I just bought Slices of Sunlight and read a little from it each night. I feel I have met the children whose lives are recorded in the pages. Truly comforting. One of these days I will, with tears, no doubt, make one of the recipes.

In Slices Of Sunlight by Alice J. Wisler creates a delightfully creative, painfully original tribute to children who have died. Just as meal times traditionally draw families together, even as food has always been a way to draw people together, Wisler portrays that tradition to honor the memory of shared meals, recipes and love in this wonderful cookbook. Bereavement is such a difficult subject, especially when one has lost a child. As Wisler reminds us, we are identified by our children. How many we have, how old they are, what they become. And when they die, be it a car accident or cancer, life never returns to "normal" for the parents left behind. We expect to die first but when our children leave, others are often unable to accept our expressions of loss, pain, and grief. But somehow, the grieving parent must find a way to live again. And with Slices Of Heaven, Wisler has discovered a way to bring the memory of the lost children into shared memories and recipes, allowing the children to figuratively live again. Wisler shares what makes this cookbook different from any other: "Here, within these pages, the recipes hold the memories of children, thereby adding the best and brightest flavor to each of them. The favorite recipes are not just food, they are etched into the fibers of our hearts along with the other dear memories connected to our children. These recipes hold powerful legacies." Within the pages of this book, the reader is introduced to many wonderful children. Some of my favorites: Meet Billy, who ate meatloaf sandwiches every day at school for three years. Gregory, who climbed up on the kitchen table to scarf Caesar salad while his parents prepared dinner every night. Curt, the micro-chef who sprayed the wrong bottom of the pan. Jennifer, who could eat the entire recipe of Butter Almond Crescents herself. Slices Of Sunlight is a self-published book, and the proceeds from the sale go to The National Childhood Cancer Foundation in Arcadia, CA. I heartily recommend that all readers help themselves to a generous slice of this wonderful cookbook. For those who would enjoy contributing, Wisler is planning a second edition that will "focus not only on recipes but memorials and tributes to the children we long to hold."

Cindy Penn Reviewer

How uplifting to see author Alice J. Wisler on WRAL's noon news today (Raleigh, NC) and hear her speak with such courage and dedication about her commitment to perserving the memories of children who have died. "Slices Of Sunight" is truly a unique grief book and one that continues to bring comfort and hope to those who are bereaved. And by the way, the Chicken Breasts Alfredo recipe she talked of on the air is delicious, too.

Tons of info, easy to use, very useful. I'm not saying it's the best out there (I haven't seen them all), but this has an awful lot of useful info. Nicely organized, easy to use, good stuff.

This is truly a GUIDEBOOK. It will guide you through your genealogical experience. When you get frustrated, "hit a brick wall," this is a good place to go for ideas. This will tell you where and how to look up all sorts of neat stuff. Essential stuff like what are the goodies of each census, who, where and what you can find info on all the soldiers from the wars. It DOESN'T have addresses to all the places you should be writing to---it is not that detailed. This just guides you. There are other books out there that can help you with courthouse recorder, deeds, phone #'s etc. Its got completely useless chapters TO ME on urban ancestry, all minorities ancestry is covered, phone directories, yearbooks, etc. How monstrous ship records and immigration records can be! This is just a book to help you with the basics. Its a good thing to have around; if you have an exceptional memory and can remember where you can find everything and what you can get from all those sources, you probably will never need this book. But its a good thing to have around.

I went through a lot of genealogy books looking for the right one to help me along on my search for my ancestors.When I hit the book THE SOURCE A GUIDEBOOK OF AMERICAN GENEALOGY, I hit paydirt. It is my bible to my geneological research. It covers every conceiveable catagory and helps the beginner as well as the pro on where to search out answers, where to get information on vital records, tracking through lineage organizations and individual chapters on select ethnic groups.One of the best chapters is on Tracking Urban Ancestors for those of us who are tracking relations who lived in big cities. This book should be on every family historians home library shelf

This is a real eye opener. The dynamics of "Spiritual Housecleaning" enters the real world where you live. As the book demonstrates in its opening chapter, who would want to live in a home with poisonous SNAKES crawling around them? Yuck! My life was truly touched by the dramatic interpretation of what we are allowing in our closest domain. Then telling how to get rid of these entanglements for good. An easy to understand & liberating read.

Many are trapped in darkness by the embracing of wrong attitudes, harmful objects of worship and the possession of items that do not glorify God. This book not only explains open doors of deception, but also teaches the reader how to rid his home of evil. Eddie and Alice Smith provide a step by step guide of the practice of breaking the schemes of Satan in our homes, leading us into a life of peace, obedience and purity before God. Seeking the Lord and praying through our home is a practice that my family and I will continue to do in order to establish and maintain a pure home that worships God. If you sense evil in your home and deisre victory, this book is a must!

Spiritual Housecleaning by Eddie and Alice Smith is an outstanding book that reveals how Satan works to destroy our homes and our lives. Although many of his schemes may seem insignificant and perhaps innocent, they are designed to cause havoc in a Christian home. In this book, Alice and Eddie help us understand why these things are harmful to our Christian walk. Then they skillfully lead us through the steps to purify our homes. This book is a must for every Christian family!

The Standard Code is a better parliamentary authority then Robert's. It simplifies and modernizes parliamentary authority, making it more accessible to more people. Dump your RONR and get this work.

If you've always feared having to pull out the ol' Robert's Rules of Order because it was too detailed and complex for the casual social organizations in which you participated, help is here. Someone has realized that, because a group might need parliamentary procedures, it does not need the granularity required by The Parliament of England.

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure is understandable, comprehensive, logical, refined, and efficient. As it should, it covers all the formal business of holding a productive and respectful meeting. But it also includes procedures that facilitate business for the less formal organization or club.

Necessary jargon is defined in a glossary. The "Often-Asked Questions" section covers many common situations and eliminates the need to look through the chapters for most answers. The book is up-to-date, addressing contemporary and often-encountered situations such as holding meetings and elections via the telephone or Internet.

As a bonus, it serves as a resource to those trying to form an organization. There are chapters to help you prepare documents (like bylaws and financial records) that won't be in conflict with legal and parliamentary procedures down the line. It explains the hierarchy of documents that govern an organization. There's even a section that helps explain some of the arcane procedures in Robert's Rules!

I'm grateful to have found this gem. It deals with all the situations that my clubs have encountered.

One of the best modernised book on the parliamentary procedures.

1st published in 1950, this 3rd edition is revised by the American Institute of Parliamentarians in 1988.Since this publication, many organisations have changed their bylaws to designate it as their parliamentary authority, among them are: American Medical Association and the American Dental Association.

It is the second most popular parliamentary authority after Robert's Rules of Order.

WHAT GROUPS MUST FOLLOW PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE? 'All organizations, such as business, cultural, religious, social, fraternal, professional, educational, labor, civil, scientific, medical, and governmental, are subject to the principles and rules of common parliamentary law. All profit and non-profit corporations and associations and the boards, counsels, commissions, and committees of government, must observe its rules.' Sturgis, p. 3.

This book is undoubtedly one of the best and comprehensive works. There is also a chapter which intended especially to aid persons unfamiliar with parliamentary procedure.

To quote Dr. Floyd M. Riddick, Parliamentarian Emeritius US Senate: 'It is understandable vocabulary makes it usable by anyone, not just experts in the field. All students of parliamentary procedure should have a copy in their library.'

This book is a must read for students of medicine, psychology, counseling, social work, and health related fields! Dr. Chang provides insightful and educated information concerning helpful and harmful behaviors of helping professionals. Her description of her cancer treatment was detailed and realistic. I could not put the book down! Dr. Chang's emotions and behaviors during various stages of her treatment were very similar to my experience undergoing treatment for colon cancer. I think that this book will give the average population an awareness of what it is like to have cancer!

Dr. Chang's book A Survivor's Guide to Breast Cancer is a pehonmenal read. For the newly diagnosed, it can prepare and educate the patient and those who support her. for those in the midst of treatment, this book will help confirm and validate a patient's emotional and physiological experiences. The patient that has completed active treatment will be able to use Dr. Chang's book as an adjunct to therapy, to help process and bring to closure the ordeal she has been through. A patient's family members, friends, and even treatment team would benefit from this candid book. It is through Dr. Chang's selfless and uninhibited sharing that any one interested, will come to know "first hand" what it's like to have breat cancer. Dr. Chang leaves nothing out - from resources to practical suggestions, to coping strategies including the value of humor. It's a must read for breast cancer patients and anyone that works with them.

Dr. Alice Chang has written an incredibly moving account of her own bout with breast cancer. The book is truly an inspiration! The parts I like best include first, the conversational tone. Second, Alice models ideal patient behaviour. I'm taking this book with me next time I visit my physician. Third, she's very methodical in what she reports. I never doubted the accuracy of her word. Fourth, I really like the photographs. At first I thought the idea was kind of hokey, but once I looked at them, I quickly changed my mind. Last, there is a wonderful resource guide for anyone dealing with cancer, either personally or for a loved one. Alice, thank you so much for your more than wonderful work!

A wonderful introduction to the conditions of the roads for the early travelers by car in America. Because of their determination, our roads were improved and the automobile industry flurished. A great way to make children and adults aware of the history of the early automobiles and how people like Alice Ramsey believed in them. The geography lessons lend themselves to great mapping activities.

"On June 9, 1909, Alice Ramsey drove out of New York City and into a grand adventure. Alice Ramsey wanted to be the first woman to drive across America. Alice's friend, Hermine, and her sisters-in-law, Nettie and Margaret, traveled with her..." So begins Don Brown's marvelous story of a little known young woman and her dream. Mr Brown's engaging and informative text, told in an easy to read conversational style, is filled with enlightening details about how the trip progressed over its 59 day period. Pigs clogged the road in Illinois, and railroad tracks slowed them down in Chicago and "...the car bounced over mile after mile of rail until the women were dizzy." Dirt roads became muddy and impassable when it rained, and as they traveled further west, there were no roads at all. "Alice followed telephone lines, hoping the wires would lead her to the next town. It wasn't always successful-sometimes it left them even more lost." And there were many mishaps and breakdowns along the way. But as she crested the Sierra Mountains, Alice knew she was now in California and close to her goal. "Alice guided the Maxwell onto a ferry that carried them to San Fransisco. When she rolled off the ferry behind the wheel of her Maxwell, Alice Ramsey became the first woman to have driven across America! It was August 7, 1909, Fifty-nine days had passed since Alice left New York City." Charming watercolor illustrations add just the right touch, and highlight the important events of the story. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Alice Ramsey's Grand Adventure is an inspiring tale, told by a gifted storyteller, that is sure to whet the appetite of adventurous readers and send them out looking for more.

Luminous watercolors and a straightforward writing style serve to enchant the reader without over-romanticizing a true story. I look forward to more by this author.

I loved the main character, Alice Rose. Her adventures with Sam Clemens were both fun and educational. I learned quite a bit about the time period -- Lasky should be commended for her thorough research!

A while ago, I was faced with a decision: to read Alice Rose and Sam or another book for a book review. I decided, not really caring, to read Alice Rose and Sam. Now I am so happy that I did so I could tell other people about this great book. You just can't put it down! You learn about Alice Rose's time, too, so this is a simply marvelous book to read.

This novel is great fun. Alice Rose - never simply Alice - is a dynamic lead character who treads a narrow path between defying her era's gender roles and wanting nothing more than to go to Boston and be like her refined, petticoated cousins. Sam Clemens plays a supporting part, but does so memorably; his outrageous stories first land him a job on the paper, and then drive him out of town. Through the character of a Chinese immigrant, Lasky shows the reader the virulent racism of the time. Some readers may be put off by the novel's attitudes toward religion. Both Alice Rose and Sam rail against quotation-mark Christians, the sort who wear the name but do not live by the principles they espouse. However, both, also speak favorably of people they have known who have lived up to the name. The books only real flaw is a climax that may leave readers wondering for a moment just what has happened. The confusion is cleared up quickly, however. An author's note at the end describes the historical elements of the book and explains which are fact-based and which are totally fictional. All in all, an appealling heroine, the irrepressible Sam Clemens, and an exciting plot make this an excellent choice.

This stellar book manages to answer every question I ever had about Fair Isles Knitting, as well as a whole host of questions I hadn't even realized I should have been asking. Profusely illustrated with breathtaking color photographs, this book fills me with the mad inspiration to create every single time I open it. The charted designs are abundant and varied, the technical information is incomparable, and Starmore does an excellent job of making this highly detailed and specialized form of knitting accessible to beginners and experienced knitters alike. If you want to expand your knowledge of stranded multicolor knitting, this book is a MUST HAVE.

If you own ONE book on colorwork, this might just be the best choice. While Starmore deals with Fair Isle style knitting only, the techniques are useful for all kinds of knitting design.

In addition to the history of Fair Isle knitting, Starmore explains the use of OXO patterns mixed with "peerie" or bands of small patterns that are mixed with the larger patterns and provide a pleasing rhythm to the design. The fact that only two colors are used per row is hard to believe when you look at how Starmore mixes subtle color changes to yield some amazing results. She also shows the inspiration for the colorways, from a handful of wet sea pebbles, to a moor landscape, to a flea market display of bric-a-brac. You can find colorways all around you once you get an eye for how Starmore looks at the world.

The book has useful charts for OXO and peerie patterns and a section on how to construct classic pullovers, vests and cardigans. This is one of my most favorite knitting books.

This book will lead you through the history of fair isle knitting, designing, pattern and color selection, knitting with two or more colors, steeks, and finishing. Fair isle is magnificent and quite unlike anything else I'd done before. The concept of intricate color patterns done seamlessly with Shetland wool was and is quite appealing. I was able, with this book to become proficient in this marvelous style of knitting, creating a masterpiece my first go-round (pun unintended!). It also includes outstanding patterns. I literally wore out my first copy, the pages finally came loose from the binding and I am now on copy #2. I own quite a few books on knitting but consider this my fair isle reference.

Alice Adams draws the reader into the lives of five college women and then leads us through to their old age. The writing in this book is masterful. It shows us the interior lives of women -- the need for love, for lust, for career success, for acceptance. I could see parts of myself in each of the girls. Adams renders the relationship of women so accurately. Most books try to make female relationships too slap happy or too backstabbing. This is a gentle balance of both. The girls don't really like each other, but they do. It's real. And, the girls are real, too. I once had a literature professor who said that women can be categorized into three cubbyholes -- the black widow, the sea cow, and the ladybug. The black widow was sexiness, the sea cow was motherliness, and the ladybug was girlishness. Well, Alice Adams defies those stereotypes and creates five women who are not just surface pretty pictures of what women should be, but complete women who are as capable of sin as they are of kindness -- superior women.

Being allowed into the lives of intersting people is the goal of every reader. Alice Adams, a truly gifted writer, hands the reader this gift on a silver platter by the presentation of such compelling and interesting characters.

Reading anything by Alice Adams is a treat. Vivid characters, compelling storylines--she's a master (or should it be mistress?). This is one of my favorite books.

What qualifies the author to write this book is concisely summarized in a quote from his daughter: "Daddy likes to pig out." In the grand history of American gluttony (dating back to the first Thanksgiving dinner, I suppose), no one has ever pigged out with more demonstrable relish and native lack of hauteur than Calvin Trillin. His ode to the glories of Arthur Bryant's Barbecue - The Single Best Restaurant In The World - is a dithyramb worthy of Whitman. He is, in short, a true patriot - albeit one whose vision of multiculturalism is expressed in Italian fried-pepper sandwiches and Polish pierogies. There are lots of laughs in this volume but I value it more for its whole-hearted embrace of our authentic appetites. In a time of spiralling culinary pretention (whose standard bearer is Charlie Trotter and his dishes with paragraph-long names), "The Tummy Trilogy" is a palate-cleansing dish of sanity.

Trillin talks about food cleverly and with great humor, but not snobbily. I learned all about barbecue in Kansas City, oyster po'boys, Chinese food in NYC, and a ton of other delicious things. Three of the best food books of all time! But also excellent reading for someone who just enjoys well-written and funny stories.

The books in Calvin Trillin's Tummy Trilogy instilled in me forever a love of reading books aloud and an insatiable penchant for "American cuisine." I grew up reading them to my mother, a caterer, as she was busy in the kitchen. Aside from being absolutely hilarious, his descriptions of different dishes - from the humble french fry to more exotic regional dishes - would make our mouths water. Those descriptions and stories have never left me, and I've made a point of trying to visit some of the places he described in his books, including what I'd have to call a pilgrimage to the legendary Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City. Books to be savoured over and over again, preferably with an Italian sausage sandwich in hand.