This book is an easy read with expressive pictures. Pete's father plays a game with him to cheer him up and his mother soon joins in. It is a sweet family moment, where the family uses lots of imagination. At first, I didn't see the charm in this book. But my three year old twins liked it. They started requesting it more and more often. And I enjoyed reading it each time. It is a "feel good" book. (And, for me, the price of the book is worth just hearing my toddlers say "Pete's a Pizza!") Since my children are so delighted with Pete being made into a pizza, and then seeing the "pizza" run away, I think I will have to try making them into a pizza soon.

This book is my 4 year old daughter's favorite! It gives us both a good laugh everytime we read it. It's a must-have for every home as it teaches kids and parents how to be creative on a rainy day. Watching Pete's parents turn him into a pizza was quite funny!

My wife and I are currently expecting our first child and have begun putting together a little library of children's books. This one is our favorite. It's sweet and funny and has wonderful illustrations. I can't wait to read it to our little one -- and to make "Pizza" a game for our family as well!

As a wooden boatbuilding teacher, I must recomend reading materials to my students, some of which do not read all that well. Mr. Buehler writes a manuel on the construction of wooden cruising boats, which, Although written in a lighthearted, easy to read style, tells all the details needed to build a boat. He is a man who has done it and continues to do it, and I would imagine will always do it. It, being building wooden boats. He, like many of us "neither worships nor derives sexual pleasure from wooen boats", but will always love them nonetheless. I recomend this book to anyone even mildly interested in building a boat of any material.

For those of you who are tiard of having someone tell you how to spend your money when it comes to boating. For those of you who are tiard of look alike boats with no personality then this is a book for you. For those of you who dream of owning a real blue water cruising sailboat, this is a must have book. This book is a no nonsense, down to earth, how to manual for building a wooden sailboat. This book is biased towards hard chimed sailboats that are easier to build than round hulls so the builder has a better chance of completing their project. Everything in this book is simplified. Do not take this to mean that the boats described in this book are unsafe, they are probably the safest boats on the water, but that the building and maintenance of these boats are a first consideration in the design. The book starts off with a description of different types of hulls along with different building materials. It then moves on to the different materials you will need and then a "this is step one" aproach to building a sailboat from the keel up. All steps from casting a keel to framing up, to planking, to building an interior, installing the hardware and standing up the rig are covered in detailed instructions with just the right amount of humor and story tossed in to keep you hooked. All the while it is assumed you are an everyday joe and not some millionair with money to burn doing the work. To top it off, included in the back of the book are plans for several sailboats that are complete and ready to build from. What more could you ask. The plans themselves are worth the cost of the book! Did I like this book, you better believe I did. You should pick up a copy and read it with an open mind, you might start thinking about boating with a different attitude towards what "must be done" to be on the water.

The hardest thing about this book is spelling the author's name.

Buheler sets out a wonderful and simple method for building a boat--any boat. While he has some small scale plans and offsets in the book (and available from him in large scale), the strength of this book is the advice. He's "been there and done that".

His boat designs and construction methods are RUGGED. I'm not a marine engineer or naval architect, but he seems to love massive wood structures, and uses them whereever he can, even if they may not really be nessasary.

But, as he says, when things start to blow, I'm sure they're a comfort. Even if you aren't building with that in mind, read his book for the ideas. The tips on nails alone saved me lots of money.

And trust me, you'll laugh, too.

Every so often an author creates a book that propels one through time into a place where we can measure how far we have come and how arduous was the journey. Dr. Doumani has created such a work. Antarctica is a place as foreign to me as the moon or outer space, yet through skillful narrative with wholly human contacts and foibles, this geologist has given us all a vivid texture of a forbidden, wondrous continent. A place that I doubt I shall ever experience first hand but one which I feel has come to life through this book's fascinating story of early exploration. It is scientific without being burdensome, compelling without being pretentious, delightful and funny yet captivating in mystery and danger. Why do we want to have such a book by our side? As Dr. Doumani states: "One conquest was not enough. It never is. It is...a response to a challenge, a decisive test of man's endurance" which will always bind and attract us as long as our curiousity and love of life continue.

The Frigid Mistress is very well written, factually educational, and throroughly enjoyable. Dr. Doumani, a geologist of world repute and a veteran of several Antarctic expeditions, uses plain but powerful language to make the reader feel part of this remote and desolate corner of the world, so much so that I shivered as I read the book. Equally important, the visits to Antarctica delivered proof of many scientific facts which hitherto had been largely theories. For example, it was long suspected that the Southern Hemisphere continents had once been one large continent including Antarctica, and then, over geologic time, they broke up and drifted apart. Now there can be no doubt; it is a fact. This and many other discoveries described by Dr. Doumani provide scientific validations, and always in a fascinating way. For enjoyment, entertainment, and being eduated in the process, this licid, highly recommended reading deserves five stars--or more.

Everyone who has spent time in the field in the Antarctic will identify with this book--armchair explorers will find it intriguing. In this authentic account, Dr. Doumani gives readers more than a passing glimpse into the minds and hearts of those who know Antarctica. As part of the United States team of geophysical researchers during the International Geophysical Year in 1958, and several later expeditions, Dr. Doumani relates the day-to-day hardships as well as the triumphs that this inhospitable land can generate. He writes in a style that brings the reader along with him not as an observer only, but as a participant in his expeditions. He obviously kept a detailed diary and it is the foundation of the book, but the excellent writing recreates an authentic dialogue of events, description of people invloved, and account of exploration in the field that is personal and up close. Dr. Doumani is not out to created heroes of himself or others, but to describe the role that each person played in the drama--allowing all to emerge as heroes. In so doing he has developed a story that is engaging, personal and, above all readable. Several old polar hands from this era of exploration stated to me that they could not put the book down--it moved them, took them back to a time past, and refreshed their sense of having been "on the ice". There is no finer testament!

This book was so special to me becuase I have known George Burk for over 5 years. All of us have bad things happen to us. Usually these are short lived. George was in a plane crash that has lingering effects that will be with him always. Yet he is one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever known. He has a wonderfully positive outlook on life. As I always tell him, he is MY TRUE HERO. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Read the story of a man who went through a tough situation and survived to become a wonderful human being. I have given a copy of this book to many friends and relatives as gifts. A MUST READ!

This story has been and will continue to be a true inspiration to anyone who reads it. I have known Captain Burk for thirteen years and was familiar with his experiences. The book provided me an in depth realization of the chain of miracles that lead to Mr. Burk's survival of such a tragic event. The Bridge Never Crossed causes the reader to reflect on what is really important in life and realize that God has a plan for each of us. I have purchased several copies to share with family and friends. George has been one of the most influential people in my life. He is constant reminder that each of us control our own destiny.

This wonderful, courageous and inspirational story makes a perfect gift for anyone on your list - mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, co-workers, friends, enemies, ANYONE! Capt. George Burk is a truly remarkable, amazing man with a truly remarkable, amazing story...a story that I defy ANYONE not to be moved by. Capt. Burk was a recent guest on our radio show...and never has any guest had the impact on my me and my co-host, Debbie...but our producer, the engineer - EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING! George Burk is one of the most incredible people I have ever had the great opportunity to come into contact with. I will say right now...if you haven't read this book - read it NOW!! You will not be sorry - you will be changed.

Over the years, I have worked with dozens of small-to-midsize companies, all of which were in dire need of improving one or more of the following: cost reduction, culture change, customer retention, cycle-time reduction, defect reduction, market-share growth, productivity improvement, and product-service development. You can thus understand why I was curious to know to what extent (if any) Six Sigma could be helpful to small-to-midsize companies.

By now we have become well aware of the success of Six Sigma initiatives at major international corporations such as ABB, Allied Signal/Honeywell, Black & Decker, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Federal Express, General Electric, Johnson and Johnson, Kodak, Motorola, SONY, and Toshiba. Once having read this book, I am convinced that -- with certain modifications -- Six Sigma could perhaps be even more valuable to small-to-midsize companies which, obviously, have fewer resources. What exactly is Six Sigma? The authors provide this definition: "A comprehensive and flexible system for achieving, sustaining, and maximizing business success. Six Sigma is uniquely driven by close understanding of consumer needs, disciplined use of facts, data, and statistical analysis, and diligent attention to managing, improving, and reinventing business processes."

The authors identify what they call "hidden truths" about Six Sigma:

1. You can apply Six Sigma to many different business activities and challenges -- from strategic planning to operations to customer service -- and maximize the impact of your efforts.

2. The benefits of Six Sigma will be accessible whether you lead an entire organization or a department. Moreover, you'll be able to scale your efforts, from tackling specific problems to renewing the entire business.

3. You'll be prepared to achieve breakthroughs in these untapped gold mines of opportunity -- and to broaden Six Sigma beyond the realm of the engineering community.

4. You'll gain insights into how to strike the balance between push and pull -- accommodating people and demanding performance. That balance is where real sustained improvement is found. On either side -- being "too nice" or forcing people beyond their understanding and readiness -- lie merely short-term goals or no results at all.

5. The good news is, Six Sigma is a lot more fun than root canal. Seriously, the significant financial gains from Six Sigma may be exceeded in value by the intangible benefits. In fact, the changes in attitude and enthusiasm that come from improved processes and better-informed people are often easier to observe, and more emotionally rewarding than dollar savings.

The authors organize their material as follows: Part One: An Executive Summary of Six Sigma; Part Two: Gearing Up and Adapting Six Sigma to Your Organization; Part Three: Implementing Six Sigma -- The Roadmap and Tools; and finally, The Appendices: Practical Support. According to Jack Welch, "The best Six Sigma projects begin not inside the business but outside it, focused on answering the question -- how can we make the customer more competitive? What is critical to the customer's success?...One thing we have discovered with certainty is that anything we do that makes the customer more successful inevitably results in a financial return for us."

If anything, it is even more important for small-to-midsize companies (than it is for the GEs of the world) to answer these two questions correctly and then track and compare their performance in terms of what their customers require. The well-publicized objective of Six Sigma is to achieve practically-perfect quality of performance (ie 3.4 defects for every million activities or "opportunities") and this is indeed an ambitious objective. Collins and Porras, authors of Built to Last, would probably view it as the biggest of Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). In that book, they assert that the most successful and admired companies have the ability -- and willingness -- to simultaneously adopt two seemingly contrary objectives at the same time. Stability and renewal, Big Picture and minute detail, creativity and rational analysis -- these forces, working together,, make organizations great. This "we can do it all" approach they call the "Genius of the And."

Pande, Neuman, and Cavanagh suggest that all manner of specific benefits can result from following "the Six Sigma way." For example, Six Sigma generates sustained success, sets a performance goal for everyone, enhances value to customers, accelerates the rate of improvement, promotes learning and "cross-pollination", and executes strategic change. All organizations (regardless of their size or nature) need to avoid or escape what the authors refer to as the "Tyranny of Or." Here in a single volume is about all they need to seek "practically-perfect quality of performance." Whether or not they ultimately reach that destination, their journey en route is certain to achieve improvement which would otherwise not be possible.

If you're looking for the definative guide to Six Sigma, you've just found it. From fundamentals to advanced program management, its all here. I first read Pande and Holpp's little 87-page book "What is Six Sigma." The impressive guide convinced me that I needed to pick up a copy of their "The Six Sigma Way." I'm really glad that I did. As a management consultant, I can say without reservation that the ideas expressed in this book are applicable to almost every manager -- regardless of whether or not they are currently involved in a formal Six Sigma program. In addition to enhancing quality, the Six Sigma framework is very useful in identifying and removing irrelevant processes from your product or service operations. Saving your Company both time and money... and freeing up your employees for more value-added work. In addition, I would also recommend Hammer and Champy's "Reengineering the Corporation" and Ashkenas, Kerr, and Ulrich's "The GE Work-Out." Overall Grade: B+/A.

I found the book to be clearly written and even fun in places. It provides a solid and practical overview of the principles of Six Sigma. It explains Six Sigma as a flexible system to help manage processes in companies. It addressed all the questions I had in trying to decide whether Six Sigma is appropriate for my company. It provides much practical and non-dogmatic advice about how to implement. I bought the book to prepare my self to fight against the six sigma way. After reading it, I am very enthusiatic and am planning to propose this approach for my company. I highly recommend the book for anyone needing an overview of the topic from a management perspective.

This book is Pat at his best. Of course once you buy this one you'll want the rest, so you might as well take advantage of the reduced shipping and just order them all. Get the hard bound versions otherwise you'll wear the binding out from re-reading the stories in these books.

My favorite line about his bike, was "built by a fiend with his own 3 hands, traded to my mother for the price of a good milk cow." The seat was like a hatchet, put a doily on it for padding.

Pat just sets you up, and then drops it on you, the next minute everyone in the room is looking at you as you are laughing and rolling on the floor tears streaming from your face.

I will say that some people just don't get it. Dave Berry calls them humor impared, and well there is no cure. But for the rest of us, if you've ever spent any time fishing, camping, or just messing around outside as a kid, these are the books for you.

One other note: You can't lend these books out, they don't come back! So I keep a pile of them in my closet as gifts.

Patrick Mcmanus is an awesome writer! I could hardly put the book down. It was so FUNNY! His way of describing real life outdoor situations is hilarious. He is definitly one of the best outdoor humorists of all time!!!

I just started this book. I like to read every evening, just after I go to bed in order to help myself fall asleep. This book is my "anti-routine." It makes me laugh so hard, I can scarcely finish a paragraph. Tears are running down my cheeks, the bed is shaking for all its worth, and going to sleep is the last thing I can do. Patrick F. McManus has a masterpiece with these oh-so-funny accounts of his outdoor experiences. Read it yourself, and weep!

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A CHRISTIAN WOMAN TO FIND THIS BOOK USEFUL. You just have to want God in your life and to put God first. I am so enthusiastic about this book that I am writing a review when I am only two-thirds of the way through. The principles that the author expounds are age old principles for walking with God, particularly if you are a Christian. Over the years I have heard them in church. However, here in this book, the points are pulled together in a clear and concise manner - easy to read; easy to understand.

Many writers these days create companion manuals for their work. This book deserves a companion manual - a workbook so to speak.

My one disagreement with the author is the idea of submission to one's husband. I agree that there must be mutual respect, love and honor between both parties, but for now I will have to take a rain check on the submission part. When one starts getting into submission, one gets too dangerously close to subverting one's identity to the will of another. This can lead to unhealthy consequences. Aside from this one disagreement, I LOVE THIS BOOK. I borrowed it from the library, and I will now go out and buy a copy which will be very marked, lined and highlighted. My copy will always be close at hand.

This book is full of biblical truth for women. This is a book every woman should read if they truly want to be transformed from the inside OUT. This book will encourage you and convict you to be the woman that God wants you to be. You will begin to see areas in your life that you may have not given over to God and will begin to let go and let God work in them. What a blessing this book was to me and my family!

I had been seeking God about being all that He wanted me to be. I had already begun to streamline a lot of areas of my life. Then I was blessed with Elizabeth's book and I have begun to apply a number of principles in the book. I love the practical questions that's like a Bible study guide. It has been truly been a blessing to me. As much as I go to the Christian bookstore, I had never seen A woman after God's Own Heart. Thank God Walmart now carries it and it just leaped off the shelf to me.

I've really worn it out. Thank God for you.

Even if you're not a fan of singer Connie Francis, this is a hearwarming, romantic story of the strugles and triumphs that only love can edure and conquer.

It also shows how the power of song, sung by a power of a voice can influence our lives.

Reading you won't want to put down until the very last word. And then pick it up and read again!

I attended the book launch for With Love, With Connie.
The story intrigued me. Now that I have read the novel, I want to compliment George Henaut on his creative talents. I've had the characters and plot floating through my head since I began reading the romantic journey of Robert and Rachel. Of course, the songs of Connie Francis take on new meaning.I can understand why the last chapter was not entitled, "Who's Sorry Now?" The novel does a commendable job of revealing the influence that entertainers have on our lives.It has satire, wit, humour and suspense, and of course, romance.

I note that novel summary and comments about the author are not provided so I'll take this opportunity to provide both.

About the Book:

December 12, 1997 is an extraordinary day in Robert Mascaux's life, involving him in a family funeral, his second wedding and a birthday party for a celebrity.

This romantic novel begins with a flashback to 1959, in Northumbria, a coastal community in Nova Scotia. Robert, a high school student, resides at the Manor, a private nursing home owned by his parents, Bertha and Camille, immigrants from Belgium. Robert's home life is enriched by his 'foster grandparents', the Manor residents. When Robert becomes a member of a Connie Francis fan club, he begins a lengthy correspondence with Rachel Turner, the club's teenage president, who lives on an estate in Flanders Cove, Connecticut, with her reclusive, artistic aunts, fondly called 'the bouquet'.

The reader discovers the enduring power of love through the struggles and triumphs that Robert and Rachel encounter during their friendship, spanning 38 years. The novel depicts the influence that singers can have on their fans and also reveals parallels that can exist between the lives of singers and their admirers. The music of Connie Francis is the thread of continuity for the couple for whom fate, an international border, family responsibilities, and a sinister villain delayed their marriage until December 12, 1997.

George Henaut:

George R. Henaut has an abiding interest in language - its power and its beauty. His career as an educator provided many opportunities to enhance and share this passion with others. Since 1990 he has written, directed and produced ten dramas for audiences in his native Nova Scotia. His plays and short stories have been influenced not only by life on the Atlantic seaboard, but also by his Christian spirituality and appreciation of traditional family values. All of these influences have culminated in his first novel, With Love, With Connie, which also reveals his enduring appreciation of the music of Connie Francis. His greatest desire is to share this romantic, yet turbulent story of Robert and Rachel with others.

This isn't like the Disney movie! I loved this book but at the same time I was shocked by the violence of the fighting between Hook and the Lost Boys and the Indians. I don't think I'll be reading this one to my nephews and neices, not until I have edited out the violent bits. It wasn't that In-Your-Face violence of the Hollywood movies, it was more insinuated and there was definetly a menacing atmosphere surrounding Wendy's, Peter's and Michael's adventures in Never Never Land. I do recommend it though, just not for easily frightened youngsters. This is definetly in need of a PG rating on the cover. PARENTS: This is no Disney Peter Pan!

Driving with young children in the car quickly convinced me that it was unsafe to not give them something to listen to. After ten years I have collected a large (30+) bag of books-on-tape. I have also loaned them to others and asked for opinions. Peter Pan (read by Wendy Craig) is not only my favorite, but also the favorite of my wife and most of my friends. It is excellent for all ages (4 to 80) and even most hardened teenagers. Humour, presentation, ... a prefect 10.

The book 'Peter Pan' by J. M. Barrie is a truly beautiful work. It is never too cloyingly sweet or too harsh, and the child's perspective of the world is beautifully crafted. It does, however, bring you along on a journey to the Neverlands, and perhaps for a little while we can be reunited with our dreams.

Although Wendy seems a little prim, she is sweet and motherly. John was offhand and brave, Michael was tiny and believing. My favourite character was, however, Peter. The author really outdid himself on this one. Peter's innocent cockiness and love for dangerous adventures endeared him to me at once. He still has all his first teeth, and his first laugh - what more could we ask of him? His frightful happiness in danger reminds me of my seven-year-old self.

The book retains a magical quality right up to the last page. The midnight scene where Peter coaxes them out of the window has always stood out in my mind; there is a kind of magic in an ever-young boy, small and innocently cocky and always up to some mischief. The ending of the book is very sad, for only those who are gay and young and light-hearted can fly.

Definitely a book worth reading. Adults, trust me on this one: you might think you're too old to read this book, but once you do you'll find that a piece of Neverland still resides in your heart.