David Bradley takes the basic questions we all ask ourselves and comes up with answers that leave you wondering if he's even on the same planet. (He is, he's just not exactly local.) By turns funny and touching, he gets at the heart of the human condition through some of fiction's kindest characters. Even the villains have something redeeming about them, even if they do remind you in a warped sort of way of Jake and Elwood Blues.

This is an incredibly gentle book, with a genuine heart for not only the characters, but the reader as well. You're a guest in a very unusual home in this work, and it's hard to keep from smiling, even as you find your way out to the skydeck out back, for a double portion of "divine swine." It's hard to not like a book that welcomes you like an old friend. Expect to read it over and over again.

I must say that I didn't expect much from this book but figured I'd read it based upon a friend's recommendation. Well, the story unfolds very nicely and the character development is excellent. Bradley has a certain Richard Bach (Illusions and Jonathan Livingston Seagull) likeness in his larger than life characters; and the philospohical aspects as metaphor of life underpin my comparison of the authors. All in all and excellent read!

I read the book twice because I loved it so much the first time! And I bought the CD-ROM so I could sneak the reading at work...

Seriously, though, this is one of those books that you really have to sit down and read, not just race through in a hurry. The characters are real and easily draw themselves in your mind and I found myself casting the movie. But, putting that aside, it appears to be deceptively simple until you realize just how much is really happening around the edges.

Bradley writes for the thinking Sci-Fi readers, not just those who are into little green men and shoot-em-ups on Jupiter. There's a richness to his story-telling that you might now see at first, but it creeps up on you and never fails to surprise. Readers who want to think about what they've read would do very well to read Bradley's works, especially this one.

This book starts with Ruthie on her farm in Indiana in 1916. Ruthie is an 8 year old with long black hair and a tom boy. She lives in a family with 6 brothers.I like how Ruthie tries so hard so hard to be what her mom wants her to be a"lady". But Ruthie Can't help it she said she needs a special doll she thinks that it will her become a lady. Its hard for cause she she has no friends and she's the only in her grade.Untill some Friends move in near her. With help from them she may be able to become one.If you want to find out what her speacil gift is you should read this book I recommend this to people who like people fighthing for their rights.

I read this over 2 years ago, and I still remember very well what happens. It is great book for 8 to 11 year old girls. I guess really anybody would like it.

I liked how I never knew what would happen next. I also thought Ruthie's Gift was the best written book I have read. I hope you will love it as much as I did. I read it in my third grade class. I recommend this book for everyone.

This is an excellent reference tool for those who are first exploring the gigantic contents of this epochal book. Due to the extent of the contents of THE URANTIA BOOK, a guide like this is essential to prevent frustration and failure to locate and comprehend vital information. It also provides an invaluable concept coordination for new or seasoned readers. We owe the author a debt of gratitude for creating an accurate and helpful companion to the "Big Blue Book".

This book is beautifully written. It captures the essence of the Urantia Book revelation and presents it in a "reader friendly" format which greatly increases the potential for spreading the word about the Urantia Book and it's message. I have initially ordered 10 copies for distribution to my family and friends and expect them to be so well received that I will soon be back for more. Thank you, David Bradley, for this loving service to your fellow humans. I believe that in writing this book you were truly "following God's will".

This is a fantastic book on the art of consulting. As a previous partner of McKinsey, I took a lot away from this book that took me 20 years to learn previously. I highly recommend this book to every level consultant, doing any type of consulting.

I bought this book because of its lingustic interest. Material about Lisu, Lahu, Hmong, Akha, Mien, (et al) is very hard to come by. Ordinarily I would anathematize all phrase books, but this gives a lot of detailed information about these languages, including their structure and pronunciation, that is nearly impossible to find anywhere else. The author's presentation is very clear, and included also is some information about the peoples and the cultures of this little-known place. It actually made me want to go there.

This book is the answer to your prayers - if you are a first year neurology resident, alone on call during those first few months. Including differential diagnosis and management, although a little heavy in your coat pocket, you may come to regard the added weight as your security blanket.

Having read a good portion of Thoreau's diaries, I expected to find little else in this new manuscript. I was wrong. I found more and better observations on nature - specifics on white pine cone seed disbursement is hardly water cooler talk and not for everyone - written in a manner that is interesting and relevant.

Intertwined with the topic of wild fruit and seed information is more of Thoreau's philosophy, that which has driven me to read him for all these years.

If you like Thoreau, you simply cannot fail to read this piece of his puzzle. I can't wait for someone to tackle and publish what remains of his unpublished work.

Finally, I must say that while closing the final page I was struck with a deep appreciation for the immense effort involved in publishing this book, given the quality of his handwriting and the poor organization of the manuscript. It is indeed appreciated.

I finally tried to read On Walden Pond a few Summers ago and I just couldn't force my way through it. I got sick of the way the author kept slamming farmers while suggesting a life of berry picking in the woods as the real way to go. Even the editor that put "Wild Fruits" together says "...in the popular mind..a querulous hermit... ." But then, "Recently the popular mind has had to expand itself to include...a third of his life: the one spent closely observing and eloquently reporting on natural phenomena-Thoreau the protoecologist."

It's enough to be a Prophet but really you need to write that Testament too, "Wild Fruit" is Thoreau's and it is wonderful. More poetic than Walden and less insular this book contains great wisdom and it's fun to read. I'm only 1/3rd through the book but even the 22 page essay on Black Huckleberry alone is justification for reading the whole book.

Emerson said at Thoreau's funeral that "The country knows not yet, or in the least part, how great a son it has lost." I didn't until I started reading "Wild Fruits" and now it's very obvious he's one of the most important Americans to have ever lived.

Legendary nineteenth-century environmentalist, philosopher, and writer Henry David Thoreau has had a profound effect on American literature and ecology. His honest and poetic, down-to-earth writing style has inspired millions, influencing how we think about the natural resources around us. Wild Fruits, the recently published rediscovered text, is a collection of final notes from three years of writing and research (Thoreau died in 1862 just before completing the book). The pages were in storage at the Berg Collection in the New York Public Library until Thoreau specialist, Bradley P. Dean chanced upon them, and began decoding Thoreau's notoriously difficult handwriting. The actual text of Thoreau's Wild Fruits takes up only a fraction of the book-239 of its 409 pages. Dean then includes a chronology of Thoreau's life, other notes Thoreau took during the writing of Wild Fruits, a glossary of botanical terms, and notes on the original manuscript. The elegantly composed chapters catalog the berries and fruits of New England, with beautiful pen and ink illustrations and botanicals. Thoreau's observations leave nothing untouched. His talent for finding beauty in the smallest things is well represented in his descriptions of the flowering of black spruce, the arrivals of thimble berry, and fall bayberry-to name just a few. Thoreau's ability to find the sacred in commonplace is replete throughout Wild Fruits. A favorite passage celebrates seasonal flora and fauna: "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit...be blown by all the winds. Open all your pores and bathe in all the tides of Nature, in all her streams and oceans, at all seasons." In a time when we spend more and more hours in front of computer screens and on commutes rather then resting beneath birches or walking along river banks, Thoreau provides the inspiration to rediscover nature, and lose oneself in forest, prairie, and mountains. His words to fellow townspeople a century ago are still appropriate to today's populous: "It is my own way of living that I complain of as well as yours, and therefore I trust my remarks will come home to you...we have behaved like oxen in a flower garden. The true fruit of Nature can only be plucked with a fluttering heart and a delicate hand, not bribed by any earthly reward." -Heather K. Scott

I first picked up this book in the mid '80s because it was written by a contemporary at the University of Pennsylvania. Little did I know; this is a brilliant work which deserves much more attention than it has gotten. On one level it is about a man's acceptance of the world(s) he came from and the world(s) he lives in; on another level it is about his understanding that his pre-conceived notions about those worlds are not universally valid. And, it is not without humor - read the descriptions of the sanitation facilities on various sorts of transportation at the beginning! This book is gripping, eye-opening, and emotionally spending. But well worth it.

i had the pleasure of meeting mr. bradley once on a long plane ride. he said he was an author and at the time i had no idea who he was. but he was a wonderfully kindred spirit and i promised myself i would look into his work. i read the book a few months later and i was truly amazed at what an intelligent, thoughtful, well-planned, and remarkable story he told. it was one of the best written books i had read in a long time. the story is set with just the right amount of history, character development, and action to keep the reader contstantly informed and enthralled. i think it is a brilliant piece of work and look forward to other novels by mr. bradley. and, contrary to one of the other reviews, i DO NOT think it is racist in any way, shape, or form. it is just the way it was, (and sadly, perhaps, still is) in a sotry so that we can all understand a little bit more about each other. hats off!

This book has stayed with me for many years. I was moved to tears reading it, which is an unusual reaction for me. While at first I found the book moving slowly and, yes, on the angry side, as I got further into it I was drawn into its tragedy. I recently read Ecenbarger's new book "Walkin the Line" (about the Mason-Dixon Line)who claims the "mystery" of Chanesyville is a true story/local legend and has a photo of the gravesite of the slaves who died at the end. I really praise Bradley's book as a powerful, graphic narrative of hate and tragedy.

I don't know what could have brought out such hatred from the last reviewer. This is just a light, fun book. My main complaint is the length. It is a quick 180 page read. Bradley has a way with a phrase and is pretty witty I think. Some of the spacey stuff is too spacey I guess.
It's lots of fun!

In the wake of 9/11, I re-read this novel and, like the layers of a sweet alabaster onion, new multilevels of meaning drew tears to my eyes. In an odd, ineffable way, it is a comforting book, a fable that makes the reader feel positive about life, how they live their life, and where the end of this life might lead us.

This guy is a major literary talent -- criminally undiscovered due to poor distribution and promotion. It's really an amazing read and I hope there will be more stories coming from Bradley's pen in the near future.

I recommend this book to all my students who are getting started in working with the AB SLC 500. This book will give you a great start if you are trying to learn about AB PLCs. I also recommend ... for ActiveX driver software to communicate with AB PLCs. The reason I did not rate it at five stars is because the book is a little pricey and it omits some of the more advanced ladder instructions.

Here, we can find a lot examples, of basic Programmable Logical. But, no enough examples using advanced Programming instructions such as, PID, Shift Resister, Sequencer. Excellent book for the beginners.

this book contain good valable notes on PLC's so i like to read more .