggests that they begin weaving blankets that they can trade. Josefina throws herself into the work, eager to help the family, but one of her sisters is holding back, and Josefina needs to find out why.

The final chapter of this wonderful book is a highly informative look at schooling in New Mexico in 1824. Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations are nothing short of excellent, and add so much to this wonderful story.

This is another of the excellent stories that American Girls presents. This one also has a fine lesson, while the story is highly entertaining. Also, I do enjoy the way the author has realistically woven Josefina's religion into her daily life; religion is something lacking in most American Girls stories. My eleven-year-old daughter and I read this book together; we both enjoyed it, and we both recommend it to you.

Nine year old Josefina Montoya is growing up on a rancho in New Mexico in 1824. When Josefina's Tia Dolores comes to visit to Montoyas, Josefina learns about a world beyond the rancho-a world of elegance. But Josefina and her sisters begin to worry that Tia Dolores will replace Mama, who died last year. And then disaster strikes. The Montoyas lose most of their sheep in a terrible flood. Tia Dolores comes to the rescue with the suggestion that the Montoyas weave blankets to sell so that they can get new sheep. But more and more, Josefina and her sisters begin to believe that all the new ideas their aunt has brought will make them forget all that Mama taught them. Then, Tia Dolores begins to teach the girls to read and write. Mama couldn't read and write, and Josefina and her sisters aren't sure she'd approve. More and more, Josefina must face many changes-both good and bad.

Josefina Saves the Day is about a girl age 10. She meets a american named Peter O'Toole, a scout for the wagon trail. Papa and Josefina trust Peter with their trades. Will Josefina get her trade? Will she and Francisa, and Clara, and Papa get what they want? To find out more read this book.

This is another one of the American Girls series about Josefina Montoya, a ten-year-old girl living in the New Mexico of 1824 (actually January of 1825). In this book, Josefina and her family travel to her grandfather's rancho to await the arrival of the wagon train from the United States. She meets her first American, Patrick O'Toole, a handsome scout for the wagon train. The family wants to trade blankets and mules with the Americans, but is this handsome young man trustworthy?

The final chapter is in an interesting and informative look at outdoor life in New Mexico in 1824. Jean-Paul Tibbles' illustrations, warm and filled with emotion, add a great deal to the story, and are a welcome addition.

My daughter and I both liked this book. The story has its scary parts, but it also has a nice lesson, and I enjoy the frank look at life then and there. This is another excellent book, a worthwhile addition to your library.

Ten year old Josefina Montoya, her father, and two of her sisters are staying with Josefina's grandfather and grandmother in Sante Fe while they await the arrival of an American wagon train. Josefina and her sisters trust a young American trader with a deal. But then, before he pays them, he leaves town. Has he cheated them? Josefina and her sisters must go on a daring late night adventure to find out.

"Jumping the Line" is a hobo phrase for "riding the rails," or hitching a ride on a freight car. It also brings to mind crossing boundaries, maybe even switching sides. Herrick has done both. Beginning life as a rail-riding hobo, Herrick developed an awareness of the plight of the downtrodden and eventually became not a member but employee of the American Communist Party. Herrick was hard-working element of the Party and an able union organizer and cell initiator. Willing to put his life on the line in backing his beliefs, Herrick traveled to Spain with the Abraham Lincoln brigade to fight the fascists in the Spanish Civil War. Comintern, the International Communist Party, hoped this effort would lead to a home for Communism in Spain. While Herrick's soldiering was brief (he quickly took a bulled to the neck, nearly crippling him), the Communist atrocities and double-dealing there made him see the Party in an entirely different light. Returning to the States an anarchist at heart, Herrick had a wife to support and was tied to the Party for a paycheck. His outspokenness about the Stalin-Hitler pact led to his dismissal and his full emergence as an anarcho-social democrat. Appearing in these pages as Herrick formalizes his distrust of all power is such figures as Emma Goldman, Cole Porter and Herrick's former employer Orson Welles. This fascinating work is historically enlightening and a textbook in the formation of practical anarchism from an adventurer-author struck from the same mold as George Orwell.

"Jumping The Line" is a brutally honest and frank account of William Herrick's life on the American Left - as a young Communist who quickly became disillusioned with the excesses of Stalinism and of Soviet Anti-Semitism. An early volunteer in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion fighting Fascism in Spain, Herrick was badly wounded in the first major battle fought by the Lincolns at Jarama. Transferred to a hospital, Herrick witnessed firsthand the betrayals and backstabbing policies of the Soviet Secret Police and their minions. Returning home, Herrick then suffered the emotional wound of the Hitler-Stalin Pact, and being Jewish, promptly broke with the Party - courageously demonstrating as "a veteran of the Spanish Civil War - victim of the Hitler-Stalin Pact. He went on to adventures serving as a majordomo of sorts for Orson Welles - and some of the tales told here about "Citizen Kane" are quite hilarious. Herrick once told Life Magazine that his reasons for going to fight Hitlerism in Spain were that "As A Jew I know what Hitler is doing to my people".While he later admitted that it was the Party who instructed this to say the aforementioned remark, his pride and emotional attachment to his people clearly stands out in "Jumping The Line" as well as his "no prisoners taken" attitude towards both Fascism and Communism. This is indeed a memoir that Jews and all interested in the Spanish Civil War worldwide should read and while Herrick is a man who will admit his faults with candor, he is nonetheless a brave man and excellent writer - "Hermanos" is also strongly recommended by this reviewer.

This book is, very simply, the best memoir ever published by an American volunteer in the Spanish Civil War. It is a relentless autopsy on the murdered idealism of the young Communists who went to fight the fascists in Spain but ended up serving as hard guys for Russian dictator Josef Stalin and his secret police. It also shows clearly that the native supporters of the Spanish left were out for more than just a repudiation of fascist aggression: they were fighting for a social revolution, based on the labor movement, of a kind Stalin hated and feared much more than he did the fascists. This book also stands as a uniquely truthful and beautiful account of the lives of American and international Communist cadres; Bill Herrick speaks for every comrade who risked his or her life fighting for the world revolution in the 1930s, only to be brutally betrayed by Stalinism. It is extremely doubtful that a better book about the appeal of revolutionary Communism or the experience of its youthful militants will ever be written, at least in English.

King Leary is a very funny novel. I really enjoyed this book because its setting is right around where I live. The characters in this novel seemed real and alive. Paul Quarrington is an author who really gets involved in his work. This novel is a great recommendation to anyone who really enjoy's a good Canadian laugh!

Happy Reading and enjoy!

King Leary is an old man now, but in his heydey he was the king of the ice, leaving opponents clutching at air as he executed the famous St Louis Whirligig. He is tracked down by an androgyous advertising company hack to promote a brand of ginger ale, and together they commence a laughter-inducing trip to the big city to make ads.

This book will have you holding your stomach and wiping your eyes. It would be worth the read just to find out the real meaning of the King's Indian nickname, Loofweda, which he translates as "skates like the wind".

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Based loosely on hockey as it was earlier in the 20th century. Written in the first person, a style of which Quarrington is a master (see also "Whale Music"). Also, like Whale Music, very touching at times.

Unfortunately Veronica Slater is seriously wrong about La Nausee. This book is not a gift from Heaven, nor could it be. It is a gift from Sartre, the existential atheist. If it were a gift from Heaven then Sartre would be a hypocrate, seeming as that he doesn't believe in God. This book is deep, but not for a Philosopher, nor for a true philosophy lover. It introduces the reader to the mind of Sartre, to the truly existential way of mind. It lets the reader know that not everything is as concrete as one has come to accept. And, it is true, the realization that things have no true meaning, that definitions are not of an object's essence, can be quite nauseating. So don't read this book after eating a full course meal...

This book, La Nausee, was certainly a gift from heaven. As I read it in front of the fire, over the shoulder of a gorgeous male, with a pathetic man at the window, I was struck by the poetry of the whole thing. La Nausee speaks about scruples, existentialism, and curmudgeons. Life is not all one big Remington Party, it points out. Au contraire, we must pay attention to love (the heart), honour (the crown), and friendship (the clasped hands). One can lose their soul in this book, so be careful not to get too involved. Not only is it extremely deep, it is also a very attractive book. Angelic!

This book, La Nausee, was certainly a gift from heaven. As I read it in front of the fire, over the shoulder of a gorgeous male, with a pathetic man at the window, I was struck by the poetry of the whole thing. La Nausee speaks about scruples, existentialism, and curmudgeons. Life is not all one big Remington Party, it points out. Au contraire, we must pay attention to love (the heart), honour (the crown), and friendship (the clasped hands). One can lose their soul in this book, so be careful not to get too involved. Not only is it extremely deep, it is also a very attractive book. Angelic!

Paul David Madsen nearly makes major career changes, especially entrepreneurial moves, seem easy in "Laid Off & Loving It." The book is immensely inspiring, even to an individual such as myself who recently found a gratifying new job (I found that new position following some vital guidance from Madsen). The thought-provoking vignettes in which successful professionals need to make often abrupt career moves made me start to think of what really interests me and where my strengths lie, and how I could create my own lucrative business someday.

Not only are the stories inspiring, they also offer guidance as to how everyday people can become entrepreneurs. Useful Web sites, trade associations and helpful hints abound in the book.

Additionally, "Laid Off & Loving It" is an interesting and fun read, something most people would not expect in a career transition book. No one enjoys looking for a new job or career, but Madsen inspires the reader to consider a career change more an exciting challenge than a daunting task.

This book is like a breath of fresh air for those looking for a new job or considering a career change. The author's ideas are truly unique as well as motivating. I wish I would have had this book years ago.

What a relief to find a book that recognizes the complexity of finding the career that you REALLY want. The author's approach of telling short vignettes about people in transition makes the reading fast and informative! I especially appreciated the additional websites that Madsen provided at the end of each chapter.

Readers will definitely gain new insight into their career prospects. Madsen stresses taking what you know and thinking laterally about where your knowledge can be leveraged. Each chapter provides an example of how people like you and me succeed despite unwanted or unexpected career changes.

I've worked with the author in his capacity as a job coach and have found his services invaluable. As a professional that took a six year break from corporate life to raise my kids, I had to quickly shift gears after my husband was laid off. Madsen was key to helping me get my head back in the game. He's helped me formulate a great resume, winning cover letters, and perhaps most importantly, navigate the uncertain waters of interviewing and negotiating for the benefits and salary that we need.

In this book, Madsen has done a great job of translating his 20+ years in the headhunting experience into a usable resource for job seekers.

This book is a really good account of Bear Bryant but i could not get past the ego of Mickey Herskowitz. Clearly he tries to use Bear Bryant's life story to propell his name into the spotlight. Who cares if he was on hand for all of these incredible events? He should consider himself lucky that he even knew the man. Mickey Herskowitz, if you are listening to me, I will debate my disgust with you personally. Establish communication with me by e mail at wl43742@swt.edu. I won't expect a reply.

Mickey Herskowitz was in the same office with me and several others of us stationed at Barstow,Ca. in MSgt Bliss's office and I was in personnel. Mickey can E mail me at Johnv5250@Aol.com. Would love to hear from him

This is excellent reading about one of the most famous men ever to walk the sidelines. Mickey Herskowitz provides great insight to Bear Bryant as a coach and a person. I really enjoyed this book.

Remembering the first, or the reinstatement of that first Lottery Draft was one of the most difficult times of my teenage years. We all had heard of a war and knew of even a few of our friends that had gone to serve and some that had died. Civics class was full of discussions and debate that paralleled those raging in our own Congress. It seemed so strange to be fighting a war when there was this huge debate on whether we should be involved or not. I met or knew few people that wanted to die somewhere in Southeast Asia that many had never even heard of or could even spell.

Paul Reed gives an honest and straightforward story of the events that led to his enlistment, training, and volunteering to go and fight in Vietnam. It's hard to imagine the reality of a life in the jungle for an entire year. If the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan's gutwrenching, muscle steeling attack on one awaiting there own demise is the only experience you can call on to imagine what war is about, then this first hand description is available. It's not Homer or Shakespeare, but a straightforward accounting by a well trained boy and his observations as a soldier.

I did not want to go to Vietnam. I did not want to fight somewhere or die somewhere that could not be agreed on by a government that rules us all. We should have gone to win or not gone. Those that went, either by draft or by conviction, are to be commended not only for their bravery, but for their sense of duty and the fact that they merely obeyed the call of their country. Their heroism was displayed when they put the uniform on and put themselves in harms way. Not that they showed some action in duties "above and beyond", but that they were there, they were ready, while those of us, myself included, holding lottery number 311 did not have to go at all. I was merely lucky.

I cannot imagine the carnage of war or the ability to remove those sights and sounds from my mind. I do not think it can be done. Veterans must be much stronger than those of us who stayed behind, to be able to cope with their lives after such a war and to go on as if it did not happen. Paul Reed's account describes the process by which he chose to open his eyes and see the humanity of his enemy through a captured diary and to allow the forgiveness of our Creator to come into his life and that of Nguyen van Nghia and extend the gift of freedom to those of us who did not go and fight those terrible battles in that terrible war.

The poetry of the diary is not complex, but it has been translated. What may rhyme in English or structurally be wonderful is sometimes lost when translated into other tongues. In this case, what was written in Vietnamese may lose something in its translation into English, but the message comes through beautifully.Nguyen van Nghia's words speak for themselves:

Love bears no grudge ... Do not rush love in order to enjoy it... Handle love with care... Calm yourself, listen to the world speak... Show the way for the younger generation...

For this person that stayed behind, Kontum Diary showed me for the first time that a mistake had been made in entering that war. Those that died did not die in vain, for they answered their country's call. For those us of who did not or did not have to, I am, and we should all be eternally grateful. Read this with book with an open mind and see if you too find it a bit easier to exclude the prejudice, hatred, and the stupidity from our lives that make it so difficult to grow and become what it is that we desire to be.

As a fellow Vietnam veteran, I found Paul Reed's diary memorable and moving. All of us should be thankful his mother saved his keepsakes which motivated Paul Reed to follow his heart and reconcile not only with the man who wrote the diary but also with himself. The book is well written and reflects the author's courage in facing an incendiary time in his life and the life of the nation. His book contributes to the healing process.

The Kontum Diary was the beginning of a journey for me. Reading about Paul's experience in Viet Nam and the years that followed touched a deep chord inside. My first husband died young after his own tour of duty there in the sixties. He was exposed to agent orange which exaserbated the heart attack which eventually killed him. He also suffered from post traumatic stress syndrom, although it didn't have a name then. The Kontum Diary inspired me to write a song which, for me, was a catharsis, a way that I could personalize what I had read in Paul's book and understand what my husband had struggled with. I could, like Paul, let go of the pain and become healed. This is a book that goes far beyond the documentary of two men's lives and the way they came to bury their swords. It is an inspirational story of hope and sends a very strong message about letting go of prejudice and fear and embracing a path of love and friendship.

The author provides us with beautiful photographs of Vietnam, a thousand year old country. Pictures of mountains, seas, paddy fields, towns and villages alternated with those of children afflicted with war induced deformities and a veteran amputee receving treatment. What makes the book interesting is the juxtaposition of black photographs of the war and colored images of the present.

For the past is interwined with the present. The horrors of the war have left indelible marks on the people and country alike as Raymer has shown us in his book.

The authors do an excellent job of transposing the "American Image" of Vietnam into the beautiful and complex country that it really is. It draws from that "American Image" rooted in the drama of the war years, and gradually leads us to a clearer understanding of just what the country is today (and what it was before the intensity of the U.S. involvement)and where it may go in the future. It is encouraging, and very hopeful, to see the country and its people re-anchored in their traditional values--in spite of the current relic of communism--and to appreciate the renewed emphasis on education, family, business, and integration into the world economy. Clearly, it has been a long hard row to hoe, but it is moving in the right direction. Jack Smith's introduction lays this out, and it is reenforced by the text and Mr. Raymer's revealing photographs. The result is a far better sense of place and people.

Jack Smith's introduction says it all -- Vietnam is a beautiful, peaceful land that is going places. Doing this book brought back a lot of memories and was a tonic for the soul. Enjoy it!

When this story came out, it was many times better than the awful Legion stories that faithful fans had to endure in previous years. To watch Giffen's artwork get better with each issue was a treat. Levitz and Giffen understood Legion lore and knew how to entertain the old fans.

The problem: Darkseid. Prior to this story, Darkseid had made NO previous appearance in Legion stories. Because of this, when his identity is revealed, I was left confused. Not having any prior knowlegde of this character, I wondered who the heck he was and how he fit in the continuity. Its as if Lex Luthor showed up in a Sgt. Rock comic.

A great story with a lot of attention to detail, especially with regard to Jack Kirby's Fourth World saga and the Legion's 30th Century world in general. Also included is a copy of the Giffen/Mahlstadt poster which includes almost every character that appeared in Legion stories up to that point. Fun to figure out who the villains are and this story is amazingly consistant and strong regarding the Legion's multiple personalities.

All through the years, the Legion of Superheroes has been the greatest and most popular superhero group in the comics industry. For any die-hard fan, the highest point in the LSH history has been those wonderful issues written by Paul Levitz, drawn by Keith Giffen and inked by Larry Mahlstedt. A combination between science fiction and magic, this saga tells the story of Darkseid's attempt to take over the 30th. Century universe and the struggle form every legionnaire and hero known to stop him. A strong script from Levitz and the unforgettable art form Giffen/Mahlstedt make this story the most praised adventure from the heroes of the future. So, if you ever see this book, buy it. It's very difficult to find, and maybe a little expensive but it's worth its price.